Category: Basketball

The Atlanta Hawks are back and ready to start the 2026-27 season, and what better way to know they’re back than Media Day. It always feels like the first day of school, but it’s the time when players all come together and share with the media and fans what’s going through their minds ahead of the season.

For the Hawks, they added some new players to the team who should be major contributors to their success, but they also have returning players who are looking to take another jump in their game.

Here are some of the best sounds and bites from the Hawks during Media Day.

What CJ McCollum is looking forward to in training camp

“I got traded in January. I got here, met the team on a road trip, and kind of jumped right into the season, which was difficult, but I think I’m most excited about being able to go through a full training camp. We went through the season, lost in the postseason, and had the summer where we were all here on and off. Everybody was here pretty early in September. So, we’ve been able to work out together, play some, and kind of hang around each other. I think that’s important for camaraderie, trust, the ability to execute down the stretch, and then also accountability.”

Onyeka Okongwu on the first time entering the season as the starting center

“I love the fact that they have a lot of confidence in me. I’m excited for it. I’m ready for the responsibility and I’m ready to see how far this team can go.”

Jock Landale on returning to the Hawks

“I took it on myself to get here as early as possible. I think I’ve been around since July 5th. A lot of guys have been around and in the gym, I feel like we’ve made some really good leeway in kind of building relationships with each other and just learning what it is to play Atlanta Hawks basketball. We’ve got a long way to go given that it’s still September, but I think we’ve made some really good inroads to our own identity.”

Nickeil Alexander-Walker following up on his MIP season

“My main focus out of that is to continue to grow as a player, to continue to get better, to maximize the opportunity and every single ounce of potential that I have left. Wherever that takes me, it takes me. I think that by doing that, it has proven over time that it just continues to get better. I don’t stress the success more than I stress not continuously working and getting complacent.”

Asa Newell and his playoff experience during Year 1

“Year 1 being in the playoffs just set the standard for this organization, and we’re going to try to make the playoffs every single year. It was cool being in the environment of State Farm, being in the environment of New York, and going against the Knicks. It’s extremely physical. The matchups, switching, the different lineups, it was really good, and I think that for our group it really helped us moving forward.”

Kingston Flemings going against Dyson, Nickeil and Lu

“We’ve been in OTAs already going at each other, so it’s been good. They’re all competitive. Being able to learn and being able to play against these guys, it’s a dream come true. I’m blessed to be on this team playing against guys like that every single day. I’m looking forward to it.”

Aaron Wiggins bringing experience to the Hawks

“There’s championship pedigree and experience that I bring, but with that as a basketball player, there’s competitiveness and just the motivation to win again that exists within me. I think bringing that energy is consistently contagious. I think amongst the team, everybody wants to win, and everybody wants to compete, and with that mindset, we’ll all get better, and over time you’ll see the team develop and get better with that as well.”

Dyson Daniels working on his jump shot  

“Obviously, shooting was very bad last year for me, and it’s been a focal point for me in this offseason. For me, it’s been about the sequencing in my shot, getting more rhythm through my shot, and getting more energy through my legs so I can get my arc up. A big thing with me was it was a very flat shot, so trying to get more arc. That’s been a big focus for me this offseason.”

Dorian Finney-Smith on what he can bring to the Hawks

“My voice. I’m very talkative on the court. I know a lot of young guys kind of think it’s cliché, but the loudest team always wins. They’re usually the most connected team. When you have to problem-solve on the court without a coach, that’s what you need. You need your communication, and that’s what I bring. I probably talk too much on the court, but I’m a competitor.”

Jalen Johnson reflecting on playoff loss

“There was the first month and a half, two months after the season; all it was was film from that next series and just how I can learn and grow from that because, at the end of the day, I want to win championships. The playoffs are where you need to be at your best. Understanding that and having the right people around me who help me focus on what I need to focus on. You’ve got to have the mental capacity to be able to want that for yourself and not be complacent. I want that.”

Lu Dort is happy to be in Atlanta

“I already had some familiar faces on the roster, which was good with Nickeil and Wiggins, but just seeing the potential defensively with Dyson and JJ as well, and a lot of guys on the team, there’s a lot of stuff that we can do. After I got the call, I was just really happy for that situation.”

Another year, another Celtics Media Day in the books. This is maybe my favorite part of the offseason. The team is assembled, the stakes are set, and all the new and returning faces are telling me exactly what I want to hear.

Up until the playoffs rolled around, I had very little to complain about last season. The team exceeded all expectations in my eyes, and I wasn’t as low on them going into the season as many others were. That being said, there was still plenty of room for improvement, even during their impressive regular season.

Maybe the best encapsulation of that sentiment in a single player is Derrick White. White put together a pretty great season all things considered. He produced career-highs in points (16.5), assists (5.4), steals (1.1), and blocks per game (1.3). Along with that, he was among the league leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio, ranked sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and made it onto the All-Defensive First Team.

Fans and critics alike have found it pretty easy to overlook all of those achievements, though. Derrick had a pretty poor year in terms of efficiency, and the conversation surrounding that stole the show, especially when the playoffs rolled around and it seemed like he couldn’t buy a bucket while the Celtics blew a 3-1 series lead.

White shot an abysmal 39.4% from the field over the course of the season. From behind the arc, just 32.7%. With three-point attempts making up over half of his shot diet, each missed shot felt like it was carrying some extra weight.

Derrick was able to acknowledge the struggles during his media availability on Monday, while giving some encouraging words alongside them: “I think every offseason, you try to just go back and see what went wrong, why it went wrong, and try to correct it for the next season. Obviously, shooting was a big thing, and something I think I’ve corrected, hopefully… I feel good. I feel confident, and I’ll try and go out there and perform.”

When asked about what specifically he worked on, he joked at first, “you guys would look at me crazy if I said I didn’t figure it out at all.” He then continued to say, “there are obviously some things that I think I kinda dropped that I’ve done in the past. So, just kinda going back to some things that I’ve done… Just a bunch of those little things that kinda compound, combine into a bad shooting year, and just trying to be better for next year.”

White has been a core member of the Celtics since Boston decided to trade for him. He’s taken on more responsibility with each passing season. With Jayson Tatum’s absence, Derrick not only had to operate without the one teammate who makes his job the easiest; he also had to shoulder a larger workload than he was used to.

Before Tatum returned to the court, White was taking 15.2 field goal attempts (FGA) per game, up from the 12.6 FGA from the previous season. That bumped him up from the fourth highest FGA rate on the team in 24-25, behind Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis, to the second highest, only behind Jaylen.

At the same time, he saw a similar increase in his usage. In the 24-25 season, Derrick was again fourth on the team behind Tatum (30.1%), Brown (28.2%), and Porzingis (25.3%) at 19.5%. This past season, he was third (22.7%) behind Jaylen (35.6%) and Anfernee Simons (22.8%) prior to Tatum’s return. He had the ball in his hands more, and was tasked with controlling the offense more often, all while a larger chunk of the possessions was concentrated into Brown’s hands, meaning the responsibility wasn’t as spread out.

This upcoming season, Tatum should be back to his usual self, and while Derrick may still be tasked with a lot of offensive responsibility, Paul George should be able to take on a fair bit of the catch-and-shoot looks White had early in his Celtics tenure, while Mitchell Robinson’s screen-setting and rolling should open up a lot more of the floor. Derrick should be back in a much more comfortable position to operate from, and if his offseason efforts pay off, he’ll become a major key to unlocking Boston’s offense between his shooting and playmaking.

The way I see it, White set a high bar for himself last season, but left a wide-open window to reach, and even pass that bar. Just a few more weeks until we get to see him and the team back in action.

When he’s at his best, Matisse Thybulle is already regarded as an elite, ball-hawking wing. Now think about what the new Lakers guard can do with Walker Kessler by his side.

“[I] just feel like I can fully live up to my defensive potential,” Thybulle said Monday at Lakers media day, “because of having a rim protector like Walker.”

Just as Kessler is expected to lift the Lakers’ offense by pairing with Luka Doncic, the Lakers are equally excited for the influence Kessler can have on defense. The 7-foot-2 center is the type of rim-protecting force that can unlock a new scheme and elevate his teammates as the Lakers compete in a top-heavy Western Conference.

Coach JJ Redick said the Lakers’ tendency to switch on defense in recent years was “by necessity.” The Lakers, with the inconsistent Deandre Ayton at center, ranked 20th in defensive rating last season with just 4.3 blocks per game. Their 41 rebounds per game ranked 27th.

Read more:Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves ready to take charge of new-look Lakers

In 2024-25, his last full season, Kessler was second in the NBA in blocks (2.4). The former Utah Jazz center averaged a double-double (11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds) during his third year, looking primed for a breakthrough. Then, a shoulder injury limited him to just five games last season.

The Lakers believe the 25-year-old Kessler’s talent, age and fit with Doncic and fellow star guard Austin Reaves made him worthy of a high-investment sign-and-trade; the Lakers sent four first-round draft picks to Utah to secure the restricted free agent, who then signed a four-year, $130-million deal with L.A.

“I think the Lakers organization is obviously a historic organization, and there’s maybe added pressure to that,” Kessler said. “But I think for me, with that pressure comes a lot of opportunity to play at a stage like this and to compete for a championship. I think that with the price they gave [for] me, again, speaking to the belief that they showed me, it makes me want to play my best ball for them.”

Redick said he hopes to use Kessler similarly to how the San Antonio Spurs use reigning defensive player of the year Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs superstar lurks down low near the basket, allowing guards to pressure aggressively on the perimeter.

The plan sounds perfect to Kessler’s new teammates.

“I’m a gambling man,” forward Jake LaRavia said with a smile. “So when it comes to defense, being able to play passing lanes and not have to worry about getting beat so much because you’ve got Walker as the back-line defense, it’s going to make us wings and guards feel a lot more comfortable being a little bit more aggressive defensively, maybe being able to pick up full-court a little bit more.”

The Lakers are chasing Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City and San Antonio. The last two conference champions were first and third, respectively, in NBA defensive rating last season, anchored by their star centers. Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren finished second in defensive player of the year voting and earned his first All-Star appearance.

Read more:Five storylines to follow as Lakers open training camp this week

Hoping to keep pace, the Lakers brought in Kessler as their most high-profile offseason addition. They also revamped their options on the perimeter, adding a stable of three-and-D players to support Doncic and Reaves by spacing the floor on offense and covering for the superstars on defense. Thybulle — a two-time NBA all-defensive team honoree — guards Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton and forward Ziaire Williams are expected to be among the new faces responsible for taking the Lakers’ defense to the next level.

“OKC, San Antonio, they play really hard defensively,” Grimes said. “You can get away with a lot more. So we’re really trying to set that tone.”

Doncic lauded the roster moves. Many of the signings were “underrated,” Doncic said. The Lakers don’t mind being overlooked for now.

“I think we’re competitors,” Sexton said. “I feel like we added people that are willing to compete, and we added guys that don’t back down to anyone. ... So I think we gotta show people.”

Doncic, who missed the postseason because of a hamstring injury, is especially eager to get back on the court. The thought of his long-awaited return was one of the few times the maniacal competitor showed a genuine smile during his obligatory news conference Monday.

Kessler said his shoulder is “110%” and “better than it’s ever felt.” The injury lingered since college and started getting worse last season. Shutting it down for the season felt like “it would be the best timing,” Kessler said in July. At the time, Utah was much more focused on draft position than playoff hopes.

With a line of Larry O’Brien trophies lording over the Lakers’ practice court, Kessler knows expectations in L.A. will be the highest he’s ever faced.

“To play for a [historic team] like this, I don’t really feel pressure. I just feel grateful,” Kessler said. “Grateful for this opportunity and grateful to play for this franchise.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

On the court, Austin Reaves really doesn’t have much left to prove. Well, except whether he can stay on the court.

The Lakers’ star guard is tough, he’s talented, he has the temperament and competitive compass to lead a team. He’s been blessed with a sense of the moment and a sense of humor. It’s been a treat to watch him go from an undrafted curiosity to star guard for the Lakers, recently the recipient of a new four-year, $184-million contract.

Reaves foretold of his future stardom in 2023 after scoring nine consecutive points in a playoff victory over the Memphis Grizzlies: He’s him, he’s him!

Now entering Year 6, we’re long past doubting the ability of this kid from Newark, Ark. — except, of course, for his durability, his availability.

When he played last season, averaging 23.3 points on 49% shooting, the Lakers were 36-15 (.706). That’s better than every Western Conference team besides the Oklahoma City Thunder (.780) and San Antonio Spurs (.756).

But when Reaves was out of uniform and headband, the Lakers were a ho-hum 17-14.

Read more:Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves ready to take charge of new-look Lakers

Reaves missed those games — and his shot at his first All-NBA and All-Star selections — because of right groin soreness in November, a left calf strain in December and January, and a left oblique strain in April.

Those were frustrating injuries, but they weren’t random. Unfortunate, but not exactly unlucky. They weren’t freak injuries, they were conditions that cropped up when his usage ticked up.

It seemed a sign that Reaves could be overburdened when he had to carry extra weight more than just part-time.

So the Lakers need the 28-year-old that they’re paying more than anyone but Luka Doncic to steel himself against that wear and tear. They better hope he spent at least as much time training his body to withstand another NBA season of body blows as he did going low on golf courses this offseason.

Monday at media day, where Doncic and Reaves sported matching golf tans, the now-longest-tenured Laker testified that he “had a really good summer and put myself in a really good spot going into this year.”

That’s good, that’s really good.

Because if the new-look Lakers are going to succeed, they need Reaves whipping passes and weaving to the rim for as many of their 82 regular-season games as possible.

They also need him to stretch well and drink lots of water and regularly get good nights’ sleep.

To go ahead and invest in hyperbaric chambers, cryotherapy, compression boots and anything else he watched LeBron James do to defy Father Time in the five seasons they played together: “There’s a lot more that goes into it than the casual fan sees,” Reaves said Monday. “You have to do more every single day, especially the older that you get.”

The Lakers have watched Reaves grow up, from a surprising bit player in 2021-22 to a multifaceted menace who last season scored 51 points one game, dished 16 assists in another, and had others with 11 rebounds and four steals.

That’s why he got the big contract. And that’s why, when Reaves said Monday that, in his mind, “nothing really changes with how I approach the game,” it made sense.

He plays winning basketball, and if it ain’t broke, you’re not supposed to fix it.

But the Lakers also need Reaves to realize he’s really rich now. He should let it get to his head a little bit and be smarter out there.

He’s not going to be overdrawn when those moments arrive, asking him to make a bang-bang decision: Cash or charge?

For Reaves, the answer should almost always be cash. Because what’s in the Lakers’ best interests? Reaves drawing an offensive foul or coach JJ Redick drawing up a lineup without Reaves in it?

Read more:How a healthy and motivated Walker Kessler could transform the Lakers' defense

Protect yourself at all costs, Austin. Luka, too. Let all these defensive-minded role players fighting for playing time take the charges; that’s their job.

New Lakers center Kevon Looney became a three-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors. He knows what wins championships: Defense and health.

“For us to reach our full potential, we’re going to have to be a good defensive team,” Looney said Monday. “And then every team needs health. We got the talent, but being healthy and taking care of our bodies is going to set us apart.”

Reaves has already set himself apart, as an underdog, a dawg, and now, one of the Lakers’ top dogs.

He’s worth every penny that they’re paying him. But he’s still got to earn it.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Good morning BBN!

The Kentucky Wildcats basketball season tip-off is only a few days away as the Cats will take the floor at Rupp Arena on Friday night for Big Blue Madness.

Mark Pope’s first two seasons have been up and down, but one thing has been constant: Injuries.

The first season, it was Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson, Kerr Kriisa, and Andrew Carr who battled injuries.

Last season, it was Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance who went down for the season, while Kam Williams and Mo Dioubate also missed time.

Before this season tips off, several Cats have already battled some injuries.

Williams is still working his way back from a second foot surgery. Milan Momcilovic hurt a finger on his shooting hand, Trent Noah suffered a significant hamstring injury, and now Jerone Moton can be added to the list with a knee injury sustained in practice.

Luckily, nothing seems serious enough to play a major factor in the regular season, but the fact that they have already started is definitely unsettling. At some point, chalking all of this up to ‘bad luck’ just can’t be a real excuse anymore.

Now, we just hope they all stay away and give Pope his first fully healthy team in his tenure.

Tweet of the Day

Yes he did.

Headlines

Pope Believes ‘Length is Our Strength’- UK Athletics

Let’s hope so.

Lizzie Carr Named SEC Player of the Week, O’Brien Setter of the Week- UK Athletics

Let’s Go!

Instead of a Blue-White Game, Kentucky will hold an open practice for fans- KSR

Should be fun!

A meeting with Mark Pope turned Malachi Moreno’s stubborn summer into dramatic improvement- KSR

Love to hear this.

Jerone Morton suffers knee injury in practice, re-evaluation to come- Cats Pause

The injury big bites again.

Snap counts and PFF grades: Kentucky pulls away from South Alabama- Cats Pause

Take a look at the grades and snap counts for the Cats this past Saturday.

Giants trade for Vikings QB McCarthy but say Winston is QB1- ESPN

We still get Jameis!!

LeBron James says he envisioned joining Knicks as free agent- ESPN

I’m sure Knicks fans will take the title, but could have been awesome to see LeBron in NYC.

Lincoln Riley’s USC future in doubt after Oregon loss despite roughly $70 million buyout, sources say- CBS

Looks like Riley could be on his way out in LA.

South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart suspended one game by SEC for contact with Alabama player- CBS

The Cats will for sure not see Stewart on Saturday.

George McGinnis is somewhat forgotten today, and that’s really too bad, because he was a heck of a player.

After growing up in Indianapolis, McGinnis chose Indiana, where he averaged 29.9 ppg as a sophomore in 1970-71.

He left for the ABA, missing playing for Bob Knight by a single season.

As an Indiana Pacer, McGinnis helped that team win two titles in his first two seasons.

After some legal entanglements, he joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 1975, and when Philly acquired Julius Erving in 1976, the table was set for one of the most entertaining teams in basketball history.

Aside from McGinnis and Erving, Philly also had Doug Collins, Darryl Dawkins, Lloyd Free (later known as World B. Free), Joe Bryant, father of Kobe, and Steve Mix.

The following year, the Philadelphia 76ers would take on Bill Walton’s Portland Trail Blazers in an epic NBA Finals, losing to Portland, 4-2.

Portland proved to be the better team, but Philadelphia was immensely talented, and McGinnis was a huge part of that team’s success.

Among his many talents – he was also a superb rebounder – McGinnis had a highly unusual shot: he would start with a fairly standard form, then his left hand would fall away, and in the end, he shot with just his right hand.

He did have fairly large hands, and could double-clutch with just his right hand.

In 1978, Philadelphia traded him to Denver for Bobby Jones and Ralph Simpson. He played well for the Nuggets until injuries began to slow him down.

He was traded back to Indiana in 1980, but by then, McGinnis was past his prime.

During his prime, though, he was a spectacular player, and unlike anyone else.

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Basketball is a young man’s sport.

But Mike Conley, a 38-year-old who is entering his 20th season in the league, is determined to contribute in his new role with the Boston Celtics.

Brad Stevens signed Conley to a one-year, $3.9 million deal earlier this summer but, after 19 seasons, it is unclear what he might bring to his fourth — and potentially final — team.

Heading into the 2026-27 season, Conley is one of only three players on Boston’s roster over the age of 30 (Paul George, 36, and Derrick White, 32, are the other two) and the oldest of the bunch. He’s from the same 2007 draft class as Al Horford, Kevin Durant, and Jeff Green, and has enjoyed a long, fruitful career. He will become the 14th player in NBA history to play 20 seasons when the 2027-28 campaign begins on Oct. 20.

However, his performance in recent years has sparked questions about how long that career may continue.

Last season, Conley averaged only 4.5 points and 2.9 assists in 18.4 minutes per game over 54 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves — a team that was desperate for solid backup guard play. His efficiency also nosedived last season. Despite career shooting averages of 43.6% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range, those percentages dropped to 33.5% and 33.7%, respectively, in 2025-26.

Nevertheless, Conley expressed confidence in himself while speaking with the NBC Sports Boston crew on Media Day.

Shortly after Marc D’Amico pointed out that Conley was drafted only four months after his rookie teammate, Chris Cenac Jr., was born, Conley talked about how he’d like to impact the team.

“Come in and be the voice, be a leader, be professional everyday like I normally am and, when my time is called, I’m sure I’ll have opportunities to impact the games on-court, I’m always going to be ready to go and be that guy this team can lean on whenever that time is needed. So I’m just excited to kind of fill that role and be the guy that can help the team in any way,” he said.

Conley, who has yet to win a NBA championship, said his drive to win one is “never-ending” and that he hopes to impose his urgency for a ring onto the rest of the team.

He acknowledged his longevity in the league, but reiterated a statement he made during his introductory press conference with the Celtics: he’s got a lot left in the tank.

“I’m waiting on the day when I wake up and I’m like, ‘I can’t move, I can’t do this.’ I don’t feel that. I wake up and I’m still moving quick. I’m able to guard defensively, still shoot, still do all the things. The role has changed a bunch — you know, as you get older, you start to get less on your plate and less on your plate — but I think that doesn’t necessarily speak to what a person’s still capable of doing,” Conley said. “Yeah, as the years go on, I do less and less and less as far as numbers and all these other things, but the impact and what I can still bring and how I can still effect games with my brain and with my body — I can still do it.”

Stevens, who said on Media Day that he may have first seen Conley play basketball in the 90s while they were both in Indiana, also voiced his confidence in Conley’s ability to contribute to the Celtics both on- and off-court.

“Mike’s just a guy that understands what it’s all about. He’s been in the league for 20 years. He still, when he moves, looks like he’s floating on the court. He’s always been that kind of athlete. But, beyond that, it’s just this wherewithal of how teams function, how to bring the best out in the people next to you. I think that, in an era where you probably don’t see as many ‘pure point guards,’ he was a pure point guard who sees the game, reads the game, thinks the game, like Joe wants our entire team to,” Stevens said. “I think it’s a great resource for our guys, and he can still really play, and so it’ll be fun to have him around.”

Luka Garza, who played with Conley during his time in Minnesota, said the Shams Charania tweet announcing that his old teammate was joining the Celtics was “one of the best Shams notifications ever.”

“I immediately texted him and was super happy,” Garza said. “What he brings to the table fits so perfectly with what’s going on here. … The professionalism, the mindset, the showing up everyday to work and the ability to be in a locker room and just have that vulnerability, that openness, to communicate with everybody there. It seemed like he was the glue that kept our teams together in Minnesota, so to have him here, I know he’s just going to have a great impact on everyone around him.”

CAMDEN, N.J. — LeBron James knows championship-caliber chemistry won't develop overnight for the Philadelphia 76ers with their recently renovated star-studded roster.

It will take time. Say, like the 90 seconds it takes for a bowl of oatmeal to warm up in the microwave.

"Everyone wants instant oatmeal," James said Monday, Sept. 28 at 76ers media day. "You just put the oatmeal in the bowl, you put water in it, throw it in the microwave, and in a minute and a half, you’ve got something to eat. You’re ready to go.

"If you want to do something special, it takes time."

That's the task at hand for James as he enters a league-record 24th NBA season, and his first in Philadelphia: bring a championship blueprint to to the 76ers and help lead the franchise to a title.

LeBron James on 76ers' title goals: 'I didn’t leave my family to lose in second round'

The Rockets recently seem to insist upon adding veterans who spend a lot of time being injured. Some, like Steven Adams are probably worth it, as long as the team isn’t absolutely relying on him being around (it is – see Stone at Media Day). Adams has a particular set of skills that are unmatched in the NBA – offensive rebounding, screening, and generally causing pain through his very presence.

Wait, this is a Marcus Smart preview, right?

TL:DR Rockets Summer Signings Besides Chip Engelland:

Yes it IS a Marcus Smart preview!

Marcus Smart will turn 33 in season. Over the past five season, he’s played in an average 49 of 82 available games. That’s pretty back loaded, though, as in the past three seasons that number falls to 38, mainly on the strength of 62 games played for the Lakers last season. Perhaps that trend will hold, but at 33, it’s possibly not the bet to make.

So, like Adams, if you are counting on his presence, his injury history suggests this might be a mistake. Injuries can happen to any player, but patterns of being injured tend to repeat.

Then there’s the “particular set of skills”. In Marcus Smart’s case, this has always been the question. He’s a 6’3”, 220lb SG/PG. He’s in essence undersized for SG, and under skilled for PG, and we have 13 seasons of evidence here. He’s not a good enough shooter to make up for that. Smart is a career 32% three-point shooter, and last season shot it at 33% for the Lakers, which to be fair, is 2.5% better than Alperen Sengun, who also plays as a guard at times. Smart IS a good free throw shooter, at about 80% for his career, which would be great if he averaged more than 2.4 FT per game.

Why do I bring this up? Because this free throw number is suggestive of a player who can’t get to the rim, or the FT line. Yet another player who can’t get to the rim is probably not an optimal signing for the Rockets, but let’s look for the silver lining.

He’s PG sized, so he must be a good PG, right? Well, no. Over the past three seasons, Smart’s assist numbers have fallen down a crevasse. This isn’t crazy for a guard in his 30s, but a decline from around 6 assists per game to about 3 over the past three seasons isn’t encouraging. I’m not cherry picking here. Last season Smart averaged 3ast/1.5to, the year before 3.2ast/1.6to, and the year before that, 4.3ast/3.1to. Boston used him as a PG, but there’s not a lot about his career there to make you long to see him as your main backup PG. (Amen Thompson averaged 5.3ast/2.4to in his first NBA attempt at being a primary distributor, this is 1 ast below Smart’s career high in Boston (same number of TO at age 28.))

I won’t go further into how much better players who were, or are, on the roster are at being point guards or playing offense, as in a real way, that’s not Smart’s calling card.

Smart’s calling card has been defense, and he’s been known throughout his career as a tough, tenacious, dirty, and histrionically inclined defender. He even won DPOY. (But he would have never won it if he didn’t play for Boston. Imagine Smart winning that award for Orlando, say.) Maybe the theory is he’ll bring back the edge that Dillon Brooks seemed to take with him to Phoenix. Perhaps he will. If so, great. If so, that’s a great signing, and I’ll admit to it, and possibly throw a small parade.

At 33, though, it’s hard to see him as a real stopper. The numbers, compared to his mid career, suggest he isn’t, anymore. According to most metrics over the past few seasons of his career, Smart is a mildly positive defender, and a significantly to mildly negative offensive player. If you compare his past couple of seasons with say, Aaron Holiday, it’s a dead heat, except Smart can’t shoot it. So, really, perfect for Ime Udoka, because Smart is also a league leader in mean mugging and looking intense.

In the end, there probably wasn’t a better signing to be a token of Ime Udoka’s defensive fetish and to fill the gaps he possibly believes he has on the team. Smart will probably play that role pretty well. The problem here is, Smart might well be the primary backup point guard. Hopefully Fred VanVleet’s offense will recover from his last season playing, otherwise, in such a case, the Rockets will be playing a PG rotation that can only be counted as mildly positive in terms of their own offense, at best, for 48 minutes.

The Rockets problem wasn’t defense, it was clutch scoring late, and serious guard play. I simply can’t see Smart, especially at 33, addressing that problem, despite probably having a few good games doing it. Yet I think we’re going to see a lot of him. Unless he’s hurt, which he often is.

I wish I could be happier about it, but the Smart signing to me represents a fundamental lack of awareness as to what the actual problems are, and signals a doubling down on “Defense First” dogma. Did the Rockets address not having a guard who could get to the rim, and force a defense out of the paint? In Marcus Smart and to an extent Bogdan Son of Bogdan, they absolutely did…not. The Rockets didn’t lose the last two playoff series because they couldn’t defend. They lost because they couldn’t score, and it’s hard to see how Marcus Smart helps with this.

Bright side: the Rockets bench should be better than last season, but not as much as some might think.

Jayson Tatum spent last season learning, learning about different parts of basketball, seeing the game from a new perspective, understanding how coaches operate. He didn’t waste his time by sitting court side in all his outfits.

Boston, MA – March 1: Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum reacts from the bench in the second quarter. The Celtics played the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden on March 1, 2026. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images

DENVER, CO – FEBRUARY 25: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics and Bruce Brown #11 of the Denver Nuggets talk after the game on February 25, 2026 at Ball Arena 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 22: Marcus Smart #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics talks after the game on February 22, 2026 at Cryto.com Arena 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 Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 03: Jayson Tatum attends a basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Boston Celtics at Intuit Dome on January 03, 2026 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. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) | Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 26: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on December 26, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images

BOSTON, MA – NOVEMBER 3: A closeup shot of Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics hat during the game against the Utah Jazz on November 3, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Boston, MA – November 1: Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum chats with Houston Rockets guard JD Davison after a game at TD Garden on November 1, 2025. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images

At Celtics Media Day on Monday, Tatum talked about how he spent his time on the bench last season as he recovered from his torn Achilles injury.

You can tell pic.twitter.com/aaRigrCt9z

— Karan (@ksenguptaa) September 28, 2026

“Sitting next to the coaches for 65 some odd games (it was 62), it really gave me a chance to see the game through their lens and the things that they pay attention to,” Tatum said.

“Throughout every game, each coach is responsible for something different and it was just kinda cool to see and I learned a lot. I feel like the game slowed down for me even more so, just kinda seeing through their lens. How I can add that and translate that to my own play, when I am out there.”

Tatum did not miss many games last year, if any at all, and he did use that to his advantage going forward with the rest of his career.

The game really came to Tatum during his return last season and it did not go unnoticed by everyone.

On his podcast in March, Bill Simmons noted that the game had seemed to slow down for Tatum.

“I’d love for somebody to ask him, “‘do you feel like you’ve gained anything these four months just by watching basketball? Has anything slowed down for you? Has anything changed about how you think about when you are out there just from being a spectator?’ I felt like he was a little more patient than maybe he was even at his peak,” Simmons said on the March 9th edition of the Bill Simmons Podcast.

We all know how awesome Jayson Tatum is, but some parts of his game took a step up by sitting on the bench and seeing the game from a different perspective.

It was his rebounding that took the biggest leap in his return to the court. In a small sample size, Tatum was first in defensive rebounding percentage off of both field goal attempts and free throws. His improved rebounding could be credited to him seeing the game in a different way and seeing different angles to get rebounds.

As Brad Stevens said, you never have to worry about Jayson Tatum.

“He’s the last guy I lose sleep about, he’s the last guy I really ever worry about,” Stevens said. “I just expect that he’ll be great, he’ll be who he is… I have no doubt he will have a great year.”

Jayson Tatum spent most of last year seeing the game in a different light, learning different things about basketball. He showed some of that in his return and he will look to build on it this year.

Every Media Day gives a little insight of the season to come. This is Jayson Tatum’s team, despite his modest answer to the question. Paul George feels the healthiest he’s felt in years — fingers crossed. Head coach Joe Mazzulla is embracing the unknown because of course he’d say that.

Most of what’s said just before training camp is coachspeak/playerspeak/GMspeak fodder and wishful thinking. However, sometimes someone says something that cuts to the core and just makes sense.

When asked how he’d fit in with the revamped roster, Baylor Scheierman said, “we’re just gonna hoop.”

After five months without Celtics basketball, no greater words have been spoken.

Scheierman elaborated on how he sees Boston this upcoming season. “We got a lot of guys that understand how to play and there’s gonna be a lot freedom of movement and I think that fits my game really well,” Scheierman said. “Just having a good IQ of what’s going on on the court, where I need to be, what I need to do, just having situational awareness. I think that’s a strength of mine and strength of a lot of guys on the team.”

Prognosticators have predicated Baylor anywhere between a possible starter to a playmaker with the second unit and there doesn’t seem to be a question that he’ll be a key cog in the rotation.

In addition to bulking up and getting quicker in the summer in order to make himself a more versatile defender, Scheierman is looking to lean into his quarterback skills and make more on-ball reads

“My playmaking and ability to see the floor is a strength of mine,” Scheierman said.

A few weeks ago, I contrasted Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez as two role player archetypes: the everyman and the gamechanger.

Before Jayson Tatum’s return last season, Scheierman got a chance to start a dozen games as sort of a Tatum proxy (with Payton Pritchard moving back to a familiar sixth man role after Anfernee Simons was traded for Nikola Vucevic). And in twenty total starts in 2025-2026, he was solid in a do-it-all function with the opening five, averaging just under 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists in 28 minutes per game. His sophomore season was inarguably a success, shooting 39.9% from behind the arc, limiting his turnovers, and defending up and down the lineup. The numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, but there’s something to be said being a net positive in 25+ minutes a night.

Year 2 was a solid start for Scheierman as the Celtics do-it-all jack-of-all-trades. Year 3 might just be a culmination of all his efforts and, well, he’s “just gonna hoop.”

Media day at Chase Center is usually a fashion show with microphones. Guys roll in with fresh earrings and promises about being in the best shape of their lives, and we write it all down like we haven’t heard it every September since dial-up.

Steph Curry walked in Monday with a new contract. Two years, $116 million, signed late last week, with enough optionality built in that he could be in blue and gold through the 2028-29 season. He was eligible for the max, which topped out at $136.7 million. Pull out your phone and do the subtraction, folks. You get roughly $20.7 million that Steph thought about for five months and then slid back across the table toward Mike Dunleavy. They probably won’t engrave that number on a plaque in Curry’s wing of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall-of-Fame. But it matters plenty to Curry, who has no interest in spending the twilight of his career playing meaningless basketball.. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dylan Grausz reports:

Curry was eligible to sign a maximum extension, worth up to $136.7 million, but instead opted to leave some money on the table in order to give the Warriors some cap space flexibility. Curry, a four-time NBA champion, wants to see the Warriors return to being contenders and be competitive, and by taking less money, he hopes it can lead to more avenues for the franchise to take down the line to reach that goal.

“Without knowing the answers to the test, it was my best way to study for it, if that makes sense,” Curry said about taking less money. “Again, it’s about for us to have a chance this season as we get started tomorrow to play basketball and hoop. We all have to do our jobs to win. We all know that, myself included. I’ve got to be healthy and available.

The discount guarantees nothing besides Warriors owner Joe Lacob and Dunleavy having an extra $20 million of room to work with when the crucial roster decisions show up.

Which brings me to the Black Mamba, rest in peace, who had zero patience for any of this. In 2013 when Kobe was 35 and coming off a torn Achilles, he signed his two-year, $48.5 million extension. Although it came in under what he could have gotten on a max and was the highest-paid player in the league, he was still adamantly against players sacrificing dollars:

“It’s the popular thing to do,” Bryant said after the Los Angeles Lakers‘ shootaround prior to Friday night’s 140-106 loss to Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks. “The player takes less, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I think it’s a big coup for the owners to put players in situations where public perception puts pressure on them to take less money. Because if you don’t, then you get criticized for it.

“It’s absolutely brilliant, but I’m not going for it. I know the new head of the players’ association ain’t going for it, either.”

Kobe’s point is something I think about when I look at Curry’s monster contract, because even at $116 million he’s probably underpaid considering how much value he brings to the franchise. And what if the team doesn’t use that money wisely? That $20.7 million doesn’t vanish into team chemistry. It stays off the Warriors’ books, and what happens with that flexibility is up to Dunleavy and Lacob.

The Mamba school of thought is that the whole thing becomes a morality play where the billionaire gets to feel clever and the player gets graded on how much he gave back. Kobe looked at that and wasn’t about to play the nice guy in somebody else’s business model. I can dig it!

But the Strength in Numbers school of thought is that Curry has already been the bargain superstar once, and it paid off in rings.

His four-year, $44 million extension in 2012 got signed when his ankles were the biggest question in the building. He outplayed that contract by the length of the Bay Bridge. When the salary cap exploded in 2016, Steph’s bargain deal was a big reason the Warriors had room to go get Kevin Durant. You can call that a coup for the owners, but Steph would probably call it two more parades.

Kobe’s final years showed what the other side of that bargain could look like, as the Lakers spent the rest of his career near the bottom of the West. You can argue forever about how much that contract had to do with it, and I won’t pretend his salary alone sank those teams. But the Warriors’ rise coincided with beating the hell out of those late-Kobe Lakers teams.

What got me Monday was one line near the end where Curry talked about finishing the story the right way and said he knows the short list of guys that have been able to do it. He means one franchise, start to finish.

That’s where Kobe Bean walks back into this for me.

The Lakers legend spent 20 seasons in purple and gold. He showed up in 1996 as a teenager, won three titles next to Shaq, survived the breakup, and won two more as the undisputed face of the franchise. He tore that Achilles, ground through the ugly years on the wrong side of contention, and then walked off the floor at 37 after dropping 60 in his last game the same night those Dubs clinched 73 wins.

Steph wants to finish in Warriors colors, but he wants to finish competing for championships. He’s trying to do that by handing some back and trusting the people upstairs to spend it. Two of the greatest guards who ever lived, walking the same road to the same place, with completely different ideas about what the toll should cost.

“This is home,” Steph said. “This is what we’ve built.”

If Dunleavy can’t turn $20 million into something real by next summer, the Warriors will have built a gilded retirement home for one of the greatest to ever do it.

Why Warriors' Yaxel Lendeborg is built to complement Steph Curry, Draymond Green originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – On the day Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg was born, it’s entirely possible that 14-year-old Stephen Curry was in a gym honing his jump shot and 12-year-old Draymond Green’s was giving his mother fits of annoyance.

Yet Lendeborg, who turns 24 on Wednesday, is considered “old,” because he’s an NBA rookie. Green, Curry and the rest of the Warriors are welcoming the grizzled kid.

As they should, because they’re going to need the 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward from the University of Michigan.

Any chance for Golden State to have success early in the 2026-27 NBA season is largely dependent on Lendeborg making an impact alongside Curry and Green, two veterans with a combined eight championship rings and 16 All-Star Game appearance over 32 NBA seasons.

“He’s clearly going to play a ton,” coach Steve Kerr said of Lendeborg on Monday.

Curry, Green and Lendeborg will be the primary forces that determine Golden State’s fortunes as the calendar dives toward 2027. If they stay healthy and play well, the Warriors might be able to hang around the middle of the Western Conference. If not, the season will be endangered before Christmas – long before the anticipated returns of valuable reinforcements Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody.

“Needless to say, he’s going to be . . . we know what Steph does and myself,” Green said of Lendeborg. “But he’s going to be important.”

Being the third component of a determining trio is a lot to ask of a rookie, no matter his age, but Lendeborg’s history indicates he is built to produce. He played three levels of college basketball, adjusting to different roles, constantly improving and becoming the best player on his team.

With Jimmy Butler III rehabilitating from surgery to repair a torn right ACL, there is an opening for a fearless forward capable of scoring in multiple ways including drawing fouls and getting to the line – creating scoring opportunities for his teammates and grabbing rebounds in traffic. The Warriors hope Butler can return early in 2027, but his absence is Lendeborg’s opportunity.

“Whenever you bring in younger guys, they all just want to get busy and get to it right away, scoring and doing all of these things,” Butler said of Lendeborg. “And he can do that at a high level.”

Lendeborg averaged 11 rebounds per game as a bruising power forward in two seasons at the University of Alabama-Birmingham before transferring to Michigan, where he slid over to the wing and shot 37.2 percent from deep – and led the Wolverines to the national championship.

Kerr is not promising a starting role for the rookie, but no one else on the current roster is equipped with his array of tools. Gui Santos doesn’t have the size/strength combo, and neither Georges Niang nor Malevy Leons can match Lendeborg’s comprehensive skills. None of the three see the game as well.

“He gives us the size and the versatility that we need,” Kerr conceded. “He can guard bigs. He can guard wings. He’s a connector on offense, a really good passer and ball handler. I always try to check boxes with guys, evaluating them, dribble, pass, shoot, process. He checks all those boxes.”

Green on Monday recalled a sequence during a recent scrimmage in which he and Curry teamed with Lendeborg on an in-bounds play that led to a dunk for the rookie. Draymond is not easily impressed, but he was with how easily Lendeborg read the action.

“It looked like we had been playing together for a long time,” Green said. “An out-of-bounds play, somebody threw me the ball. Steph back-picked it. (Lendeborg) didn’t know he should go off. He went off. Boom. Dunk.

“Steph was like, ‘Yo, see that, because that’s going to happen a lot.’”

Lendeborg said he’d never come off a back screen and found so much space.

“They were both like, ‘That’s all year! All year!’ Super loud and aggressive,” he said of Curry and Green. “I was like, ‘Oh, wow, OK.’ If it’s going to be like that, then it’s going to be a lot of fun. So hopefully it is like that.”

Every good starting lineup has at least three reliable scoring/playmaking options. Curry is a given. Green will be asked to do more scoring from deep, and he is capable, as is De’Anthony Melton. Primary centers Kristaps Porziņģis – who is expected back after training camp – and Al Horford can space the floor.

But Golden State’s early fate practically begs for significant contributions from Lendeborg. If he delivers, they could surprise. And he might achieve a particular goal.

“I feel like I could win Rookie of the Year,” Lendeborg said. “But that’s not my main focus.”

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“There’s a blueprint in the NBA right now where some of the best teams — guys really really enjoy spending time with each other.”

I enjoyed this quote from Danny Wolf on Brooklyn Nets Media Day (which Collin Helwig admirably covered here, particularly all news items), because you typically hear “blueprint” regarding roster construction and team-wide traits like positional size and ball-handling, but I enjoy the idea of like, Sean Marks consulting his Friendship Coordinator to track what free agents share the most common interests with Egor Dëmin. Not that Wolf is wrong. He is one of many Gen Z basketball fans inundated with stories of true killers like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant verbally abusing their teammates, only to see Oklahoma City Thunder’s youngsters and the “Power of Friendship” ‘Nova Knicks win the past two titles.

Rest assured, the Brooklyn Nets aren’t chasing friendship. Not exactly. But Danny Wolf was one of the last players to speak at Media Day, and his comments on locker-room chemistry were right in line with the day’s theme, and only a little bit because every player is smiley and eager to buy into his role on day one. Incoming veterans brought the energy, though. Mikel Brown Jr. again called himself a savant while Dëmin joked about his golf game, but if there was anything to learn about the 2026-27 Nets at Media Day, it was from Julius Randle, Keon Ellis, and Moe Wagner.

These are not late-stage-Garrett-Temple veterans, pseudo-coaches that just practice hard. They will play heavy minutes in direct competition with recent draft picks while fostering a fun, competitive environment at the same time. That’s the hope, anyway.

“They’ve been outstanding,” said Head Coach Jordi Fernández. “And the reason why is they’re not trying to do too much. What they’re trying to do is show how they’re pros, and you start leading by example. And then when you start earning that trust, because you work every day and you’ve done it for so many years and so forth, then you can keep taking steps.”

The Brooklyn Nets will not put 22 different players on the court this season in an overt race to the bottom of the league. There are expectations — maybe not of 50 wins, but that Malachi Smith, Tre Scott, and Tyson Etienne won’t lead the team in April minutes. Randle, Ellis, and Wagner personify those expectations, and though you can quibble with each player’s productivity, their presence was felt on Media Day.

Wagner had no shortage of feel-good quotes: “I don’t have to prove anything. Like, I feel very secure with who I am. I don’t want to steal anyone’s spots, I don’t want to compete with anyone on the team about minutes or anything, I want to win long term … I think the chemistry here in this building is amazing.”

The big German offered to take Day’Ron Sharpe, with whom he was sharing the podium, on the subway for the first time (it’s only Day’Ron’s sixth year in Brooklyn). Wagner complimented Day’Ron’s game extensively, congratulated him on marriage, and the two laughed about smack-talk and referee-baiting. Then Day’Ron, suddenly in his sixth year in the NBA, opened up about being a leader: “I just try to be there when [young players] need me … I try to just give them the words of advice, words of encouragement. I was 19, 20, you know, I wasn’t the best. I made some wrong decisions, I wasn’t the best professional. So I just try to lead by example, and you know, that’s all I can do.”

Sharpe is no Julius Randle, though. Entering his 13th NBA season, Randle discussed his evolution as a 3-point shooter, telling stories about being Kobe Bryant’s teammate, and even whatever the heck happened on his golf trip with Brown Jr. and Dëmin:

Randle already has love for his two baby-faced guards, and he echoed the classic line about leadership. It’s, spoiler alert, mostly done by example. But he at least explained why: “They’re obviously really, really talented, extremely talented. But they have a competitive nature, being around them early, just a hunger to get better. So when you have that, all you really just need is guidance and example.”

Fans of Julius Randle’s previous teams will tell you that he is incredibly moody. That his bad moods can swing a game, a season, a locker room. The Minnesota Timberwolves did not seem to miss him at their Media Day.

Brooklyn is a far cry from his previous situations, though. Julius Randle is now the stabilizing force for an up-and-coming team that probably won’t even be good, just hopefully competitive. Little stands in the way of his touches and minutes, while the 31-year-old father is also excited to live in New York City once more.

Randle gushed about the transition for his eldest son, who is back at his old school with his old friends, adding, “When things are easier off the court, when they’re great at home and they’re happy and all of those things, it makes the basketball part, the work part, that much easier. I don’t even consider it work, but it makes the basketball part that much easier. So I feel really balanced, really happy, at peace here.”

I believe that it will last. Am I also delusionally optimistic? Keon Ellis is a bit younger, 26 years old but still well into veteran-status on this neophytic team. Especially after his Media Day presser, where he gave textbook answers in a booming, made-for-broadcasting voice. For example, is he worried about minutes? No: “It’s the same problem that every team is gonna have. Everyone’s fighting for minutes, and I mean, it’s just the nature of the game too. So I think everyone, you know, trying to fight for spots, minutes, whatever, it just makes you know your teammate better. For whoever is going to play.”

Wagner, Randle, and Ellis are unlike the new faces we’ve seen at recent Brooklyn Nets Media Days. They are established veterans in both character and talent; Sean Marks wanted leaders, sure, but these guys want an opportunity to play for a winning club. Trendon Watford, Keon Johnson, and Ziaire Williams for example, were all veterans to some degree, but those guys just really needed to play. Even (or especially) for a crappy team.

Even when answering a question about Michael Porter Jr., Sean Marks went right to the leadership well: “We’re expecting big things from not only himself, but Mo and Keon and Julius, the guys we brought in who have seen other environments, and we’re asking them to lead and to lead by example, both on and off the court.”

Once again, that C-word. Culture. Character too, for that matter. Sean Marks and the Nets are all about it, and on Monday morning, it was evident. Will the rookies and sophomores benefit? This team has taken a minor step toward relevancy, but are these the right veterans to usher in the major step, the blockbuster trade(s) Nets fans are impatiently longing for? We’ll find out quite soon.

The Brooklyn Nets open preseason play with a road game against the Charlotte Hornets on October 6. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.

Say cheese, LeBron James is a Sixer: Best of Sixers Media Day originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for.

On July 6th, the Sixers added a piece in a monster trade with the Celtics. That piece is a five-time NBA All-Star and Finals MVP.

On July 24th? Well … We all know what happened that day.

Many said it didn’t feel real. That it wouldn’t set in until LeBron James was in a Sixers uniform. Well that time has come, and seeing it in person was something else.

The day started early. No phones or cameras were allowed until morning practice concluded at 10 a.m.

There was a big huddle as the players wrapped up practice. Then Maxey and James started shooting at the basket next to our setup, and a couple of rebounds came our way.

Carts loaded with lighting, backdrops and camera equipment flooded in. Sets quickly lined the perimeter of two basketball courts. Then things got hectic.

Justin Edwards, Jabari Walker and Adem Bona made their way onto the courts. Then Edgecombe and Maxey. But no one could miss LeBron.

NBC Sports Philadelphia’s own Amy Fadool sat down with James for an exclusive one-on-one interview. It was surreal to be just feet away as he began his stint in Philadelphia.

NBC Sports Philadelphia wasn’t just filming with the players on the court. We were also streaming the podium press conferences and taping promos for Sixers Pregame and Postgame Live.

I snuck away to get some action of Tyrese Maxey as he read scripts for hype videos and promos.

It was chaotic and fast-paced, but somehow calming at the same time. We got to see the Sixers up close and personal, but the best part was everything happening in between.

Players messing around. Playing rock-paper-scissors. Taking turns at the basket.

It was a small glimpse of just how excited everyone seemed to be. Joel Embiid with a huge smile on his face. James and Maxey interrupting each other’s interviews. Players joking around between takes.

There was an energy around this team that felt different. And for one day, we got to see it from a few feet away.

Click here to watch player interviews and press conferences from Media Day.