8:15 PM ET On Saturday, Kobe Bryant was officially inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in January, 2020, was presented by Michael Jordan before Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, made a moving speech honoring the former Laker. In addition to Bryant, who won five NBA titles
NBA
6:08 PM ET SAN FRANCISCO — As his Golden State Warriors prepare for Sunday’s all important regular-season finale against the Memphis Grizzlies, Warriors coach Steve Kerr wants his team to have a clear mindset about exactly how much is at stake. With a win, the Warriors will finish the regular season with a 39-33 record,
2:37 PM ET As the regular season comes to a close, each team has something to play for: seeding or draft picks. With the addition of play-in games to the 2021 NBA playoffs, the scramble for seeding is wilder — and more important — than ever, with almost every game down the stretch having significant
3:08 PM ET Associated Press UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Gregg Popovich took Saturday off, for good reason. There was no way he was going to miss Tim Duncan’s enshrinement into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The San Antonio Spurs played Saturday afternoon without their head coach after Popovich made the decision to fly to Connecticut to
10:57 AM ET Marc J. Spears Former Detroit Pistons star center Ben Wallace will be inducted into the Class of 2021 for the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, a source told ESPN’s The Undefeated on Saturday. Wallace and the entire 2021 class will be announced on Sunday at the museum in Springfield, Mass. Wallace was
11:47 AM ET As the Los Angeles Lakers seek to win out and avoid the play-in tournament, LeBron James is set for his return Saturday against the Indiana Pacers, according to coach Frank Vogel. James has missed the past six games to continue to recover from a high ankle sprain, but he practiced Friday and
9:01 AM ET Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges has been cleared from the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols and will be available to play against the New York Knicks on Saturday, the team announced. He missed six games while in the COVID-19 protocols. The third-year player was averaging 21.6 points over six games prior to
12:56 AM ET Five years removed from a 10-win season, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves atop the Eastern Conference. Friday’s 122-97 victory over the Orlando Magic gave Philadelphia its first No. 1 seed in the East in 20 years, something coach Doc Rivers said the team should not take for granted. “It’s an accomplishment. I
11:42 PM ET With the addition of play-in games to the 2021 NBA playoffs, the scramble for seeding is wilder — and more important — than ever, with almost every game down the stretch having significant postseason implications. Play-in matchups after Thursday’s games Play-in games to be held Tuesday through Friday of next week •
10:29 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN UNCASVILLE, Conn. — ESPN’s Michael Wilbon and Mike Breen were honored with the print and broadcast versions of the Curt Gowdy Award Friday night as part of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2020 class of inductees. Wilbon, who spent 30 years at The Washington Post in addition to spending
8:24 PM ET Brianna Williams The WNBA has officially tipped off its 25th anniversary season. A year ago, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was uncertainty over how the season would occur and if it would even finish. There were several notable players who opted out or suffered injuries. 2 Related On Friday, the league’s
6:29 PM ET Brianna Williams After a three-year hiatus, rapper and new Rwanda Patriots shooting guard J.Cole released his sixth studio album titled “The Off-Season.” Despite spending the greater part of the past decade focusing on a multiplatinum music career, his basketball roots run deep. Born Jermaine Lamarr Cole, he was a star basketball player
4:47 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has created a special exhibit honoring the late Kobe Bryant, one that was toured by his wife, Vanessa, on Friday afternoon and that will become the “most talked about” exhibit in the Hall, according to John Doleva, its president and
4:22 PM ET ESPN News Services Philadelphia 76ers center Dwight Howard was suspended one game without pay by the NBA on Friday for picking up his 16th technical foul of the season. The league said he will serve the suspension Friday night when the 76ers play the first of two home games against the Orlando
3:35 PM ET LOS ANGELES — As the Lakers look ahead to their final two games of the regular season this weekend, coach Frank Vogel said, “I don’t know if it’s going to be possible,” when asked if he would have his full roster together on the court. LeBron James, sidelined the past six games
2:00 PM ET NEW YORK — The Nets‘ Big Three of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving is expected to play in just their eighth game together on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls. It will be the first game action the trio has seen together since Feb. 13 against the Golden State Warriors. “If
12:00 AM ET NBA Insiders The second edition of the NBA’s play-in tournament starts Tuesday and the final participants have narrowed. The teams that finish between seventh and 10th in the standings from each conference will qualify for the tourney to determine who will earn the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in the playoffs.
1:35 AM ET With the addition of play-in games to the 2021 NBA playoffs, the scramble for seeding is wilder — and more important — than ever, with almost every game down the stretch having significant postseason implications. Play-in matchups following Wednesday’s games Play-in games to be held May 18-21 • How the play-in tournament