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Mavericks

The NBA is not waiting for a transition. It is already happening.
For years, the league has been defined by icons like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. Their era shaped modern basketball and carried the sport into a new global space. But as time moves forward, another truth becomes clearer each season.
The next wave is not coming: It is already here. Some of the NBA&rsquo;s young stars and their ages are the following:
Cooper Flagg is 19. Kon Knueppel is 20. Victor Wembanyama is 22. Jalen Duren is 22. Alperen Sengun is 23. Paolo Banchero is 23. Cade Cunningham is 24. Anthony Edwards is 24. LaMelo Ball is 24. Jalen Johnson is 24. Tyrese Maxey is 25. Deni Avdija is 25. Tyrese Haliburton is 25. Luka Doncic is 26. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is 27. Jayson Tatum is 27. Jaylen Brown is 29. Donovan Mitchell is 29. Jalen Brunson is 29.
That list alone tells the story.
These are not prospects waiting for opportunity. They are All-Stars. Franchise cornerstones. Playoff performers. MVP candidates. Players that are already shaping postseason outcomes and redefining team ceilings.
Victor Wembanyama is already altering defensive schemes league-wide at 22. Luka Doncic has been an MVP-level engine for years and is still just 26. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has elevated himself into best player in the world talks. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have already led championship-level teams and are still in their twenties.
Anthony Edwards has embraced the spotlight and looks ready to carry the league&rsquo;s next era of superstar charisma. Tyrese Haliburton and Tyrese Maxey are redefining guard play with pace and efficiency. Paolo Banchero and Alperen Sengun are anchoring offenses through skill and versatility rather than traditional post play. Cade Cunningham is proving that control and poise can still dominate in a league obsessed with speed.
Even younger talents like Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel represent what is coming next. They are entering a league that already prioritizes skill, spacing, and positional fluidity. By the time they hit their primes, the foundation will already be set by the group just ahead of them.
What makes this era unique is its balance. There is no single prototype dominating the landscape. Some of these stars are 7-foot playmakers. Some are downhill scorers. Some are defensive anchors. Some are creative offensive orchestrators. The diversity of skill sets means the league is not shifting toward one dominant style, it is expanding.
Another important factor is global influence. Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander represent international excellence at the highest level. The league is no longer centered in one region or identity. The game has evolved into a global ecosystem where elite talent emerges from everywhere.
As the previous generation begins to wind down, the league is searching for its next face. But then it has several candidates. It has multiple MVP-level players under 30. It has championship-proven stars still entering their prime years. It has young bigs redefining positional expectations. It has guards who control pace like veterans despite being in their mid-twenties.
The NBA is in great hands because it does not rely on one successor. It has a wave.
A wave of players who grew up watching LeBron and Curry and Durant. A wave that understands branding, skill development, and modern spacing. A wave that is comfortable with pressure and unafraid of expectations.
The transition will not feel abrupt because it is already unfolding in real time. These players are not waiting to inherit the league. They are actively taking ownership of it.
The next era is not years away, it is happening right now.

From Wemby and Luka to Ant and Tatum, the NBA’s next generation of stars is already here and ready to lead the league forward.

Ushering the new era: The next wave of NBA stars are here

The NBA has officially unveiled the full participant lists for the 2026 All-Star Weekend, giving fans a complete look at the stars headed to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, from Feb. 13-15. This year&rsquo;s festivities &ndash; highlighted by a unique USA vs. World round-robin All-Star Game format &ndash; will feature perennial All-Stars, breakout performers and standout event competitors in a celebration of the league&rsquo;s top talent.&nbsp;
Leading the headlines, Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram has been named as a replacement for Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry on the USA Stripes roster after Curry was ruled out due to a lingering right knee injury. The absence of the two-time All-Star Game MVP &ndash; who had been selected for his 12th All-Star appearance &ndash; opens the door for Ingram&rsquo;s second career selection, his first since 2020.&nbsp;
On the international side, Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun will take the place of Oklahoma City Thunder guard and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Team World after Gilgeous-Alexander was sidelined with an abdominal injury. Sengun&rsquo;s addition marks his second consecutive All-Star nod and adds another high-octane playmaker to the World lineup.&nbsp;
Under this season&rsquo;s format, the All-Star Game breaks from the traditional East vs. West matchup and instead will feature three teams &ndash; two representing the United States and one made up of international talent &ndash; competing in a round-robin slate of four 12-minute games before the two best teams square off in a championship matchup.&nbsp;
The USA squads are anchored by the league&rsquo;s brightest names. Veterans such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Jaylen Brown headline the USA rosters alongside rising stars including Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham and Tyrese Maxey. Meanwhile, the World team showcases global stars like Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama &ndash; with Sengun now joining that group.&nbsp;
All-Star Saturday will also feature the State Farm Three-Point Contest, Slam Dunk Contest and additional skills competitions &ndash; giving a diverse cast of sharpshooters, high-flyers and playmakers multiple stages to shine before the main event kicks off.&nbsp;
This year&rsquo;s roster announcements arrive at a pivotal point in the NBA season. With teams locked in tight playoff races and narratives building around emerging stars, All-Star Weekend doubles as both a celebration and a barometer. For Ingram, logging All-Star minutes after stepping in for Curry could be a springboard into wider MVP conversations. And for Sengun, joining the World team again &ndash; especially in place of an MVP calibre guard &ndash; reinforces his rising status on the global stage.&nbsp;
Injuries to marquee players rarely dampen excitement in All-Star festivities, but they add an undercurrent of unpredictability &ndash; a reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift in a 2-plus-month sprint to the playoffs.
As rosters are finalized and events approach, All-Star Weekend promises to flare into one of the most compelling showcases of the season &ndash; both in terms of star power and emerging momentum headed into the home stretch.

This year’s festivities will feature perennial All-Stars, breakout performers and standout event competitors.

NBA sets complete 2026 All-Star Weekend roster; Ingram and Sengun named as replacements

There are great rookie seasons in the NBA that are etched into history. Every single one of the greats &ndash; LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, and many more &ndash; have had awesome rookie seasons that are likely indicators of how their careers would pan out in the league. And then there are seasons that bend the timeline that puts you in a spot among other greats in the league.
Cooper Flagg&rsquo;s rookie year belongs in that category.
It isn&rsquo;t just hype, projection, or promise during this current season. This is real production that is historic and increasingly impossible to contextualize within normal rookie expectations. Flagg isn&rsquo;t just winning Rookie of the Year this season but he&rsquo;s separating himself from the field in a way that forces a different conversation altogether.
His recent stretch doesn&rsquo;t make any sense for a 19-year-old in the league, a teenager nonetheless. Over his last four games, Cooper Flagg has authored one of the most absurd scoring stretches the league has seen from a first-year player:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">32 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">36 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">34 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">49 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists</li>
</ul>
That&rsquo;s 37.8 points per game, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on an outrageous 64.1% true shooting &ndash; numbers that would be eye-popping for a superstar in his prime, let alone a 19-year-old navigating his first NBA season. His 151 points over that span are the most by a rookie in a four-game stretch since Allen Iverson in April of 1997. History doesn&rsquo;t offer many comparisons &ndash; and that&rsquo;s the point. Flagg is setting the bar for expectations higher than what he is projected to be coming into the season.
<h3>Rewriting the Rookie Record Book</h3>
With his most recent 32-point performance, Flagg added even more lines to a growing list of accomplishments that feel surreal for someone his age and he has rewrote some of the rookie record book&rsquo;s scoring performances:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">He is the youngest player in NBA history to record four straight 30-point games</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">He is the first rookie since Michael Jordan (1985) with four consecutive games of 30+ points and 5+ rebounds</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">He is the first rookie since Allen Iverson (1997) to score 150+ points over any four-game span</li>
</ul>
Those names aren&rsquo;t thrown around lightly &ndash; Jordan and Iverson &ndash; cornerstones of NBA mythology and greatness. Flagg isn&rsquo;t chasing their shadows &ndash; instead he&rsquo;s placing himself directly into their historical lanes.
To be completely clear, this isn&rsquo;t a knock and an indictment of fellow rookie and former college teammate Kon Knueppel, who has been outstanding in his own right. Knueppel has exceeded expectations, played with poise beyond his years, and established himself as one of the best rookies in the class with his shooting ability and gravity that also has never been before seen as a rookie coming in.
But this conversation isn&rsquo;t about second place &ndash; it&rsquo;s about recognizing that what Flagg is doing exists on a different plane. He&rsquo;s not merely outperforming his peers, but he&rsquo;s doing things rookies are not supposed to be capable of doing, let alone poised enough to sustain.
He plays with an understanding of space, timing, and pressure that typically comes years later. His confidence comes from a standpoint of certainty instead of a bravado that he brings with his game.
<h3>The Skill, the Poise, the Presence</h3>
But what separates Flagg isn&rsquo;t just the scoring alone, it&rsquo;s how it comes and how he does it. His skill, poise, and presence have all been outstanding right from the jump. Flagg scores at all three levels, punishes mismatches, makes advanced reads when help comes, and rebounds with purpose. He&rsquo;s decisive without being rushed, aggressive without being reckless, and dominant without hijacking the offense.
There&rsquo;s a calm to his game &ndash; a sense that he understands not just what&rsquo;s happening, but what&rsquo;s about to happen.
And that&rsquo;s the rare part. Rookies aren&rsquo;t supposed to react and adapt this fast into the league, and Flagg is already doing that.
<h3>&ndash; &ndash; &ndash;</h3>
The league has seen prodigies before. But even the best rookie scorers often come with inefficiencies, limitations, or narrow offensive roles. Flagg has avoided those pitfalls entirely, at least from what he is showing so far with almost two-thirds of the season done.
His efficiency remains elite, his workload is increasing, his confidence is compounding, and his impact stretches beyond the box score.
Opposing defenses are already loading up on him. Game plans are shifting, and the respect has arrived early. If anything, this will help him to become an even better basketball player.&nbsp;
At this point, the Rookie of the Year race feels like writing on the wall already. Barring something unforeseen, Cooper Flagg has separated himself decisively.
But awards are secondary to what&rsquo;s really happening. This is the emergence of a player who doesn&rsquo;t fit traditional developmental curves. A player whose ceiling conversations feel increasingly outdated because his present reality is already brushing against them.
Cooper Flagg is playing like the future of the league, among other bright stars ahead of him, and he will likely remain so for years to come.

Cooper Flagg is redefining what’s possible for a rookie, delivering a historic four-game stretch that places him among the greats.

Cooper Flagg is not your ordinary rookie

The NBA has officially unveiled the full rosters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, marking another milestone in this season&rsquo;s midseason showcase.&nbsp;
With the league&rsquo;s annual celebration of its stars set for Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, fans now know exactly who will take part in the new USA vs. World round-robin format &ndash; featuring two U.S. teams and one international squad competing in 12-minute games before a championship finale.
The roster are set as follows:
<h4>Team USA Stripes</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Stephen Curry &ndash; Golden State Warriors</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">LeBron James &ndash; Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kevin Durant &ndash; Houston Rockets</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kawhi Leonard &ndash; Los Angeles Clippers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jaylen Brown &ndash; Boston Celtics</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jalen Brunson &ndash; New York Knicks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Donovan Mitchell &ndash; Cleveland Cavaliers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Norman Powell &ndash; Miami Heat&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h4>Team USA Stars</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Anthony Edwards &ndash; Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Devin Booker &ndash; Phoenix Suns</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cade Cunningham &ndash; Detroit Pistons</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tyrese Maxey &ndash; Philadelphia 76ers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Scottie Barnes &ndash; Toronto Raptors</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jalen Duren &ndash; Detroit Pistons</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chet Holmgren &ndash; Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jalen Johnson &ndash; Atlanta Hawks&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<h4>Team World</h4>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Luka Doncic &ndash; Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Giannis Antetokounmpo &ndash; Milwaukee Bucks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander &ndash; Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Nikola Jokic &ndash; Denver Nuggets</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Victor Wembanyama &ndash; San Antonio Spurs</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Pascal Siakam &ndash; Indiana Pacers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jamal Murray &ndash; Denver Nuggets</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Deni Avdija &ndash; Portland Trail Blazers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Karl-Anthony Towns &ndash; New York Knicks&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
The starters were voted in by a combination of fans (50 %), NBA players (25 %), and media (25 %) while the reserves were selected by NBA head coaches.
Commissioner Adam Silver and the league office added Kawhi Leonard to the U.S. roster pool after strong midseason play and fan-driven support.&nbsp;
This year&rsquo;s format diverges significantly from traditional East vs. West competition by introducing three distinct All-Star teams &ndash; highlighting both U.S. talent and the international flavor of today&rsquo;s NBA.
With rosters now set, All-Star Weekend will also feature the Castrol Rising Stars Game, Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, and a slate of skills competitions and performances leading up to the main event. The round-robin USA vs. World tournament is designed to add competitive intrigue and showcase global NBA stars on the league&rsquo;s biggest midseason stage.

The NBA has officially unveiled the full rosters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.

2026 NBA All-Star Game rosters revealed ahead of USA vs World showcase

The NBA has unveiled the full list of reserves for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, complementing the previously announced starters and completing the league&rsquo;s midseason showcase rosters. With the All-Star Game set for Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., the 14 reserves were selected by votes from NBA head coaches and join the 10 fan and media-selected starters for this year&rsquo;s event.&nbsp;
Western Conference Reserves:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Anthony Edwards &ndash; Minnesota Timberwolves</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kevin Durant &ndash; Houston Rockets</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Devin Booker &ndash; Phoenix Suns</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Deni Avdija &ndash; Portland Trail Blazers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Chet Holmgren &ndash; Oklahoma City Thunder</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">LeBron James &ndash; Los Angeles Lakers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jamal Murray &ndash; Denver Nuggets</li>
</ul>
Eastern Conference Reserves:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Donovan Mitchell &ndash; Cleveland Cavaliers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Karl-Anthony Towns &ndash; New York Knicks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Pascal Siakam &ndash; Indiana Pacers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Scottie Barnes &ndash; Toronto Raptors</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jalen Duren &ndash; Detroit Pistons</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jalen Johnson &ndash; Atlanta Hawks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Norman Powell &ndash; Miami Heat&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
The reserves round out the 24-player All-Star pool, joining the 10 starters including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama from the West, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Maxey, and Jalen Brunson from the East.
<h3>Some notable storylines for this year include:</h3>
LeBron James Extends Historic Streak: Despite not being voted a starter this year, James was still selected as a reserve, giving him a record-extending 22nd All-Star Game appearance &ndash; a remarkable testament to his longevity and sustained performance deep into his 20th-plus NBA season.&nbsp;
Fresh Faces &amp; First-Time Selections: Six players &ndash; Avdija, Holmgren, Johnson, Murray, Powell and Duren &ndash; are earning their first career All-Star selections as reserves, highlighting a wave of ascending talent across the league.&nbsp;
<h3>&ndash; &ndash; &ndash;</h3>
This season&rsquo;s All-Star Game will feature a new &ldquo;USA vs. World&rdquo; format &ndash; a three-team round-robin tournament with two U.S. rosters and one international squad &ndash; making this year&rsquo;s festivities one of the most innovative in All-Star history.&nbsp;
With starters and reserves now set, fans can look forward to the full slate of All-Star Weekend events, including the Rising Stars Game and the Draft, before the 2026 All-Star Game tips off on Feb. 15.

The NBA has unveiled the full list of reserves for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.

2026 NBA All-Star Game reserves announced

For years, optimism around the Charlotte Hornets has felt fragile &ndash; brief flashes of promise followed by long stretches of uncertainty. Injuries stalled momentum, development timelines drifted, and hope was something fans talked themselves into rather than something they could see nightly on the floor.
But that&rsquo;s changing right now.
What&rsquo;s happening in Charlotte this season feels different, not because the Hornets are suddenly title contenders, but because they finally look like a team building toward something real and with growth. At the center of it is an offensive trio that has quietly become one of the most dangerous three-man shooting combinations in the NBA: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and rookie Kon Knueppel. Together, they are redefining the Hornets&rsquo; identity.
<h3>A trio that fits</h3>
Ball and Miller were always going to be the franchise&rsquo;s cornerstones. Ball, the flamboyant engine, sees passing angles others don&rsquo;t even attempt and remains as a legitimate offensive threat with a little razzle dazzle. Miller, the scorer with size and polish, has steadily evolved into a true three-level threat. The missing piece was someone who could complement their gravity without needing the ball to dominate possessions.
Enter Kon Knueppel &ndash; and not in the limited way many expected.
Knueppel arrived with the label of a shooter, a floor spacer who would benefit from Ball&rsquo;s playmaking and Miller&rsquo;s shot creation. Instead, he&rsquo;s blown past expectations, putting together one of the most efficient rookie seasons the league has seen. He&rsquo;s not just knocking down open threes &ndash; he&rsquo;s attacking closeouts, finishing through contact, and punishing mismatches in the midrange.
Rather than shrinking next to two high-usage stars, Knueppel has expanded Charlotte&rsquo;s offensive ceiling.
That&rsquo;s what makes this trio special: their games amplify each other. Ball&rsquo;s creativity bends defenses, Miller&rsquo;s scoring versatility forces help from every level, and Knueppel punishes hesitation. There&rsquo;s no redundancy between the three, only synergy.
<h3>Brandon Miller&rsquo;s leap is here, and LaMelo Ball is his most impactful</h3>
Miller&rsquo;s recent stretch has been the clearest signal yet that Charlotte has a legitimate star growing in real time.
Over his last nine games, Miller is averaging 24.6 points on an absurd 70.1 true shooting percentage, along with 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. More importantly, he&rsquo;s done it consistently &ndash; nine straight 20-plus-point performances, finally healthy and attacking defenses from everywhere on the floor.
This isn&rsquo;t empty scoring, instead Miller has become decisive. When defenders press up, he drives. When they sag, he shoots. When help arrives early, he makes the simple read. His shot diet is cleaner, his pace more controlled, and his confidence unmistakable.
For a franchise that has long searched for a wing it could build around, Miller is delivering all the goods for the Hornets.
Ball has always been box-office. The flair, the audacity, the no-look passes &ndash; they&rsquo;ve been part of his identity since day one. But this season, particularly during Charlotte&rsquo;s recent surge, Ball has arguably been playing the most impactful basketball of his career.
He recently became just the fifth player in NBA history to record 5,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, and 2,000 assists in his first 300 career games, joining Magic Johnson, Walt Frazier, Oscar Robertson, and Luka Doncic. That company alone tells the story.
What separates this version of Ball is control. He&rsquo;s picking his spots better. He&rsquo;s balancing aggression with orchestration. And with Miller and Knueppel spacing the floor, Ball doesn&rsquo;t have to force brilliance &ndash; it comes naturally.
Defenses can&rsquo;t load up on him anymore, and every rotation comes with consequences.
<h3>The pieces are starting to align, and the results are following</h3>
There&rsquo;s tangible proof that this isn&rsquo;t theoretical optimism.
The Hornets are 11-1 when their starting lineup of Ball, Knueppel, Miller, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabate takes the floor together. That group has developed chemistry quickly, playing with clarity and purpose on both ends.
Charlotte has won six straight games and is 7-1 over its last eight, arguably its best stretch of basketball all season. Since December 1, the Hornets rank:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">2nd in offensive rating</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">4th in true shooting percentage</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">3rd in offensive rebound percentage</li>
</ul>
Those numbers reflect a team that understands its strengths and is leaning into them, and a large part of this growth comes from the bench.
Head coach Charles Lee has quickly earned respect as a teacher, a motivator, and a developer of young talent. Charlotte&rsquo;s offense is structured but free &ndash; players know where their advantages are and are encouraged to exploit them. Mistakes don&rsquo;t result in paralysis, and growth is part of the plan.
That culture matters for a young team &ndash; and so does patience.
With a front office led by Jeff Peterson, Charlotte has committed to clarity in its roster building. They know what they&rsquo;re looking for in the draft. They&rsquo;ve accumulated picks. And rather than rushing timelines, they&rsquo;re allowing their core to grow together &ndash; which might be the most encouraging sign of all.
<h3>The Charlotte Hornets&rsquo; future moving forward</h3>
This version of the Hornets is fun in each and every aspect of the game. They play with joy and build off of emotion, celebrate each other&rsquo;s success, and they compete with belief.
Ball, Miller, and Knueppel are the Hornets&rsquo; hot shooting trio that are a glimpse into what Charlotte can become if development continues on this path. There will still be bumps, as young teams always face them. But for the first time in a long time, the direction is clear for these Hornets.

LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel are powering Charlotte’s offensive surge as the Hornets’ young core finally clicks.

LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, and the birth of Charlotte’s offensive future

Stephen Curry has once again demonstrated his massive global appeal, earning the top spot on the NBA&rsquo;s Top-Selling Jersey list for the first half of the 2025-26 regular season, the league announced.&nbsp;
Based on sales from NBAStore.com and Fanatics&rsquo; network, Curry&rsquo;s Warriors No. 30 jersey leads all players across the league on the retail front.
The announcement, made jointly by the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association, also revealed that the Los Angeles Lakers are the No. 1 team in merchandise sales, reflecting the enduring popularity of the Lakers brand and its star power among fans.
Golden State&rsquo;s sharpshooter holds the No. 1 position even amid fierce competition from other high-profile stars, including Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson, who also rank near the top of the league&rsquo;s best-selling jerseys.
Curry&rsquo;s popularity has translated into a consistent commercial presence &ndash; and his No. 30 remains one of the most recognizable NBA jerseys worldwide. His placement atop the sales list underscores how his enduring excellence on the court continues to drive fan interest off it as well.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers lead all NBA teams in merchandise sales through the first half of the 2025-26 campaign. The Lakers&rsquo; strong retail performance reflects both the global brand cachet of the franchise and the combination of star attractions on and off the court.&nbsp;
From jerseys to hats and other apparel, Lakers gear continues to fly off shelves &ndash; driven by broad fan support and the team&rsquo;s cultural influence.
Alongside Curry and the Lakers, several other top talents &ndash; including Doncic, Brunson, Victor Wembanyama, LeBron James and more &ndash; populate the league&rsquo;s best-selling jersey rankings, showcasing a mix of established icons and rising stars connecting with fans.
The data also highlights how jersey sales often mirror fan engagement and social media buzz: stars who dominate conversation and highlight reels tend to draw stronger retail demand, fueling overall league merchandise revenue.&nbsp;
Stephen Curry&rsquo;s reign atop the NBA&rsquo;s jersey sales list &ndash; combined with the Lakers ranking as the top team in merchandise &ndash; reflects not just individual star power but the broader commercial dynamics of the league. With midseason momentum building, both Curry and the Lakers remain central to the NBA&rsquo;s cultural and retail footprint heading into 2026.

Stephen Curry has once again demonstrated his massive global appeal, earning the top spot on the NBA’s Top-Selling Jersey list.

Steph Curry lead NBA in jersey sales; Lakers top team merchandise

For the first time in more than two decades, LeBron James will not be among the starters in the NBA All-Star Game, officially bringing an end to his unprecedented 21-year streak as an All-Star starter. The announcement came Monday when the league revealed the full list of starters for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and for the first time since 2005, James&rsquo; name was absent from the lineup.
James, now 41 and in his 23rd NBA season, has been selected to start the All-Star Game every year from 2005 through 2025, the longest such streak in modern league history. His run began early in his career and spanned multiple teams, MVP seasons, Finals runs and scoring titles &ndash; but this year&rsquo;s fan and media vote fell short of keeping him in the top five for the Western Conference&rsquo;s starting five.
While his exclusion ends the 21-year starter streak, James may still play in the All-Star Game as a reserve. These spots, determined by coaches&rsquo; votes, will be announced on Feb. 1, and James is widely expected to remain in the All-Star fold at least as a reserve, keeping his overall streak of NBA All-Star selections alive.
The shift reflects both the natural arc of James&rsquo; career &ndash; including missed time early this season due to sciatica and a slower start statistically &ndash; and the rise of a new generation of All-Star talent like Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama, who all earned their starters nods this cycle.
While he could still suit up as a reserve in 2026, the historic run of starter nods remains a defining testament to his longevity and impact on the game.

For the first time in more than two decades, LeBron James will not be among the starters in the NBA All-Star Game.

LeBron James’ 21-year all-star starter streak comes to an end

LeBron James has long been revered as the symbol of longevity in the NBA. Playing the most seasons of all time at 23 years, James is still going strong even at 41 years old. After missing the first 14 games of the year, he is now averaging 22.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists. 
Now LeBron is slowly rounding to shape, and at the top of this peak gameplay is James&rsquo; ever-talked about investments on his body. It has long been a story for years on how he spends millions of dollars every year to take care of his body, and this year is no different. Or perhaps, this has even more intensified each year as he grows older, adding more intensive routines to keep his body conditioned and in top tier shape to play against the best of the best.
James offered a glimpse into the meticulous routine behind his longevity, walking through his game-day checklist as he prepared to play his first back-to-back of the season on Tuesday.
In a postgame interview with ESPN&rsquo;s Dave McMenamin, that preparation included just about everything modern recovery has to offer, detailing his routine every game:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cold tub</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Hyperbaric chamber</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Nap</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Normatec</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Activation</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Stretching</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Rehabbing</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Lifting</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Pregame meal</li>
</ul>
The results spoke for themselves. Despite it being his first back-to-back of the season, James delivered a near triple-double performance, finishing with 31 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists to lead his team to a win over the Atlanta Hawks.
At an age where most players have long since stepped away from the game, LeBron&rsquo;s attention to recovery, conditioning, and preparation continues to serve as the foundation for his sustained excellence &ndash; and nights like this remain the clearest proof of why he&rsquo;s still performing at an elite level.
It remains to be seen if LeBron maintains this level of play until the end of the season, but the Lakers would certainly hope so as they fight for positioning in the tough Western Conference. And at the forefront of it all is James alongside Luka Doncic, who will try to contend for a title for the prestigious purple and gold brand.

LeBron James revealed his detailed game-day routine after his first back-to-back game this year - the secret to his incredible longevity.

LeBron reveals his stunning routine, secret for his incredible longevity

As the race for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game starters heats up, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo remain the fan favorites in the second round of All-Star voting returns, the league announced Tuesday.&nbsp;
The Lakers&rsquo; Doncic holds the top spot overall in fan votes, while the Bucks&rsquo; Giannis remains the leader in the Eastern Conference heading into the next phase of voting.
Doncic&rsquo;s lead in the West continues to grow as fans rally behind the Lakers star, with more than 2.2 million votes. He remains ahead of other top Western Conference contenders like Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama, all of whom hold strong early support as well.
In the East, Giannis sits atop the leaderboard with just over 2.09 million votes, keeping his nod as the conference&rsquo;s most popular All-Star candidate among fan voters. Behind him, Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Maxey have moved into the next spots, while Cade Cunningham and Donovan Mitchell round out the top five in the East.
&ndash; &ndash; &ndash;
Fan voting accounts for 50 % of the total vote used to determine All-Star starters, with current NBA players and a media panel each contributing 25 %. Voting continues through Jan. 14, with the second batch of results providing a key snapshot of who&rsquo;s trending early in the 2026 All-Star campaign.
With the All-Star Game set for Feb. 15, 2026 in Inglewood, Calif., and a new USA vs. World format on the horizon, every vote &ndash; and every fan push &ndash; could make the difference in who steps on the court when the league&rsquo;s brightest assemble later this season.

Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo remain the fan favorites in the second round of All-Star voting returns.

Luka, Giannis continue to lead 2026 NBA All-Star Game voting in second returns

The race for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game starters kicked off with a bang as the league released the first fan voting returns, and two of the game&rsquo;s biggest stars are pacing the leaderboard. Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers leads all players in total fan votes, while Giannis Antetokounmpo tops the Eastern Conference returns.
Luka has surged ahead in the early returns with more than 1,249,500 votes, leading the Western Conference and all NBA players in fan support. Behind him in the West are stars like Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama &ndash; each drawing strong early backing from fans.
In the East, Giannis has taken an early edge with over 1,192,200 votes, besting fellow All-Star hopefuls including Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham and Donovan Mitchell.
Fan voting represents 50 % of the ballot share for All-Star starters, with current NBA players and media panels accounting for the remaining 50 % (25 % each). The results are just the first step in a voting process that continues through mid-January, including a special &ldquo;3-for-1 Day&rdquo; where each fan vote counts three times.
This season&rsquo;s All-Star Game &ndash; featuring a new USA vs. World three-team round-robin format &mdash; is scheduled for February 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
With the midseason showcase now shaping up to highlight international stars like Luka and Giannis at the top, fans have plenty of time to weigh in as voting progresses in the coming weeks.

The race for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game starters kicked off with a bang as the league released the first fan voting returns.

Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo lead first All-Star Game voting returns

The 2025 NBA Christmas Day delivered high-level hoops and dramatic finishes across a full slate of five games, with several teams making the holiday spotlight on the national stage.
<h3>Knicks rally to edge Cavaliers in MSG thriller</h3>
The day&rsquo;s action kicked off at Madison Square Garden, where the New York Knicks completed a stunning comeback to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-124. Trailing by 17 in the fourth quarter, New York rallied behind Jalen Brunson&rsquo;s 34 points and timely contributions from Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson &ndash; turning a huge deficit into a late lead and Christmas Day victory.
<h3>Spurs dominate Thunder again, go up 3-0 in season series</h3>
In yet another heated Western Conference rivalry, the San Antonio Spurs took down the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder 117-102 in a rematch from just two days ago. De&rsquo;Aaron Fox led San Antonio with 29 points, while Victor Wembanyama added a strong all-around showing off the bench. The win marked another impressive Christmas Day performance for the Spurs and another blemish on the Thunder&rsquo;s otherwise elite season, as they have completely outclassed the defending champs. The Spurs have now won all three games against the Thunder this season, with one more play date to happen in January.
<h3>Warriors outlast Mavericks in Cooper Flagg&rsquo;s Christmas debut</h3>
The Golden State Warriors continued their holiday bliss with a 126-116 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Stephen Curry led the way with 23 points, including a clutch fourth-quarter three that helped separate the Warriors from Dallas. Jimmy Butler added 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists for the Dubs, who are now on their first three-game win streak this season. Rookie Cooper Flagg starred for the Mavs with 27 points, but Golden State&rsquo;s depth ultimately made the difference. Nevertheless, Flagg showed out in his first-ever Christmas Day game and should be a fixture in the NBA&rsquo;s annual event for years to come if he keeps up his play.
<h3>Rockets roll past Lakers behind Amen, KD</h3>
Over in LA, the Houston Rockets pulled off a dominant 119-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Amen Thompson (26 points) and Kevin Durant (25 points) spearheaded Houston&rsquo;s balanced attack as the Rockets raced out to a big lead and never looked back. The defeat marked another frustrating Christmas Day outing for the Lakers despite Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James playing in the starting lineup.
<h3>Nuggets top Timberwolves in overtime shootout</h3>
In the nightcap, the Denver Nuggets survived a wild overtime battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves, winning 142-138. Nikola Jokić was sensational, recording a historic triple-double with 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists &ndash; one of the greatest individual performances in Christmas Day history. Minnesota&rsquo;s Anthony Edwards dropped 44 points to pace his team in the defeat, after hitting a wild left fading corner triple to tie the game and force overtime.
<h3>THE HIGHLIGHTS:</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">New York&rsquo;s comeback over Cleveland was one of the biggest fourth-quarter rallies of the season.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The Spurs continued their strong trend vs. the Thunder with another decisive win, seemingly being their kryptonite. The Thunder are 26-2 against the entire league, but are 0-3 against the Spurs.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Curry and the Warriors remained a tough holiday matchup, a team that&rsquo;s a fixture in the NBA&rsquo;s annual premier play date.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Houston&rsquo;s balanced scoring showcased the Rockets&rsquo; roster depth, while it showed the Lakers&rsquo; flaws as a team.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jokic&rsquo;s historic triple-double capped off a memorable Christmas slate with one of the best games of the season thus far, including one of the best for Jokic&rsquo;s entire career. It spoiled an otherwise great game for Anthony Edwards, who scored 40 points after his interview with ESPN&rsquo;s Shams Charania where he said he will be scoring 40 points in Christmas &ndash; and he did.</li>
</ul>

The 2025 NBA Christmas Day delivered high-level hoops and dramatic finishes across a full slate of five games.

2025 NBA Christmas Day: Knicks, Spurs, Warriors, Rockets, Nuggets all take wins

Dallas Mavericks phenom Cooper Flagg made history on Monday night, December 15, after becoming the youngest player in league history to score 40 or more points in a game.&nbsp;
In a thrilling overtime battle against the Utah Jazz, the 18-year-old rookie poured in a career-high 42 points, outpacing every player his age ever to take the court, including legends like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady.
Flagg&rsquo;s 42-point outburst &ndash; which also included six assists and seven rebounds &ndash; came despite the Mavericks falling 140-133 in extra time. With the performance, he supplanted all previous 18-year-old single-game scoring efforts in NBA annals, topping longtime milestone marks once held by LeBron James.
The historic night saw Flagg become the first player 18 years old to hit the 40-point mark, a feat that had never been done before in NBA history. His explosion came just days after breaking records as the youngest player to score 35 points and join elite scoring company among teenage standouts.
Flagg&rsquo;s scoring milestone also tied him with franchise lore: his 42 points matched the second-highest single-game scoring performance ever by a Mavericks rookie (joining Mark Aguirre). While Dallas couldn&rsquo;t secure the win, Flagg&rsquo;s night was the highlight of a contest.
At just 18, the No. 1 overall pick continues to rewrite the record books and cement his status as a generational talent for the Mavericks &ndash; already offering hope and excitement for the franchise&rsquo;s future after that shocking trade that sent superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg made history on Monday by becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 40+ points.

Cooper Flagg makes NBA history as youngest player ever to score 40+ Points

After becoming a champion in Denver, Michael Porter Jr. moves on to Brooklyn for career growth &ndash; and the Nets are letting him become who he was projected to be coming out of high school: a full-fledged star in the NBA
Michael Porter Jr. has never lacked talent. That was never the question &ndash; not in high school, not in college, not at the NBA level. The questions, instead, hovered around everything else: the injuries, the fit, the role, the contract, the playstyle, and the frustrating nights where the ball barely moved. Fair or not, the narrative around Porter Jr. has followed him for years.
But in Brooklyn, something is changing.
Porter Jr. has erupted for three straight 30-point games, playing perhaps his best basketball over the past three games and becoming the first player in Nets franchise history to record 30+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ threes in three consecutive outings. In a season that has felt like another learning experience and a transitioning year for the franchise, he has emerged as one of the bright spots in a tough season record-wise: a reminder of the player many once believed he would become.
It&rsquo;s easy to forget now, but before back surgeries derailed his trajectory, Porter Jr. was the top prospect in the 2018 class &ndash; ranked above Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, and even Luka Doncic on several boards. He was the long, fluid, three-level scorer every team coveted. He was billed as a franchise centerpiece, not a complementary piece.
That version of MPJ rarely had space to breathe in Denver. Playing alongside Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon meant living as a third or fourth option, functioning more as a floor spacer than a fully realized scorer. His job was to hit shots, run the floor, defend, rebound &ndash; not to dominate possessions or shape the offense.
The Nuggets needed role players around Jokic. And true enough, Denver traded Porter Jr. to Brooklyn this offseason in exchange for Cam Johnson. The move was framed more as a financial relief and role concerns. Porter Jr.'s contract was massive, and his perceived fit issues &ndash; amplified by statements around the league and online about him being &ldquo;Michael never swinging the rock Porter Jr.&rdquo; &ndash; made it somewhat with sense and drawn from something.
This was a change of scenery for Porter Jr., and a chance to show that he is skillful enough to be a first option in this league. The Nets saw something different in him: a big wing scorer just entering his prime age years, fully capable of putting pressure on defenses in ways few players his size can.
Now that they&rsquo;ve given him the keys, Porter Jr. is showing why it was worth the bet.
His scoring bursts aren&rsquo;t coming from chaotic, ball-stopping sequences. Instead, they&rsquo;re flowing inside a structure tailored to his strengths &ndash; quick-hitting pindowns, ghost screens, high flares, and mid-post touches where his high release point becomes unguardable. He looks confident. He looks free. He looks like someone playing without the weight of expectation for the first time in years.
A major piece of this resurgence is Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, whose steady grip within the organization amid all the losing has turned into one of Brooklyn&rsquo;s most important stories.
Porter Jr. called Fernandez a &ldquo;genius,&rdquo; indicating the head coach for putting him in a position to succeed as a scorer, and not just a catch and shooter. The tape supports it: Fernandez has built an offensive ecosystem that bends toward Porter Jr.&rsquo;s natural tendencies instead of demanding he mold himself into something else.
Brooklyn is putting him in spots Denver seldom did: early-clock actions where he gets a head start, mismatches in the mid-post, and movement threes that let him catch without thinking. For the first time in a long time, Porter Jr. isn&rsquo;t being told to adapt &ndash; and he has Fernandez to thank for that.
Perhaps there is a deeper significance to all of this. Porter Jr. has spent years hearing the critiques: doesn&rsquo;t pass enough, doesn&rsquo;t defend consistently enough, benefits too much from Jokić&rsquo;s brilliance, can&rsquo;t lead a team in scoring, can&rsquo;t justify the huge contract given to him.
This current stretch won&rsquo;t silence every doubter &ndash; and it shouldn&rsquo;t be expected to. But it does something just as important: it proves that when the opportunity is there, he can be a first option. He can generate efficient offense, and he can carry the load. He&rsquo;s no longer just the guy who fits around stars. He&rsquo;s capable of being the star.
And with Brooklyn in search of identity, direction, and hope, Porter Jr. has unexpectedly become a key asset for the franchise &ndash; a player proving he can be the version of himself the basketball world once saw early in his career.

The Nets are letting Michael Porter Jr. become who he was projected to be coming out of high school: a full-fledged star in the NBA.

Michael Porter Jr. discovers star path with Nets in a career resurgence

LeBron James&rsquo; remarkable streak of 1,297 consecutive regular-season games scoring at least 10 points &ndash; the longest in NBA history &ndash; officially came to an end, marking the close of one of the most unbreakable statistical runs the league has ever seen.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar finished with just 8 points in a win over the Toronto Raptors, snapping a streak that had been active since January 2007 and spanned nearly two decades. Despite the milestone ending, LeBron delivered in other ways, tallying 11 assists and making the final pass that set up the game-winning three at the buzzer.
After the game, LeBron downplayed the significance of the streak ending, saying the only thing that mattered was the Lakers escaping with a victory.
LeBron&rsquo;s streak had long been considered one of the NBA&rsquo;s most unassailable feats. No other player in league history has come remotely close, as the previous record was 866 games. LeBron extended the mark by more than 400 games, and the streak survived injuries, team changes, off-court adversity, and era-to-era shifts in how NBA basketball is played.
Throughout that span, LeBron entered every game as one of the league&rsquo;s most durable and consistent performers &ndash; a superstar who could be counted on to produce night after night.
The final sequence that ended the streak almost served as its epilogue.
Rather than take a shot late to preserve a personal record, LeBron made the extra pass, finding Rui Hachimura in the corner for the go-ahead three. It was a fitting reflection of the way LeBron has always approached the game &ndash; with an emphasis on making the right basketball play, as he does over the course of his entire career.
It also highlighted his evolving role in his 23rd season, where scoring isn&rsquo;t his sole responsibility. With Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic stepping up offensively, LeBron has increasingly leaned into playmaking, leadership, and game management to guide the Lakers.

LeBron James’ remarkable streak of 1,297 consecutive regular-season games scoring at least 10 points officially comes to an end.

LeBron’s all-time double-digit scoring streak ends at 1,297 games

Anthony Edwards has already climbed rungs most players spend a decade chasing. He&rsquo;s become an All-Star, a franchise centerpiece, a playoff force who can go toe-to-toe with the best players alive on the biggest stage. He has shown he can take over fourth quarters, silence arenas, and deliver the kind of moments that make you believe a superstar is being born right in front of you.
But for the Minnesota Timberwolves to go anywhere they haven&rsquo;t already been, he must become something more &ndash; something bigger, something definitive.
If the Wolves want to replicate or surpass the success of their previous two seasons of making the Western Conference Finals, Anthony Edwards has to rise into the undisputed top-five players in the world and deliver an MVP-level campaign. It&rsquo;s the simplest equation in Minnesota&rsquo;s season, and also the most demanding one. Wherever Edwards goes, the Wolves go.
This is not a criticism. It&rsquo;s a reflection of the standard he has already set.
Currently, Minnesota is running it back with the same core with Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Julius Randle, and Donte DiVincenzo. They&rsquo;re banking on continuity once more, trusting that their identity, defense, and experience will continue to position them among the league&rsquo;s elite. But continuity can only take you so far when the rest of the NBA keeps getting better at faster speeds than any era ever before.
The Wolves know it. Edwards knows it. The leap that pushes Minnesota from &ldquo;very good&rdquo; to &ldquo;undeniably great&rdquo; must come from the player most capable of delivering it.
The need for a new level
Over the past two years, we saw glimpses of the best version of Anthony Edwards &ndash; a relentless downhill attacker, a dynamic scorer in isolation, a growing two-way force capable of changing the tenor of an entire game, and most recently, a volume three-point shooter. Edwards already showed he can be the best player on a playoff team, the kind who produces big-time performances under the brightest lights.
But with superstardom comes a new challenge: consistency.
Not the normal kind &ndash; the elite kind. The level of consistency reached by players who live in the top tier of the league: Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic. These are players who have almost eradicated the concept of a &ldquo;bad game.&rdquo; Even when they struggle, they dominate. Even when shots don&rsquo;t fall, they find ways to control possessions, bend defenses, and dictate outcomes.
That&rsquo;s the level the Wolves need Edwards to reach.
The Wolves have been one of the league&rsquo;s premier defenses, but offensively they can grind to a halt. That&rsquo;s where Edwards must elevate them. When his jumper isn&rsquo;t falling &ndash; &nbsp; and it hasn&rsquo;t been consistently falling at times &ndash; he has to find new ways to bend defenses. He needs to attack, get to the rim, settle into rhythm midrange shots, get to the line, generate momentum, and use his gravity to create looks for others.
Every elite scorer eventually learns that shotmaking alone can&rsquo;t dictate their impact. It has to go deeper than that. For Minnesota to keep climbing, Edwards must become the kind of superstar whose influence transcends his jump shot.
Why a &ldquo;go-to move&rdquo; matters
Every great scorer eventually discovers not just what they can do, but what they can do every single night &ndash; consistently. The move that is immune to fatigue, gameplan, matchups, or defensive schemes. A shot that becomes automatic because it&rsquo;s been mastered so thoroughly that even the defense knows it&rsquo;s coming &ndash; and still can&rsquo;t stop it.
For Edwards, the next evolution might be exactly that: developing a signature, go-to scoring move.
This could take the shape of more post-up fadeaway jumpers &ndash; something he already flashes but hasn&rsquo;t fully leaned into. With his strength, footwork, and explosiveness, a polished post midrange package could unlock a completely different version of his offensive dominance. Think Michael Jordan. Think Kobe Bryant. Shots that become &ldquo;butter,&rdquo; the kind where the crowd knows it&rsquo;s good the moment it leaves the hand.
A signature shot would not only give Edwards a consistent scoring anchor; it would change how defenses scheme. It would force double teams, open passing windows, and elevate his playmaking simply by existing.
It would give Minnesota the offensive stability they have lacked during the toughest stretches of games. It would let Edwards control tempo, dictate matchups, and slow games down when everything feels chaotic.
Most importantly, it would give him the kind of unstoppable tool that the very best players in the world rely on &ndash; the kind that makes defenses helpless. Something like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s midrange mastery and his two-foot plant; Nikola Jokic&rsquo;s touch in the paint for short and long floaters and hook shots; Giannis Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s relentless driving to the rim; Kevin Durant&rsquo;s pull-up jumper; Luka Doncic&rsquo;s step back and pivot steps; and Stephen Curry&rsquo;s off-ball movement and relocation shooting.
Minnesota&rsquo;s ceiling and the &lsquo;leap&rsquo; chase for Edwards
There&rsquo;s a fair argument that Minnesota may have reached its ceiling as a complete roster. Their defensive identity is elite. Their depth is strong. Their chemistry is real. Gobert and McDaniels anchor one of the toughest defensive backbones in basketball. Naz Reid remains a luxury most teams don&rsquo;t have. Mike Conley is a steadying presence who keeps everything organized. Julius Randle brings shot creation, rebounding, and physicality.
But when the postseason arrives, stars separate themselves &ndash; and separate teams.
That&rsquo;s why Minnesota&rsquo;s future rests on Edwards&rsquo; ability to make that leap. Not because he hasn&rsquo;t already been great, but because he must now become great every single night.
If Edwards averages 30 points per game or more, if he masters a go-to move, if he reaches that superstar comfort level where the game slows down and every shot feels like it&rsquo;s going in and becomes second nature &ndash; then Minnesota&rsquo;s ceiling rises with him. Suddenly, they&rsquo;re no longer a strong playoff contender. They become a legitimate championship threat.
Every champion in recent memory had an undisputed top-five guy in the league at the point of their title run:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Shai and the Thunder</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Tatum and the Celtics</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Jokic and the Nuggets</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Steph and the Warriors</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Giannis and the Bucks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">LeBron and the Lakers</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Kawhi and the Raptors</li>
</ul>
The Wolves want to join that company &ndash; but that requires Edwards becoming that kind of a player.
What makes this moment for Edwards so compelling is that he has already shown he can reach these heights. The playoff runs, the highlight-reel moments, the takeover games, and the bursts of all-time-level shotmaking.
But now comes the harder part &ndash; turning flashes into a foundation.
This is where superstars become megastars &ndash; being a top-5 player in the NBA. This is where talent becomes legacy. This is where a young phenom becomes the defining force of a franchise.
And if Edwards embraces this next step &ndash; if he masters consistency, adds a signature move, deepens his offensive reads, and becomes the top-five player he can be &ndash; then the Wolves won&rsquo;t just remain one of the league&rsquo;s best stories: They&rsquo;ll become something much bigger and become a team with a real chance.
Minnesota can continue refining the pieces around him. They can continue to defend at an elite level. They can continue relying on their depth and structure.
But their future ultimately hinges on the evolution of their brightest star.
Anthony Edwards doesn&rsquo;t just hold the keys to Minnesota&rsquo;s success &ndash; he is the key. And if he rises to that top-five tier, the Wolves&rsquo; championship window will crack wide open and place them into the best of the best in the league for years to come.

As the Timberwolves chase another deep playoff run, Edwards must take the leap into the top-five players and take an MVP-level leap.

For Wolves to break through, Anthony Edwards must make an MVP-level leap

Two of the league&rsquo;s biggest names returned to action this week, each under very different circumstances but with high expectations. Paul George made his season debut with the Philadelphia 76ers after a lengthy rehabilitation, while LeBron James returned for the Los Angeles Lakers in his historic 23rd season.
Paul George back on the floor for the Sixers
George made his long-awaited return on November 17 in Philadelphia&rsquo;s 110-108 win over his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. He logged 21 minutes, scoring nine points on 2-of-9 shooting, while adding seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
The 35-year-old wing had been sidelined since early March with a left knee injury that required surgery &ndash; a disruption that curtailed what was meant to be a pivotal season in Philadelphia.&nbsp;
However, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse confirmed George will still be on a minutes restriction as Philadelphia carefully eases him back into full form.
LeBron James begins 23rd NBA Season in style
James returned to the court November 19 in Los Angeles, leading the Lakers to a 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz. He played 30 minutes and posted 11 points and 12 assists.
The appearance also marked a historic milestone: James became the first player in NBA history to participate in a 23rd season.
Despite missing the first 14 games due to sciatica, James didn&rsquo;t appear visibly rusty and helped energize the Lakers&rsquo; offense and veteran presence immediately.&nbsp;
In the postseason outlook, his return is seen as a major boost for LA&rsquo;s aspirations &ndash; especially alongside the contributions of Luka Doncic and other rising teammates who have stepped up in his absence.
ANALYSIS: What this means for George is him returning gives the Sixers the veteran wing and two-way defender they signed for. This is a hint at a player ready to contribute again and help them reach even greater heights. For LeBron, his debut sets the tone for another chapter in his legendary career. Less about big scoring and more about orchestration and leadership &ndash; at age 40 he remains impactful.&nbsp;
These returns come at key moments. Philadelphia needs George&rsquo;s presence to stabilize their rotation and absorb pressure as their injury list grows. The Lakers get a foundational piece back to complement their younger core for what they aim to be a deep run.

Paul George made his season debut with the Philadelphia 76ers  while LeBron James returned for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Paul George, LeBron James mark season debuts coming back from injuries

The Dallas Mavericks and owner Patrick Dumont are firing general manager Nico Harrison, according to ESPN&rsquo;s Shams Charania.
This move comes after the stunning trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers 9 months ago by Nico Harrison.
This report would be updated with more details.

The Dallas Mavericks and owner Patrick Dumont are firing general manager Nico Harrison, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Mavericks to fire general manager Nico Harrison

There was a time when every Nikola Jokic triple-double was a headline. Now, it&rsquo;s just another night in the NBA.
Through the first seven games of the season, Jokic has recorded a triple-double in five of them &ndash; a feat that, for almost any other player, would be hailed as an early-season masterpiece. For Jokic nowadays though, it barely makes noise &ndash; or so we thought.&nbsp;
His latest line &ndash; 33 points, 15 rebounds, and 16 assists in a win over the Miami Heat &ndash; came and went without much fanfare. No major debates, no viral clips, just another Nikola Jokic game.
It raises a sobering question: Have we started taking Nikola Jokic for granted?
When greatness becomes routine
In a league dominated by storylines, Jokic has somehow become background noise. There&rsquo;s the buzz surrounding Oklahoma City&rsquo;s rise to their dynasty aspirations, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s another MVP-level play. There&rsquo;s Victor Wembanyama&rsquo;s historic two-way surge, Luka Doncic torching defenses nightly, and Giannis Antetokounmpo reclaiming his MVP momentum as the Bucks return back into contention. Amid all this, Jokic continues to produce at a level that would define other players&rsquo; careers &ndash; and yet, it&rsquo;s treated as business as usual.
Maybe that&rsquo;s the curse of consistency. Jokic has been performing at an MVP standard for six straight years, making extraordinary basketball look almost effortless. His greatness has lost its novelty, not its effectiveness. The NBA world seems to have reached the point where a 25-12-12 stat line is expected out of him night in and night out, and anything less is considered an off night.
That kind of expectation can only mean one thing: we might have grown numb to the brilliance of the Joker.
Jokic&rsquo;s game defies conventional flash. He doesn&rsquo;t soar above defenders, doesn&rsquo;t scream after dunks, and rarely demands attention. Instead, he dissects opponents with surgical precision &ndash; manipulating angles, finding shooters, and bending defenses until they break.&nbsp;
He makes the hardest parts of basketball look like second nature. And perhaps because of that, his dominance no longer shocks us.
Watch him closely, though, and it&rsquo;s clear this is not normal. No one in NBA history has combined this kind of scoring efficiency, playmaking creativity, and rebounding control in one body. Jokic&rsquo;s blend of power and patience, vision and touch, feels like something out of a different era &ndash; or maybe a different dimension.
Yet, somehow, it doesn&rsquo;t dominate the discourse anymore the way it once did.
The cost of familiarity
It&rsquo;s possible that &lsquo;voter fatigue&rsquo; has caught up with Jokic &ndash; not just in award voting, but in the public consciousness. When a player sustains greatness for this long, the conversation naturally shifts elsewhere. The media and fans often chase new narratives, new stars, new sensations. Jokic, who&rsquo;s been doing this for years, no longer fits the mold of &ldquo;breaking news.&rdquo;
But it&rsquo;s worth remembering: he&rsquo;s still the best player in basketball.
Since 2019, Jokic has averaged roughly 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists per game while leading the Denver Nuggets to sustained success, including the 2023 NBA Championship &ndash; a run that stamped his legacy as one of the all-time greats. And yet, even as he keeps doing it, his name often fades into the background of louder storylines.
The truth is, we&rsquo;ve normalized his greatness to the point where we no longer fully appreciate it. It&rsquo;s not that Jokic has gotten worse &ndash; it&rsquo;s that everyone else has gotten louder.
Led by Jokic, Nuggets quietly creep up atop the West
Part of the reason Jokic&rsquo;s brilliance flies under the radar is the Nuggets&rsquo; quiet offseason. While other teams made splashy moves &ndash; like Kevin Durant&rsquo;s shocking arrival in Houston &ndash; Denver operated with surgical precision rather than spectacle.
They brought back a familiar face in Bruce Brown, a key piece of their 2023 title run. Brown&rsquo;s return instantly reestablishes the defensive edge and chemistry that made Denver so complete during their championship push. His connection with Jokic is instinctive; he knows exactly when and where to cut, and Jokic always finds him.
The Nuggets also made a subtle but meaningful trade &ndash; flipping Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson. At first glance, it might seem like a downgrade in talent, but in practice, it could be an upgrade in fit. Johnson&rsquo;s spacing, unselfishness, and commitment to role-playing perfectly complement Jokic&rsquo;s system. He won&rsquo;t hijack possessions or hunt shots; he&rsquo;ll move, shoot, and defend &ndash; the exact formula that maximizes Jokic&rsquo;s playmaking brilliance.
Denver also finally addressed one of their lingering issues: the lack of a dependable backup center. The addition of Jonas Valanciunas gives them that stability. A bruising interior presence and elite screener, Valanciunas allows Denver to stay afloat when Jokic sits &ndash; a problem that&rsquo;s haunted them for years. He&rsquo;s also a sneaky-good passer, keeping Denver&rsquo;s dribble-handoff flow alive in bench units.
And perhaps the most underrated move of all is not a move at all: the return of a healthy Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. Both have battled injuries during previous playoff runs, but when on the floor, they complete Denver&rsquo;s identity. Murray&rsquo;s two-man game with Jokic remains one of the most unstoppable actions in basketball, while Gordon&rsquo;s cutting, defense, and athleticism balance the Nuggets on both ends.
Another quiet storyline is their head coach David Adelman. After taking over midseason last year, Adelman has done an exceptional job keeping the Nuggets grounded and disciplined. His defensive tweaks and trust in player development have kept Denver sharp despite roster transitions. He doesn&rsquo;t seek the spotlight &ndash; much like Jokic &ndash; but his influence is felt in the team&rsquo;s structure, chemistry, and accountability.
Adelman has embraced what makes Jokic special: freedom within a framework. Denver plays through Jokic at all times, but it never feels forced. The rhythm of the offense &ndash; cuts, screens, spacing &ndash; is organic, built on years of familiarity and trust.
While the Thunder, Lakers, Spurs, and Rockets dominate headlines, the Nuggets are quietly creeping back into the Western Conference&rsquo;s top tier. It&rsquo;s easy to forget that Denver was one win away from eliminating the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder last postseason.
Now, with a more balanced roster, better depth, and a refreshed core, they&rsquo;re poised to make another deep run. And at the center of it all &ndash; both literally and figuratively &ndash; is Nikola Jokic, still orchestrating everything with unmatched control.
He&rsquo;s still the engine, still the mind, still the heartbeat of Denver basketball. And yet, somehow, we&rsquo;ve stopped talking about him.
The normalization of the extraordinary
Maybe that&rsquo;s the price of sustained brilliance &ndash; to be so consistently excellent that the world stops noticing.&nbsp;
But history will remember what the present often overlooks. Jokic isn&rsquo;t just putting up big numbers; he&rsquo;s reshaping what we thought possible for a big man.
One day, when we look back, we&rsquo;ll realize these seasons weren&rsquo;t normal. They were masterpieces hiding in plain sight.
Nikola Jokic hasn&rsquo;t fallen off &ndash; if anything, he&rsquo;s still climbing. It&rsquo;s the rest of us who&rsquo;ve forgotten to look up.

Nikola Jokic’s brilliance has become so routine that fans may be taking it for granted. Read why, here:

Has Nikola Jokic become underrated?

EuroBasket 2025 delivered another showcase of international basketball at the highest level. With elite NBA talent leading their countries and rising stars making names for themselves, the tournament gave fans plenty to chew on heading into the upcoming NBA season.
From Dennis Schroder&rsquo;s historic run with Germany to Alperen Sengun&rsquo;s continued development, several storylines stood out that could shape both international basketball and the league itself.
Here are the biggest takeaways from EuroBasket 2025:
<h3>Dennis Schroder&rsquo;s Basketball Hall of Fame legacy case</h3>
Dennis Schroder may not always be mentioned among NBA stars, but in the international game, his resume is undeniable. After leading Germany to the FIBA World Cup title and winning the tournament MVP in 2023, Schroder added another jewel to his crown by winning EuroBasket 2025 MVP and carrying Germany to the top once again.
Schroder has become the face of German basketball alongside star forward Franz Wagner, pushing the program to unprecedented heights. When people discuss European powers, France and Spain usually dominate the conversation. Yet Germany now stands on its own, fueled by Schroder&rsquo;s relentless playmaking, clutch shot-making, and leadership. With a World Cup MVP and EuroBasket MVP on his resume, along with nearly a decade of steady NBA production, his case for the Basketball Hall of Fame is gaining traction.
<h3>Germany basketball at an all-time high</h3>
Germany&rsquo;s rise is more than just Schroder. This is a golden era for German basketball, with Franz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, and Daniel Theis playing key roles around their floor general. For years, the country was in the shadow of Dirk Nowitzki&rsquo;s greatness &ndash; and the question was whether Germany would ever have another era of prominence.
That question has been answered emphatically. Germany is now a top-tier international contender and has firmly cemented itself among the best programs in Europe aside from France. With the mix of veteran leadership and young stars, they are just starting to realize their prime potential.
<h3>Alperen Sengun&rsquo;s leap is no fluke</h3>
One of the most exciting developments at EuroBasket was Alperen Sengun&rsquo;s dominance for his country, Turkey. The 22-year-old center showcased a more polished offensive game, combining his already elite passing with improved scoring touch and confidence. His performances were not only encouraging for Turkey&rsquo;s future but also a preview of what could be a breakout NBA season with the Houston Rockets.
Sengun has steadily improved each year in the league, but EuroBasket offered a glimpse of a player who could make the leap to another level next season. Surrounded by newly acquired Kevin Durant, Houston&rsquo;s core and bolstered by international experience, Sengun is positioned to anchor the Rockets&rsquo; rise in the West. EuroBasket confirmed that his skillset isn&rsquo;t just flashy &ndash; it&rsquo;s sustainable at the highest levels of competition.
<h3>Lauri Markkanen shines for Finland &ndash; but what about Utah?</h3>
For the second straight international tournament, Lauri Markkanen looked like an absolute star. Finland made their deepest run ever &ndash; finishing 4th &ndash; and Markkanen&rsquo;s scoring, rebounding, and leadership were undeniable. He has blossomed into a true centerpiece on the world stage, a player who can carry a team offensively and give them a fighting chance against elite competition.
The irony, however, is that his NBA team, the Utah Jazz, has been in rebuilding mode. While Markkanen puts up All-Star numbers and shows he&rsquo;s capable of being a star on a playoff team, Utah appears to remain focused on the long game. The question now looms: how long can Markkanen stay patient? His EuroBasket dominance only reinforces that he may be better suited on a contending team where his talent could shine under brighter lights.
<h3>Giannis carries Greece to the bronze</h3>
If there was any doubt about Giannis Antetokounmpo&rsquo;s ability to elevate his national team, EuroBasket 2025 erased it. The two-time NBA MVP carried Greece to a bronze medal, delivering monster stat lines and putting the team on his back night after night. His dominance was a reminder of his ability to impose his will no matter the setting, regardless of the supporting cast around him.
For the Milwaukee Bucks, this is an encouraging sign. After another disappointing playoff exit in the NBA, Giannis&rsquo; hunger and determination were on full display. His international performance could very well foreshadow a massive season in Milwaukee, as the superstar looks to reclaim championship glory.
<h3>Slim Luka and Locked-In Jokic</h3>
Two of the NBA&rsquo;s brightest stars also made headlines in EuroBasket: Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. Luka arrived in noticeably better shape, showcasing improved conditioning that allowed him to Doncic his brilliance deeper into games. Slovenia may not have gone all the way, but Doncic&rsquo;s playmaking and scoring kept them competitive throughout the tournament. A slimmer, sharper Luka spells trouble for the NBA, where conditioning has sometimes been his biggest critique.
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic looked every bit the &ldquo;Batman&rdquo; of international basketball. The reigning NBA Finals MVP returned to Serbia&rsquo;s lineup and dominated, reminding everyone why he&rsquo;s widely considered the best player in the world. Jokic&rsquo;s effortless blend of scoring, passing, and rebounding carried over seamlessly, and Serbia looked formidable with him at the helm. Both players appear primed for another First Team All-NBA campaign.
<h3>The bigger picture</h3>
EuroBasket 2025 was a reminder of how international basketball continues to shape the NBA. Players like Schroder and Giannis showcased their ability to elevate entire nations, while rising stars like Sengun and Markkanen flashed the type of potential that can alter their NBA franchises&rsquo; trajectories. At the same time, household names like Luka and Jokic sharpened their tools ahead of another grueling NBA season.
As the league gears up for the 2025-26 campaign, these performances provide early hints at who could dominate in the months ahead. From Germany&rsquo;s rise to Giannis&rsquo; hunger and Sengun&rsquo;s growth, EuroBasket offered more than just a summer tournament &ndash; it was a preview of storylines that will define the NBA season.

EuroBasket 2025 takeaways: Schröder’s MVP legacy, Sengun’s rise, Giannis’ bronze, Markkanen’s dilemma, and Luka & Jokic ready.