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Posts tagged as “Lebron James”

Lakers takes 2 – 0 over Rockets lead by James, Smart and Kennard (101 – 94)

Another dominant performance from LeBron James, as the Lakers secured a 101โ€“94 victory over the Rockets in Game 2, extending their series lead to 2-0. Once again James flirted with a triple-double, racking up 28 points, 8rebounds, and 7 assists. Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard added 25 points and 23 points, respectively. Smart and Kennard also made a 8 of the 13 three-pointers of Lakers.

In the second quarter, Houston attempted a comeback fueled by Alperen ลžengรผn and Jabari Smith Jr., but their efforts were undermined by self-inflicted wounds. Kevin Durant struggled with a game-high nine turnovers, and their half-court execution was generally sloppy, preventing the Rockets from closing the gap in the final minutes.

The Lakers are still without Luka Doncic (strained hamstring) and Austin Reaves (strained oblique); this latest win will allow them to get more rest. The series now shifts to Houston for Game 3 this Friday, where the Rockets will face a must-win scenario to avoid a 0-3 deficit.

Game Highlights;

Kennard scores 27, LeBron leads Lakers to surprising 107-98 win over Rockets in playoff opener  

ESPN;

LOS ANGELES — โ€” Luke Kennard scored a career playoff-high 27 points, LeBron James had 19 points and 13 assists, and the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers capitalized on Kevin Durant’s injury absence for a 107-98 victory over the Houston Rockets in the opener of their first-round playoff series on Saturday night.

Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Lakers, who pulled off an impressive win without their top two scorers.

The absence of Luka Donฤiฤ‡ and Austin Reaves, have little to no affect at all with the Lakers, while the Rockets really needed KD in this game. Plus, Lebron James was vintage and was 2 rebounds aways for a triple-double.

Game 2 of the Lakers-Rockets series will be Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Game Highlights;

Luke Kennard

Lebron James

Warriors lost to Lakers lead by Lebron James (105 – 99)

The LA Lakers just gave the Warriors their 4th lost in 6 games. Lebron James lead the Lakers with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists, followed by Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves, who added 18 points and 16 points, respectively. This will be Lakers 3rd straight win

The Warriors was without their leading scorer Steph Curry who was sidelined with a “right knee issue,” while the Lakers are without Deandre Ayton (knee) and Luka Doncic (mild hamstring strain).

LA will host the OKC while the Warriors be at the Bay against the Memphis Grizzlies, both games will be this Tuesday evening.

Official Photo of LeBron XXIII Signature Shoes

Nike release the official photo of Lebron’s latest signature shoes the LeBron XXIII, available in two color way the Uncharted and Miami Twice.

LeBron XXIII Uncharted

The LeBron XXIII Uncharted will be available this 3rd of October with a retail price of $210.00, while the LeBron XXIII Miami Twice and additional colorways will become available over the coming months.

Luka Donฤiฤ‡ signs three-year $165 Million extension with the Lakers

Great news for Laker fans, Luka Donฤiฤ‡ has signed the three-year $165 Million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. The extension includes a player option in the final year that will keep the Donฤiฤ‡ in L.A. until 2028.

NBA;

โ€œIโ€™m really grateful to the Lakers organization, my teammates and the fans for welcoming me and my family with so much support and kindness since day one,โ€ said Donฤiฤ‡. โ€œThis is an amazing organization, and I truly believe in what weโ€™re building together. Iโ€™m going to keep working as hard as I can to bring another championship to Los Angeles and to make Laker Nation proud. This is just the beginning. Iโ€™m excited for whatโ€™s ahead and to keep building something special with this team.”

Here’s the 14-min press conference with Luka Donฤiฤ‡ and Lakers’ President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Aside from locking Luka Donฤiฤ‡ and Lebron James staying with the Lakers for one more year after exercising his $52.6 million player option, Lakers will be the favorite to win this coming season as long as they sign the right role player to complement Luka and Lebron.

Lakers win their 8th straight against Knicks in OT (113 – 109)

Knicks lead almost the entire games but the Lakers made a run that forces the Knicks to dig deep to force an OT.

NY was lead by Jalen Brunson scoring 39 points and 10 assists, OG Anunoby added 20 points, while Josh Hart had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

But in the end Luka Doncic and Lebron James was too much for the NY, both Luka and Lebron combined for 63 points, 19 rebounds and 20 assists.

Here’s the 10 mins video from NBA on the last 6 mins of regulation and the entire OT.

Lebron James becomes the First Player in NBA History to score 50,000 Points

Lakers Lebron James just became the first NBA player to score 50K points, counting both regular season and playoffs.

Lebron James is one point shy of the 50k point entering the game and made history by making a 3-pointer on a Luka Doncic assists to build a 7-points Laker lead (13-6) with 8:34 remaining in the first quarter. James now has a total of 50,033 points and at the rate he is playing and producing, he could easily reach 55,000 points by the time he retires, which is still a big question mark at this point.

Kevin Durant is the next active player that has the most (combined) points with 35,225 points. If wants to reach 50K points, then KD needs to play 7 more seasons maintaining his current 26.9 points per game the whole time.

Lebron James’ 50k points may every well be one of the NBA record will NEVER be broken, including Wilt Chamberlain’s 50.4 PPG in a single season and also 100 points in a single game, John Stockton’s 15,806 assists and 3,265 steals, and Michael Jordan’s 10 scoring titles.

Luka lead the Lakers to win over Nuggets (123 – 100)

Luka Doncic lead the Lakers to finally break the Nuggets winning streak. Luka score a team high of 32 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura added a total of 69 points, scoring 25, 23, and 21 points, respectively.

The Lakers built a 14-point lead by the end of the 1st quarter, but the Nuggets cut it to just one point by the start of the 3rd. Then, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura led the Lakers to a 26-point lead.

The Nuggets lead by Aaron Gordon with 24 points, followed by 19 points by Jamal Murray and a triple-double 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists by Nikila Jokic.

The Lakers host the Mavericks, in a much anticipated match this Tuesday night and the Nuggets will visit Indiana on Monday evening.

Lakers lost to the Jazz in Luka’s Second game (119 – 131)

On the second game of Luka Doncic in a Laker uniform, the Los Angeles Laker lost to the Utah Jazz (119 – 131).

The Jazz led by Forward Lauri Markkanen scoring 32 points with 5 rebounds and a season-high three steals, Markkanen also made 6 three-points. Jordan Clarkson added 21 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Center Walker Kessler also punished the Lakers, who are without a legitimate center by grabbing 8 rebounds with 2 steals and 6 blocks, to add to his 16 points.

It was a close game in the first half but the Jazz started to pull away at the end of the 3rd qtr and maintained a sizable lead throughout the 4th qtr. Rui Hachimura led the Lakers with 19 points, followed by Lebron James with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, and Luka Doncic, playing his second game with just 16 points.

Dalton Knecht, who is playing back after his trade to the Hornets was rescinded, scored 10 points and Bronny James Jr. added 9 points but played mainly during garbage time.

Utah Jazz will host the LA Clippers this Thursday, while the Lakers will host the Charlotte Hornet on the 20th of Feb. after the All-Star break.

NBA announces All-Star Starters

We are just less than a month away from the NBA All-Star, as previously announced, the starters are composed of three frontcourt players and two guards from each conference have been named starters for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 16 at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Eastern Conference starters:

  • Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
  • Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
  • Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Western Conference starters:

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
  • Nikola Jokiฤ‡, Denver Nuggets
  • Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
  • LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

This is how the starters are determined;

Fans accounted for 50% of the vote to determine the NBA All-Star Game starters, while current NBA players and a media panel accounted for 25% each.

The reserves for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game will be revealed by the end the month. Seven players will be named for each conference: two guards, three frontcourt players and two additional players at any position. NBA head coaches will select the reserves.

After the reserves are announced, the 24 NBA All-Star selections will be divided evenly into three eight-player teams.

Today is Lebron James 40th Birthday!

In honor of LeBron’s 40th birthday, check out his top 40 career plays!

Depending on who you ask, he is considered one of the best to have ever played the game.

NBA OG’s – LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant

Over the summer, the legendary trio of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant teamed up for the first time, as members of the USA Basketball squad at the 2024 Olympics. During their Olympic run, they sat down in Lille, France for an exclusive conversation about how their careers have intertwined over the years, what they admire about each otherโ€™s games and their take on the next generation of NBA stars.

Arguably, 3 of Basketball’s Greatest Talents!

We may never see an NBA era like this!

Miami Heat routed the Lakers in a 41-point victory (134 – 93)

The Miami Heat asserted their dominance over the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, securing a resounding 134-93 victory at the Kaseya Center.

It was a basketball clinic by the Heat as they score over the Lakers at will and at the sametime manage to stop the Lakers offense that held the LA-based team to their lowest scoring output of the season.

The Heat’s offensive efficiency was on full display, as they recorded 52-of-90 (57.8%) field goal, making 24 three-points shot and dishing out 42 assists, setting a new franchise record. Tyler Herro led the Heat with a game-high 31 points, making 9 three-points, while Jimmy Butler added 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists.

On the defensive side, the Heat clamped down on the Lakers offense, forcing 13 turnovers, converting 18 points over those turnovers, and limiting their scoring opportunities by grabbing 52 rebounds. LeBron James lead the Lakers with 29 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell added 14 and 12 points, respectively, for the Lakers.

This is the worst lost by the Lakers this season and 6th loss in 8 games.

The Heat will host the Phoenix Suns on Friday, while the Lakers will close their four-game trip Atlanta, also this Friday evening.

Steph Curry name his All-Time Top 5 NBA players

In a video with Dude Perfect, GSW Superstar reveal his “all-time Top 5 NBA players”, which is considered a line-up that so great that no matter what era you put them, they will still come out on top.

Last year, his All-Time Top 5 NBA players are;

  • G – Magic Johnson
  • SG -Kobe Bryant
  • SF – Michael Jordan
  • PF – Tim Duncan
  • C – Shaquille Oโ€™Neal

This year, his All-Time Top 5 NBA players are;

  • G – Steph Curry
  • SG – Jordan
  • SF – LeBron James
  • PF – Tim Duncan
  • C – Shaq

Let’s dissect this for a moment;

At Point Guard, this replace Magic Johnson to himself, which understandable, since both Curry and Johnson are the two players contending for the Greatest Guard of All time.

Then on both the Shooting Guard and Small Forward, its interesting that removed Kobe and replace it with Michael Jordan, since Shooting Guard is the natural position of MJ and having Kobe and MJ on the same will more likely hurt the team more than anything else.

On Small Forward position, Curry listed Lebron James which is actually a no brainer, Lebron is considered second to MJ’s G.O.A.T. status, or if you’re a Lebron fan, you will surely consider Lebron number 1 in the G.O.A.T. conversation.

All in all, Curry’s new “All-Time Top 5 NBA players” are a collection of the “greatest” to have ever played the game, which is not a bad lineup no matter the era they play in.

You can watch the entirety of the video below;

Welcome to Overtime 48 STEPH CURRY EDITION!!! We meet up with Golden State Warrior legend Steph Curry for Cool Not Cool, Arena Golf, All Sports 3 Point Contest, and an exclusive one-on-one interview.

Lakers win over Kings behind James’ triple-double (131-127)

The LA Lakers remains undefeated with their win over the Sacramento Kings (131-127) under the newly minted Coach JJ Redick. Lebron James who had a triple-double, lead the team with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. Then followed by Anthony Davis with his 31 points and 9 rebounds.

The Lakers lead as many as many as 15 points, when the Kings cut the deficit to just 4 points by the end of the second qtr. The Kings even manage to build a 7-point lead in the 3rd quarter but it was James 16 point explosion in the 4th qtr that gave the Lakers the win.

Domantas Sabonis, who also had a triple-double, lead the Kings with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Deaaron Fox and Demar Derozan, scored 28 points and 23 points, respectively. Six players on both the Lakers and Kings, scored scored in double figures.

This will be Lebron James’ 114th triple-double in the regular season and 143rd for his whole career.

Lakers will visit the Suns on Monday, Oct 10th, to start their 5-game road trip, while the Kings will host the Trail Blazers, also this Monday night.

Los Angeles Lakers takes wins 1st game of the season against Minnesota Timberwolves (110 – 103)

It’s a historic night for the LA Lakers as they win their first game of the season.

First, there was Lebron and Bronny James, as the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA.

Then a dominant performance from Anthony Davis who scored a game high 36 points, 16 rebounds with 4 assists, a steal and 3 blocks. Followed by Rui Hachimura’s 18 points, 5 rebounds, an assist and 2 blocks. Lebron James added 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. As a team, the Lakers shot 44.2% from the field and even though they shot poorly from the 3-point line (5 of 30), the Lakers manage to build a 19 point lead to help them secure the win.

This is the first game that the Minnesota Timberwolves is playing without Karl-Anthony Towns and it shows, the team had a total of 16 turnovers versus 7 TO of the Lakers, then there’s 77 points-in-paint that they allowed. Anthony Edwards lead the Timberwolves with 27 points and 6 rebounds. Julius Randle and Donte Divincenzo scored a 16 points and 10 points, respectively.

Timberwolves will go to Sacramento on Thursday, while the Lakers will host Suns on Friday, 25th of October.

Here are some AD highlights;

Lakers Lebron and Bronny James, father-son duo share court for the first time

A historic moment in the NBA!

This was a pre-season game between the LA Lakers and Phoenix Suns. The Suns won the game (119 – 114), the elder James lead the game with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in just 16 mins of playing time, while the younger James played for 13 mins with 2 rebounds and 4 turnover.

Steph Curry lead Team USA in a come-from-behind win over Serbia, advances to the Finals of the Menโ€™s Olympic Basketball (95-91)

A Steph Curry exploding for 36 points, Lebron James triple-double and a 19-point game from Joel Embiid proved too much for Serbia to overcome, despite leading the game for the first three quarters (76-63). At one point, Serbia was ahead by as much as 17 points and seemed to be hitting every shot, especially from the 3-point line.

Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Serbian national team with 20 points, while Nikola Jokic added 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 11 assists. Aleksa Avramovic scored 15 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. However, as a team, they shot 38.5% from the 3-point line, especially in the final period when their shots started to miss.

As much offensive firepower as Team USA possessed, it was their defense that secured the win. Trailing by 13 points entering the fourth quarter, Team USA clamped down on Serbia, allowing just 15 points in the quarter after surrendering an average of 25.33 points in the first three quarters. Embiid and James made several stops that led to 9 fast-break points, and it was the bench players who helped turn the game around for the Americans.

Steph Curry led the team with 36 points and 8 rebounds, falling just one point short of tying Carmelo Anthony’s 37-point record at the 2012 London Olympics. LeBron James contributed 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, his second triple-double in the Olympics. The “crowd-favorite,” Joel Embiid, scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

Team USA will face Team France in the gold medal game this Saturday, August 10th, while Serbia will play Germany for the bronze medal.

Team USA Routs Serbia Behind Durant’s Near-Perfect Game (110-84)

Team USA routed Serbia in their first group game at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kevin Durant delivered a near-flawless performance with 23 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the field, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. LeBron James added 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists.

It was a basketball clinic by the Americans, firing on all cylinders. Offensively, they shot 62% from the field, made more than half of their 3-point attempts, and tallied 24 assists. On the defensive end, Team USA recorded 3 blocks, 9 steals, and 39 rebounds. The team also forced Serbia into 13 turnovers, converting 25 points from those turnovers.

Nikola Jokic led Serbia with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 14 points and 6 rebounds. Serbia kept the game close in the first half, but the Americans pulled away when Serbia’s outside shooting cooled down. They made only 9 of their 37 attempts from beyond the arc.

Team USA will have a rematch with South Sudan, while Serbia will face Puerto Rico on July 31st.

Team USA defeats Germany, sweeping the USA Basketball Showcase (92 – 88)

Team USA defeats Germany to remain undefeated in all of their 5 exhibition games. It was a close game down the stretch where the Germans were able to cut the 7-point USA lead to just a 3-point deficit (87-84) via Daniel Theis’ alley-oop.

But that’s when LeBron James went to work and scored the next 5 points for Team USA, giving them an 8-point cushion heading into the final 45 seconds of the game.

Like in the previous games, 39-year-old LeBron James carried Team USA with 20 points playing just 18 minutes. He also added 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Joel Embiid added 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, but more than his offensive contribution, he was a monster on the defensive end. His block on Issac Bonga led to a monster slam by Anthony Edwards.

Orlando Magic’s Franz Wagner led Germany with 17 points and 8 rebounds, while Andreas Obst added 17, including five 3-pointers.

โ€œI think we can get a lot better,โ€ U.S. Coach Steve Kerr said. โ€œWeโ€™re getting to a place now where we are comfortable with rotations and I think guys are getting familiar with each other. But we can do a lot of things better. I thought our passing was not great tonight. They put a lot of defensive pressure on us and we turned it over a few times. I think we can tighten up our game and get better.โ€

Game Highlights

Olympics Menโ€™s Basketball Schedule

Team USA is part of Group C of the 2024 Paris Olympics Menโ€™s Basketball Tournament Groupings and they will open the tournament against Serbia on Sunday (28th July), then have a rematch with South Sudan on July 31st, and their last game to wrap up group play will be against Puerto Rico on August 3rd.

Team USA Defeats South Sudan on Last-Second Layup by LeBron James (101 – 100)

In a game that will go down as a major upset alert, Team USA escaped with a narrow victory over a determined South Sudan team by a final score of 101 – 100. The win, secured on a buzzer-beating layup by LeBron James, exposed some vulnerabilities for the American squad and served as a wake-up call heading into the upcoming Olympic tournament.

South Sudan came out firing on all cylinders, surprising Team USA with their aggressive defense and hot shooting from beyond the arc. The young African nation connected on 14 of their 33 three-point attempts, keeping pace with a Team USA offense that struggled to find rhythm early on.

Despite boasting a star-studded roster, Team USA looked uncharacteristically sluggish throughout the contest. Their usually potent offense sputtered, connecting on only 7 of their 28 three-point attempts. LeBron James, however, remained a constant threat, finishing the game with a team-high 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. Followed by Anthony Davis’ double-double, scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds.

With the clock winding down and South Sudan leading by a point 100 – 99, the ball found its way into the hands of the veteran leader. James, showcasing his experience and clutch ability, drove to the basket and converted a contested layup just as the buzzer sounded, sending the American bench into a frenzy.

The win, will keep USA’s undefeated record in exhibition play but raises concerns about their overall performance. Coach Steve Kerr and the rest of the coaching staff will use this game as a teaching moment, emphasizing the importance of staying focus and keeping their defensive intensity as they gear up for the Olympic Group stage this 28th of July.

Team USA’s next and last exhibition game will be this Monday, 22nd of July, against the Germany, who is the current 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Champions. Serbia and South Sudan are grouped together with the United States and Puerto Rico in the 2024 Paris Olympics Menโ€™s Basketball Tournament Groupings.

Checkout some of the game highlights:

Full Game Highlights via @NBA;

Team USA narrowly escape Australia in an exhibition game in Abu Dhabi (98-82)

Team USA, composed of some of the greatest basketball players on the planet today, narrowly defeated the Australian National Team. Team USA led by as many as 24 points in the middle of the 3rd quarter (65-41), but the Australians went on a 20-11 run to cut the deficit to just 15 points (76-61) by the end of the period.

Then in the final quarter, Team USA struggled with their shots while the Australians made another run, closing the gap to just 6 points. It appeared the US National Team might lose, but Tyrese Haliburton hit two consecutive three-point shots to secure a 12-point lead, despite Team USA not scoring in almost 4 minutes.

The Australians weren’t finished, managing to cut the lead to just 4 points (90-94) with only 9 seconds remaining in the game.

Anthony Davis led the team with 17 points and 14 rebounds, followed by Devin Booker with 16 points and Anthony Edwards with 14. On the Australia national team, Jock Landale lead the team with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Josh Giddey chipped-in with his 17 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists.

Team USA had six players score in double digits, dominated the boards with 45 rebounds against Australia’s 40, and made 12 three-pointers compared to Australia’s 4. Since this is an exhibition game with no bearing on the Olympic standings, it’s the pride of the US basketball team that’s at stake in these matchups.

Team USA will face the Serbia National Team, led by Nikola Jokic, on July 17th at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Players who got drafted in the Second Round of the 2024 NBA Draft

The second round of the 2024 NBA Draft has concluded, making the entire 2024 NBA Draft complete. The second round went by rather quietly, with the biggest story being Bronny James being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. This marks a historic moment, as LeBron James and his eldest son, Bronny James, are now officially teammates.

Aside from Bronny, there were two other noteworthy storylines. First, Kyle Filipowski’s fall to the second round surprised many, as both agents and GMs projected him as a first-round pick. Second, Cam Spencer, drafted by the LA Clippers, joins his brother who was drafted by the LA Lakers two years ago.

Here’s the complete list of the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft;

  1. Raptors draft Jonathan Mogbo (San Francisco)
  2. Jazz draft Kyle Filipowski (Duke)
  3. Bucks draft Tyler Smith (G League Ignite)
  4. Trail Blazers draft Tyler Kolek (Marquette) โ€” Traded to Knicks
  5. Spurs draft Johnny Furphy (Kansas) โ€” Traded to Pacers
  6. Pacers draft Juan Nunez (Ratiopharm Ulm) โ€” Traded to Spurs
  7. Timberwolves draft Bobi Klintman (Cairns) โ€” Reportedly traded to Pistons
  8. Knicks draft Ajay Mitchell (UC Santa Barbara) โ€” Traded to Thunder
  9. Grizzlies draft Jaylen Wells (Washington State)
  10. Trail Blazers draft Oso Ighodaro (Marquette) โ€” Traded to Suns (via Knicks)
  11. 76ers draft Adem Bona (UCLA)
  12. Hornets draft KJ Simpson (Colorado)
  13. Heat draft Nikola Djurisic (KK Mega Basket) โ€” Traded to Hawks (via Heat)
  14. Rockets draft Pelle Larsson (Arizona) โ€” Traded to Heat (via Rockets)
  15. Kings draft Jamal Shead (Houston) โ€” Reportedly traded to Raptors
  16. Clippers draft Cam Christie (Minnesota)
  17. Magic draft Antonio Reeves (Kentucky) โ€” Traded to Pelicans
  18. Spurs draft Harrison Ingram (North Carolina)
  19. Pacers draft Tristen Newton (Connecticut)
  20. Pacers draft Enrique Freeman (Akron)
  21. Knicks draft Melvin Ajinca (Saint-Quentin Basketball) โ€” Traded to Mavericks
  22. Warriors draft Quinten Post (Boston College) โ€” Traded to Thunder, then to Blazers, then to Warriors
  23. Pistons draft Cam Spencer (Connecticut) โ€” Reportedly traded to Grizzlies (via Timberwolves)
  24. Celtics draft Anton Watson (Gonzaga)
  25. Lakers draft Bronny James (USC)
  26. Suns draft Kevin McCullar Jr. (Kansas) โ€” Traded to Knicks
  27. Grizzlies draft Ulrich Chomche (NBA Academy Africa) โ€” Reportedly traded to Raptors (via Timberwolves)
  28. Mavericks draft Ariel Hukporti (MHP Riesen) โ€” Traded to Knicks
  • Suns and 76ers each lost a 2024 Draft second-round pick due to League penalty.

Source: NBA

USA Basketball officially announced the 2024 USA Basketball Menโ€™s National Team

The USA Basketball has officially announced the 12-man roster of the 2024 USA Basketball Menโ€™s National Team for this year’s Summer Olympic bound for Paris. The team was selected by USA Basketball Menโ€™s National Team managing director Grant Hill and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.

  1. Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns)
  2. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
  3. Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
  4. Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
  5. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
  6. Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
  7. Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
  8. Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
  9. Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
  10. Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics)
  11. Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers)
  12. Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)

The 2024 USA Menโ€™s National Team will be led by head coach Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors), who is assisted by Mark Few (Gonzaga University), Tyronn Lue (L.A. Clippers) and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat). Last summer, the quartet coached the 2023 USA Basketball Menโ€™s National Team to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIBA Menโ€™s World Cup in Manila.

The team boasts of 12 NBA All-Stars, four NBA MVPs and six NBA champions, as for their international experience, the team brings a combined 11 Olympic appearances and owns 10 Olympic gold medals as well as three FIBA World Cup titles. Talent-wise, we can say that the 2024 Dream team can be compared to the 1992 Dream Team, as for their performance, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

If you want to see the team in action, USA Basketball will commence training camp on July 6 in Las Vegas. Following the game vs. Canada, the Americans will embark on an international training window that begins when the USA hosts Australia and Serbia on July 15 and 17, respectively, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Australia and Serbia will also face off on July 18 in Abu Dhabi.

Source: USA Basketball

Here are your 2024 NBA All-Star Game Starters

NBA has finally announced this year’s All-Star Game Starters. The TNT crew (Shaq, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson) even had a segment in their show to announce the 10 All Star starters.

Eastern Conference starters

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo*
  • Joel Embiid
  • Jayson Tatum
  • Tyrese Haliburton
  • Damian Lillard

Western Conference starters

  • LeBron James*
  • Kevin Durant
  • Nikola Jokic
  • Luka Doncic
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

* = denotes team captain

Starters for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game were selected by fans, current NBA players and a media panel. Fans accounted for 50% of the vote, while players and media accounted for 25% each.

This year, the league will revert back to the EAST vs West format, which means that title CAPTAIN will just be for formality and each players will team up for their respective conference in the 73rd NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home court of the Indiana Pacers.

USA Basketball announces the 41-members of the 2024 Men’s USA National Team Player Pool

USA Basketball, which is headed by USA Basketball executive director Grant Hill, just announced the 41-man pool for the 2024 Paris Olympics. After falling to Canada in the last FIBA World Cup 2023, which was held in Manila, USA Basketball will be fielding veterans and a newly naturalized American to win a fifth consecutive Olympic gold in Paris this summer.

The players named in the 41-player pool for the 2024 Men’s USA National Team are some of the biggest names in the sports, headlined by LeBron James, last played in the Olympics in 2012, and Stephen Curry, who has never played in the Olympics; and Joel Embiid, a Cameroon national but became a U.S. citizen in 2022.

In a tweet by the USA Basketball, all 41 players selected to the 2024 Men’s National Team Player Pool have a combined 13 Olympians, 22 World Cup participants, 24 Senior National Team gold medals and 18 Junior National Team gold medals, one of the most decorated player pool the USA Basketball have assembled.

Here are the complete list of the 41-player pool:

  1. Bam Adebayo – Miami Heat
  2. Jarrett Allen – Cleveland Cavaliers
  3. Paolo Banchero – Orland Magic
  4. Desmond Bane – Memphis Grizzlies
  5. Scottie Barnes – Toronto Raptors
  6. Devin Booker – Phoenix Suns
  7. Mikal Bridges – Brooklyn Nets
  8. Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics
  9. Jalen Brunson – New York Knicks
  10. Jimmy Butler – Miami Heat
  11. Alex Caruso – Chicago Bulls
  12. Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors
  13. Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers
  14. Kevin Durant – Phoenix Suns
  15. Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves
  16. Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers
  17. De’Aaron Fox – Sacramento Kings
  18. Paul George – Los Angeles Clippers
  19. Aaron Gordon – Denver Nuggets
  20. Tyrese Haliburton – Indiana Pacers
  21. James Harden – Los Angeles Clippers
  22. Josh Hart – Chicago Bulls
  23. Tyler Herro – Miami Heat
  24. Jrue Holiday – Boston Celtics
  25. Chet Holmgren – Oklahoma Thunders
  26. Brandon Ingram – New Orleans Pelicans
  27. Kyrie Irving – Dallas Mavericks
  28. Jaren Jackson Jr. – Memphis Grizzlies
  29. LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers
  30. Cam Johnson – Brooklyn Nets
  31. Walker Kessler – Utah Jazz
  32. Kawhi Leonard – Los Angeles Clippers
  33. Damian Lillard – Milwaukee Bucks
  34. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers
  35. Chris Paul – Golden State Warriors
  36. Bobby Portis – Milwaukee Bucks
  37. Austin Reaves – Los Angeles Lakers
  38. Duncan Robinson – Miami Heat
  39. Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics
  40. Derrick White – Boston Celtics
  41. Trae Young – Atlanta Hawks

The 41-player pool will then be reduced to 12-member team for the Paris Olympic Games, which will be announced as early as May or during the NBA Playoffs.

Lakers officially hangs 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament Banner

The Los Angeles Lakers has officially hang the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament (IST) Championship banner, the new banner will join the 18 NBA Championship banner, that can also be seen hanging from rafters of Crypto.com arena.

You can watch the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament Championship Award-Ceremony below;

Lebron James was named the MVP of the IST and each member of the team received cash price of $500,000.