Category: Basketball

Another day, another disrespect!

In a recent interview, Bub Carrington revealed that the Wizards held back to try to draft AJ Dybantsa last season. You can see the exchange below.

That should mean a fine, right? I mean, that’s what they did with the Utah Jazz? Turns out that they will not be fining the Wizards, according to Sam Amick.

This disrespect is not new, remember when the Jazz wanted to give Keyonte George a chance to coach during summer league? It was going to be a lot of fun and help connect Keyonte George to the young rosters. But no, the NBA couldn’t let the Jazz do that.

Was Adam Silver consistent with that? No, actually. Because he let the Celtics do the exact same thing days later.

So it’s okay for the Celtics, but not the Jazz? So disrespectful!

I guess the consolation is that it obviously bugged the NBA that the Jazz wanted to do the right thing to win a title by tanking. Winning the lottery after that fine is hilarious. What would be even more funny is Utah becoming an NBA champion because of that tanking. That $500K could be the best money ever spent by Ryan Smith.

Chandler Holt of KSL Sports was kind enough to join me on the Hoops Nerd Podcast to talk about the upcoming season. We discussed a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:

• Who will be in the Jazz starting lineup?
• What should we expect from Darryn Peterson? Will he be starting?
• What type of role will Keyonte George play? Can he be the point guard the Jazz need?
• Where does Ace Bailey fit in? Is he happy in camp?
• How does Lauri Markkanen fit into a packed roster? Can he score at the level he did before? What is his role?
• What impact does Jaren Jackson Jr have? Will he play center? What other things will he do in the Jazz offense?
• Will the Jazz make some sort of trade this year? What would that look like?
• How many wins will the Jazz get?

Also, make sure to download the new SB Nation sports app. It’s a great way to keep up with all our stories and discussion boards.

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić has filed a petition under international rules to have his two children brought to the United States, according to a report from The Athletic.

Dončić’s two daughters, Gabriela and Olivia, live in their home country of Slovenia with their mother, Dončić's former fiancée.

“Nothing is more important to me than my daughters,” Dončić said in a statement to The Athletic. “I will do whatever it takes to make sure they have both parents present in their lives.”

Dončić and his longtime girlfriend ended their engagement in March, leading to an ongoing custody battle over the daughters.

The two began dating in 2016 and were engaged in 2023.

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Given how divisive it is, there will never be a uniform opinion on the Lakers’ 2020 title.

For some — like basically any respectable NBA player who was there — the title is one of the most impressive, given the circumstances. For loud wrong people, it’s a lesser-than title.

What shouldn’t be up for debate, regardless of the validity of the title, though, is that it’s a shame they never got to properly celebrate it. Because of everything going on in the world in 2020, a parade was never a viable option.

And that’s something that still bothers LeBron James.

In his return to his Mind the Game podcast prior to training camp kicking off around the league, LeBron James spoke about his time in Los Angeles and brought up the fact that the Lakers never really got to celebrate their title.

“It bothers me, [on a scale of] 1-10, 20. Just to be able to celebrate with the Laker faithful. I don’t know what the route would have been. I’m thinking go down Olympic, just all the way down Olympic and then end up downtown right by Staples Center. Everybody want to call it Crypto but it’s Staples Center to me. It would have been super, duper dope. But we did that. We did that and that banner’s up there. That banner’s in that arena forever along with the other ones that’s been able to go up in the history of the Lakers franchise.”

Even if the Lakers wanted to celebrate, the league didn’t exactly give them much time to do it. Their six-week offseason didn’t exactly lend itself to much time to plan things.

Now, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they get to ever truly celebrate the title. Perhaps in the future if/when the Lakers win another title, they can have members of the 2020 team tag along. But would it feel the same?

It would likely have to happen in the distant future as it’s hard to imagine LeBron being on a different team and celebrating a title in LA with the Lakers. Hopefully, though, it’s something the team has to contemplate in the future because that 2020 team does deserve to be celebrated and given it’s flowers.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

When it’s Big Blue Madness, basketball season is officially underway in the Bluegrass.

Friday night, a sold-out Rupp Arena welcomed the men’s and women’s teams in their first looks at both of them ahead of their upcoming seasons. It was a raucous crowd, with excitement building for the season.

Women’s Team shows off shooting ahead of highly anticipated season

The Women’s Basketball team tipped off the festivities as they entered the arena. Coming off a Sweet 16 berth last year, Kenny Brooks and the Cats have a lot of momentum coming into this season. The crowd at Rupp Arena clearly concurs, giving each player and Brooks a rousing ovation when they were introduced.

In the “Hot Shot” competition, Team 1 featured Asia Boone, Me’Arah O’Neal, Gabby Brooks, and Savvy Swords. They put up a solid 16 points to tip off the drill. They were followed by Team 2, featuring Clara Strack, Diana Collins, Emily McDonald, and Jemma Amoore. Behind a blistering start, they started draining shots from deep to take the lead.

On Team 3, a fan joined Ajša Sivka, Maddyn Greenway, and Dominika Paurová. They tied Team 1 with 16 points, meaning Team 2 won the drill.

Then came everybody’s favorite: The 3-point shooting contest. Asia Boone tipped it off with a solid 15 points, with Me’Arah O’Neal draining her final two shots to put up 18 points. A confident Emily McDonald made six in a row early and came up just one point shy of the lead with 17. All three advanced to the final round; Boone made all five shots on the final rack to accumulate 20 points.

McDonald responded by hitting her final shot to tie the score. It came down to O’Neal, who made all five from straightaway and then her final two shots on the last rack to tie the score at 20. That brought the tiebreaker to half-court, with a moneyball rack and the first player to make a shot winning the contest. Boone rattled one in after multiple rounds of attempts to take home the trophy.

Mark Pope welcomes back Karl-Anthony Towns

First of all, the thunderous applause started when Malachi Moreno was introduced. Then, things got real. A tall white sheet acted as a projector screen to play an intro video for Mark Pope, who appeared on a gigantic pedestal to address the crowd in Rupp Arena. Dressed in all black, including a Kentucky varsity jacket, Pope then said he had one more Cat to introduce. Pope unveiled that he was wearing a Karl-Anthony Towns No. 12 jersey, a fitting welcome home for one of the greatest Cats of all time.

Coming off winning the 2026 NBA Championship with the New York Knicks, Towns was greeted to a raucous ovation from the Rupp Arena crowd. In just one season with Kentucky, Towns averaged 10.3 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game. Keep in mind, he played on Kentucky’s platoon squad. NBA scouts knew what Towns had, and he was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.

In the NBA Playoffs this past Spring, Towns averaged 15.9 points per game and 10.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 55.1% from the field and 45.6% from 3-point range. Towns tipped San Antonio Spurs’ Dylan Harper’s final inbounds pass in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, enabling Josh Hart to hold serve underneath the basket against the Spurs’ Stephon Castle and cement the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, with the Knicks coming back from down 29 points in the second half.

Mark Pope Shines Spotlight on coaching staff

I think it’s great that Pope took several minutes to highlight his assistant coaches and staff, particularly what each of their roles are. Pope introduced each of them, with all of the members in various entrances to different sections in the upper deck of Rupp Arena.

Earlier this week, Pope said there’s great synergy with this current coaching and basketball staff. That was on display Friday night at Big Blue Madness.

Lighting it up from deep

Mark Pope said earlier this week that he thinks this Wildcats’ team’s shooting will be elite and they have a depth of shooters. In the 3-point shooting competition, we saw glimpses of what that can look like. Mason Williams tipped off the competition with 24 points. Then, Alex Wilkins showed off his shooting potential with a blistering 31 points. Milan Momcilovic participated and got hot at the end to finish with 22 points.

Then, it was reigning 3-point champion Trent Noah, who went 4-5 on the final rack to finish with 18 points.

The final round came down to Wilkins and Ousmane N’Diaye. N’Diaye finished with eight points, with Wilkins following it with a raining performance at 21 points and deciding to dunk in the final ball for the win.

Milan wins fan $10,000

A fan named Jake from the crowd got two half-court shots to win $10,000. He missed both, but he was able to select one player on the team to shoot from half-court to win him the money. He chose Milan Momcilovic. Wise choice. Momcilovic calmly let it fly, banking it in and winning Jake $10,000.

McBride and N’Diaye WOW in dunk contest

Justin McBride started off the dunk contest with an explosive between-the-legs dunk. In the final round, Ousmane N’Diaye threw a pass off the backboard that he put back for an emphatic slam. McBride followed with a thunderous windmill reverse dunk that netted him a 50 score from the judges.

Twitter Reactions to Big Blue Madness

Kentucky players lit up the Blue Carpet and then made it a memorable night in Rupp Arena. Here are some Twitter reactions from Big Blue Madness.

It was a simple answer, really. 

Keon Ellis came to play for the Nets for one major reason: Jordi Fernández. 

“In this game — and it is a business — having someone like Jordi being the head coach, someone you’re familiar with, [is big]. You know all the schemes, you know what he’s about, you know what they want to run,” Ellis said Friday after practice. “It’s a safe space right there. He’s familiar with my game, I’m familiar with how he rocks. That was the No. 1 thing.” 

“He knows how I play, and I know how he wants his team to play. I know I can have a big impact in that way.” 

The two were together with the Kings from 2022-24, when Fernández worked under then-Kings head coach Mike Brown — and Fernández left such an impact on Ellis in that time that he wanted a reunion. 

The two sides agreed during the offseason to a two-year, $18 million contract, with a full mutual option for the second year. The 6-foot-4 Ellis, known for his defense and 3-point shotmaking, hopes this reunion can serve as a spark.

Last season didn’t go as planned as he averaged 6.7 points split between Sacramento and Cleveland after a February trade, one season after posting 8.3 ppg for the Kings. He shot 36.3 percent from 3-point range but had been at 42.9 percent over his first three NBA seasons. 

The Nets are banking on more than just his shooting touch. The hope is the 26-year-old can be a defensive stopper. Last season, Ellis ranked in the 93rd percentile in steals (2.7), in the 95th percentile in blocks (1.5) and the 96th percentile in both turnovers forced (1.6) and deflections (6.4) per 100 possessions. His stop percentile of 4.4 ranked near the top of the league. 

“I think Keon’s got the best hands in the NBA, and that’s hard to teach,” Fernández said. “At the same time, you want to be disciplined and follow the schemes, whatever the game plan is. I trust him. I know he’s very diligent with his work and everything, and I know he can perform at a high level. He’s going to help us a lot at the defensive end.” 

Early on, he has impressed his new teammates. 

“Strong start,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “Keon has been hooping these first two days. He plays the right way. He plays defense. He can really shoot the ball, and he’s been just overall very solid.” 

The most important thing for both Ellis and Fernández is there is a comfort level already in place. Each knows what the other expects. 

“You have a guy with many intangibles, is a super pro. He has probably the best hands in the NBA, can shoot the ball, can handle, is a good human,” the Nets coach said. “He’s coming here and is about business. It was a no-brainer. 

“It’s not for me to say [how much of an impact he will make]. It’s for me to believe every time he guards he’s going to be good on that player, and every time he shoots the ball, I believe it’s going to go in.” 

The first week of Lakers’ training camp has passed. 

It has been a whirlwind of Purple-and-Gold-smeared optimism and excitement. 

Luka Doncic is ready to lead the Lakers back atop the league as the unequivocal head of the 17-time championship franchise. 

Austin Reaves wants to live up to his new four-year, $180 million contract. Walker Kessler is ready to run through walls.

Here are our biggest takeaways from camp so far:

1. Lakers’ perimeter defense is better than expected 

If you asked any scout what the Lakers’ biggest hole was heading into the season, the response would’ve been unanimous: perimeter defense. 

Only, the players say that’s wildly incorrect. 

In fact, Lakers coach JJ Redick cut practice short Wednesday because the competition became so intense. There are nine new players. There are two starting positions open alongside Doncic, Reaves and Kessler. 

And it’s obvious that those spots will be won by defensive effort. 

Kessler, who is the Lakers’ defensive anchor down low, has been impressed by what he has seen so far. 

“I think we’re going to be a nasty defensive team, I’m just being honest,” Kessler said. “Just seeing these guys hound the ball on the perimeter.”

Kessler said people “aren’t taking into account” how good the Lakers’ perimeter defense will be, adding that this roster has the intelligence and skill to surpass expectations.

But one question in particular stumped Kessler.

Who stood out?

“I mean, Thi [Adou Thiero], Ziaire [Williams], Quentin [Grimes], Bull [Matisse Thybulle], Van [Jarred Vanderbilt], Jake [LaRavia] — I could go through the whole team,” he said.

“Everyone’s got their own strengths, weaknesses. But I think that these guys are really good at not allowing their weaknesses to show and really focusing on their strengths, and [making] sure that’s what’s pushing them forward, especially on the defensive side.”

2. Lakers believe they’ll be championship contenders this season

It was obvious last season that the Lakers were heads and shoulders behind the top teams in the West, including the Thunder and Spurs. 

They lost their four regular-season matchups against the Thunder by an average of 29.3 points and then were swept out of the playoffs by Oklahoma City in the second round. Oh, then the Thunder lost to the Spurs in the Western Conference finals. 

The Lakers responded by completely overhauling their roster last summer, adding youth and speed. 

But let’s be real: It still seemed as though they were a few tweaks away from being able to contend. And they definitely needed time to jell, especially considering the Thunder and Spurs have been deep into the playoffs with their rosters. 

But the Lakers don’t think it will take time. 

They believe they’ve arrived. 

Said Redick: “I’m confident we’re gonna develop as a team into a championship-level team this year.”

When Reaves was asked if he agreed, he didn’t hesitate.

“I do,” he said. “Let me tell you, trying to score on Matisse and Ziaire, especially with Adou out there, too, and then Walker on the back line is not easy. I had to deal with that all day yesterday and today, and it’s not fun. So, defensively, we’re going to be much better.”

That’s great news for a team that finished 19th in defensive rating last season. As for their new defensive star? Kessler also believes the Larry O’Brien Trophy is within the team’s grasp.

“I believe so,” he said. “No question. Yeah, undoubtedly.”

3. Get ready for Luka

A fire was lit under Doncic as soon as he was shockingly dealt by the Mavericks to the Lakers in February 2025. 

Those flames were fanned when LeBron James left Los Angeles in free agency.

The Lakers are his team. 

And he’s ready. 

He says he’s fully healthy after missing last postseason because of a strained hamstring. He recently made five consecutive half-court shots, stunning Reaves into pausing his own news conference to marvel at the feat. 

He helped handpick the roster, telling Lakers brass that he wanted Reaves and Kessler as his teammates. And he paid for the entire Lakers team to fly to Slovenia so he could host a minicamp, something he had never previously done in his career. 

Doncic led the league in scoring last season (33.5 points per game), was third in assists (8.3) and finished fourth in MVP voting. 

Here’s to betting he puts up an MVP-caliber campaign this time around. 

Every day they're hustlin'.

The Miami Heat announced Friday, Oct. 2 that they are hosting "A Night in Vice City" to promote the highly-anticipated release of "Grand Theft Auto 6."

The event will serve as the backdrop for the Nov. 18 game against the Milwaukee Bucks, which is the night before the Nov. 19 release date for the latest edition of the popular and controversial video game. It also will be the first time Giannis Antetokounmpo faces off against the team that drafted him and facilitated his journey to superstardom.

In a news release, the Heat said that the partnership with Rockstar Games will transform the Kaseya Center into an immersive experience based on Vice City. The fictional location is where the latest edition of the game is based, "the darkest side of the sunniest place in America." In previews for "Grand Theft Auto 6," there's palm trees, alligators, exotic cars, gold chains, dark alleys and art deco buildings on the beach with neon lights. Basically, Miami.

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For the game, the court will have a special design, the players will wear a new uniform and there will be other activations throughout the night. There is also a merchandise collection of T-shirts, hoodies and hats.

The campaign for "A Night in Vice City" started on Thursday, Oct. 1 with a lighting of a neon sign that says, "Welcome to Vice City" on top of the arena. The team said that it will release more information about the event leading up to it.

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