CHARLOTTE, N.C. — No matter how much you may love college basketball, and around here that can be a considerable amount, there is such a thing as too much of it.

Not games or rivalries or dunks or buzzer-beaters. Bring those on.

But no one needs basketball games that cruise past two hours and into the next broadcast window over and over ...Read more

NEW YORK — Josh Hart missed his second consecutive preseason game on Thursday, as the Knicks continue to err on the side of caution with the lingering combination of injury and illness that has clouded the start of his 2025-26 campaign.

Hart entered training camp recovering with a splint on his right ring finger, then suffered lower back ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James will miss the season opener with what the team said was a sciatica nerve injury on his right side, the team announced after practice Thursday. The Lakers said James will be re-evaluated in approximately three to four weeks and that further updates will be provided at that time.

James, who is ...Read more

NEW YORK — Giannis Antetokounmpo says he’s committed to the Milwaukee Bucks — for now.

The two-time MVP and 2021 NBA Finals MVP responded Wednesday to an ESPN report suggesting he would seek a trade to the Knicks if the Bucks failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

The report positioned New...Read more

Former Kansas Jayhawks basketball star and NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the California Highway Patrol.

TMZ was first to report the news. Pierce, 47, was found sleeping behind the wheel of his car in the middle of a Southern California freeway, the ...Read more

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Lakers announced on Thursday afternoon that LeBron James will be sidelined for at least 3-4 weeks because of nerve pain, meaning the 40-year-old star forward won’t be available for the start of the team’s 2025-26 season.

The team’s statement, which was released after practice concluded, said James will be ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A fan who spent hundreds of dollars for tickets to what he thought would be one of LeBron James' final NBA games is looking to recoup the money in small claims court after it turned out "The Second Decision" teased by the Lakers superstar had nothing to do with his retirement.

Norwalk, Calif., resident Andrew Garcia filed a ...Read more

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

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

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

Which is?

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

And the best ...Read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHILADELPHIA — Quentin Grimes was in a jovial mood.

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

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

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

...Read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pride.

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

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