Worldwide Sports News

As the NBA regular season officially tips off on Tuesday, the Red Storm will have their most representation in the Association in decades.

Five former St. John’s men’s basketball players made opening day rosters this year, including the Red Storm’s three-man rookie class of Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell, and Bryce Hopkins.

The Red Storm’s All-Big East frontcourt trio were all selected in the 2026 NBA draft, marking the first time in the two-round era that three St. John’s players were selected in the same NBA draft.

Zuby Ejiofor ended the program’s 11-year draftless drought when the Atlanta Hawks selected him with the 23rd overall pick in the first round. Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins went off the board in the second round with the 40th overall selection by the Boston Celtics and the 49th overall selection by the Denver Nuggets, respectively.

As a first-round pick, Ejiofor is on a guaranteed contract and is expected to battle for frontcourt minutes off the bench with fellow rookie Henri Veesaar, Jock Landale, Asa Newell, and Mouhamed Gueye, while Mitchell and Hopkins are on two-way deals and will likely split time between the NBA and the G-League.

Julian Champagnie, the most experienced Red Storm alum in the league, is set to begin his fifth professional season with the reigning Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs. After the Philadelphia 76ers waived him midway through his rookie year, the undrafted Brooklyn native quickly found a home deep in Texas and has served as the Spurs’ 3-and-D weapon ever since.

Last season with the Spurs, Champagnie was one of 18 NBA players to play all 82 of their regular-season games. He averaged a career-best 11.1 points and 5.8 rebounds on 43.7% shooting from the field and 38.1% from deep. On New Year’s Eve, he set the Spurs franchise record for most threes made in a game with eleven treys in a 134-132 win over the Knicks.

The former All-Big East Most Improved Player award winner started all 23 playoff games for the Spurs in his postseason debut last season, including all five NBA Finals games, becoming the first St. John’s alum to play on the sport’s biggest stage since Ron Artest (a.k.a. Metta World Peace) won the championship with the Lakers in 2010.

Unfortunately for Champagnie (and luckily for many Johnnies fans around New York), the Spurs blew double-digit leads in all four losses to the eventual champion Knicks, including a 29-point advantage in Game 4—the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.

During the offseason, Champagnie inked a new three-year, $45 million contract that will keep him with the San Antonio Spurs through the 2028-29 season. He might lose his starting power forward spot to new addition Tobias Harris once the 34-year-old veteran returns from injury, but Champagnie will still be a key contributor for a serious title contender.

Like Champagnie, Daniss Jenkins entered the league as an undrafted rookie and cut his teeth in the G-League before he could solidify a role with a playoff contender. Jenkins is entering his third season in the NBA and his second with a full-time role with the Detroit Pistons.

After making only seven appearances as a rookie, the Texas native became Cade Cunningham’s backup at point guard, logging 9.3 points and 3.9 assists per game across 72 contests and 19 starts for the Pistons, who finished as the No. 1 seed in the East. Back in February, the Pistons upgraded Jenkins’s two-way contract to a two-year, $8 million standard NBA deal.

Jenkins had some clutch moments in his first taste of playoff basketball. He sank a buzzer-beating triple to end the third quarter as part of a 16-point, 5-assist performance in Game 7 of their first-round series to help the Pistons complete a 3-1 series comeback. He then averaged double figures and started his first-ever playoff Game 7 against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, though the Pistons were knocked out in an inauspicious 31-point loss in that game.

The Pistons exercised Jenkins’s $4 million team option to keep him for the 2026-27 season. He’ll continue to play as the first point guard off the bench and could earn more starting opportunities at two-guard this season.

Other Red Storm alumni who could spend time in the league include Kadary Richmond, Aaron Scott, and Deivon Smith, who were teammates on the 2025 Big East champion squad and played in this July’s NBA Summer League.

Richmond made his NBA debut last season with the Washington Wizards, but spent most of his time with the G-League’s Capital City Go-Go before the Cavaliers traded him to their G-League affiliate, the Canton Charge; the Cavaliers then waived him in the preseason. Scott most recently earned a training camp deal with the Brooklyn Nets, then was waived and will likely play for their G-League Team, the Long Island Nets. The same has been done for Smith, who was signed and then waived by the Golden State Warriors in hopes of keeping him on their G-League team.

Joel Embiid thought he was done.

After fighting his body for a decade, he wondered if it was time to stop fighting. Most people wouldn’t have blamed him. We all know the laundry list of injuries. The torn meniscus in San Francisco could’ve been it. Sure, Embiid came back, fought his ass off in a tough series against the New York Knicks, then helped LeBron James and Team USA secure a gold medal.

But after playing 19 games in 2024-25, it was impossible to know what you’d get from Embiid last season. He himself admitted he thought about walking away, while many fans began frantically looking up “medical retirement” as Embiid’s massive extension was set to kick in.

But he got through last season, feeling good about his knee. With no surgeries or major injury issues this offseason, he was able to actually put in work on a basketball court, not just in the athletic trainer’s room.

“I feel good,” Embiid said. “I won’t get into all the details of what I did, but I felt like I did the right things to put myself and the team in a position to succeed. … Focus on everything that I needed to focus on — my mind, first of all, my body and, yeah, it went pretty well and now it’s time to go.”

Embiid wasn’t himself for much of the last two years. It was obvious to anyone watching him. Coming off an MVP season in 2022-23, Embiid looked well on his way to repeating after putting up video game numbers in his first year under Nick Nurse. After the latest meniscus tear, he looked like a shell of himself, culminating in a nightmare 2024-25 season.

The 2025-26 season was no picnic. He got off to a horrid start, but he kept playing. After an abysmal game against James and the Los Angeles Lakers in December of 2025, Embiid turned to his longtime trainer, Drew Hanlen, to get in extra work — something Embiid had not done with all of his focus being on rehab. The next game, while the sports talk radio stations were ablaze with takes, Embiid dropped 39 points.

Over the next 24 games, Embiid started to look like … Embiid. He averaged 29.8 points per game and seemed to be finding his groove playing alongside Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. Unfortunately, it was short-lived as he missed the end of the regular season and start of the playoffs after an emergency appendectomy.

But his return in Game 4 and ability to completely turn their first-round series against Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics around, proved he’s still a game-changer. He was a gamer, going out there mere weeks after doctors cut through the skin, muscles and fat of his abdomen. That’s when he knew he could still do this.

The second round was a disaster as the aftereffects of Embiid’s surgery became apparent, Maxey’s finger was affecting him more and more and George’s age started to show after an outstanding series against Boston. The overall lack of depth of the roster was also made apparent.

But Embiid confidently went to the podium after the Knicks crushed them in four games, saying he’d gone from considering retirement to feeling like his knee issues were behind him. Dr. Jonathan Glashow did wonders for Kawhi Leonard, who went from playing 37 games in 2024-25 to 65 this past season at age 34. They’re different players with different bodies, but Glashow has Embiid believing.

And that might be the most important thing. When we finally got our first look at the Sixers’ new starting five in a preseason game against the Nets, Embiid looked rusty. He committed eight turnovers — some the result of new teammates, others were just plain sloppiness. Labaron Philon’s ill-fated alley-oop was also a low point. It wasn’t pretty to watch.

The final preseason game against the Celtics didn’t get off to a great start, either. Then Embiid found it. He got his rhythm sometime in the second quarter, then looked like … Joel Embiid. He needs to trust his body. He needs to trust his teammates. Both of those things tend to take longer with Embiid than the average player.

This season, though, it needs to happen fast. The Sixers don’t have a lot of time. The season is only just beginning, but before you know it, the dog days will be here. This group needs to come together. They need to be tested. They need to find out what works. They need to find out what doesn’t work and adjust. Embiid will be as big a part of that process(!) as anyone.

James wouldn’t have signed here if he didn’t believe in the current version of Joel Embiid.

“Jo is one of the most talented guys that we have in the world,” James said on media day, “and obviously, we all know that for him it’s just been about health. How can he stay healthy to be the best version of himself, be the best version of himself to be the best version of us as a team? And I’ve seen he put in a lot of work on his body, putting a lot of work in his game, a lot of work on his mental this offseason.

“So that is a big upside, not only for us as his teammates, but I guarantee it is for him. I don’t want to speak for him. You guys are talking to him, but I guarantee that’s a good feeling for him. So, me as like the elder statesman of the team, the guy that’s been through a lot, hopefully, I can just give him resources and give him whatever he needs on a day-to-day basis to make him feel even more and more comfortable about where he is, about where we are as a team, both on the floor and off the floor. So, I’m definitely in his corner, and I can’t wait to be out there on the court with him again, like he was in the [Olympics].”

When has Embiid ever had a legendary player with praise-worthy habits “in his corner”?

Embiid has been through it all. He knows where he’s let the team down and vice versa. None of it matters now, though. This is it. This is the best chance Embiid has ever had of not only getting over the second-round hump, but of actually winning a championship.

Imagine that legacy — his whole career in Philadelphia, multiple-time All-Star and All-NBA pick, MVP and NBA champion. It’d be one hell of a boon to a resume that’s likely already Hall of Fame worthy.

There’s no time like the present to get it done.

“It’s hard to win when you get a group of guys together for one year, two years, maybe,” Embiid said. “That’s why I’m extremely excited about this team because we got the right mix of veteran leadership and the younger guys and everybody being on the same page. So I feel like we might have some ups and downs, but we’re gonna get there.”

The Golden State Warriors are one day removed from kicking off the 2026-27 NBA season, as they visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. PT. And while Monday brought them some good injury news — Steph Curry avoided a serious ankle injury, practiced, and is expected to play in the opener — Tuesday brought some worse news.

Speaking after Tuesday’s practice, coach Steve Kerr revealed that neither Brandin Podziemski nor Charles Bassey partook in the final practice of the preseason, and both players are questionable for the opener. The former is dealing with lower back soreness, while the latter is working through knee tendonitis that removed him from Friday’s preseason game.

Needless to say, if Podziemski and Bassey cannot play, it would be a huge loss for a team that is already operating without Jimmy Butler III, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Moses Moody. While Kerr has yet to reveal the team’s starting five, Podziemski, a fourth-year guard who just inked a five-year, $110 million extension, is a lock to be in the opening unit. Kerr openly has said he is leaning towards a starting five of Curry, Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg, Gui Santos, and Draymond Green, but started Bassey over Santos in the preseason finale, leaving the door open for the sixth-year center to get the opening day nod.

If Podziemski is unable to play, it’s likely that either De’Anthony Melton or Brandon Williams will slide into the starting lineup, with Gary Payton II and possibly Will Richard picking up some extra backcourt minutes. If Bassey is ruled out, you can expect to see some playing time for Graham Ike, who is on a two-way contract. Kerr has not hidden his desire to play Ike meaningful minutes, and those minutes will be easy to find if Al Horford is the only other healthy option at center.

Our next roundtable was easy: Predict the Dallas Mavericks record and seed, and then explain yourself!

Joe: Looks like I get to go first! My prediction for the Mavs is to finish as the 9 seed, winning the 9/10 play-in as the 10 seed, and losing the win-and-in game for the 8 seed. My reason is simple: Cooper Flagg. I wrote about this back in August, but I simply don’t think anyone, including the Mavericks and us, are ready to win, but Cooper is going to be. He’s going to take a leap, the type that generational players take in year 2. Think LeBron. Think Kobe. Think Luka. He’s that good, and the wins will follow with it. Regardless if you think Kyrie, PJ, Naji, or anyone else is gonna be on this team in April, he will, and that’s why regardless of other injuries, transactions, and any other crap that plagues this team this year, Cooper is going to keep them in it till April.

Matt M.: The Mavs will finish 38-44, 10th in the West, I believe. They will give the 7-seed everything they bargained for and more in the play-in before bowing out. There will be moments this bunch looks playoff-ready, but there will be a few more where Cooper Flagg is forced to drag this roster along as he takes a superstar step forward in year two. Dusty May will let Flagg and Kyrie Irving freelance, and it’ll be sad to see Irving go at the trade deadline. Many will wring their hands over what could have been at the end of the season, but it will have been for the best. Sound decision-making with the future in mind doesn’t always feel good right now, but when the dust settles, we will be left to wonder if this team is “ahead of schedule.”

Michael: I believe I’m required to predict the Mavericks go 0-82. Given my optimistic record predictions of the past two seasons (which were well better than reality), I’m convinced that saying “0-82” ensures we’ll end up being a solid 50-win playoff team. Self-inflicted cynicism aside, I’ll go with 44 wins and the #9 seed. 44 wins is a massive leap up from last season’s 26 wins, and in and of itself would be a huge celebration-worthy accomplishment. Do I not so secretly think I’m being ambitious with that win total? Yes. It’s going to be very difficult to make a jump like that, even with the return of Kyrie Irving. The team has a rookie head coach with zero NBA experience, is starting with injuries to a couple of key rotation pieces (Dereck Lively and Santi Aldama), Irving is going to get rest days, and the best player on the team is still not old enough to purchase alcohol. That all said, I’ll stick with my optimistic approach. The team has a lot of talent and one of the best young players in the game. It’s really a matter of how quickly they can gel and whether a surprise player can add an unanticipated dimension to the team. Hope to see you all in the Play In!

Sudarshan: 30-52. 11th/12th seed

A step forward from Cooper Flagg and Kyrie’s return should see some improvement in the team’s overall play, but this is still Year 1 of the reset with Dusty May in charge. The roster is still a complete mish-mash of pieces that don’t necessarily fit together, with way too many forwards and not enough creation. Morez and Larry were drafted to be key rotation pieces and building blocks for the future, but will go through the usual Year 1 growing pains. Dallas will definitely be more enjoyable to watch overall, but the improvement in their record might only be marginal, considering a stacked Western Conference.

Salvador: I’m going to go 36-46 and the 10th seed. Cooper Flagg looks like he might be a borderline All-NBA player this year, and Kyrie looks like he hasn’t lost a step. Even with the growing pains of the roster, I imagine they’ll start to get more chemistry as the year progresses. Also with the amount of young talent on the roster I think they will also improve as the year progresses and they get more reps.

David: Fine. I am gonna do it. The Mavericks will finish 43-39, make the playoffs as the 8 seed, and knock out the Thunder in the first round. Kidding, kidding. They will be the 1 seed. In all seriousness, I will predict them to actually finish 43-39 and make the playoffs as the 8 seed. They will not win a first-round series, but I think one or two moves off of a forward and into a guard could make this team very interesting. Cooper Flagg will be too good to lose 40 times in one season again.

Bryan: The Dallas Mavericks are going to finish with a 40-42 record as the 9th seed in the Western Conference play-in. Kyrie Irving is here to dive headfirst into the Grand Canyon-sized void of ball-handling and playmaking and fill as much as he can. Marcus Sasser will help off the bench in that regard, and Cooper Flagg is a much improved ball-handler and shot creator from his rookie season. These improvements, coupled with a more optimized, team-wide shot diet via Dusty May, are enough to facilitate a 10+ win increase from last year with what is essentially 70% the same roster. The reason I have them at 40 wins and not closer to 45 is because there will be an “evaluation period” during the first month or two of the season where Dusty and the front office will be testing players to see who fits the vision going forward. They are going to drop an uncomfortable number of games that they shouldn’t during this span, but when the roster tweaks and trades begin, the results will reflect the improved process.

Jack N.: My prediction for the Dallas Mavericks this season is 33-49. I know this feels low. The Mavericks made ample changes to their roster this season, not to mention getting a healthy Kyrie Irving back in the lineup. I do think the Mavericks will be a better team than last season, while being infinitely more fun to watch; however, I still think this team is a year away from playoff dreams. Outside of Flagg and Iriving, there is very little ball-handling on the roster. The back end of the roster has improved offensively, but the top of the roster still can’t shoot. Not only that, but the defense is very concerning without Dereck Lively (who won’t be available until December at the earliest). The NBA is also much better than last year. 14 out of the 15 teams in the Western Conference are trying to win games this season, with a mediocre 2027 draft class not enticing teams to tank. The Mavericks will likely make trades to offload veterans at the deadline, and could look to trade Irving if the season isn’t going great. 33 wins would be disappointing, but it would be a 7-win improvement over last season. The Mavericks need to take a step forward, but they won’t leap until more sweeping roster changes are made.

Tyler: I think Sudarshan and I are, by far, the lowest on this team on site. I think these Mavericks are improved off of last year’s 26-win campaign, but not by as much as FanDuel or many of my fellow contributors here. Cooper Flagg is absolutely that guy, but look around at the rest of this roster. Yes, Kyrie is back, but for how long? The trade winds will only pick up if the team gets off to a slow start. The rest of the group remains ill-fitting, as it’s Nico ball with better public relations packaging. To top it all off, Dusty May is in his first year in the NBA. While I believe in him and think the future is bright, there’s a learning curve there. I think this is a 30-52 ball club and a distant 12th seed in the West.

Kirk: I think the start of the season is going to be very bad and then the guys will figure this out and start winning by December. Give me a 38-44 record and a 9th place finish in the West!

The NBA picked the right game to headline an opening night slate with the New York Knicks welcoming the Philadelphia 76ers to Madison Square Garden.

LeBron James begins a new era as he suits up for a Sixers squad with high aspirations. Leaving behind Hollywood for the bright lights of Philadelphia also means a great big spotlight on championship expectations.

The Knicks come in rare form, as the defending champions. While Tuesday will be a celebration of last year's triumph, the first game will go a long way to answer if they are ready to go back-to-back since the Golden State Warriors did so in 2017 and 2018.

USA TODAY Sports will have live updates, highlights and analysis for this marquee event as the Knicks take on the 76ers.

Paul George had a record-breaking performance for the Boston Celtics before the third quarter was even over in Tuesday's season opener.

Brought to Boston as part of the Jaylen Brown trade, George had 31 points in his first 20 minutes of action, setting a new franchise record for a Celtics debut. He finished with 38 points but the Detroit Pistons stormed back to stun the Celtics.

The 36-year-old played well off of Jayson Tatum, suggesting this partnership could keep the Celtics among the Eastern Conference's elite if George can stay healthy. That's a big if considering his recent track record, but George's debut for Boston was a treat ... until things went sideways for the Celtics.

Congratulations to you all. After a long, long offseason, we have officially reached the regular season. Pat yourselves on the back for surviving the dog days of the summer.

In what will hopefully become a weekly piece, let’s take your questions heading into a new season. Whether it’s about the Lakers or the NBA in general, fire away with any questions.

As always, keep things friendly along the way!