12:34 PM ET New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, who is Jewish, posted an open letter to Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard about Leonard’s use of an anti-Semitic slur during a recent video game livestream. In a video that surfaced Tuesday on social media, Leonard can be heard saying: “F—ing cowards; don’t f—ing snipe
NBA
7:00 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN THE UTAH JAZZ were moments away from tipping off against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 11, 2020. A positive COVID-19 test from center Rudy Gobert abruptly halted the game, and the official announcement that night said the league was going on hold “until further notice.” At the time, league
3:55 PM ET Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh, Chris Webber, Michael Cooper, Lauren Jackson, Ben Wallace and Yolanda Griffith are among the finalists in the 2021 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class, announced Tuesday on ESPN’s The Jump. Pierce, a first-time nominee, spent 15 of his 19 NBA seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning a
5:32 PM ET The NBA said Tuesday that it is looking into Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard‘s use of an anti-Semitic slur during a video game livestream. In a video that surfaced Tuesday, Leonard can be heard saying: “F—ing cowards; don’t f—ing snipe me, you f—ing k— b—-.” “We just became aware of the video
11:06 PM ET Andrew LopezESPN Portland‘s Anfernee Simons was all smiles as he became the first Trail Blazers player to win the NBA dunk contest, which took place during halftime of Sunday night’s All-Star Game. Simons bested rookies Obi Toppin of the New York Knicks and Cassius Stanley of the Indiana Pacers to bring home
11:59 AM ET Associated Press The NBA’s mini-bubble in Atlanta for the All-Star Game apparently worked. No players, coaches or game officials tested positive for COVID-19 while in Atlanta, the NBA said Monday after the final tests were processed and results were returned to the league and the teams involved. That includes Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid
6:47 AM ET When the Minnesota Timberwolves fired head coach Ryan Saunders last month and made the rare in-season move to hire Toronto Raptors assistant coach Chris Finch — bypassing Wolves associate head coach David Vanterpool, who is Black — it renewed the conversation about the NBA’s hiring practices for coaches. “It’s discouraging,” one Black
11:24 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Thanks to a perfect 16-for-16 performance from the field — including banking in multiple jump shots — Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo won his first NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, as Team LeBron cruised to a 170-150 victory over Team Durant on Sunday night in Atlanta. “You know
7:09 PM ET Six-time All-Star forward Blake Griffin has agreed to a deal to join the Brooklyn Nets for the rest of the season, his agent Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports told ESPN on Sunday night. The Nets are using one of their veteran minimum contract slots to sign Griffin, sources said. Griffin informed Nets
11:31 AM ET Philadelphia 76ers teammates Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are uncertain for Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta after contact with a barber, who potentially has contracted the coronavirus, sources told ESPN. The barber, located in the Philadelphia area, is undergoing additional testing Sunday because of an inconclusive positive test, sources said. The
5:34 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Saturday said the NBA will not require anyone to get a COVID-19 vaccine, however he believes “most players” will ultimately choose to do so. “We’re seeing this now, both in the actual numbers of people getting vaccinated in the United States and opinion polls, that
6:51 AM ET NBA All-Star Sunday is nearly here, and the schedule is jam-packed. Due to COVID-19, an entire weekend of festivities has been condensed into one star-studded night. It all starts with the skills and 3-point contests at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by tipoff of the 70th NBA All-Star Game at 8 p.m. ET.
12:17 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has committed to giving his winnings from Sunday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta to several Philadelphia homeless shelters, meaning $100,000 will go to the various organizations. “So many have fallen on such hard times during the pandemic,” Embiid said in a statement released by the team
8:47 PM ET Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley will replace Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker on Team Durant in Sunday’s All-Star Game, the NBA announced on Friday. Booker is unable to play in the game or participate in the 3-point contest because of a left knee sprain. Conley, 33, becomes a first-time All-Star in
3:35 PM ET Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert on Friday were both fined by the NBA for being critical of the officiating in Wednesday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Mitchell, who was also reprimanded for his conduct while exiting the court, was docked $25,000 in the statement by NBA executive vice
12:04 PM ET Six-time NBA All-Star Blake Griffin has agreed to a contract buyout with the Detroit Pistons and will become an unrestricted free agent, sources tell ESPN. Griffin, 31, has interest from most of the NBA’s top playoff contenders and is expected to make a decision on his next team after conversations with prospective
8:44 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The past two years, LeBron James couldn’t have Giannis Antetokounmpo on his All-Star team, because the two of them were captains of their respective squads. But this year, with Kevin Durant getting the other captaincy opposite James, he made sure he would be playing alongside the NBA’s two-time reigning Most
8:00 PM ET The 2021 NBA All-Star Game will be held Sunday, March 7, in Atlanta. But because of COVID-19, a weekend’s worth of events will be compressed into a single night — the skills challenge and 3-point contest will take place pregame, while the dunk contest will act as the halftime show. All-Star voting