Category: Basketball

Have you had a business idea that you haven’t gotten off the ground yet? Or need some inspiration? Well, the NBA and the Phoenix Suns are here to give your business some major upgrades and assistance.

With the 2027 All-Star game heading to the Mortgage Matchup Center, the league is partnering with the Suns for the 2027 All-Star pitch competition. Starting in 2022, the pitch competition provides companies and startups a chance to network with industry leaders in the sports, AI, hospitality, retail, media, technology, live events and entertainment worlds that can help your business grow. According to the NBA Foundation website, which is helping facilitate the pitch competition, participants will receive: Hands-on Coaching, Technical Assistance, Custom Contestant assets and $200,000 in Prizes.

Started in 2020, the NBA foundation has sought to give back to local economies and with the All-Star game in Phoenix, they’re looking to help out Arizonians.

Since it’s beginning, it’s given people lucrative opportunities to help jumpstart their businesses, including back in 2023 when they hosted a live pitch competition that gave 8 Black entrepreneurs an opportunity to win $50,000.

With the All-Star game in Phoenix, this year’s theme is highlighting Arizona entrepreneurs and to get a chance to participate, you must apply by Friday, October 23rd.

Application form:

https://nbaallstarpitch2027.typeform.com/to/Fm7uDVmx?typeform-source=nbafoundation.nba.com

NBA All-Star will be from February 19th to the 21st in 2027.

The World Champion Knicks host the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1) at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. New York is still looking for its first preseason win after two unsuccessful tries (we’re not worried). Minny has swapped out Julius Randle and Naz Reid for LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, but you might not see them at full strength tonight with their starters possibly sitting for rest. New York’s Mike Brown, meanwhile, continues to sort through his supporting cast, and James Wiseman and Bruce Brown should get extended minutes opportunities tonight.

Tip-off is 7:30 PM ET on MSG. This is your game thread. This is Canis Hoopus. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Mind your manners. And go Knicks!

The Nets are feeling good in the early days of preseason. They defeated the Charlotte Hornets by 34 to kick things off and followed up with a 114-108 victory against LeBron James and the new-look 76ers. Take it for whatever it’s worth at this stage, but Nets fans will take what they can get.

Julius Randle has looked solid and Egor Dëmin looks stronger. Anticipation continues to build for Mikel Brown Jr.’s debut, which could happen on Wednesday. Vibes are good in Brooklyn for the time being. Check in on us in a few months.

In the meantime, they’re up against the new-look Washington Wizards, who boast No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa on their home floor. The Wizards enter the night 2-0 and the push for momentum entering a new era.

Game Info & Broadcast Details

• Who: Brooklyn Nets (2-0) at Washington Wizards (2-0)
• What: Preseason
• Time: 7:00 PM ET
• TV/Streaming: DAZN
• Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

Injury Report: Who’s Out?

Nets:

• Joshua Jefferson (back)
• Mikel Brown Jr. (ankle)

💬 Discussion

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The Washington Wizards host the Brooklyn Nets tonight at 7 p.m. ET. Watch on Monumental Sports Network. Renzo has the preview here.

Go Wizards.

With about a week until they start their regular season with a matchup against the Warriors on Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers’ health and player availability will continue to be the main priority during the final week of the preseason. 

Walker Kessler, the franchise’s marquee free-agency acquisition, could make his preseason debut against the Warriors on Tuesday in Las Vegas after sitting out of the first three games. The 7-foot-2 center made his return to live play in practice on Sunday after dealing with an injury to his left pinky finger. 

Collin Sexton’s status is uncertain for Tuesday against the Warriors and Friday’s preseason finale vs. the Nuggets in Los Angeles, with coach JJ Redick saying the 6-foot-3 guard is “probably a little bit further behind” Kessler when it comes to his return as he deals with a lower leg injury.

And Ziaire Williams, the 6-foot-10 forward who’s in contention for a spot in the starting lineup, is dealing with a foot contusion after having only played in the Lakers’ preseason-opening win over the Kings on Oct. 5. 

But regardless of who is available for their final two preseason games, the Lakers have plenty to clean up before the games start to count in the standings. 

Here are non-injury/player availability factors The California Post is keeping an eye on in the last two exhibitions

Ball security 

Preseason statistics come with an obvious caveat: It’s just the preseason. 

Many teams, like the Lakers, haven’t been able to use all of their rotation players in every game. 

And the rotation players who have suited up aren’t playing full games at this point, either playing just the first half or getting minutes in the third quarter before sitting out the entire fourth quarter, which complicates statistical takeaways. 

Most teams have yet to crack double-digit practices, and haven’t come close to installing all of their offensive sets or defensive game plans. 

But one thing is clear from the Lakers’ first three preseason games: They need to take better care of the basketball.

The Lakers’ 22.3% turnover rate entering Monday ranked No. 28 among all teams during the preseason. 

Their star ball-handlers in Luka Doncic (5 turnovers per game) and Austin Reaves (3 per game) are the main catalysts of the team’s ball-security woes.

But Jaden Hardy (3 turnovers per game), Quentin Grimes (3), Bronny James (2.7), Dalton Knecht (2) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (2) have also coughed the ball up too much, especially when factoring most players aren’t playing as many minutes. 

The turnovers have piled up when unfamiliar lineups are on the floor together and aren’t as organized as they’d like to be – a reality coach JJ Redick has acknowledged.

More practice and court time should be a natural remedy. 

The Lakers have been generating the types of shots they want, especially when Doncic and/or Reaves are on the floor.

But they need to help themselves by being more careful with the ball.

Defensive rebounding 

The Lakers have gotten a good look at what life without Kessler could look like. 

And from a rebounding standpoint, it hasn’t been pretty. 

The Lakers’ 61.6% defensive rebounding percentage during preseason has ranked No. 27 across the league. 

Their struggles on the glass are predictable. 

Kessler patrolling the paint will be a significant boost for the Lakers’ rebounding. 

But he can’t be on the floor for every minute of every game during the regular season. So the last week has provided the Lakers with insight on what they need to do so they can be better on the glass when their starting center isn’t on the floor. 

“It’s important to have two of the bigger wings out there for rebounding purposes,” Redick said. “That was a concern I think coming into the year – trying to be a good defensive rebounding team. What does that look like with Walker not on the court? In film, it’s pretty apparent that we need to do a better job of boxing out. Just like simple stuff and gang rebounding. 

“We’ll figure that out. The biggest thing is trying to make sure we have…two bigger wings out there, Luka, Adou [Thiero], whoever that may be, Mamu as a wing with non-Walker minutes.”

A Michael Jordan jersey from his 'Last Dance' season has sold for $14m (£10.6m), a record for a piece of basketball memorabilia.

Jordan wore the Chicago Bulls jersey during game two of the 1998 NBA Finals and has autographed it too.

He scored a game-high 37 points that evening before ending his last season with the Bulls with a 4-2 series win for his sixth and final NBA Championship. He was named the Finals' Most Valuable Player in all six.

The only item of sports memorabilia that has cost more is the jersey worn by baseball legend Babe Ruth when he "called the shot" during the 1932 World Series, which was sold for $24.1m (£18.2m) in 2024.

The previous high for a basketball item was a card featuring Jordan and Kobe Bryant from 2007-08 which sold for $12.9m (£9.8m) last year.

The previous record for a piece of game-worn Jordan memorabilia was set just two weeks ago when his jersey from game three of the 1998 Finals, which is not autographed, sold via auction for $12.3m (£9.3m).

The latest purchase was made by Miami real estate investor Ron Firman in a private sale through Hunt Auctions.

David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, said in a statement: "While Michael Jordan's importance within the sports memorabilia marketplace has long been established, it has now escalated to an elite asset class more typically reserved for iconic works of art."

• Why everyone’s talking about The Last Dance
• Maradona's 'Hand of God' shirt sells for £7.1m

The Brooklyn Nets are bringing timeless classics back to the hardwood. 

On Monday, the Nets unveiled their ABA-inspired Classic Edition uniforms and commemorative court ahead of the franchise’s 60th season. Both are set to debut on October 21 against the Charlotte Hornets.

The throwback kit features the red, white and blue worn by the Nets in their American Basketball Association (ABA) years. The design connects the franchise’s original roots to the 50th anniversary of the ABA-NBA merger. 

Here’s the full schedule of when they will wear them…

The Classic Edition uniform and court are part of a broader celebration planned throughout the 2026-27 season. Brooklyn will host six “Eras Nights” featuring alumni appearances, era-inspired entertainment, in-arena activations and giveaways.  For example, the Nets have reportedly invited all living players and coaches from their 1976 ABA championship to Barclays for the ABA celebration on November 18.

The Nets adopted their current name in 1968 and wore this version of their red, white and blue uniform through 1972. The look predates Julius Erving’s arrival and Brooklyn’s ABA championship runs.

Meanwhile, the court will feature several tributes to the franchise’s history. The Nets’ 60th-season logo, also red, white and blue, will appear at center court, while a logo incorporating past team branding will run along the sideline. The names of more than 575 players who have worn a Nets jersey will appear across the court apron, with the baseline recognizing the 50th anniversary of the ABA-NBA merger.

“The Classic Edition uniform and special-edition court give fans a new way to experience the history of this franchise,” said Becky Kimbro, Senior VP of Marketing, BSE. “This anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate every era of Nets basketball and the people who have shaped the franchise. From our ABA roots to the generations of players who have worn a Nets jersey, these elements honor where we have been while continuing to write the next chapter of Nets basketball in Brooklyn.”

It goes beyond jerseys, too. 

Latest on The Block

Per the Nets press release, “the Nets will bring back The Block, a dedicated lower-bowl fan section at Barclays Center that unites the team’s most passionate supporters to lead chants, energize the crowd and create an electric home-court atmosphere. The return of The Block celebrates the role fans have played in shaping the franchise’s history while giving them an opportunity to help build its next chapter in Brooklyn.”

The block is returning after a one-year hiatus.

New fan experiences at Barclays Center

The Nets are also introducing new technology at their October 21 home opener, which will feature a special show celebrating 60 years of Nets history with custom LED screens and 360-degree player footage.

Alibaba — the Nets’ new official technology and cloud partner and jersey patch partner — will introduce real-time 360-degree replays. Fans will also be able to visit the Nets Figure Lab to create personalized collectible cards using Alibaba technology. Joe Tsai, of course, is Alibaba’s executive chairman.

According to one report, the replays and other Alibaba technology will be rolled out throughout the season as the company and team use Barclays as a “testing ground for applications combining image processing, content personalization and cloud services.”

The home opener will coincide with the latest phase of Barclays Center’s five-year, $150 million-plus enhancement plan. Upgrades include a redesigned Main Atrium and box office, a 9,000-square-foot event-level club, a dedicated American Express card member entrance and lounge, and the first major control room upgrade since the arena opened in 2012.

The redesigned Main Atrium will feature WAVE, a newly commissioned airborne sculpture by artist Sarah Sze. At the new American Express entrance and lounge on Flatbush Avenue, there will be two large scale paintings by Rashid Johnson and Mark Bradford. The arena expects the updated entrance area to enhance the arrival experience for more than 70 percent of its guests.

***

The Nets joined the Nuggets, Pacers and Spurs in unveiling their 2026-27 Classic Edition uniforms and courts on Monday.  Whatever happens this year, at least the Nets will look good doing it.

Even a classic pose!

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Trae Young is in D.C. for the long haul. Your mileage may vary on the four-year max extension the Wizards handed him this summer, but it’s clear that the Wizards are committed to Young and his style.

That opens a range of questions around how (and whether) he molds his game to mesh with the Wizards’ young core. Here are some big ones I’ll be keeping an eye on.

Was last year’s Hawks performance a mirage?

Young’s very brief 10-game stint with the Hawks last year was a big step back. He shot the ball poorly, played especially lackadaisical defense, and struggled to drive winning. The Hawks took off when he left. 

That is, to be fair, a 10-game sample, and in his even more brief Wizards cameo later in the year, he shot the ball well. But given their long-term commitment, the Wizards have to hope that Young can reach a gear of athleticism and quickness that we’ve seen from him in the past. His quick-twitch, shifty first step has helped him separate from elite defenders and poke holes in defenses. Much of his film from last year shows a player who lacked that same agility. The Wizards need him to find it again.

Is Young going to set some screens?

The Wizards profile as a different style of team than past Trae Young operations. His Hawks teams were stocked with shooters and off-ball players who fit inside of Young’s heavy pick-and-roll game. Washington, with AJ Dybantsa in the starting lineup, is oriented a bit differently.

With Dybantsa’s promising downhill game, there is going to be less appetite for endless Young pick-and-rolls. Dybantsa is too good to shuttle off to the corner and take catch-and-shoot threes. It will be important for the Wizards to weave in sets that unlock Dybantsa and others without leaving Young to wait around in a your turn, my turn offense.

One way to do that is by setting screens himself. Young, of course, is not exactly the most physical screen-setter out there. But he can ghost or slip screens, scrambling out at the last minute, to generate favorable switches and driving lanes for Dybantsa. It’s a way to leverage Young’s gravity as a shooter and create confusion at the point of attack. It also opens a bag of tricks for Brian Keefe — for example, Young could pop out of a screen, then immediately receive his own screen from a waiting big man. 

Young has notoriously been reluctant to engage in off-ball actions. The Wizards have too many other offensive options for him to stand inattentively off to the side when he doesn’t have the ball.

Who will be his favorite pick-and-roll partner?

If there’s one thing we know about Trae Young, it’s that he is a big man’s best friend. He has propped up many NBA big men in the past, and now has Alex Sarr and Anthony Davis (and Deandre Ayton) to work with.

He’ll have plenty of chances to develop chemistry with all of them, and he surely will. It will be interesting, though, to see which big he most often uses as a roll man in the starting lineup, and by extension, which one that Keefe pairs him with during bench minutes. There’s a case for both AD and Sarr, and that likely will be a fluid decision. 

Davis profiles as a more natural fit. He’s an elite play finisher and vertical threat at the rim — the platonic ideal of a big man partner for Young. Lineups with Davis at the five and shooting around them could score like gangbusters. (Ayton is a very nice luxury as a third big, but Keefe should resist the temptation to lean much on the AD-Ayton double-big combo.)

I also expect Young to unlock Sarr’s rim-running game, which has been relatively dormant as a result of the Wizards’ lack of high-level ball-handling. Sarr is immensely versatile; he can dive to the rim for dunks, hit floaters and jumpers on the short-roll, or pop for threes.

It will take time to develop chemistry and find the right rotations. Young has long been able to mesh with new players quickly and establish his style. We’ll see how he does it with this deep and versatile Wizards team.

Michael Jordan’s final championship with the Bulls came in 1998, and a piece of memorabilia from the NBA Finals that season sold for a record eight-figure price.

A game-worn autographed Jordan jersey from 28 years ago sold this week for $14 million, according to auction house Hunt Auctions. That represents the most ever paid for a single item of basketball memorabilia, the Pennsylvania-based company announced Monday.

Florida real-estate investor Ron Firman was identified as the winner of the private treaty sale for the red road jersey, which Jordan wore in the Bulls’ Game 2 victory in the ’98 Finals against the Jazz.

The Bulls took that series in six games to complete their second three-peat of the decade, also winning three straight titles from 1991-93.

Jordan earned Finals MVP honors during all six of those championship years, averaging 33.5 points in 1998 against Utah.

That year also marked Jordan’s so-called “Last Dance” in Chicago; he retired after the ’98 Finals before coming back for two seasons with the Wizards from 2001-03.

The Jordan jersey, however, does not represent the highest-paid figure among all sports. A game-worn Babe Ruth jersey from his supposed “called shot” home run in the 1932 World Series sold in 2024 for $24.12 million, according to the Associated Press.

The Raptors have split the outcome of their first two preseason games, but it seems they might have a leg up against their Atlantic division rivals with the first on-court appearance for the Raptors of Kawhi Leonard.

“He went through practice today,” said Rajaković about Leonard at today’s practice. “He’s feeling great. 
So, yes, he’s gonna be available for game tomorrow.”

The superstar’s status seemed to be somewhat ambiguous before today. When the question was raised about how Jamal Shead felt about facing the New York Knicks alongside Kawhi, he seemed surprised.

“I ain’t know that,” Shead said, with a laugh. “Yeah, I mean, it’s going to be cool… seeing him in that 1st group and see how they start the game and see, you know, where he’s at conditioning wise. I know that was one of his biggest focusses… He’s a talent. He’s who he is.”

The New York Knicks handily defeated the Raptors in all five of their regular season games last year, en route to the championship, but things are different with Kawhi back. Brandon Ingram, while indeed an All-Star and a talented scorer, is not the player Kawhi is from both an offensive and defensive perspective, and Leonard’s addition to the squad could make all the difference.

The Knicks and the Raptors share a love for defensive wings, but this time, Leonard brings a level of experience and offensive prowess that the Knicks’ forwards will be hard pressed to match.

Leonard playing his first game for the Raptors at home will mark the first time he’s played at Scotiabank Arena in a Raptors’ jersey since the 2019 Finals. While it’s possible that he could be held back at the last minute for load management, it’s likely that this matchup and its place on home court will mark the Klaw’s first steps back into the hearts of Raptors fans across the country.

It’s a not a new season without new alternate uniforms in this day and age, and the Spurs have released their new Classic Editions: a retro throwback to their ABA origins in honor of the 50th anniversary of the American Basketball Association’s merger with the National Basketball Association back in 1976.

“Honoring our ABA roots through this Classic Edition uniform gives us an opportunity to celebrate the history that helped shape the Spurs and our city,” said Jordan Mandelkorn, vice president of marketing, creative and retail at Spurs Sports & Entertainment. “From the original design worn at HemisFair Arena to the special court with the ABA 50^th anniversary logo, this season-long celebration will connect generations of fans to our past while carrying that legacy forward into the future.”

The uniform features a silver base, grounding the team in a core color that reflects the early identity of the franchise. The arched Spurs wordmark returns in its original form on the jersey, worn by the first players to ever represent the city in the early ‘70s and now carrying forward their legacy. Directly above the jock tag, a special ABA anthem tag honors the league that brought the Spurs to the NBA. The shorts will feature the original black diamond backdrop framing the Spurs logo. The team’s patch partner, Ledger, appears on each jersey, symbolizing the commitment they share with the Spurs to build upon past greatness as the next generation forges forward into the future.

The Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA first came to San Antonio in 1973. They were initially going to be renamed “The “Gunslingers” before it was changed to the Spurs (probably a good idea), although there is debate as to whether the change was the result of a contest or one of the owners being from the small town of Spur, TX. They soon joined the NBA as part of the ABA-NBA merger in 1976, along with the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and then-New York Nets. The Spurs saw early success in the ABA and NBA, led by George Gervin and James Silas, and although it would take until 1999, they because the first former ABA team to win an NBA title — five, to be specific — and held that distinction until the Nuggets won it all in 2023.

The Spurs will sport their new Classic Edition uniforms and court nine times during the 2026-27 regular season, beginning on November 4 when they fittingly host the Dallas Mavericks. What do you think of the new unis, Pounders? It’s far from their first grey/silver uniform, but these are pretty slick, and the extra meaning behind them definitely adds some significance. Plus, there couldn’t be a more rad duo for rolling them out than Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant.

Lead an NBA team in scoring one day, find yourself looking for work less than a week later.

Such is the tough-luck life on the fringes of NBA rosters, which Miles Kelly experienced this week.

The 6-foot-5, second-year guard out of Auburn dropped 28 points in the Warriors’ preseason loss to the Trail Blazers last Wednesday. He came off the bench, drained six 3-pointers and posted a team-high plus-14 — the second-best on/off margin of any player — despite Golden State losing the game 123-118.

And, on Sunday, he was unceremoniously released.

Golden State opted to free up a roster spot to bring in Tyler Burton on a non-guaranteed deal — known as an Exhibit 10 — that can be converted into a two-way or minimum contract. Burton, a 6-foot-7 wing who went undrafted out of Villanova after a five-year college career, averaged 10.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 10 games with the Grizzlies last season.

Burton provides more depth at a position of need for the Warriors, who are stocked full in the back court but will be without their top two wings, Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, for the first portion of the season.

Still, the move may have come as a surprise for Warriors fans who watched Kelly’s impressive performance. Then again, anybody who tuned in would have been aware that Golden State was on the second night of a back-to-back and playing without seven of their typical rotation pieces.

Kelly scored six points in six minutes off the bench the previous night against the Lakers. He sank both his 3-point attempts and shot 8-for-15 from deep in three preseason games.

However, coach Steve Kerr apparently saw all he needed and left Kelly on the bench in the Warriors’ 111-106 exhibition win over the Kings on Saturday.

The next day, they cut bait.

After splitting their first two preseason games against the Nuggets, a new opponent is rolling into Salt Lake City. The San Antonio Spurs, runner-ups from last season and my pick for the eventual 2027 NBA champion, are coming to town, and will bring match-up problems that I can’t wait for the Jazz to try to solve. If Victor Wembanyama plays (and that is a big “if”), this preseason game will give us a unique opportunity to watch the Jazz, in a low-stakes environment, attempt to solve the player who seems destined to rule the West for the foreseeable future.

I’m particularly interested to see how what lineups the Jazz roll out in this one. Preseason is a time for experimentation, so I would not be shocked to see a starting lineup against the Spurs that Will Hardy has no intention of starting once the regular season comes around. Will Josh Okogie get his chance with the starters? Will Keyonte sit, giving Darryn Peterson some point guard reps? Will Hardy give Blake Hinson a shot with more established players? If ever he wanted to try these scenarios out, now is the time.

Once again, all eyes will be on Darryn Peterson. After he struggled in game 1 against the Nuggets, his shotmaking popped in the rematch. How will he fare against the notoriously physical Spurs backcourt? This is, once again, assuming that he plays – I would not be surprised if the injury report before this game looks eerily similar to what we became accustomed to during March and April of last season.

Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs—How to Watch:

Who: Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs

Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah

When: 7pm Mountain Daylight Time

How to Watch: KJZZ, Jazz+ (in market) or NBA League Pass (out of market)