Victor Wembanyama, Jaylen Brown and Kawhi Leonard in action during Sunday’s round-robin tournament. Photograph: Mark J Terrill/AP
Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady flashed a look of disdain when recalling last year’s NBA All-Star Game.
“The All-Star Game that we witnessed last year was not an All-Star game,” McGrady told the Guardian. “I don’t know what that was.”
Prior to Sunday night’s contest, the All-Star Game had experienced years of disarray. In an attempt to make the game more competitive, the league replaced the classic East v West matchup and tinkered with multiple formats, including a playground-style selection process with team captains (Team LeBron v Team Stephen); and last year’s four-team tournament that featured a squad of Rising Stars who weren’t yet close to being actual All-Stars.
The results led to glorified shoot-arounds as players gave minimum effort on both sides of the court, eschewing defense while attempting a multitude of uncontested three-point shots and dunks.
In the latest move to increase competition, the NBA sought to entice players with something bigger to play for – global respect. Hence, this year’s “USA v World” format, which featured a three-team tournament between the up-and-coming Team USA Stars, the veterans of Team USA Stripes, and international players of Team World. The round-robin format included four 12-minute games and an overtime with a target score of five.
American-born players once held an imperialistic grip on basketball, particularly during the Dream Team era – Team USA defeated opponents by an average score of 43.8 points at the 1992 Olympics. But the gap between US and international players is closing each year. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, Team USA needed herculean efforts by LeBron James and Steph Curry to hold off France in the final minutes of the gold-medal game. And in the NBA, international players have won every MVP award since 2018, with James Harden the last American-born player to capture the league’s most coveted individual prize.
“The conversation that the international players caught up to us, the American players hear that,” McGrady said prior to Sunday’s tip-off. “It’s not the platform. It’s not the format. It’s the players that change that. So I think mixing it up like this, the world’s going to set the tone, and we’re going to see competitive basketball.”
Kevin Durant struck a more conciliatory tone on Saturday. He said that some All-Star games were just as lethargic decades ago.
“I just feel like fans and the media need something to complain about,” Durant said. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, to be honest … The last couple of weeks, I’ve watched the intro and at least the first quarter of every All-Star Game from, like, the 70s up until the late 90s. I wanted to see what the big deal was and if it was really that much intensity, like an [NBA finals] Game 7. The intensity the older generation has been talking about, I don’t know if I’ve seen it.”
During last year’s game, Victor Wembanyama appeared upset after his teammate Alperen Sengun allowed Jayson Tatum to throw down an uncontested game-winning dunk. Before this year’s game, the Frenchman said that the USA v World format should encourage the All-Stars to play for pride.
“We’ve seen that many of the best players have been increasingly foreign players,” Wembanyama said. “There is some pride on that side. I guess there is pride on the American side, which is normal. So I think anything that gets you closer to representing your country brings up pride.”
On Sunday, Wembanyama set the tone early by scoring the first seven points for Team World and finishing with a combined stat line of 33 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks in two games. His show of effort inspired other players to pick up the intensity, most notably, the 2026 NBA All-Star Game MVP, Anthony Edwards.
“Wemby set the tone, and it woke me up for sure,” Edwards said after Sunday’s games. “It was definitely competitive with all three teams. I feel like the old heads [Team Stripes] played hard too. They were playing really good defense.”
From tip-off of the first game, this year’s All-Star Game (or, technically, games) had a different energy. Players from Team Stars and Team World contested shots on defense, and embraced motion offense instead of a reliance on one-on-one scoring. In the final, the youthful Team Stars dismantled Team Stripes by a score of 41-25, led by Edwards, who finished with 32 points in three games.
Despite the rout, the players competed with purpose, and the league may have finally fixed a long-standing problem.
“I think it was definitely a step up in the competitive department compared to last season,” Durant said after the final game. “Hopefully, we just build upon this, and the weekend becomes more and more competitive. And the fans start to enjoy it more and more.”
There might not be a player on the New York Knicks that represents the team’s identity more than Mitchell Robinson. The backup center has a modest stat line at All-Star break, averaging just 5.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but Robinson is the secret weapon to New York’s championship hopes this season.
The Knicks are outscoring the opposition by 8.9 points per 100 possessions in Robinson’s 766 minutes on the floor this season according to NBA Stats, which is the second highest net rating on the team, only behind Miles McBride.
If the Knicks are going to reach their goal of making the NBA Finals, Robinson will be instrumental. A solid defender and quality rim protector, the big man has regained his defensive mojo after a slow start.
Even though his defense is effective, Robinson’s super power really is on the offensive glass.
Among players who have played at least 30 games, he is number one in offensive rebound rate. Teams still haven’t found a way to keep Robinson off the offensive boards, and many of his offensive caroms have led directly to open three-pointers for his teammates.
When Robinson’s on the floor, New York is collecting 40.8 percent of its misses, a number that would be first in the NBA. The Knicks have a 29.3 percent offensive rebound rate when Robinson sits, a figure that would rank 22nd in the NBA. That has helped juice the Knicks' offense, which is ranked third in the NBA, recording 118.9 points per 100 possessions.
Injury history
Robinson brings tools that no one else on the roster can provide, but it’s not all roses with him.
The eight-year veteran has a significant injury history.
Robinson has missed 16 games this season -- he sat out the first four games of the season and is not playing back-to-back games due to left ankle injury management. He’s also been out for a total of 139 contests over the previous three seasons.
It’s hard to rely on a player who is unavailable so often.
Robinson is in the final year of a four-year, $60 million deal. He’s eligible for a contract extension but the Knicks and the 27-year old center did not engage in substantive talks before the season, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
Contract negotiations between the two sides seem a bit complicated. The seven-footer’s importance to the Knicks is hard to quantify, but the number one question would be if Robinson is unable to play back-to-back games the rest of his career? If not, that puts a cap on how much he can truly earn on the free agent market.
Also, the big man is limited on the offensive end. Some teams intentionally foul Robinson, who is shooting a career-low 40.8 percent from the free-throw line.
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) warms up prior to the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden / Wendell Cruz - Imagn Images
At 19.6 minutes this season, Robinson has averaged 21.0 minutes over the last three seasons.
The Knicks already have Karl-Anthony Towns as a starter at center. Towns is set to make $57.1 million next year and has a player option for $61 million in 2027-28. It would be a significant amount of money to allocate to one position, and with New York brushing up against the second apron, there’s only much more scrutiny on each move the team makes.
Towns and Robinson have played 213 minutes together this season. The pairing has worked for the most part with a +5.4 net rating, but recently, it hasn’t been as successful.
Some of Robinson’s contributions have driven some of New York’s finest moments over the last few years. Robinson was the X-factor in the Knicks’ second round win against the Boston Celtics. He also proved vital in this year’s NBA Cup championship win, recording 15 rebounds, 10 of them coming on the offensive end.
Robinson is such a unique player that the Knicks are probably the best fit for him. With only a few teams having significant cap space, it’s more than likely that Robinson and the Knicks extend their partnership past this season either through an extension or in free agency -- but the playoffs will truly determine his future with the club.
As Kevin Durant was playing in the NBA All-Star Game for the 16th time in his illustrious career on Sunday evening, allegations were circling online that the Houston Rockets star was behind a “burner” account trashing his current and former teammates in group messages on Twitter. It’s important to note that nothing has been confirmed on if it’s really Durant behind the account, but the entire Internet sure seems to think it’s him at the moment.
Do you believe KDF will address the burner of his @gethigher77 weird how all his friends in search engine are the ones who are responding to it and he goes in chats on it trashing teammates pic.twitter.com/ICzj2f912E
These screenshots show the account allegedly operated by Durant saying his All-Star teammate Alperen Sengun doesn’t shoot or defend, that Devin Booker got all the credit when the Suns won but he took all the blame when they lost, that he was questioned for holding Steph Curry accountable in film sessions, and calling Russell Westbrook a “triple-double cocaine bear.”
The header of Durant’s alleged burner account was the same as a photo he tweeted in 2021:
Durant is believed to operate this account because, a) people in his groupchats allegedly knew it was him, b) it sounds like his tweeting voice, and c) we already know he’s addicted to Twitter. It’s certainly possible that at least some of these images are doctored. It’s hard to verify anything on Elon’s internet.
kd was/is going stop to stop hoping a fanbase will finally adopt him LMFAO the common denominator is him arriving somewhere and not understanding why its natural for a fanbase to be more partial towards the existing talent that was there before him
I really hope not, but it seems possible. Durant will likely be asked about this when the season resumes on Thursday, but we may never get confirmation. We’ll keep this story updated as it develops.
Wisconsin-Green Bay men's basketball coach Doug Gottlieb had some harsh words for the officials after a 75-72 loss to in-state rival Wiscosnin-Milwaukee on Sunday, Feb. 15. And the tirade he unleashed rivaled any hot take he ever had on his former national radio show.
The Phoenix had the lead for most of a foul-plagued second half, but Gottlieb was particularly upset by a loose-ball foul called on his team's best player, CJ O'Hara, with 4:25 to go. The foul, with the Phoenix up by four, was O'Hara's fourth and Gottlieb felt it changed the course of the game.
After getting called for a technical foul earlier in the half, Gottlieb was further incensed when no foul was called as his player drove for a potential game-winning shot in the final seconds.
"You had the exact same play at both ends on the last play of the game," Gottlieb said to reporters, pausing momtarily before aggressively slamming his fists onto the table.
"The exact same (expletive) play!" he yelled, "The exact same play!"
Following UWGB’s loss to UW-Milwaukee on Sunday, 75-72, Doug Gottlieb gave an intense postgame speech on the late second half technical foul. Full story in comments. pic.twitter.com/MsOxU8LNYz
He also took issue with the technical foul, which came with just under seven minutes to play.
"So I need the new commissioner of the Horizon League to explain to me what a technical foul is when I don't leave the box, I don't curse, I'm not demonstrative," he said. "There is nothing, nothing, that should have been called a technical foul. I know when I earn one. I did not earn one."
Milwaukee converted 22 of 24 free throw attempts during the second half of the game − despite being one of the worst-shooting teams from the line coming in at just 68.5% on the season.
The loss dropped UWGB to 15-13 overall and a tie for third in the conference at 10-7.
"All we ask is that there's a fair game," Gottlieb continued. "I need ... our new commissioner to explain to me the disparity in the officiating. That's what I need explained to me."
NEW YORK - JANUARY 25: Amare Stoudemire #32 of the Phoenix Suns looks to move the ball during the game against the New York Knicks on January 25, 2005 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Suns won 133-118. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have arrived at tier four, and up to this point, it feels like the temperature has stayed fairly steady. There have not a lot of pitchforks, not a lot of smoke in the comments, which makes sense when you think about how this has been rolled out.
Building the Phoenix Suns All-Time Pyramid has always lived on two tracks at once. One is that the top tiers and the group of players they include all have legitimate cases. Nobody is sneaking in through a side door. The other is the pacing of it all. Revealing this thing step by step makes it difficult to fully interrogate placement until more of the picture is visible, and that is intentional. You need the full shape before you start arguing about angles.
Once everything is out in the open, it is all going into one complete piece, and I am even toying with the idea of turning it into a small book that can live on my coffee table. Because an unreasonable amount of time, thought, and energy has gone into this project, and I want something tangible at the end of it. Something that proves this was real and not a prolonged basketball-induced fever dream.
Now that we are stepping into Tier 4, this is where the conversation is going to heat up. These are the names where you start sliding players up and down in your head, where you see someone here and wonder if they belong higher, or you look back at Tier 5 and feel the pull to move someone forward.
I have gone back and forth on several of these spots more times than I care to admit. And truthfully? I walk away still questioning where I ended up.
Tier 4. Revealed.
Yes, I can already see some of the folly in my ways, and I am comfortable saying that out loud. Tier 4 is labeled ‘Era Defining Stars’, and I am fully aware that I have two players here who occupied the same era, which on its face feels a little messy. You could easily make a case for someone like Mikal Bridges or Deandre Ayton landing in Tier 4 because they represent a recent era of success for the franchise, and I would not argue that framing outright.
Where I ultimately landed comes down to longevity and weight. Time matters here. Staying power matters. And in Ayton’s case, I do not see a path where he ends up among the greatest players in franchise history. If I were building a pyramid of disappointment, maybe he shows up there. But this project is filtered through my lens, my biases, and yes, a little bit of personal pettiness that I am not pretending does not exist. That is the privilege of being the one writing the thing, and in this case, I am owning it.
So this is the list. Amar’e Stoudemire. Paul Westphal. Dan Majerle. Alvan Adams. These are the names. Now let’s talk about what they did while they were here, how they shaped their eras, and why each of them earned this tier-defining designation.
Tier 4: Era-Defining Stars
Alvan Adams was one of the trickiest placements in this entire exercise, and I went back and forth on him more than almost anyone else. At one point, I had him a tier higher, leaning heavily into the idea that longevity should carry real weight in a project like this. At another moment, I had him a tier lower, sliding Jason Kidd into this spot and telling myself that peak impact mattered more.
Eventually, this is where Adams landed, and that decision is rooted in value, even if it took a while to get comfortable with it.
There is a delicate balance between longevity and productivity, and Adams sits right in the middle of that conversation. He was around forever by Suns standards, a foundational piece of the 1976 NBA Finals team, a Rookie of the Year, an All Star, and a player who mattered from the moment he stepped into the league. At the same time, his most effective stretch came early, and as his career progressed, the production slowly tapered. That reality is part of his story.
People who watched him closely will tell you he was a very good player, a smart player, but also one who embodied the limitations of the Suns during that era. In a league where size was currency, he was not overpowering physically, and that shaped both his role and his ceiling.
None of that diminishes what he meant to the franchise.
Statistically, his fingerprints are everywhere. He is first all-time in games played with 988, a massive gap of 222 games over second place. He is first in minutes, rebounds, steals, and fouls, third in points, third in assists, and fourth in value over replacement.
The big kid out of Oklahoma spent 13 seasons in Phoenix, the only NBA home he ever knew, and that matters more than it sometimes gets credit for. As this project progresses, you’ll find loyalty is something I value. His major accolades came early in his inaugural 1975-76 season, but his presence stretched all the way to 1988, bridging eras and teammates from Dick Van Arsdale to Kevin Johnson.
That continuity matters. His longevity matters. His place in the fabric of the organization matters. When I weighed everything, that is what ultimately kept him here in Tier 4. I spent a lot of time considering Jason Kidd in this spot, and that debate stayed close until the end, but in the final tally, this tier belongs to Alvan Adams.
Some of you might blink when you see Dan Majerle this high on the list, and at the same time, I know plenty of you nodded along without hesitation.
If you were around in the early 90s, you already understand. Dan Majerle was a vibe. He was grit and sweat and flying elbows. He was a defender who took assignments personally, a three-point shooter who showed up before the league fully knew what to do with that archetype, and he carried one of the great nicknames in Suns history. Thunder Dan.
How much of a vibe was he? Enough that it bled into real life. My uncle Steve Voita, a Valley artist who fed five boys through creativity, long nights, and sheer will, once painted Dan Majerle on the side of his 1985 Chevy K5 Blazer (which he still owns to this day) with the words “Feel the Thunder” running alongside it. That truck rolled around Phoenix like a moving shrine.
That is the kind of imprint Majerle had on this city. He was not only a player you watched, he was something you felt.
When I asked my uncle why he did it, he stated, “How could I not? The Traverse City kid with deadly three-pointers capitivated the whole Valley, at critical clutch moments he lit it up. Thunder Dan’s defense against the best in the game was refreshing and relentless, the kids loved him from the start.”
“Daddy, daddy, please paint Thunder Dan on our Blazer,” he added, noting how my cousins spawned the idead. “They pleaded and how could one of Americas best sports artist say no? The kids made me park extra long at school everyday so all the other kids knew who the real Suns fans were, honking cars and anywhere the Blazer went was cheers and screams of ‘Go Suns!’”.
And the numbers back up the feeling. Majerle ranks fifth all time in steals in franchise history and tenth in win shares, but what really stands out is how far ahead of his time he was. He was the first true three-and-D guy I ever remember watching.
He sits third all-time in Suns history in made three pointers, and the last one he hit came back in April of 2002. Yeah, the league has changed since Majerle played, but the Suns still haven’t caught up to what he was doing 30 years ago. In the 1994-95 season alone, he knocked down 199 threes, only 27 shy of the franchise record that Quentin Richardson set a decade later. That was revolutionary stuff at the time.
Majerle spent eight seasons in the Valley, the first seven defining the core of his career. During that run, he earned three All-Star selections, made two All-Defensive Second Teams, and finished second and third in Sixth Man of the Year voting across the early nineties. He was eventually moved as the franchise reshaped its future, then returned in 2001-02 as a 36-year-old veteran coming off the bench, still defending, still spacing the floor, still Thunder Dan.
He helped define an era of Suns basketball from 1988 through 1995. Dan Majerle was not a footnote. He was a tone setter. He was culture. And whether it was on the court or painted on the side of a truck, Thunder Dan will always be a vibe in Phoenix.
This list is strictly about players, the ones who actually took the floor and wore the uniform, so owners, commentators, and coaches are left out by design. Paul Westphal is the rare exception in spirit, not in rule, because he managed to define eras in two different roles, first as a player and later as a coach.
Plenty of former Suns went on to coach, but none of them reached the heights Westphal did when he led the team to the 1992 93 NBA Finals, which is where my personal relationship with him began, stepping in for Cotton Fitzsimmons and guiding a team that had been circling the summit without quite getting there.
Still, this is not about the coach. This is about the player, and Paul Westphal, the player, was outstanding in a Phoenix Suns uniform.
He spent six total seasons in Phoenix, with the first five from 1976 through 1980 being the stretch that truly defines him. He did return for one final season in 1983-84, but his prime lived firmly in those earlier years, and those were the best seasons of his career.
His peak came in the 1977-78 season, when he averaged 25.2 points per game, and his 809 made field goals that year still rank second all-time in a single season for the Suns, trailing only Tom Chambers. That same season, Westphal averaged 29.2 points per 36 minutes, which remains the top mark in franchise history.
It is hard not to drift into a little basketball imagination when you think about Westphal’s game. He played almost his entire prime before the three-point line existed, and by the time it arrived in 1979, we only got one real season to see how he might have adapted. He attempted 93 threes that year and made 26, a 28% clip, which does not jump off the page, but that hardly tells the story. Westphal was one of the best shot makers the Suns have ever had, a true craftsman with footwork, angles, and touch.
Going back through film, the ease with which he turned and banked shots, the confidence he had taking attempts players rarely even consider today, it all feels surgical. He was a tactician, someone who understood space and timing at a level that feels timeless.
His first season in the Valley set the tone. He arrived and immediately helped lead the Suns to the 1976 NBA Finals, falling short of a title but announcing that something real was being built. From there, he kept producing, year after year.
He ranks eighth all-time in Suns history in assists, sixth in steals, averaging 1.6 per game, and logged 465 games played in Phoenix. His scoring average of 20.6 points per game places him ninth all-time, and he owns the second-highest single-season steals total in franchise history, swiping 210 in the 1975-76 season while averaging 2.6 per game.
We know what Paul Westphal meant to this franchise, and that meaning stretches beyond numbers, but the numbers alone are more than enough. During his first five seasons with the Suns, he never played fewer than 80 games in a year, a level of durability that feels almost mythical now. He was an Iron Man, a leader, a uniquely gifted scorer, and a foundational figure in Suns history.
Tier 4 feels not only appropriate, but unquestionable. Paul Westphal was an era-defining star, steady, brilliant, and essential to understanding what this franchise became.
Now it gets interesting, because this is where I know some of you are already moving names around in your head. Amar’e Stoudemire is one of those players who tends to drift upward the further we get from his playing days. Time has been kind to his legacy, and for good reason, because who he was in Phoenix was a physical, imposing force, a big man who attacked the rim with a level of violence and intent that this franchise has not really seen since he left in 2010.
He arrived as a rookie and immediately made his presence known, winning Rookie of the Year by living in the paint and daring defenders to meet him there. Who can forget the highlight dunks and the names plastered on the posters as they looked upwards as STAT came down upon them. Michael Olowokandi. Josh Smith. Anthony Tolliver.
As his career progressed, his game expanded. The jumper came along. The touch improved. And suddenly, he was not only finishing plays, he was punctuating them. The Steve Nash to Amar’e Stoudemire pick-and-roll became a nightly event, a reliable source of chaos for opposing defenses and a defining image of an era.
Standing tall and talented indeed, Stoudemire was one of the stars who defined the Seven Seconds or Less Suns. That style does not exist without him. The spacing, the pace, the freedom. All of it worked because Amar’e applied constant pressure. He was always threatening the rim, always forcing rotations, always pulling the defense inward. The team that helped reshape modern basketball had him at the sharp end of the scoring spear.
The 2004-05 season tells that story loud and clear. Stoudemire scored 2,080 points, the third-highest single-season total in franchise history. He made 7.3 free throws per game on 9.9 attempts, both the highest marks in Suns history for a single season. His offensive win shares that year were the best the franchise has ever seen, and he led the league in two-point attempts per game.
Zooming out to his full eight seasons in Phoenix, the résumé stays heavy. He ranks third all-time in rebounds, fifth in blocks, and seventh in total points. His 21.4 points per game sit sixth all-time in franchise scoring average. He is second all-time in free throws made per game at 5.9 and second overall in player efficiency rating. Calling him an offensive juggernaut barely scratches the surface of what he was at his peak.
So why is he not in Tier 3? That comes down to preference and definition, and it is something I will unpack more fully when we get there. Because Amar’e Stoudemire absolutely deserves his place high on this pyramid, and where exactly he lands says as much about how you value eras, longevity, and impact as it does about the player himself.
How are we feeling through three tiers with three left to go?
Mad respect to those who put this list of every assist he ever made.
His first assist was to PJ Brown and his last to Yanic Konan Niederhäuser. Here is a list of every player Chris Paul has assisted during his career (regular season and playoffs):
Blake Griffin – 1318 David West – 1188 JJ Redick – 701 Andre Jordan – 633 Deandre Ayton – 512 Peja… pic.twitter.com/LJ5UMCD60U
The way Chris Paul unceremoniously separated from the Los Angeles Clippers is unfortunate. It is widely believed he deserved better.
His final full season was with the San Antonio Spurs. I know many Pounders, myself included, had reservations about his fit with the Silver & Black, considering what a thorn he’d been in our side over the years as an opponent.
Alas, he was exactly what was needed for the young team. He exemplified leadership for Victor Wembanyama, he showed how to anchor an offense to Stephon Castle, and he offered the veteran presence]as they began to shape their future.
Throughout his career, Paul made the teams he played for better. During the Phoenix Suns only Finals trip this century, Paul was at the helm giving Devin Booker the support he and the team needed to make the leap.
While with the Spurs, Paul hit two of his career achievements, moving second all-time in assists and steals. In both he surpassed Jason Kidd and landed behind John Stockton.
His final All-Star appearance was also Victor Wembanyama’s first. The duo made waves in the Skills competition, effectively shutting it down for the foreseeable future.
There’s always hope that CP3 will find a home as an assistant coach. With his wealth of knowledge and his connections in the NBA, he’s bound to help another team improve their game.
Thank you, CP3!
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Oct 6, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (left) and guard Kyrie Irving (right) watch the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Dickie's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Dallas Mavericks are currently in the midst of their longest losing streak since before the calendar turned over to a new century. Having dropped nine straight games entering the All-Star break, Dallas is currently much better positioned for a high draft pick than they are for a Play In bid, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to not find value in securing another young prospect come June.
Since that time, Irving has himself echoed the same sentiment. On Saturday during a Twitch livestream, he said an update would be coming post-All-Star break.
Kyrie Irving said via Twitch that an update on his recovery from ACL surgery will come after the All-Star break. pic.twitter.com/Ir1GYw8ZD5
It is unclear exactly why the update has consistently been targeted for after the All-Star game. Perhaps not wanting to distract from an important weekend for the league at large? Maybe an additional medical clearance is already scheduled for this timeframe? It might just be convenient timing relative to the unofficial second-half of the NBA season. Whatever the case, Irving afforded us some further insight and it may just be a spoiler for the answers we’ve been waiting for.
Kyrie speaks on his recovery from his injury:
“My rehab is going well. Whenever I’m 150% healthy, I’ll be back. I want to be better than where I was. So that's saying a lot. It’s a big hill to climb, but it's worth it.”
While Irving doesn’t give a day and date for his return, he specifically says “whenever I’m 150% healthy, I’ll be back.” It doesn’t take much searching online to find plenty of evidence that Irving is on the practice court, although not necessarily in five-on-five competitive scenarios. That, along with the “150%” desired level of recovery should give us pause that his return is not imminent, and possibly will not be this season.
As disappointing as this may be, it probably is for the best. Irving has always been in tune with his body and his overall game, and no one can question his dedication to the craft. The fact he wants to be better than he was should be music to Mavs’ fans’ ears. If we have to wait until Cooper Flagg’s sophomore season to see him paired with Irving, some measure of disappointment is warranted. However, the idea of Irving getting an entire second offseason of rehab before spooling back up in training camp and preseason has major appeal. The Mavericks’ shot at any post season play is slim at this point, so there is really no reason to get Irving back on the court with any immediacy.
With All-Star weekend having officially come to a close, we shouldn’t have to wait much longer for definitive answers.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 9: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers walks off the court during halftime at Ball Arena on February 9, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Swann/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers took a big swing at the trade deadline by swapping Darius Garland for James Harden. Initial returns are positive.
Harden showed up and blended in faster than anybody could have reasonably expected. His gifts in the pick-and-roll are obvious, and with them, Jarrett Allen is flourishing. Donovan Mitchell and Harden already have a burgeoning chemistry and have found each other in key moments. But the team is incomplete, and the regular season does not always resemble the playoffs.
Let’s dive into the details of what to watch as we evaluate the integration of James Harden down the stretch with an eye on playoff scenarios.
On offense
Offense is not just where James Harden excels, it is where the Cavaliers have struggled in the playoff series they have lost. Where could Harden help or hurt them?
One system or two?
We know Harden can run a pick-and-roll and will feed the bigs. We know he can get to the line. The greater question is how he will impact the overall flow of the offense.
In the Core Four era, the Cavaliers’ offense has looked its best when it was in continuous motion. They initiate, create advantages, the ball pops, and the defense never catches up. They’ve looked their worst when the ball sticks and the defense catches up and resets itself, or when they fail to break the shell and put the defense in rotation in the first place. We have seen the Cavaliers respond to this truth time and time again over the last four years.
Secondary initiators who lean towards isolation, like Caris LeVert and De’Andre Hunter, stop the ball and let the defense reset. Even though they are capable initiators, it isn’t an elite skill for them, and it’s not efficient enough. The Cavaliers ask them to adapt their game to motion, but ultimately trade them away.
Role players are asked to be decisive the moment they touch the ball. When three-point shooters don’t shoot, it allows the defense to reset. Every Cavalier role player is asked to develop another option for when they don’t shoot. Sam Merrill’s leap this season is largely based on developing a more effective drive and dish game after not shooting. Both Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro struggled to develop the same skills along the baseline. When they would hesitate or be reluctant to shoot, they would fall out of the rotation. Both improved, but doing so in the playoffs is what matters.
Jaylon Tyson’s leap is the embodiment of this philosophy. His emergence is based on a do-it-all skillset and being one of the most decisive players on the roster. The moment the ball touches his hands, he already knows if he is shooting, driving, skip passing, or doing dribble-handoff right back to Mitchell. The defense never resets when the ball reaches him. They barely get to break stride.
Even Evan Mobley is not immune to this philosophy. The first third of this season saw the Cavaliers experiment with Mobley as an isolation scorer. They would throw him the ball and let him go to work. The results were poor, and the effort was abandoned. The old philosophy returned. Mobley is still a key offensive hub, but the Cavaliers know they need to get him the ball on-the-move with the defense in rotation.
This style of continuous motion is not the norm for Harden. As he once famously declared, he is not a system player, but is the system himself. How true this is on the Cavaliers remains to be seen. Harden plays slow and probes a defense. He is by far the most capable player at this slower, isolation-heavy style that the Cavs have ever had in the Core Four era.
Will Harden be asked to adapt and play Cavs ball? Or will he, at times, be the system?
We have already seen him play faster with the Cavs. But will he move more off-ball? Will he keep the defense in rotation, or will he let it reset and probe it himself when the ball returns to him? If he allows defensive resets, will this mute the impact of the motion-related leaps Jaylon Tyson and Merrill have made? These are all open questions.
The Cavs could attempt to exclusively play their motion-heavy style and fit James in. The man can do it if he chooses. They could also embrace Harden-ball and effectively run two systems, switching between them based on personnel and situation, especially when Harden is on the floor without Mitchell. One system or two? The correct answer to this question is unknown. Having a clear approach is critical though. The Cavs have the rest of the regular season to figure out what they believe is best.
Size matters
There are two truths of playoff basketball:
The intensity, physicality, and ball pressure will ratchet up
The space will diminish
Whether it is because of a tighter whistle, specific gameplans, or a willingness to simply not guard certain players, these two truths play out every year.
The Cavs’ offense always looked best with Garland healthy because he is a gifted initiator and playmaker. Harden is too, albeit in a different manner. But there is one thing Harden is that Garland is not: He’s big.
At 6’5”, 220 lbs, Harden can seal off extra pressure and throw over and around double teams in a way that Garland and even Mitchell cannot. He does not especially need to Nash dribble his way out of the paint like Garland when the opportunity isn’t there. He can stop, wait for the collapse, and bruise his way to a passing angle or a foul. He can also punish and back down smaller guards who attempt to defend him. These are the key playoff elements to watch for as the regular season concludes. Can teams blitz and double well beyond the three-point line with Harden handling? Can Harden better navigate a crowded paint with both Mobley and Allen on the court or when defenses ignore the corner shooter?
An extra Cavs-specific size-related item to watch is whether or not James can draw the strongest perimeter defender with Mitchell on the court. There are very few defenders with both the size and strength to stop Mitchell at the point-of-attack. There aren’t many guys built like Lou Dort. If Harden can use his size to force defenses into using their physically strongest perimeter defender on him instead of Mitchell, then defenses all over the league should be concerned.
DENVER, COLORADO – FEBRUARY 9: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the second quarter of the game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on February 9, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Swann/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On defense
James Harden is not known for his defense, and that isn’t where he is expected to impact the game. That said, there are two important items to watch.
Cross-matching
While Harden is not a great defender, he is better on-ball than you might think. It is actually off-ball where he is weaker.
One of the lessons of the playoffs two and three years ago was that constantly hiding Garland and cross-matching his assignment was hurting the overall defensive shell as well as the rebounding effort. As a result, the focus of last season was on not helping Garland as much on defense. The Cavs asked him to step up with effort, if not ability, and take on his assignments and hold his own when defenses target him. Garland was even asked to hold up in isolation in detrimental matchups like one-on-one against elite wing players like Jayson Tatum.
What will the Cavs ask of Harden? Will they return to constantly cross-matching? Will they bring help early and often to tag him out? Or will they ask James to step up on defense in the same manner they asked Garland?
Off-ball attention
This is the big one and the one that takes specific effort to focus on during a game. Harden has looked lost on defense many times in his first few games with the Cavaliers. He’s been drifting and in locations completely unrelated to his assignment. This is understandable for a new player on a new team. It is also a hallmark of the James Harden experience.
The question is an easy but important one. When teams get wide-open three-point attempts and free runs to the rim for offensive rebounds, how often is it because Harden does not know where he is supposed to be or what rotation he was supposed to make? How often is he simply not there? And how quickly does he improve at this, if at all?
The James Harden experience in Cleveland is already looking like a year-one success. The question is how high the ceiling can be and how it all translates to playoff basketball. If we watch with a close eye, we should get glimpses at the answer down the stretch of the regular season.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 15: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the USA Stripes Team handles the ball as Scottie Barnes #4 of the USA Stars Team plays defense during the game during the 75th NBA All-Star Game as part of NBA All-Star Weekend on Sunday, February 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Kyusung Gong/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s not December, but the holidays came early for fans of the Toronto Raptors during NBA All-Star Sunday.
The ghosts of Raptors past and present played an instrumental role for their respective teams – for the most part.
It may be awhile until All-Star weekend returns to Toronto because of the a bitter cold 2016 February, but the Raptors made the most of their moment in Los Angeles.
Scottie Barnes deserves the spotlight
In another universe, Scottie Barnes was drafted to a different franchise and plays more often in front of an American audience. In that reality, Barnes draws more pseudo-comparisons to Magic Johnson and is constantly talked about as a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
Since this version of Barnes plays for the Raptors, basketball fans outside of Canada often miss out on seeing his basketball genius. With an opportunity to showcase his unique skillset under the bright lights of All-Star Weekend, Barnes was locked in from the moment he got off the bench in game one against Team World.
Barnes is the perfect supplementary player in this type of environment. He plays defence, rebounds the ball, and can quarterback the fast break. When most All-Stars would rather play wide receiver in this setting, Barnes becomes invaluable.
His contagious energy sparked a 10-2 run that would ultimately set the stage for the first of several dramatic finishes. With the game hanging in the balance, it was Barnes who squared up defensively against Victor Wembanyama. Despite the NBA desperately wanting Wembanyama to attempt a game-winner, the French big man had no choice but to give the ball up to a teammate.
In overtime, Barnes endeared himself to onlookers with his physicality against Wembanyama. It was perhaps fate that decided Barnes would be rewarded for his efforts. With Team World making the mistake to help off the three-point line despite a two-pointer not capable of hurting them (first team to five points wins), Barnes knocked down a catch-and-shoot triple from the left wing to seal the victory.
One reason why Team Stars eventually took the tournament crown was the undeniable synergy between Barnes and Detroit Piston Cade Cunningham. The two previously headlined the juggernaut high school team Montverde Academy in 2019-2020. Their chemistry was on full display throughout the night. An example of this was when Barnes flowed into a natural dribble-handoff off the sideline-out-of-bounds play. It resulted in clean left corner three for Cunningham.
Barnes averaged 3.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists while shooting 83.3 per cent.
Brandon Ingram wasn’t his best
For the first time since 2019-20, Brandon Ingram set foot in an NBA All-Star game. Ingram was 22 years old the last time he was recognized as one of the league’s best players. He had been drafted to Team Giannis and played a game-low eight minutes. Ingram finished with two points while shooting 25 per cent from the field and missing all three of his three-pointers.
Six years later and Ingram is a vastly advanced player in comparison to his days as a Los Angeles Laker. But that didn’t seem to improve his chances at a more productive All-Star outing. Ingram finished with three total rebounds and one assist in three games. He shot 0-for-3 on the night and registered a DNC-CD in the championship.
The highlight of his night was a sleek pass to former Raptors legend Kawhi Leonard. It wasn’t a good sign when Ingram missed his first three. Things got worse when Cunningham denied him at the rim.
Ingram’s play style may not mesh with the free-flowing All-Star format. But that’s okay. Ingram deserved to be there and he’ll get another chance in the years to come.
Kawhi Leonard had fun with it
The game between Team Stripes and Team Stars produced a kind of drama that only the greats could author. Kawhi Leonard’s performance was eerily similar to what he put together in Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Raptors and the Golden State Warriors.
Down 27-20 with 6:11 left, Leonard raced up the court and calmly knocked down a three from the top of the arc over the outstretched arm of former Raptor teammate Pascal Siakam. He later hit two more triples before finishing his solo 11-0 run with a turnaround baseline jumper over Siakam.
With the game on the line, Leonard hunted a switch to find New York Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns. Seconds later, Leonard drilled the three that would eventually become the game-winner.
A “talented” supporting cast
While Pascal Siakam was on the wrong end of several highlight plays, he thrived and looked like he belonged amidst the best in the league. He received a lot of criticism for his All-Star selection because of how lowly the Pacers have been this season, but Siakam ended up playing an important role for Team World, especially with Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic losing interest in the festivities.
In his first All-Star appearance, the Miami Heat’s Norman Powell struggled with his normally reliable three-ball (0-for-5). But he did make the most of his time on the court for Team World against Team Stripes in the Round Robin finale. Late in the contest, Powell drove to the basket and found Wembanyama for a corner three. Moments later, Powell corralled a missed shot by Canadian Jamal Murray and scooped the ball into the net for two points to give Team World a 43-40 lead.
On the final possession of the game, head coach Darko Rajakovic designed a nifty big-on-big off-ball screening action with Towns and Wembanyama. Unfortunately, Wembanyama couldn’t knock down the open three.
INGLEWOOD, CA. — The savior of the NBA All-Star Game wasn’t Adam Silver, or whichever league exec came up with the revised “U.S. vs. World” format, or even the format itself.
It was a 7-foot-4 French phenom who, through stubborn persistence, forced the hands of the world’s best basketball players to give more.
Victor Wembanyama swatted the opening tip off to teammate Jamal Murray and sprinted until he got underneath the rim. He sealed off Cade Cunningham and begged for the ball. Murray whipped a pass that Wembanyama — seemingly in one single motion — caught on ascent to the rim before flushing a forceful dunk.
After Silver, the NBA commissioner, and the league overall faced repeated criticism over insipid All-Star Games that desperately lacked competitive play, Wembanyama’s competitive spirit saved the event this year, with the potential to carry it beyond. Wembanyama just turned 22 and made his second All-Star appearance in his third season. Undeniably one of the elite players in the world, Wembanyama is about to become a fixture — the fixture? — in NBA All-Star Games. And he proved Sunday, Feb. 15 that, with him as the steward of competition, the All-Star Game may just be sustainable after all.
To be sure, the format does deserve some credit.
Creating the four, 12-minute games essentially compressed play, converting each game into its own fourth quarter, elevating the stakes in the final minutes.
Tapping into national pride did appear to motivate players, but several said before and after the All-Star Game that they missed the East vs. West structure as well.
The 2026 All-Star Game worked, however, because players bought in and chose to push themselves.
All month long, Wembanyama had been saying that he wanted to lead the charge in forcing the world’s best basketball players to compete with organic intensity in the All-Star Game. It became a point of pride.
Consider his comments Saturday, when asked how, specifically, he planned to will his competitive vision onto other players.
“I think exclamation-point plays, playing in a solid manner and sharing the ball with energy,” Wembanyama said then. “If you share that energy, people feel like they have a responsibility to share it back to you.
“I'm confident in the way it's going to go.”
Like Kobe Bryant before him, Wembanyama is bearing the standard, being the one outlier to demand more from his contemporaries.
Consider this: as Wembanyama was setting the tone six seconds into the event, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and his Team Stripes teammates were staying warm in an auxiliary gym here in the Intuit Dome, awaiting the winner of the first game.
Naturally, the All-Star Game was playing on the flatscreen in the corner. But even then, Wembanyama’s reputation preceded more than his play did.
“I’m not going to lie, I was working out when they were playing, so I didn’t really watch much of it,” Mitchell said. “But I already knew just from last year being on his (All-Star) team that he was going to come out and set that tone. He’s shown that’s who he is, and if you have a guy like that coming for everybody, it makes everybody kind of get going.”
Now, if Wembanyama was the savior of the All-Star, Edwards, Jamal Murray, Kawhi Leonard and several others were his accomplices.
Edwards scored 32 points across three games. Murray dished out 8 assists in two contests. Leonard erupted for a historic 31 points in Game 3 — essentially surpassing his season scoring average (27.9) in a 12-minute quarter.
But no player showed the irrational, maniacal fire that Wembanyama did, and, true to rigid competitors, that was most evident when things didn’t go well.
In Game 1, in overtime, a defensive rotation error led to Team Stars forward Scottie Barnes being wide open for the game-winning 3. Once it fell through the net, Wembanyama was visibly upset and yelled to himself, gesturing with his hands. He took a solitary lap around the floor. He walked off looking as if the Spurs had lost an important game.
“We had already conceded a 3 when we should have stayed home,” Wembanyama lamented later. “What we were saying was ‘No 3s, no 3s,’ because that's what they needed twice in the game.
“So it's disappointing.”
Yes, the future of the NBA All-Star Game is in good hands.
After 54 games, the Boston Celtics have the third-best Net Rating in the NBA, and I still cannot wrap my mind around it. How is it possible that a team that lost its best player and its most important rim protectors, built a roster with young players and minimum contracts, and still kept winning at a high level? How can it be both? It shouldn’t — but it is.
It is paradoxical.
What is even more intriguing is that the Celtics’ overachieving season is built on smaller statistical paradoxes that help us better understand how they’ve been able to win so many games.
Better without the best
The Celtics’ overall Net Rating, per cleaningtheglass.com (that removes garbage time), is +7.3 so far this season, ranking them third between the Detroit Pistons (+8.6) and the San Antonio Spurs (+6.2). Yet, depending on who is on the court, the Celtics’ Net Rating varies from +3.0 to +20.3.
To give it some context, the Denver Nuggets’ overall Net Rating is +3.8, and they are considered by many analysts to be the second-best team in the West after the Thunder. So, at their worst, the Celtics are still a very competitive team. But the paradox lies in the players’ on-court Net Ratings.
Looking at the numbers in the chart below, it is pretty clear that the Celtics’ overall performance is at its worst when the Celtics’ best player is on the court — which shouldn’t be the case. But it is.
It is paradoxical.
So how can this be possible? Well, the numbers show that the Celtics’ offensive level is pretty stable with or without Jaylen Brown on the court: a 120.6 offensive rating with him and 121.6 without him. Boston isn’t as aggressive on the offensive boards when he is playing, leading to fewer second chances. However, when he is on the court, both shooting efficiency and free-throw rate improve.
Defensively, however, the Celtics are allowing a 116.7 offensive rating to their opponents with JB on the floor. Yet, once he sits, the defense steps up and the opponents’ offensive rating drops to 107.3 points allowed per 100 possessions. That is a better defensive rating than the OKC Thunder this year.
When JB is on the bench, the Celtics become far better at forcing turnovers and at limiting opponents’ free-throw attempts. There is also a significant drop in opponents’ shooting efficiency when he is sitting. From my understanding, this is caused by three factors.
Boston, MA – January 28 – Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) lets the ball get loose as Boston Celtics guards Jordan Walsh (27), Hugo Gonzalez (28) and Baylor Scheierman (55) surround during the second half of a NBA game at the Garden. (Photo By Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images). | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
First, his backups are absolute madmen on defense. Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and Jordan Walsh have shown that they are here to play hard and defend at all costs. Second, Jaylen Brown mostly plays against opposing starters — but for what it’s written, this is also the case for Derrick White, and we don’t see the same pattern in his numbers. And third, the offensive load that Jaylen Brown has to carry influences his impact negatively on the other end, leading to more lapses in the Celtics’ defense.
Can the Celtics keep performing like one of the best teams in the league without their best players? So far, the Celtics have posted a +14.3 Net Rating without Jaylen Brown (and Jayson Tatum) — but how long can it last? The numbers also show how much this Celtics team needs Derrick White on the court, despite his offensive struggles this season.
The numbers above clearly show that as long as Derrick White is playing, the Celtics can compete at the highest level. Knowing that Jayson Tatum is coming back, these paradoxical numbers give hope that this group might be talented enough to make a deep playoff run, considering how good they can be even without their two stars on the court.
The rim is better protected without rim protectors
With the departures of Luke Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis, the defense was supposed to perform at a lower level, especially when it came to rim protection. Yet, while the defense is slightly worse than last year (from 5th to 8th in defensive ranking per cleaningtheglass.com), it isn’t because of rim protection. In fact, it has somehow improved when looking at both volume and efficiency numbers. Once again, it is quite paradoxical.
Opponents’ rim accuracy didn’t rise as we might have expected. The Celtics remain in the top 10 at limiting efficiency at the rim, thanks to Jordan Walsh, Neemias Queta, and Derrick White. As the Celtics lost their three best inside defenders, others rose to the occasion and helped the team protect the paint.
Not only were the Celtics able to remain elite at limiting efficiency at the rim, they are now the best team in the league at reducing the volume of shots allowed there. Opponents are taking only 24% of their shots at the rim against Boston, while the league average sits at 31%. So, if the Celtics have remained elite at rim protection without their best rim protectors, why isn’t the defense as good as last year?
Well, size still matters. The Celtics have struggled to contain opponents’ offensive rebounding, dropping from 7th to 16th in defensive rebound rate. Also, the increased aggressiveness from the wings and the lack of size inside give opponents more opportunities at the free-throw line, as Boston fell from 1st to 13th in opponent free-throw rate.
Efficient scoring without efficient scorers
Per basketball-reference, the league-average offensive efficiency is around 115.5 points per 100 possessions, and the Celtics are five points per 100 possessions above that mark. Logic would suggest that the Celtics’ biggest scorers — let’s say all players with above a 20% usage rate — are also above league-average efficiency.
How could a team be five points per 100 possessions better than league average if its four biggest scorers are at or below league-average efficiency? It shouldn’t — but it is.
It is paradoxical, and it works.
Boston's offense is so weird. They are 2nd in offensive rating, but their top 4 scorers are all below average in TS%
Indeed, Derrick White is 10% below league-average True Shooting, Jaylen Brown is 1% below, while both Anfernee Simons and Payton Pritchard are right at league-average level. Yet, the Celtics have the second-best offense in the NBA. How?
It comes down to two things. First, as one of the best defensive teams in the league, the Celtics generate more possessions than their opponents. Through aggressive defense, controlling the boards, and limiting turnovers on offense, they are less dependent on pure shooting efficiency because they simply take more shots than their opponents.
Second, it comes from the rest of the roster and how the coaching staff optimize them. While the main guys are struggling to reach league-average efficiency, the rest of the team is thriving — and that is because Jaylen Brown and the other creators are generating space for the role players. Luka Garza, Neemias Queta, Josh Minott, Jordan Walsh, and Baylor Scheierman are all at least 5% more efficient than league average.
That is yet another Celtics paradox that circles back to the first one. This team is elite because its role players are able to perform at their highest level.
Because of Joe Mazzulla and his staff. Because of Brad Stevens and his roster construction. Because of Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, and Derrick White — their gravity, their creation, their leadership — they have created an environment where the stars can struggle, and the team still thrives.
That may be the biggest paradox of all.
This version of the Celtics isn’t dominant because everything is perfect. It’s dominant because the system absorbs imperfection. Because when one pillar weakens, another strengthens. Because when the stars are inefficient, the role players become surgical.
It shouldn’t work.
But somehow, it does — and that may be the clearest sign yet that this team is far more resilient, and far more dangerous, than we initially believed.
He held off San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant in the final round.
Both players represented California, with Bryant coming from Riverside and Johnson representing Oakland.
Johnson considered himself an under-the-radar second-year player entering the week, with the mindset of wanting to make a name for himself.
“I can’t make this up right now. I’m still kind of speechless,” Johnson told USA TODAY. “This all started with it just being a dream. I was a kid who grew up watching the slam dunk contest, which was the main event for me.”
Johnson had the opportunity to celebrate his victory with basketball fans by taking the trophy down to Venice Beach as part of the AT&T Dunk District event.
The trophy will be making its way back to the Bay Area, where it will reside with his mom, along with the many other trophies that have been won by him and his siblings over the years.
He stayed energetic throughout the competition, often dancing after successful dunk attempts and remained true to his roots.
Johnson invited notable Bay Area rapper E-40 to join him and participate in his first dunk.
“I met him a few times when I was younger, but we crossed paths again after my manager reached out to him and he made it happen,” Johnson said. “E-40 was on board with the plan after he learned that a Bay Area native was in the dunk contest and now we are family forever.”
The rapper made himself available and even participated in a practice dunk session the day prior, allowing Johnson to get comfortable with dunking over E-40.
Johnson’s support group went beyond the Bay Area with several members of the Heat organization in attendance for the contest.
Heat president Pat Riley was in the crowd, cheering on his young player.
Miami guards Norman Powell, Jahmir Young and center Kel'el Ware were also seen on the sideline showing their support after competing in their respective events on Saturday.
“'Heat Culture' was in the building,” Johnson said. “They told me after ‘we had faith and knew you were going to win it.’ They had seen me in my element and were confident in me.”
The snow is finally melting, and that means March — and the accompanying madness — is right around the corner.
The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament begins in Dayton with the First Four and ends two hours to the west with the Final Four and the national championship game in Indianapolis.
Below are the dates and venues for the entire tournament, with links to buy tickets.
Here’s a rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA men's tournament:
First Four: March 17-18
First round: March 19-20
Second round: March 21-22
Sweet 16: March 26-27
Elite Eight: March 28-29
Final Four: April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
National championship game: April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
March Madness 2026 game locations, venues, tickets
First- and second-round games will be held at eight cities spanning across four time zones. Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games will be held at regional sites before the final four teams converge on Indianapolis in early April.
Here’s a look at where 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament games will take place:
DELHI, India (AP) — Afghanistan shrugged off back-to-back defeats in its first two games to finally register a first win at cricket’s Twenty20 World Cup, beating the United Arab Emirates by five wickets on Monday.
Azmatullah Omarzai hit 40 not out off 21 balls and opener Ibrahim Zadran scored 53 off 41 deliveries as Afghanistan, coming off the narrowest of narrow losses to 2024 runnerup South Africa in a Group D contest decided after a second Super Over, finished on 162-5 in 19.2 overs.
It was a good all-round showing from Omarzai, who also picked up 4-15 in four overs to help restrict UAE to 160-9 after his team had won the toss.
Afghanistan, though, only has a slim chance of qualifying for the Super Eights.
New Zealand has four points from two wins and could knock out Afghanistan if it beats Canada in Chennai on Tuesday. The Afghans play Canada in their final game in Chennai on Thursday.
Monday’s result meant South Africa became the third team to qualify for the Super Eights, joining India and West Indies in the tournament’s second stage.
Meanwhile, England won the toss and opted to bat against Italy in their Group C game in Kolkata.
Victory would confirm England's spot in the Super Eights.
Unbeaten co-host Sri Lanka plays struggling Australia in a Group B contest in Pallekele later.
Australia must win to stay alive in the tournament.
