8:12 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said Thursday that he does not feel like it’s his place to push the COVID-19 vaccine on teammate Andrew Wiggins. Speaking for the first time since training camp began, Green made it clear that even as a leader of the Warriors, he is
NBA
6:26 PM ET The NBA has reached a 95% vaccination threshold of its players, reflecting a steady rise since the opening of training camps this week, league sources told ESPN on Thursday. That uptick — which includes players who’ve minimally received one vaccination shot, sources said — comes as unvaccinated players prepare for losses of
6:29 PM ET Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid called the situation with his disgruntled co-star Ben Simmons “disappointing” and “borderline kind of disrespectful” to the rest of the team. The comments came following a report by The Athletic that Simmons feels his partnership with Embiid has “run its course.” Simmons has yet to report to
1:06 AM ET METAIRIE, La. — New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson and team officials revealed the teams’ long-term succession plans in detail for the first time on Wednesday, telling The Times-Picayune and WVUE-TV that they would be sold with the goal of keeping the teams in New Orleans and distributing the proceeds
11:07 PM ET SAN DIEGO — The LA Clippers are mourning the death of a video assistant in the organization’s digital content group. Assane Drame, 26, died in a car accident Monday night. The native of Blackwood, New Jersey, had just worked earlier Monday at the team’s media day. Drame joined the Clippers in 2019
7:52 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Instant replay of out-of-bounds violations in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime of NBA games this season will be initiated by a coach’s challenge rather than by referees. The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the change Wednesday on a one-year trial basis. Under the previous
6:49 PM ET EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Following their first official practice together as teammates, Russell Westbrook dubbed Anthony Davis as “the ultimate weapon” and vowed to maximize the big man’s impact for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. “He’s one of a kind,” Westbrook said of Davis on Wednesday. “There’s nobody like him who
2:02 PM ET Eric GomezMexico writer The NBA 2K League announced a partnership with DUX Gaming on Wednesday to launch its inaugural expansion into Latin America. On the heels of the NBA G League officially welcoming a Mexican team in 2021, the NBA 2K League is following suit to expand its global footprint. DUX Gaming,
11:39 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN Players who are forced to miss games due to the executive orders governing vaccination requirements in both New York and San Francisco will not be paid for any games they miss. “Any player who elects not to comply with local vaccination mandates will not be paid for games that he
8:03 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The NBA informed its teams Tuesday night that it is finalizing an agreement with the National Basketball Players Association on a set of health and safety protocols for the upcoming regular season, according to information in a memo obtained by ESPN. The protocols will require unvaccinated players to be under
9:38 PM ET EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — After he and LeBron James first took the court for a joint workout this summer, Russell Westbrook said one thing became very clear to him. “It was going to work,” Westbrook told ESPN on Tuesday during the Lakers’ annual media day, held at the team practice facility. Westbrook
7:17 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors swingman Klay Thompson is starting to look more like his old basketball self amid his rehabilitation from a torn right Achilles injury. Participating in his first official team practice since suffering the injury in an offseason workout Nov. 18, 2020, Thompson knocked down shots from all
3:56 PM ET EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — LeBron James said he initially felt “skepticism” regarding the COVID-19 vaccine but ultimately decided to get it for the well-being of himself, his family and his team. “You’re always trying to figure out ways that you can just be available and protect one another and put yourself in
11:56 AM ET ESPN.com staff Our ESPN Fantasy Basketball experts came together for their first mock draft of the 2021-22 NBA season, taking part in a 10-team, head-to-head points league. 1 Related The whole draft took only 30 minutes — with 130 players picked in all — but in that time there were plenty of
9:51 AM ET Indiana Pacers guard Caris LeVert has a stress fracture in his back, but there’s optimism that it could only be a minor setback and he could return sometime around the start of the season, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Tuesday. LeVert, who was traded to Indiana from Brooklyn as part of
8:20 PM ET ESPN News Services Damian Lillard said he’s coming into this season with “faith” that the Portland Trail Blazers are moving in the right direction. “I think over the years we’ve always had a competitive team, I think we’ll be competitive again,” Lillard said Monday at the team’s media day. “Obviously, at the
5:58 PM ET DALLAS — One of new Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd’s first messages to superstar point guard Luka Doncic: Trust your teammates more. Kidd, the Hall of Fame point guard who played a major role in the Mavs’ lone championship season, raised the issue during media day on Monday. “I don’t know if
6:33 PM ET PLAYA VISTA, Calif. — Kawhi Leonard said part of the reason why he signed a four-year max contract to remain with the LA Clippers instead of opting for a shorter deal that could lead to a more lucrative contract is that he hopes to return and play this season. Leonard would not