Lakers

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers remain the only undefeated teams in the NBA after a week of play in the brand new 2024-2025 NBA season.
The Thunder have started off strong with a 4-0 record with wins over the Denver Nuggets, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, and the San Antonio Spurs. Against the Spurs, OKC flexed its might by holding Spurs budding star Victor Wembanyama to just 6 points on 5 shots.&nbsp;
Chet Holmgren had 19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in just 27 minutes even while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled shooting from the floor. SGA had 18 points but shot just 7-20 from the field and 2-10 from three. Holmgren was able to neutralize Wembanyama as the matchup gained traction following their Rookie of the Year race a season ago.
Lu Dort led the way for the Thunder with 20 points with 6 three-point makes as OKC&rsquo;s defense made San Antonio shoot just 41.2% from the field and struggled to manufacture shots for their young star.
The Cavaliers, on the other hand, pummeled a homecoming LeBron James with his son Bronny James Jr. and the Los Angeles Lakers to go up 5-0 and remain the only Eastern Conference team without a loss (Boston lost to Indiana).
Cleveland won handily despite a huge difference in free throw shooting, with 8 free throw attempts compared to LA&rsquo;s whopping 33.
The Cavs leaned on team effort to beat the visiting Lakers with Evan Mobley continuing his stellar play to start the year with 25 points on an efficient 12/16 shooting. Jarrett Allen had 20 points and 17 rebounds while Donovan Mitchell chipped in 24 points and 7 assists.&nbsp;
Other notable performances of the night include Karl-Anthony Towns dropping his best game as a Knick yet with a 44-point, 13-rebound night as New York defeated Miami on the road, 116-107.&nbsp;

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cleveland Cavaliers remain the only undefeated teams in the NBA after a week of play.

OKC, Cleveland remain undefeated to start the season

Just over a month ago, Team USA claimed its fifth straight Olympic gold medal after beating hosts France at the Paris 2024 Olympics.&nbsp;
The team was led by brilliant and ageless superstars LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who teamed up for the first time in Team USA after countless battles in the NBA.
It was LeBron&rsquo;s 4th medal in the Olympics, having won bronze in Athens 2004 and gold twice in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and yet just added another piece to his already GOAT-esque list of accolades as he approaches his 40-year-old season (22nd season) in the NBA. It was perhaps even sweeter for Steph, as the gold medal completed his own trophy cabinet after having achieved everything in the NBA.
What does this gold medal mean for both James and Curry at this point in their careers? Former Golden State Warrior and Los Angeles Laker Juan Toscano-Anderson believes it has cemented their place as one of the best, if not the best players ever to do it.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I think it further concretes their legacy. Obviously, they&rsquo;ve already done what they&rsquo;ve done and they&rsquo;ve been in conversations for the best player ever/ top five/ best point guard ever. I think as they continue to add accolades to their shelves, it continues to concrete the idea of them being in the GOAT status,&rdquo; Toscano-Anderson said in a one-on-one interview with BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I personally think LeBron is, you know, if not the best player to ever play one of the best players; and I think Steph is the best point guard to ever play.&rdquo;
Toscano-Anderson had the rare chance of being teammates with both superstars following his stints with both the Warriors and the Lakers, and he detailed how James and Curry are different and similar in their ways of leading their squads.
&ldquo;They&rsquo;re very similar in a lot of ways,&rdquo; Toscano-Anderson mentioned. &ldquo;Greatness doesn&rsquo;t happen by accident, I mean they lead by example. They [LeBron and Steph] spend all day at the facility taking care of their bodies and working on their game. Just the way they approach being a professional is very relative and similar.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Obviously they&rsquo;re different &ndash; they have different personalities, different guys,&rdquo; Toscano-Anderson added. &ldquo;LeBron is probably a little more like goofy and funny, and Steph is very likable and friendly as well. But I think LeBron is more kid-like &ndash; he has that side of him that a lot of people don&rsquo;t see because they only see him in the limelight from a professional standpoint where he has to carry himself in a certain way. So, they&rsquo;re both very great guys. I really enjoyed playing with both of them, and I will consider both of them friends and I still have a relationship with them both.&rdquo;
Although not with an NBA team as of the moment, Toscano-Anderson is still around the NBA circuit as he&rsquo;s about to play for the NBA&rsquo;s G League United team which will be competing this weekend at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore. The 6&rsquo;7 forward has been a part of this newly formed team to go up against the champions of each continent and he has been enjoying the experience thus far.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot of fun,&rdquo; Toscano-Anderson said. &ldquo;We got a lot of talent &ndash; different dynamic for me as I&rsquo;m the oldest on the team (it&rsquo;s my first time being the oldest on the team). A lot of fun to see the young talent and play with some guys that I&rsquo;ve never had the opportunity to play with. Then playing with a guy that I&rsquo;ve known since college (Deonte Burton), he was my roommate in college and this has brought us again &ndash; so just a good overall experience.&rdquo;
When asked about his future basketball plans, Toscano-Anderson is hopeful to play in the NBA again.
&ldquo;If somebody offers me, playing in the NBA is always my first preference. But obviously, that&rsquo;s not completely up to me so I&rsquo;ll revisit that after the tournament.&rdquo;
Check out the full interview here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We caught up with former Warrior and Laker Juan Toscano-Anderson (<a href="https://twitter.com/juanonjuan10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@juanonjuan10</a>) as his <a href="https://twitter.com/nbagleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nbagleague</a> United team is set to compete at the 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBAIC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIBAIC</a> in Singapore this week ✊🏽 On playing with the NBA G League United ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/Ng4KinU216">pic.twitter.com/Ng4KinU216</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1834105826287779919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2024</a>
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Former Golden State Warrior and Los Angeles Laker Juan Toscano-Anderson shares his view on LeBron and Steph as all-time greats. it has cemented their place as one of the best, if not the best players ever to do it.

Former Warrior and Laker says LeBron ‘the best ever’; Steph ‘the best PG ever’

LeBron James capped an impressive run to the Men&rsquo;s Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024 title by taking home the Most Valuable Player award after leading the USA to their fifth straight gold medal.
James collected 14 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals in USA's 98-87 win over hosts France in the Gold Medal Game. The veteran averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game in winning his third gold medal.
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⭐️ THE MVP OF <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> Men's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> ⭐️ LeBron James, United States of America 🇺🇸 👑 <a href="https://t.co/7S6UWxvNPq">pic.twitter.com/7S6UWxvNPq</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1822391504691675210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2024</a>
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The 39-year-old James was captivating the whole tournament. Perhaps his biggest highlight was registering his second triple-double in his Olympics career - and just the fourth of all-time - with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in USA's thrilling come-from-behind victory over Serbia in the Semi-Finals.
James was joined on the All-Star Five by USA teammate Stephen Curry, Victor Wembanyama of France, Nikola Jokic of Serbia, and Germany's Dennis Schroder.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ALL-STAR FIVE of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> Men's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> 🔸Dennis Schroder, Germany 🇩🇪 🔸Stephen Curry, USA 🇺🇸 🔸LeBron James, USA 🇺🇸 🔸Victor Wembanyama, France 🇫🇷 🔸Nikola Jokic, Serbia 🇷🇸 <a href="https://t.co/4cxZwzISTF">pic.twitter.com/4cxZwzISTF</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1822392716518646077?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2024</a>
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Curry came to life in the Semi-Finals with 9 three-pointers for 36 points and followed that with 8 three-pointers and 24 points in the Gold Medal Game. Playing in his first Olympics, Curry finished with 14.8 points on 47.8 percent three-point shooting, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
Despite playing in his first Olympics at just 20 years old, Wembanyama led the French team in scoring with 15.8 points, rebounds at 9.7, assists at 3.3, steals with 2.0, and blocks with 1.7 per game. However, his 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists in the Gold Medal Game were not enough to beat USA.
Jokic highlighted his amazing run in France with a triple-double of 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists with 0 turnovers in Serbia's <a href="https://fiba.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7033084a6897e1c399b667eb5&amp;id=d70acb2736&amp;e=2fb0566584">93-83</a> win over Germany in the Bronze Medal Game. For the tournament, the three-time NBA MVP averaged 18.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in helping Serbia take home their second Olympic medal.
Schroder averaged 17.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game for the world champions Germany, who lost to Serbia in the Bronze Medal Game to finish fourth in their first appearance in the Semi-Finals.
The All-Second Team is comprised of some big names as well.
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All-Second Team of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> Men's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> 🔸 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada 🇨🇦 🔸 Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia 🇷🇸 🔸 Franz Wagner, Germany 🇩🇪 🔸 Guerschon Yabusele, France 🇫🇷 🔸 Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece 🇬🇷 <a href="https://t.co/rMjOY1uonS">pic.twitter.com/rMjOY1uonS</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1822404235272540221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2024</a>
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Shai Gilgeous Alexander helped Canada to a perfect 3-0 record in the Group Stage, but could not save the team against France in the Quarter-Finals. He averaged 21.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Bogdan Bogdanovic was the true captain Serbia needed to finish the tournament on the podium. Through six games, he had 18.3 points, and made 46.2 percent of his three-pointers, with 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists each night.
Franz Wagner represents Germany in the Second Team, being their top scorer with 18.5 points per game. He also had 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 steals at this event, proving he's already a game-changer, despite being just 22 years old.
The top scorer of the Olympics was Giannis Antetokounmpo. Greece's talisman leader got 25.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, bringing the nation all the way from the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament to the Quarter-Finals in Paris.
The home crowd favorite made his way into the team, too. Guerschon Yabusele played an unforgettable elimination phase, getting 22 points against Canada in the Quarter-Finals, 17 against Germany in the Semis, and 20 against the USA in the Final.

LeBron James capped an impressive run to the Men’s Olympic Basketball title by taking home the MVP award.

Team USA’s LeBron James named FIBA Olympic MVP

Serbia recovered from a tough loss against Team USA in the semifinals to snag the bronze medal of the Paris 2024 Olympics after beating Germany, 83-73, at the Bercy Arena in Paris, France.&nbsp;
Serbia lost the semifinal game to the USA by just 4 points after leading for a staggering 35 minutes throughout the game. The Serbians vented their ire against Germany, the team they lost to in the FIBA World Cup championship game. That was without three-time NBA MVP for Serbia though, and this time with Jokic around, he was the difference against the Germans.&nbsp;
Jokic was brilliant from start to finish, collecting a triple-double stat line of 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. NBA players Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vasilje Micic added 19 and 16 points respectively as Serbia dominated Germany thoroughly.&nbsp;
Franz Wagner led the fightback for the Germans with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists while Moritz Wagner and Dennis Schroder added 16 and 13 points of their own.&nbsp;
Germany closes their summer 4th place &ndash; a huge achievement following their first-ever appearance at an Olympic semifinal. They are already the world champions and having yet another experience at high-stakes basketball only gives Germany the necessary experience needed to medal at the next version of the Games.
For Serbia, this is a redemption from their silver medal finish in the FIBA World Cup and after failing to finish on the podium in Tokyo 2020. Serbia already finished in 2nd place in 2016 against Team USA, and this bronze cements their place as one of the top basketball nations in the world.

Serbia recovered from a tough loss against USA to snag the bronze medal of the Paris 2024 Olympics after beating Germany, 83-73.

Serbia defeats Germany to claim Paris Olympics bronze

The matchups for the 2024 Paris Olympics Basketball Tournament are set as the top-ranked national teams in the world gun for gold. Here are all the matchups in the knockout rounds:&nbsp;
Germany vs Greece
The Germans will bring their world championship pedigree against Greece and NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo as both teams clash for a semis spot. Germany, led by FIBA MVP Dennis Schroder and rising NBA star Franz Wagner, are ready to stake their claim for the Olympics&rsquo; gold medal. They will be met by a hungry Antetokounmpo and his Greece squad that just barely snuck into the quarterfinals. Despite the overwhelming advantage by the Germans, Giannis and Greece are a team to watch out for especially if their shooters get hot and Antetokounmpo dominates the inside game.&nbsp;
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Men's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> Quarter-Finals start with a banger 🔥 Germany 🇩🇪 v 🇬🇷 Greece, who do you got? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/N6mv5StwR7">pic.twitter.com/N6mv5StwR7</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1820671140622385209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a>
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Serbia vs Australia
Led by their ageless wonder Patty Mills, Australia comes into the game vs Serbia as huge underdogs facing perhaps the best player in the world right now in 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic. This will be the second time the two squads will meet this summer after facing each other in the USA Basketball Showcase in Abu Dhabi. Australia ended up winning that game 84-73, and now with a semis spot on the line, expect Serbia to up the intensity and strike revenge against the Boomers. Jokic alongside co-stars Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vasilje Micic could have something up their sleeves in this matchup vs Australia to try and win the game.
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Oh, this will be fun. 😈 Serbia 🇷🇸 v 🇦🇺 Australia will clash for semi-finals!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> <a href="https://t.co/T4JmyFyMIT">pic.twitter.com/T4JmyFyMIT</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1820686238501969965?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a>
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France vs Canada
In perhaps the marquee matchup of the day, two basketball superpowers collide in the quarterfinals of the Paris 2024 Olympics when France and Canada face each other for a semis slot. This colossal matchup happened when France lost to Germany for the top spot in Group B, ending up facing the 3rd best team in point differential in Canada. Stars will be all around in this matchup, with Canada&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett looking to spoil the fun in Paris while France&rsquo;s very own Victor Wembanyama wants to lead his home country to a gold medal.
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Potentially... "that game from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a>" 🍿 France 🇫🇷 v 🇨🇦 Canada is a must-watch today!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> <a href="https://t.co/iI4gPKJXgf">pic.twitter.com/iI4gPKJXgf</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1820701342777929784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a>
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USA vs Brazil
Team USA enters this matchup as humongous favorites but make no mistake: Brazil will not come into the game just to hand the win over to their North American neighbors. Even at 41, Marcelo Huertas still leads this team with his steady play at the PG position. Along with capable teammates Bruno Caboclo, Leo Meindl, and Vitor Benite, Brazil looks to crash the Americans&rsquo; presumably party even before the game starts. Of course, Team USA is bannered by the best players in the world on their way to obtaining their 5th straight Olympic gold medal. Some may even say all the other 7 teams are just competing for silver and bronze behind the USA&rsquo;s presumed gold. We&rsquo;ll see what happens when Team USA&rsquo;s quest for gold starts vs Brazil.
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Two countries from Americas, one semi-final spot. 🔥 Brazil 🇧🇷 v 🇺🇸 USA will be a box-office in Paris.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Basketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Basketball</a> <a href="https://t.co/YdOuuZmE37">pic.twitter.com/YdOuuZmE37</a>
&mdash; FIBA (@FIBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIBA/status/1820716441340960891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a>
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The matchups for the 2024 Paris Olympics Basketball Tournament are set as the top-ranked national teams in the world gun for gold.

Top national teams collide in Paris 2024 Olympics quarterfinals

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly targeting University of Connecticut coach Dan Hurley for their vacant head coaching job, according to ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Woj, the back-to-back NCAA coach for the UConn Huskies has been the Lakers&rsquo; top-secret target after previous reports suggested that the franchise has been in contact with several other names in the NBA space. Former player and now-ESPN analyst JJ Redick and Charlotte Hornets&rsquo; top assistant James Borrego were among those mentioned in reports.
The Lakers have already been reported to have met with Hurley for initial meetings and their discussions are expected to ramp up in a few days, with the franchise preparing a massive, long-term contract offer to pry Hurley to the NBA.
ANALYSIS: With Hurley&rsquo;s name thrown to the Lakers&rsquo; head coaching job candidates, this could mean that Redick&rsquo;s opportunity with the Lakers could either turn out to be a smokescreen for the grander scheme of things of plans by the Lakers to hire the NCAA champion coach. Numerous reports have already been out there with Redick&rsquo;s name as the top candidate for the franchise&rsquo;s head coaching job and with this development, this shakes things up for a lot of reasons.
More notably, signing Hurley would mean the Lakers are going all-in with their pitch to make superstar LeBron James stay with the team, pending his decision in free agency. LeBron has expressly shown on social media platforms like X and Instagram his admiration for Hurley and his creative and innovative offensive schemes.
Furthermore, Hurley seems like the type of coach who LeBron might listen to and/or is good enough/brave enough to coach LeBron considering the type of player that he is on and off the floor.
Lastly, Hurley&rsquo;s possible hiring would likely affect the Lakers&rsquo; drafting process in which LeBron&rsquo;s son Bronny James could likely be drafted to the team using its 55th pick in the upcoming draft. Hurley has been known as a master in player development and could potentially help the younger James&rsquo; growth moving forward.

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly targeting University of Connecticut coach Dan Hurley for their vacant head coaching job.

Lakers targeting UConn’s Dan Hurley for head coaching job

Although we&rsquo;re in the middle of the NBA Playoffs and the Boston Celtics are about to take on the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals for the championship, teams on the outside looking in are starting to make their moves to bolster their benches. Here are some of them that are on the move:
Warriors, Darvin Ham to discuss assistant coach role
According to reports, Golden State has approached former Lakers head coach Darvin Ham for an assistant coaching role with the team. Although it isn&rsquo;t expected to materialize, it is a signal of the Warriors&rsquo; desire to add a big-name assistant, and indications are they are in search of either a former head coach or former player to fill the role. The Warriors will continue their search moving forward.
Wizards hire Brian Keefe as head coach
The Washington Wizards have promoted interim head coach Brian Keefe to be the team&rsquo;s full-time coach. Keefe, who will be the 26th head coach in Wizards franchise history, had an 8-31 record as interim head coach last year for Washington. He takes over the franchise who have intriguing young talents in Deni Avdija, Bilal Coulibaly, and Tristan Vukcevic.
Lue, Clippers ink extension
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue will be back for the considerable future in LA as he extends with the Clippers for 5 years, USD 70 million. Lue, an assistant on Team USA&rsquo;s staff, has agreed with Clippers owner Steve Ballmer regarding the extension which will make him one of the league&rsquo;s highest-paid coaches.
Caron Butler returns to Miami on a 4-year deal
Butler, a part of Erik Spoelstra&rsquo;s staff in Miami, has been extended for another 4 years to remain on the bench for the Heatles. A 16-year NBA veteran and an ex-Heat player, Butler has spent the last 4 years as an assistant with the team.
David Fizdale joins Mike Budenholzer in Phoenix
Fizdale, who has been a part of Frank Vogel&rsquo;s staff, will join newly installed head coach Mike Budenholzer&rsquo;s staff in Phoenix.

Teams on the outside looking in are starting to make their moves to bolster their benches. Here are some of them that are on the move.

NBA Coaching Changes: Teams starting to equip their tacticians

Bronny James is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/39879943/usc-bronny-james-entering-nba-draft-transfer-portal">ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski</a>. James will also enter the NCAA's transfer portal to maintain his eligibility and keep his options open.
It was previously reported that LeBron James' eldest son was entering the transfer portal, but now Bronny's full plan has come to light.&nbsp;
"The pre-draft plan will be for James to meet with targeted teams for workouts and interviews prior to the June 16 deadline to stay in the draft and find out whether there's a potential developmental situation -- regardless of draft position -- that would make sense for him to stay in the draft," writes Wojnarowski.
If Bronny returns to college, Duke, Ohio State, UCLA, Xavier, and Rutgers are <a href="https://twitter.com/ASUnchained1/status/1774946468542943374">reportedly</a> the favorites to land him.
Duke, who will have the No.1 overall high-school recruit in Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach, might have the upper hand in landing James Jr. after having some sort of history with the elder James. He has mentioned in the past his admiration for the &lsquo;brotherhood&rsquo; culture of the Blue Devils as well as former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who was also James&rsquo; coach in Team USA.&nbsp;
James Jr. staying home in LA to play with UCLA would be an obvious choice, while Ohio State and Xavier would make sense as well considering the elder James&rsquo; childhood roots.
Rutgers on the other hand, will likely use playing time as their main pitch to try and land the younger James to pair him with blue-chip recruits in Airious Bailey (HS no.2 recruit) and Dylan Harper (HS no.3 recruit).
Consequently, this decision by the younger James will likely have a huge impact on the number of years his father would still play as his career winds down to a close. The elder James has expressed his desire to play with his son at some point in the NBA -- perhaps we'll see them share the court next season.

Bronny James is declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft while also entering the NCAA's transfer portal to maintain his eligiblity.

Bronny James to enter 2024 NBA Draft and NCAA transfer portal

Josh Childress is a retired American basketball player who played three years at Stanford University, where he became an AP first-team All-American, consensus second-team All-American, the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year and Pac-10 Conference Tournament MVP as a junior in 2004.&nbsp;
He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, becoming the highest Stanford player to be drafted in the NBA. While Childress played in the NBA for the Hawks (2004-2008), Phoenix Suns (2010-2012), Brooklyn Nets (2012) and New Orleans Pelicans (2013), he made a name for himself overseas when he moved to Greece to play for Olympiacos from 2008 to 2010.&nbsp;
Childress had a fruitful career overseas, playing in leagues like the NBL (with the Sydney Kings and Adelaide 36ers) in Australia and the B-League (with the San-en Neo Phoenix) in Japan. Over the course of his 15-year basketball career, Childress averaged 9.1 points and earned a number of honors including All-NBL first team, NBL top scorer, All-Euroleague second team, Greek League top scorer, Greek League best defender and NBA All-Rookie second team.
Now, the 40-year-old Childress is an investor in the East Asian Super League, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/east-asia-super-league-set-to-have-its-biggest-event-yet-in-cebu">a rapidly growing league across East Asia.</a> During the EASL's Final Four in the Philippines, Childress spoke with BasketballNews&rsquo; Mon Anthony L. Valmoria to share what he is up to nowadays, his venture with the EASL, his fond NBA memories, his journey playing overseas and more.
You are an investor in the EASL. When did this happen?&nbsp;
Josh Childress: &ldquo;I started as an investor last year, last summer. I talked about seeing the opportunity [to] kind of &lsquo;bridge&rsquo; the gap between the countries in Asian basketball and it's a fantastic opportunity to do that. So EASL did a great job here in its first year and we hope to build on this moving forward.&rdquo;
Why invest in the EASL? Why do you think it will be a successful league?
Childress: &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s bringing together a bunch of different countries and leagues that have all increasingly gotten better and I think if you can find a way to connect Asian basketball across the board, it will be a fantastic league. A fantastic opportunity for fans, media and the players. So, I&rsquo;m hopeful that when this tournament &ndash; this Final Four &ndash; has more traction, you get more countries involved in the league and have some great basketball.&rdquo;
After your 15-year playing career, what are you up to these days?
Childress: &ldquo;I have an investment company. I run investments; we do real estate, we do sports properties, we do stuff like this (the EASL). We invest in a bunch of different things and I run it full-time &ndash; that&rsquo;s what keeps me busy these days.&rdquo;
Watching the EASL games and seeing how basketball is played over here, how would you describe the brand of basketball that's played on this side of the world?
Childress: &ldquo;It is very physical and very fast-paced. We&rsquo;ve seen really exciting games here and I think players here are playing for pride. There&rsquo;s obviously a nice prize &ndash; a cash prize &ndash; at the end of it. But at this point, it&rsquo;s just pride and making sure that you win and you&rsquo;re the champion of Asia. So I think [basketball here] is really exciting.&rdquo;
Let's talk about your experiences as an NBA player. What are your fondest memories from your playing days?
Childress: &ldquo;Most of your memories are around your teammates, you know? Around the locker room like how fun that was, those plane rides, just the camaraderie you have with your team &ndash; that&rsquo;s the thing that I missed the most about playing. The friendships and the teammates that you have over the years.&rdquo;
Speaking of your teammates, you played with a lot of teams in the NBA &ndash; who was your favorite teammate?&nbsp;
Childress: &ldquo;They were all my favorites (smiles). But I&rsquo;d say between Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachulia, Josh Smith, Joe [Johnson], Tyronn Lue, Mike Bibby &ndash; all those guys were great teammates. I&rsquo;m very thankful that I had the opportunity to play with them.&rdquo;
What is your best NBA memory?
Childress: &ldquo;Getting drafted. I mean, that&rsquo;s a dream come true. It&rsquo;s something that, as a kid, you always see on TV. So, that was an amazing experience.&rdquo;
When it comes to American NBA players deciding to play overseas, you were one of the pioneers. What were the pros and cons?
Childress: &ldquo;It was something that has been done before, but it was a great experience. I loved playing in Greece &ndash; the fans were amazing. I got the chance to experience European basketball, which was different. The pros and the cons are that it sets you up in a situation where you&rsquo;re playing a different style of basketball and having to figure out how to play there. But that was so much fun, you&rsquo;re in very hostile environments playing against teams that you never knew existed and having the chance to compete at a high level. So, I loved my time in Europe. In the EuroLeague, basketball was fantastic; in the Greek league, it was fantastic. So hopefully we can mirror that EuroLeague style format here with the EASL.&rdquo;
Other than monetary considerations, what would you advise fellow Americans about the decision to play overseas? What other factors do you think are crucial in choosing where to play?
Childress: &ldquo;I think the biggest thing is playing style &ndash; you know, going somewhere your style of play fits [in with] where you&rsquo;re going &ndash; or having the opportunity of playing a lot of minutes. I know some guys that are going to certain countries that may pay a little bit less, but they know they&rsquo;re going to play a lot, they&rsquo;re going to play their game. And that will lead them to those opportunities for success with bigger contracts and moving the following year. So, always make sure you go somewhere where you can be the best version of yourself and play at a high level.&rdquo;

Josh Childress shares what he's up to nowadays, his EASL investment, his NBA memories and his journey playing overseas.

Q&A: Josh Childress on NBA journey, EASL investment, overseas hoops

LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant have become synonymous with the sport of basketball, serving as the gold standard for this generation of players and drawing in fans from all over the world.
Aside from 2021 and 2023, every NBA Finals series since 2011 has featured one of James, Curry or Durant. The trio have a combined 44 All-Star appearances, and at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, we got to watch them play together on the same team for the first time ever.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant all on the same team for the first time ever tonight 🔥✊ <a href="https://t.co/uUaAKwxaVr">pic.twitter.com/uUaAKwxaVr</a>
&mdash; Guru (@DrGuru_) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrGuru_/status/1759349903652995079?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
Seeing the faces of the NBA share the court as teammates was a lot of fun and left fans wanting for more.
Enter Team USA.
The world might witness these three legends team up once again in the coming months &mdash; this time while donning the red, white and blue. in hopes of leading Team USA to a fifth consecutive gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
While we got a taste of the trio during NBA All-Star Weekend, fans would love to see them in a competitive environment. Curry&rsquo;s otherworldly shooting, James' IQ and playmaking, plus Durant&rsquo;s deadly three-level scoring with extremely high stakes? That would be something to behold.
James, Curry and Durant are all highly intelligent basketball players who complement each other really well, so it would likely be a seamless transition on Team USA.
All three have expressed their interest in playing for the national team and were <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/usa-basketball-announces-player-pool-for-team-usas-2024-mens-national-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently included in the player pool that Team USA announced</a>.
Although the NBA season is still ongoing and a lot can still happen between now and July, but barring injuries or any unforeseen circumstances, the three global basketball icons will likely lead Team USA&rsquo;s pursuit for the gold medal in this year&rsquo;s Olympic Games. This hunt for the gold will coincide with the 50th anniversary of USA Basketball, making their run even more special.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Beautiful, isn't it? Breaking down our 50th Anniversary logo 👇<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USAB50?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USAB50</a> 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/O4F7odCkWY">pic.twitter.com/O4F7odCkWY</a>
&mdash; USA Basketball (@usabasketball) <a href="https://twitter.com/usabasketball/status/1749606150721388855?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
The American trio will aim to replicate the success of their predecessors from the original &ldquo;Dream Team&rdquo; in 1992 when NBA superstars Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird won the gold medal in Barcelona.
James, 39, has won three Olympic medals for Team USA (one bronze and two golds) with the last one coming 12 years ago when he won gold in London. The NBA&rsquo;s all-time leading scorer has expressed interest in suiting up for Team USA once again, and he has been in contact with several other NBA stars to join him including Curry and Durant. James&rsquo; impressive track record for his national team speaks for itself. After serving Team USA for eight years from 2004 to 2012, he is second all-time in games played (24) for Team USA.&nbsp;
The 35-year-old Curry has yet to play for Team USA in the Olympics. Curry already has two FIBA World Championships in his trophy case, which also includes four NBA championships and two NBA MVPs, but winning an Olympic gold medal might be the cherry on top of what has been an illustrious career. Curry has notably shown interest in playing for Team USA in the Olympic Games, and he is very likely to do so this year. With Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also calling the shots for Team USA, it makes a lot of sense for Curry to make his Olympic debut in Paris.
Finally, Durant is arguably the most accomplished Team USA player of all-time. Winning three Olympic gold medals (2012, 2016 and 2020-21) and a FIBA World Championship (2010), Team USA&rsquo;s &ldquo;Captain America&rdquo; is gunning for his record-setting fourth Olympic Gold medal. (He's currently tied with fellow USA great Carmelo Anthony, who also has three gold medals). Durant winning another gold medal would likely solidify him as the greatest Team USA player of all-time (if he isn't already). A two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP, Durant is one of the most lethal scorers the game has ever seen.
Aside from James, Curry and Durant &ndash; the NBA&rsquo;s most recognizable faces &ndash; who else will don the red, white and blue? The other finalists for the 2024 USA Men&rsquo;s national team are Bam Adebayo, Jarrett Allen, Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, Scottie Barnes, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Jimmy Butler, Alex Caruso, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, De&rsquo;Aaron Fox, Paul George, Aaron Gordon, Tyrese Haliburton, James Harden, Josh Hart, Tyler Herro, Jrue Holiday, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Ingram, Kyrie Irving, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cam Johnson, Walker Kessler, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Chris Paul, Bobby Portis, Austin Reaves, Duncan Robinson, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Trae Young.
With James, Curry and Durant leading the way, Team USA will the favorite in Paris. However, they'll face stiff competition from the rest of the world, particularly world-champion Germany and star-studded squads like Australia and Team Canada. Generational international talents like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama will look to dethrone Team USA.
This iteration of the Olympics is shaping up to be the hardest challenge the Americans will ever face, and hopefully James, Curry and Durant will be at the forefront of it all. In likely their last dance in international competition, James, Curry and Durant will surely want to ride off into the sunset wearing gold medals around their necks.

The next time LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry are playing together, it will be with Team USA during the Paris Olympics.

LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant set to team up again — this time for USA

This article was originally published on Jan. 16, 2021.
We&rsquo;ve all been here before.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s a random Wednesday. Full slate of games, hard to keep track of everything. Maybe you&rsquo;re peeping an ESPN matchup. Perhaps you&rsquo;re watching your favorite team on the local channel if you&rsquo;re in the market, or you&rsquo;re streaming it LEGALLY ON NBA LEAGUE PASS BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY WAY YOU ARE ALLOWED TO DO IT. WINK.&nbsp;
But anyway, you&rsquo;re watching a game. You&rsquo;re roaming Twitter. And then a tweet catches your eye: PLAYER X HAS DUNKED ON LEBRON JAMES.
Your brow raises. You see a few tweets from your online pals big-upping the play. You&rsquo;re really interested now. You click on the video from a Big Social Media Account. And this is the dunk:
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/brr.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
The excitement drops a little bit. That&rsquo;s a nice dunk from Wendell Carter Jr. LeBron James is underneath the basket, and there&rsquo;s a challenge. But something doesn&rsquo;t feel right about it.&nbsp;
Then you see a different angle of the Dunk Heard &lsquo;Round The World.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/wendell-w-lebron-in-the-area.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
You feel betrayed. LeBron didn&rsquo;t get dunked on; LeBron&rsquo;s arm got dunked on as he jumps out of the darn play! This isn&rsquo;t <a href="https://youtu.be/xtOUpybXmzo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scottie Pippen on Patrick Ewing</a> or <a href="https://youtu.be/6kBWO82HUa4?t=28" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vince Carter on Alonzo Mourning</a>! I can yell at these clouds if I want to!
If you&rsquo;re anything like me, you&rsquo;re tired of being misled. If I hear or read that a player got baptized, I want to see some Holy Water coming out of the rim after the aerial duel. And if you are like me, this is the piece for you. This is the guide of all guides, breaking down the different types of dunks. A universal standard of slams, if you will, so we can finally get on the same page about poster dunks.
A brief note before digging in. I am using a tier system so it&rsquo;s easier to separate the types of dunks. Like many things in life, the scale can slide on a case-by-case basis. For example, breakaway dunks are generally uncontested, which makes them the lowest tier of dunk for me. However, a breakaway dunk from 360-enthusiast Zach LaVine is different -- and much cooler -- than the two-handed flushes we see from Jimmy Butler. Each dunk is still its own thing.&nbsp;
Disclaimer: Alley-oops can fall under virtually all of these categories, with the obvious exception of put-backs.
TIER 10: BREAKAWAYS
Break-away dunks are pretty self-explanatory. There&rsquo;s a long rebound after a miss. A player leaks out early, and gets a dunk with no resistance. They&rsquo;re pretty basic with a few exceptions. LaVine, Paul George or Glenn Robinson III may bust out a 360 or windmill on occasion. LeBron has made the one-handed tomahawk a staple of his repertoire.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/lebron-tomahawk.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
It&rsquo;s basic, but it&rsquo;s so darn cool. Power, a little bit of flair, the hang time. All that good stuff.
TIER 9: TIP SLAMS
I like the timing, positioning and coordination it takes to pull off a putback slam. The lower-level ones are uncontested, but can be rated higher depending on the work a player puts in before the ball comes off the rim. Take this multiple-effort possession from Larry Nance Jr. as an example:
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/larry-nance-jr-putback.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
TIER 8: BUSINESS DECISIONS
The OG: Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal
Also popularized by: LeBron James, Blake Griffin, Zion Williamson
This is for the power dunkers. Whether it&rsquo;s in transition, flowing off of a broken play or rumbling down the lane after a high-ball screen, it&rsquo;s hilarious to watch players actively decide, &ldquo;Nope, I don&rsquo;t get paid enough for this.&rdquo; Take this play from the 2016-17 season, featuring Blake Griffin:
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/willy-hernangomez-business-decision.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
The key actor here is Willy Hernangomez (No. 14). He is watching this snug pick-and-roll all the way through. His man, noted three-point marksman DeAndre Jordan, is chilling above the break. Not only can Hernangomez make the rotation to cut off Griffin at the rim, he should make that rotation because Jordan is not a threat at all. Instead, he begins to load up, quickly realizes that Griffin will put him in the gulag, and decides against challenging the shot.
Hilarious sequence.
TIER 7: FLY-BYS
This is where having a discerning eye is important. When you think about it, this kind of dunk -- and the praise that these types of dunk typically generate -- is about deception.
A defender jumps across a player to make it look like he&rsquo;s legitimately challenging the dunk. There&rsquo;s no real threat of a block or swipe. The dunk happens because, again, there&rsquo;s no real threat to it otherwise. And somehow both players end up looking good. The dunker gets &ldquo;poster&rdquo; equity they don&rsquo;t deserve; the defender gets a slight pat on the back for giving effort instead of making a business decision.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/hhh.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
It&rsquo;s all a darn farce. A cool-looking farce at times, but a farce nonetheless.&nbsp;
TIER 6: SELF-LOBS
We&rsquo;ve reached the coolest of the non-contact dunks. It doesn&rsquo;t get much better than throwing the ball to yourself for a slam, man. Look at Jamal Murray getting himself out of trouble.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/jamal-murray-self-lob.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
TIER 5: &ldquo;IN THE VICINITY&rdquo; SLAMS (Also known as ITVs)
Folks, the rubber is starting to reach the road. The ITVs involve actual attempts at a contest and/or a little contact, a step up from the Fly-bys. This is where I&rsquo;d say the Wendell-on-LeBron dunk falls, though I wouldn&rsquo;t be mad at anyone that would classify it as a Fly-by. A better example would be this slam from Matisse Thybulle last season.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/mfff.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
There&rsquo;s an attempt at a challenge, but Thybulle still gets the better of Mason Plumlee. But Plumlee doesn&rsquo;t get dunked on. There isn&rsquo;t enough contact to call it a poster of the highest order.&nbsp;
This is also where failed chasedown blocks come in. With guys flying in from behind, the dunk-on element just isn&rsquo;t there most of the time. Take the famous Kobe-on-LeBron dunk from the 2011 All-Star game.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/kobe-on-lebron.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
TIER 4: PUTBACK POSTERS
I&rsquo;ve always gone back and forth with myself about where to place these types of dunks. On one hand, the blindsided nature of it makes it a bit unfair to defenders. You can&rsquo;t defend against what you can&rsquo;t see. However, there&rsquo;s enough contact at play, and a player Mossin&rsquo; a dude and flushing it down is generally some high level stuff.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/gerald-green-putback-poster.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
Yes, that is the #BASED and #RARE Gerald Green in a Celtics uni. And yeah that&rsquo;s Mason Plumlee again. Sorry, man.
TIER 3: DUNK-ONS/CHARGE CRUSHERS
We&rsquo;ve reached the portion of the program where dudes are getting legitimately yammed on, but there are a couple of factors that keep it from ranking higher.
First, the level of contest still matters. A lot of these dunks feature dudes sliding over in an attempt to take a charge (hence the alternative name). The higher level posters feature someone trying to actually block the dunk. Sure, a charge and blocked dunk are functionally the same in terms of the result the defense wants -- taking away two points -- but we&rsquo;re talking about highlights here.&nbsp;
Secondly, and I admit we&rsquo;re splitting hairs a bit, size also matters. The first dunk I thought of was Nuggets-era J.R Smith yamming it over Gary Neal:
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/jrs.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
Objectively a good dunk, but Gary Neal is ground bound and short. You have to dock some points there. I&rsquo;m sorry. The famous DeAndre Jordan-on-Brandon Knight flush, while iconic, also falls in this category.
The higher end of this would be another classic involving the Spurs: LeBron dunking on Tim Duncan.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/lebron-on-tim-duncan.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
That&rsquo;s more like it.
TIER 2: THE THROW-IN
THE OG: Blake Griffin
ALSO POPULARIZED BY: Derrick Jones Jr.
DUNK TRUTHERS DON&rsquo;T READ THIS!
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Dunk Truthers are stupid poopyheads.&nbsp;
Yes, we&rsquo;re well aware that dunks that involve the rim being grabbed -- or at least touched -- are more pure, whatever the heck that means. But you look at Blake Griffin embarrassing the life out of Timofey Mozgov and tell me it isn&rsquo;t one of greatest athletic feats you&rsquo;ve ever seen.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/blake-over-mozgov.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
Derrick Jones Jr. has some gnarly ones in his bag as well, highlighted by this lob he converted against the Raptors that still doesn&rsquo;t make much sense to me.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/hyyy.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
TIER 1: THE PURE POSTER
Pippen on Ewing. Carter on &lsquo;Zo. <a href="https://youtu.be/tYpwjB0IzoU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Baron Davis on Andrei Kirilenko</a>. Michael Jordan on, well, name almost any big man you can think of that played in the '90s.&nbsp;
We can go more modern, like Larry Nance Jr. doing this to pre-DPOY-candidate Brook Lopez:
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/lrrr.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
Another hidden gem: young DeMar DeRozan throwing the hammer down over Rudy Gobert:
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/derozan-on-gobert.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
The constant for these dunks: full-on, body-to-body contact with a legitimate attempt for a contest. You&rsquo;ll know it when you see it.
BONUS TIER: THE VINCE CARTER
Yeah, this is still the best dunk I&rsquo;ve ever seen.
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/vince-carter-dunk-of-death.gif" alt="" width="512" height="AUTO" />
You clear a seven footer, you get your own dunk tier. Those are the rules.

Nekias Duncan has put together the guide of all guides, breaking down the different types of dunks and rating them on a tier system.

The Dunk-tionary: The official guide to ranking dunks

Alex Kennedy and Trevor Lane of Lakers Nation preview the 2023-24 Los Angeles Lakers.

Lakers Season Preview: Year 21 LeBron James, Austin Reaves breakout?

Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White has been named the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year, the WNBA announced today.&nbsp;
White becomes the fourth former WNBA player to win the award, joining Becky Hammon (2022), Sandy Brondello (2014) and Suzie McConnell-Serio (2004). This marks the fifth Coach of the Year honor in Sun history, and White is the third different Connecticut coach to earn the award (Mike Thibault, 2006 and 2008; Curt Miller, 2017 and 2021).
White received 36 votes from a national panel of 60 sportswriters and broadcasters.&nbsp;Latricia Trammell of the Dallas Wings finished in second place with 11 votes, and Brondello of the New York Liberty was third with six votes.&nbsp; Hammon of the Las Vegas Aces received three votes; Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx and Tanisha Wright of the Atlanta Dream each received two votes.
In her third season as a WNBA head coach and her first with the Sun, White guided Connecticut to a 27-13 record and set the franchise record for victories in a season. The No. 3-seeded Sun will continue its quest for the franchise&rsquo;s first WNBA championship when it hosts the No. 6-seeded Lynx today in Game 2 of a first-round playoff series (1 p.m. ET, ESPN). Connecticut leads the series 1-0.
White was named the WNBA Coach of the Month for May after leading the team to a 4-1 record, marking the best start by a Sun head coach in their debut season with the franchise. The Indiana native earned a spot as a head coach in the 2023 AT&amp;T WNBA All-Star Game after guiding the Sun to the second-best record (12-4) in the league through June. At the All-Star Game in Las Vegas, White led Team Stewart to a 143-127 victory over Team Wilson.&nbsp;
Beginning the season with a talented veteran core, White replaced the production of former Kia WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones, who had departed via free agency, and subsequently guided the Sun through the loss of 2022 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year and two-time All-Star Brionna Jones, who sustained a season-ending Achilles injury on June 20.
Under White&rsquo;s guidance, forward Alyssa Thomas and forward-guard DeWanna Bonner were selected as 2023 WNBA All-Stars during their memorable seasons. Thomas posted a WNBA single-season record six triple-doubles and became the first player in league history to log triple-doubles in consecutive games, doing so twice. She also led the league in rebounding (9.9 rpg), ranked second in assists (7.9 apg) and equaled her career high in scoring (15.5 ppg). Bonner became the first player in Sun history to record consecutive games of 30 or more points and scored a career-high 41 points in a 94-77 win over the Aces on June 8. She averaged 17.4 points for the season, the third-highest figure of her career.
As a team, the Sun ranked second in the WNBA in defensive rating (98.8) and fourth in offensive rating (103.2). Connecticut allowed a league-low 79.0 points per game.
The 2023 season marks White&rsquo;s 16th&nbsp;in the WNBA. She began her WNBA career with five seasons (1999-2003) as a player, first with the Charlotte Sting, then the Indiana Fever. As a coach, she spent four seasons as an assistant with both the Chicago Sky (2007-10) and the Fever (2011-14), helping Indiana win the 2012 WNBA championship. She took over as Fever head coach in 2015, leading Indiana to the WNBA Finals in her first season and another playoff appearance the following year.
Below are the voting results for the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year Award:
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/unnamed-2.png" alt="" width="540" height="212" />

Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White has been named the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year, the WNBA announced today.

Connecticut Sun's Stephanie White named 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year

The Los Angeles Lakers and Vanessa Bryant announced today that they will unveil Kobe Bryant&rsquo;s bronze statue at Star Plaza outside of Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 8, 2024, prior to the Lakers&rsquo; home game against the Denver Nuggets.
The statue will pay tribute to the Hall-of-Famer, who was a five-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, Most Valuable Player, 18-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA selection and 12-time All-Defensive Team selection. Kobe was the first player in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons with a single team.
The Lakers have already retired both of Bryant's jerseys, No. 8 and No. 24, making him the only player in NBA history to have two numbers retired by a single franchise.&nbsp;
&ldquo;As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA career as a Los Angeles Laker,&rdquo; Vanessa Bryant said in a video to fans posted at 8:24 PT this morning. &ldquo;Since arriving in this city and joining the Lakers organization, he felt at home here, playing in the City of Angels. On behalf of the Lakers, my daughters and me, I am so honored that, right in the center of Los Angeles, in front of the place known as the house that Kobe built, we are going to unveil his statue so that his legacy can be celebrated forever.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Kobe&rsquo;s legacy immortalized. 2&bull;8&bull;24 <a href="https://t.co/WHQBXZJ2gD">pic.twitter.com/WHQBXZJ2gD</a>
&mdash; Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1694732294190211358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

&ldquo;Kobe&rsquo;s transcendent spirit is always and forever in our hearts &ndash; inspiring us every day,&rdquo; said Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka. &ldquo;And now, with the unveiling of this powerful and beautiful statue, he will have a physical presence too. A place on the hallowed ground Kobe created, where we can all gather and pay honor to a mighty and great man.&rdquo;
The Lakers legend and two-time Olympic gold medalist is the team's all-time leader in points (33,643), three-pointers made (1,827), steals (1,944), free-throws made (8,378) and regular-season games played (1,346), while owning franchise playoff records for games played (220), points (5,640), three-pointers made (292) and free-throws made (1,320). A two-time scoring champion, Bryant scored a career-high and franchise-best 81 points on Jan. 22, 2006, at home against the Toronto Raptors.
To celebrate Kobe Bryant's incredible life and legacy, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rip-kobe-bryant-players-favorite-stories-remember-tribute-memorial-death-anniversary-one-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com asked a number of current and former NBA players to share their favorite Kobe stories.&nbsp;</a>

The Lakers and Vanessa Bryant announced that they will unveil Kobe Bryant’s bronze statue at Star Plaza on Feb. 8, 2024.

Los Angeles Lakers will unveil Kobe Bryant statue on Feb. 8, 2024

With the 2023-24 NBA season fast approaching, discussions are beginning to ramp up surrounding team expectations. Which teams are the early favorites and contenders? Which teams are just wishful thinkers? These topics are debated often, usually leading to a select number of teams facing win-or-bust expectations.&nbsp;
But, of course, there can only be one team in June that hoists the Larry O&rsquo;Brien.&nbsp;
Entering a season with championship expectations isn&rsquo;t easy, as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-james-posey-championship-expectations-boston-celtics-doc-rivers-kevin-garnett-paul-pierce-ray-allen-cleveland-cavaliers-lebron-james-tyronn-lue-miami-heat-pat-riley-shaquille-o-neal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Basketball News&rsquo; James Posey highlighted in this recent article</a>. Which teams fall into the win-or-bust category for the 2023-24 season? Let&rsquo;s look at two teams &ndash; one from each conference &ndash; who qualify.&nbsp;
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
The Los Angeles Lakers have dealt with championship aspirations and expectations maybe more than any other team in NBA history. With 17 championships, which is tied with the Boston Celtics for the most all-time, it's clear why. This franchise is used to collecting hardware by season&rsquo;s end, and did so as recently as 2020, defeating the Miami Heat to win the championship in the midst of a global pandemic and in the wake of the passing of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.&nbsp;
So, how can a team that won a title in recent years already be facing pressure to win again?
The Lakers, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, are heading into this season fresh off a clean sweep in the Western Conference Finals by the eventual-champion Denver Nuggets. While seemingly negative on paper, the season was largely viewed as a success, as nobody expected this squad to make a Conference-Finals run after starting an abysmal 2-10.&nbsp;
How did they turn their season around? By ending the Russell Westbrook experiment, the Lakers landed D&rsquo;Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt in a trade, in addition to trading for Rui Hachimura. These three, along with a blossoming Austin Reaves and a rejuvenated James and Davis, brought the Lakers to familiar heights &ndash; defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round and taking down the then-defending-champion Golden State Warriors in round two.&nbsp;
It was clear that the Lakers fixed their mistakes and were back on course. Even the naysayers had to tip their cap after the team&rsquo;s surprising Western Conference Finals run.
Now comes the familiar pressure.&nbsp;
This offseason, Lakers were able to keep last year&rsquo;s core together, re-signing Russell, Reaves and Hachimura, while adding quality role players in Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish. This is really the first time in the LeBron-Lakers era that the team has been given the green light to try again for a second season. Seeing as the team didn&rsquo;t come together until late last season, it would have been very much in the Lakers&rsquo; nature to come into this year with a completely different-looking team. Instead, the front office chose to run it back, aside from some changes on the margins. This decision is what puts them in the win-or-bust category.&nbsp;
With LeBron entering his 21st NBA season, that sentiment is stronger than ever. The Lakers have to take advantage of the fact that James is still playing at such a high level so late in his career. Being a sports team in Hollywood (especially one with 17 championships) you need to not only have the stars, you need to win. If the Lakers have stars but aren&rsquo;t winning, then they are essentially just becoming their neighbors, the Angels. The Lakers have the script ready for them, but we&rsquo;ll have to wait and see if they can top the box office.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
 
With the Philadelphia 76ers coming off their second-round exit in the 2023 NBA Playoffs courtesy of the Boston Celtics in seven games, there&rsquo;s pressure to take the next step and win a championship. This pressure isn&rsquo;t new; they&rsquo;ve been feeling it for several years.&nbsp;
Superstar center Joel Embiid won his first Most Valuable Player award last season, giving the 76ers two MVPs on the team, with James Harden being the other. While the duo has looked good in the short time they&rsquo;ve been together, they haven&rsquo;t looked like two MVPs playing side-by-side. This is especially true in the postseason, with Embiid and Harden both known for sometimes regressing in playoff series compared to the regular season. 
The fact that Doc Rivers was the team&rsquo;s head coach, a man who has coached three teams that all lost a playoff series after being up 3-1 and someone who has a 6-10 record in Game 7s, certainly didn&rsquo;t help. There's no question that he also deserves his fair share of blame for the team&rsquo;s issues. All of this, along with the lingering effects of the Ben Simmons debacle, came to a head last season.&nbsp;
This offseason, the team parted ways with Rivers, and Harden requested a trade. While Harden has yet to be traded and it is possible he remains with the team, the Sixers obviously aren&rsquo;t in an ideal state. It remains to be seen what kind of pieces they can get back for Harden.
In the meantime, the Sixers hired former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse to replace Rivers. Nurse is a great coach who won a championship in 2019 and the NBA's Coach of the Year award in 2020. But if the team begins to underperform, a new coach &ndash; especially one who&rsquo;s known for previously incorporating a rougher defensive style when it came to guarding Embiid &ndash; could become an easy target for blame for the Philly faithful.&nbsp;
The 76ers might have more pressure on them than any other team this upcoming season. The reigning MVP, a former MVP (or the trade package they can get for him), a former Coach of the Year and a solid supporting cast mean this team is built to win now. This team is no stranger to win-or-bust expectations, but this may be the most pressure they&rsquo;ve faced yet.&nbsp;

Jack Maguire examines two teams facing win-or-bust expectations entering the 2023-24 NBA season.

Which NBA teams are under the most pressure entering 2023-24 season?

After Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed onto the court during USC's practice on Monday, he was treated by USC's medical staff and admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Bronny, LeBron James' oldest son, was initially admitted to the ICU, but he was declared stable and moved out of the ICU shortly after.&nbsp;
On Tuesday evening, James was discharged from the hospital and his consulting cardiologist, Dr. Merije Chukumerije, provided an update on his status.
"Thanks to the swift and effective response by the USC athletics' medical staff, Bronny James was successfully treated for a sudden cardiac arrest," Dr. Chukumerije said in <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1684652283005419520" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a statement to The Athletic's Shams Charania</a>. "He arrived at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center fully conscious, neurologically intact and stable.
"Mr. James was cared for promptly by highly-trained staff and has been discharged home, where he is resting. Although his workup will be ongoing, we are hopeful for his continued progress and are encouraged by his response, resilience, and his family and community support."
The fact that Bronny's hospital stay was so short seems like a positive sign.
Yesterday, LeBron shared the following statement on his Twitter account: "I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers. We feel you and I&rsquo;m so grateful. Everyone [is] doing great. We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we&rsquo;re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us! #JamesGang👑"
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers. We feel you and I&rsquo;m so grateful. Everyone doing great. We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we&rsquo;re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your&hellip;
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1684594877429092352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2023</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

Bronny was a top prospect in the class of 2023, and the 18-year-old is entering his freshman season at USC.&nbsp;
"We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information," a James family spokesperson said in <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/38068148/bronny-james-stable-icu-following-cardiac-arrest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a statement to ESPN</a> on Tuesday. "LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes."

Bronny James collapsed during USC's practice and suffered a cardiac arrest. He has since been discharged from the hospital.

Bronny James discharged from hospital after sudden cardiac arrest

Today, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) announced their continued partnership in hosting the fifth&nbsp;annual Top 50 Basketball Camp. The camp will take place July 27&ndash;29 at Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. &nbsp; The best players from each conference will be featured at the camp in a model like the NBPA's Top 100 Camp. Players at the Top 50 Camp will participate in basketball skill training exercises and attend leadership and life development sessions off the court. &nbsp; "NBPA members have a true appreciation for HBCUs, and the Top 50 Camp is a great way for the NBPA to continue strengthening its connection with the HBCU community," said Purvis Short, the NBPA's Chief of Player Programs. "Our partnership with the SIAC and SWAC has given us a unique opportunity to host a productive learning experience for HBCU athletes to better themselves as men on and off the court." The camp also aims to cultivate and create coaching and talent pipelines for current and retired NBA players exploring the transition into careers in intercollegiate athletics. &nbsp; "The Southwestern Athletic Conference is elated to continue our partnership with the NBPA Top 50 Camp," said SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland. "This partnership is an amazing opportunity for our student-athletes to participate in athletic and professional development initiatives that will positively impact them both on and off the court. This event has steadily grown and has quickly become a signature event that our student-athletes look forward to participating in on an annual basis." &nbsp; In addition to skill development and on-court drills, the camp will include a series of highly-competitive scrimmages and games, allowing the players to showcase their talent against the best of their neighboring conference. &nbsp; "I commend the NBPA for its commitment to HBCUs as The Top 50 Camp serves as a basketball combine for our student-athletes to showcase their talents while receiving instruction from current and former NBA players," said SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman. &nbsp; Camp participants from the SIAC include:
<table border="0" width="432" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">First Name</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Last Name</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">College or University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Aziel</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Blackwell</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kentucky State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Devin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Booker</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tuskegee University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Eleik</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bowles</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Savannah State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Gregg</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Boyd II</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tuskegee University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Steven</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Dulley</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tuskegee University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ashton</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Hawkins</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Spring Hill College</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Martez</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jones</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tuskegee University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Robert</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kendrick</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Fort Valley State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kong</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kong</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kentucky State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Myson</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Lowe</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Fort Valley State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Steven</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Lyles</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Spring Hill College</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Chris</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Martin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Clark Atlanta University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Joemel</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">McNair</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Morehouse College</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jamir</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Moore</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Albany State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Sean</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Paige</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Central State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ayjay</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Plain</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Savannah State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Antwoin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Reed Jr</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Central State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kerry</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Richardson</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Morehouse College</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jordan</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Simpson</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Albany State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Raevon</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Thomas</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Central State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Terin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Wofford</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Albany State University</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div>&nbsp; &nbsp; Camp participants from the SWAC include: &nbsp;</div>
<table border="0" width="432" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">First Name</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Last Name</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">College or University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Chase</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Adams</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jaylen</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bates</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Florida A&amp;M University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Eric</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Coleman</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Zeke</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Cook</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State university</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Dhashon</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Dyson</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bethune Cookman University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ken</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Evans Jr.</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jeremiah</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Gambrell</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alcorn State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kolby</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Granger</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Texas Southern University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Zion</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Harmon</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bethune Cookman University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">P. J.</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Henry</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Texas Southern University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Elijah</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Hulsewe</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Bethune Cookman University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Byron</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Joshua</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alcorn State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jeremiah</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kendall</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alcorn State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">T. J.</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Madlock</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama State</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Romelle</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Mansel</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Kylen</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Milton</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">University of Arkansas Pine Bluff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Zytarious</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Mortle</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Texas Southern University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Festus</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ndumanya</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Southern University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Omari</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Peek</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama A&amp;M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Dailin</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Smith</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama A&amp;M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">D. K.</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Thorn</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alcorn State University</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Cameron</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Tucker</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama A&amp;M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Ernest (EJ)</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Williams</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Alabama A&amp;M</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Rashad</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Williams</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">University of Arkansas Pine Bluff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Coltie</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Young</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap">Jackson State University</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

The NBPA, SIAC and SWAC will host the fifth annual Top 50 Basketball Camp from July 27-29 in Atlanta.

NBPA, SIAC and SWAC to host 5th annual Top 50 Basketball Camp

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic rode atop a firetruck with people who mean&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/lionelbienvenu/status/1669395480961495040" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the world to him</a>&nbsp;&mdash; his teammate Jamal Murray, his family &mdash; and the NBA trophy.
Jokic and the Denver Nuggets soaked in the moment and were soaked, too, by champagne spray on Thursday during a parade through downtown Denver to celebrate their first NBA title.
His young daughter, Ognjena, stole the show as she sat in front of him on the firetruck, at times wearing Jokic&rsquo;s championship hat. Jokic turned in some big assists, too, shielding her from champagne showers.
This celebration has been a long time in the making and swarms of fans showed up. It took 47 seasons&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-aba-nuggets-9294860355b4db51adfb86ec3bce674e">in the NBA</a>&nbsp;for the franchise&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/DenverChannel/status/1669401885998997506" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">to finally make</a>&nbsp;Denver the home of the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy.
And to think, Jokic was more concerned about when he could return home to Sombor, Serbia, than attending the parade. The player known as &ldquo;Joker&rdquo; changed his tune following the festivities.
&ldquo;This is amazing,&rdquo; Jokic said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all going to remember this our whole lives.&rdquo;
Near the end of the parade route, an officer was struck by a firetruck and suffered a serious leg injury,&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/DenverPolice/status/1669443565330595845" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Denver Chief of Police Ron Thomas said</a>&nbsp;at a news conference. The officer was in serious and stable condition. Later in the day and after the parade, a shooting took place in the downtown area that injured two people. Thomas said the police didn&rsquo;t believe the incident was associated with the celebration. It follows&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/denver-shooting-nuggets-suspect-ee4869abf1afee855565f1c517bfae1f">a mass shooting in downtown</a>&nbsp;Denver after the Nuggets clinched the title Monday night. The shooting was likely sparked by a drug deal gone wrong, according to police.
The Nuggets capped off an impressive postseason by beating the Miami Heat in the Finals in Game 5. The Nuggets finished 16-4 in the playoffs, which was tied for the second-best mark by an NBA champion since the first round was expanded to best-of-seven in 2003. San Antonio also was 16-4 in 2007, and Golden State went 16-1 in 2017.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hitting me right now,&rdquo; said coach Michael Malone, who was choking up as he was interviewed shortly after climbing off his firetruck for the parade. &ldquo;This is an amazing experience.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got a crazy idea,&rdquo; added Malone, who was wearing a shirt that read &ldquo;Put this in your pipe and smoke it&rdquo; with a picture of the NBA trophy under it. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s do this again. I want to be on another float. I want to be at another parade and do this thing again.&rdquo;
This title and this parade is a tip of the cap to the team&rsquo;s ABA roots. It&rsquo;s also a tribute to all the players who ever wore the Nuggets&rsquo; iconic rainbow uniforms or any other version of the jersey.
There were so many scenes to absorb. There was rookie Christian Braun tossing his shirt into the crowd. Veteran DeAndre Jordan mingling with the fans, giving them high-fives. Murray signing a painting of himself. And Kentavious Caldwell-Pope playing the role of TV broadcaster when he interviewed teammate Aaron Gordon.
&ldquo;KCP, reporting live,&rdquo; he said, turning to Gordon on the Denver 7 broadcast. &ldquo;How does it feel to be a champion?&rdquo;
&ldquo;You would know, champ,&rdquo; Gordon responded to Caldwell-Pope.
Caldwell-Pope was the lone Nuggets player to have earned a championship, courtesy of his title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
That is, until now.
&ldquo;We really did this,&rdquo; said Murray, who returned to elite form this season after missing all of 2021-22 as he recovered from a torn ACL. &ldquo;We champs for life &mdash; champions for life.&rdquo;
Twenty miles away from the party downtown, the Broncos wrapped up their offseason program Thursday in relative isolation. Veteran safety Kareem Jackson said the Nuggets&rsquo; championship inspires them.
&ldquo;Yeah, definitely seeing another team in the same city win it all, and those guys had a great year. It&rsquo;s definitely encouraging for us. We definitely want to do the same thing,&rdquo; Jackson said.
Jokic is coming off an historic playoff performance, where he became the first player to lead the league in total points (600), rebounds (269) and assists (190) in a single postseason. The two-time NBA MVP added more hardware to his resume, too, capturing the Finals MVP.
He had that trophy next to him, too. Jokic momentarily&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1669171648136724482" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">misplaced it Monday night in the chaos of winning</a>&nbsp;a title.
Jokic was called up to the microphone to speak and serenaded with thunderous chants of &ldquo;MVP,&rdquo; &ldquo;MVP&rdquo; from the crowd.
&ldquo;Ok, ok, ok, ok,&rdquo; he said to quiet them down. &ldquo;Thank you. Thank you, though.&rdquo;
With the season now officially closed, Jokic will soon head home to spend time with his family and return to his other passion &mdash; horse racing. He&rsquo;s hoping to make it back in time to attend a harness race on Sunday.
This is the second straight June the city has held a parade. The Colorado Avalanche were the guests of honor last year after hoisting the Stanley Cup.

The Nuggets celebrated their first NBA championship on Thursday with a parade through downtown Denver.

Nuggets celebrate NBA title with parade through downtown Denver

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Nikola Jokic got a triple-double in his NBA Finals debut, Jamal Murray scored 26 points and the Denver Nuggets had little trouble with the cold-shooting Miami Heat on the way to a 104-93 win in Game 1 on Thursday night.
Jokic finished with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets, who waited 47 years to make the finals and didn&rsquo;t disappoint. Aaron Gordon added 16 points and Michael Porter Jr. scored 14 for Denver, which trailed for all of 34 seconds and eventually led by as many as 24.
Bam Adebayo finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which shot 41% for the game &mdash; 33% from 3-point range. Gabe Vincent scored 19, Haywood Highsmith had 18 and Jimmy Butler added 13 for the Heat.
Game 2 is in Denver on Sunday night.
Miami opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run, cutting an 84-63 deficit to start the final period down to 84-74. The Heat actually got within nine on a 3-pointer by Highsmith with 2:34 left, but no closer and there wasn&rsquo;t any doubt, either.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone gave his team a pop quiz in shootaround Thursday morning, peppering them with questions about the game plan and what had to be done in the most important game to date in franchise history.
They had all the answers then. Had them all at game time, too. They were the team with minimal NBA Finals experience, only two players having been to the title round before, and yet they looked right at home before the home crowd in Game 1.
Jokic became the second player in the last 25 years &mdash; LeBron James was the other, in 2017 &mdash; to have 10 assists by halftime of a finals game. He had 10 points and 10 assists by the break, and Denver was up 59-42 after the first two quarters.
That wasn&rsquo;t good for Miami. Nor was this: The Nuggets were in full control and Jokic had taken only three shots.
And this part was worse: The Heat just couldn&rsquo;t shoot. At all. Or at least, not until Denver was too far ahead to catch. Max Strus was 0 for 10 through three quarters, 0 for 9 on 3-pointers. Caleb Martin &mdash; who narrowly missed out on winning the MVP award of the Eastern Conference finals &mdash; was 1 for 7.
TIP-INS
Heat: Miami fell to 1-6 all-time in Game 1s of the NBA Finals. The Heat lost the series opener in each of their title years &mdash; 2006, 2012 and 2013 &mdash; and the only win came in 2011, a series they eventually lost to Dallas. &hellip; Adebayo&rsquo;s 25 shots were a career high. He became the third player to score at least 24 points for Miami in a Game 1 of a finals. James did it three times for the Heat and Dwyane Wade did it in 2006.
Nuggets: Jokic became the eighth player to have a triple-double in Game 1 of a finals. None of the others were accompanied by 27 points; Dave Cowens had a 25-point triple-double to open the 1976 finals. ... Bruce Brown, who played his college ball at Miami, scored 10. &hellip; Denver got to the foul line 20 times to Miami&rsquo;s two.
CELEB WATCH
Among those in the sellout crowd: Grammy winner H.E.R., NFL legend and former Denver quarterback Peyton Manning, current Denver quarterback Russell Wilson, Broncos coach Sean Payton and actor-comedian Ken Jeong.

The Denver Nuggets had little trouble with the cold-shooting Miami Heat on the way to a 104-93 win in Game 1 on Thursday night.

Jokic gets triple-double, Nuggets beat Heat 104-93 in Game 1 of Finals

DENVER (AP) &mdash; Eric Lewis was not selected as one of the 12 referees who will work the NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat, while the league continues to look into whether he used a Twitter account to defend himself and other officials from online critiques.
Lewis had been chosen to work the finals in each of the last four seasons. This year&rsquo;s finals referees were announced by the league Thursday morning, about 12 hours before the start of the title series.
After some now-deleted tweets were revealed by a pair of Twitter users last week, the league opened an investigation into whether Lewis violated NBA rules by speaking about officiating in an unauthorized manner. It has not been determined if Lewis was using the account, which utilizes the name &ldquo;blair cuttliff.&rdquo; The account was deactivated briefly last week but was active again Wednesday evening.
&ldquo;Regarding Eric Lewis and the social media posts, we are continuing to review the matter and he will not be working the finals,&rdquo; NBA spokesman Mike Bass said Thursday.
The league has not revealed a timetable for the completion of its probe into whether Lewis used the Twitter account. It also remains unknown what discipline from the league that Lewis could face if he broke policy by discussing officiating matters openly without approval.
Of the 12 referees picked for the Nuggets-Heat matchup, nine worked the title series last season. Scott Foster will be a finals referee for the 16th year, while Tony Brothers and Marc Davis were picked for a 12th time. Zach Zarba is now a 10-time selection, John Goble was picked for the seventh time, David Guthrie for the sixth time, Josh Tiven for the fourth and Courtney Kirkland and James Williams are now three-time selections.
Returning to the referee lineup for the finals are Ed Malloy, now an eight-time pick, and Bill Kennedy &mdash; picked for the fifth time. The only first-time selection this year is Kevin Scott, who began working NBA games in the 2010-11 season.
Tyler Ford and Ben Taylor have been assigned as finals alternates. Foster has officiated 23 NBA Finals games, followed by Davis (18) and Brothers (15).
&ldquo;The pinnacle for an NBA official is to work the NBA Finals,&rdquo; said Byron Spruell, the league&rsquo;s president of basketball operations.
Davis, Guthrie and Malloy will work Game 1 of the series Thursday night, the league said. Typically, the 12 referees each get to work one of the first four games of the series.
Besides Lewis, the other referees who worked the 2022 finals but aren&rsquo;t working them this year are Kane Fitzgerald &mdash; who left on-court work after last season and took over in September as the league&rsquo;s Vice President of Referee Operations and Replay Center Principal &mdash; and James Capers, who is injured.
Lewis has worked more than 1,200 games, counting both regular season and playoffs, in 19 seasons as an NBA referee. He last worked on May 16, when Denver played host to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. The reports of the tweets came out about a week later.

Eric Lewis was not selected to work the NBA Finals while the league looks into whether he used a Twitter account to defend himself.