8:00 AM ET Gay people have made strides in many sectors of American professional life. An openly gay man runs Apple, presides as the governor of Colorado, and an open lesbian runs a Fortune 500 company. But in the highest reaches of men’s basketball, gay people are almost invisible. In 2011, 58-year-old Phoenix Suns CEO
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5:39 PM ET Steve Clifford has agreed on a deal to become the Charlotte Hornets‘ coach, returning for a second run on the job, the team announced Friday. Clifford, who led the franchise to two playoff appearances in a five-year run that ended in 2018, returns in the wake of Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson
11:04 AM ET Five-star recruit Matas Buzelis — the No. 11 player in ESPN’s Top 100 for the Class of 2023 — has committed to the G League Ignite for the 2023-24 season, sources told ESPN on Friday. Buzelis, a skilled 6-foot-10 forward, will bypass college basketball and sign into the NBA’s professional pathway program
10:10 PM ET The Pistons acquired veteran guard Kemba Walker from the New York Knicks as part of a three-team trade involving the Charlotte Hornets that also saw Detroit acquire the draft rights to Jalen Duren on Thursday night. Walker and the Pistons are expected to discuss a contract buyout that will allow him to
2:01 AM ET NBA Insiders With the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, the Orlando Magic selected Duke forward Paolo Banchero. The move came as something of a surprise, given that Banchero never met with the Magic and the consensus around the league was that Auburn’s Jabari Smith Jr. would be headed to
2:07 PM ET ESPN News Services The Los Angeles Lakers traded into Thursday night’s NBA draft, acquiring the Orlando Magic‘s No. 35 for a future second-round pick and cash. The Lakers used the 35th overall pick to select shooting guard Max Christie out of Michigan State. Orlando will receive the better of either the Lakers’
8:56 PM ET The latest crop of hoops prospects — including Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith Jr., who were selected with the first three picks — are finding out their futures Thursday at the 2022 NBA draft. 2 Related Fashion has become a mainstay across the Association and a staple of draft night
8:00 AM ET HOUSTON — Christian Wood keeps swishing 3-pointers and smiling, the skilled big man showing off his shooting range and seemingly responding whenever the other team gets within striking distance. It’s June 13, and Game 5 of the NBA Finals tips off in eight hours, but metaphorically, this pickup game takes place as
12:00 PM ET Former national Player of the Year Jimmer Fredette and potential top-10 NBA draft picks Ausar and Amen Thompson headline the 2022 field for The Basketball Tournament. The 64-team TBT bracket, which was released Wednesday, features a record 71 players with NBA experience as well as 29 college alumni teams. For the first
6:30 AM ET ESPN Betting Analysts The 2022 NBA Draft begins on Thursday night as the college basketball’s top prospects await their turn to become a central piece of an NBA franchise. This year’s draft features plenty of questions regarding the top picks. Will the Orlando Magic pick Auburn sharpshooter Jabari Smith with the No.