8:14 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers won’t have fans at Staples Center during the upcoming regular season until further notice. The NBA champions made the long-expected decision official Tuesday for the new season, which will begin Dec. 22. The Lakers also apparently don’t plan to hang their 17th title

10:00 AM ET The Oklahoma City Thunder are promoting assistant Mark Daigneault to become the franchise’s next head coach, sources told ESPN on Thursday. Daigneault’s elevation to replace the departed Billy Donovan completes a rapid six-year rise within the franchise, which included a five-year run as the OKC Blue’s G-League coach, where Daigneault had a

2:51 PM ET Two-time Hall of Famer Tommy Heinsohn, who won 10 NBA titles over his 20 seasons as a player and coach for the Boston Celtics, has died. He was 86. The team confirmed Heinsohn’s death on Tuesday. Heinsohn, who may be just as well known for his decades as a color commentator for

3:57 PM ET Boston Celtics great Tommy Heinsohn, who won 10 titles as both a Hall of Fame player and head coach before becoming an ambassador for the Celtics as a color commentator for over 30 seasons, has died at the age of 86. “[Heinsohn was an] unofficial mentor to decades of Celtics coaches and

1:52 PM ET Health officials around the NBA have expressed concern for how to prepare players for a potential 72-game regular season with a training camp that starts on Dec. 1, less than a month away — especially for the teams that haven’t played games since March and the two conference champions. “It’s going to

11:59 PM ET The NBA and players’ union have reached an agreement in principle on the start of the 2020-21 season, as well as an amended collective bargaining agreement, the two sides announced Monday night. The deal calls for free agency to begin at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 20, two days after next

12:32 PM ET Associated Press MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee city attorney is recommending a revised offer to settle a lawsuit brought by Milwaukee Bucks‘ guard Sterling Brown, who was taken to the ground, shocked with a Taser and arrested during an encounter with police in 2018. City Attorney Tearman Spencer is recommending a $750,000 payment

5:18 PM ET After an offseason of major change for the Houston Rockets, the team’s new general manager and head coach emphasized that the franchise’s primary goal remains the same: Chase a championship with a roster that features perennial MVP candidate James Harden as the franchise centerpiece. “For the last eight years or so, our

11:17 PM ET The National Basketball Players Association board of representatives voted Thursday night to approve a plan for a Dec. 22 start to the season that includes a reduced 72-game schedule, clearing the way for the league and union to finalize details on the 2020-21 season, the NBPA announced. The NBPA’s board of player

11:00 PM ET ESPN Insiders The NBA season ended just under a month ago with uncertainty around when the 2020-21 season would begin. On Thursday night, the NBPA player representatives completed a vote approving a December 22 start date for a 72-game regular season. Per a report by Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA and the NBPA