Part plan, part pipe dream, Lakers star LeBron James and oldest son Bronny became the first father and son to share an NBA court together — a milestone celebrating the elder James’ longevity and the younger James’ resilience.

The two players walked to the scorer’s table together with four minutes left in the second quarter Tuesday night...Read more

LOS ANGELES – Multiple times this offseason, Timberwolves President Tim Connelly said it was his hope Rudy Gobert would retire with the team.

Connelly and Gobert took a step toward making that a reality Tuesday night as Gobert agreed to a three-year, $110 million extension, a source confirmed.

The center will make $43.8 million this season, ...Read more

STORRS, Conn. — Dan Hurley’s philosophy in recruiting changed after the UConn men’s basketball team had its season ended by New Mexico State in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

Since that point, he and his staff have sought out and gone after more polished offensive players and loaded their roster with shooters year after year...Read more

ATLANTA — Hawks forward Jalen Johnson never would have imagined five years ago he would be where he is now. But on Monday, he received life-changing money when he signed a five-year, $150 million fully guaranteed contract.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t even have imagined this,” Johnson, 22, told reporters Tuesday. “Like, there was a point in ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — What do the 2024-25 Warriors want to be?

I’ve heard all the buzzwords this preseason — scrappy, gritty, fast-paced — and I’ve seen those concepts manifest well in exhibition games.

But surely these Warriors, led by NBA champions and Olympic gold medal winners Steph Curry, Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr, don’t ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Will the 76ers live up to their lofty expectations?

That’s one of the biggest questions the franchise faces heading into this season. Oddsmakers have the Sixers winning around 52 regular-season games and landing third in the Eastern Conference behind the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.

But come playoff time, the ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Boston Celtics are the clear favorites to become the first team since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors to win back-to-back NBA titles this season, which tips off Tuesday.

But bettors are all over the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Westgate SuperBook is on the hook for six figures on the ...Read more

DENVER — The best part of Aaron Gordon’s contract extension to Michael Malone was the timing.

More than a month after point guard Jamal Murray signed a max extension with the Nuggets, this was the team’s last order of business to complete before opening night. Gordon’s four-year, $133 million agreement Monday signified a triumphant end ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Here are the five biggest preseason long shots to win the NBA championship, according to Sportsoddshistory.com, which has tracked odds since the 1984-85 season:

2003-04 Detroit Pistons, 15-1

The Pistons whiffed on Darko Milicic, the second overall pick of the 2003 draft, but pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NBA history by ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers will be without Joel Embiid and Paul George for Wednesday’s season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center.

“They’re evaluating them here as we go,” coach Nick Nurse said of Embiid and George. “Just as soon as we can get them out there and get them scrimmaging, get them ramped up, we’...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Lynx starters and coach Cheryl Reeve sat down Tuesday to review the 2024 season.

There was talk of the chemistry this team experienced from the opening of training camp to a difficult loss in the fifth game of the WNBA Finals to the New York Liberty.

Center Alanna Smith called the team’s season a basketball ...Read more

MIAMI — The most successful eras in Miami Heat history usually don’t last longer than four seasons. And if they do go longer than four seasons ... it’s not for much longer.

The Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway era went for six seasons, Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal played together for four seasons, and the Heat’s Big 3 era ...Read more

CHICAGO — An urgent email from CHSN arrived in my inbox at 6:30 a.m., awakening me with a welcome ping.

Finally, the newly created sports network for the Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox would be announcing its agreement with Comcast, just in time for Wednesday’s Bulls opener.

All the angst over missing the start of the Hawks and Bulls ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James, no stranger to it, is ready to make history again.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer spoke Tuesday at a shoot-around about sharing the court with his oldest son, possibly as soon as Tuesday night in the Lakers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“Just to run out the tunnel knowing that he’ll...Read more

BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla’s message to his Celtics team heading into the 2024-25 season — his overarching mantra as Boston looks to accomplish something that hasn’t been done in the NBA in six years — can be summed up in one three-letter word:

Yet.

This Celtics squad is nearly identical to the one that bulldozed its way to the NBA ...Read more

NEW YORK — “I could never dream of this. Ya’ll know how many times I’ve been denied it. But it was delayed, that’s all it was and I’m happy to do it here.”

Those words came from a teary-eyed Jonquel Jones moments after her Liberty team won its first championship in franchise history and seconds after hoisting her WNBA Finals MVP ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors started Andrew Wiggins at shooting guard in their last two preseason games, and while nothing is decided quite yet ahead of Wednesday’s regular-season opener, Wiggins appears headed to reprise that role.

In a starting-five with Steph Curry, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and a center — likely Trayce Jackson-...Read more

NEW YORK — A roar from the Barclays Center crowd drowned out the final buzzer of the New York Liberty’s 67-62 win over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday night, a collective release of “finally” from fans as one of the league’s original franchises won its first WNBA championship in a thrilling overtime Game 5.

As golden streamers burst from...Read more