NBA

5:42 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN In an effort to combat the piling up of games due to postponements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA on Wednesday said it will adjust the existing schedule to avoid having to fill in too many games during the second half of the season. To do so, the NBA

4:30 PM ET The NBA G League released its regular-season schedule Wednesday, as its 18 teams descend on the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, for a four-week single-site tournament to crown its champion. The G League Ignite, composed of NBA draft-eligible prospects who include

1:12 PM ET Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell will not play in Wednesday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks after he was placed in the concussion protocol, the team announced. The Jazz said it was not immediately clear when Mitchell suffered the injury. He played 34 minutes in Tuesday’s 108-94 win over the New York Knicks,

2:05 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The NBA announced that All-Star voting for this season will begin Thursday at noon and will conclude at midnight on Feb. 16. Fans can submit one full ballot each day through either the NBA App or NBA.com throughout the voting period, and they can vote for up to 10 unique

1:41 PM ET The NBA has fined Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray $25,000 for striking Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. in the groin area, the league announced Wednesday The incident occurred during the Nuggets’ 117-113 victory over the Mavericks on Monday night at American Airlines Center. Murray received a flagrant foul 2 penalty and

6:59 AM ET In the 1980s, Michael Jordan launched a stylistic revolution in pro basketball. While not the first great wing player in the sport, Jordan was the first one to absolutely dominate the association. His epic battles versus the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz weren’t just battles for the

12:54 AM ET John Wall and Russell Westbrook, the pair of point guards with maximum salaries swapped for each other just before training camps opened, stood near the free throw line midway through the fourth quarter and barked at each other Tuesday night at the Toyota Center. Wall, who readily acknowledged that his adrenaline was

11:39 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Sekou Smith, a longtime NBA reporter and television analyst, died Tuesday after a battle with COVID-19. He was 48. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Smith went to college at Jackson State in Mississippi before starting his career at the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson. He then went on to become a

10:05 PM ET Doug KezirianESPN Close ESPN Sports Betting Analyst Host of Daily Wager Behind The Bets podcast host Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is now the NBA MVP betting favorite or runner-up at most sportsbooks, thanks to an unexpected commitment to the regular season to lead the Lakers to the league’s best record.

7:56 PM ET Tyronn Lue said Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are “feeling well” but the head coach isn’t sure when his two stars will rejoin the LA Clippers. The Clippers started a six-game road trip against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday without Leonard and George, who did not make the flight to Atlanta because

6:10 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN Chicago Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. will miss at least the next four weeks after an MRI confirmed a severe right quad contusion, the team announced Tuesday. Carter Jr., who was injured during a Jan. 20 practice session and has missed the past three games, will continue the rehabilitation process

5:11 PM ET Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers took a stand Tuesday to defend Jazz star Donovan Mitchell against critiques by Shaquille O’Neal by passing a playful resolution that calls out O’Neal for his poor free throw shooting during his playing days and makes fun of the “Kazaam” movie he starred in

2:32 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN Indiana Pacers guard Caris LeVert is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing surgery to treat renal cell carcinoma of his left kidney Monday, the team announced. The surgery was performed by Dr. Jason Sprunger at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis, and the team said no further treatment is

1:11 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Harthorne Wingo, a fan favorite and reserve on the New York Knicks‘ 1973 NBA championship team, has died. He was 73. He died Jan. 20 in a New York City hospital, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner told The Associated Press. The cause

6:08 AM ET John BarrESPN.com Close Joined ESPN in June 2003 Winner: 2013 Peabody Award; 2011 Edward R. Murrow Award/Video Investigative Reporting Covers breaking news, investigative pieces and human interest features It has been a year since Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in the

6:48 AM ET While Los Angeles and Philadelphia will mourn the one-year anniversary of the death of native son Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on Tuesday, another one of Bryant’s hometowns halfway across the globe will be doing the same. Reggio Emilia, located about an hour’s drive east from Bologna in northern Italy, will

Kanye West dropped a reference to the No. 24 jersey in his lyrics, rapping on Jay-Z and T.I.’s “Swagga Like Us,” “Tryin’ to get that Kobe number, one over Jordan.” From the moment he came into the league, Bryant paid homage to the greats who came before him. Now it’s current NBA players who pay

7:05 AM ET This story was originally published on Feb. 24, 2020. Jan. 26 is the one-year anniversary of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others. THE WEARY GROUP trudged across the tarmac and onto the team plane at Philadelphia International Airport. Awaiting the Los Angeles Lakers at the