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When will LeBron James retire? 'I just want to live' he says at NBA All-Star

INGLEWOOD, CA — LeBron James, holding court before his record 22ndNBA All-Star appearance, took some time to reflect on his future — but not too much.

At 41 years old, James remains an impact player and is reimagining what can be expected of a player his age. And though there has been plenty of speculation about James’ future beyond this season, he said he has not made up his mind on potential retirement.

“I want to live,” James told reporters Sunday, Feb. 15. “When I know, you guys will know. I have no idea. I just want to live, that’s all.”

James was speaking at a press conference at the Intuit Dome, hours before he plays for Team Stars in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, which will employ a USA vs. World format.

James recently became the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double and is averaging 22.0 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game across 36 appearances.

But he’s essentially on an expiring contract, and will be able to test the open market this offseason, a rarity for a player of his stature.

The Los Angeles Lakers went into the All-Star break 33-21, in fifth place in the Western Conference, which is crowded at the top. Just three games separate the No. 6 team, the Timberwolves, and the No. 2 team, the Spurs.

James has maintained that he wants to compete for championships in his final seasons, but Los Angeles will face stiff competition for the conference title.

This has been magnified by injury issues the Lakers have faced.

“Most important for our ball club right now is health,” James said. “I can’t state it any more clearly. I’m not quite sure how many games we’ve had where we’ve had a full roster. We’re over the half-way point and it has not been many games. …

“Our success is going to come down to our health. Our coaching staff is going to put us in the right position, they’re going to give us the game plan every night, but when it comes to what we have to work with, we actually have to see it.”

When James was asked if the uncertainty surrounding his personal future in Los Angeles was weighing on him in any way, he rejected that notion.

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on February 01, 2026 in New York City.

“Nah, we’re gearing up toward the postseason,” he said. “It has nothing to do with that. Same motivation, same mind factor. We got past the marathon and now the sprint is about to start. I think everybody understands that.”

Still, James was asked about his post-playing plans, and if he had any ambitions about ownership of an NBA team. He said he would explore that and any other potential ventures that might interest him down the road, though he stressed that his focus is on the remainder of the season.

“What I want to do at 45, 50 and 55 will be creating great vibes and fun with my family and my friends. That’s one of my passions: creating memories that will last forever. That’s for sure the most important thing for me, creating things that we will never forget.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James NBA All-Star Game: When is LeBron retiring? Latest update

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Winners, losers from U.S. vs. World 2026 NBA All-Star Game

Winners, losers from U.S. vs. World 2026 NBA All-Star Game originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The first ever U.S. vs. World NBA All-Star Game is in the books.

Thought it wasn’t a standard 48-minute game between two teams, there were improved effort levels and a higher competition level than previous All-Star Games.

Four 12-minute games highlighted the event, as Team World lost their two appearances. Both the Stars and Stripes went 2-1 apiece, but the former won the game that mattered most.

The Stars easily cruised past the Stripes 47-21 in the championship game, with the latter team playing the final three games having possibly played a factor in their sudden inability to score. The Stars, who didn’t play in Game 3, looked the far more fresher of the two and used that to their advantage.

Let’s analyze the event in Los Angeles further with winners and losers:

WINNER: Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves

Before the action started, Edwards said he wanted to prove those who believed Team World was better than the U.S. wrong. From the get-go, the Minnesota Timberwolves star came out with energy and hunger, rivaling that of San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama.

Edwards eventually got the last laugh and won the All-Star Game MVP award for his performances, which included eight points, four rebounds and two assists in the championship game.

Spectators wanted to see more effort from stars. Edwards brought it.

LOSER: Team World’s record

A team featuring Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jamal Murray, among others, did not win a single game.

Of course, they only participated in two and both were close. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also missed out due to injuries.

But one could argue they should’ve at least done more given the quality across the board. Based on Wembanyama’s reactions, he won’t want that next season should the format return.

WINNER: Kawhi Leonard, Clippers

The Stripes ultimately didn’t win, but LA Clippers star Leonard provided some of the best quality on the day.

In the 48-45 win over Team World, Leonard accounted for 31 of his team’s points on a red-hot 11 of 13 shooting from the field. The Stripes had trailed early and could’ve been in danger of getting eliminated, but the hometown man came to the rescue.

The momentum didn’t carry over to the final, but the memories did.

LOSER: Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic

Most of Team World’s downfalls came down to the lack of two quality players not playing. Denver Nuggets star Jokic and Los Angeles Lakers star Doncic only played five minutes each in the first game, then never touched the floor again.

They both have recently returned from injuries, but this would’ve been a chance to get some reps and minutes under their belt for the regular-season games that lie ahead. It was the opposite of the effort Wembanyama and Edwards displayed.

WINNER: Youth movement

Analysis of the three All-Star teams, especially the two U.S. ones, made something stand out. The Stripes were more veteran based with long-term stars, while the Stars featured a mix of present and rising stars.

It’s ultimately a pretty good look for the league that the young “Stars” won it all, with Edwards, Tyrese Maxey, Chet Holmgren, Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and more doing their parts.

LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Leonard and Co. won’t be around for many more years before they hang up the sneakers. It’s imperative to build on the young guys while the faces are still here to make the transition easier. The NBA will hope for a positive step forward in that regard.

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Young Stars blow out veteran Stripes in 2026 NBA All-Star Game championship in compeitive night of hoops

INGLEWOOD, Calif.—It's the USA vs. World. The 75th Annual All-Star Game came to Los Angeles and the timing was perfect for this new format, tying into the intense international competition going on across the globe in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Here's what you need to know from the night.

Takeaways from 2026 All-Star Game: USA vs World for the win

All anyone has wanted for years is a competitive All-Star Game. We're not talking NBA Finals intensity, but some defense and some effort, not just 3-pointers, dunks and matador defense.

We got that, in large part thanks to the USA vs. World format — that was the big winner of the night. After the game, MVP Anthony Edwards credited Victor Wembanyama for setting the tone in the first game of the night and forcing everyone to play at his level of energy.

"I think it was pretty good," Wembanyama said postgame. "We got a guy like Kawhi going for 30, making every shot. No, it was a pretty good display of basketball. Better than last year, in my opinion. It was fun."

The first three games were a lot of fun. The night's opener turned into a duel between Wembanyama and Edwards that went into overtime and had plenty of drama (and a Scottie Barnes game-winner). In the second game, Kawhi Leonard dropped 31.

Then in the third game, there was a dramatic ending capped off by a De'Aarron Fox 3-pointer.

Stephen Curry wasn't even playing (sore knee) and he was making plays.
Then there was LeBron James, not taking it easy in his 22nd All-Star Game.

This All-Star win by the NBA Stars team adds to the mountain of evidence that there is a changing of the guard in the NBA — in fact, it has already changed. We all saw last year's NBA Finals, with the young Thunder beating Tyrese Haliburton's Pacers without a LeBron, Durant or Curry in sight. For all the impressive moments from the old-guard,
playing their third game in a row (all 12-minutes, so like three quarters, but still), the OG Stripes team looked like a combination of a little tired and ready to get on with their vacation. Once the Stars raced out to the lead, it was over.

And Anthony Edwards rightfully gets a spot on top of the podium for a night.

Want to watch the Winter Olympics after All-Stars? Ask OLI!

After the All-Star Game: tune into Primetime tonight—and check out OLI for Olympic schedules + what to watch next.

Anthony Edwards named All-Star MVP

Anthony Edwards doesn't shy away from saying he wants to be the best in the NBA — and you don't get that title without an All-Star Game MVP award or two on the resume.

Edwards now has one, he was named All-Star MVP.

Edwards was consistent all night long — the leading scorer for the Stars in the first game, tied for the lead in the second game, and in the championship game he was just one point off the leading scorer. He was the one player on the Stars who made plays and put up numbers across all three games.

He was ready for the moment and grabbed it.

Young gun USA Stars win All-Star Championship

Add this to a growing list of proof — like last year's NBA Finals — that the torch has been passed on the court. Even if some fans haven't caught up with it yet.

The young gun USA Stripes team, led by Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Maxey, made the championship game a laugher blowing out the OG USA Stars, 47-21.

In the championship game, Maxey had 9 points, with Edwards and Chet Holmgren with 8 each.

Young stars running away with title, up 26-9

Maybe the old guys got tired.

After the OG USA Stars squad won both of their round-robin games, they look a step slow in the title game and the USA Stars are out to a commanding 26-9 lead with 6:02 left.

Tyrese Maxey has nine points, Anthony Edwards eight for the Stars.

Young Stars race out to 12-1 lead

Tyrese Maxey scored a quick seven points and the young Stars have raced out to a fast 12-1 lead with 9:24 left in the game.

Plenty of time for the Stars to mount a comeback... if they want it and start playing some defense.

Limited Luka

Luka Doncic did return to the court for the NBA All-Star Game, but he played just five minutes in the opener and did not see the court in the second game.

Doncic had missed the Lakers' last four games with a hamstring injury, and he was clearly taking it slow and easing his way back into playing again.

Stripes vs. Stars championship game underway

Twelve minutes to determine a champion on a night everyone has played pretty hard and we have seen some defense.

Devin Booker with a 3 and Tyrese Maxey with a layup have the Stars off to a fast 5-0 lead.

Are you kidding me?! Leonard hits game-winner 3, scores 31

The old-head USA Stripes are on to the All-Star Championship Game and they can thank Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard scored 31 on 11-of-13 shooting — 6-of-7 from 3 — and hit the game-winning step back 3 over 7-footer Karl-Anthony Towns.

The old-head Stripes advanced to the All-Star Championship Game against the young-gun USA Stars.

Victor Wembanyama lived up to his promise to play hard and had 19 in this loss for the World Team, but he and his teammtes just ran into the home cooking of Leonard.

Kawhi Leonard scores 11 straight, puts Stripes in lead

There has been some home cooking from Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard scored 11 straight points for the Stripes — three 3-pointers and a beautiful stepback — and it's 31-29 Stripes as they try to advance to the Finals. He has 17 points in the game, 5-of-5 from 3 and 7-of-7 overall.

World leads stripes 27-20

The World Team knows if it wants to advance to the Finals it not only has to win, it has to win by at least three to get into the Finals on point differential.

So far, they are doing that behind 11 points from Victor Wembanyama (the best player on the court today so far), and the World leads 27-20 with 6:45 left. Kawhi Leonard and Jalen Brunson each have eight for the Stripes.

Stripes vs. World underway

The final game of the round-robin is underway — if the Stripes win they advance to the championship game, if the World wins its a three-way tie and comes down to point differential.

The game opens with Kawhi Leonard and Karl-Anthony Towns trading 3s.

De’Aaron Fox game-winning 3 at buzzer wins for Stripes

In a game with a lot more scoring, it looked as if Anthony Edwards might steal it for the USA Stars with a steal and 3-pointer to put the young guns up 40-39.

Then the old-head stripes came down, put the ball in LeBron's hands, he found Donovan Mitchell on the back-cut, and he whipped the ball out to the arc and De'Aaron Fox, who side-stepped the close-out and drained the game-winning 3-pointer.

Jaylen Brown led the Stripes with 11 points, while LeBron had eight and a couple of key, deep 3-pointers. Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards had 11 each for the Stars.

The Stars finish the round-robin 1-1. The Stars (1-0) now face the World (0-1) in the last game of the round robin (if all teams are tied 1-1 it comes down to point differential).

Stripes lead Stars 19-15

There has been a fast pace and some defense early in the second game of the day, and the OG USA Stripes are off to a 19-15 lead behind five points each from LeBron James (getting some boos from Clippers fans) and Kevin Durant.

Jalen Duren is getting loose inside for the Stars and has an early 7 points.

There is actual defense being played

For the first time since at least 2020 in Chicago (and that was only for a stretch at the end), there is actual defense being played in the NBA All-Star Game. Not elite defense, but guys are actually trying.

The best evidence was this block by Victor Wembanyama — look at how much ground he had to cover to make this play.

USA Stripes vs USA Stars underway

The second game of the night, between the two USA sides — the young stars and the OG Stripes — is underway.

It started with a Kevin Durant 3-pointer, followed by an Anthony Edwards bucket.

Scottie Barnes 3-pointer wins it for USA Stars

An overtime to five is a great tactical experiment because if you have shooters, that is two trips up and down the court.

The USA Stars struck first with an Anthony Edwards bucket, giving him 13 for the game. Then on the other end, Victor Wembanyama drained a 3 — giving him 14 points for the game — and it was on. The USA knew it needed a 3, and it got one late in the shot clock from Scottie Barnes.

With the win, the USA is 1-0, while the World is 0-1. Next up, it's the young USA Stars against the OG players on the USA Stripes.

We have overtime!

It's one game, but we got actual defense and intensity in the first game of the night — and we have overtime.

An Anthony Edwards 3-pointer tied the score with 12 seconds left and the USA Stars played good defense and forced a desperation Norman Powell heave to win it for the World Team and he missed.

Overtime rules: First Team to 5. It's that simple.

Barack Obama making plays courtside

The loudest ovation of the night — by far — was when they introduced the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Obama isn't just sitting courtside and chilling, he's intercepting passes.

World pulling away, up 26-17 with 4:31 left

A couple of deep 3-pointers by Karl-Anthony Towns has the World team pulling away from the young USA Stars, putting them up nine with 4:31 left.

Still, the USA Stars are making some hustle plays.

This Bob Costas intro was powerful

Bob Costas did the introduction for the return of the All-Star Game to NBC, and it was powerful.

Clippers fans booing Laker Doncic

This is the Clippers building, and "The Swell" — the always standing, always cheering college-style fans in Intuit — will not let the Lakers players forget that.

They are booing Luka Doncic every time he touches the ball. He seems to think it's pretty funny.

Wemby has seven early points, Anthony Edwards eight, and it's 15-12 young USA Star with 6:55 left in the game.

First Game: Young USA Stars vs. World

And the 2026 NBA All-Star Game is underway.

And the first bucket was a Victor Wembanyama dunk over Anthony Edwards. Next trip down was a Wemby 3. He is bringing it to start.

Roundball Rock —LIVE!

John Tesh was on the court and played a live rendition of his legendary song that has been synonymous with the NBA on NBC. And he killed it.

Edwards tells Wembanyama he’s guarding him

When the USA Stars and World Team play, the logical play would be to have Chet Holmgren matched up on Victor Wembanyama — but Anthony Edwards let Wemby know he's going to guard him.

Ant is a physical, elite defender but he's giving up a few inches... well, more than a few inches in that matchup.

Watch Stephen Curry hit shot from NBA Showtime desk

Stephen Curry was voted a starter by the fans but is sitting out this All-Star Game to rest his sore knee. That doesn't mean he's lost his touch.

Wembanyama not shedding a tear over LeBron’s retirement

Whether this year is LeBron's final All-Star Game because he decides to retire is something he says even he doesn't know — "When I know, you guys will know. I don't know," LeBron said Sunday.

Will Victor Wembanyama shed a tear when LeBron retires?

"No," Wemby said with a laugh. "You asked me to be honest. I'm not going to shed a tear, but it is going to be very weird, for sure."

Wembanyama had plenty of praise for LeBron, too.

"I think there are many things to take from him," Wembanyama said. "I've never had the chance to spend time with him, to have a full discussion, but I would love to. I don't know how many millions of basketball players are on earth, and all of them can learn something from LeBron."

What Jalen Brunson learned last playoffs

For the first time in 25 years, the Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Owner James Dolan has set the bar for this season at Finals or bust. No pressure. What did Brunson take away from last playoffs that can carry over to this year's run?

"Never looking ahead. You never want to look ahead," Brunson said. "You want to focus on the task in front of you. I think most importantly, after last year, you can't just jump right back into where we were. You have to start the journey all over again. Taking one day at a time, taking it a step-by-step process, not focusing on down the road. Just focus on being present."

One thing that could make this year's Knicks postseason run more difficult is Boston getting Jayson Tatum back. While that is not official yet, Brunson is happy for him, even if it's a rougher road for New York.

"Obviously seeing him go down last year, it sucks to see. You never want to see that from anyone in any sport," Brunson said. "The fact that he's worked so hard to get where he is and is preparing a comeback is a testament to who he is."

Three players to watch as potetial MVPs

There are no "sleepers," no under-the-radar players on Sunday — every player is an All-Star, voted in by fans or hand-picked by coaches. Every player is one of the best in the NBA.

While the most likely MVPs are the biggest names — Victor Wembanyama or Kevin Durant, for example — here are three other names to watch:

Kawhi Leonard: The player with a home court advantage is always someone to keep an eye on. It doesn't hurt that Leonard has played as anyone in the NBA since Dec. 1, averaging 27.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, shooting 38.3% from 3-point range. The fans on the Wall will bring the energy for him. If Kawhi decides he wants to win it, he can do just that.

Deni Avdija: A lot of fans have not seen Avdija and the Portland Trail Blazers, but his game fits what could thrive in the All-Star Game — he leads the league in drives per game. He's averaging 25.2 points, 7,2 rebounds and 6.6 assists a game, and the Israeli national could be the straw that stirs the drink on a really deep World roster.

Scottie Barnes: Another player a lot of fans may not have seen, but Barnes has been brilliant this season for a surprisingly good Raptors team. Barnes is a guy who can do a little bit of everything but does it well, averaging 19.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. If his shot is falling, he is a guy who can find his way to a big night.

LeBron on his future: “I want to live”

There was next to zero chance LeBron James was going to announce his plans for next season at the All-Star Game, but when asked, this was not the answer anyone was expecting.

"I mean, I want to live. When I know, you guys will know. I don't know," LeBron said. "I have no idea. I just want to live. That's all."

LeBron effortlessly dodged every question about his future, saying he was just focused on this season and that the Lakers needed to get healthy.

"When we've played some of our best basketball of the season, we've looked very good," LeBron said. "On the other side, when we've been terrible, we've looked disgusting. So, I think the most important is, if we can get healthy, how many minutes we can be on the floor, how much chemistry we can build with this sprint starting [to the end of the season]."

As for this year's USA vs. World All-Star format, LeBron is a traditionalist.

"I mean, East-West is definitely a tradition. It's been really good," LeBron said. "Obviously, I like the East and West format. They're trying something. We'll see what happens... East-West is great. We'll see what happens with this."

Luka Doncic will play for World

Lakers star Luka Doncic missed the team's last four games with a hamstring injury, but he will play on Sunday in the All-Star Game.

"I feel pretty good. You know, I've been working to get back," Doncic said on Saturday. "Obviously, I wanted to play the last [Lakers] game, but it wasn't possible. I was almost there, so I think I'll play a little bit."

Doncic was the leading vote getter in the Western Conference and will start for the World Team. Expect coach Darko Rajakovic (of the Toronto Raptors) to keep his minutes down. Even if this game is competitive, it's not the stress load of a normal NBA game, so it's a good way for Doncic to ease back in.

USA vs. World format

The format for the USA vs. the World is necessarily unique.

Three teams of eight (or nine for the World) will compete in a round-robin format, culminating in a championship game. Those teams are:

USA Stars: Scottie Barnes, Devin Booker, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Anthony Edwards, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey

USA Stripes: Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, De'Aaron Fox

World Team: Deni Avdija, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Alperen Sengun, Pascal Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns, Victor Wembanyama, Norman Powell

(Note: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were voted in as starters by the fans but are out due to injuries. They have been replaced on the rosters.)

Those three teams will play in a round-robin tournament, with the games being 12 minutes (one NBA quarter):

Game 1: USA Stars (younger) vs. World

Game 2: Winner of Game 1 vs. USA Stripes (older)

Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. USA Stripes

Game 4: Championship game featuring top two teams from first rounds.
(If teams are tied, it comes down to point differential.)

After it ends, the champions will celebrate on the court and the MVP will be named.

How to watch the 2026 NBA All-Star Game:
When: Sunday, February 15

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA

Time: 5:00 PM ET

Live Stream: NBC and Peacock

After the game, stay tuned wherever you are for live Olympics coverage from Milan and Cortina, and if you have any questions about how to watch, just ask Oli!

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Francis, Zrno lead Rutgers in 68-57 victory over Maryland

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Tariq Francis scored 21 points, Harun Zrno added 13, and Rutgers defeated Maryland 68-57 on Sunday, lifting the Scarlet Knights out of the Big Ten cellar.

Zrno hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 of Rutgers' first 15 second-half points as the Scarlet Knights built a 42-34 lead through the first seven minutes after halftime. The lead reached 13 points with 8 1/2 minutes remaining.

Maryland cut the deficit to five points a couple of times and the Terrapins were still within 60-54 with two minutes left. Rutgers (10-15, 3-11 Big Ten) then closed it out at the free-throw line with Francis making 6 of 6 and Jamichael Davis going 2 for 2.

For the game, Francis made 12 of 13 free throws and the Scarlet Knights were 19 of 24.

Solomon Washington had 11 points and 14 rebounds for Maryland (10-15, 3-11), which had won two in a row. Darius Adams scored 13 points and David Coit had 12.

Rutgers led 18-13 with seven minutes remaining in the first half before Washington had a layup and a dunk in an 8-2 run that put Maryland on top 21-20 with four minutes left. Rutgers quickly went back ahead and held the lead until Washington's free throw in the final second made it 27-all going into halftime.

All three of Rutgers' conference wins have come at Jersey Mike's Arena, the previous two in overtime against Northwestern and Oregon.

Rutgers and Maryland are one win clear of last place in the conference, ahead of Oregon, Northwestern and Penn State which all have two wins.

Up next

Maryland: at Northwestern on Wednesday.

Rutgers: at Penn State on Wednesday. ___

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Moustapha Thiam has 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks; Cincinnati beats Utah 69-65

CINCINNATI (AP) — Moustapha Thiam had 15 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, Day Day Thomas scored 16 points, and Cincinnati beat Utah 69-65 on Sunday to extend the Utes skid to seven consecutive games.

Thiam, a 7-foot-2 sophomore, had his fifth career double-double and his third this season.

Baba Miller had 13 points and eight rebounds for Cincinnati (14-12, 6-7 Big 12) and Keyshuan Tillery scored 10 points. The Bearcats have won three straight for the first time since they started the season 4-0.

Keanu Dawes made a spinning fadeaway in the lane that gave the Utes a five-point lead with 1:56 to play. Thomas answered with a jumper before Miller hit two free throws and then threw down a two-hand dunk that gave Cincinnati a 66-65 lead with 40 seconds left.

Don McHenry led Utah (9-17, 1-11) with 18 points and Dawes had 16 points and 14 rebounds, his eighth double-double this season. Terrence Brown added 11 points and Seydou Traore 10. Dawes, a 6-9 junior, is averaging 15.8 points and 10.2 rebounds over the last six games.

The Utes have lost 12 of their last 13 overall and 15 straight on the road — tied with Binghamton and Gardner-Webb for the fifth-longest active streak in the nation.

Cincinnati leads the series with the Utes 5-2, 4-0 at home.

Up next

Utah: Plays Wednesday at West Virginia.

Cincinnati: Visits No. 9 Kansas on Saturday.

___

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Michael Porter Jr. becoming part of Nets future but a big decision awaits

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 07: Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Barclays Center on February 07, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Michael Porter is relaxing this weekend somewhere in the tropics. One might think that he’s toning down the anxiety from all those trade reports concerning him at the deadline…

Probably not. It become quite obvious during the weeks leading up to the trade deadline that Michael Porter Jr. was not going anywhere, indeed not available. Brian Windhorst said it. Michael Scotto said it. Shams Charania said it and Jake Fischer said it, all one way or another. While some fans wanted the Nets to trade MPJ for more draft assets — Brooklyn already has 13 firsts and 20 seconds — and/or to deepen the tank.

That was not the way ownership and management looked at the 27-year-old who may not have made the All-Star Game tonight but is having all-Star caliber season: averaging 25.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists while providing leadership to a young team. He has even become a fan favorite after some weird podcast performances last summer. Virtually all his numbers are at career highs. Despite the rumors, it has become more than apparent that while the Nets aren’t going to build around him, they want him around for the good times.

This week, Porter himself in a conversation with Tommy Alter and Cam Johnson of Old Man and the Three, indicated in the strongest terms yet that he wants the same thing and despite enduring something he’s been unfamiliar with — losing — he’s ready for the challenge, happy in Brooklyn:

“I think that we are on the right path to being a good team,” Porter said in one of the lesser quoted lines in the hour-long back-and-fourth. “We’re the youngest team in the league. They got a lot of money over there to spend, and they got the most picks. We’re looking at a high draft pick this next season. So I understand the vision of the organization.”

Porter also told the podcast how he wants to see things through to what he calls “a really dope thing” in Brooklyn.

“Sometimes I have to remind myself of that, because I’ve just won a lot of basketball games, and it can be tough because I wanna play winning basketball and compete. If I’m putting my body through all this recovery, all this work, I wanna see the W at the end of the day. But we are building something, and we’re developing really good young players. It’s not far off from being a really dope thing in Brooklyn.”

It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. He and Jordi Fernandez have re-bonded after spending five years together in Denver, just before the Nuggets won it all. Fernandez made it clear from the moment the Nets got him — and an unprotected first rounder in 2032 — that he was going to be a big piece going forward for his team.

Now, of course, the Nets are approaching some big decisions. The pundits listed above also shared the belief that Sean Marks & co. plan on making big moves this summer, without details other than MPJ is likely part of them. The first component of those plans has been taking shape since last June’s historic, five first round picks. The trade deadline brought minor adjustments, but with the Draft Lottery on May 10 and the Draft itself six weeks beyond that, things will likely go into high gear including a decision on MPJ’s contract extension.

Porter makes $38.3 million this year. The Nets are also on the hook for $40.8 million next season. But on July 6, the mutual love affair will face a milestone. How much will Joe Tsai be willing to spend to extend MPJ beyond 2026-27. The Nets do have time to decide: through June 30, 2027.

Yossi Gozlan, the free lance capologist who runs capsheets.com and the “Third Apron” podcast, recently laid out the extent of the extension to NetsDaily: four years and max salary projected at four years, $234 million, beginning in 2027-28 when he’ll still be only 29 years old.

“In reality I think he’s looking at something in the 20-25% of the salary cap range.” Gozlan told ND, citing the lack of competition. “As great as he’s been, he’s not going to replicate this production elsewhere since any good team that acquires him probably makes him their second or third option. I could see him getting something closer to four years, $160 million, but it’s way too early to project his next contract.“

For the record, the projected salary cap for 2027-28, is $174.3 million, meaning a starting salary around $44 million.

This is also where the Nets strategy of rebuilding from within comes into play. Next season, the Nets will likely have seven players on rookie deals: Noah Clowney who’ll be on the last year of his rookie deal (and also eligible for an extension starting in 2026-27), the Flatbush Five of Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf in their second or four years, plus whoever they take in the Draft in June. Depending on how high they draft, the total for the seven players, roughly half the team, will be around $40 million, a quarter of the salary cap.

So they’ll have an ability to sign or trade for players AND keep their payroll within reason. (And yes, a lot depends on those seven players, perhaps none more so than the draft pick.)

MPJ of course alluded to that when talking with Alter and Johnson, saying, “we’re developing really good young players.” As for what would make things “really dope in Brooklyn” that no doubt will have to be a superstar who will either develop from all those draft picks or have to be convinced Brooklyn will have enough good players to produce the W’s needed to lure him.

The Nets have kept Porter out of the line-up in recent days, but in discussing his injury, they expressed no real concern about his health which is a long-term issue. He’s been troubled by tendinitis in the same right knee in which he suffered an MCL sprain earlier this season.

“It’s the same knee, but it’s unrelated. Tendonitis is something athletes deal with in different parts of the body,” said Fernández. “It’s good for him to take this game, see how he feels and get him back feeling great. That’s the most important thing. Nothing to be concerned about. A lot of guys deal with it, but it’s good that Mike can focus on his body right now.”

In the meantime, he’s taking time off with the family…

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2026 NBA All-Star Game Preview: Luka, LeBron represent Lakers

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 14: A detailed shot of NBA All-Star Los Angeles signage during All Star Saturday Night as part of the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend on February 14, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

This year’s All-Star weekend main event, the All-Star Game, will take place on Sunday. The selected All-Stars will be divided into three teams: Team World, Team Stars and Team Stripes.

Start time and TV schedule

What: NBA All-Star Game

When: 2 p.m. PT, Feb. 15

Where: Intuit Dome

Watch: NBC, Peacock

This year’s All-Star Game will feature a format that many have been clamoring for over the years: a game between American and international superstars. It’s one way the league is attempting to revive the All-Star Game, which has frankly been a brutal watch over the last couple of years. Even Adam Silver admitted it.

So this year, the All-Star Game will see a three-team round-robin tournament. There will be four games, each 12 minutes long. Each team will play each other at least once and the top two that prevail will advance to the championship round. Note that Team World’s roster is stacked with international All-Stars while 16 American All-Stars are spread between Team Stripes and Team Stars.

The Lakers superstars, LeBron James (Team Stripes) and Luka Dončić (Team World), will be on different teams, so it’ll be fun to watch them go at it. It would also be nice to witness one of them bring home the All-Star Game MVP, which hasn’t been awarded to a Laker since Kobe Bryant won it back in 2011.

But more importantly, it would be ideal to see an entertaining All-Star Game, especially with this new format. This year’s All-Star weekend could use a little more excitement and frankly, it’s about time the main event becomes one that’s worth watching.

Notes and Updates:

  • James — who didn’t address the media during player media availability on Saturday — will do so prior to tip-off on Sunday. Given how he’s approached the All-Star Game over the past few years, there could be a chance that he doesn’t suit up.
  • Luka is expected to suit up, but only play for a short stint after missing the last four games for the Lakers.
  • Here’s a preview of what each team’s jersey kits look like for the All-Star Game:

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

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Chris Paul retires after 21 seasons

TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 1: Stephen Curry #30 and Chris Paul #3 of the Golden State Warriors stand during a break in play in the second half of their NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on March 1, 2024 in Toronto, Canada. 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 Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images

When we look back on the Steph Curry era of the Golden State Warriors, the most prominent enemy of the team was clearly LeBron James. If the Warriors were the X-Men, James is Magneto, leading an ever-changing, ever-relocating Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. But Chris Paul was more like the Doctor Octopus to Curry’s Spider-Man, a highly intelligent, stocky man doomed to continually fall short against his rival, undone by injuries, bad luck, the resourcefulness of his opponent and too much whining. Wait, that last one doesn’t really describe Doc Ock.

Paul ended his 21-season NBA career Friday after being waived by the Toronto Raptors. It really ended when his fairy tale return to the Los Angeles Clippers turned into one of those old, gruesome fairy tales, and Paul was sent home by the team for yelling at his teammates and coaches too much. In other words, acting too much like Chris Paul.

It’s the culmination of a career that saw Paul made 12 All-Star teams, win six steals titles, and lead the league in assists five times. He finishes with this second-most steals and assists in NBA history while playing for seven different teams, including a strange year with the Warriors in 2023-24. That was like the rare occasions when Doctor Octopus and Spider-Man teamed up, to shut down a nuclear reactor or save someone from being poisoned or dump Jordan Poole’s long-term contract while pretending they were going to trade Doctor Octopus for a veteran superhero.

But for the Warriors, he was absolutely a supervillain. Paul’s Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Warriors in the 2014 playoffs in a physical series that may have been responsible for Curry’s mid-career visit to the gun show. Paul and the Clippers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round, thanks to Paul trying to get a three-shot foul late in the fourth quarter, turning the ball over, and losing on the cusp of victory, a common theme for both supervillains and Chris Paul.

In 2015, the Warriors seemed on a collision course with the Lob City Clippers on the way to their first title, but the Clippers blew a 19-point lead late in a closeout game to the Houston Rockets and lost in the second round. Paul never made the conference finals with the Clippers.

Paul moved to the Houston Rockets, where he solidified a very good team alongside James Harden. The Rockets were about to go up 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals against the Dubs when Paul tempted fate by doing Curry’s shimmy in his face.

The basketball gods responded by tearing Paul’s hamstring late in Game 5. The Rockets would lose with Paul on the sidelines and lose to the Warriors again with a healthy Paul in 2019. Then Paul became an NBA nomad, going from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Phoenix Suns, who lost the Finals in Paul’s only career trip in 2021.

It looked like the Warriors might have a fourth playoff battle with CP3 in 2022, but it was not to be. Leading the Dallas Mavericks 3-2, the Suns were outscored by 60 combined points in their Games 6 and 7 losses. New owner Mat Ishbia made trades for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in 2023, and Paul headed to Golden State for a very weird partnership.

Honestly, it’s kind of like when Doctor Octopus inhabited Spider-Man’s body for a while. Like Paul, Doc Ock’s body was wasting away from years of physical battles, wear and tear, and illegally grabbing people. Somehow he switched minds, inhabited Peter Parker’s body and fell in love with a little person named Anna Maria Marconi, which is a lot like Steve Kerr’s preferred guard-heavy lineups that season. Ultimately, Doctor Octopus lets his consciousness fade away from Spider-Man’s body, just like how the Warriors let Paul’s large contract expire instead of using it in trades.

It’s a common comic book trope: The villain joins up with the heroes and shows he’s not that bad, even though he moves on and proves, like Paul did with the Clippers this season, that ultimately the villain won’t change their evil annoying ways.

Paul had a great career and was one of the most impactful ultra-short players in NBA history, joining Isiah Thomas, Allen Iverson, Tim Hardaway, Nate “Tiny” Archibald, and Slater Martin. There’s no word yet whether his twin brother Cliff Paul will also be retiring from his job as an insurance agent, but Jake from State Farm is scheduled to make an announcement next week.

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Photos: Highlights from NBA All-Star Game weekend in Inglewood

The Miami Heat's Keshad Johnson soars through the air to dunk a basketball during the NBA All-Star Game dunk contest.
The Miami Heat's Keshad Johnson soars through the air to dunk during the NBA All-Star Game dunk contest on Saturday at the Intuit Dome. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

The world’s best basketball players are in the Los Angeles area this weekend for NBA All-Star weekend. It is first time the annual midseason festival is being held at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, the recently-opened home of the Clippers. Festivities started Friday and included the celebrity all-star game, during which one team of celebrities was coached by NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the other was coached by actor Anthony Anderson. Team Giannis got the win 65-58, led by an MVP performance from “How to Get Away with Murder” star Rome Flynn. The dunk contest, three-point contest and skills challenge were showcased on Saturday. This year’s dunk contest participants included Carter Bryant of the Spurs, Jaxson Hayes of the Lakers, Keshad Johnson of the Heat and Jase Richardson of the Magic. The three-point contest featured eight players, including five All-Stars. The Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard, who isn't playing this season while recovering from a torn Achilles, managed to win the three-point contest.

Fans cheer are illuminated by Intuit Dome lights as they cheer during all-star festivities Saturday.
Fans cheer are illuminated by Intuit Dome lights as they cheer during all-star festivities Saturday. (Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
Carter Bryant moves the ball between his legs in midair before dunking during the all-star dunk contest on Saturday.Dodgers star Mookie Betts is welcomed to the court during the celebrity all-star game by the Clippers cheerleaders.Celebrity Keegan-Michael Key kneels and laughs with teammates sitting on a bench during a game.
The Spurs' Carter Bryant moves the ball between his legs in midair before dunking during the all-star dunk contest on Saturday. Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles TimesDodgers star Mookie Betts is welcomed to the court during the celebrity all-star game by the Clippers cheerleaders at the Kia Forum in Inglewood on Friday. Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles TimesCelebrity Keegan-Michael Key laughs with teammates during the all-star celebrity game at the Kia Forum in Inglewood on Friday. Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times
Team Vince Carter celebrates as Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe wins rising stars game most valuable player honor.
Team Vince Carter celebrates as Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe wins the Rising Stars game most valuable player honors Friday at the Intuit Dome. (Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
Smoke fills and lights are deployed during the NBA All-Star events Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
Smoke fills and lights are deployed during the NBA All-Star events Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Magic guard Jase Richardson completes a reverse dunk during NBA All-Star dunk contest Saturday at the Intuit Dome.Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears rises for a lay up while being guarded by Wizards guard Kyshawn George Friday.Lakers forward Jaxson Hayes throws up peace signs as he introduced before the NBA all-star dunk contest.
Magic guard Jase Richardson completes a reverse dunk during NBA All-Star dunk contest Saturday at the Intuit Dome. Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles TimesPelicans guard Jeremiah Fears (0) rises up for a lay up while being guarded by Wizards guard Kyshawn George (18) during the final of the NBA rising stars game at Intuit Dome on Friday. Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles TimesLakers forward Jaxson Hayes throws up peace signs as he introduced before the NBA all-star dunk contest Saturday at the Intuit Dome. Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times
The Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard competes in the NBA All-Star three point contest on Saturday at the Intuit Dome.
The Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard competes in the NBA All-Star three point contest on Saturday at the Intuit Dome. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Actor Rome Flynn holds up a trophy and smiles after winning NBA all-star celebrity game MVP honors at the Kia Forum.
Actor Rome Flynn holds up a trophy and smiles after winning NBA All-Star celebrity game MVP honors at the Kia Forum Friday. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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How would you fix the NBA All Star weekend? (daily topic)

Feb 14, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media during a press conference before 2026 NBA All Star Saturday Night at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Are you not entertained?

The All Star Weekend is supposed to be one of the main showcases for the NBA product. The stars are on display, the game’s elite all come out, there are events all around the town, giving it a festival feel at times. So what’s the problem?

Well, the whole idea is to entertain and recently the general consensus is that it just isn’t very entertaining. The lead-up events are confusing and/or just odd. The dunk contest has jumped the shark (don’t give them any ideas, please). The 3 point contest still delivers but doesn’t always have the best shooters involved. And of course the All Star game itself has devolved into a half-speed pickup game (no matter how much the league has tried to guilt them into trying harder).

The league has tried a number of gimmicks to spice things up. New events, captain led drafts, the Elam Ending, and now the World vs. the US. None of it seems to have moved the needle much yet. So how would you change things to make it more interesting?

Incentives for winning the game? Monetary or team related? Format changes? Or just scrap some of the events? Maybe move it to the offseason after the Finals (like the NFL Pro Bowl)? Feel free to be creative!

What are your thoughts? You are the commissioner and you can call the shots. How are you changing things?

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Jaylen Brown: ‘I’ve talked to Dana White’ about possible UFC fight after NBA career

Jaylen Brown
DALLAS, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 03: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on February 03, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. 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 Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Jaylen Brown comes from a fighting background and after his basketball career is over, perhaps he’ll take his talents to the octagon.

The Boston Celtics star, who is getting set to play in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, discussed that idea when asked a question by a media member who claimed to have trained with his father in the boxing gym in the past during All-Star Media Day.

“To be honest, I’ve toyed with this, and I’ve talked to some people, maybe post part of my career, I would love to take part in something like UFC, or even boxing,” Brown told reporters. “I’ve talked to Dana White about some stuff, but we’ll see as things go on.”

Fighting and combat sports are generational in Brown’s family. The 29-year-old’s father was a WBU champion, while his grandfather Willie Brown was also a former boxer.

Of course, the five-time All-Star, two-time NBA Finals participant, and one-time world champion and Finals MVP, still has some work left to do on the hardwood. But with Celtics had coach Joe Mazulla also being a massive combat sports fan, Brown will get the chance to watch UFC fights quite often.

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Adam Silver says tanking feels worse this year, league looking for answers. He also talks expansion.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Adam Silver hates that there are fans actively rooting for their favorite team to lose.

There's a lot of that this season. As we head into the final 30 games of the NBA season, a full one-third of teams are actively tanking ahead of what is expected to be one of the best and deepest drafts in a couple of decades.

"Are we seeing [tanking] behavior that is worse this year than we've seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view," Silver said Saturday at his annual press conference during All-Star Weekend. "Which was what led to those fines [of Jazz and Pacers], and not just those fines but to my statement that we're going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams' behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice."

The Jazz were fined $500,000 because in two games last week they played their starters and two former All-Stars — Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. — about 25 minutes over the first three quarters, then sat them in the fourth despite the game still being in the balance. Orlando came back to beat Utah in one of those games, Miami was unable to complete a comeback..

To be clear, it's not the players who are tanking — they play hard when on the court — or the coaches, these are orders from the front office to sit people. Or the team extends a player's time out with an injury.

What is the league doing about it? There is only so much they can do.

Anyone who watches basketball knows it takes talent to win, and the best (and for many teams, only) way to acquire that kind of high-level talent is through the draft.

"Many of you in this room have written, understandably about our teams, that the worst place to be is to be a middle-of-the-road team," Silver said. "Either be great or be bad, because then that will help you with the draft. In many cases, you have fans of those teams -- remember, it's not what they want to pay for to see poor performance on the floor, but they're actually rooting for their teams in some cases to be bad to improve their draft chances."

Still, teams actively looking to lose and putting an inferior product on the court are bad for the sport. It's a black eye, and Silver said the league is taking a two-pronged approach to dealing with this.

"One is, again, focusing on the here and now, the behavior we're seeing from our teams and doing whatever we can to remind them of what their obligation is to the fans and to their partner teams," Silver said. "But number two, as I also said in that statement, the Competition Committee started earlier this year reexamining the whole approach to how the draft lottery works."

Silver sounded like someone ready to step back and consider major changes. The challenge is that every change to the system — small or large — will have unintended consequences.

"Ultimately, we need a system to fairly, I think, distribute players," Silver said. "But we've got to look at some fresh thinking here. What we're doing, what we're seeing right now is not working; there's no question about it. Yes, is there more I can do? Have I attempted not only to respond to behavior we've seen but send a clear message that we're going to be scrutinizing everything we see going forward? Absolutely."

Has there been talk about taking draft picks away from teams?

"There is talk about every possible remedy now to stop this behavior," Silver said.

NBA Expansion

The other big focus of Silver's pregame speech was on league expansion.

Silver reiterated something he said before, "We will make decisions in 2026." Just not in March, the next time the Board of Governors meets.

"My sense is at the March Board of Governors meetings we'll be having further discussions around an expansion process," Silver said. "We won't be voting at the March meeting, but we will likely come out of those meetings ready, prepared to take a next step in terms of potentially talking to interested parties...

"I think the logical next move would be to say, all right, we've had those discussions internally, we've made decisions about cities to focus on and what the opportunity is, and now we've got to go out into the marketplace. I think that's probably the most important step, to find out who is potentially interested in owning a franchise in particular cities, what's the value of that franchise. There's some work to do in terms of potential conference realignment. That's the next step there."

The reality is everyone knows the cities — Seattle and Las Vegas — and there are ready-to-go ownership groups in those places. Things are going to get more formal, but we can see where the train is headed.

There has been speculation about relocation — an existing team moving to Seattle, or maybe Las Vegas. Silver shot that down.

"Relocation is not on the table right now," he said.

Other Topics

• Silver pushed off any comment on the ongoing investigation into the Clippers. He said there is no timeline for when that will be completed, while reminding people that an outside law firm, not the NBA, is conducting that investigation.

"I haven't come to any decisions whatsoever yet on the Clippers' matter," Silver said.

He also said he would follow the league rules when making a decision.

"I am completely beholden to the constitution and the CBA," Silver said, putting on his lawyer hat. "I believe in the rule of law. I have broad powers in certain areas, but those are broad powers that are granted to me by those very documents."

• Giannis Antetokounmpo's investment in prediction market Kalshi raised eyebrows — a player investing in a platform where you can bet… er, buy a prediction contract on whether he gets traded this summer, has the potential for disaster. Silver, however, said that because his investment is for less than 1% of the company, he's in the clear. That was the rule established for players investing in legal gambling companies, and Silver said they are applying the same rules to prediction markets.

"That does not violate the rules that have been collectively bargained with the Players Association," Silver said.

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France tears apart Wales with eight tries and is only unbeaten Six Nations team

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — France inevitably racked up a record win against struggling Wales on Sunday and was the only unbeaten team in the Six Nations after two rounds.

Favored to win back-to-back titles, France scored eight tries, the first after just 88 seconds. The 54-12 scoreline eclipsed its previous high against Wales of 51-0 in 1998 at Wembley Stadium.

France didn't overpower Wales as it could easily have. Instead, France played sevens style, keeping the ball alive, offloading, stepping and slicing the Welsh apart. The loose and slippery nature of France's game — 28 line breaks — didn't allow Wales time to reset its defense.

The speed suited France's new and young centers, Pau clubmates Fabien Brau-Boirie, 20, and Émilien Gailleton, 22. They both touched down and Gailleton was replaced late by another debutant Noah Néné, 21. Flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert was the man of the match after scoring one try and assisting on three more.

“When you're pushed to the edge of the cliff you're capable of doing great things, but when you're being praised it can sometimes be hard to get fired up in a combat sport,” France coach Fabien Galthié said.

“There's great maturity in this team but also lots of young guys. And we need those (older) players to keep us on the straight and narrow and make sure we don't get carried away.”

Wales' Six Nations losing streak since 2023 was extended to 13 matches. The game attracted only 57,744 spectators, the smallest Wales home crowd since the tournament expanded in 2000.

Wales supporters wanting their side to work hard and fight to the end were rewarded, even though their team was outgunned everywhere. Wales kept France scoreless for more than 20 minutes in the first half and for the last 19 minutes of the match.

But the end result was familiar. Wales, yet to hire a full-time defense coach, has conceded 50-plus scores in five of its last six home matches, to England (68-14), Argentina (52-28), New Zealand (52-26) and South Africa (73-0).

“If you look at the athletes France have, if we kick a little too far or if there's an offload they come alive,” Wales coach Steve Tandy told the BBC. "You have to tip your hat to France and where they are as a team.

“For us it's transitioning, we're not where we want to be. Ultimately we're at this point in our journey.”

France was on the board after 88 seconds and had the bonus-point fourth try by halftime.

Gailleton crossed first, set up by Antoine Dupont, Theo Atissogbe and Charles Ollivon.

Left wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey then took a kick-pass from Jalibert and notched his 12th Six Nations try in 11 matches.

Bielle-Biarrey's initial break led to Jalibert sending Brau-Boirie flying in and France was 19-0 up after 15 minutes.

Wales won the restart and prop Rhys Carre eventually crashed over but Wales couldn't hold out France before halftime when right wing Atissogbe put in Jalibert for 26-7.

The second half was a procession for France with four more tries in 17 minutes.

Hooker Julien Marchand scored from a lineout drive, Attisogbe bagged a pair thanks to Bielle-Biarrey and Jalibert, and Ollivon grabbed the last. Thomas Ramos had target practice and converted seven of the eight tries.

Captain Dupont was rested before the hour mark. France welcome Italy in Lille next weekend.

Wales had the last say through replacement back Mason Grady and stays at home to face Scotland. There were still nearly 7,000 tickets unsold for that game.

“It's our job to make people want to come and watch games," Wales captain Dewi Lake told the BBC. “We're a side that are not getting results but all we can ask is that people stick with us, come on the journey with us, because we're growing as a team.”

___

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

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What are the Suns’ best wins of the season so far?

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 21: Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns shoot the game-winning shot during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2025-26 Emirates Cup on November 21, 2025 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

55 games into the season, the Phoenix Suns have had a lot of memorable wins amid their surprising start to the year. With a few comeback victories and wins against both the Eastern and Western Conference’s number 1 seeds, the Suns have left their fans with a lot of opportunities to cheer so far.

Here’s how I’d rank their top-three wins of the season, but before I start, the Suns’ 130-118 win over the San Antonio Spurs deserves some recognition. Phoenix held Victor Wembanyama to his worst game of the season, holding him to nine points, and handed San Antonio their first loss of the year.

#1: Booker’s Dagger vs OKC

Down as much as 18 points, the Suns rallied in the second half to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-105 on January 4th. Devin Booker hit the game-winning three with less than a second remaining that had the Mortgage Matchup Center go into a frenzy.

After being humiliated by Oklahoma City just a few weeks before in the knock-out round of the In-Season Tournament, Phoenix did not let being down nearly 20 get in the way of staying competitive with the team with the best record in the NBA. The performance was one of the highlights of the team’s best month of the season so far that ended with Jordan Ott winning his first ever Coach of the Month award.

#2 A Miraculous Comeback Against Minnesota

The most absurd game of the Suns season, Phoenix was down eight with less than 50 seconds remaining with Devin Booker fouled out. That being said, the Suns ended the game on a 9-0 run that included a myriad of crazy turnovers and Dillon Brooks also fouling out, culminating in Collin Gillespie hitting a game-winner over Donte DiVencenzo for a 114-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 21st.

The win demonstrated the team’s ability to win without Booker. Before he fouled out, the All-Star was having one of the worst nights of his season, scoring 16 points on 4-18 shooting from the field with nine turnovers. The Suns had six different players score in double-digits, including Gillespie, who had his season high at the time with 20-points, scoring his most important two when it mattered most.

#3 The Detroit Domination

With no Devin Booker, Phoenix clobbered the Detroit Pistons 114-96 on January 29th. Dillon Brooks had a career-high 40 points and Grayson Allen chipped in 24. Detroit was playing at full strength and not on a back-to-back, and the Suns held All-Star Starter Cade Cunningham to 8/22 shooting from the field and Detroit to 21% shooting from three.

What was impressive about this victory for the Suns was not just that Booker wasn’t playing, it was that Phoenix held the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference (now the best record in the NBA), at bay for the entirety of the contest. Detroit made some little runs throughout the game but the Suns responded everytime.

With 27 games left, will the Suns have any wins that top these?

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‘Arizona is always gonna be home’ for new Ring of Honor member Caleb Love

TUCSON, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 14: NBA player Caleb Love of the Portland Trail Blazers attends the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center at ALKEME Arena on February 14, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

On the day that Caleb Love returned to Arizona for his Ring of Honor induction, Tommy Lloyd’s Wildcats could have used his shot-making the most.

Love’s reputation as an uninhibited shooter with a knack for making baskets in clutch moments made him a polarizing college basketball figure. Like him or loathe him, Love’s game was well-suited for Arizona’s style of play.

Arizona’s style helped prepare Love for a career in the NBA, the Portland Trailblazers guard said Saturday upon visiting McKale Center at ALKEME Arena.

“I thank Tommy a lot because he kind of runs an NBA-style offense with how fast paced it is, heavy ball screens, things like that,” Love said. “I definitely give a lot of credit to him and the coaching staff with how they run things.”

Love is one of the NBA’s best surprises through the first half of the season. An undrafted free agent, Love signed on with the Trailblazers with the hope of making the opening night roster.

Love has since surpassed all expectations, becoming a core player in the Trailblazers’ rotation. He ranks ninth among all rookies in points per game (11.3). He’s made 93 three-points in 45 games, fourth-most among the rookie class.

Love has also adjusted to a different role than he was accustomed to in college.

“(My) welcome to the NBA moment is probably coming off the bench,” Love said. “I never came off the bench ever in my life. Let alone I’ve got DNPs.”

He’s getting used to not being the guy.

“You got to be a pro,” Love said. “You can’t be looking down or being sorry for yourself or saying ‘I deserve this or I deserve that’ because it’s a business at the end of the day and you got to come in and be a professional.”

Love was prepared for the mental side of a professional career well before he got to NBA, Lloyd said last week. The St. Louis native has been under the spotlight since he was a teenager. First as a McDonald’s All-American signed to North Carolina, then as a Tarheel, and followed by his time at Arizona.

Love experienced the highest of highs as a college basketball player, both at UNC and Arizona. His lows were just as well documented, from an infamous falling out at Chapel Hill to tough stretches in Tucson.

“A lot of times when a young player goes to the NBA, they haven’t yet experienced the lowest,” Lloyd said. “So I think in order for you to ultimately be successful at that level, we have to know how you’re going to respond to a struggle. And he had been through the struggle, and he had come out of it the other side. So I was really confident that he was going to earn his opportunity, and once he earned his opportunity, he was going to take advantage of it.”

Love’s induction into the McKale Center Ring of Honor marked the first time Arizona fans have seen him in Tucson since finishing his Wildcats. It won’t be the last.

“I’ve been watching every game,” Love said. “Even if we we sometimes have games on the same day. I’m in the locker room before the game because, you know, I’m so invested in it, and I’m so happy to see, you know, the start that we’ve had. Halftime, I’m checking my phone to see what the score is. So I’m definitely invested in it. When I left for Arizona, this is always gonna be home.“