Category: Basketball

The naming of things can sometimes be funny. A small or cheap item can have a regal name attached that does not fit the size or stature of the actual product. For years, the “Great Lakes Classic” preseason matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions fit the “big name, small game” typology.

“The Battle for the Barge,” as fans would call the GLC, was regularly played between two teams who were only “Classic” in that they have both been around a long time, both were founded in Ohio (the Lions were originally the Portsmouth Spartans), and both have been classically bad since the Browns returned in 1999.

Detroit has seen a strong turnaround since 2022, with four straight winning records and two playoff appearances, while Cleveland has made the playoffs twice since 2020 but has seen four losing seasons in that timeframe as well.

According to Joel Walkowski, author of the book “Honolulu Blues: How The Detroit Lions Saved My Life,” fans of the Browns and Lions are 1a and 1b in having “the worst go of it of any franchise,” similar to the NBA’s GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James:

“I exist on this planet to make the argument that the Lions fans have the WORST go of it of any franchise…”

“I gotta give a hat tip to the Cleveland Browns. That is the Jordan-LeBron debate of this…” 

Do you agree with @theBigWalkowski? https://t.co/HIHqpDYst0pic.twitter.com/v3Hb0DLCbS

— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) July 28, 2026

Obviously, Walkowski has a bias, as we all do.

A look at the historical numbers between each team:

• Record: CLE – 567-560-14, DET – 615-717-34
• Winning %: CLE – 50.3%, DET – 46%
• Championships: CLE – 8, DET – 4

Maybe Walkowski is on to something, big picture and in the long-term. For the more recent history, the Browns have been far more downtrodden and have had an organization that has made mind-numbing decision after mind-numbing decision.

Then again, Detroit and Cleveland are also the only two teams since the strike-shortened season of 1982 to have winless seasons, so both fan bases have gone through a lot.

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Overall, which fan base do you think has it worse? Do you agree with Walkowski because of the whole history of the franchises or do you think it is the Browns given the history since The Return in 1999?

Join the conversation below in our comment section

Unsurprisingly, the Cleveland Cavaliers need to add another forward to the roster in the wake of LeBron James going to the Philadelphia 76ers. It seems that the signing of Mario Hezonja is not the only transaction the Cavaliers are pursuing.

In a segment on NBA Today, ESPN’s Shams Charania noted that “DeMar DeRozan has interest from Cleveland”. Charania also mentioned that “Miami, Denver and Cleveland are among the teams interested in DeMar DeRozan”.

Shams Latest On Cavs Offseason:

“Miami & Cleveland have aspirations to compete for a championship in the eastern conference. That’s why they are trying to move swiftly on their next step…both teams have their own business to handle as well. Cleveland has to get James Harden… pic.twitter.com/IO47UVdRTy

— Dylan🔮🎆🪼 (@dillybar2145__) July 27, 2026

The Sacramento Kings bought out DeRozan earlier this month. DeRozan will turn 37 by the time the season tips off in October. Age hasn’t hindered his ability to be a microwave scorer and availability averaging 18.4 points while shooting 49.7% from the field in the 77 games played this past season.

The Cavaliers clearly need wing talent after Dean Wade signed with the 76ers and Keon Ellis signed with the Brooklyn Nets. DeRozan projects as a more awkward fit for Cleveland’s roster given that he has been the primary scoring option for the majority of his career. The unknown of how he will find his spots on a team with the ball primarily in James Harden and Donovan Mitchell is yet to be seen.

A clear benefit for the Cavaliers in a DeRozan addition would be the pressure to the rim DeRozan provides, as well as being a sufficient scorer without support. The warts of the acquisition would be that DeRozan has never established a consistent outside shot.

Kenny Atkinson’s offense really allows three-point shooters to thrive i.e., Sam Merrill and Max Strus. There have not been many players like DeRozan who have come into the Cavaliers’ offense with his iso-mid-range heavy skillet. Caris LeVert was the closest comparison; however, LeVert was much more of a willing three-point shooter.

The common thread between DeRozan and fellow forwards attached to the Cavaliers and others is that the teams interested were those affected by the LeBron James sweepstakes. This could be a common theme for the remainder of the summer as teams try to find suitable replacements at the wing.

It’s worth noting that DeRozan and Harden grew up as childhood friends. We’ll see if that factors at all in these discussions.

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Now that the dust has settled on the initial shock and excitement of LeBron James announcing his signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, the discussion focus has shifted to how the King will mesh with his new team.

There are a ton of angles to look at this from, but one that has stood out to me as much more prevalent than expected is the prediction that LeBron joining the Sixers — alongside the rest of the now-stacked starting lineup — will be a massive detriment to the development of 2025 No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe in his sophomore season.

Now, before we even dig in to the intricacies here, it is worth noting that some of the people peddling the idea of Edgecombe’s development being ruined by the presence of James are the same people that were certain James would never pick Philadelphia in the first place. So, there may be an element of just searching for the negatives here from some folks.

That being said, though, the development of a younger player like Edgecombe is of course a valid factor to consider when talking about a major shift in a lineup’s makeup. But the conclusion that playing alongside LeBron James (and Jaylen Brown, for that matter) will certainly derail the young guard’s progression… I’m sorry, I just don’t buy it for a number of reasons. In fact, I think the opposite will ultimately be true.

Look at the type of player we saw Edgecombe become throughout his rookie season in the NBA. Offensively, he excelled the most as an off-ball scorer — cutting to open space, scoring off screens, leaving opponents in the dust getting out in transition for quick buckets. The soon-to-be 21-year-old is incredibly speedy and athletic, with a keen awareness to know exactly what gaps to fill with precise timing, as well as a willingness to take advantage of the shot opportunities he gets with no hesitation.

All of these skills combined to make Edgecombe his most efficient when the ball wasn’t in his hands for too long. As his rookie regular season progressed, Edgecombe was a more efficient shooter on catch-and-shoots than he was pull-ups, from everywhere on the floor — he sank 38.7% (99-for-256) on catch-and-shoot triples compared for 31.1% (50-for-161) on pull-ups. On zero dribbles, Edgecombe sank 46.8% (171-for-365) from the floor when he didn’t put the ball on the ground. With a touch time of less than two seconds, he went 45.8% from the floor and 37.7% from long range.

I don’t see how the Sixers’ new stacked starting four around Edgecombe does not enable him to put those skills to immense use and continue to develop into a true sharpshooter. With Tyrese Maxey, Brown, Joel Embiid and Lebron all worthy of drawing a double-team or help defense at any given moment, there should be a lot of gaps created on the offensive floor for Edgecombe to cut to and receive passes from any of the very capable playmakers in the lineup for shooting opportunities. Not to mention that, because of that star quality surrounding him, Edgecombe is likely to be matched with every opponent’s fifth-best defender on the floor. One through four will have their hands full with the other guys.

(Perhaps I will look back on this and reflect differently if all four of his starting-line mates refuse to pass to him when he’s open for some reason, but I genuinely do not believe that will be the case.)

Edgecombe also shined in his debut season as an active, aggressive rebounder with some impressively solid defense. It doesn’t take much deep analysis into this roster to know that Edgecombe will still have plenty of opportunities to hone those specific skills even with the Sixers’ impressive newcomers.

So, in my opinion, the new starting five will work right into Edgecombe’s existing wheelhouse in a number of ways. Of course that begs the question, then, of when will he work on the things that are his existing weaknesses, such as some sloppiness and inefficiency as a ball-handler and facilitating point guard.

It’s true that he’s unlikely to get the best opportunities to work on these skills with the new starting lineup… but one has to remember that that’s not the only lineup he will be playing in. I hardly think Nick Nurse will be doing five subs at a time, and the bench unit will mesh in with the starting guys as the rotation develops throughout games. What Edgecombe doesn’t necessarily work on specifically from tipoff, he can work on more as the bench players get involved.

And none of this is even mentioning that with the addition of guys like LeBron and Brown comes their leadership and mentorship for Edgecombe, a kid that has already shown himself to be extremely coachable and adaptable to teaching. It’s one of those massive intangibles that should be considered just as important as the numbers or hypothetical “fit” on paper when talking about a player like Edgecombe.

It will never show on a stat sheet, but the young guard has already proven himself to have an incredible work ethic, an extremely confident approach to the game as well as an immense willingness to do whatever is asked of him to help his team or his game. Edgecombe wasn’t one to get down or mopey after making a mistake or going on a cold shooting streak. He showed himself able to pivot into different versions of himself based on what a game situation was calling for. He never seemed discouraged by having someone like Maxey or Nurse in his ear about something — in fact, he often seemed eager to learn from every little stumble.

I don’t see why any of those factors in Edgecombe’s personality would be different now that he’s playing alongside one of the greatest to ever do it. If anything, one would think Edgecombe would only be further encouraged to do whatever he can to make himself productive and useful among the best of the best. Hell, he handled the whiplash transition from a 19-year-old college kid to consistent NBA starter logging 3,030 NBA minutes (regular and postseason) in stride — I think he can handle perhaps a shift in expected role. And I bet he does it with a smile on his face.

So, could LeBron, Brown and the others change the way that Edgecombe’s game develops this season? Of course, there’s no doubt. But change — even within a Sixers franchise that has felt fully cursed at times — is not always a negative. The idea that Edgecombe’s development is now completely ruined or derailed by the organization’s recent fortune and the opportunity to learn from some of the best the game has to offer, feels overblown at best and completely disingenuous at worst.

Different? Maybe. Derailed? Not a chance.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Houston Rockets are underachievers. If you are what you are, then over the last two years, the Rockets were defeated in the first round of the playoffs as a number two seed, and then they were beaten by the shorthanded Lakers last season. Say what you will about the progress made from the Silas years, but the Rockets are currently underachivers.

If the Rockets underachieve again, heads could very well roll. We want to know, if the Rockets flame out again this season, who is the most likey to go? Head coach Ime Udoka, GM Rafael Stone or both?

Cast your vote, tell is in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results.

Why did LeBron James choose the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency? The answer is starting to come into focus days after James made his “final decision.” Here’s what we know so far.

• LeBron wanted his best chance to win a fifth championship: He decided Philly was a better option to get there than Miami, Cleveland, and Golden State. The opportunity to win another ring took precedent over a reunion with one of his former teams, playing with Steph Curry, or anything else.
• LeBron wanted to play with a fellow Klutch client: Tyrese Maxey is also represented by Rich Paul, and it sure seems like that played into James’ decision. Paul said that Cleveland’s decision to trade Darius Garland last season hurt their chances to land LeBron. It’s no coincidence that the Sixers signed fellow Klutch client Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shortly after LeBron agreed to terms.
• LeBron wants to live in New York: Paul said that LeBron would have signed with the Knicks if they didn’t win the 2026 NBA championship, and I believe him. There are already rumors that James is going to live in New York City and take a helicopter to games in Philly.
• LeBron really wanted to play with Jaylen Brown: The Cavs not trading for Jaylen Brown hurt their chances to land LeBron, according to insider Brian Windhorst. LeBron didn’t take Philly seriously as a potential landing spot until the team traded for Brown, according to Shams Charania.

The Jaylen Brown point is particularly fascinating, and not just because Brown was once caught saying he didn’t think Bronny James was an NBA player.

The Celtics shopped Brown all over the league this summer. The best deal they could get was one from Philadelphia that felt hugely underwhelming at the time. Boston had to take back Paul George’s albatross contract, and got two first-round picks, one of which may turn into a swap instead. I’ve significantly warmed on the trade from the Celtics’ perspective, in part because lead executive Brad Stevens is one of the best in the league. If Stevens didn’t want Brown — and if 28 other teams didn’t really want him, either — then maybe winning with him on his current contract is a lot more difficult than most fans and media believe.

LeBron disagrees. He wouldn’t have gone to Philly without Brown, and heck, he might be in Cleveland or Miami or Golden State right now if one of those teams had traded for him instead. James’ greatest strength might be his basketball IQ, but there’s a reason why superstar players often don’t make great executives. Even if LeBron is the ultimate ball knower, the fit between him and Brown could be clunky even before we get to Brown’s massive cap hit.

Brown obviously had an excellent season in a high-usage role with the Celtics last year, but there are a few truths about his game that Philly will have to overcome. He’s never been a good off-ball defender, and tends to give up a lot of easy points by getting back cut. He’s not a good spot-up three-point shooter after only hitting 31% of his catch-and-shoots triples last year. Brown also has the ball a lot but rarely passes. This graph shows “average seconds per touch” vs. “percentage of touches that end with a pass.” As you can see, Brown doesn’t like to give up the rock. If he gets the ball, he’s either shooting or turning it over.

How do you think the new look 6ers will fit together? pic.twitter.com/fUtpy3qsl2

— ALL NBA Podcast (@ALLCITY_NBA) July 27, 2026

Brown called last season his favorite year of his career, probably because he got to take a lot of shots with Jayson Tatum out. It was a strange quote for a player who won an NBA championship and was named NBA Finals MVP during Boston’s 2024 run to the title. If Brown thought he was getting his own team after the trade to Philly, you can now make the case that he’s actually the fourth option.

The players who need to adjust their game the most after LeBron’s decision are Brown and Embiid. Brown needs to become a better spot-up shooter, a more willing passer, a more attentive off-ball defender, and someone who can find “opportunistic” buckets on cuts and offensive rebounds. Embiid needs to stay as close to “healthy” as possible first and foremost, but then he needs to focus more of his energy on being a monster rim protector, and less on being a great low post scorer.

The NBA didn’t really want Jaylen Brown at his salary. The analytics think he’s overrated and overpaid. LeBron disagrees, and he chose Philly largely because Brown was there.

Brown at $57 million this year might not be a great value, but you know what is? Brown and James for a combined $61 million. That’s what Philly has now, and the team is convinced it gives them a real shot at the 2027 championship.

Jalen Green’s name has been everywhere lately. Not because he’s said anything, not because he’s posted anything, but because the league can’t seem to stop dragging him into hypothetical blockbusters. Markieff Morris tosses out a LeBron‑to‑Cleveland scenario, and suddenly Green is trending again, a Suns player turned trade‑machine prop. It’s become part of his ecosystem: even when he’s quiet, the noise finds him.

But Phoenix isn’t operating in hypotheticals. They’re operating in reality. And the reality is that they’ve barely seen the player they traded for. Last season was a half‑story. A sketch. A trailer. A version of Jalen Green that played through pain, through adjustment, through the weight of expectation. The flashes were real, but the continuity wasn’t.

And that’s why imagining the best‑case Jalen Green isn’t just fun, it’s relevant. It’s clarifying. It’s the kind of exercise that tells you what the Suns actually are when their roster is whole.

So let’s explore the version of Jalen Green that Phoenix believes exists, the one the league keeps trying to poach, and the one the fanbase hasn’t fully met yet.

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The good, the bad, and the ugly of last season…and why none of it defines him

The Good:

Even in limited form, Green gave Phoenix something they desperately needed: downhill pressure. He cracked open defenses with burst alone, forced mismatches, and created pockets of chaos that Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges quietly fed off. His willingness to defend — genuinely defend — was one of the season’s under‑discussed wins. And his buy‑in was unmistakable. He didn’t float. He didn’t freelance. He tried to fit.

The Bad:

The inconsistency. The hesitations. The lower-than-desired percentages from the floor. The possessions where he’d beat his man, pause, and let the advantage evaporate. Some of that was physical. Some of it was learning a system that doesn’t revolve around him. Some of it was simply being 24 in a league that expects 24‑year‑olds to already be finished products.

The Ugly:

The trade chatter. The way his name became a placeholder for “young talent” in every hypothetical blockbuster. The way he was discussed as an asset before he was ever discussed as a Sun. It wasn’t malicious, just lazy. But it created a season where Green was constantly reacting to narratives he didn’t create.

None of those three categories define him. They just explain why the Suns haven’t yet seen the version of Jalen Green they believe they have.

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What a fully healthy Jalen Green actually does for Phoenix

This is the part that isn’t Player Profile territory, because it’s not about his handle, his shot diet, or his defensive metrics. It’s about team geometry. A fully healthy Green changes Phoenix’s shape.

He turns Booker from primary creator into dual‑threat co‑pilot. He gives Bridges a second‑side attacker who punishes tilted defenses. He gives Maluach a guard who can weaponize five‑out spacing. He gives the Suns a transition engine they haven’t had since the Nash era.

Most importantly: he becomes the Suns’ sanctioned chaos agent. Every contender needs one: the player who breaks structure in a way that helps, not hurts. The one who forces defensive rotations, who bends coverages, who makes playoff scouting reports feel incomplete. Green has that in him. Phoenix just hasn’t had the chance to let it breathe. A best‑case Jalen Green isn’t a star in isolation. He’s a multiplier. He makes the Suns harder to guard, harder to predict, harder to scheme for. His run leading into and including the Play-In was special enough to wonder where Phoenix could go from here.

And that’s why imagining him matters.

What the fanbase should expect, and why other teams will be watching

Expect noise. Expect highlights. Expect the occasional “why did he take that shot” moment followed immediately by “oh, that’s why he took that shot.”

Expect growth.

And expect other teams to keep circling. They already are. The trade chatter isn’t random — it’s a reflection of how the league views him: young, moldable, high‑ceiling, and still capable of becoming the kind of player who makes GMs regret not calling sooner.

If he hits his stride, rival fanbases won’t just be watching. They’ll be worrying.

Has Jalen Green said anything? Posted anything? Gone online?

Not really. No end‑of‑season media. No summer‑workout hype clips. No commentary on the trade noise. This article doesn’t cite any quotes from him. He’s quiet. Which usually means one thing: he’s working.

Players who want to reset a narrative don’t talk in June. They show up in October.

If you’re already struggling to find your love for Jalen Green in a Suns uniform, check out this write-up by Shane Young at NBA.com. And revisit Jalen Green showing up and showing out, below.

Question for the readers

• What do you think the ‘best version’ of Jalen Green looks like for the 2026-27 NBA campaign?
• Is he a near-all-star talent showing out in Phoenix, or is he the big piece that gets Phoenix the next piece?

UNLV basketball coach Josh Pastner clarified comments he made when he said the Runnin’ Rebels were seeking an "owner" for the team, emphasizing that the men’s basketball team is not for sale and belongs to the university.

In a statement, Pastner explained, "the Runnin' Rebels are not for sale, and my reference to an 'owner' was meant to highlight the level of resources, sponsorships, and overall support needed to compete in today's evolving college athletics landscape, not to suggest that anyone could own the program."

He concluded by reaffirming that the men’s basketball team "belongs to UNLV, its students, alumni, fans, and the entire Southern Nevada community."

LeBron James has decided this time, he’s taking his talents to Philadelphia.

The Lakers couldn’t be happier.

By not extending his contract a summer ago, they made it clear: They were ready to move on. And they have. They found their way to a front-line center and got a whole lot younger. And get this: They got better. In the long run and probably in a sprint too.

Maybe it seems sacrilegious to suggest they’ve improved by parting ways with the greatest player of all time and trading for a fifth-year pro who missed all but five games last season with the Utah Jazz after suffering a torn labrum.

Read more:LeBron James chooses the Philadelphia 76ers, will sign a two-year, $8-million deal

It’s not. Not when Walker Kessler was the missing piece for these Luka Doncic Lakers.

Maybe you’re finding it hard to get fired up about the new guy with no playoff experience. And you’re used to the Lakers collecting the biggest names — not guys whose games are unfamiliar. Giannis, say. Not ... Walker.

But please, stop and consider the tankathon Utah has been running; the last thing the Jazz wanted was Kessler on the court winning games for them.

You also still might be experiencing sticker shock on the Lakers’ behalf. They’re getting Kessler on a $130-million, four-year deal after completing a sign-and-trade that sent out a 2031 first-rounder, 2033 first-rounder and first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.

But position, position, position is to the NBA what location, location, location is to real estate — and if this fit proves as fun as Doncic seems to believe, then Kessler’s contract is going to feel like a real fair trade on the hot center market.

Because, defensively, the Lakers’ new 7-foot-2 center is a shot-blocking, space-eating deterrent in the post. That’s invaluable when you’re going with Doncic and Austin Reaves on the perimeter.

Offensively, Kessler has good hands and good handoff timing. You can call for him to screen all day. He has a radar for the rim, sixth in the NBA in dunks per game in 2024-25.

And Kessler is a blessing on the glass, the king of second chances. His 4.6 offensive rebounds per game in 2024-25 led the NBA.

Also: LeBron is going to turn 42 this season; Kessler is 25.

Age and experience count for a lot in life. But increasingly, today’s NBA is proving a young man’s game — and check ball, the Lakers are now in it.

Out went Deandre Ayton (28 years old), Rui Hachimura (28), Luke Kennard (30) and Marcus Smart (32). Jaxson Hayes (26) too, the only departing rotation player younger than 28.

In come Quentin Grimes (26), Sandro Mamukelashvili (27), Collin Sexton (27), Ziaire Williams (24), Jaden Hardy (24) and rookie summer league sensation Cameron Carr (21). Also, Kevon Looney, who will be Kessler’s backup big, and Matisse Thybulle, a proven defender on the wing, who are 30 and 29, respectively, and the only additions not younger than Doncic (27) and Reaves (28).

Still, I get it. You’re not wowed by the incoming group.

Were you wowed when the Dodgers acquired Max Muncy, Justin Turner or Chris Taylor? Probably not. But those guys went on to help the club win World Series titles.

Were the Dallas Mavericks banking on lob threat Derrick Jones Jr. — on a minimum contract — being a catalyst for their run to the 2024 NBA Finals? Do Lakers fans remember Doncic’s 17 assists to guys like Dante Exum, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Grant Williams in a 2023 victory over LeBron and Anthony Davis?

Doncic is manning the Lakers’ elevator now; it’s his job to lift his teammates to new heights. He can do it. He better do it.

Because the margins can be major, but they don’t account for most of the Lakers’ offseason grade this summer.

So give them a B+.

Not an A. No, because not every assignment has been completed.

There’s the minor matter of a starting five. The Lakers don’t appear to have one of those just yet.

They might yet add Jonathan Kuminga at forward. Or perhaps someone already rostered — hello, 22-year-old, skyscraping Adou Thiero — is waiting to wow us all in that role?

Normally, not having an answer to the most basic of questions at this point in the summer would fail you.

But this year is different.

Read more:Swanson: LeBron James is taking his time team-hunting, but why are the Warriors an option?

Filling the hole at center was weighted so heavily among the Lakers’ priorities — and landing Kessler earned them so much extra credit — it bumps their grade almost all the way up.

Of course, this was only the introductory course.

The real tests for this fresh new roster — down an all-time talent but so much more solid in the center — come when the season begins. Or, really, when the postseason does.

And expecting that opponents won’t have an easy time coming up with answers for Doncic and his new dominant defensive center, the Lakers are now set up to score well there too.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

A lot of no-story stories going on in the middle of the summer as we patiently wait for something—anything, God please help me—to happen. Here’s today’s dose of links and notes.

• The more the offseason advances, the more we’re hearing about Karl-Anthony Towns’ contract situation as the biggest unresolved issue around the Knicks heading into next season. The New York Post’s Jared Schwartz broke it down as the big man approaches a $61-million decision, with New York already able to offer him a four-year extension worth up to $272 million.
• Josh Hart’s future also remains uncertain, with a team option worth roughly $22 million for 2027-28 and his eligibility for an extension starting on Aug. 10.
• Miles McBride presents another looming cap decision, and Daily Knicks’ Jack Simone compared it to what happened to the Celtics and Al Horford.
• Are the Pelicans showing more willingness to discuss deals involving some of their younger players? Could that lead to another attempt at landing Knicks fans’ favorite target Yves Missi? Questions, questions!
• A trade for Milwaukee center Kel’el Ware has been floated by SI’s Steven Simineri as an aggressive solution to the Knicks’ frontcourt problem. I think we all agree that’s a lovable idea, but at the same time a very far-fetched one.

Karl-Anthony Towns Knows the Knicks’ Win Was Bigger Than Basketball https://t.co/F94HbadWYK

— Victoria Benning (@v_benning) July 25, 2026

• Karl-Anthony Towns talked about everything in an interview with The New York Times and among all the quotes, he explained why he was so vocal after scoring against Victor Wembanyama during the NBA Finals.
• Another interesting nugget was Towns admitting it will feel strange seeing Mitchell Robinson in a Celtics jersey next season.

“I don’t even know if I could look at Mitch with a Celtics jersey on after everything. He owes me a pickup truck.”

• Our own John Gove decided to build his Mt. Rushmore of Knicks’ all-time point guards. The list centered on winning and cultural impact rather than empty statistics, with the championship years of 1970, 1973 and 2026 serving as the obvious foundation. Do John a favor and read it all.
• LeBron James is expected to spend significant time playing point guard for the 76ers. ESPN’s Shams Charania said Philadelphia wants James to initiate the offense and create opportunities for usage-rate monsters Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and V.J. Edgecombe.
• The Knicks might never call James one of their own, but it feels James will never get over the idea of one day represeting New York. That’s why he is expected to live at least part-time in NYC despite signing with Philadelphia.
• Back to NYP’s Schwartz, he believes the Knicks’ decision not to seriously pursue LeBron will remain a season-long storyline and could come back hunting them.

“The Knicks’ decision to not make a real effort for LeBron, coupled with his interest in the team, his availability at a cheap price and his eventual signing with a rival, puts pressure on the Knicks. They are doubling down on the belief that their roster is good enough to repeat as champions, with LeBron and the 76ers now representing the opponent that oddsmakers believe will serve as the Knicks’ greatest obstacle in the Eastern Conference.

“In head-to-head games, in the standings, in a potential playoff matchup — this will be a talking point. The Knicks must prove themselves right. They must prove that they do not need The King.“

• At least 18 men’s college basketball players are projected to earn more than LeBron next season, with James making just under $4 million in Philadelphia next year.
• Remember the Heat employee who accidentally scheduled a “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference” video? Now we know the real reason why he did it.

Yo @spidadmitchell trade deadline coming up. Yall might want to make a move…it’s looking dark at the bottom

— Josh Hart (@joshhart) July 27, 2026

• Josh Hart trolled Donovan Mitchell over the Mets’ struggles.
• OAKAAK Mario Hezonja is really really returning to the NBA after agreeing to a one-year, $2.8 million deal with Cleveland after the Cavs whiffed on LeBron’s homecoming. Hezonja, for what it’s worth, said he had no interest in returning to the NBA when he first left the league because he felt disrespected.

“No, I’m not going to return to the NBA. There was a lot I didn’t like there, I didn’t get the respect that I deserved. In my opinion, the NBA is more of a show than the game itself.”

• Nikola Jokic’s horse won Serbia’s top race.

Nikola's horse wins the top Serbian race 🏆

🎥 @arenasport_tvpic.twitter.com/fu8mpzhQWk

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 27, 2026

For most of LeBron James’ career, the Celtics have been waiting for him somewhere.

Sometimes, they were the wall he could not get over. Other times, they forced him to find another way around it. Eventually, they became the opponent he could dismiss on command, no matter which players happened to be wearing green.

The rivalry went quiet when James moved west, but it never disappeared completely. Even without a Finals meeting, he joined the Lakers and helped Los Angeles pull even with Boston at 17 championships. Now, almost two decades after their first playoff series, the rivalry is back in a form no one saw coming.

James is a Philadelphia 76er. So is Jaylen Brown.

The player who spent years tormenting Boston has joined forces with one of the stars who carried the rivalry into its next generation. The Celtics will see James again in the Eastern Conference, only this time, Brown will be standing beside him.

Before we find out how this chapter ends, it’s worth going back to see how they got here.

The wall

LeBron had already reached the NBA Finals by the time he first encountered Boston in the playoffs. He was a scoring champion, a perennial MVP candidate and the Chosen One expected to eventually inherit the league.

The 2008 Celtics did not care.

Boston had won 66 games after bringing Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen together with Paul Pierce. They had the best defense in basketball and the confidence of a team that believed its championship window had opened immediately.

Practically all by his lonesome, James still nearly took them out.

The series went seven games, and the Celtics needed every piece of their newly constructed superteam to survive. James scored 45 points in the finale at TD Garden. Pierce answered with 41, and Boston escaped with a 97-92 win on its way to Banner 17.

The Duel between LeBron James vs Paul Pierce 2008 (via Throwback Hoops) pic.twitter.com/vabuOhZciU

— LeBron Vault (@TheBronVault) July 26, 2026

Years later, Brian Scalabrine remembered how quickly James challenged the Celtics’ belief that even the league’s best individual players could be swallowed by their defense.

“He could beat you with his brain, he could beat you with physicality, and he could beat you at the rim,” Scalabrine told ESPN.

That series established the first version of the rivalry. Boston was the finished product. LeBron was the singular force still trying to figure out how to defeat one.

The Celtics had Garnett directing the defense, Pierce accepting the scoring duel and a rotation built to make every drive exhausting. James could easily blow past his primary defender, but still look up to find several more bodies waiting for him.

Boston became the standard he had to reach.

The breaking point

Two years later, the Celtics became something more consequential.

Cleveland entered the 2010 postseason with the NBA’s best record and what appeared to be James’ clearest path yet toward a championship. Boston had slipped to fourth in the East, looked old at various points during the regular season and no longer carried the same aura as the defending champions.

Despite it all, the Celtics beat the Cavaliers again.

James struggled badly in Game 5 at home, finishing with 15 points on 3-of-14 shooting as Cleveland was booed off its own floor. The Cavaliers’ season ended two nights later in Boston. James walked off the court in a Cleveland uniform, removed his jersey in the tunnel and entered an offseason that changed the NBA.

May 13, 2010: The Celtics send LeBron to Miami pic.twitter.com/n0DkMSnH5H

— Boston Sports Throwback (@BOSthrowback) May 13, 2026

The Decision is remembered as a response to years of organizational failure in Cleveland, the lure of playing with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and James’ growing desperation to win his first championship.

The Celtics did not make The Decision for him, but they certainly helped turn up the heat.

Boston had eliminated James twice in three years. Its own Big Three had demonstrated the value of stars sacrificing individual control to extend their championship window. The Celtics had also made clear how difficult it would be for James to keep dragging an overmatched Cleveland roster through the East by himself.

Miami’s new superteam was built with Boston in mind.

The Celtics understood that too, and they enjoyed it. Doc Rivers later recalled Garnett refusing to recognize Miami as a legitimate Big Three because, in Garnett’s mind, that title still belonged to Boston. The Heat may have assembled the league’s most hated team, but the Celtics saw them as challengers who still needed to take the conference away.

Boston won James’ first game with Miami, an ugly season opener at TD Garden that briefly made the league’s grand new experiment look vulnerable.

The Heat eventually found their footing. More importantly, James finally found his way through Boston.

Miami eliminated the Celtics in five games during the 2011 conference semifinals. When the series ended, James dropped to his knees near midcourt. Beating Boston did not bring him a championship that year, but it removed an opponent that had come to represent every doubt surrounding him.

He had cleared the wall, but would soon need to do it again.

The stare

The Celtics arrived at Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals with a 3-2 series lead and a chance to end the Heat’s season in Boston.

It was the kind of night TD Garden had been built for. The veteran Celtics were nearing the end of their run together, but they had one more chance to break the team created to replace them. Miami faced an offseason of impossible questions if it lost. Erik Spoelstra’s future would have been uncertain. The Heat’s Big Three might not have remained intact.

James entered the building looking as if he had already considered every possibility.

The expression from that night has become one of the defining images of his career. Eyes forward, jaw set, locked in beyond measure. We all know the picture.

Then, the game started.

James scored 30 points in the first half and finished with 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. He made 19 of his 26 shots. Jumpers that Boston’s defense had once invited became automatic. Every time the Celtics threatened to pull the crowd back into the game, James answered.

Scalabrine later called it “the most dominant performance” he had ever seen. Rivers believed Boston would have won the series without James producing that kind of game and admitted that the result might have broken Miami apart.

LeBron James on this day in (2012)

45 PTS
15 REB
5 AST
73 FG%

The creation of the iconic LeBron stare 🐐 pic.twitter.com/LYzg02vVUa

— 𝟐𝟑 👑 (@BronWorld) June 8, 2026

Instead, the Heat won Game 6, returned home to finish the series and captured James’ first championship two weeks later.

Boston had initially shown James what he lacked. Four years later, it provided the stage where he showed everyone what he had become. The Celtics had helped push him toward Miami. Now, they had helped summon the version of James they spent years trying to prevent.

The gatekeeper

At first, Boston was LeBron’s wall. Eventually, he became theirs.

The Pierce-Garnett era ended in 2013, but James’ relationship with the Celtics continued. The uniforms stayed the same. Nearly everything else changed.

He eliminated an overmatched Celtics team in 2015 after returning to Cleveland. He swept Boston again in the 2017 conference finals, although Avery Bradley’s Game 3 winner at least spared them the indignity of going quietly.

OTD in 2017: Avery Bradley's last-second 3-pointer in Cleveland caps stunning 21-point comeback for the scrappy 2017 Boston Celtics 😤 pic.twitter.com/qDEOMj8bRV

— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) May 21, 2026

By then, the rivalry had become lopsided. Boston kept finding its way back into the postseason while Danny Ainge rebuilt the roster, and like clockwork, James kept sending the Celtics home.

He beat them five straight times after losing the 2008 and 2010 series, winning matchups in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2018. The power had shifted so completely that James became the expiration date stamped on nearly every promising Celtics season.

The characters in green kept changing. Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett gave way to Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford. Brad Stevens replaced Doc Rivers. Boston moved from squeezing one last run out of its veterans to building around draft picks who had grown up watching James dominate the league.

The Celtics changed, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. LeBron just kept getting better.

The kids

The 2018 Eastern Conference finals should have been a transition year for Boston.

Gordon Hayward had been lost five minutes into the season. Kyrie Irving underwent knee surgery before the playoffs. Jayson Tatum was 20 years old. Jaylen Brown was 21.

Somehow, the Celtics reached Game 7 against James anyway.

That series produced the image Boston fans remember most: Tatum driving the lane, throwing down a dunk over James and bumping him afterward as TD Garden erupted.

Then-rookie Jayson Tatum threw down a MONSTER poster dunk on LeBron James in Game 7 of the ECF on this day in 2018 👀pic.twitter.com/CjkXqdzl7P

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 27, 2026

For a moment, it felt like the future had arrived early.

But as he so often did during that decade, James won.

He played all 48 minutes in Game 7, finishing with 35 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. Cleveland survived 87-79, and James reached his eighth consecutive Finals.

The young Celtics had their chances. They led the series 2-0 and 3-2. They held a fourth-quarter lead in the deciding game. Marcus Smart blocked a James dunk attempt in Game 6. Tatum put him on a poster in Game 7.

None of it was enough.

“We were right there,” Smart later told ESPN. “But LeBron turned into LeBron on us. There was nothing we could really do that day.”

Smart also believed the experience accelerated Boston’s young core. Tatum said being placed in those high-pressure moments as a rookie helped prepare him for everything that followed. Brown later described those early playoff runs as the place where the Celtics learned the maturity required to win.

The 2018 series was different from the battles with Pierce and Garnett. Those Celtics were established champions trying to hold off a still young but dominant James. Tatum and Brown were only beginning to understand what they might become.

James was no longer trying to prove he belonged in that setting. He had become the test that Boston’s next generation needed to pass.

They came close. He left the conference before they had another chance.

The distance

James’ move to Los Angeles placed the rivalry into something resembling hibernation.

The Celtics and Lakers remained the NBA’s foundational enemies, and James added his own history to that tension. His 2020 championship in the bubble brought the Lakers level with Boston at 17 titles, giving Los Angeles something it had spent years chasing.

Still, Boston and James never met in the Finals.

Their regular-season games produced occasional drama. There was Tatum’s late scoring duel with James in 2020. There was the chaotic overtime game in Boston in 2023, when James erupted over a missed foul call at the end of regulation and Patrick Beverly tried his hand at photography. There were the usual split crowds, national broadcasts and debates about how much hatred Celtics fans should direct toward James compared to the uniform he now wore.

It never carried the same weight.

The Celtics were building toward a championship with Tatum and Brown. James was trying to extend his career on the other side of the country. For the first time since Boston assembled its Big Three, their seasons no longer seemed destined to collide.

The rivalry had started to look like history, something to revisit through grainy highlights and increasingly dramatic anniversary posts. But the 2026 offseason pulled off a twist even the most deranged NBA trade machine user probably would have rejected: LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, together in Philadelphia.

The finale

James will return to the Eastern Conference with Philadelphia, joining Joel Embiid and the former Celtic who helped shape the last chapter of this rivalry.

Brown’s arrival reportedly factored heavily into James’ decision to sign with the 76ers. That alone would have sounded absurd a few months ago.

Their history has not always been seamless. Cameras caught Brown questioning whether Bronny James belonged in the NBA during the 2024 Summer League. James referenced the incident after playing Boston last season, though he also praised Brown’s leap and questioned why he was not receiving more MVP consideration.

“We’ll be all right,” James said of their relationship.

Now, they have to be.

The visual will take some getting used to. James and Brown sharing the floor as teammates. Brown returning to TD Garden in a Philadelphia uniform. The two of them trying to end the Celtics season.

For Boston, James will once again be attached to a defining emotional question. The first version asked whether the Celtics could contain the league’s rising force. The next asked whether their aging champions could hold him off one more time. In 2018, Tatum and Brown had to prove they were ready to occupy the stage he had controlled for years.

In 2026, the Celtics may need to confront James alongside a player who helped deliver Banner 18 and once appeared certain to spend the rest of his prime beside Tatum.

That is what has allowed this rivalry to survive several different Celtics teams, four LeBron uniforms and enough roster turnover to make the original cast nearly unrecognizable. Boston has been his obstacle, inspiration, victim and measuring stick.

Now, he will battle the Celtics with Jaylen Brown at his side.

Maybe this final chapter ends quietly. James is deep into a career that has already lasted longer than the entire Celtics tenures of most players who opposed him. Philadelphia’s collection of stars brings obvious questions about age, health and fit.

History suggests Celtics fans should expect something more complicated.

For nearly 20 years, whenever the Celtics and LeBron James have appeared to be finished with each other, another chapter of the rivalry has emerged.

This is almost certainly the last one. After everything that came before it, good luck predicting the ending.

The Utah Jazz are coming into the season as maybe the most unpredictable team in either conference. No one is sure what to make of this collection of talent. Will the players achieve a level of cohesion and become better than the sum of their parts? Or will they struggle with the blend of youth and veterans and underwhelm?

That leads us to this week’s Utah Jazz Reacts survey. How will this season end when all is said and done? Will they overachieve, be much better than people think, and be a top-3 seed in the West? Or will they underwhelm, fall apart, and wind up in the lottery once again?

Personally, I find it hard to believe the Jazz won’t, at a minimum, make the play-in. I also think that the Jazz are highly motivated to make additional moves this season. They are now buyers instead of sellers, and I can see them making moves to shore up their weaknesses come trade deadline. But now is your chance to vote in the poll below and let everyone know what you think.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jazz fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Golden State Warriors failed to land the star they spent much of the offseason chasing, but Brian Windhorst believes declaring the Stephen Curry era finished would be premature.

Golden State explored moves involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown and LeBron James without completing any of them. James ultimately signed with Philadelphia, leaving the Warriors with an aging, injury-ravaged roster that does not currently resemble a championship contender.

Windhorst acknowledged that reality during an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up.”

“They absolutely are not championship contenders right now,” Windhorst said.

Golden State finished 37-45 last season and missed the playoffs after losing in the play-in tournament. Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL, Moses Moody is recovering from a major knee injury and Curry will again be asked to carry a significant offensive burden at 38 years old.

Still, Windhorst argued that the organization’s window has not completely closed.

“But Steph Curry has said he wants to play multiple more years, and the Warriors have a lot of draft pick equity, and they have a lot of flexibility financially going forward,” Windhorst said. “So, if you want to write them off, say that they’re done, go ahead and do that.”

Windhorst pointed to Philadelphia as proof that an NBA team’s outlook can change quickly. The 76ers appeared limited earlier in the offseason before unexpectedly adding Brown and James.

“Seven or eight weeks ago, you thought the 76ers were not going to do anything this season, and watch what happened,” Windhorst said. “Let’s just see what happens with Steph Curry over this next 18 months.”

Curry’s contract could become central to that plan. He has one season remaining and will soon become eligible for a two-year extension reportedly worth $136.7 million.

Windhorst suggested the Warriors could ask Curry to delay signing it. If Curry, Draymond Green and Butler were all allowed to reach free agency next summer, Golden State could potentially create roughly $90 million in cap space and pursue another major roster overhaul.

That path would carry obvious risk. Curry would be turning down long-term security without knowing which stars might become available. Golden State would also be asking him to trust a front office that has repeatedly missed on its biggest targets.

There is no guarantee another superstar will choose the Warriors next year, especially as Curry moves further into his late 30s.

But Windhorst’s broader point remains clear: Golden State is not out of assets, flexibility or time. The Warriors may have to survive a difficult 2026-27 season while Butler and Moody recover, but they still have the tools to reshape the roster.

Golden State spent this summer missing its swings. Windhorst believes the Warriors still have enough time to connect on one before Curry’s window finally closes.

Nuggets forward Spencer Jones has explained why he signed an offer sheet with a rival team.

Jones signed a fully guaranteed two-year, $12 million offer sheet with Oklahoma City, before the Nuggets matched the deal. 

While the forward will return to Denver for the 2026-27 season, fans weren’t happy he’d signed with a rival in the first place.

“I get it. But I also need people to understand something,” Jones wrote on LinkedIn. “This is a business. Front offices treat it that way every day and players have to do the same.

“I went into free agency with clear priorities: a team that fits my skillset, a championship culture, and an organization I believe in. Both Denver and OKC checked those boxes. Either way, I was landing somewhere that made sense.”

Jones added that the offer sheet made sure he would end up in the right situation no matter if the Nuggets matched or not.

He also said it allowed him to make history, signing the largest fully guaranteed offer sheet ever as an undrafted player from a two-way contract.

“From a two-way with no safety net to this. I don’t take that lightly,” Jones said.

Jones joined the Nuggets in 2024 on the aforementioned two-way contract after a decent career at Stanford, where he averaged 11 points on 43.9-percent shooting over five seasons.

The forward didn’t contribute much as a rookie, but in year two he started 37 of the 64 games he played in and led the league with 69.2 percent shooting from 3-point range during the playoffs.

During the regular season, he averaged 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 64 games.

While the deal keeps the Nuggets’ home-grown talent in Denver, it also means they are set to enter the second apron for the first time under the current collective bargaining agreement.

Jones’ $12 million deal will increase the Nuggets projected tax penalty by $32 million, nearly doubling from $36 million to $68 million, per ESPN.