Delta Devils

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) &mdash; Texas commit Ronald Holland had 15 points and USA Basketball rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Team World 90-84 at the Nike Hoop Summit on Saturday night.
Bronny James &mdash; the son of LeBron James, who was in attendance &mdash; made his USA Basketball debut and scored 11 points, including a pair of free throws to seal it with 5.4 seconds remaining.
Holland added nine rebounds, six steals and five assists for the Americans, who got 11 points from Isaiah Collier. Jared McCain, DaJuan Wagner and Justin Edwards each scored 10 points for Team USA.
Mackenzie Mgbako scored 22 points for Team World, which got 17 from Michael Nwoko, 15 from Aden Holloway and 12 from Andrej Stojakovic &mdash; the son of former NBA player Peja Stojakovic.
The U.S. improved to 17-7 against the World teams at the Nike event that dates to 1995.
Mgbako made a fadeaway with 7:56 left to put the World team up 70-69, but the Americans quickly reclaimed the lead and kept it the rest of the way. James made a 3-pointer with 4:54 left to push the USA lead out to six, and Holland had a putback score with 3:00 remaining to make it 86-79.
WOMEN&rsquo;S GAME
TEAM USA 100, TEAM WORLD 79
LSU commit Mikaylah Williams scored 22 points, Notre Dame commit Hannah Hidalgo added 13 and Team USA topped Team World 100-79 in the inaugural women&rsquo;s game of the Nike event.
Connecticut commit Kamorea Arnold, Stanford commit Sunaja Agara and Oklahoma commit Sahara Williams each had 10 points for the Americans, while Hidalgo finished with eight assists and five steals. Texas commit Madison Booker finished with eight points, eight assists, five assists and three steals for Team USA.
Williams was 6 for 7 from 3-point range.
Shaneice Swain &mdash; who is entering the WNBA draft and expects to be picked Monday &mdash; led Team World with 19 points, while Toby Fournier had 18 points with nine rebounds and Nyadiew Puoch scored 16 points.

Both the men and women represented Team USA with victories over Team World on Saturday.

USA Basketball sweeps Team World at Nike Hoop Summit

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) &mdash; When it comes to Auburn and the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers know how to make an opening statement.
Johni Broome had 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots, and No. 9 seed Auburn beat Iowa 83-75 on Thursday for its 10th consecutive opening-round win dating to the mid-1980s.
The Tigers (21-12) made 11 of 12 free throws over the final four minutes to lock up a second-round matchup with No. 1 seed Houston, which survived a scare from 16th-seeded Northern Kentucky..
It was a decidedly Auburn-oriented crowd two hours from campus.
&ldquo;They were loud and rowdy the whole game,&rdquo; Auburn guard Allen Flanigan said. &ldquo;It felt like a home game for us.&rdquo;
Broome even made his ninth 3-pointer of the season to push the margin into double digits for the first time with 16 minutes left.
The Tigers appeared poised to pull away in front of a partisan orange-and-blue crowd, going up by 17 with a 13-2 run midway through the second half sparked by Tre Donaldson&rsquo;s three 3-pointers off the bench.
The eighth-seeded Hawkeyes climbed back into it, twice cutting it down to four but coming no closer.
&ldquo;We knew they had another run in them,&rdquo; Broome said. &ldquo;We were like, &lsquo;Let&rsquo;s make a stop and win this game.&rsquo;"
Auburn had six players score in double figures. Wendell Green Jr. had 15 points, and Donaldson, Jaylin Williams and KD Johnson each finished with 11. Allen Flanigan scored 10.
Payton Sandford scored 21 points for Iowa. Kris Murray had 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting and nine rebounds. Filip Rebraca scored 14 points.
The Hawkeyes found themselves playing in essentially a road game. But they declined to use that as an excuse.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re used to playing in hostile environments,&rdquo; Connor McCaffery said. &ldquo;Obviously if we had our choice we would have preferred it to be a little more neutral, but that&rsquo;s not why we lost at all.
&ldquo;We won at Rutgers, we won at IU (Indiana) and those places are 100 times louder than it was here today.&rdquo;
Iowa coach Fran McCaffery, Connor&rsquo;s father, echoed that sentiment after his team ended with a third straight loss.
&ldquo;Every game in our league is a hostile environment so it cannot be an excuse, nor do we want to make it one,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We were right there, and you have to give credit to your opponent.&rdquo;
Johnson had a scary moment in the final minute of the first half.
He went up attempting to block a shot by Rebraca, who pump-faked and sent Johnson somersaulting over the top of the Iowa player.
The junior guard landed with a thud on his lower back and buttocks, sending the crowd into a hushed silence. Johnson stayed down briefly, writhing in pain, before heading to the bench to get checked out. He played in the second half.
&ldquo;I was just scared,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;I wanted to make sure I didn&rsquo;t hurt myself in any other way. That was crazy.&rdquo;
BIG PICTURE
Auburn: Made seven 3-pointers in the second half after a 1-of-9 start.
Iowa: Fell just short of a fifth consecutive 20-win season. Missed all nine first-half 3-point attempts and finished 7 of 27 (25.9%) from deep. A team averaging 80 points a game was held to 26 in the first half.
&ldquo;Our speed and quickness was obviously a factor on the defensive end,&rdquo; Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said.
UP NEXT
Auburn is 1-6 all-time against Houston, among the favorites to win it all. The Tigers lost in the second round last season. The big question will be the status of Cougars All-American Marcus Sasser, who aggravated a groin injury and didn&rsquo;t play in the second half.

Johni Broome had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks, and No. 9 Auburn beat Iowa 83-75 on Thursday in the NCAA Tournament.

Broome, Auburn hold off Iowa 83-75 in first round of NCAA Tournament

Basketball News highlights the reporting, analysis and podcasts that defined a year of basketball in 2022.

Best of Basketball News: Spotlighting our top content from 2022

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2023, including several high-profile, first-time nominees including Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich, Dwyane Wade and the 1976 U.S. Olympic Women&rsquo;s Basketball Team. &nbsp; A first look at the list of eligible nominees was provided by &ldquo;NBA Today&rdquo; on ESPN; the complete list of eligible candidates can be found below. &nbsp; Finalists from the North American and Women&rsquo;s committee for the Class of 2023 will be announced on February 17, at 5:30 p.m. ET in Salt Lake City, Utah, during NBA All-Star Weekend. &nbsp; The entire Class of 2023, including those selected by the direct-elect committees, will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in Houston, Texas, on April 1, in a nationally televised broadcast at 11 a.m. EST.
NORTH AMERICAN NOMINATIONS &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ken Anderson (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Beilein (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gene Bess (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Chauncey Billups (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Chambers (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Clougherty (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Michael Cooper (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Joey Crawford (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Curran (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mark Eaton (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Cliff Ellis (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Michael Finley (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pau Gasol (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leonard Hamilton (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lou Henson (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ed Hightower (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; David Hixon (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mark Jackson (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marques Johnson (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gene Keady (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jim Larranaga (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Maurice Lucas (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Shawn Marion (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Rollie Massimino (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Motta (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dirk Nowitzki (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jake O&rsquo;Donnell (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tony Parker (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jim Phelan (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gregg Popovich (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bo Ryan (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Stan Spirou (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Reggie Theus (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dwyane Wade (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Buck Williams (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Williamson (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Paul Westhead (COA)
WOMEN&rsquo;S NOMINATIONS &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leta Andrews (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jennifer Azzi (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gary Blair (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Doug Bruno (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Becky Hammon (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Becky Martin (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Debbie Miller-Palmore (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kim Mulkey (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Valerie Still (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marian Washington (COA) &nbsp; INTERNATIONAL DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jackie Chazalon &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Mirza Delibasic &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dusan Ivkovic &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Semen Khalipski &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Vladimir Kondrashin &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Eduardo Lamas &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marcos Leite &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Shimon Mirrahi &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Amaury Pasos &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Manuel Sainz &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Togo Soares &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ranko Zeravica &nbsp; WOMEN&rsquo;S VETERANS DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1976 US Olympic Team (TEA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1982 Cheyney University NCAA Final Four Team (TEA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Alline Banks Sprouse (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Edmonton Commercial Grads (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Head (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Yolanda Laney (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Nashville Business College (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lometa Odom (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Harley Redin (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hazel Walker (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Valerie Walker (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dean Weese (COA)*
CONTRIBUTOR DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pete Babcock &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Baumgartner &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Henry Bibby &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Marty Blake &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Vic Bubas &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Doug Collins &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Wayne Duke &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bill Foster &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bob Gibbons &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Simon Gourdine &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tim Grgurich &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Junius Kellogg &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Johnny &ldquo;Red&rdquo; Kerr &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Konchalski &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bobby Lewis &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Fred McCall &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack McCloskey &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jon McGlocklin &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Speedy Morris &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dennis Murphy &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Curly Neal &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Powers &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Will Robinson &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gene Shue &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jim Valvano &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Donnie Walsh &nbsp; VETERANS DIRECT-ELECT &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1936 US Olympic Team (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1972 US Olympic Team (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Barnett (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Blackburn (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sid Borgia (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Charles Brown (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Freddie Brown (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Coleman (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Charles Eckman (REF) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leroy Edwards (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Leo Ferris (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Hy Gotkin (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Travis Grant (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack Hartman (COA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Cam Henderson (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Robert Hopkins (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Charles Keinath (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Greg Kelser (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kentucky Wesleyan 1966, 1968, 1969 (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bob Love (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Loyola of Chicago (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Billy Markward (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ed McCluskey (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Jack McKinney (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Bill Melchionni (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Francis Meehan (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lucias Mitchell (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Donald &ldquo;Dudey&rdquo; Moore (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Joe Mullaney (COA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Willie Naulls (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; North Catholic High School Junior Varsity (Philadelphia, PA) (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Don Otten (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Philadelphia SPHAS (TEA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kevin Porter (PLA)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Glenn Roberts (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lennie Rosenbluth (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kenny Sailors (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Fred Schaus (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sam Schulman (CONT) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Paul Silas (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Dick Van Arsdale (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tom Van Arsdale (PLA) &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lambert Will (CONT)* &bull; &nbsp; &nbsp; Max Zaslofsky (PLA)

Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich and Dwyane Wade are among the candidates for the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Basketball Hall of Fame announces candidates for Class of 2023

Following a 10-month investigation into claims of racism, sexism, misogyny and workplace misconduct, the NBA recently announced that Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver would be suspended for one year and fined $10 million. Now, many people in and around the NBA are calling for a harsher punishment.
On Friday, NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio appeared on ESPN&rsquo;s NBA Today and said that Sarver should be banned for life.
&ldquo;We are absolutely calling for that,&rdquo; Tremaglio told ESPN&rsquo;s Malika Andrews. &ldquo;I am speaking on behalf of our players.&rdquo;
Over the last 48 hours, prominent players and sponsors have also made it clear that they don't agree with the Sarver ruling.
On Wednesday, both LeBron James and Chris Paul spoke out on Twitter.
&ldquo;Read through the Sarver stories a few times now. I gotta be honest&hellip; Our league definitely got this wrong,&rdquo; James said. &ldquo;Y&rsquo;all read the stories and decide for yourself. I said it before and I&rsquo;m gonna say it again, there is no place win this league for that kind of behavior. I love this league and I deeply respect out leadership. But this isn&rsquo;t right. There is no place for racism, misogyny, sexism, and racism in any work place. Don&rsquo;t matter if you own the team or play for the team. We hold our league up as an example of our values and this ain&rsquo;t it.&rdquo;
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Paul, who has played for the Suns since 2020-21, agreed with James and mentioned that Adam Silver&rsquo;s decision wasn&rsquo;t harsh enough.
&ldquo;Like many others, I reviewed the report. I was and am horrid and disappointed by what I read,&rdquo; Paul said. &ldquo;This conduct especially towards women is unacceptable and must never be repeated. I am of the view that the sections fell short in truly addressing what we can all agree was atrocious behavior. My heart goes out to all of the people that were affected.&rdquo;
PayPal, one of the Suns&rsquo; primary sponsors (which includes a jersey-patch deal since 2018), publicly stated that they will not renew their contract after next season if Sarver keeps his ownership stake.
&ldquo;PayPal is a values-driven company and has a strong record of combatting racism, sexism, and all forms of discrimination,&rdquo; CEO Dan Schulman said in a statement. &ldquo;We have reviewed the report of the NBA league&rsquo;s independent investigation into Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver and have found his conduct unacceptable and in conflict with our values. PayPal&rsquo;s sponsorship with the Suns is set to expire at the end of the current season. In light of the findings of the NBA&rsquo;s investigation, we will not renew our sponsorship should Robert Sarver remain involved with the Suns organization, after serving his suspension.
"While we strongly reject the conduct of Robert Sarver, we remain supportive of the team, its players, and the experienced and diverse talent now leading the organization, including: Head Coach Monty Williams, General Manager James Jones, Assistant General Manager Morgan Cato, and Senior Vice President of People and Culture Kim Corbitt.&rdquo;
Basketball News&rsquo; Etan Thomas <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/howard-beck-explains-differences-in-donald-sterling-robert-sarver-cases-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke with SI's Howard Beck yesterday</a> about how the Sarver decision differed from the Donald Sterling ban, how Silver has handled this and what could happen next.&nbsp;
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Following the NBA&rsquo;s announcement, Sarver released the following statement:
&ldquo;Good leadership requires accountability. For the Suns and Mercury organizations, that begins with me,&rdquo; Sarver wrote. &ldquo;While I disagree with some of the particulars in the NBA&rsquo;s report, I would like to apologize for my words and actions that offended our employees. I take full responsibility for what I have done. I am sorry for casing this pain, and these errors in judgement are not consistent with my personal philosophy or my values.
"I accept the consequences of the NBA&rsquo;s decision. This moment is an opportunity for me to demonstrate a capacity to learn and grow as we continue to build a working culture where every employee feels comfortable and valued.
"I am extraordinarily proud of the Suns and Mercury organizations and the record we have built concerning diversity, inclusion, and giving back to the community. It means a great deal to me that our dedicated and hardworking employees have made Phoenix a basketball destination &mdash; for both players and fans.&rdquo;
Key figures within the organization will soon speak publicly at the Suns' Media Day on September 26. This situation isn't going away and it's likely that more players and coaches will speak out once Media Days and training camps get underway.

Following the NBA's suspension of Suns owner Robert Sarver, many people in and around the NBA are calling for a harsher punishment.

NBPA, stars, sponsors call for Suns owner Robert Sarver to be banned

RJ Nembhard Jr. had 16 points and six assists, Isaiah Mobley added 15 points and 10 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers held off the Atlanta Hawks 94-90 on Saturday in the NBA Summer League.
Mobley, a second-round pick in this year's draft, grabbed six rebounds on the offensive end and added four assists for the Cavaliers (3-2). Fellow second-rounder Luke Travers pitched in with 14 points and five boards. Cam Young scored 15 points. First-round pick Ochai Agbaji did not play.
Tyrese Martin scored 21 to top the Hawks (2-3). Chaundee Brown Jr. added 17 points. Chris Clemons finished with 16 points, while Tyson Etienne scored 13.
Atlanta's top pick A.J. Griffin &mdash; 17th overall &mdash; did not play.
PISTONS 102, MAGIC 86
Jules Bernard had 22 points and nine rebounds, Charlie Moore had 21 points and eight assists, and Detroit cruised past Orlando.
Bernard sank all three of his 3-point attempts for the Pistons (3-2). Braxton Key added 15 points, while Stanley Umude scored 13. Detroit sat first-rounders Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren for the finale.
Justin James had 18 points to lead the Magic (2-3). Tommy Kuhse added 13 points, while Zavier Simpson and Daniel Oturu scored 10 apiece.
Orlando dropped its final three games without top pick Paolo Banchero. The Magic decided to pull Banchero from the event just hours before a showdown with No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City.
TIMBERWOLVES 89, HORNETS 86
Kevon Harris scored 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting to help Minnesota fend off Charlotte.
Harris hit all four of his 3-pointers for the Timberwolves (2-3). Wendell Moore Jr. had 15 points, while second-round pick Josh Minott scored 12. Marial Shayok had seven points, 10 rebounds and four steals.
JT Thor finished with 28 points and five steals for the Hornets (2-3). Justin Minaya scored 10 points and Mark Williams, the 15th overall pick, had eight points and seven rebounds.
Thor completed a three-point play, then buried a 3-pointer to get the Hornets within 88-86. Jacob Gilyard sank 1 of 2 free throws with 4.9 seconds left and Minott blocked Bryce McGowens' 3-pointer to end the game.
SPURS 90, GRIZZLIES 87
Malaki Branham made five 3-pointers and scored 23 points to help San Antonio turn back Memphis.
Branham, the 20th overall pick, was 5 of 8 from distance to help the Spurs (1-4) notch their first win in their final try. DJ Stewart added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while Robert Woodard II had six points to go with 10 rebounds.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. paced the Grizzlies (2-3) with 27 points and 12 rebounds. First-rounder David Roddy added 19 points. Ronaldo Segu and Kennedy Chandler scored 13 and 10, respectively.
Lofton sank a 3-pointer with 2:07 remaining to give Memphis an 87-86 lead. Branham answered with a 3 and Blake Wesley &mdash; the No. 25 pick &mdash; hit 1 of 2 free throws with 4.1 seconds left to cap the scoring. Dakota Mathias missed a 3-pointer on the game's final shot.
BULLS 119, 76ERS 104
Marko Simonovic scored 26 points, Malcolm Hill added 23 and Chicago breezed past Philadelphia.
Simonovic made 11 of 15 shots and grabbed eight rebounds to help the Bulls (4-1) close out with three straight wins. Carlik Jones scored 15 points but had seven of Chicago's 15 turnovers. Dalen Terry, the 18th overall pick, had three points, two assists and two rebounds in nine-plus minutes.
Charlie Brown Jr. led the 76ers (2-3) with 21 points. Grant Riller scored 19. Trevelin Queen had 16 points and seven of Philadelphia's 21 turnovers. Filip Petrusev scored 14.
NETS 102, CELTICS 95
Cam Thomas scored 25 points, David Duke Jr. added 24 and Brooklyn knocked off Boston.
Thomas added six assists for the Nets (3-2), while Duke handed out five. Kessler Edwards scored 15 points and Day'Ron Sharpe had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Juhann Begarin topped the Celtics (3-2) with 25 points. Mfiondu Kabengele scored 18. Second-rounder JD Davison &mdash; Boston's only pick in the draft &mdash; totaled 17 points and 10 rebounds.
KINGS 92, ROCKETS 81
Jeriah Horne scored 20 points to lead Sacramento over Houston
Jared Rhoden pitched in with 15 points and seven rebounds for the Kings (3-2). Sacramento chose to sit No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray for the finale.
Tari Eason, the No. 17 pick in the draft, had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets (2-3). TyTy Washington Jr. scored 15 points, while Daishen Nix had 14 points and seven boards. No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
LAKERS 95, MAVERICKS 84
Cole Swider scored 16 points to spark Los Angeles past Dallas.
Swider sank 4 of 6 from 3-point range for the Lakers (3-2). Jay Huff had 13 points, Javante McCoy scored 12 and Scotty Pippen Jr. 11.
A.J. Lawson had 19 points to lead the Mavericks (0-5) &mdash; the only team without victory in the event. Moses Wright scored 17 with six boards. Jaden Hardy scored 15 but had seven of Dallas' 19 turnovers. Lawson turned it over six times. Jerrick Harding had 11 points and five assists.
HEAT 86, CLIPPERS 83
Kyle Allman Jr. scored 26 points, sinking a go-ahead 3-pointer with 31 seconds left, and Miami rallied past Los Angeles.
Allman added seven rebounds and six assists for the Heat (2-3). Dru Smith had 22 points and Jamal Cain pitched in with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Miami outscored Los Angeles 31-20 in the final quarter
Reggie Perry, Jay Scrubb and Xavier Moon all scored 16 for the Clippers (2-3).

Check out this recap of Saturday's NBA Summer League action.

Nembhard, Mobley lead Cavs past Hawks 94-90 in Summer League

Many college students &mdash; even Division I basketball players &mdash; have a window of time around Christmas to travel home, see their families and press pause on the motion and stress of life at school.
Baylor freshman Jeremy Sochan did not have that luxury.&nbsp;
Sochan's mother, stepfather and brother live in Milton Keynes, a medium-sized city in the United Kingdom. Between the short break (Baylor men's basketball played on Dec. 20 and Dec. 28), the long flight and the surging COVID-19 pandemic, a homecoming simply was not feasible.
Instead, the highly-touted prospect bought a ticket to finally see his first NBA regular-season game, tagging along with Baylor assistant coach Bill Peterson and a couple of Peterson's friends to watch the Dallas Mavericks host the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 23.
The freshman was enthralled. He lingered in the American Airlines Center well after the game ended, soaking up the atmosphere.
"Afterwards he just kept saying, 'Coach, I can't thank you enough,'" Peterson told BasketballNews.com in a phone interview. "He just had a different appreciation for it. Because he was from another country, going to an NBA game wasn't something he did all the time."
Soon, Sochan will live those moments almost every day. The 6-foot-9-inch forward is headed to the 2022 NBA Draft as a sure-fire first-round pick and a possible lottery selection. Sochan's journey to June 23 includes crisscrossing the globe for basketball, and in his NBA Draft Combine interview, he aptly proclaimed himself a "citizen of the world."
"My family's from all over the place &mdash; Poland, America, and I lived in England most of my life &mdash;&nbsp;and it's hard to answer the question when someone says: Where are you from?" Sochan told BasketballNews.com over the phone. "Because you don't really have one specific place. So I try and explain it that way."
In the past five years alone, Sochan has suited up for five different elite basketball programs, beginning from his home in England and traversing through Poland, the United States (twice) and Germany. But the takeoff started in his hometown of Milton Keynes, where Sochan grew up after being born in Oklahoma and living briefly in Southampton.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Where it all started 💙 <a href="https://twitter.com/ItchenBball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ItchenBball</a> <a href="https://t.co/MIZHcS6llo">pic.twitter.com/MIZHcS6llo</a>
&mdash; Jeremy Sochan (@SochanJeremy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SochanJeremy/status/1455881532934086658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2021</a></blockquote>

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

After playing for his local club, the Milton Keynes Trojans, Sochan spent one season at Itchen College in Southampton as a high-school-age freshman. (Sixth-form colleges in the UK are somewhat like private high schools in the U.S.). Sochan adamantly states that basketball is on a serious rise at the youth level in England, and he might be right.
According to an article from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/author/vithushan-ehantharajah">Vithushan Ehantharajah</a><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/us-sport/nba/british-basketball-teams-players-b1825787.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;of The Independent</a>,&nbsp;basketball ranked as the second-most popular sport at the recreational level behind only soccer, and over 1.3 million people said they hooped at least once a week in a study between 2018 and 2019. Per the same 2021 article, the United Kingdom is ninth in the world and first in Europe for NBA League Pass subscriptions.
In Sochan's estimation, the problem is a lack of funding that limits the ceiling of player development. It's part of the reason he moved on from UK programs.
"Unfortunately, I feel like it's not funded well enough, and there's not a lot of exposure or resources for basketball," Sochan said. "So at times, it's difficult. It's difficult to rent a court. It's expensive, and you'd have to have a massive group of people... But there's a lot of potential, and it's a country with a lot of immigrants [and] a lot of people around the world. So if they put money in it, and resources, it's gonna be a great place for basketball, for sure."
As Sochan made waves in England, his mother, Aneta Sochan, was leveraging her connections abroad. Aneta is Polish and played Division II basketball at Oklahoma Panhandle State University before her own professional stint with Polonia Warszawa in Poland. She moved to England with Sochan's late biological father, Ryan Williams, as Williams pursued a professional career, and later settled in Milton Keynes with her current partner, Wiktor Lipiecki. Sochan's holidays were typically spent with Aneta's extended family in their home country.
Aneta sent emails and film to the Polish Basketball Association, looking for inroads for her son. Eventually, they came in the form of development camps in Poland and Spain, and persuading Dawid Mazur to allow him to compete for a spot on the Poland U16 National Team.
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Sochan exploded in his second year with the program. He put up 16.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 3.0 assists per game in the summer of 2019, leading Poland to the European Class B title and winning MVP honors in his tour de force through the continent.
Sochan had proven himself on one of the largest European stages. But as his name reached scouting circles in the United States, Sochan transferred to La Lumiere High School, a national powerhouse program in Indiana. It featured a loaded roster that fielded some of the country's top prospects, including draft classmate Jaden Ivey and Louisville commit Kamari Lands. Sochan's third high-level team in three years &mdash; and three countries &mdash; tested his resolve as a young talent.
"It was interesting because I feel like there's differences, of course, between European basketball and American basketball," Sochan said. "In America, I feel like the players are a lot more confident... just more confident and free, and at first, it was a little bit difficult for me to understand that. But I feel like as time went on, [me] building confidence and my teammates believing in me, it got a lot easier."
A barrier to entry exists whenever an athlete joins a new team. For international players like Sochan, that barrier can feel thicker and taller, particularly with the stereotypes that persist surrounding European hoops.
Later on at Baylor, Peterson wanted Sochan to challenge the narrative.
"I would joke with him a lot about [how] one of the monikers in the NBA is that European guys are soft, or they're wusses. That goes around the NBA," Peterson said.
"So he would say to me, 'I do not want to be a wuss. I'm not a wuss,' he would always say, and I said, 'I know.' Sometimes when guys hit you, you gotta hit 'em back. You gotta stick 'em on an offensive or defensive boxout. You gotta hammer 'em on a screen. It sends a message."&nbsp;
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Time and again, Sochan demonstrated his physical toughness and determination. He did it by solidifying himself as a four-star high school recruit at La Lumiere in 2019-20, becoming the youngest player in Poland men's senior national team history in 2021 and smothering opponents with the Bears in 2021-22. Sochan also charted his own course when the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted his basketball plans.
Sochan returned home for school vacation in the spring of 2020 as a high school junior at La Lumiere. Then, the school told Sochan to stay in Milton Keynes for an extra week as activities paused. One week became two weeks, then a month. Sochan ultimately never returned. As the United States reeled from the impact of the virus, Sochan pivoted back to Europe and settled on Orange Academy, a development program under German pro team Ratiopharm Ulm.
"Germany was pretty good with the COVID situation, and also, they were one of the only clubs to offer me no contract, so I could be eligible for college," he said. "So it was a great opportunity."
Sochan verbally committed to Baylor in the summer of 2020 before he headed to Germany. But the pandemic and travel hurdles kept him from visiting campus after he committed; all of his conversations with coaches came via phone and Zoom. And after never seeing his family while at La Lumiere, Sochan had to leave them again for another year when he took off for Orange Academy.
"Of course it's difficult; you can be a little homesick," Sochan said. "But I think, as of an early age, I always used to go to camps in Spain and Poland on my own. It was an easy adjustment for me. Personally, I am confident, just knowing the reason I'm leaving home. [It] helped me stay on course and keep on working every day. I'm doing this for my family, of course, and myself &mdash; to get better. I feel like that motivated me to keep on going,"
Peterson recalls receiving a video from Sochan while the then-17-year-old was at Orange Academy. It was 30 seconds of Sochan alone on an outdoor court in Germany, laughing and smiling while drilling himself on ball-handling exercises that Peterson had recommended.&nbsp;
"Coach, I'm working on this. How do I look?" Sochan would ask him. "Am I getting better?"
The grind has powered Sochan through those lonely nights away from home. He celebrated his 19th birthday on May 20 with dinner at an Italian restaurant &mdash; and by working out in front of teams on the final day of the Combine. Though he may be surrounded by new teammates, new coaches, new audiences and new cultures, he knows he has two constants: family and basketball.
"I feel like it's just understanding where you came from &mdash; your family &mdash; and just being able to stay present," Sochan said. "Just being able to get better every day is what I feel like grounds me. And I think it's important for me to just get better every day and just keep on learning &mdash; whether it's through basketball on the court, off the court, mentally, physically."
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Many Polish goods, are things that I will be missing on the 24th for the 3rd time in the row. More importantly I will be missing the physical presence of my family, I&rsquo;ve had it far from perfect but nobody has so I&rsquo;m just like you. We all sacrifice something for the greater good. <a href="https://t.co/KmlRBIVmG7">pic.twitter.com/KmlRBIVmG7</a>
&mdash; Jeremy Sochan (@SochanJeremy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SochanJeremy/status/1474444438042783744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2021</a></blockquote>

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At Baylor, Sochan and Peterson developed a bond over their travels. The 65-year-old Peterson made several stops at the college and NBA level before arriving at Baylor in 2017. He served as a player development coach and scout for the Dallas Mavericks from 1999-2000, coached six seasons as an assistant for the Milwaukee Bucks from 2007-13 and spent three seasons at the helm of the Erie Bayhawks in the G League (formerly known as the D-League). With those positions, plus other coaching roles in the collegiate ranks, Peterson collected experiences and stories from his trips across Europe and China.
The two met frequently for lunch around the Baylor campus. They'd chat about Premier League soccer (Sochan is a noted Arsenal fan) and EuroLeague basketball. Peterson learned that Sochan's grandmother lived about an hour from a clinic he once hosted in Poland.&nbsp;
"It was fun because he could relax and realize, 'Hey, Coach Peterson has been over there and kind of knows where I'm from [and] some of my background anyway, because he's traveled there a lot more than maybe some of the other coaches on the staff,'" Peterson said.
As Sochan acclimated to his fifth elite program, his confidence started to shine. He formed close friendships on the Baylor team, specifically with fellow draft prospect Kendall Brown and promising injured freshman Langston Love. Fans saw Sochan's energy radiate from his colorful hairstyles and powerful slam dunks. Meanwhile, in practice, he wowed Peterson with his quick and willing inclination to move the ball around, displaying the court awareness of someone who had played with and against veterans &mdash; which Sochan had, of course, in Poland.
"He has a great understanding of how to play for a kid [who's] 18 years old &mdash; like, really understands offense, how to move the ball and make the next pass, and do it in limited dribbles," Peterson said.
"He plays like a pro. I mean, he plays like a guy that's 10 years older than his age."
If a teammate withheld a pass, Sochan wasn't afraid to call him out or ask the coaches about the play afterward.&nbsp;
"Occasionally he'd go, 'Hey, come on, man. Let's move the ball.' You would expect a senior to be saying that, not a freshman," Peterson said. "He has that instinct about him to feel that and help that happen on the floor."
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Along with his quick processing on offense, Sochan's defensive toughness and versatility have not just pushed back on his European stereotypes &mdash; they've become hallmarks of his game and a sales pitch as a prospect. BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock remembers watching Sochan on Jan. 29 against Alabama, when the forward posted 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals for the Bears.&nbsp;
"During that game, Sochan displayed his defensive versatility and potential," Babcock said. "He also showed flashes as a player that could stretch the floor and be an effective slasher."
Sochan has steadily risen on draft boards throughout the spring; Babcock most recently slotted him in at No. 15 overall to the Charlotte Hornets in his latest <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/nba-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com NBA Mock Draft.</a>&nbsp;Babcock said that the lottery is definitely within reach for Sochan, and that he likely won't stick around past the teens of the draft order. He noted that, in addition to wielding an archetype built for today's NBA, Sochan carries a journey that should favorably position him for the professional lifestyle.
"Similar to the advantages that experiences on the court create, off-the-court experiences also provide learning opportunities. It's all a part of growing up, and from the sounds of it, Sochan has seen and done a lot, which I think will help him transition to the NBA," Babcock said.
Peterson believes that playing for five programs in five years doesn't just help Sochan on the court; it also teaches him how different team cultures can each be uniquely successful.
"If you work at IBM, and everybody in IBM wears a suit and coat and a tie, and then you move and you go work for a grocery store chain [like] Kroger, H-E-B or whatever, and everybody there just wears a polo shirt and nice slacks, you're not going to keep wearing suits when you go work at Kroger or you're gonna look like an idiot," Peterson said. "That's not the culture they have. You have to adjust somewhat to what their culture is and what their program's about. And he's had to do that five different times."
The NBA has a small but noteworthy history of English and Polish talent. James Donaldson, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Michael Olowokandi and OG Anunoby are players with English ties who have played over 300 games in the league. Marcin Gortat is the lone Poland native with over 100 appearances.
Sochan aims to be a beacon for both countries.
"I think it's really exciting," he said. "I think it's a great opportunity for me, personally, to connect these communities to the NBA again."
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Jeremy Sochan speaks with Ethan Fuller about his twisting, turning, worldwide basketball journey heading into the 2022 NBA Draft.

Jeremy Sochan, a 'citizen of the world,' sets course for the NBA

This past week, the Tampa Bay Pro Combine was held in Wesley Chapel, Florida, hosting 36 draft-eligible prospects, 24 of which had an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of NBA scouts. BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock also serves as executive director of the combine.
Last year, Darryl Hepburn launched the inaugural Tampa Bay Pro Combine. The event proved to be a success as we saw four participants play in the NBA in their rookie seasons: Terry Taylor (Indiana Pacers), Brandon Williams (Portland Trail Blazers), Micah Potter (Detroit Pistons) and Jordan Goodwin (Washington Wizards).
Thanks to title sponsor Florida's Sports Coast, Adam Thomas and Consuelo Sanchez, the event returned for a second year with hopes of helping more players find success as they transition from college to the pros. Last Friday, we wrapped up the event. Here is a recap of the 2022 Tampa Bay Pro Combine:
Arrival
Last year, we had nearly 50 players come to the Tampa Bay Pro Combine. However, we decided to change things this time around, bringing in a smaller group &mdash; 24 draft-eligible prospects &mdash; to participate in two days of simulated pre-draft workouts. Another big difference was that the workouts would be in front of NBA scouts and executives this year. We also welcomed 12 additional prospects to participate in some workouts and games. All in all, we had 36 players visit Tampa.&nbsp;
As we prepared our list of potential invites, we looked to put together a talented group of players with pro-potential, primarily fourth- and fifth-year seniors coming out of college who would be eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft. We targeted players from all over the country. We brought players to Tampa from various schools, including Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, Houston, Kansas State, Kentucky, Oregon, Providence, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Washington State, West Virginia and more.
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Ready to get going - Let&rsquo;s run it. 🏀🏁<a href="https://twitter.com/deemintz1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@deemintz1</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/_davwarr3n?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_davwarr3n</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/BallForever_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BallForever_</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/fulkerson_john?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fulkerson_john</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/AbuKigab?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AbuKigab</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/JericoleHellems?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JericoleHellems</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/Mark_Smith_13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mark_Smith_13</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TampaBayProCombine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TampaBayProCombine</a> <a href="https://t.co/5z7XKUqMiS">pic.twitter.com/5z7XKUqMiS</a>
&mdash; Tampa Bay Pro Combine (@_TBPC) <a href="https://twitter.com/_TBPC/status/1518974087460184065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The players arrived throughout the day on April 25, and we arranged rides to our event hotel, the brand new Residence Inn in Wesley Chapel. We provided them with Adidas gear and had dinner before going to our rooms. A good night's sleep was in order as the next two days were important since the players would be showcasing their talents in front of NBA scouts. A lot was on the line!
NBA Sessions
The next day, April 26, NBA scouts from a wide variety of teams arrived at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus and sat along the sideline as trainers from Yo Murphy Performance warmed up the players for our first "NBA session." Shortly after, Coach Bob MacKinnon had the players and our staff huddle up, shouting out his signature "1, 2, 3&hellip; hard work!" before we broke off for the first workout.
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That day, the first group of six players started things off right. You could feel the intensity in the gym immediately. It was clear that the players and coaches were there with a purpose. After a series of shooting drills and skill work, MacKinnon directed the group as they transitioned into competitive play, starting with 1-on-1 and finishing with 3-on-3. I don't think there is any denying that the workout was challenging and competitive. The remaining groups matched the same level of competitiveness over the two days.

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As executive director of the Tampa Bay Pro Combine, I'm responsible for inviting the players and convincing them to come. All of the young men that came to Tampa trusted me when I told them that we were putting together a platform that would help them gain exposure as they pursued their dream of playing professional basketball. Being able to contribute to helping them get closer to accomplishing their goals is beyond rewarding for me.
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Many players helped themselves those first two days, including Michael Flowers from Washington State, Noah Horchler from Providence, Nate Johnson from Xavier and Davion Warren from Texas Tech, just to name a few.
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Three-Point Shootout
After a couple of intense days working out in front of NBA teams, we put together an optional workout on April 28, which was light, and then former NBA player Shelden Williams interviewed a number of the guys throughout the day for BasketballNews.com.
In the afternoon, we gave guys plenty of time to relax, with many of them even taking advantage of Tampa's beautiful weather by lounging at the pool of the Residence Inn and enjoying the sunshine. Later that night, we had some fun. The facility hosted a local high school All-Star game and had one of our players, Taze Moore from the University of Houston, do some dunks at halftime &mdash; he put on a show!
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To finish up the night, we held a Three-Point Shootout. The participants included Jalen Adaway (St. Bonaventure), Michael Flowers (Washington State), Noah Horchler (Providence), Nate Johnson (Xavier), Davion Mintz (Kentucky), and Cole VonHandorf (Fairmont State). Mintz started hot in the first round, but it wasn't enough as Flowers ultimately won the shootout.
Double-Header
Our last session on the court was on April 29, with some 5-on-5 play. We had three-time NBA champion and current BasketballNews.com writer and podcaster James Posey and former college standout player at Arizona and South Florida Jesus Verdejo coach the teams in both games.&nbsp;
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The first game was competitive from start to finish, ultimately seeing Team 1 win over Team 2, 100-92. Davion Mintz and Davion Warren led Team 2 in scoring with 24 and 22 points, respectively. Team 1's Amadou Sow won game MVP, scoring 26 points and grabbing an impressive 12 rebounds.
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Team 3 started fast on Team 4 in the second game, leading 26-11 after the first quarter. Kalob Ledoux and Ronaldo Segu led Team 4 in scoring, with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Meanwhile, West Virginia's Malik Curry scored 24 points, earning himself MVP honors.
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Thank You, and Good Luck
To cap off the week, our title sponsor, Florida's Sports Coast, and their manager, Consuelo Sanchez, hosted our entire group at Chuck Lager in Wesley Chapel for dinner to celebrate the successful week before everyone flew back home the following day.
That's another year in the books for the Tampa Bay Pro Combine. As our players set out to make the next steps in the pre-draft process and their respective careers, I'd like to wish everyone the best and thank them for allowing us to play a small part in their journey. Thank you to all of our staff and partners who worked so hard to make this past week happen!
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BasketballNews.com's Senior NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock shares an outlined recap of the 2022 Tampa Bay Pro Combine.

Recapping the 2022 Tampa Bay Pro Combine

ESPN&rsquo;s Baxter Holmes dropped a bombshell report on Thursday morning revolving around Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver. According to <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/unpacking-espns-damning-allegations-against-suns-owner-robert-sarver" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over 70 people that Holmes spoke to for this investigative deep dive</a> into the culture in Phoenix since he purchased the team in 2004, racism and misogyny have been the main themes of Sarver's time with the organization.
Ten hours later, the Suns had to play a home game at the Footprint Center against the Houston Rockets. Phoenix eventually pulled off the 123-111 victory, but it was obvious this looming situation impacted the team early on, as they trailed at halftime to the young and inexperienced Rockets.
Phoenix media was able to hear from the Suns' three key pillars in response to the Sarver report, which included head coach Monty Williams and the backcourt duo of Devin Booker and Chris Paul.
When asked about it pre-game, Williams didn&rsquo;t hold back on how it&rsquo;s an uncomfortable feeling to shake right now.
&ldquo;My reaction is a lot to process,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s so many things there, and for me, it&rsquo;s still not clear as far as the facts are concerned. As someone who is a caretaker of the program, I find all of these things that are being said serious in nature. And these allegations are sensitive, [that] is an understatement. At the same time, they&rsquo;re just not clear yet. An article was written, many opinions were shared, many feelings were shared, but all of it happened before I was here. Based on what little you all know about me, if any of that stuff happened while I was here, I wouldn&rsquo;t be in this seat.&rdquo;
Williams shared that the damning report on Sarver broke in the middle of the team's coaching staff meeting. Right afterwards, the Suns went into shootaround preparing for Houston. It&rsquo;s hard to fathom, but it&rsquo;s the hand the Suns&rsquo; roster was dealt as a new cloud hangs over the organization after an awe-inspiring NBA Finals run last season.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s hard to navigate all of that stuff when you get the article [at] 9 o&rsquo;clock in the morning in the middle of a coaches meeting and you&rsquo;re leading a group, so it&rsquo;s just been a lot to process,&rdquo; Williams said.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just not good. If any of these situations &mdash; the situation in L.A. was clear and true. We heard. This one is different. There&rsquo;s two sides talking about things that may have happened. I&rsquo;m sensitive to both. Until the facts are clear, I have to be.&rdquo;
A familiar theme throughout the night when asked, Williams wanted to wait to delve further into the report until NNBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league&rsquo;s investigation into the work environment run by Sarver concludes.
&ldquo;Yeah, that has to be the process I believe,&rdquo; Williams said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll know more obviously once that is, again, settled."
Having to pivot to leading a team with championship aspirations forward out of this PR mess, Williams is maybe the perfect coach for this situation. Having the pulse on the locker room with complete trust from everyone on all levels, Williams will need to navigate these uncomfortable waters while trying to push the Suns out of a slower start to the regular season than expected. It&rsquo;s a challenge Williams is willing to take on, and he has to keep the eye of the storm outside of their peripherals.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not the most eloquent guy, and I know that I speak from the heart at times and that can get me in trouble, but I&rsquo;d rather do that and people know exactly where I&rsquo;m coming from then to have them guess,&rdquo; Williams, the always straight-shooter, echoed on Thursday night. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;m okay, I get to coach basketball. At the same time, I&rsquo;m aware that these allegations are serious, I can&rsquo;t say that enough.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a lot to process.&rdquo; Suns coach Monty Williams on the Robert Sarver allegations. <a href="https://t.co/Pjp0zXbqpk">pic.twitter.com/Pjp0zXbqpk</a>
&mdash; Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooSports/status/1456456305984491525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2021</a></blockquote>

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As one key leadership piece on the Suns digests the news individually, players face the same circumstances as well. Booker, who is in his seventh season at age-25, has seen almost everything the Suns&rsquo; chaotic environment has had to offer. Having had five head coaches and two general managers already in his career, Booker is finally enjoying the perks of organizational stability. Now, this report on Sarver throws a new wrench into his already topsy-turvy rollercoaster ride of experiences in the Valley.
&ldquo;I wasn&rsquo;t aware of the situation, and in my seven years I&rsquo;ve been here I haven&rsquo;t noticed that, but that doesn&rsquo;t make me insensitive to the subject,&rdquo; Booker said after the Suns&rsquo; win when asked about Sarver&rsquo;s allegations. &ldquo;I think the NBA opened an investigation, and they are going to do their due diligence of bringing out facts instead of 'he said, she said.' I&rsquo;m sure the NBA has it in good hands and will do the proper research to find out the truth.&rdquo;
Early on in Booker&rsquo;s career, Earl Watson was a guiding voice to help him break into the NBA&rsquo;s star tier. Without Watson empowering Booker with the ultimate green light, he wouldn't have&rsquo;t hit the national stage scoring 70 points against the Boston Celtics while only being 20 years old. Booker also viewed Watson as a well-thought leader who brought the best out of him on a nightly basis. Watson, who spoke on the record in <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/suns-owner-robert-sarver-accused-of-racism-and-misogyny" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's blockbuster story</a>, is someone Booker believes 100 percent. And it&rsquo;s no different here when he read what his former coach had to say about his team&rsquo;s top figurehead.
&ldquo;Earl? Yeah, that&rsquo;s my guy,&rdquo; Booker echoed when asked about whether he believed in Watson&rsquo;s stories share with Holmes.
Paul is the new star in town, but he&rsquo;s been around the proverbial block in the Association. When he was with the Los Angeles Clippers, he saw firsthand the damage done during the Donald Sterling investigations, where he was quickly removed from his ownership post. Is deja vu occurring for Paul in Phoenix? Paul didn&rsquo;t divulge much details, but he shared the same feelings on the fluid situation as Booker.
&ldquo;I think, right now, like Book said, we&rsquo;re not insensitive to everything that was said or whatnot but we don&rsquo;t know all the details,&rdquo; Paul said. &ldquo;So, the NBA will do its investigation and in that time, all of us on our team will continue to play and do what we do.&rdquo;
This was the last thing the Suns wanted to worry about, as they try to build off of their first playoff appearance in 11 years, one which culminated in a magical deep playoff run. It&rsquo;s a distraction that will hang over the team for days, weeks or potentially months ahead as the NBA does its own digging into the severe allegations pressed upon Sarver by many former and current Suns employees.
Luckily for Phoenix, the trio of Williams, Booker and Paul is as strong as one comes as it relates to competitiveness and keeping their eyes on the ultimate prize. The Suns will continue to march onward, but it&rsquo;s now a delicate bridge that has some cracks in the foundation. Whatever happens next, it will not only send shockwaves through the entire NBA community, but also the Suns&rsquo; strongly-built roster from top to bottom.

Three important pieces to the Suns organizational puzzle provided their early thoughts on the Robert Sarver situation.

Suns roster reacts to shocking report on owner Robert Sarver

After two weeks of anticipation, ESPN&rsquo;s Baxter Holmes <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32440987/phoenix-suns-robert-sarver-allegations-racism-misogyny" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released a damning story</a> that accuses Phoenix Suns majority owner Robert Sarver of racism and misogyny. Holmes spoke to more than 70 people, including current and former Suns employees. Earl Watson, the Suns&rsquo; head coach from the middle of the 2015-16 season until the beginning of the 2017-18 campaign, also spoke on-record for this investigative piece.
This story sent shockwaves around Phoenix and the NBA, as it has spawned a league investigation into Sarver and the Suns. While Sarver and the Suns denied the allegations, this situations calls to mind what happened with former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was forced to sell the team after his racist comments came to light.
Holmes&rsquo; story features many different anecdotes about Sarver. After the Suns&rsquo; 106-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 30, 2016, Sarver reportedly went into the locker room and mentioned Draymond Green and a racial slur in the same breath.
&ldquo;You know, why does Draymond Green get to run up the court and say (n-word)?" Sarver asked.
Watson fired back immediately, telling Sarver that he can't say that word as a white man. Sarver then repeated the word several times in a row before asking Watson why he can&rsquo;t say it, because Green did.
This deep dive attempts to explore the potential deep-rooted issues that have surfaced within the Suns&rsquo; organization since Sarver took over in 2004. The piece features other allegations of racism, as well as misogyny and creating a toxic workplace environment.
For example, the report also claims that Sarver explained his decision to hire Lindsey Hunter over Suns legend Dan Majerle as the team's head coach in 2013 because "these (n-words) need a (n-word)" and someone who could "speak their language."
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Watson, again on the record, also gave another example about how Sarver was against diversity within his organization from a conversation in 2016. Sarver reportedly mentioned how having a diverse staff of people could make it hard for a consensus to agree.
James Jones, the Suns&rsquo; current GM, responded to Holmes through Sarver&rsquo;s attorneys: &ldquo;On multiple occasions, I observed Earl engage in behavior and use language that was extremely unprofessional and offensive. That does not align with who we are."
Other Suns co-owners off-the-record told Holmes that they are embarrassed by Sarver&rsquo;s actions over the years. Some within the organization also see this story being released as an opportunity to &ldquo;right the ship,&rdquo; as ESPN&rsquo;s Adrian Wojnarowksi and Holmes <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32551930/nba-launches-investigation-phoenix-suns-owner-robert-sarver-racism-sexism-claims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported in a follow-up story</a> on Thursday afternoon hours after the initial article was published.
Now that these claims are public, it puts a severe damper on the Suns&rsquo; organizational reputation that they&rsquo;ve spent years trying to rebuild with head coach Monty Williams and GM Jones. Instead of talking about the on-court product of a team who made history last season, making the NBA Finals after an 11-year playoff drought, the focus now shifts to Sarver and the NBA's investigation.
&ldquo;The allegations contained in today&rsquo;s ESPN article are extremely serious, and we have directed the Wachtell Lipton law firm to commence a comprehensive investigation," NBA executive vice president of communications Mike Bass said in a statement. "The NBA and WNBA remain committed to providing a respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees. Once the investigation is completed, its findings will provide the basis for any league action.&rdquo;&nbsp;
To combat ESPN&rsquo;s story, Sarver hired a law firm to fight these demoralizing accusations against he and the organization. Over the past few weeks (since word of this story first leaked), Phoenix has gone out of it&rsquo;s way to release multiple PR statements from Suns brass saying these reports are undoubtedly incorrect.
Sarver and his attorney&rsquo;s vehemently denied all of these allegations laid out by Holmes. Also, a few hours after the story&rsquo;s release, Sarver put out this statement through Suns PR:
&ldquo;I continue to be shocked by the false reporting from Baxter Holmes. While there is so much that is inaccurate and misleading in this story that I hardly know where to begin, let me be clear: The n-word is not part of my vocabulary. I have never called anyone or any group of people the n-word, or referred to anyone or any group of people by that word, either verbally or in writing. I don&rsquo;t use that word. It is abhorrent and ugly and denigrating and against everything I believe in. The way I lead my personal and professional life makes that clear. Instead of reporting the truth, Holmes&rsquo; story is based on misrepresentations from former Suns coach Earl Watson and other unnamed 'sources.' Mr. Watson created an unprofessional and toxic atmosphere in our organization. He is clearly not a credible source. Despite hearing from witness after witness that disputed Mr. Watson&rsquo;s stories, Mr. Holmes completely disregarded the truth here. Now we are in the position of trying to disprove things that did not happen.
&ldquo;At this point, I would entirely welcome an impartial NBA investigation which may prove our only outlet for clearing my name and the reputation of an organization of which I&rsquo;m so very proud.&rdquo;
<div class="mceNonEditable"><spike>&nbsp;</spike></div>
Watson, now an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors, also released his own statement after Sarver called into question his credibility:
&ldquo;I am not interested in engaging with an ongoing battle of fact. Instead, I want to applaud the courage of the number of players, executives, and staffers for fighting toxic environments of racial insensitivity, sexual harassment, and micro-aggressions with their truth. Basketball and 17 years in the NBA has allowed me the financial privilege to speak my truth, but we can&rsquo;t forget about those who must remain silent for fears of losing their jobs. While our fortitude assists with the progress, there is still more work to be done in the name of equality, and I believe that one of the strengths of our league is it&rsquo;s ongoing commitment to justice. This has been a traumatic experience, one that has affected me profoundly, and I am not willing to relive it every day. But I will not forget it, and I will it address it more fulsomely at a point int he future when I feel ready.&rdquo;
Within the back-and-forth battle, multiple former Suns players and staffers have come out to defend Sarver. Most notably, <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a>'s own Rex Chapman, a former Suns player and current team ambassador, former Suns GM and current Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, and former Suns executive Lon Babby have put out statements regarding this situation.
Chapman (via <a href="https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1456363242742239233" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>): &ldquo;I read the article on Robert Sarver. Want to say that I&rsquo;ve known Robert for nearly twenty years. Since he bought the Suns. He&rsquo;s highly competitive. He can be tough. Even abrasive at times. He&rsquo;s unique. He&rsquo;s had his growing-pains as an owner. But the Robert Sarver I know is not a racist. I couldn&rsquo;t and wouldn&rsquo;t put up with it. The people he&rsquo;s hired with Suns and Mercury over the past two decades have been amazingly diverse.&rdquo;
Kerr: &ldquo;I never saw anything that suggested racism or misogyny, and I was very surprised to hear those allegations because that&rsquo;s not the person I know.&rdquo;
Babby: &ldquo;Robert is surely a demanding, and, at times, difficult to manager to work for. But I can tell you as assuredly that he is not in any way shape or form a racist or guilty of any kind of sexual harassment or mistreatment of women.&rdquo;
Jones, the NBA's 2020-21 Executive of the Year, released a statement through Suns PR two weeks ago on the forthcoming story: "None of what&rsquo;s been said describes the Robert Sarver I know, respect and like &mdash; it just doesn&rsquo;t.&rdquo;
There are many other allegations laid out in Holmes&rsquo; story against Sarver, including claims that he interfered with coaches&rsquo; game plans and made lewd comments about his and players' sex lives.
The story will certainly reverberate throughout the Association, as the NBA officially launched their investigation into Sarver and the Suns on Thursday. Stay tuned to <a href="http://BasketballNews.com">BasketballNews.com</a> for all the latest on the situation, plus Holmes&rsquo; story can be read in full <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32440987/phoenix-suns-robert-sarver-allegations-racism-misogyny" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

What were the biggest takeaways from ESPN's piece on Suns owner Robert Sarver, and what happens next for all of the parties involved?

Unpacking ESPN's damning allegations against Suns owner Robert Sarver

These days, nearly every NBA star has an Instagram account &mdash; aside from a few exceptions such as Kawhi Leonard and Nikola Jokic. Monitoring each player&rsquo;s following (and whether it&rsquo;s increasing or decreasing) is an interesting way to track their popularity and relevance.&nbsp;
<a href="https://manyspins.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ManySpins.com</a> did a recent study to find out which professional athletes have added the most followers this year. They plugged hundreds of athlete accounts into <a href="https://socialblade.com/instagram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Social Blade&rsquo;s</a> gained-followers tool and tracked how their following has changed since Jan. 1, 2021.&nbsp;
Some players gained a ton of followers, while others have fewer followers than when 2021 began. After filtering out the non-NBA athletes in the study, here&rsquo;s a look at which NBA players have gained the most Instagram followers so far this year and who had the biggest percentage increase in folllowers:
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 96.39%; height: 418px;" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">PLAYER</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">FOLLOWER INCREASE</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; text-align: center; height: 22px;">PERCENTAGE INCREASE</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">LeBron James</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">25,376,750</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">25%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Stephen Curry</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">4,104,774</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">13%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Giannis Antetokounmpo</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2,039,709</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">23%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Russell Westbrook</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">2,000,831</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">13%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Klay Thompson</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1,564,736</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">19%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Kyrie Irving</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1,047,997</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">7%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">LaMelo Ball&nbsp;</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1,030,957</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">17%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Damian Lillard</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">807,452</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">9%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Luka Doncic</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">690,347</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">13%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">630,340</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">6%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Kevin Durant</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">549,216</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">5%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Joel Embiid</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">530,947</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">12%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">James Harden</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">501,406</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">5%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Ben Simmons</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">364,480</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">7%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Jimmy Butler</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">287,076</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">5%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Anthony Davis</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">206,762</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">3%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Bradley Beal</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">196,320</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">16%</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 22px;">
<td style="width: 36.7277%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">Paul George</td>
<td style="width: 27.5573%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">124,962</td>
<td style="width: 30.2545%; height: 22px; text-align: center;">1%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
- This year, LeBron James' account has grown the most based on followers added (25,376,750) and percentage increase (25%) &mdash; even though he was already the most-followed NBA player by a wide margin. James started the year with 74,632,713 followers and now he's at 100,009,463. LeBron has the 31st-largest IG following; he's ahead of celebrities such as Drake, Billie Eilish and Chris Brown. James has more followers than the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and MLS combined (as noted by <a href="https://twitter.com/FOS/status/1445856639807074308" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FOS</a>).
- Stephen Curry has the second-largest account among NBA players with 36,731,331 followers. (That is 63,278,132 fewer than James). Since Jan. 1, 2021, Curry has added the second-most followers (4,104,774), which is a 13% increase.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo gained the third-most followers (2,039,709) and saw the second-largest percentage increase (23%), which is a nice boost after winning his first NBA championship.
- Several players who gained a lot of followers experienced a change of scenery over the last year, which likely isn't a coincidence. When Russell Westbrook joined the Los Angeles Lakers, he absolutely gained a ton of new followers. Westbrook (+2,000,831), LaMelo Ball (+1,030,957), Chris Paul (+630,340) and James Harden (+501,406) all cracked the top-15 after joining a new team.
- Considering Klay Thompson has missed back-to-back seasons due to injuries (a torn ACL and Achilles) and hasn&rsquo;t played an NBA game since June 13, 2019, it&rsquo;s pretty surprising that he added the fifth-most followers (1,564,736) and had the third-largest percentage increase (19%). However, he&rsquo;s beloved among NBA fans in large part due to his laid-back personality, so it does make sense.
- Interestingly, Zion Williamson has actually lost 110,720 followers so far this year. He had 5,082,675 followers as of Jan. 1, 2021, but he&rsquo;s currently at just 4,971,955. It&rsquo;s unclear why he's lost so many followers over the last nine months; it's possible that a lot of bots were following his account and they've since been deleted.&nbsp;
- Bradley Beal earned some new fans after averaging a career-high 31.3 points last season, as his following grew by 16% (from 1,221,167 to 1,417,487). The fact that Beal consistently surfaced in trade rumors over the last year probably helped his numbers since many different fan bases likely followed as they hoped for a trade and analyzed every caption. Damian Lillard (+807,452), James Harden (+501,406) and Ben Simmons (+364,480) likely got a boost from their trade rumors too.
- It&rsquo;s impressive that LaMelo Ball cracked this list as a 20-year-old rookie, adding 1,030,957 followers for a 17% increase. Prior to entering the NBA, he already had many followers since he&rsquo;s been in the spotlight for a while, but he solidified himself as a household name in 2021.
- Among all professional athletes tracked in this study, Cristiano Ronaldo saw his Instagram following increase the most, adding 103,308,517 followers this year. He now has a whopping 353,403,553 followers, which is the second-largest IG following (behind only Instagram's own account). Ronaldo gained more followers over the last nine months (103,308,517) than LeBron has accumulated in nearly a decade.
- The only teams with multiple players on this list are the Los Angeles Lakers (LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis), Brooklyn Nets (Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden), Golden State Warriors (Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson) and Philadelphia 76ers (Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons).&nbsp;
Whether it&rsquo;s with their outstanding play, lovable personality, change of scenery or something else entirely, it&rsquo;ll be interesting to see which players are able to win over fans and gain followers throughout the 2021-22 NBA season.
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-most-trolls-trolled-negative-tweets-study-rumors-twitter-positive-mentions-stephen-curry-lebron-james-carmelo-anthony-joel-embiid-russell-westbrook-kevin-durant-kyrie-irving-klay-thompson-kevin-love" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Which players receive the most negative tweets? Who gets the most positive tweets? Check out this other study that tracked NBA players&rsquo; mentions over the course of four months.</a>

These days, nearly every NBA star is on Instagram. A new study tracked which players added the most followers since Jan. 1, 2021.

Which NBA players have gained the most Instagram followers this year?

The world's best professional athletes can earn hundreds of millions of dollars for their elite talents. With this comes the opportunity to have a luxurious lifestyle, and supercars may be some of the coolest flexes out there.
A study from <a href="http://www.ManySpins.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ManySpins.com</a> sought to estimate the most expensive car collections among pro athletes around the world.
"ManySpins.com analyzed <a href="https://www.forbes.com/athletes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.forbes.com/athletes/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1631971421396000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGAISRIhOGZdjAGbcQKuQ6EI2EDdA">Forbes&rsquo; 2021</a> list of the world&rsquo;s 50 highest-paid athletes, investigating several reports into the number and value of cars these athletes have amassed with their enormous wealth," he study reads. "They then scoured the internet to find out which car brands and models each athlete owns alongside their estimated worth. Ultimately, this allowed ManySpins.com to rank the most expensive car collection of the best-paid athletes in 2021."
According to the study, global soccer star Lionel Messi has the most expensive car collection of any professional athlete, worth an estimated $38,873,313. However, the bulk of his 13-vehicle value comes from a single car: a Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti that he bought for over $34 million.
Brooklyn Nets centerpiece Kevin Durant owns the most expensive car collection among NBA players. His eight-vehicle entourage is worth an estimated $4,369,741. It includes a 1966 Ford GT40, which has a ballpark value of around $2.5 million. Durant ranks eighth among all athletes included in the study.
LeBron James slots in at second among basketball stars and 11th among world athletes, with a collection valued at $2,798,824. His eight cars are headlined by a Lamborghini Aventador Roadster and a Rolls-Royce Phantom.&nbsp;
James Harden ($815,702), Stephen Curry ($782,277) and Anthony Davis ($710,900) round out the top-five basketball player collections. Kyrie Irving ($661,792), Russell Westbrook ($601,053), Damian Lillard ($518,915) and Klay Thompson ($511,636) also have collections estimated to be worth over $500,000.&nbsp;
Below is a table listing the top-10 most expensive collections among pro athletes:
<table style="width: 69.5567%;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
Rank
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Athlete
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Sport
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
No. of Cars
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
Est. Total Value ($)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
1
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Lionel Messi
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Football
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
13
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$38,873,313
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
2
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Cristiano Ronaldo
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Football
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
19
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$24,929,239
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
3
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Lewis Hamilton
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Motor Racing
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
9
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$17,084,400
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
4
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Saul &lsquo;Canelo&rsquo; Alvarez
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Boxing
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
22
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
<a name="m_5051585228983048241_m_5399777449911796738__Hlk82093946"></a>$17,004,264
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
5
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Neymar
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Football
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
9
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$16,271,392
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
6
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Max Verstappen
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Motor Racing
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
10
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$5,514,678
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
7
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Tom Brady
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
American Football
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
10
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$4,619,790
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
8
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Kevin Durant
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Basketball
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
8
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$4,369,741
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
9
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Conor McGregor
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
MMA/Boxing
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
13
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$3,753,914
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 5.12442%;">
10
</td>
<td style="width: 22.2214%;">
Paul Pogba
</td>
<td style="width: 17.657%;">
Football
</td>
<td style="width: 16.8235%;">
8
</td>
<td style="width: 26.9958%;">
$3,144,537
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Listed here is the methodology for the study:
<ol>
<li><a href="https://manyspins.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://manyspins.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1631971421396000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFKzGARRIH4tSNVKZzxV1jC4Pu9vA">ManySpins.com</a> sought to determine the current highest-paid athletes in 2021&rsquo;s most expensive car collection.</li>
<li>The list of athletes was sourced from <a href="https://www.forbes.com/athletes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.forbes.com/athletes/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1631971421397000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFr_vEBYJgEoEmj51xYELQE7fW5Tw">Forbes 2021</a> top 50 world&rsquo;s highest-paid athlete list.</li>
<li>The data for this study was completed by using several reports and extensive research but is not a confirmed or an official list. </li>
<li>Sources included: <a href="https://www.motorious.com/articles/features-3/tom-brady-car-collection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Motorious</a>, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/10725755/conor-mcgregor-car-collection-lamborghini-yacht/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-cristiano-ronaldos-24-million-car-collection-2021-5#its-not-only-supercars-in-ronaldos-collection-however-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider</a>, <a href="https://www.hotcars.com/heres-what-james-harden-drives/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hot Cars</a>, <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/auto/gallery/cristiano-ronaldos-car-collection-three-ferraris-a-bugatti-and-what-not/photos/680194/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Financial Express</a>, <a href="https://drivetribe.com/p/a-look-inside-conor-mcgregors-mega-JpHpNiGTS2eAM3waKH4LTw?iid=MrJ9GRIlToOpkWl7gW_FiA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DriveTribe</a>, <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/boxing-news-from-rolls-royce-ghost-to-bugatti-chiron-the-luxurious-car-collection-of-canelo-alvarez/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EssentiallySports</a>, <a href="https://racingnews365.com/lewis-hamiltons-incredible-car-collection-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RacingNews365</a>, <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1406210/lewis-hamilton-car-collection-supercar-pagani-zonda-mercedes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Express</a>, <a href="https://www.thegentlemanracer.com/2018/11/car-girl-naomi-osaka-and-her-gtr.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Gentleman Racer</a>, <a href="https://www.republicworld.com/sports-news/basketball-news/kevin-durants-170m-fortune-being-spent-on-investments-cars-charities.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RepublicWorld</a>, <a href="https://www.topgear.com.ph/features/feature-articles/saul-canelo-alvarez-car-collection-a958-20210430" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TopGear</a>, <a href="http://sports24.com.ng/mbappe-net-worth-houses-salary-cars-family/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sports24</a>, <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/chris-paul-net-worth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SportsKeeda</a>, <a href="https://www.wtfoot.com/nba/player/russell-westbrook/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wtfoot</a>, <a href="https://carcollectorsclub.com/an-inside-look-into-novak-djokovics-extravagant-car-collection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CarCollectorsClub</a>, <a href="https://www.sportszion.com/kyrie-irving-net-worth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sportszion</a>, <a href="https://networthmag.com/anthony-davis-net-worth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">networthmag</a>, <a href="https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/fan-park/update/andres-iniesta-s-car-collection/303871" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soccerladuma</a>, <a href="https://autojosh.com/neymar-most-expensive-car/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AutoJosh</a>, <a href="https://www.kickoff.com/lifestyle/categories/wheels/mohammed-salah-s-incredible-car-collection/702577" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KickOff</a>, <a href="https://www.insidesport.co/wimbledon-2021-roger-federer-and-his-luxurious-lifestyle-5-costliest-things-owned-by-the-tennis-superstar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">InsideSport</a>, <a href="https://thesportsgrail.com/list-of-the-most-expensive-and-luxurious-car-collection-owned-by-neymar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TheSportsGrail</a>, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/stephen-curry-incredible-and-expensive-car-collection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ClutchPoints</a>, <a href="https://21motoring.com/lionel-messi-car-collection-2021-inside-messi-garage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">21Motoring</a> and <a href="https://www.lifestyleasia.com/ind/gear/motoring/lionel-messi-car-collection-luxury-cars-fc-barca-net-worth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LifestyleAsia</a>.</li>
<li>Some of the cars in the study did not have a specific model attributed to the car, so the average value of the car was used.</li>
<li>Each athlete&rsquo;s total car collection value was calculated by adding up the estimated value of each individual car, allowing for a final ranking of most expensive to least.</li>
<li>10 athletes were excluded from the final study due to no reported information on their respective car collections (Dak Prescott, David Bakhtiari, Ronnie Stanley, Dustin Johnson, Myles Garrett, Leonard Williams, Jimmy Butler, Chris Jones, Matt Judon and J.J. Watt).</li>
<li>The currency was converted from GBP (&pound;) to USD ($) using&nbsp;<a href="https://www.xe.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.xe.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1631971421397000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGG1XmJALNv82q7dZJxPUMsxthACg">XE&rsquo;s</a>&nbsp;live currency converter.</li>
<li>The data was collected on 08/09/2021 and is accurate as of then but subject to change.</li>
</ol>

A study from ManySpins.com looked to find out which pro athletes have the most expensive car collection.

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