Dallas Mavericks

Purdue&rsquo;s Zach Edey decided it was the right call to go back to school instead of staying in the NBA draft. His predecessor as national player of the year, Kentucky&rsquo;s Oscar Tshiebwe, is sticking with his pro pursuit.
And Connecticut&rsquo;s reign as NCAA champion will begin with multiple starters having left for the NBA draft and one returning after flirting with doing the same.
The 7-foot-4 Edey and UConn guard Tristen Newton were among the notable names to announce that they were withdrawing from the draft Wednesday, the NCAA&rsquo;s deadline for players who declared as early entrants to pull out and retain their college eligibility.
Edey&rsquo;s decision came Wednesday night, in social media posts from both&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/zach_edey/status/1664075497490227202?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the center</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/boilerball/status/1664076605637947392?s=12&amp;t=srroTo7kpdGXnm7-atvQSA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Boilermakers program</a>&nbsp;that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-player-of-year-edey-97210ca64c44cd64ca0120406dcc969a">behind Edey, The Associated Press men&rsquo;s national player of the year</a>.
But Tshiebwe&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs7A_lVv4CC/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced late in the afternoon that he would remain in the draft</a>&nbsp;after a college career that included&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-st-peters-peacocks-mens-basketball-sports-oscar-tshiebwe-johnny-davis-7174341881f37ac8750f8f9119a6fce8">being named the AP national player of the year in 2022</a>.
For the current champions, Newton (10.1 points, 4.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds)&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/D1Tristen/status/1663887976647237632?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">is returning</a>&nbsp;after being one of four Huskies to declare for the draft after a run&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/final-four-uconn-san-diego-state-1de224560610defcbc4eb9c40cbb588a">to UConn&rsquo;s fifth national championship in early April</a>. He scored a game-high 19 points to go with 10 rebounds in the victory over San Diego State in the title game.
The others were&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-championship-uconn-san-diego-state-782bd15323bda90f2b664653cae99e6e">Final Four Most Outstanding Player Adama Sanogo</a>, wing Jordan Hawkins and versatile guard Andre Jackson Jr. Sanogo (17.8 points) and Hawkins (16.3) have made it clear they have closed the door on their college careers, while team spokesman Phil Chardis said Wednesday night that Jackson (6.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists) would remain in the draft.
The Huskies have 247sports&rsquo; No. 3-ranked recruiting class for next year to restock the roster, led by McDonald&rsquo;s All-American point guard Stephon Castle.
The NBA&rsquo;s withdrawal deadline is June 12, but is moot when it comes to college players returning to school due to the NCAA&rsquo;s earlier timeline to retain playing eligibility.
STAYING IN SCHOOL
TREY ALEXANDER:&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/TrickyTrey23/status/1664070367982280707?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Creighton gets back</a> a 6-4 guard who averaged 13.6 points and shot 41% from 3-point range in his first full season as a starter.
ADEM BONA: The 6-foot-10 forward and Pac-12 freshman of the year&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/UCLAMBB/status/1663947898332286976?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">is returning to UCLA</a>&nbsp;after starting 32 games as a rookie and averaging 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks &mdash; with coach Mick Cronin praising his toughness for &ldquo;competing through multiple injuries for as long as he could&rdquo; in a statement Wednesday.
EDEY: He averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists while shooting 60.7% from the field. His presence alone helps Purdue be a factor in the Big Ten race.
JOSIAH-JORDAN JAMES: The 6-6 guard went through the NBA G League Combine and had workouts with multiple teams&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://utsports.com/news/2023/5/31/mens-basketball-james-set-to-rejoin-vols-for-fifth-year.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">before opting to return</a>&nbsp;to Tennessee for a fifth season alongside teammate Santiago Vescovi.
JUDAH MINTZ: The 6-3 freshman averaged 16.3 points and 4.6 assists&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://cuse.com/news/2023/5/31/mens-basketball-hes-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">for Syracuse</a>, ranking third among Division I freshmen in scoring behind only Alabama&rsquo;s Brandon Miller and Lamar&rsquo;s Nate Calmese.
OWLS&rsquo; RETURNEES: Florida Atlantic got good news after its surprise Final Four run with the return leading scorers Johnell Davis (13.8) and Alijah Martin (13.4).&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/37768605/johnell-davis-alijah-martin-withdraw-nba-draft-return-florida-atlantic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ESPN first reported</a>&nbsp;their decisions, while Martin later&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/martin_alijah/status/1664007891882328066" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">posted a social media statement</a>.
TERRENCE SHANNON JR.: Illinois got a big boost with Shannon&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/Sn1per_T/status/1664063397468438530?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announcing his return Wednesday night in a social media post</a>. The 6-6 guard is returning for a fifth college season after averaging 17.2 points.
SPARTANS&rsquo; RETURNEES:&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/MSU_Basketball/status/1663931468761169926" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Michigan State announced</a>&nbsp;that guards Jaden Akins and A.J. Hoggard have withdrawn from the NBA draft. Standout guard Tyson Walker had previously withdrawn in April, setting up Tom Izzo to have five of his top scorers back.
GOING PRO
KOBE BROWN: Missouri&rsquo;s 6-8 swingman&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/TheKobe24Brown/status/1664041800917729281" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">opted against returning for a fifth college season</a>&nbsp;after being an&nbsp;<a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/all-sec-team-brandon-miller-tshiebwe-taylor-aa366b637e7352bacaab5e7cd4e5dd9e">AP first-team all-Southeastern Conference pick</a>&nbsp;averaging 15.8 points last season.
JAYLEN CLARK: The third-year UCLA guard averaged 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while leading the Pac-12 with 2.6 steals en route to being named Naismith national defensive player of the year. Cronin called him a winner with strong intangibles who made UCLA &ldquo;a better program because he chose to be a Bruin.&rdquo;
BRICE SENSABAUGH: The Ohio State freshman averaged 16.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in 31 games before missing his final two in the Big Ten Tournament due to a knee injury. He&rsquo;s a potential first-round prospect.
TSHIEBWE: The 6-9, 260-pound forward is a tough interior presence who led the country in rebounds for two straight seasons (15.1 in 2022, 13.7 in 2023) while racking up 48 double-doubles. But he faces an uncertain next stop and is projected at best as a second-round prospect.

Purdue’s Zach Edey decided it was the right call to go back to school instead of staying in the NBA draft.

Purdue’s Edey returning to school; Kentucky’s Tshiebwe stays in NBA draft

The NBA announced that 242 players have filed as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft. Here is the complete list.

NBA announces 242 early-entry candidates for 2023 NBA Draft

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) &mdash; Big 12 scoring leader Jalen Wilson was struggling with his shot for third-ranked Kansas, and standout freshman Gradey Dick didn&rsquo;t score again after reaching 19 points only two minutes into the second half.
The Jayhawks, in pursuit of their 21st Big 12 regular-season title, still never trailed after halftime and extended the league&rsquo;s longest active winning streak to five in a row, beating 24th-ranked TCU 63-58 on Monday night.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve said all along, we&rsquo;ve got five guys that can all go out there and play and take over the game. And that&rsquo;s the beauty of our team,&rdquo; said Wilson, who had 13 rebounds while making only 3-of-11 shots for seven points, more than 13 below his season average. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all going to have some type of effort to win. ... That&rsquo;s part of a championship team.&rdquo;
Damion Baugh missed a potential tying 3-pointer with five seconds left for TCU (18-10, 7-8 Big 12). Shahada Wells missed a follow-up layup before Kevin McCullar, who finished with 15 points, was fouled and made two free throws to seal it for the Jayhawks (23-5, 11-4).
Kansas began the night tied with idle eighth-ranked Texas for the conference lead. Coach Bill Self&rsquo;s reigning national champions have won seven of eight games since a three-game losing streak that included a 23-point home loss to the Horned Frogs.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We haven&rsquo;t accomplished jack, but we&rsquo;ve put ourselves in a favorable position to maybe do something,&rdquo; Self said. &ldquo;Everybody talked about our sky&rsquo;s falling when we lost three in a row. In this league, that can happen easily. But we&rsquo;ve recovered pretty good since then.&rdquo;
Not even an appearance from Heisman Trophy runner-up Max Duggan could get the Frogs over the hump. They were within 56-53 with 6:07 left when the four-year starting quarterback, still in his tuxedo after receiving the Davey O&rsquo;Brien Award in a ceremony about four miles from campus, waved the crowd into a frenzy while going to a courtside seat.
&ldquo;He looked good tonight with the tux on,&rdquo; Self said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just glad he didn&rsquo;t get here any earlier.&rdquo;
Neither team made a field goal in the final 4:19. TCU missed its last six shots over that span, while the Jayhawks were 0-for-4 in the final 4:45.
The Frogs tied the game at 48 with 10:13 left when Jakobe Coles made a tough leaner while being fouled, but missed the free throw that would have put them in the lead.
Mike Miles Jr. had 13 points for TCU, which has lost five of its last six games. The first four of those losses came when the guard was out with a hyperextended right knee. Coles added 12 points and Baugh had 11.
It was only the second game Miles and big man Eddie Lampkin played together for the Frogs since their 83-60 win at Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 21. That was the second-worst home loss for Kansas in Self&rsquo;s 20 seasons.
With both of them starting again, TCU beat Oklahoma State 100-75 at home Saturday to end a four-game losing streak while hitting the century mark in a Big 12 game for the first time. Lampkin, who missed four of six games after a high left ankle sprain in the first meeting against the Jayhawks, had two points and eight rebounds in the rematch.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s disappointing how we played and how we executed and how we handled the situation,&rdquo; TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. &ldquo;Obviously played good in our last game, excited about having our guys back. But we just didn&rsquo;t carry it over.&rdquo;
BIG PICTURE
Kansas: The Jayhawks reached 11 conference wins for the 29th consecutive season, a streak that began in 1994-95 and is the longest active in Division I. They have three regular-season games left, two at home before the finale at Texas.
TCU: After shooting a season-high 68.6% against Oklahoma State two days earlier, the Frogs were a season-low 30.3% (20 of 66) from the field against Kansas. They missed their first eight shots in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the game, then missed their last six shots before the break. TCU missed nine of it last 10.
UP NEXT
Kansas is home Saturday to play West Virginia.
TCU travels to Texas Tech on Saturday.&nbsp;

The Jayhawks extended the league’s longest active winning streak to five in a row.

No. 3 Kansas gets fifth win in a row, 63-58 over No. 24 TCU

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) &mdash; Zia Cooke scored 16 points and Aliyah Boston added 12 to help No. 1 South Carolina remain unbeaten with a 58-51 win over Mississippi State on Sunday.
The Gamecocks were held to a season-low point total but were able to find a way. Boston added 15 rebounds in the win.
South Carolina (16-0, 3-0 SEC) had a massive advantage at the free throw line where the Gamecocks were 14 of 24 while MSU was 2 of 5. The Gamecocks also dominated the boards with a 53-35 edge including 22 offensive rebounds.
Jerkaila Jordan led the way for the Bulldogs (12-5, 1-3) with 13 points and five rebounds. Jessika Carter had 11 points and nine rebounds.
NO. 2 STANFORD 60, CALIFORNIA 56
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) &mdash; Haley Jones scored the go-ahead layup with 1:17 to play, Cameron Brink had 25 points, 17 rebounds and three blocked shots as NBA pal Stephen Curry watched courtside, outdueling Leilani McIntosh down the stretch as Stanford held off California.
Jones wound up with 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Cardinal (16-1, 4-0 Pac-12) ran their winning streak to 11 games.
McIntosh finished with 19 points for the Golden Bears (10-5, 1-3).
Stanford won its 38th straight game against Pac-12 teams including the past two conference titles and postseason.
NO. 3 OHIO STATE 87, ILLINOIS 81
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) &mdash; Taylor Mikesell scored a game-high 31 points as Ohio State erased a halftime deficit and avoided an upset.
Mikesell shot 50% from the field and Cotie McMahon added 22 points for Ohio State (17-0, 6-0 Big Ten). Taylor Thierry had 12 points and swiped four steals.
Kendall Bostic notched her sixth double-double of the season behind 27 points and 15 rebounds. Genesis Bryant finished with 20 points, Makira Cook had 12 and Brynn Shoup-Hill tallied 10 for Illinois (14-3, 4-2).
NO. 22 NORTH CAROLINA 60, NO. 4 NOTRE DAME 50
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) &mdash; First-year guard Paulina Paris scored 11 of her season-high 16 points in the fourth quarter to help North Carolina push past Notre Dame.
Deja Kelly added 14 points for the Tar Heels (10-5, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who snapped a four-game skid that had drained some of their early season buzz.
Olivia Miles had 15 points and seven rebounds to lead Notre Dame (12-2, 3-1), which had entered Sunday as one of two unbeaten teams in ACC play.
NO. 6 INDIANA 72, NORTHWESTERN 50
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) &mdash; Mackenzie Holmes scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Indiana beat Northwestern.
Grace Berger finished with 16 points and five assists for the Hoosiers (14-1, 4-1).
The Wildcats got a boost off the bench as Jasmine McWilliams added eight points on 3-for-3 shooting in the third. McWilliams and Sydney Wood led Northwestern (6-9, 0-5 Big Ten) with 10 points each in their seventh loss in nine games.
NO. 7 LSU 67, KENTUCKY 48
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) &mdash; Flau&rsquo;jae Johnson scored 26 points, including eight during a 12-0, second-quarter run to break the game open, Angel Reese also scored 26 and LSU earned its best start in school history.
Reese had 13 rebounds for her nation&rsquo;s-best 16th double-double. The Tigers (16-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) outshot Kentucky just 40%-35% but dominated nearly every other statistical category including rebounding (45-23).
Maddie Scherr had 22 points for Kentucky (8-8, 0-4), which dropped its fourth in a row and lost its second game this season in Rupp Arena, home of the men&rsquo;s basketball team.
MIAMI 77, NO. 9 VIRGINIA TECH 66
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) &mdash; Jasmyn Roberts scored a career-best 23 points, Haley Cavinder added 19 and Miami held off Virginia Tech.
Roberts was 8 for 12 from the field, 5 of 7 from 3-point range for the Hurricanes (10-6, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), who won their third straight game. Cavinder was 6 for 12 from the field, and Miami shot 54%.
Elizabeth Kitley scored 20 for Virginia Tech (13-3, 3-3), which had beat Miami five consecutive times. Georgia Amoore added 13 for the Hokies.
NO. 10 NC STATE 87, VIRGINIA 62
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) &mdash; Jada Boyd scored 13 points and No. 10 North Carolina State snapped a two-game home losing skid.
Camille Hobby and Mimi Collins both had 12 points, and Diamond Johnson and River Baldwin added 10 points apiece for the Wolfpack (13-3, 3-2). Jakia Brown-Turner and Madison Hayes each finished with nine.
Camryn Taylor scored 16 points, Taylor Valladay had 13 and Sam Brunelle 12 for Virginia (13-3, 2-3), which dropped a game to a top-10 team for the second time in four days after losing Thursday at No. 9 Virginia Tech.
NO. 17 OKLAHOMA 82, NO. 11 IOWA STATE 79
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) &mdash; Ana Llanusa scored 23 points, Skylar Vann hit the final go-ahead basket, and Oklahoma defeated Iowa State in a matchup of the Big 12&prime;s top two offenses.
In a game with 25 lead changes, Oklahoma struck last.
Vann finished with 13 points and eight rebounds for Oklahoma (12-2, 2-1 Big 12). Nevaeh Tot also scored 13 points, and Taylor Robertson finished with 10.
Ashley Joens finished with 27 points and nine rebounds. She made 12-of-13 free throws. Lexi Donarski scored 20 and Nyamer Diew 14 for the Cyclones (10-3, 2-1).
NO. 12 UCLA 61, SOUTHERN CAL 60
LOS ANGELES (AP) &mdash; Freshman Londynn Jones scored 13 of her career-high 22 points in the second half and UCLA used a big fourth-quarter run to beat Southern California.
Emily Bessoir hit 3 of 5 from 3-point range and finished with 11 points for UCLA (13-2, 2-1 Pac-12). Charisma Osborne scored six of her nine points in the fourth quarter.
Rayah Marshall had 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocks for Southern Cal (11-4, 1-3) and Kayla Williams also scored 15 points. Okako Adika added 11 points and Destiny Littlejohn 10.
NO. 15 ARIZONA 79, NO. 18 OREGON 71
TUSCON, Ariz. (AP) &mdash; Madison Conner scored 16 second-half points to lead five Arizona players in double figures and the Wildcats beat Oregon.
Shaina Pellington had 14 points, six rebounds and six assists, Jade Loville scored 13 points and Esmery Martinez 11 for Arizona (14-2, 4-1 Pac-12). Kate Reese had 10 points.
Grace VanSlooten led Oregon (12-4, 3-2) with 18 points. Te-Hina Paopao and Endyia Rogers scored 17 apiece, Chance Gray added 10 and Phillipina Kyei had six points and 10 rebounds. The 6-foot-8 Kyei has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in eight consecutive games.
NO. 24 ST. JOHN&rsquo;S 71, XAVIER 52
NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Jayla Everett scored a season-high 26 points and St. John&rsquo;s bounced back after its first loss of the season.
Jillian Archer had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Red Storm (14-1, 5-1 Big East Conference).
Mackayla Scarlett had 18 points for the Musketeers (7-9, 0-7), who have lost six straight as well as 15 straight to St. John&rsquo;s.
NO. 25 CREIGHTON 68, MARQUETTE 42
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) &mdash; Lauren Jensen scored 19 points and Creighton defeated Marquette after holding the Golden Eagles to 14 points in the first half.
Chloe Marotta scored 20 points for Marquette and Jordan King added 13. Only four players scored for the Golden Eagles (10-6, 3-4 Big East).
Jensen made 9 of 14 shots and added three rebounds and five assists. Morgan Maly had 10 points and seven rebounds, and Emma Ronsiek scored 10 for the Bluejays (10-5, 4-3) who had lost four of their last five games.

A recap of Sunday's women's college basketball slate features the top-ranked Gamecocks in a battle with the Bulldogs.

No. 1 South Carolina battles back to beat Mississippi State

NEW YORK &ndash; The NBA today issued the following statement:
Following the publication of a November 4, 2021, ESPN.com article regarding statements and conduct of Robert Sarver, Managing Partner of the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA&rsquo;s Phoenix Mercury, and issues relating to the teams&rsquo; workplace, the NBA commissioned an independent investigation by the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen &amp; Katz. &nbsp;David Anders and Sarah Eddy, partners at the firm, led the investigation.
The report of the independent investigation, which was issued publicly today, was based on information gathered from interviews with 320 individuals, including current and former employees who worked for the teams during Mr. Sarver&rsquo;s 18-year tenure as Managing Partner, Mr. Sarver, and other relevant individuals; and from the evaluation of more than 80,000 documents and other materials, including emails, text messages and videos. &nbsp;Mr. Sarver and the Suns/Mercury organization cooperated fully with the investigative process.
As stated in the report, the independent investigation found that Mr. Sarver &ldquo;engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards, as reflected in team and League rules and policies. &nbsp;This conduct included the use of racially insensitive language; unequal treatment of female employees; sex-related statements and conduct; and harsh treatment of employees that on occasion constituted bullying.&rdquo;
Among the key findings:
<ul>
<li>Mr. Sarver, on at least five occasions during his tenure with the Suns/Mercury organization, repeated the N-word when recounting the statements of others.</li>
<li>Mr. Sarver engaged in instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees, made many sex-related comments in the workplace, made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female employees and other women, and on several occasions engaged in inappropriate physical conduct toward male employees.</li>
<li>Mr. Sarver engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees, including by yelling and cursing at them.</li>
</ul>
As reflected in the report, Mr. Sarver informed the investigators of his personal and professional efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, including hiring practices at the Suns/Mercury organization and contributions to social and racial justice causes. &nbsp;The investigation made no finding that Mr. Sarver&rsquo;s workplace misconduct was motivated by racial or gender-based animus.
The independent investigation also substantiated instances of workplace misconduct engaged in by Suns employees that were not directly related to Mr. Sarver and a lack of proper organizational policies and controls. &nbsp;Among other things, the investigation found instances of racial insensitivity, mistreatment of female employees, inappropriate commentary related to sex or sexual orientation, and disrespectful communications. &nbsp;The investigation also concluded that the Suns&rsquo; Human Resources function was historically ineffective and not a trusted resource for employees who were subjected to acts of improper workplace conduct.
As noted in the report, most of the Suns employees who engaged in these acts of misconduct over the 18-year period of investigation are no longer employed by the organization. &nbsp;In addition, in July 2021, the organization hired a new head of Human Resources who, along with other executives, has since implemented a series of positive workplace changes. &nbsp;These include an updated respect in the workplace policy, the creation of a confidential hotline for reports of misconduct, an investigation response team for conducting internal investigations, additional workplace training on key policies, and a new parental leave policy.
Based on the findings of the independent investigation, including those related to Mr. Sarver&rsquo;s workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies, the NBA today has taken the following actions:
<ul>
<li>Mr. Sarver is suspended from the Suns/Mercury organization for a period of one year, during which time he will not:</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>Be present at any NBA or WNBA team facility, including any office, arena, or practice facility.</li>
<li>Attend or participate in any NBA or WNBA event or activity, including games, practices, or business partner activity.</li>
<li>Represent the Suns or Mercury in any public or private capacity.</li>
<li>Have any involvement with the business or basketball operations of the Suns or Mercury.</li>
<li>Have any involvement in the business, governance, or activities of either the NBA or WNBA, including attending or participating in meetings of either league&rsquo;s Board (and their associated Board committees).</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Mr. Sarver must, during his suspension, complete a training program focused on respect and appropriate conduct in the workplace.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Mr. Sarver is fined $10 million, the maximum permitted by the NBA Constitution &amp; By-Laws.&nbsp; The NBA will donate these funds to organizations that are committed to addressing race and gender-based issues in and outside the workplace.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Additionally, the Suns/Mercury organization must fulfill a series of requirements for workplace improvements set forth and monitored by the NBA.&nbsp; These requirements, among other things, include:</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>Retaining an outside firm to evaluate and make recommendations with respect to workplace training programs, policies and procedures, and hiring and compensation practices &mdash; with a focus on fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace.</li>
<li>Conducting regular and anonymous workplace culture surveys and responding to survey results with specific action plans.</li>
<li>Immediately reporting to the league any instances or allegations of significant misconduct by any employee.</li>
<li>For a period of three years, providing the league with regular reports related to steps taken by the organization to address these requirements.</li>
<li>Following league direction for remediation/improvement of workplace issues if/as they arise.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
&ldquo;The statements and conduct described in the findings of the independent investigation are troubling and disappointing,&rdquo; said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. &nbsp;&ldquo;We believe the outcome is the right one, taking into account all the facts, circumstances and context brought to light by the comprehensive investigation of this 18-year period and our commitment to upholding proper standards in NBA workplaces.
&ldquo;I am hopeful that the NBA community will use this opportunity to reflect on what this great game means to people everywhere and the values of equality, respect and inclusion that it strives to represent. &nbsp;Regardless of position, power or intent, we all need to recognize the corrosive and hurtful impact of racially insensitive and demeaning language and behavior. &nbsp;On behalf of the entire NBA, I apologize to all of those impacted by the misconduct outlined in the investigators&rsquo; report. &nbsp;We must do better.&rdquo;
The report of the independent investigation is available here: <a href="https://www.wlrk.com/phoenix-suns-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.wlrk.com/phoenix-suns-report/</a>.

The NBA has suspended Phoenix owner Robert Sarver for a year after an investigation into his unacceptable sexist/racist behavior.

NBA suspends Robert Sarver one year from Suns after investigation

It really took the entire season for the WNBA to solidify its playoff hierarchy.
We had four teams battling for two spots on the very last day of the regular season with the top seed also in flux. Late-season injuries, breakout players and roller-coaster games made it challenging to even visualize what the 2022 postseason would look like.&nbsp;
Now, the dust has settled, and we've arrived at what should be a chaotic, thrilling three rounds of playoff basketball.
I've listed one noteworthy statistic for each team that's worth remembering as we get into the games. This won't be a full playoff preview (we have one coming though!), but more a snapshot glance at the flavors and storylines surrounding each squad. Get yourself ready for Wednesday's first round here!
1. LAS VEGAS ACES
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/kt553t" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Number to note: 37
The Aces have been on top of the league practically all season, and are led by an MVP frontrunner in A'ja Wilson. But the most impressive number I found came from Las Vegas' leading bucket-getter. Kelsey Plum canned 37 unassisted made triples in the regular season. According to the PBP Stats hub, which contains data back to 2009, that's the second-most of any player in a single season behind only Diana Taurasi (47 in 2018).&nbsp;
Plum's stepback game is just filthy. She can also rise into her shot so quickly, which flummoxes screening defenders hoping to contain her. Plum is averaging twice as many unassisted three-point makes per 100 possessions (4.57) as she has in any other season of her career, and she's still shooting over 42% from distance. She will be an instant highlight throughout this postseason.
2. CHICAGO SKY 
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/1nfmsw" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Number to note: 11
The Sky have dished out a whopping 11 at-rim assists per game in the regular season. That's by far the most in PBP Stats' WNBA database, which dates back to 2009. Chicago has lead the league in at-rim assists each of the last five seasons, but the team hit an impressive new frontier in 2022.
Courtney Vandersloot led The W with 3.0 at-rim assists per game this season. Candace Parker (2.4) and Emma Meesseman (1.8) also placed in the top 15. With a dazzling playmaker like Vandersloot, big passing hubs like Parker and Meesseman and an all-world slasher in Kahleah Copper, Chicago can creatively pressure the paint like no other.
3. CONNECTICUT SUN
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Alyssa Thomas (<a href="https://twitter.com/athomas_25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@athomas_25</a>) had herself a night recording her FIRST career triple-double, becoming the 11th player with a triple-double in WNBA history, and 4th player with a triple-double this season 👏 ✅15 PTS ✅12 AST ✅10 REB ✅3 STL <a href="https://t.co/zeVwHDj0kh">pic.twitter.com/zeVwHDj0kh</a>
&mdash; WNBA (@WNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1550897698563244034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Number to note: 12.7
Don't be fooled by the third-seed billing; Connecticut has been perhaps the hottest team in the league since All-Star weekend. The Sun's 12.7 Net Rating ranks at the top since the break, and they also hold the league's best Defensive Rating (95.9) in that span.&nbsp;
The Sun are, amazingly, the only team with zero players averaging at least 15 points per game post-All-Star. They've had an incredible blend of spotlight stars in the last month. Alyssa Thomas posted the first two triple-doubles in franchise history. Jonquel Jones is maintaining her MVP-caliber dominance with a lighter minutes load. Natesha Hiedeman has drilled 48.6% of her threes since the break.&nbsp;
Connecticut's starting lineup of Hiedeman, Courtney Williams, DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas and Jonquel Jones has the third-best cumulative plus-minus in The W post-All-Star break &mdash; and the team has Brionna Jones coming off the bench. Everything seems to be clicking at the right time.&nbsp;
4. SEATTLE STORM
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/txn776" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Number to note: 84
No WNBA pairing has assisted each other more than the dynamic duo of Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. They've connected a combined 84 times this season, with 62 assists coming from Bird and 22 from Stewart. Seattle has a high-octane offense, and these two help fuel the engine.
Several of these assists come from Stewart getting into her bag in the post. But Bird will also orchestrate sets that give Stewart driving and cutting chances. In return, Stewart recognizes help when she's posting up, and frequently hits Bird for open three-pointers. They've got some of the best chemistry you'll see between any two teammates in the playoffs.
5. WASHINGTON MYSTICS
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/nyym8q" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Number to note: 24.1
Shakira Austin has entrenched herself as a highlight of an impressive 2022 rookie class. The third overall pick is already one of the top rebounders in the WNBA, and her defensive rebound rate off of missed field goals (24.1%) is third among all players with at least 500 minutes played, per PBP Stats. Austin is also sixth in offensive rebound rate (9.5%). She racked up 40 putback points this season, tying her for seventh with Tina Charles.
Even at 6-foot-5, Austin isn't really a bruiser. The way she hones in on a rebound is almost falcon-like. She soars past boxouts with a burst and can high-point the ball with precision. As Mark Schindler <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shakira-austin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote earlier this season</a>, Austin's budding two-way skills are also worth following, but she's already arrived as one of the best on the boards.
6. DALLAS WINGS
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/f3en82" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Number to note: 3.2
Arike Ogunbowale will miss at least the first round of the playoffs after suffering an abdominal injury. Rookie Veronica Burton has been thrust into the starting lineup in her absence, putting the Northwestern guard into the spotlight just as the young Wings prep for the postseason.
Burton's still experiencing the steep professional learning curve. But, as evidenced by her 3.3% steal rate, the second-best among WNBA players moving on to the postseason, she's already a defensive force.
Burton reads cutters like a fortune teller, as shown in the first two clips above. She also has the lateral movement to play uber-aggressively on digs and help because she can recover; in addition, she's spectacularly active with her arms and timing. It's just fun to watch her play defense, and it can help provide a spark for Dallas as it looks to upset Connecticut in the opening round.&nbsp;
7. NEW YORK LIBERTY
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Marine Johann&egrave;s just hit her sixth three with a one-legged jumper off the screen. 🤯 WHAT?! <a href="https://t.co/hZpcTDUDoL">pic.twitter.com/hZpcTDUDoL</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ownthecrown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ownthecrown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBATwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WNBATwitter</a>
&mdash; Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) <a href="https://twitter.com/sixfivelando/status/1558900506512203777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Number to note: 41.4
The Liberty generate 41.4% of their team's shots from beyond the arc &mdash; the highest percentage in the WNBA this regular season. Sabrina Ionescu leads the squad from a volume perspective (7.3 attempts per game), but New York sends the ball around to several perimeter-oriented players.
Per PBP Stats, Sami Whitcomb and Marine Johann&egrave;s have the highest three-point attempt rates among anyone who logged at least 500 minutes this season. Whitcomb has made 35.1% of her triples this season, while Johann&egrave;s is a red-hot 43.7% from deep. Rebecca Allen (17th) and Ionescu (19th) also rank among the top 20 players in three-point attempt frequency.
8. PHOENIX MERCURY
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Another crazy stat: Diamond DeShields with 15 points in 18 minutes 🤯🤯<a href="https://t.co/151tuZHl3k">pic.twitter.com/151tuZHl3k</a>
&mdash; WSLAM (@wslam) <a href="https://twitter.com/wslam/status/1558291799755587584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2022</a></blockquote>

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

Number to note: 236
The Mercury have played a grand total of 236 minutes without Skylar Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi on the floor this season. That's a small sample size &mdash; 160 of those minutes have come after Aug. 4, the last time either of them suited up for Phoenix. Diggins-Smith is currently out for undisclosed reasons with no timetable; Taurasi also has no updated timetable as she deals with a quad strain. Returning two stars would obviously be beneficial, but for now, Phoenix has to defend its 2021 Finals run with its supporting cast.
Fortunately, several players have stepped up when the Mercury has needed them. Sophie Cunningham has shined in a Swiss Army Knife-type role, as <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/sophie-cunningham-giving-phoenix-a-lift-at-the-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan detailed earlier this summer</a>. Diamond DeShields dropped a pair of 20-plus-point outbursts in two huge games to help Phoenix reach the postseason. Brianna Turner is one of the best shot-blockers in the league.
The Cunningham-Turner-DeShields trio has a minus-4.33 NET this season without Taurasi and Diggins-Smith. Phoenix's most-played lineup since Aug. 5 includes those three, Shey Peddy and Jennie Simms; they're a minus-1 in 68 minutes. We'll see how well they can hold up without the star backcourt duo.&nbsp;

Ethan Fuller lists one noteworthy stat to monitor for each team in the 2022 WNBA Playoffs.

2022 WNBA Playoffs: One key stat to know for each team

The WNBA is locked into three tiers at this point of the season. There's the tippy top with the contenders: the defending champion Chicago Sky (who may need a tier of their own soon), Las Vegas Aces, Connecticut Sun, Seattle Storm and Washington Mystics.
The Indiana Fever are in their own Tier of Woe, sporting the worst record in the league (5-24) despite having an All-Star-caliber guard in Kelsey Mitchell, and plenty of young talent to be excited about moving forward.
And then there's the middle. A hodgepodge of teams seeded 6-through-11 that are a week away from earning praise or garnering "will-they-miss-the-playoffs-altogether?" discussions. There are six teams separated by three games, fighting for the final three playoff spots. It's a fun or stressful race, depending on who you root for.
The Phoenix Mercury are currently making a push in that middle tier.
We aren't far removed from wondering if it was <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/what-should-the-phoenix-mercury-do-with-skylar-digginssmith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best to blow things up</a>. We've had a sideline star dustup, a future Hall-of-Famer leaving midseason and joining one of the contenders shortly after, and a clown emoji situation that I'm still cackling about. The Mercury haven't just been an underwhelming team this season, they ranked very low on the "good-vibes" scale.
Here they are though: 6-4 in their last 10 games, quietly pushing their way to the eighth and final playoff seed. <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=OFF_RATING&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=06%2F25%2F2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Since June 25</a>, they have a better offense than the Storm and Sun, and a better defense and net rating than the Aces.
Despite ranking last in pace during this stretch, the Mercury are going full Moreyball to give themselves a shot. Nearly 70% of their shot attempts have come from three or at the rim; they lead the W in three-point attempts (29.6, 36.7 per 100 possessions) and their 20.7 free-throw attempts rank second behind the Dallas Wings (21.5).
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Skylar Diggins-Smith (23-5-6-2-1 in her last 10) continues to play MVP-caliber ball. Diana Taurasi is starting to perk up, averaging 24 points (while shooting 39.3% from three on 11.2 attempts) over her last five games after struggling beforehand (15.5 points and 32.5% from three on 8.0 attempts).&nbsp;
Right behind them in production is Sophie Cunningham, whose insertion into the starting lineup as a small-ball 4 has juiced the offense. She's averaging a shade under 17 points during this stretch behind ridiculous shooting. A 42.5% clip on 8.0 attempts is typo-level good, especially when you factor how many of her threes are coming off of movement.&nbsp;
To that point: Cunningham at the 4 has made life easier for everyone around her, while putting more strain on defenses.&nbsp;
The Mercury's Friday night beatdown of the Seattle Storm gave us plenty of examples. Cunningham herself had a solid outing &mdash; 19 points, including 5-of-10 shooting from three &mdash; but the way she was used continuously put the Storm in tough spots.
Take the opening bucket from Phoenix.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/1mlg4l" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The Mercury go with a high pick-and-roll between Taurasi and Brianna Turner. Even at this stage of her career, defenses have to respect Taurasi's ability to pull up. That's what makes Cunningham's positioning key; she's one pass away, which puts strain on Breanna Stewart as a helper since she's responsible for tagging Turner on the roll.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/screenshot_2022_07_23_20_15_30_690w.png" alt="Breanna Stewart has a decision to make." width="578" height="325" />
With Tina Charles stepping up to take away Taurasi's space, Stewart is stuck between tagging Turner on the roll or sticking with Cunningham on the perimeter. Cunningham exacerbates this issue by lifting higher on the floor, and eventually gets an open three out of it.
I even think of quieter possessions like this, with Cunningham stashed in the weakside corner. It doesn't lead to a bucket, but look at who makes the rotation on this drive from Diggins-Smith, where it comes from (the strong side, a general no-no), and the difference in urgency compared to Cunningham's defender.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/efxs3c" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The Mercury have found success using Cunningham as part of their HORNS or HORNS-adjacent sets. Using her as a screener or flare option means involving a big; most of whom aren't used to defending movement shooters. Stewart is a legitimate DPOY candidate and you see how she isn't exempt from making hard choices in space.
Beyond that, Cunningham embraces contact. That leads to #antics at times, but in general, her willingness to get her hands dirty makes her a pretty useful off-ball threat. She doesn't mind prying others open. And because of her shooting ability and spatial awareness, defenses&nbsp;really&nbsp;have to be connected or they risk giving up something easy.&nbsp;
I loved the Mercury going to this set on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter on Friday night. Cunningham starts in the corner this time, but the objective is for her to screen for Taurasi and see what opens up.&nbsp;
On the first trip, Cunningham's lead block creates a triple for the legend.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/9j5fi0" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
On the next one, Cunningham slips into open space against a switch. Remember, folks: the best way to beat a switch is with a slip.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/9kwkb3" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
It's important to stress that the Mercury are generating these looks against the Seattle Storm, the team that had the best defensive rating in the W <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=DEF_RATING&amp;dir=-1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateTo=07%2F21%2F2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heading into Friday night's action</a>.
<a href="https://www.positiveresidual.com/shiny/wnba/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Since June 25</a>, the Mercury are outscoring teams by 9.3 points per 100 possessions with the Cunningham-Turner pairing on the floor. The starting unit with those two, Diggins-Smith, Taurasi and Shey Peddy has posted a plus-13.1 net rating in that time frame &mdash; one of the best marks in the W.
Long term, the bellwether for Sophie-at-4 lineups will continue to be the defense. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Cunningham is at a size disadvantage against most 4s. Teams haven't been shy attacking her on the block; per InStat tracking, she's defended 16 post-ups in the last three games. She's held up for the most part; again, she embraces physicality, and she also contests pretty well without fouling.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/p5nf19" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The issue is what happens after the shot. Her opponent may miss, but they'll likely have the fast track to an offensive rebound. And to that point: the Mercury have&nbsp;by far&nbsp;the <a href="https://stats.wnba.com/teams/advanced/?sort=DREB_PCT&amp;dir=1&amp;Season=2022&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;DateFrom=06%2F25%2F2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst defensive rebound rate</a> in the W over their past 10 games, grabbing just 62% of misses.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/593rre" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Overall, things have worked because Cunningham has been so good offensively. The shooting, and the multiple platforms it can be used in, has juiced the Mercury's attack.
As long as that continues, they'll be in good shape to hold onto a playoff spot.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the impact of Sophie Cunningham starting at the 4 for the Phoenix Mercury.

Sophie Cunningham giving the Phoenix Mercury a lift at the 4

MIAMI (AP) &mdash; Somewhere, Gregg Popovich must be pleased.
Ime Udoka and Steve Kerr played for Popovich with of the San Antonio Spurs, both served as assistant coaches under him, and neither makes any effort to hide the affinity they have for the NBA&rsquo;s career victory leader.
And now, Udoka and Kerr are about to go head-to-head &mdash; in the NBA Finals.
The title matchup is set: It&rsquo;ll be Udoka and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics facing Kerr and the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors, a series that begins Thursday night in San Francisco. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, each winning on the other&rsquo;s home floor.
The Warriors have been waiting for an opponent since this past Thursday after needing only five games to beat Dallas for the West title. The Celtics got there the hard way, winning Game 7 in Miami on Sunday night to capture the East.
&ldquo;We stayed with it. We believed in each other. We made a commitment on the defensive end," said Celtics forward Al Horford, who, after 141 playoff games, is headed to the NBA Finals for the first time. &ldquo;That was the biggest thing, defending."
For the Celtics, it&rsquo;s a chance at an 18th NBA championship &mdash; which would break the tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history. For the Warriors, it&rsquo;s a chance at a seventh crown &mdash; which would break a tie with the Chicago Bulls for third-most in league history.
It&rsquo;s also a rematch of the 1964 finals, when Bill Russell and the Celtics topped the Warriors in five games.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve said it many times: You go to the finals, it&rsquo;s almost a two-month journey filled with stress and fatigue and everything else,&rdquo; said Kerr, who gave his team Friday and Saturday off before bringing them back to work Sunday. &ldquo;So, if you can get a little bit of a break, it&rsquo;s very meaningful. Hopefully, we can get healthy and have a few days of really good prep and be ready to go on Thursday.&rdquo;
Golden State won at Boston 111-107 on Dec. 17, behind 30 points from Stephen Curry. The Celtics rolled on Golden State&rsquo;s home floor in the rematch on March 16, winning 110-88 in the game in which Curry injured his foot &mdash; and that&rsquo;s where his regular season ended.
Curry was ready to go for the playoffs. So were the rest of the Warriors. They&rsquo;re 12-4 in the playoffs, getting through Denver, Memphis and Dallas to get to the title round.
&ldquo;It all starts with Steph,&rdquo; Kerr said.
Udoka has a chance to become the 10th coach to win a title in his first season. Eddie Gottlieb (1947 Philadelphia Warriors), Buddy Jeanette (1948 Baltimore Bullets), John Kundla (1949 Minneapolis Lakers), George Senesky (1956 Philadelphia Warriors), Paul Westhead (1980 Los Angeles Lakers), Pat Riley (1982 Los Angeles Lakers), Tyronn Lue (2016 Cleveland Cavaliers) and Nick Nurse (2019 Toronto Raptors) are eight of the coaches who have pulled off the feat.
The other name on that list is Kerr &mdash; who did it with Golden State in 2015, the start of this run of greatness from the Warriors. That was the beginning of six finals appearances in eight years, the two exceptions being when injuries and a roster reset kept them from the playoffs in 2020 and 2021.
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t take it for granted,&rdquo; Curry said after the West title series. &ldquo;Nothing&rsquo;s ever guaranteed. We understand how hard it is to win. We&rsquo;ve said that until we&rsquo;re blue in the face the last two years. This is definitely special. Proud of everybody that is in that locker room, that came with it all year. Now we have an opportunity to go finish a job.&rdquo;
Udoka played for Popovich and later was a San Antonio assistant. Kerr played for the Spurs, then assisted Popovich with USA Basketball through last summer&rsquo;s Tokyo Olympics &mdash; when the Americans won a fourth consecutive gold medal.
The Warriors&rsquo; Draymond Green was on that Olympic team. So was Boston&rsquo;s Jayson Tatum. They celebrated winning gold together, and now they&rsquo;ll try to go through one another to get their fingerprints on the gold trophy that goes to the NBA champions &mdash; the Larry O&rsquo;Brien.
&ldquo;This is an opportunity that players dream of,&rdquo; Golden State's Andrew Wiggins said. &ldquo;To be put in a position to win it all.&rdquo;
And if nothing else, a Warriors-Celtics matchup made Green seem prophetic.
After the Warriors won the West, Green visited the TNT broadcast set after the game and was prodded by Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal to say which team from the then-undecided East title series that he would like to play.
Green began giving a diplomatic answer, saying that both the Heat and Celtics were tough. O&rsquo;Neal pressed him to be honest, and Green &mdash; never shy with words &mdash; gave in.
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re asking me who I want to play. I&rsquo;m gonna tell who I think we&rsquo;re going to play: We&rsquo;re going to play Boston,&rdquo; Green said Thursday night. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s who we&rsquo;re going to play.&rdquo;
He was right.
&nbsp;

The matchup is set: it will be the Boston Celtics facing the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

The Finals matchup: Celtics vs. Warriors for NBA title

NEW YORK &ndash; Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro has been named the 2021-22 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year for his contributions in a reserve role, the NBA announced today.&nbsp; This is the first Sixth Man honor for Herro, who becomes the first player to win the annual award with the Heat.
Herro received 488 total points (96 first-place votes) from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.&nbsp; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love finished in second place with 214 points (three first-place votes).&nbsp; Phoenix Suns forward Cam Johnson finished in third place with 128 points (one first-place vote).
Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.&nbsp; To be eligible for the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, a player had to have come off the bench in more games than he started.
In his third NBA season, Herro averaged 20.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 32.6 minutes in 66 games (10 starts).&nbsp; His scoring average of 20.8 points as a reserve was the highest in the NBA.&nbsp; He became the fifth player to average at least 20.0 points off the bench (minimum 50 games as a reserve) since starts began being tracked in the 1970-71 season, joining Thurl Bailey (1987-88), Eddie Johnson (1988-89), Ricky Pierce (1989-90, 1990-91) and Lou Williams (2017-18, 2018-19).
Herro&rsquo;s eight 30-point games off the bench were tied for the third most since the 1970-71 season and his 20 25-point games were tied for the fourth most.&nbsp; He ranked 20th in the NBA in free throw percentage (86.8), 21st in points per game, 26th in three-point field goal percentage (39.9) and 32nd in three-pointers made (175).
Setting a single-season franchise record with 1,162 points off the bench, Herro helped the Heat finish with a 53-29 record and earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2022 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel.&nbsp; Miami is currently facing the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with Game 2 to be played on Wednesday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
Herro, 22, the 13th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, has averaged 16.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 175 games over three seasons with the Heat.&nbsp; In the 2019-20 season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and set a Miami single-game playoff rookie scoring record with 37 points against the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Herro will be presented with a special edition 75th Anniversary commemorative trophy today in celebration of the honor, gifted in addition to the Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award trophy, which he will receive later.&nbsp; The commemorative trophy, composed of a solid crystal basketball, features the NBA 75 logo 3D laser etched and suspended within its center.
The voting results for the 2021-22 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award are below.&nbsp; The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst &amp; Young LLP.&nbsp; Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at PR.NBA.com&nbsp;after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/2021-22-sixth-man-voting-results_lg.jpg" alt="" />

The NBA announces that Tyler Herro has won the 2021-22 Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Tyler Herro wins 2021-22 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award

Zach LaVine has an Olympic gold medal. What he doesn&rsquo;t have is NBA playoff experience.
At last, that part is about to change.
No active NBA player has been in more regular-season games without making his playoff debut than LaVine, who has appeared in 478 games with the Chicago Bulls. He&rsquo;s expected to play in his first playoff game Sunday night when the Bulls visit Milwaukee.
Once LaVine makes his playoff debut, the title nobody wants &mdash; active player with most games and no playoff appearances &mdash; will fall to Buddy Hield. He&rsquo;s been in 468 games with Sacramento, New Orleans and Indiana.
If Hield appears in at least 32 games next season, he will become the eighth player with at least 500 regular-season appearances but zero playoff contests. He&rsquo;ll join Tom Van Arsdale (929), Otto Moore (682), Nate Williams (642), Omri Casspi (588), Sebastian Telfair (564), Popeye Jones (535) and Eddy Curry (527) in that club.
Curry has a ring from his time with the Miami Heat in the 2011-12 season, but didn&rsquo;t play in a game during that postseason run.
EIGHT IS (USUALLY) ENOUGH
Phoenix won eight games more than any other team this season. That usually means a championship.
Not always, though.
The last four teams to have at least eight more wins than any other team in the regular season have gone on to win a title. Those clubs are the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, the Chicago Bulls in 1992 and 1996, and the Boston Celtics in 1984.
The 1971 Milwaukee Bucks, 1967 Philadelphia 76ers, and both the 1960 and 1965 Celtics also ended seasons with such huge regular-season margins with championships. But the Celtics in both 1958 and 1973 did not, nor did the Washington Capitols in 1947 &mdash; the inaugural season of the BAA, which was the precursor to the NBA. The Capitols (49-11) won 10 more regular-season games than anyone else in 1946-47, but the Philadelphia Warriors (35-25) won that first season&rsquo;s championship.
PLAYOFF MONEY
The NBA has set this season&rsquo;s playoff pool at $17,317,334. All 16 playoff teams are guaranteed $258,449 just for making the field; most teams will make more, and the deeper teams go in the playoffs, they&rsquo;ll make much more.
Phoenix is already assured at least $1,194,952. The Suns would claim $5,077,456 if they win the NBA title.
Miami has secured $695,527 already. The Heat would get $4,578,031 if they win the championship.
Any team that makes the NBA Finals is guaranteed $3,106,286; any team other than the Suns or Heat that wins the championship would receive at least $4,140,953.
BEST EVERYWHERE
Phoenix had the NBA&rsquo;s best home record and the NBA&rsquo;s best road record this season &mdash; 32-9 in both instances.
Only four of the last nine teams to pull off that feat, including ties in the standings, went on to win the NBA title. Those clubs were Golden State in 2015 and 2017, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000 and the Chicago Bulls in 1996.
The most recent teams to be best at home, best on the road and still not win a title: Houston in 2018, Dallas in 2007, Seattle in 1994, Portland in 1991 and the Lakers in 1990.
MILESTONE WATCH
Philadelphia&rsquo;s Doc Rivers is on the cusp of becoming the fifth coach in NBA history to win 100 postseason games. The 76ers need just two wins in their first-round series against Toronto to get Rivers to the milestone.
The other coaches with 100 wins: Phil Jackson (229), Pat Riley (171), Gregg Popovich (170) and Larry Brown (100).
Miami&rsquo;s Erik Spoelstra can also get to 100 playoff wins this year &mdash; but the Heat would have to get to the NBA Finals, then win three games in the title round to get him there. Spoelstra enters these playoffs with 85 postseason victories.
Among players, Brooklyn&rsquo;s Kevin Durant is three points shy of matching Jerry West (4,457) for eighth on the all-time playoff list. Durant needs 307 points to tie No. 7 Karl Malone (4,761) on that list, meaning the Nets would likely have to get to at least the second round for that to occur this year.
FAVORED TEAMS
Utah was favored in more games than any other team this season, picked by oddsmakers 73 times in the 82-game regular season. The Jazz were followed by Phoenix (70), Milwaukee (66), Golden State (62), Boston (61) and Miami (59) on the most-favored list.
The team that covered a spread with the most regularity this season: Memphis, which rewarded its backers 64.6% of the time. Utah was tied for next-to-last in that department, covering at a 40.2% rate.
Oklahoma City was favored the fewest times in the league, just on three occasions. Portland was the worst at covering, doing so 37.8% of the time.
BACK TO BACK
If Milwaukee&rsquo;s Giannis Antetokounmpo wins his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP award &mdash; now named for Bill Russell &mdash; he would join select company.
Only six players have won that award in consecutive years. Chicago&rsquo;s Michael Jordan won it back-to-back-to-back on two separate occasions, 1991 through 1993 and then 1996 through 1998. Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal won three in a row for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000 through 2002. Hakeem Olajuwon won for Houston in 1994 and 1995, Kobe Bryant did for the Lakers in 2009 and 2010, LeBron James did for Miami in 2012 and 2013, and Kevin Durant did it for Golden State in 2017 and 2018.
Jerry West was the award&rsquo;s first winner in 1969. It has been named for Russell since 2009.
THREE&rsquo;S WIN
As one might guess, it&rsquo;s difficult to make up a significant disparity in 3-pointers made.
Teams that were outscored by 15 or more points from 3-point range this season won only 20.8% of the time &mdash; going 94-348 in those contests.
IGUODALA&rsquo;S FAREWELL
Golden State&rsquo;s Andre Iguodala has said he is retiring when this season ends. He wanted to go back to the Warriors for a farewell, and the Warriors welcomed him back for many reasons &mdash; what he brings at this time of year among them.
No player in this year&rsquo;s playoffs has played, counting actual appearances only, in more postseason wins than Iguodala. He has appeared in 103 playoff wins, five more than Philadelphia&rsquo;s Danny Green, eight more than Brooklyn&rsquo;s Kevin Durant, 16 more than Miami&rsquo;s Udonis Haslem and 17 more than Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
THE REFEREES
Tom Washington is working the NBA playoffs for the 24th time and Scott Foster was selected as part of the postseason referee corps for the 22nd time. They&rsquo;re the senior members of a 36-person group that will work games in Round 1.
There are three playoff newcomers: Eric Dalen, Mitchell Ervin and Justin Van Duyne.
Foster has worked 201 playoff games, while Washington has worked 172. Other veterans in this year&rsquo;s playoffs include Tony Brothers and James Capers (163 games apiece), Marc Davis (161), Ed Malloy (121), Bill Kennedy (120), Zach Zarba (117) and John Goble (100).
The rest of the first-round officials are: Brent Barnaky, Curtis Blair, Nick Buchert, Kevin Cutler, JB DeRosa, Kane Fitzgerald, Tyler Ford, Brian Forte, Pat Fraher, Jacyn Goble, David Guthrie, Courtney Kirkland, Karl Lane, Eric Lewis, Mark Lindsay, Tre Maddox, Rodney Mott, Gediminas Petraitis, Michael Smith, Ben Taylor, Josh Tiven, Scott Twardoski, James Williams and Sean Wright.
The NBA also selected eight alternates &mdash; including Lauren Holtkamp, the only woman to make this season&rsquo;s list. If picked for a game, Holtkamp would join Violet Palmer as the only female referees to work a postseason contest.

The AP's Tim Reynolds ties a bow on the 2021-22 NBA regular season and prepares us for the playoffs.

Playoff time: 10 things to know about the NBA's postseason

Several years ago, I attended the Charleston Classic in South Carolina. In doing so, I became familiar with Purdue head coach Matt Painter's coaching style and offensive system, which is predicated on ball movement, perimeter players moving without the ball and feeding low-post scorers on the block.
Carsen Edwards &mdash; a strong and explosive, assertive, scoring 5-foot-11 guard &mdash; was their star. Edwards routinely ran off screens, endlessly hunting his shot in Painter's system while using ball screens as his secondary option. He had the full green light, which he took advantage of as he averaged 24.3 points per game. Ryan Cline was their shooting specialist, making several three-pointers per game and shooting an impressive 41.7% from deep. And lastly, they had giant 7-foot-3 Matt Haarms on the block. It was a terrific team that won a share of the Big Ten regular season championship and nearly made it to the Final Four.
However, despite Edwards' iconic performance in the Elite Eight, in which he scored 42 points while knocking down 10 three-pointers, the Boilermakers fell short to the eventual NCAA champion, Virginia. I appreciated Painter as a coach during that season and I've always looked forward to watching his teams play ever since.
Fast forward a few years to this current season when I recently attended the Big Ten Tournament and watched Painter's Boilermakers play several days in a row. It felt a bit like deja vu, as their team was very reminiscent of the 2018-19 Purdue squad. Sophomore guard Jaden Ivey is their star, and he also routinely runs off screens that lead to pick-and-roll actions in identical sets, just as Edwards did. They have Sasha Stefanovic, a freshman on the 2018-19 team and now a senior, playing Cline's shooter role. Trevion Williams, who was also a freshman on that last team, is now their primary low-post scoring threat. They also have 7-foot-4 Zach Edey in the Haarms role.
As usual, I enjoyed watching Purdue play in the Big Ten Tournament. They beat Penn State and Michigan State before falling to a good Iowa team in the championship game, securing a No. 3 seed in the Big Dance.
This year, the Big Ten Conference was loaded with talent, so I chose to attend the entire conference tournament rather than attend multiple tournaments like I usually do. And despite the abundance of talent in Indianapolis, one player stood out from the crowd, and that player was Ivey.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OQpNXvlijKk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Through 35 games this season, Ivey has averaged 17.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He was named First Team All-Big Ten Conference and Second Team All-American. He has established himself as a college star and a top NBA prospect, as he's widely considered a probable top-four pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Although Ivey and Edwards are playing a similar role for Purdue, their games are not the same. On the one hand, Edwards is an undersized scoring guard whose effectiveness is centered around his outside shooting &mdash; seemingly a perfect fit in Painter's offense. On the other hand, you have Ivey, an elite athlete who is a nightmare for opponents to stop one-on-one. Painter calls isolation and high pick-and-roll plays here and there for Ivey, breaking away from his typical offense to utilize Ivey's talents properly. Still, while I love Painter's offense, it's not built for a player like Ivey, nor is the college game in general, for that matter.
But you know what is built for a player like Ivey? The modern, guard-driven NBA with emphasized spacing so players like Ivey can create with the ball in their hands.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Two great plays by Jaden Ivey, back to back. Once he gets downhill, it&rsquo;s over. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/B1GTourney?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#B1GTourney</a> <a href="https://t.co/3gk5JKBCKm">pic.twitter.com/3gk5JKBCKm</a>
&mdash; Matt Babcock (@MattBabcock11) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattBabcock11/status/1502477366962135045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2022</a></blockquote>

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


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

Sitting alongside me at the Big Ten Tournament were countless NBA scouts and executives, and I spoke to many of them.
"He has burst like [Ja] Morant, explosiveness like [Russell] Westbrook, and a playing style like D-Wade," said one scout. "He's a Ferrari."
"He will be a beast in the league," one general manager added.
He was compared to big stars, and bold statements were shared left and right. However, they are all valid, in my opinion. When the ball is in Ivey's hands, he is an overwhelming threat who is impossible to guard at times. He has a gear that not many players possess, providing him with elite talent and upside similar to those notable names above.
For the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 NBA Draft</a>, four players have separated themselves from the rest: Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero and Jaden Ivey in some order, with Iowa's Keegan Murray seemingly knocking on the door to that group as well. Although in recent days there have been a couple of articles published suggesting that Ivey could make a play for the No. 1 spot (which I'm happy to see), I find it interesting that Ivey seems to be ranked fourth in that group more often than not by the media.
I've been one of Ivey's biggest supporters this season, ranking him No. 2 on the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com 2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>. But I'll admit, he isn't perfect. He has some things to work on, like improving his decision-making, ball control and overall court awareness. He's shot the ball pretty well this season, knocking down 63-of-173 three-point attempts (36.4%), but he's certainly not a pure shooter.
But here's how I see it: there are always questions for young players transitioning to the pros, and Ivey is no exception. However, I believe that the questions surrounding Ivey are manageable. Subsequently, it leads me to visualize what type of player Ivey could become if he did indeed maximize his potential.
Could we be witnessing a star in the making? Perhaps.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Purdue's Jaden Ivey is a special talent who is turning heads this season. Matt Babcock breaks down his ascent to stardom.

Is Purdue's Jaden Ivey a star in the making?

With the 2022 NCAA Tournament right around the corner, it's time for conference tournaments to begin so teams can begin punching their ticket to The Big Dance in March.
Mid-major tournaments have already gotten underway, on Wednesday, five Power Five tournaments will have begun theirs to join the club.
(Editor's note: Check out our breakdowns of the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-acc-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACC</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-big-12-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Big 12</a>, <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-pac12-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pac-12</a> and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/top-2022-nba-draft-prospects-sec-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SEC</a>.)
Since everyone will have their eyes on the best players in these conferences over the next few weeks, BasketballNews.com has highlighted each Power Five and its top 2022 NBA Draft prospects.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Here are the names to look out for in the Big Ten.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jaden-ivey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaden Ivey</a>
Guard | Purdue
Height: 6-4 Weight: 195 Wingspan: 6-9
Class: Sophomore Draft Day Age: 20.4 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OQpNXvlijKk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
For the Boilermakers this season, Jaden Ivey is shooting career highs across the board and has propelled himself into top-three consideration. Ivey is a phenomenal athlete and a promising on-ball defender who has flashed great potential on the defensive end of the floor. His offense has taken a huge leap, as he's shown the ability to create space for himself, score on multiple levels and attack the rim at an elite level. Purdue is one of the best teams in America, and Ivey is a huge component of the team's success. He's one to keep an eye on near the top of the 2022 NBA Draft class.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/keegan-murray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Keegan Murray</a>
Forward | Iowa
Height: 6-8 Weight: 225 Wingspan: 6-11
Class: Sophomore Draft Day Age: 21.8 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7_qhzIwhhQg" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
At 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Keegan Murray has a high motor and does a lot of the &ldquo;little things'' that contribute to winning, and he is a terrific defender. Despite shooting an inefficient 29.6% from deep last season, Murray has shot and scored the ball at a much higher rate this season. In addition, his ability to attack closeouts and score from multiple levels has allowed him to carry a greater offensive load. Murray is a candidate for National Player of the Year and has played himself into top-10 consideration in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/johnny-davis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Johnny Davis</a>
Guard | Wisconsin
Height: 6-5 Weight: 194 Wingspan: N/A
Class: Sophomore Draft Day Age: 20.3 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9Kq8-nsEZP8" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
​​At 6-foot-5, Johnny Davis carries positional size and has become one of the most reliable scorers in the country. He can take his defender to the rim, is comfortable operating in the mid-range and has shown consistency from deep. He isn&rsquo;t flashy, but is incredibly effective and decisive, which has resulted in a large jump in his free-throw rate. His combination of physicality and quick decision-making brings good versatility to his game. Davis has established himself as one of the best shooting guards in the country, and is a candidate for National Player of the Year. (Unfortunately, Davis was injured on a flagrant foul in Wisconsin's loss to Nebraska, but he <a href="https://wisconsin.rivals.com/news/wisconsin-s-johnny-davis-updates-his-status-following-ankle-injury?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly90LmNvLw&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGfnOvaHXMefZwK-Y1qixNRNWpcHZ58_iJZsW9xE-84bC3sW0LEE36tg26SbjL96eCm0KsX0lm9lVA0Wg2JKsB8aFO9nKAyIi0GHqnnPEOwxHkdSBjPGq9PFpcrVpqwN748XKy993U5BRQWbprUoYY04QXy4SDQ5_rCUw95XWaAg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believes he'll be ready to play</a> in the conference tournament.)
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/max-christie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Max Christie</a>
Guard | Michigan State
Height: 6-6 Weight: 190 Wingspan: 6-9
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 19.4 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8MV1FDavUbk" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
A former five-star recruit, Max Christie came to Michigan State as one of the top-ranked freshmen in the country. At 6-foot-6 and 190 pounds, Christie possesses the ability to shoot and score the ball at a high level. It&rsquo;s also worth noting that he has some experience playing on the ball as a point guard. And although plays mostly off the ball for Michigan State, it is a good example of his versatility. Christie is a strong candidate to be a one-and-done prospect.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/ej-liddell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E.J. Liddell</a>
Forward | Ohio State
Height: 6-7 Weight: 240 Wingspan: 7-0
Class: Junior Draft Day Age: 21.5 Nationality: USA
Although he is a bit undersized for the position, the Buckeyes often use E.J. Liddell as a 4/5 in their lineups. He is physical and versatile on both ends of the floor, scoring both inside and out. He appears more comfortable in the mid-range and paint, which works well for his college system, but raises questions in regards to his translatability to the NBA. Liddell continues to fill up the box score and play with great effort and toughness. He has certainly carved out a spot for himself in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/malaki-branham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malaki Branham</a>
Guard | Ohio State
Height: 6-5 Weight: 180 Wingspan: 6-10
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 19.1 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aWITSlwHkNQ" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Malaki Branham was ranked 35th in the 2021 RSCI recruiting class and, after a slow start, burst onto the scene in conference play. At 6-foot-5, he plays with patience, and is a smooth three-level scorer. He is comfortable operating in the pick-and-roll and mid-range, and has shown promise as a spot-up shooter. Branham is full of potential, and is hitting his stride as a scoring threat. He's certainly one to watch down the stretch.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/bryce-mcgowens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryce McGowens</a>
Guard | Nebraska
Height: 6-7 Weight: 179 Wingspan: 6-9
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 19.6 Nationality: USA
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C_v9dDGkBac" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
​​Possessing positional size and length, Bryce McGowens has flashed space creation as a shooter with pull-up craft, ball-handling and the ability to elevate over defenders. Although he can be a bit streaky, the fluidity with his shooting mechanics are special. He is also a solid defender due to his length, athleticism and instinctual play. With his combination of great athleticism, shot-making and finishing craft at the rim, McGowens has been the go-to scorer for the Huskers this season.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/moussa-diabate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moussa Diabat&eacute;</a>
Forward-Center | Michigan
Height: 6-11 Weight: 210 Wingspan: 7-3
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 20.4 Nationality: France
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vEadxi0hZzY" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Standing 6-foot-11, 210 pounds and possessing an impressive 7-3 wingspan &mdash; while also being capable of moving fluidly &mdash; Moussa Diabat&eacute;&rsquo;s physical tools jump off of the page. While he is still a work in progress on the offensive end, Diabat&eacute;&rsquo;s talent and versatility on the defensive end stand out. Since Diabat&eacute; has been able to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/moussa-diabate-michigan-wolverines-on-the-rise-2022-nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">properly showcase his talent and make the necessary steps in his development</a> throughout the season, he is a strong candidate to be a one-and-done prospect.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/caleb-houstan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caleb Houstan</a>
Forward | Michigan
Height: 6-8 Weight: 205 Wingspan: N/A
Class: Freshman Draft Day Age: 19.5 Nationality: Canada
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZBZHis1OQ1w" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Caleb Houstan, a five-star recruit for head coach Juwan Howard and the Michigan Wolverines, is a high-level outside shooter and a marksman who possesses positional size at 6-foot-8. Houstan's size, mechanics, shot-making are special, but there are questions about his versatility and consistency. He is one to monitor as the season wraps up, and is a viable floor-stretching option in the 2022 NBA Draft.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/trevion-williams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trevion Williams</a>
Forward-Center | Purdue
Height: 6-10 Weight: 255 Wingspan: N/A
Class: Senior Draft Day Age: 21.8 Nationality: USA
Trevion Williams may be the best low-post scorer in the country. He has incredible footwork, craftiness at the rim and is always thinking a step ahead with the ball in his hand. He is also an impressive athlete at 255 pounds, as he's quick off the ground and runs the floor well. Williams is old school in the way he provides points, but he does the little things well. He has good vision out of the post, plays with a great motor and is the kind of player you want in the locker room. Williams has a great chance of earning a shot at the NBA level.&nbsp;
Others worth noting:
Kofi Cockburn | Illinois
Hunter Dickinson | Michigan
Zach Edey | Purdue
Ron Harper Jr. | Rutgers
Trayce Jackson-Davis | Indiana
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Looking to go to the hottest concerts, sports, theater &amp; family shows near you? Get 100% guaranteed tickets to more than 125,000 live events from TicketSmarter, the official ticket marketplace of BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ticketsmarter.com/?utm_source=basketballnewscom&amp;utm_medium=tsaff&amp;utm_campaign=referral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Order online now</a>!

Matt Babcock highlights the top 2022 NBA Draft prospects in the Big Ten Tournament.

2022 NBA Draft: Top prospects in the Big Ten Tournament

When Edniesha Curry first found out new Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was interested in talking with her, she was skeptical.
After all, the California-born Curry was a longtime Lakers fan who rued when Billups and the Detroit Pistons beat Los Angeles in the 2004 NBA Finals.
She jokes about it, but it was a good thing she took Billups' call. Now the former WNBA guard known as &ldquo;Eddie" is an assistant coach on Billups' staff, the first woman to serve as an assistant in Blazers history and currently one of just six women coaching in the NBA.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d never met him before, just knew him as a player. Man, I&rsquo;ve got nightmares of him beating up on my Lakers back in the day,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;But we had a synergy right away from the beginning.&rdquo;
This isn't a novelty to Curry, who was the only woman on the coaching staff of a Division I men's college team when she became an assistant at Maine for the 2018-19 season. In meeting with reporters for the first time, she raised her hand to tell them that, yes, she is a woman. It was her way of breaking the ice and getting the issue out of the way so she could focus on basketball.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never put a difference on it &mdash; whether I was coaching men or women," said Curry, 42. &ldquo;For me, it has always been about being in the right space with the right people. And that&rsquo;s literally how I said yes to being a men&rsquo;s basketball coach."
The first woman to serve as an NBA assistant was Lisa Boyer &mdash; now an assistant on Dawn Staley's staff at South Carolina. She was a volunteer with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2001-02 season. She wasn't paid and couldn't travel with the team.
It would take until 2014 for a woman to become a full-time NBA assistant: Becky Hammon, who was hired by Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.
If you count Boyer, there have been 15 women to serve as assistants in the NBA. This season, Curry joins Jenny Boucek (Pacers), Kristi Toliver (Mavericks), Lindsey Harding (Kings), Teresa Weatherspoon (Pelicans) and Sonia Raman (Grizzlies).
The Blazers interviewed Hammon for the team's head coaching job in the offseason. Hammon and Staley have long been considered the two women closest to landing a head coaching gig in the NBA.
&ldquo;NBA jobs are hard to get. In some ways, I feel like the NBA maybe is close. In other ways, I feel like they&rsquo;re a long ways off,&rdquo; said Hammon, who became coach of the WNBA&rsquo;s Las Vegas Aces in late December
Curry isn't the only woman in a high-profile position within the Blazers organization. Jessica Cohen was recently promoted to head athletic trainer &mdash; becoming the only woman to currently hold the post in the NBA. Asjha Jones is director of planning and strategy, while Sheri Sam is scouting director. Both are former WNBA players.
Billups said he was looking to create a diverse staff in his first year as a head coach. Mutual friend Tina Thompson connected him with Curry.
&ldquo;We probably talked on the phone for an hour. I interviewed some other candidates but I just loved Eddie," Billups said. "I thought she was just so brilliant. She was smart. She was confident. She knew her stuff. She knew the NBA game more than I&rsquo;d thought for somebody that&rsquo;s been in college for so long. Her player evaluations, I thought, were on point.&rdquo;
Curry, who is not related to the brothers Stephen and Seth Curry, played at Cal State Northridge and Oregon. After a couple of seasons in the WNBA, she went overseas and it was there she got her first coaching jobs.
Curry was a school teacher in Atlanta when she took the job as Richard Barron&rsquo;s assistant at Maine. She draws on her teaching experience to coach.
She is also aware that as a Black woman, she's a role model. Both for girls and boys, she emphasizes.
&ldquo;I always tell people don&rsquo;t ever ask anybody's permission, just be what you want to be in life. Own your story, own your journey, and wherever you end up, you end up," Curry said. &ldquo;My journey is not only mentoring or being a role model for young girls, it's also the young men that I get the opportunity to work alongside and mentor, too. And that's phenomenal."
___
This story was first published on Feb. 22, 2022. It was updated on Feb. 23, 2022, to correct that Jessica Cohen is not the first woman head trainer in the NBA. She&rsquo;s the only woman who is currently serving as a head trainer.

As a Black woman, Blazers assistant coach Edneisha Curry is a role model — both for girls and boys, she emphasizes.

Curry blazing her own trail in Portland as an assistant

Nearing the end of the NCAA regular season, Derek Murray takes a dive into the state of the Big Ten.

State of the Conference: Evaluating the Big Ten

Off to one of their hottest starts in school history, including their <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/boiler-up-purdue-is-no-1-in-ap-top-25-for-the-first-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first No. 1 ranking</a> in the AP Top 25, the Purdue Boilermakers have been scintillating up to the halfway point of the NCAA season. Jaden Ivey's ascendance as a <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft/2022-big-board/players/jaden-ivey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">premier draft prospect</a> has headlined much of Purdue's success, and Zach Edey's dominant play has also turned heads routinely.
Purdue has the top-rated offense in the country &mdash; and one of the most dynamic in recent memory &mdash; in no small part due to the star duo. However, the play of senior big man Trevion Williams is seemingly lost in the sauce at times when discussing the Boilermakers.&nbsp;
Oft serving as a second-unit creator and change-of-pace option for the offense, Williams elevates the team from good to great with his versatility and impact. Three assists per game undersells the playmaking ability of Williams, who I would consider not just the best passer on his own team, but among the upper echelon of passers in Division I basketball.
(This is one of the most insane passes I've seen at any level of basketball this past year)
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/qv836q" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
The velocity that Williams is able to put on the ball is remarkable. Precise passing with a purpose matters! Trevion is excellent with delivery, often utilizing one-handed whip passes as he palms the ball, both shielding himself from having the ball knocked loose, and also keeping himself free to escape dribble (more on that later).
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/xgegvq" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
One of the main knocks/drawbacks that's brought up with Trevion is where his playmaking comes from, primarily out of the post. While I do understand that concern to a degree, there's a tendency to really miss the forest through the trees when looking at where the playmaking is coming from and misdiagnosing its purpose. Yes, Trevion Williams operates out of the post quite often, but rarely is it for the purpose of pounding the ball and clogging the lane. It's quite the opposite!
Look at how he's able to manipulate the defense with ball fakes and his eyes. Again, he's not just a good passer, he's an extraordinary passer. A lot of good passers are ones who react to what the defense gives them; great passers can manufacture their own looks.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/gk4fr6" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Williams utilizes his frame and gravity as a scorer on the block to draw double teams with regularity and force the defense into rotation. Coupled with his incredibly quick decision-making and expert ball delivery, the defense is in motion at Williams' will. Five-out spacing is fantastic with the right personnel, but running 4-out, 1-in sets can generate equal and at times better spacing. Spacing and gravity is earned by the offense, not inherently given. How your offense is defended is dictated in a consistent game of tug of war between both sides, with the defense ever-determining and gauging what can be allowed or used as to better extrapolate positive results. Spacing a center who is a shaky shooter will not be rewarded!
Calling Trevion a shaky shooter would be incorrect; he is a non-shooter at this stage, having taken 22 threes in his career and only seven jumpers outside the paint this season according to InStat. He is a relatively poor, but not awful free-throw shooter as well (59% this season) &mdash; something he'll undoubtedly need to work on in the league. (He has improved each of the past three years.)
So while Trevion can't really shoot and doesn't shoot, I don't think that matters in the way that it may be painted. As noted above, quickness in his decision-making is huge, as he is an elite processor of the game. He sees things unfold quickly, constantly scans the floors and maneuvers himself incredibly well in space to shift the defense or find better angles.
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; overflow: hidden;" src="https://streamable.com/e/j07wci" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></div>
Williams has <a href="https://twitter.com/MSchindlerNBA/status/1472377510478368772" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an elite handle for his size</a> that allows him to toy with the margins, bending the defense almost because they allow him to, if that makes sense. By inherently acting like he doesn't have gravity, and having the ability to manipulate that, he does have gravity. In each of the sets in the clip above, you can see Trevion afforded space; a quick dribble into it, the defense adjusts, and Williams has a new set of angles along with great motion from his teammates to set up quality offense.&nbsp;
If the cuts aren't there or don't open up angles, Trevion has really superb finishing craft. Despite poor shooting touch at the line and from deep, he has a wide array of push shots and floaters that he utilizes to punish defenses with the space afforded to him inside the arc (he's shooting 50.9% on floaters and hook shots this season per InStat).&nbsp;
It's fair to question how he may fair at the rim against NBA length and opposition, as he's not a great leaper. He has struggled a bit with sizable/lengthy frontcourts when around the rim, but his physicality and ability to draw fouls (currently a higher free-throw rate than Jaden Ivey) have me fairly confident that he'll be able to buoy struggles that he may face on the interior along with his touch in the paint.
Defensively, Williams has impressed from a prospect evaluation standpoint. He's not a traditional primary rim protecting 5-man, but he has remarkably quick feet and slides well laterally for his size.
Williams is very effective showing at the level and recovering or playing centerfield. He has really active hands and can blow up plays routinely before the ball-handler penetrates the paint. He's restricted as a leaper off his backfoot, but can makes good plays with his length at and around the rim when crowding shooters or drivers and is a solid weakside shot-blocker. Williams has versatility as a defender in spite of limitations.
Our Sr. NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock shared how Williams' weight loss has helped him move more fluidly:
"When I first saw Trevion Williams play at a USA Basketball Minicamp after his freshman season, he was 280 pounds and primarily a low-post scorer. As a result, I questioned whether his game would translate well to the modern NBA. Since then, he has lost 25 pounds, making him significantly more mobile, a crucial part of his development."
The recent spark in coverage versatility at the NBA level this year makes me extremely excited about the prospects of Trevion at the next level. Less of an adherence to former pro norms has opened the door for more inventive forms of production.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
While they are not one in the same, I view last year's version of <a href="https://premiumhoops.org/2021/02/03/thad-youngs-anti-gravity-role-fluidity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thaddeus Young</a> as a very clear comparison for Williams and his NBA potential. He likely doesn't have the ceiling of an upside star swing, but again: see the forest through the trees! An organization would have to be willing to adapt its bench lineups to playing around Trevion, but why is that a bad thing? Bench lineups in the NBA, especially when top-usage players sit, can lack structure and creation. I really think there's viability moving forward in buying into bench players (not to box them in, they can certainly be more, but to begin with; bench), especially ones with high feel and utility as playmakers.
The Boilermakers rarely run pick-and-roll, one of my few drawbacks with their team in regards to evaluating their prospects; however, that's part of the intrigue! We really haven't seen what Trevion could do as a short-roll passer. He excels as a dribble handoff partner and is a dynamic screener with excellent hip fluidity that allows him to flip screens and rescreen to really open up teammates he screens for, another sly marginal aspect of creation. Considering how much teams run pick-and-roll in the league, Trevion has definite impact there, and his court vision, scoring prowess on the interior and decision-making all lend credence to ability to create off the roll.
While teams looking to develop a youthful roster may find it more fundamental to tinker with bench lineups and find ways to develop on the fringe, Williams could perhaps offer another way to develop on the fringe for teams that aren't lottery-bound. He certainly is not the norm among draft prospects, but that's kind of the point. He exceeds in many areas to an extent that matters enough to adapt philosophy, or even rethink it.
Regardless of where he does or doesn't go in the 2022 NBA Draft, Trevion Williams is an incredibly exciting, enticing and fun player. Don't be too shocked if a smart team thinks outside the box and takes a shot on him, and he shows his mettle at the next level.
Williams is currently ranked 40th on the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com 2022 NBA Draft Board</a>.

Purdue big man Trevion Williams has dazzled on one of the best teams in the country this season.

Outside of the box: Purdue's Trevion Williams has an enticing nature

When Michigan had Hunter Dickinson, a center, earn All-American honors as a freshman last season, finding another young big to pair with him was likely not in the mind of Wolverine fans. However, head coach Juwan Howard has brought in the most talented players irrespective of position.
That is seemingly the case with a consensus five-star recruit from IMG Academy, Moussa Diabate, who has become one of the biggest risers in scouting circles and is consistently climbing up analysts' draft boards this season.
So if you had your hopes up that your favorite NBA team could snag the 6-foot-11 center in the second round, you might want to begin tempering those expectations. Diabate is a long, surprisingly skilled big man with a 7-3 wingspan who has been on the radar of NBA scouts dating back to his time in France.&nbsp;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Of Malian and Guinean descent, Diabate was born in Paris, where he began his youth basketball career at 12. He quickly opted to come to the United States at 14, and he joined perhaps the most vaunted high school basketball program in the country, Montverde Academy. After one year at Montverde, Diabate spent time bouncing around prep schools before eventually landing in Bradenton, Florida with the prestigious IMG Academy.
The move to join the Ascenders came on the heels of a successful FIBA stint with France. As an underaged player at the 2019 European U18 championship tournament, Diabate averaged 13.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks over seven games against the best players from Europe in his age group en route to a fifth-place finish.
Diabate's move to Bradenton helped reload a squad fresh off a championship at GEICO Nationals. During his junior season, Diabate found plenty of room to operate to the tune of over 14 points and 7 rebounds per game. This was in spite of playing with prominent big men Mark Williams (Duke), Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Tennessee) and Zach Edey (Purdue). The Ascenders ran their way to a 19-7 record, and it looked like another GEICO national championship was on the horizon. That, however, would not come to fruition, as COVID-19 wiped out the season.&nbsp;
Headed into his senior season at IMG, Diabate penned his National Letter of Intent to head to Michigan, headlining the No.1 recruiting class in the country alongside fellow five-star recruit Caleb Houstan. Diabate chose the Wolverines over Kentucky, Arizona, Florida State and more. The Ascenders enjoyed another wildly successful season last year (21-3 overall) before falling to Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) in the semifinals of the GEICO Nationals. For his efforts, Diabate was named both a McDonald's All-American and Jordan Brand All-American, despite neither game being played due to COVID.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oFh2Rz6nPSI" width="100%" height="325" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Along with perhaps the most heralded Michigan recruiting class since the "Fab Five," Diabate arrived in Ann Arbor to an NCAA preseason top-10 team that returned Dickinson, an All-American. With such an accomplished team staple entrenched in Diabate's natural position, playing time was hard to come by early in the season.
In his first five games, Diabate only crossed the 20-minute threshold once. Over his last seven games, however, Diabate has averaged 24.0 minutes per game despite only logging 7 minutes against San Diego State before getting injured. Diabate has shown just what makes him so intriguing during those six healthy games.&nbsp;
I spoke with our Sr. NBA Draft Analyst, Matt Babcock, to get his thoughts on what the French big man could bring to the next level.
&ldquo;I watched Diabate last season when he was in high school at IMG Academy. I was most impressed by his physical profile, mobility and motor. This season, I&rsquo;ve watched a lot of film, and had the opportunity to see Diabate in person when Michigan played at North Carolina. I still like everything about him that I did before. However, I&rsquo;ve been pleasantly surprised, as he&rsquo;s shown me that he has more upside on the offensive end of the floor than I had initially thought. I think he has a chance to be a good NBA player.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Rim-running, shot-blocking prowess and overall defensive versatility make Diabate a compelling prospect. I was able to see Diabate up close in Michigan's loss to the UCF Knights, and he flashed more skill than I had expected. He hit a three-pointer and a mid-range fadeaway in the post, and defensively, he switched onto guards often.
Watching Diabate during warmups was also very insightful, as I was able to get a better idea of who he is as a person. Diabate seems highly outgoing just by watching him do his post-up routine. Speaking with some folks around the team, there was nothing but positive reviews for Diabate.&nbsp;
It has been a meteoric rise up draft boards thus far for the 19-year-old from Paris. Diabate is certainly a prospect for the scouting community to watch. We look forward to continuing to track his progress here at BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;
Moussa Diabate is currently ranked No. 22 on <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com's 2022 NBA Draft Big Board</a>.

Grant Aqui outlines Moussa Diabate's recent success with the Wolverines and his journey to this point.

2022 NBA Draft: Michigan's Moussa Diabate is on the rise

The <a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/the-worst-draft-day-comparisons-in-nba-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/giannis-antetokounmpo-shares-why-he-doesnt-associate-or-practice-with-other-nba-players-in-the-offseason/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">following article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="http://basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://BasketballNetwork.net" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">BasketballNetwork.net</a>:
Nearly every rookie who enters the NBA draws comparisons to a current or former NBA player leading up to draft night. It helps the fans get more familiar with the players who are coming into the league, and gives a perspective of their capabilities and potential career. Many of these comps are correct and representative, but from time to time, we get horrendously wrong and funny comparisons that end up being way off in the long run. Here are some of the worst draft comparisons in NBA history:
Adam Morrison: Larry Bird
Coming into the 2006 NBA Draft, Adam Morrison was one of the most sought-after prospects, and for good reason. The Gonzaga star averaged 26 points and 8 rebounds in his final season, and got drafted third by the Charlotte Bobcats. Expectations were significant, especially after getting the Larry Bird comparison. At the time, it seemed relatively justified, as Morrison was a small forward with similar size to Bird, a sweet stroke and knack for scoring. After a solid rookie season in which he averaged 12 points per game, Morrison would tear his ACL and never be the same again. He was mostly known for warming the bench during the Los Angeles' Lakers championship runs before eventually going overseas and retiring. Had he not suffered the injury, Morrison could have had a better career, but likely nowhere near Bird's.
Eddy Curry: Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal
Shaq was the most dominant force the NBA has ever seen, so how do you even compare any incoming rookie to The Diesel? When Eddy Curry came into the 2001 NBA Draft right out of high school as a 7-foot, 300-pound center, he had a frame that was very similar Shaq's. And since he also had a finesse game and a jumpshot, NBA decision-makers fell in love with his potential. While Curry would have a few good seasons and even averaged 20 points per game one year for the New York Knicks, he was nothing close to what people predicted. The so-called &ldquo;Shaq with a jump shot&rdquo; battled major weight problems throughout his career and eventually retired from the NBA in 2013 at 30 years old.
Markelle Fultz: James Harden
Markelle Fultz's NBA career is one of the more confusing and unexplainable stories in recent history. The first pick of the 2017 NBA Draft came into the league with the reputation of an all-around scorer and NBA-ready player. But after a mysterious shoulder injury, Fultz&rsquo;s jumpshot simply disappeared and became too ugly to look at. It's something we have never seen before, especially with a No. 1 pick. The comparison he was constantly receiving before the draft was James Harden due to his scoring ability and strength. But as fate would have it, Fultz would be the polar opposite of Harden. Nowadays, Fultz managed to turn things around for the better in Orlando last season before tearing his ACL. Still, even if he continues to improve after getting healthy, Fultz could become a valuable NBA player &mdash; but nowhere near Harden or a No. 1 pick.
Darko Miličić: Dirk Nowitzki
Getting drafted ahead of Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh already made Darko Miličić one of the biggest busts in NBA history. Getting compared to one of the best power forwards ever also didn&rsquo;t help his case. There was plenty of mystery surrounding Darko leading up to the 2003 NBA Draft and, with his size and skill, he had a ton of potential. However, things would just never click for the Serbian big man. His poor work ethic, mixed with a limited skill set, had Darko riding the pine with the Detroit Pistons. Before the draft, Pistons executives fell in love with his mobility and soft touch for a player his size. Naturally, that led to comparisons with another European big man &mdash; Dirk Nowitzki. However, that comparison would turn out to be way off; it seemed to be based more on Darko's appearance and the fact that he was an international big than anything. Darko managed to stick around in the NBA for 10 seasons and even won a ring (with Detroit in 2004), but he still remains a huge draft miss for the Pistons.
Editor's Note: Let's not forget the infamous <a href="https://www.nbadraft.net/players/deshawn-stevenson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBADraft.net prospect profile of DeShawn Stevenson</a>, which compared the longtime NBA journeyman guard to... arguably the greatest player of all-time, Michael Jordan.
Check out more articles from BasketballNetwork.net <a href="https://www.basketballnetwork.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

From time to time, NBA Draft comparisons can be way off. Basketball Network looked at some of the worst comparisons in NBA history.

Looking back on the worst draft comparisons in NBA history

Aaron Nesmith&rsquo;s rookie season didn&rsquo;t end the way he wanted.&nbsp;
Downed at the hands of the star-studded Brooklyn Nets in five games, the Boston Celtics were a first-round exit, leading to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-boston-celtics-unprecedented-front-office-overhaul-gives-brad-stevens-the-keys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a number of organizational changes</a> this offseason. But nine days after the team was eliminated from contention, the 21-year-old made sure that his summer got off to an uplifting start &ndash; buying a new car for his mother, Erine.&nbsp;
He got the idea during the Celtics' game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Jan. 25, while taking a quick walk on the sidelines.
&ldquo;It was when we had no fans, and there was a Kia on the floor,&rdquo; Nesmith told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. &ldquo;I remember I checked out of the game, and I was walking to the designated area they had for us where we could take our masks off. And they had the white version of the Kia Sorrento there. I think that is a really nice car. It was the model that my mom likes.&rdquo;
Nesmith&rsquo;s mother had been driving the same vehicle for the past 15 years, so Aaron decided to buy her that same Kia Sorrento he laid eyes on, but in Crystal Beige. Setting up the surprise wasn&rsquo;t too difficult, especially since he was able to get his father, Bernie, in on the fun.
By the time Kia brought the car to the family&rsquo;s hometown of Charleston, SC, Aaron had it all planned out. After grabbing a bite to eat, he dropped her off at home, while he and his dad secretly went to the dealership to get a decorative bow. Bernie returned to the house early and told Erine that Aaron was going to meet them to go to dinner, and when Aaron pulled up, she went outside and saw that there was a brand new car in the driveway.
&ldquo;It was a dream come true,&rdquo; Nesmith said. &ldquo;Growing up and wanting to play basketball, every kid also wants to do something special for their parents. Everything that my mom's done for me, she doesn't really get any gifts... It's really awesome. To see her smile puts a smile on my face.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
This is awesome. Celtics rookie Aaron Nesmith surprised his mom with a new car 🙏 <a href="https://twitter.com/aaronnesmith24?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@aaronnesmith24</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSCeltics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBCSCeltics</a><a href="https://t.co/5ZM7giLRyC">pic.twitter.com/5ZM7giLRyC</a>
&mdash; Dime (@DimeUPROXX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DimeUPROXX/status/1403423583636910083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Nesmith felt indebted to her. An early-riser, Aaron woke up at 6 a.m. to work out when he was in high school, and this continued when he was going through the pre-draft process less than a year ago. Erine would always roll out of bed 45 minutes earlier, just so that he could eat a homemade breakfast instead of a bowl of cereal.
&ldquo;She's always on me about taking my vitamins and making sure I eat healthy,&rdquo; Nesmith said. &ldquo;She's always on me to try to help me be the best person that I can be, and same goes for my brother (Eddie) with academics and what he wants to achieve, so I just wanted to be able to give back to the effort that she puts in for her boys.&rdquo;
The Nesmiths are a family that values higher education. Eddie just finished studying Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University, while Aaron majored in Human and Organizational Development at Vanderbilt, a program focusing on business and marketing. Growing up, however, Aaron had a passion for math.
&ldquo;It was always a direct answer &ndash; you either get it right or you get it wrong &ndash; so I always kinda liked math for that,&rdquo; Nesmith said. &ldquo;There was no room for interpretation (laughs).&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
The 2020-21 NBA season, on the other hand, was very open to interpretation &ndash; especially for a rookie class that was thrown into the fire instead of going through the usual months of preparation with a summer league and proper preseason. Nesmith joined a Celtics team that would go on to battle setback after setback.
&ldquo;When the season started, Coach Brad Stevens told us to be ready to hit curveballs. Because the way the season was set up, anything could happen,&rdquo; Nesmith said. "For my rookie class, we had to hit a couple curveballs before even making it to the NBA. The draft got pushed back twice, two separate days, we didn't have a normal pre-draft process... From the get-go with this NBA journey, it was pretty much hitting curveballs.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I was pretty much ready for anything that could be thrown at me. My team individually, we got hit pretty hard by COVID and had a almost a week stretch where we had only seven players available. So really, just waking up and expecting anything, [it was about] being ready for that... Whenever I work out early in the morning, it's so that when my name is called, I'm ready and I'm not caught off guard. [I was] just pretty much waiting for my name to be called.&rdquo;
Going into Year 2, Nesmith has had more curveballs hurled at him &ndash; initially in the form of former Celtics president Danny Ainge&rsquo;s dismissal and the subsequent promotion of his first-year head coach, Stevens, assuming Ainge&rsquo;s position.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I mean, I definitely didn't see it coming,&rdquo; Nesmith said. &ldquo;But I think it was great for Brad Stevens and his journey going forward. He's a great basketball mind. I think the Boston Celtics are in great hands with him moving up into the position that he took.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I owe [Danny] a lot. He believed in me, and he picked me in last year's draft, so I'll be forever grateful for that. Even after the last game, he came to me and congratulated me on the season and the turnaround that I had from the beginning to the end. So I thank him for believing in me, even in the beginning where I had a rough start and he continued to believe in me, continued to give me advice even 'til when it started to turn around for me.&rdquo;
Stevens&rsquo; promotion meant a vacancy at head coach, and in turn led to the hiring of Brooklyn Nets associate head coach and longtime assistant Ime Udoka. Though the conversations have been brief, Nesmith has gotten to know him, and learned that Udoka lived in Charleston at one point of his life.
&ldquo;[He&rsquo;s a] players coach. He seems like he's a big development guy, really cares for his guys,&rdquo; Nesmith said of Udoka. &ldquo;He wants to win. He's out there coaching with Team USA because he loves developing guys and he loves being around high-level basketball players. So, I'm excited to get to work with him just 'cause you can see how much he loves the game.&rdquo;
In addition, since Kemba Walker was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Nesmith will have some new teammates in Boston. Budding big man Moses Brown is coming to town along with veteran forward Al Horford, a Celtics fan favorite who will be back for his second stint with the franchise.
&ldquo;(Laughs) Mhm, that's what I've heard,&rdquo; Nesmith said. &ldquo;I'm excited to meet him... I watched him growing up some, but the thing that I think will help me the most is just being able to watch how he conducts himself and the way that he approaches the game mentally more than anything. He's been in the NBA for so long. He seems like he's a really good leader, so I'm really excited to be able to work with him.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
This was another good game from Aaron Nesmith. He's figuring things out. He hit three triples, but this was my favorite play. Nesmith misses from deep in the corner. Then watch him bust back to make sure Zach LaVine doesn't get an easy layup. This is part of how he'll earn time. <a href="https://t.co/d7WSc3L7hH">pic.twitter.com/d7WSc3L7hH</a>
&mdash; Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1354084314963714050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

Making up for lost time, Nesmith is excited to be playing for the Celtics in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in a few weeks. He sees it as an opportunity to keep his individual momentum from last year going, and a chance to expand on some of the work he&rsquo;s put in over this current offseason.
&ldquo;To be able to play five-on-five again, in a game setting, bringing out the competitive juices &ndash; I just love playing and winning,&rdquo; Nesmith said. &ldquo;Even though it's not a ring ring, we still get a tournament and we still have to declare the winner at the end, so now that's the current objective: to win that.&rdquo;
When asked to evaluate his rookie year, Nesmith considered himself &ldquo;definitely happy.&rdquo; He is grateful that he had the opportunity to compete against Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and the high-level players the Celtics had, and credits all the veterans who were on the team for their advice and passing knowledge onto him.
&ldquo;I'm ready to do it again,&rdquo; an eager Nesmith said of his upcoming second season. &ldquo;The thing that sticks with me the most [from my rookie year] is just how much you have to give 110% every day, mentally and physically &ndash; 'cause everybody's really good at this game. Everybody works to perfect their craft, so how hard can you outwork the person next to you or in the room that you can't see?&nbsp;
&ldquo;So every day, you've got to go in and give it your all. Even on an off-night &ndash; we play so many games &ndash; you still have to get up just like everybody else does, tie your shoes just like everybody else does and go out there and play as hard as you can. Or else, you're not gonna win.&rdquo;
Nesmith quickly learned to expect the unexpected at the pro level, with &ldquo;the roller coaster of playing and not playing&rdquo; acting as his most difficult adjustment. On the court, his role with the Celtics was much different than it was with the Commodores, too.
A standout at Vanderbilt, Nesmith led the team in scoring (23.0 points per game) his sophomore year prior to a season-ending foot injury. He touched the ball a ton, and put it in the bucket with ease, notably with his scorching 52.2% clip from deep on over eight attempts per game. The &lsquo;Dores depended on him to be their primary team leader in many different facets.
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
When he got to the pros, that was no longer the case. Coming off the bench in a much-reduced role than what he was used to in Nashville, Nesmith had to find other ways to make an impact for his new squad &ndash; going hard on the defensive end, diving for loose balls, making hustle plays &ndash; when the starters needed an extra push. &nbsp;And in those times where he was on the floor with Tatum and Brown, he picked up on their tendencies.
&ldquo;It definitely helps that they're on my side. I would rather be playing with them than against them,&rdquo; Nesmith said. &ldquo;They were our best scorers last year, and you&rsquo;ve got to be able to play off of them and off the ball [and] learn where their spots are. If Jayson and Jaylen shoot a pretty good percentage in *this* area, if they have the ball, you probably don't want to shoot it [there]. For me, that's how I was able to get a lot of my offensive rebounds, based on where they were on the floor and if they had the ball, and whatever dribble combinations they were putting together.
&ldquo;Just doing whatever the team needs to win. Basketball's a team sport, so you have to put the team first. Playing in the NBA and playing with such a talented team, everything that I did at Vandy is not what I need to do here on the Boston Celtics. I have to be able to adapt and change my game in order to help my team win games.&rdquo;
Luckily for him and the Celtics, Nesmith has the instincts and a natural motor to help him do those things. At an early age, his father instilled an outwork-everybody attitude that Aaron still carries with him on the floor and in life.&nbsp;
Nesmith put those qualities to use in arguably his signature performance as a rook. In the midst of a four-loss-in-six-game stretch, Boston came out flat in front of its home fans on April 30 against the San Antonio Spurs. The C&rsquo;s trailed 77-48 at halftime, and even plummeted into a 32-point hole... but the guys in green did not fold. In fact, Nesmith was a catalyst to one of the most unlikely comebacks of the year (and the third-largest in league history).
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4vcUqUGnMtU" width="100%" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
He scored all 16 of his points in the second half and overtime, knocking down clutch threes, ball-hawking for easy opportunities inside and helping Tatum&rsquo;s 60-point night come in a victory. Nesmith admits that the moment was a proud one for him. He legitimately affected the outcome of the game and played 30 minutes that night.
And the day before, in a win at Charlotte, Nesmith became the <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-aaron-nesmith-is-first-boston-celtics-rookie-with-15-points-3-steals-and-blocks-since-paul-pierce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first Celtics rookie since Paul Pierce</a> to record 15 points, 3 steals and 3 blocks in a single game.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was just part of the journey. That's not the last thing I want my name next to, either,&rdquo; Nesmith said. &ldquo;So I'll chalk that up, put that up next to some of my other awards I've gotten and just keep moving forward, and try to get some more... an NBA championship, first and foremost. And then hopefully a couple years down the line also be able to make the All-Star game, and everything that comes with that as well.&rdquo;
Reflecting on his own pre-draft process happening so recently, Nesmith said it&rsquo;s crazy to think about the next class entering the league in just six days.
&ldquo;It really did fly by; I think about it all the time,&rdquo; Nesmith said. &ldquo;I got to Boston on November 19, I left in early June after we lost to the Nets, and that's at least seven months. Those seven months flew by like they were two.&rdquo;
Falling to the Nets in the opening round of the postseason left a bad taste in Boston&rsquo;s mouth, but Nesmith believes that experience will prove to be a positive one heading into the 2021-22 campaign.
&ldquo;We learned a little bit more about resilience and having to really fight and win it on the defensive end, especially against a team like the Brooklyn Nets, who have so much offensive firepower,&rdquo; Nesmith said. &ldquo;It's pretty tough to keep up with a team on that offensive level. But if we can buckle down on the defensive side and we can limit those options &ndash; we're also a very potent offensive team &ndash; that'll take care of itself. I think we learned that our identity going forward needs to be a defensive-minded team. Because even in years past, if you look at the Boston Celtics before I joined the team, they were pretty much a top-five, top-seven defense in the NBA, and it served them well in the postseason. So I think we got away from that a little bit last year, and going back to that next year will serve us greatly.&rdquo;
For Nesmith and the Celtics, the slate is now clean.
&ldquo;We got a new coach, new systems to learn, new guys to play with. And with the old guys, it's just fun being around them, fun competing with them every day,&rdquo; Nesmith said. &ldquo;I'm excited to take what we learned from last year playing in the first round of the playoffs, taking that into next season and putting it to use throughout the regular season, and then making a deep postseason run as far as we can. For me, I'm excited to expand my role, get a more consistent role with my team,and be able to help my team win games any way I can.&rdquo;

Celtics wing Aaron Nesmith spoke to Spencer Davies about his rookie season, Boston's changes, gifting his mother a car and more.

Aaron Nesmith is ready for whatever else the Celtics throw at him

Vanessa Bryant took Michael Jordan&rsquo;s hand and walked down from the stage, a familiar chant breaking out throughout the arena as she made her way back to her seat.
&ldquo;Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!&rdquo; the crowd shouted.
With that, he was &mdash; officially, finally &mdash; a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Kobe Bryant is in the Hall now, along with contemporaries Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, headliners of a group of nine who got their delayed and long-awaited enshrinement on Saturday night, more than a year after being announced as the Hall&rsquo;s Class of 2020.
&ldquo;Right now, I&rsquo;m sure he&rsquo;s laughing in heaven, because I&rsquo;m about to praise him in public,&rdquo; Vanessa Bryant said.
And she did, her purple dress matching the traditional Los Angeles Lakers color, capping the night by giving the speech that her husband was not here to deliver.
&ldquo;There will never be anyone like Kobe,&rdquo; Vanessa Bryant said. &ldquo;Kobe was one of a kind. He was special. He was humble &mdash; off the court &mdash; but bigger than life.&rdquo;
Bryant, Duncan and Garnett were joined in the class by three-time NCAA champion coach Kim Mulkey, two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, three-time Final Four coach Eddie Sutton, 1,000-game winner Barbara Stevens and longtime FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann.
&ldquo;I appreciate you,&rdquo; Garnett said to Duncan from the stage. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an honor to go into the hall with you, bro. You and Kob.&rdquo;
Duncan stayed true to who he is: modest and humble, on a day where his Spurs coach, Gregg Popovich, missed a game to see his enshrinement.
&ldquo;This is the most nervous I&rsquo;ve ever been in my life,&rdquo; Duncan said as he began his speech. &ldquo;Been through finals, Game 7&rsquo;s, this is officially the most nervous I&rsquo;ve ever been in my life. I&rsquo;ve been pacing in my room all day, so let&rsquo;s see what we get.&rdquo;
As usual, he delivered in the clutch.
And the other speeches didn&rsquo;t disappoint.
The Hall of Fame has a 10-minute countdown clock on the prompter that speakers used to assist with their remarks. Catchings blew past that with ease, going several minutes past in an emotional address that covered her many challenges.
&ldquo;Basketball chose me, an awkward, lanky, introverted tomboy, born with a hearing disability, a speech impediment, and a will to overcome obstacles, dream big and to change the world,&rdquo; Catchings said.
Mulkey talked about her roots, coming from a small town in Louisiana and getting to the Hall of Fame &mdash; marveling that she was presented for induction by Jordan, who held the same role for Bryant.
Bryant, Duncan and Garnett were joined in the class by three-time NCAA champion coach Kim Mulkey, two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings, three-time Final Four coach Eddie Sutton, 1,000-game winner Barbara Stevens and longtime FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann.
&ldquo;I appreciate you,&rdquo; Garnett said to Duncan from the stage. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an honor to go into the hall with you, bro. You and Kob.&rdquo;
Duncan stayed true to who he is: modest and humble, on a day where his Spurs coach, Gregg Popovich, missed a game to see his enshrinement.
&ldquo;This is the most nervous I&rsquo;ve ever been in my life,&rdquo; Duncan said as he began his speech. &ldquo;Been through finals, Game 7&rsquo;s, this is officially the most nervous I&rsquo;ve ever been in my life. I&rsquo;ve been pacing in my room all day, so let&rsquo;s see what we get.&rdquo;
As usual, he delivered in the clutch.
And the other speeches didn&rsquo;t disappoint.
The Hall of Fame has a 10-minute countdown clock on the prompter that speakers used to assist with their remarks. Catchings blew past that with ease, going several minutes past in an emotional address that covered her many challenges.
&ldquo;Basketball chose me, an awkward, lanky, introverted tomboy, born with a hearing disability, a speech impediment, and a will to overcome obstacles, dream big and to change the world,&rdquo; Catchings said.
Mulkey talked about her roots, coming from a small town in Louisiana and getting to the Hall of Fame &mdash; marveling that she was presented for induction by Jordan, who held the same role for Bryant.
&ldquo;Michael, I&rsquo;m incredibly honored,&rdquo; Mulkey said. &ldquo;I guess the last time we stood this close we were walking out of the &rsquo;84 Olympics and we were a hell of a lot younger lookin&rsquo; and probably a lot skinnier. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.&rdquo;
The totality of the accomplishments of the Hall class are staggering.
Bryant, Garnett, Duncan and Catchings combined for 58 All-Star appearances. Mulkey, Tomjanovich, Sutton and Stevens combined for more than 3,000 coaching wins. Baumann is widely lauded for his efforts in getting 3&times;3 basketball added to the Olympic program.
&ldquo;My life turned out better than my wildest dreams,&rdquo; Tomjanovich said, his voice cracking.
NBA championships, WNBA championships, national championships, Olympic gold medals, MVP awards, the class had some of everything.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re Hall of Famers, guys,&rdquo; Mulkey shouted. &ldquo;WE&rsquo;RE HALL OF FAMERS.&rdquo;
And while it was a celebration, it was also a remembrance for Hall of Famers lost since the last enshrinement in 2019. Three-time Grammy Award winner Ne-Yo performed &ldquo;Incredible&rdquo; in their memories, the video clips playing behind him including a message from former NBA Commissioner David Stern, who died Jan. 1, 2020, and Bryant &mdash; who died Jan. 26 of that year in a helicopter crash that also killed his daughter Gianna and seven others.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always said that I wanted to be remembered as a player that didn&rsquo;t waste a moment, didn&rsquo;t waste a day, and lived every day as if he was the 12th guy on the bench,&rdquo; Bryant said in the video.
Bryant wasn&rsquo;t the only member to be inducted posthumously; so were Sutton and Baumann. Sutton&rsquo;s son Sean Sutton delivered a recorded message on his father&rsquo;s behalf; Baumann&rsquo;s son, Paul, and daughter, Bianca, did the same for their father.
&ldquo;Thank you so much for this honor and for the opportunity to continue carrying his legacy forward,&rdquo; Bianca Baumann said.
Garnett spoke of legacy as well, the one he has in Minnesota and the one he still wants to have there. When he left the Timberwolves in 2007, they started a huge rebuild as a franchise. Now, with Minneapolis in need after a trying year following the 2020 death of George Floyd, Garnett wants to be part of another rebuild.
&ldquo;My only regret with Minnesota is that I didn&rsquo;t get to bring a championship,&rdquo; Garnett said. &ldquo;But like I said, I look forward to rebuilding Minneapolis.&rdquo;
Stevens &mdash; who spent most of her career at Division II&rsquo;s Bentley University &mdash; was presented by Hall of Famers Geno Auriemma and Muffet McGraw, longtime rivals from so many Connecticut-Notre Dame battles.
&ldquo;You guys good over there?&rdquo; Stevens asked.
All was well. Auriemma and McGraw had jumped at the chance to be together with Stevens, who, like all the other honorees who were present, had countless people to thank.
&ldquo;To my former players, many of whom are present: Simply put, you are the reason I stand here tonight,&rdquo; Stevens said. &ldquo;My greatest honor was to be called your coach.&rdquo;
The calendar now shifts to the next class, to be unveiled Sunday at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, where the next induction ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 11.
Among the finalists: Rick Adelman, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Ben Wallace, Chris Webber and Jay Wright. Bill Russell is also a finalist, this time as a coach, 46 years after he was selected for the Hall as a player.
Many in the next class, like most Hall classes, will be able to say they overcame doubters &mdash; just as many in this class did. And on her husband&rsquo;s behalf, Vanessa Bryant had a message for those who suggested he would fall short of his goals.
&ldquo;He proved you wrong,&rdquo; she said.

Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett take their places among the legends.

Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett among 9 enshrined in Hall of Fame

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) &mdash; Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry&rsquo;s tireless work off the basketball court campaigning for social justice, supporting women&rsquo;s causes and even interviewing Dr. Anthony Fauci about the coronavirus pandemic is drawing acclaim from civil rights leaders.
The NAACP has given him its Jackie Robinson Sports Award. And, for the first time, the nation&rsquo;s oldest civil rights organization is recognizing more than one person by honoring the WNBA Players Association.
&ldquo;This award is truly a humbling and honoring experience. It kind of came by surprise in terms of when you do things in the community and speak on things you believe, it&rsquo;s about the collective effort, not just myself but everybody who is around me in terms of accountability to change,&rdquo; Curry said in remarks provided to The Associated Press by a team spokesman. Curry was unavailable for a formal interview while resting a tailbone injury suffered Wednesday night in Houston.
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t really do it for the acknowledgment, it&rsquo;s more so about the work that you&rsquo;re doing, that this is a great opportunity to continue to speak on things that are important and honor the legacy of Jackie Robinson and what he stood for and the change he was able to create and the barriers he was able to break and to continue these conversations,&rdquo; Curry added. &ldquo;So I&rsquo;m appreciative of the acknowledgment, the honor and if it gives more inspiration and energy to keep changing things in terms of what needs to happen for the Black community across the country then I&rsquo;m all about it.&rdquo;
The 33-year-old Curry, Golden State&rsquo;s two-time NBA MVP, held a YouTube question-and-answer forum with Fauci last March near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
&ldquo;I would borrow a Maya Angelou quote to describe Steph and his leadership: &lsquo;I&rsquo;ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,&rsquo;&rdquo; Warriors general manager Bob Myers said in an email.
&ldquo;Steph has certainly made people in the Bay Area and all over the world feel joy. His commitment to social activism and support of women are another part of the fabric that makes up the person that he is. I&rsquo;m honored to know him for what he does both on and off the court,&rdquo; Myers added. &ldquo;And a much deserved congratulations to the women of the WNBA who continue to fearlessly pursue what is right.&rdquo;
The Jackie Robinson award &mdash; named for the late Dodgers great who broke baseball&rsquo;s racial barrier &mdash; recognizes athletes for their success as well as their commitment to social justice, civil rights and their communities.
&ldquo;He has a strong platform and he utilizes it to the best of his ability,&rdquo; said Curry&rsquo;s teammate, Kelly Oubre Jr. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a great individual.&rdquo;
The WNBA players have been applauded for their activism in a unified movement that has featured kneeling for the national anthem, messages supporting Black Lives Matter and protesting the shooting of Jacob Blake in August by following the Bucks&rsquo; lead in not playing.
&ldquo;I am so proud of the WNBA players for this well-deserved recognition of their continued activism and advocacy for social justice and equality,&rdquo; WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement provided to the AP. &ldquo;Their platforms are bigger than basketball, and they are amazing role models for the next generation of athletes and leaders. The WNBA Social Justice Council continues their important work and you can definitely &lsquo;Count&rsquo; on more to come from the players.&rdquo;
WNBA players also notably called out former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a Republican and former co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, for her criticism of the league&rsquo;s social justice efforts.
Curry, too, applauded the women for their efforts.
&ldquo;The acknowledgement of the WNBA and what they&rsquo;ve stood for and how they&rsquo;ve used their platform to be bold and courageous and speak for change at every opportunity, that acknowledgement is very much deserved,&rdquo; Curry said. &ldquo;They are game-changers and leaders in terms of using their collective voice and impact on and off the court, so a shoutout to them and all that they&rsquo;ve done and are continuing to do in terms of leadership and using their voice.&rdquo;
Some WNBA players sported T-shirts reading &ldquo;Vote Warnock&rdquo; in support of Atlanta pastor Raphael Warnock, a Democrat who defeated Loeffler in a runoff race in January. Warnock became Georgia&rsquo;s first African American senator.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, outspoken on many issues himself, admires the WNBA players for their activism.
&ldquo;I love what the WNBA players have done. They&rsquo;ve really taken the lead with creativity and unity in a lot of important causes, political causes but social injustice issues,&rdquo; Kerr said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve made their voices heard. They&rsquo;ve done it very creatively and powerfully.&rdquo;
The awards are to be presented during next week&rsquo;s NAACP Image Awards Virtual Experience.
LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Jim Brown, The Harlem Globetrotters, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Sugar Ray Leonard, Eddie Robinson are among prior recipients.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Warriors' Stephen Curry has received the Jackie Robinson award from the NAACP.