NBA: Doncic, Exum lead Mavs past LeBron, Lakers

LOS ANGELES -- Luka Doncic produced another dazzling performance as the Dallas Mavericks brought LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers back down to earth with a 127-125 victory on Tuesday.

Doncic rattled off his eighth straight 30-point game to finish with 33 points, 17 assists and six rebounds in a thrilling back-and-forth duel with the Lakers, who were playing their first game since winning the inaugural in-season tournament on Saturday.

An absorbing contest at Dallas's American Airlines Center home saw the lead change hands eight times, with the Lakers overturning a 15-point deficit with a huge third quarter to help open up a four-point lead early in the fourth.

But Dallas's Dante Exum took over with a superb display in the final period that saw him rattle in 17 points -- including five three-pointers -- to carry the Mavs to victory.

Exum finished with 26 points while Tim Hardaway Jr. added 32 points from the bench to support Doncic.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers scoring with 37 points from 15-of-21 shooting, with James adding 33.

Doncic stayed in the game despite rolling an ankle and suffering a bloodied lip in a physical battle between the two Western Conference rivals.

"I'm not going out in a game like this, no way," the Slovenian star said. "When you're playing against the best you want to stay on the court.

"This was an amazing team win. We've got so many guys out, everybody stepped up, everybody played hard."

- Green, Jokic tossed -

Doncic admitted he was flattered by talk of him potentially emerging as a contender for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award -- but insisted team success was more important than individual honors.

"Of course, who wouldn't want to be MVP of the league?" Doncic said. "But obviously first is the championship... that's what's first on my mind for sure."

The win saw the Mavericks improve to 15-8 for the season while the Lakers fell to 14-10 to remain sixth in the West.

In other games, Draymond Green could be facing more disciplinary action from the NBA after being ejected for the third time this season in the Golden State Warriors' 119-116 defeat to the Phoenix Suns.

Green, suspended for five games last month after grabbing Minnesota's Rudy Gobert in a choke hold, was tossed once again in the third quarter after wildly swinging an arm into the face of Phoenix player Jusuf Nurkic.

The game eventually ended in victory for the Suns, with Devin Booker scoring 32 points as the Warriors slid to a sixth straight defeat on the road.

There was also a high-profile ejection in Chicago, where Denver star Nikola Jokic was controversially tossed from the game in the second quarter of the Nuggets' 114-106 defeat of the Chicago Bulls.

Jokic was ejected after reacting angrily to a no-call with a member of the officiating crew.

In Boston, the Celtics recovered from a shaky start to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-113 and preserve their unbeaten home record.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 25 points apiece while Kristaps Porzingis finished with 17 on a night when all five starters posted double-digit tallies.

But the Eastern Conference leaders were made to work hard for the win after trailing by 15 points in the first quarter following a slew of turnovers and some woeful shooting.

The Cavs led by 10 after the first period but the Celtics responded with a 38-point second period to cut the gap to one point at half-time.

In a game that had nine lead changes, the Celtics finally edged clear midway through the fourth quarter to close out victory.

Donovan Mitchell led the Cleveland scoring with 29 points with Darius Garland finishing with 26.

"We got off to a slow start but we picked it up and some shots started to fall," Tatum said.

Agence France-Presse

LA Lakers ready to get back to business after historic NBA Cup win

LOS ANGELES -- The champagne was flowing after LeBron James and Anthony Davis inspired the Los Angeles Lakers to the first-ever NBA Cup crown, but the celebrations were short-lived with the season's main goal still ahead.

"We made history," James said after he and Davis led the Lakers in a dominant 123-109 victory over tournament darlings Indiana in the NBA's first in-season tournament on Saturday.

"Any time you're on the right side of history, you take it."

Davis spearheaded the Lakers' charge in the title game, scoring 41 points with 20 rebounds. James added 24 points and 11 rebounds and got the nod as Most Valuable Player of the tournament conceived to lend some excitement to the early stages of the long NBA regular season.

James, the league's all-time leading scorer, said the Lakers' 7-0 run through the competition that began with all 30 NBA teams drawn into six groups for round-robin play showed Los Angeles have the ingredients to make a strong push in the NBA championship playoffs.

However, he cautioned, it was far too soon to be talking about May and June and the chances of the Lakers adding to their 17 NBA championships -- tied with the Boston Celtics for the most ever.

"I think that's thinking too far down the road," James, himself owner of four championship rings, said. "We want to put it in perspective that it's still December.

"We like where we are right now but we want to continue to work our habits, continue to get healthy as well.

"But I think right now where we are in December, I would take it. I would take it, but I'm definitely not looking to May and June.

"There's too many steps that need to be taken still in order for our team to be who we want to be once the post-season starts."

With many of their early-season injury troubles behind them, the Lakers next turn their attention to a Tuesday regular-season clash with the Mavericks in Dallas.

It's the start of a three-game Texas swing that will also feature two games in San Antonio against the Spurs and their sensational rookie Victor Wembanyama.

James said their performance in the tournament, especially in quarter-finals against the Phoenix Suns and the rout of the New Orleans Pelicans in the semi-finals, showed the Lakers were getting where they need to be on the defensive end.

"Our defensive intensity, in order for us to win and win at the highest level, we have to defend," he said. "We've been doing that over the last few weeks."

The Pacers may find the pivot to the regular season jarring after their Cinderella run in the in-season tournament.

Despite their high-octane offense, keyed by guard Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers chances of emerging from the East to challenge for a franchise first NBA title have been largely dismissed.

But the young, hungry team knocked off the top two Eastern Conference outfits in Boston and Milwaukee in the NBA Cup knockout rounds, and Haliburton was gutted after the loss to the Lakers.

Got to move on 

"It's funny because it's like everybody says this has like the (collegiate) NCAA Tournament feel, but after a game like that you're sitting in the locker room going, most of us ain't graduating, we play on Monday," Haliburton said.

"It's definitely frustrating," added Haliburton, who said the Pacers will have to hit the reset button quickly.

"At the end of the day, it's just like the regular season. It's game 22, 23. Got to move on," he said.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said scheduling would be one thing the league looks at as it considers possible improvements to the new tournament in the future.

The biggest concern would likely be to provide some kind of scheduling certainty for teams that don't advance from group play, who then had to "essentially schedule games at the last minute."

Silver said the league would "take a little bit of a breather" before considering changes to the event from teams, players, the players' union and even fans.

"All suggestions welcome," he said.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: LeBron, Lakers ready to tackle 'monster' Jokic

LOS ANGELES -- LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will attempt to overcome the formidable challenge posed by Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets as the Western Conference playoff finals get under way on Tuesday.

After struggling through the regular season, the Lakers are within four wins of returning to the NBA Finals after ousting the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Friday.

Now James and Lakers defensive star Anthony Davis are plotting an ambush of the top-seeded Nuggets in game one of their best-of-seven Western Conference finals series on Tuesday.

The showdown is a rematch of the Lakers-Nuggets 2020 playoff series in the NBA's Covid-19 bubble in Orlando, when the Lakers won 4-1 before going on to win their 16th championship.

Since then, however, Denver has matured significantly, with Jokic winning back-to-back NBA MVP awards in 2021 and 2022 as part of a team that also includes the talented Jamal Murray.

James said Monday he has no doubt that the 2023 version of the Nuggets will be a stiffer proposition.

"They're a better team," James said when asked to compare Denver with the team beaten in Florida three years ago.

"Obviously, they're more experienced. Every game, every postseason, every matchup allows you to continue to grow as a franchise, as a team, and they've done that.

"So, we come in with the utmost respect for this team that we're challenged against and playing against, so look forward to the matchup."

Denver and the Lakers squared their meetings in the regular season at two games apiece, with the Nuggets winning their most recent encounter on January 9.

Drawing firm conclusions from those results, however, is largely meaningless as the Lakers overhauled their roster in the mid-season trade window and James and Davis did not feature in the most recent January game.

Davis said the Lakers planned to pore over footage of the 2020 series in an attempt to design a game plan capable of nullifying Jokic and the Denver line-up.

"I think the biggest key will be making the ball find the guys we want it to find, just play off of that," Davis said.

While the Lakers have been red-hot through the playoffs, with Davis rediscovering his best form at the perfect time, James says he is under no illusions about the size of the task facing his team-mates.

"They've been the No. 1 team in the West for a reason," said James.

"They've played exceptional basketball all year. And we're going in with the utmost respect for their ballclub. They're very well coached and obviously we know the dynamic of what Joker [Jokic] brings to the game and also Jamal Murray, being back fully healthy. And the rest of those guys.

Jokic goes into Tuesday's series-opener in blistering form, averaging a triple-double of 34.5 points, 13.2 rebounds and 10.3 assists in the series win over Phoenix.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham described Jokic as "that monster in the Rocky Mountains that's waiting on us."

"You're talking about a two-time MVP, with a well-balanced squad, hungry, great synergy, great chemistry, great ability, athleticism, shooting, all of the above," Ham said.

"So, we're going to have our work cut out for us, but they gotta guard us too, so we're going to do our due diligence as we always do and be prepared for Game 1."

Agence France-Presse

LeBron's son Bronny James commits to play at USC

LOS ANGELES -- Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of NBA superstar LeBron James, announced Saturday he has committed to play at the University of Southern California.

In an Instagram posting, Bronny James displayed a photo of himself in the USC locker room with the caption "Fight On #committed."

The talented teen is ranked among the top US high school prospects and considered one of the top point guards in the nation.

He capped a stellar senior campaign at Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles with 15 points in an all-star game of top college candidates, sinking five 3-pointers.

His famous father -- the NBA's all-time leading scorer as well as a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player -- has said he will join for whatever NBA team Bronny James plays on just for the chance to play alongside his son.

Teen star James could be eligible for the NBA Draft after one season for the Trojans, who are expected to have a strong squad next season.

Some analysts have already marked James as a likely top-10 selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Bronny James would turn 20 in October of 2024, the same month that the 2024-25 NBA campaign will start. His father would turn 40 in December of 2024.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: LeBron passes Malone tally but Lakers slump

LOS ANGELES -- LeBron James moved into second place on the NBA's all-time regular season points scoring rankings on Saturday but could not prevent the Los Angeles Lakers from slumping to defeat against the Washington Wizards.

James produced a typically virtuoso performance to finish with 38 points and 10 rebounds at the Wizards' Capital One Arena.

That was enough to power James past Karl Malone into second place in the regular season scorers rankings.

But it did not stop the Lakers from sliding to a jarring 127-119 loss against a Wizards side which had been on a six-game losing streak.

James -– who holds the NBA's outright scoring record for regular season and playoff games -- started the game needing just 20 points to surpass Malone's regular season total of 36,928.

James wasted no time in hunting down Malone's benchmark, rapidly reaching double figures before moving to 16 points with back-to-back three-pointers early in the second quarter.

The four-time NBA champion then added another three-pointer to tie Malone, before finally taking sole possession of second place with a two-point layup with just over five minutes left in the second quarter.

The Washington crowd gave James an ovation after he reached the milestone, with the Lakers star saluting fans as he basked in the applause.

James' points haul leaves him with 36,947 career regular-season points, within range of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time record of 38,387 points.

But James' celebratory moment was diminished after the Lakers suffered another fourth quarter collapse to allow the Wizards to claim victory.

The Wizards outscored the Lakers 34-20 in the final period, completing a comeback from a 16-point deficit to grab the win.

Kristaps Porzingis led the Washington comeback with 16 points in the fourth quarter, part of an overall tally of 27 points.

Agence France-Presse

Lakers’ LeBron James is Time’s 2020 Athlete of the Year

LOS ANGELES –  LeBron James, who won an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers and formed a coaltion to battle voter suppression, was Thursday named Time magazine’s 2020 Athlete of the Year.

The honor from Time comes days after James was named among Sport Illustrated’s Sportspersons of the Year — a list that also featured activist athletes after 2020 saw the Black Lives Matter movement sweep through sport along with the rest of US society.

Time lauded James’s More than a Vote, a non-profit organization aimed not at endorsing candidates but at encouraging Black citizens and others to exercise their right to vote.

Time noted that the group promoted the use of sports arenas as polling places — offering larger spaces that would allow for social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic — and helped recruit more than 40,000 election workers nationwide.

“At every step, James supported the work by recruiting fellow athletes to the cause, promoting More Than a Vote to his more than 48 million followers on Twitter and turning himself into a billboard by wearing a Vote or Die! shirt to a practice,” Time wrote.

“It was the highest-profile example of the surge in activism that spread across the sports world in 2020.”

Recalling the famous reluctance of NBA icon Michael Jordan to speak out on politics and social issues, Time said that James had “established a new paradigm, in which commercial clout exists alongside political principle.

“He remains one of the world’s top pitchmen, endorsing Nike, AT&T, Walmart and other major brands. And he has laid waste to the dated notion that political and social engagement is some sort of distraction for athletes.”

The magazine noted that on the way to his fourth NBA title, James led the league in assists for the first time in his career, and his simultaneous success on and off the court shows that athletes “can now bring their full humanity to their games”.

“James has been incredibly successful both on the court and in the business world in 2020, but the biggest reason he has received as much recognition as he has is that he’s used those successes to look out for people who once struggled in life as he did,” Time said.

Agence France-Presse

Analysis: LeBron James has done it again, and did it his way

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — He went to Miami and became a champion.

He went back to Cleveland and won another title.

He went to Los Angeles and now the Lakers are back atop the basketball world.

LeBron James, love him or hate him, is in his own category now. He has led three franchises to NBA titles, something nobody has ever done. His legacy was complete long before Sunday night, when the Los Angeles Lakers became NBA champions for the 17th time by beating the Miami Heat and winning the title to cap a season like none other, in a bubble like none other.

But that legacy is just a bit shinier now.

“I guess, as Frank Sinatra would say, I did it my way,” James said earlier in these playoffs.

That’s not up for debate.

He’s got four titles. He’s a four-time NBA Finals MVP, the second to win that many. He’s done it all with the NBA’s biggest target on his back, with every action and every word scrutinized and often criticized.

James has become the epitome of the independent superstar athlete, something many try to be but few even have a chance of pulling off. He does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, however he wants and makes it work. Bill Russell will forever have more rings and Michael Jordan will forever be the choice of many as the NBA’s greatest player. And that’s OK with James, who has forged his own path.

“The game of basketball will pass me by,” James said as the title loomed. “There will be a new group of young kids and vets and rookies throughout the course of this game. So, I can’t worry about that as far as on the floor. How I move, how I walk, what I preach, what I talk about, how I inspire the next generation is what matters to me the most.”

He’s never forgotten that he was once a broke kid from Akron, Ohio. If he’s not a billionaire yet, he’s trending that way. He’s on a Wheaties box now, saying its unveiling last week was “one of the best moments of my life.” He founded a school and stays involved with matters there. He’s actively trying to get more people, particularly Black people, to vote than ever before.

“I just hope I make my guys proud and that’s all that mattered to me,” James said. “I make my guys proud, make the fan base proud, my family back home, I can’t wait to get back home to them. Akron, Ohio, we did it again — and that’s what it’s all about.”

Oh, if that wasn’t enough, he delivered a championship to a Lakers franchise that went 10 years without one and did so in a year when they needed it most, letting them cry tears of joy after all the tears of anguish that followed the death of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash in January.

“I think it’s remarkable what LeBron is still doing at his age,” Denver coach Michael Malone said of James. “The minutes he’s playing, how effective he is on both ends of the floor, and the impact he has on both ends of the floor, his will to win is just incredible.”

The 35-year-old James finished this postseason with 580 points; no one at his age had ever done that. He had 184 assists; no one at his age had ever done that. If he’s slowing down, he’s not showing it; he had 32 points in his first playoff game 14 years ago, he exceeded that six times in this postseason run.

“He’s shown why he is the player that he is, why he’s had the career and the legacy that he’s continually building,” Miami’s Jimmy Butler said.

James is 4,148 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the regular-season scoring lead, meaning he’ll have to play at least two more full seasons to reach that mark. Sunday was his 260th career playoff appearance, passing Derek Fisher for the all-time record. He was All-NBA for the 16th time this season, a record. He started his 16th consecutive All-Star Game this season, yet another record. More fans picked him as MVP this season than Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won the award.

There’s nothing left to prove on the basketball court.

Then again, there’s been nothing left to prove for a while now.

“I think the story will be told how it’s supposed to be told and be written how it’s supposed to be written,” James said. “But I don’t live my life thinking about legacy. What I do off the floor is what means more to me than what I do on the floor.”

What he’s done, on and off the floor, is how legends are defined.

“I just think it is a true testament to his greatness to be able to sustain this type of success year in, year out,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Different uniforms. New players and new teams going after him. It’s a real testament to that commitment. He’s seen everything. At this point in his career, it’s just about winning.”

Others have won more. But nobody in the NBA has won the way James has.

His way.

___

Tim Reynolds is a national basketball writer for The Associated Press. 

-Associated Press

Lakers offense limited after Davis runs into foul trouble

Anthony Davis is used to shouldering much of the scoring load for the Los Angeles Lakers, but he says getting in foul trouble early in game three of the NBA Finals took away his effectiveness.

“It had an impact. I picked up two (fouls) early, come back in and get the third. So it takes away the aggressiveness on both ends of the floor that I’m used to playing with,” said Davis. “It definitely took me out and put too much pressure on the other guys.”

Davis, who is playing in his first NBA Finals, scored a combined 66 points in games one and two against the Miami Heat, but finished with just 15 points in 32 minutes in Sunday’s game three defeat.

Davis finished with four fouls and five turnovers as the Lakers blew a golden opportunity to take a stranglehold 3-0 lead by losing 115-104 to the Heat in the NBA’s quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida.

“The turnovers, I had four (actually five). I missed communication on some passes, but I just have to be better overall.

“We’ll be fine. We made shots. We didn’t defend at all tonight. They made big shots. Made some good plays. Trust me, we’ll be fine.”

Davis picked up his first foul on an offensive charge with just under five minutes left in the first quarter. He had four turnovers in the first quarter, including three in a 66-second span.

“I just have to be better at both ends of the floor,” he said. “The team relies on me to bring the energy to start the game and when you pick up two fouls, guys come in earlier, things like that.”

Lakers’ coach Frank Vogel said the fouls disrupted the Lakers’ offensive flow, but they should have been able to rise above it.

“I think that impacted us some, but we’ve been in foul trouble before, and you have to play through it,” Vogel said.

“That’s part of the game. We see that all throughout the course of the season and in the playoffs, and you have to be able to adapt and adjust.

“Probably had a small factor on our offensive rhythm, but we’ve just got to be better overall on both ends.”

Davis said he can see plenty of room for improvement in the Lakers’ defense in game four on Tuesday.

“We were getting confused on a lot of things,” he said. “They had wide open looks.

“We let Jimmy (Butler) get into a strong hand too many times, getting to the basket, or getting to the free-throw line. We were letting guys get to the rim easily with no contact.

“We didn’t play well defensively late in the game. They made us pay.”

Agence France-Presse 

LeBron, Lakers back in NBA Finals after holding off Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers, fueled by a triple-double from superstar LeBron James, beat the Denver Nuggets 117-107 on Saturday to reach the NBA Finals.

With the win in the league’s quarantine bubble in Orlando, the Lakers completed a 4-1 victory over the Nuggets in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.

James scored 16 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers remained perfect in elimination games this post-season.

Denver, already the first team to twice come back from 1-3 series deficits in the same playoffs, couldn’t work the magic again.

James added 16 rebounds and 10 assists, and Anthony Davis scored 27 points for the Lakers, who are back in the championship series for the 32nd time — and the first time since they lifted the trophy for the 16th time in 2010.

Kobe Bryant was NBA Finals MVP that year, and it has been an emotional road to the finals this season for the Lakers after the death of Bryant in a helicopter crash in January.

They will take on the winners of the Eastern Conference final series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. The Heat lead that series 3-2 with game six coming up on Monday.

“We’re going to enjoy it tonight, but we understand we’ve got bigger fish to fry,” James said as the Western Conference title was celebrated on court. “We understand there’s a bigger goal.”

Nikola Jokic and Jerami Grant scored 20 points apiece for the Nuggets and Jamal Murray added 19 points with eight assists despite being slowed by injury.

Agence France-Presse 

LeBron among US athletes outraged at black man’s death

NBA superstar LeBron James was among the US athletes taking to social media in outrage over the death of a black man in Minnesota after a white policeman kneeled on his neck for several minutes.

Four Minneapolis police officers were fired Tuesday as a video showing one of them kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who later died, sparked protests.

Los Angeles Lakers playmaker James contrasted the incident with the kneeling protests of former NFL star Colin Kaepernick in 2016.

Kaepernick was ostracised by the NFL for kneeling during the playing of the national anthem in a protest against police brutality and racial injustice.

“This… … Is Why,” James posted on his Instagram feed with side by side photos of the white policeman kneeling on Floyd’s neck and Kaepernick kneeling on the sideline.

“Do you understand NOW!!??!!??” James wrote. “Or is it still blurred to you?? #StayWoke”.


Other figures from the sports world speaking out over the Minneapolis incident included Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

“This is murder. Disgusting,” Kerr tweeted. “Seriously, what the hell is wrong with US????”

Warriors star Stephen Curry lamented yet another death involving an unarmed African-American man at the hands of law enforcement.

“I’ve seen a lot of people speak up and try to articulate how fed up and angry they are,” Curry wrote on Instagram.

“All good and well but it’s the same same same reality we live in. George Floyd. George Floyd. George has a family. George didn’t deserve to die.”

Retired Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson also hit out, saying Floyd had been “clearly murdered.”


“How many times do we have to see black men killed on national television? This has been going on for entirely too long,” Johnson said.

“We need to start seeing black people as human beings and not animals on the street.”

NFL Cleveland Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. tweeted: “Worlds honestly sickening. It really is….. no explanation.”

Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence wondered how any African-American could feel safe after watching the video.

“DONE BEING QUIET AND DONE BEING ANGRY,” Lawrence tweeted. “HOW CAN WE FEEL SAFE WHEN THOSE MEANT TO PROTECT US ARE KILLIN’ US?!!!! WHEN WILL MINORITIES BE FREE TO BE AMERICANS IN AMERICA!?”

Former US Soccer international forward Taylor Twellman posted the video on Twitter with the message: “When will it stop?! Honestly this is murder in plain daylight.”

Floyd’s death drew comparisons to the 2014 death of Eric Garner, an unarmed African-American who died in New York after being placed in a chokehold by police, begging to be released and saying, “I can’t breathe.”


Agence France-Presse 

Forbes: LeBron James tops NBA rich list again

LeBron James remains the top-earning player in the NBA while an increasing number of stars have boosted their income through off-field activities, a Forbes survey revealed Tuesday.

Forbes said that Los Angeles Lakers star James was the highest-paid player in basketball for a fifth straight year, pocketing an estimated $88.7 million in 2018-2019.

Around $35.7 million of James’s earnings came from salary and bonuses, while $53 million was generated through endorsements.

Golden State Warriors ace Stephen Curry ranked second on the earnings list with $79.5 million, with salary accounting for $37.5 million and endorsements $42 million.

Curry’s Golden State teammate Kevin Durant was third with $65 million.

Around $30 million of Durant’s earnings are from his salary while endorsements account for $35 million. Durant has earned more than $400 million in his career to date, according to Forbes.

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook was fourth on the list with $53.7 million.

Most of Westbrook’s earnings comes through his lucrative contract with the Thunder, reportedly worth $207 million over five years. The triple-double king added a further $18 million through endorsements.

Reigning NBA MVP James Harden rounded out the top five on the list with $47.4 million ($30.4 million salary and $17 million endorsements).

The Forbes survey noted that that the top 10 earners in the NBA will make around $540 million this year, up more than $180 million from five years ago.

The report pointed to several stars who have looked to diversify their brands into different areas, with James, Curry and Durant all setting up their own companies to manage business opportunities in media and marketing.

source: sports.inquirer.net

LeBron teams with ‘Black Panther’ director for ‘Space Jam 2’

Two months ago, basketball superstar LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, he’s taking on Hollywood in a big way.

The long-awaited sequel to “Space Jam” — the 1996 live action-animated film starring NBA legends Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing — is finally moving forward.


King James’s production company, SpringHill Entertainment, on Wednesday tweeted an image of a locker room featuring the names of James, “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler as the producer and… Bugs Bunny himself as point guard.

“I loved his vision” for “Black Panther,” James said of Coogler to The Hollywood Reporter.

Independent filmmaker Terence Nance — the creator of HBO’s quirky comedy “Random Acts of Flyness” — is tapped to direct the film for Warner Brothers.

The original film featured the Looney Tunes characters — Bugs, Daffy Duck and friends — who recruit Jordan to help them win a basketball game against the Monstars, a team of animated alien villains who steal the talents of other NBA icons.

“Space Jam 2” has long been rumored, but Wednesday’s tweet made it clear the project is a go.

This is not the first time that James, who signed with the Lakers in July, has dipped his toe into the acting world, but this would be his first starring role.

He made a well-received supporting turn in Amy Schumer’s “Trainwreck” (2015) and has a voice role in Warner Brothers’ animated feature “Smallfoot,” which hits US theaters this week.

He also produced the HBO series “The Shop,” in which big names in the sports and entertainment worlds talked about the big issues facing America in barbershops.

“The Space Jam collaboration is so much more than just me and the Looney Tunes getting together and doing this movie,” James told The Hollywood Reporter.


“It’s so much bigger. I’d just love for kids to understand how empowered they can feel and how empowered they can be if they don’t just give up on their dreams. And I think Ryan did that for a lot of people.”

“Space Jam” earned more than $230 million at the box office worldwide. “Black Panther” has raked in more than $1.3 billion.

source: sports.inquirer.net

It’s an annual tradition for LeBron James: The NBA Finals

OAKLAND, Calif. — LeBron James spent Memorial Day with his kids enjoying some barbecue. Once the grill got turned off, the television went on and he tuned in to study Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.

Golden State at Houston.

James had no doubt who would win.


“Going against the Warriors in the last three years in the finals, I kind of figured or thought that they could get it done,” James said. “Just because of the 18 of a possible 21 finals games that I’ve played against them in the last three years, I figured that they could make it happen. Just their championship DNA.”

He was right. And Warriors-Cavs IV now awaits.

The NBA Finals are now as much a part of James’ calendar each year as birthdays and holidays. He’s always there, now eight consecutive years and counting, the last four of those with the Warriors standing in the way of James and his Cleveland Cavaliers. Game 1 is Thursday night, and even with James playing at absurd levels the Cavs find themselves as significant underdogs.

James is averaging 34 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists in these playoffs. Anything less than that, and he’d have a lot more time for those barbecues with his kids. And in this series, even more might be required if he’s to win his fourth ring in the past seven years.

“He doesn’t walk around acting like he’s carrying a team, like he’s carrying an organization,” Cavaliers guard Kyle Korver said. “He doesn’t walk around like that. I mean, he knows he’s LeBron James, and he knows who he is. But he’s really for all of his teammates. He’s always talking to guys, trying to help them get better. He’s a really great leader.”

That’s one of the countless areas where James has gotten better — one of the countless reasons why the finals are now an annual rite for him.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr remembers watching the last Miami-San Antonio title matchup in 2014 when the Spurs basically dared James to shoot the ball from the perimeter by sliding under every screen the Heat would set for him.

The Spurs won that series in five games. They made it look easy at times, too.

“Contrast that to now where he’s shooting fadeaway 3s from 30 feet to close games out,” Kerr said. “I think his confidence level in his shot is the biggest thing. But I think it is pretty remarkable when you’ve got a guy who is already considered one of the top few players ever to play the game can make that much improvement late in his career. It’s a testament to his work ethic and to his work on his skillset.”

The Warriors have more talent, by a very wide margin. They have four All-Stars — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green. They have former MVPs in Curry and Durant. They have a former Finals MVP coming off their bench, or rather they will when Andre Iguodala returns from the bone bruise that has kept him sidelined of late.

The Cavaliers have James.

That represents hope. He makes the Cavs better. He even makes the Warriors better.

“LeBron’s one of those guys that in order for you to be great like that, you’ve got to do it, day after day after day,” Durant said. “A lot of people don’t have that mental capacity to even think about being that great every day, you know what I’m saying? So that’s inspiration right there. That’s just motivation to be the best that you can be as well.”

Once that TV went on Monday night, James locked in on this series.

Around-the-clock treatment on his body Tuesday, including 4 1/2 hours of it on the team’s flight to San Francisco. Treatment and workouts on Wednesday. Treatments and pregame shooting on Thursday. Then game time.

Unlike that Rockets-Warriors game, he doesn’t know what will happen in Game 1.

But he’s ready. He’s always ready.

“The level that I can play at is to be seen, but the level that I put into the game and put into my craft is who I am,” James said. “So numbers and things like that kind of take care of itself. But for me, I understand and I know how much I put into the game. So everything else is OK.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

It happens every spring: LeBron forced to carry Cavaliers

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — LeBron James recovered quickly from his neck strain. There’s still too much stress on his back.


He’s carrying the Cavaliers. It’s a springtime tradition.

As has been the case for much of his 15-year career, James has had to perform at an extraordinary level throughout these playoffs, most recently in Cleveland’s Game 2 loss at Boston.

Bouncing back after taking a blow to the jaw from Jayson Tatum’s shoulder that violently twisted his head and sent a chill down the spines of Cleveland fans, James finished with 42 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists.

It was not enough, however. His teammates failed him and the Cavs fell into a 2-0 hole in the Eastern Conference finals.

Kevin Love (22 points, 15 rebounds) helped, so did Kyle Korver (four 3-pointers) and Tristan Thompson (8 points, 7 rebounds). But too many other Cavs ranged from mediocre to awful.

If Cleveland is to even the series at home, that has to change starting in Game 3 on Saturday.

“We have to ramp it up,” said J.R. Smith, who didn’t score in Game 2 and committed a critical flagrant foul. “We’re playing too slow. We’re making ‘Bron play hero ball, which is tough to do, especially in the Eastern Conference finals. We got to help him. With that said, we have to give him an opportunity to make him feel confident to give us the ball so we can make the right plays. We got to help him and he’s got to help us.”

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said James “did everything” in practice Thursday, but the 33-year-old had left the floor by the time media members were allowed in for interviews. James was spotted in the fitness and training area inside the facility.

Lue said the Cavs spent time breaking down video of the two losses. There was plenty to dissect.

Cleveland has had puzzling defensive lapses, and Lue said there were up to nine instances in Game 2 alone where communication breakdowns led to easy baskets or open shots for the Celtics.


On offense, Lue feels Smith and point guard George Hill, who have been outscored 72-12 in two games by Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier, need to be more aggressive and attack the basket.

Smith believes it’s simpler than that.

“Make shots, that’s the only thing we can do,” said Smith, who is 2 for 17 and 0 for 7 on 3-pointers in the series. “I mean obviously we can do more on the defensive side, but our main focus is to make shots right now when we get it. If we don’t have them, try to make the next-best play. Right now ‘Bron and Kev are working overly hard, trying to carry us. We just got to step up and do our job.”

But talking a good game is one thing, playing one is another. The Cavs don’t have time for speeches or excuses. With their season inching toward danger, results are all that matter.

Hill didn’t record an assist in 28 minutes in Game 1 and had three points in Game 2. He missed time in the opening round against Indiana with back spasms and has been puzzled by his drop-off after playing so well in Cleveland’s sweep over Toronto.

“I’m trying to figure it out myself,” he said. “I think a little bit of just trying to be more involved offensively, trying to be more involved defensively, not waiting until a play is possibly called and things like that to go do it. I’ve just got to be more assertive, I’ve got to play with that edge like I did in the second series

“There’s no one to blame but myself. You’ve got to look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘What can I do better?'”

The Cavs know they need to be more physical after the Celtics took the fight to them in Boston.

Lue raised some eyebrows following Game 2 when he described Boston’s players as “gooning up” the series. Lue explained he wasn’t being critical.

“It’s not a bad thing to goon it up,” he said. “Like, they’re taking hard fouls, they’re being physical. They’re playing playoff basketball. So that’s all I meant by it.”

Thompson said he loves that Boston is playing “hard and chippy.” But he knows if the Cavs don’t ease the burden on James, this fight could be over sooner than expected.

“Other guys have to contribute and other guys have to step up,” Tristan Thompson said. “Of course, it’s a huge luxury having LeBron on our team. At the same time, we have to be ready to play and we have to do our job.”

And get off James’ back.

source: sports.inquirer.net

LeBron James focused on task at hand, not free agency

Cleveland superstar LeBron James said Friday he’s focused on the Cavaliers’ bid for an NBA finals return, and isn’t thinking about a possible move as a free agent after this season.

“I’ve still got too much work to do here,” James told reporters in Los Angeles when asked if his possible free agency could be a distraction. “One thing about me and my career … I handle my business accordingly, and when that time comes, I’ll take care of that.

“But right now, my job right now is to get these guys prepared for the Clippers tonight and then how we can continue to get better going down the stretch.”

James made his remarks on the University of California at Los Angeles, where he plays pickup basketball when he’s in town during the off-season.

On Thursday, The Ringer published a story listing Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Houston and Cleveland as the four cities that James will entertain this summer.

The 33-year-old’s ties to Los Angeles have sparked speculation that he would consider a move to the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent, forsaking Cleveland again as he did in moving to the Miami Heat for four seasons before returning.

A Lakers season-ticket holder posted billboards in Los Angeles this week encouraging such a move, their #LABron theme mimicking similar billboards recently posted in Cleveland by a Pennsylvania business that would like to see James link up with the 76ers.

“I understand that I’m a free agent at the end of the summer, so I understand the frenzy that comes with it,” James said, noting that the Lakers’ salary cap space further fuelled speculation that they could lure him.

James is producing one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 27 points, 9 assists and 8.4 rebounds per game, but Cleveland are just third in the Eastern Conference behind Toronto and Boston, who have both clinched their playoff berths.

The Lakers, the second-most titled franchise in the history of the NBA, are still finding their way in the post-Kobe Bryant era, and need a star to anchor their young talents.

“Listen, I’m 15 years into my career, and fans and cities want me to play for their team or have dreams,” James said. “It’s flattering more than anything, that a fan of a team or somewhere would want me to play for their city, so it’s very flattering.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Cavaliers sweep past Raptors into conference finals

LOS ANGELES, United States — The NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers powered into the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday, downing the Toronto Raptors 109-102 to complete a four-game sweep of their playoff series.

LeBron James scored 35 points with nine rebounds and six assists as the Cavaliers subdued the desperate Raptors to remain unbeaten in eight games in these playoffs.

They’re the first team to win eight games in a row over consecutive post-season runs.

In the Eastern Conference finals, the Cavaliers will play either the Boston Celtics or Washington Wizards for a place in the NBA Finals.

The Celtics took a 2-1 lead over Washington into game four of their series later Sunday.

Kyrie Irving added 27 points for the Cavaliers and Kyle Korver scored 18 off the bench.

Korver’s 16 first-half points helped the Cavaliers erase an 11-point first-quarter deficit and take a 61-49 half-time lead.

With their backs against the wall, down 16 points early in the third quarter, the Raptors responded, taking a 93-92 lead with 6:38 to play.

But they couldn’t match the Cavs’ firepower. Cleveland outscored Toronto 17-9 over the final 6:15, Irving producing all 11 points in one key 11-2 Cavs run.

James will be playing for a seventh consecutive NBA Finals appearance, having had four in a row with Miami and the past two with Cleveland, and his eighth overall. James is 3-4 in his trips to the championship series. CBB

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: James shines as Cavs withstand big night from Wiggins

MINNEAPOLIS, United States — LeBron James and Kyrie Irving each scored 25 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers withstood a huge night from Andrew Wiggins to record a 116-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Canada’s Wiggins finished with a game-high 41 points for the Timberwolves which equaled his second-highest point total this NBA season.

James also had 14 assists for Cleveland who sealed their 38th win of the season with 1:39 remaining when ex-Timberwolves player Derrick Williams finished off a fast break layup. The layup came just moments after James nailed a step back three pointer.

Wiggins had help from Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Gorgui Dieng added 12 points, but no other Timberwolves player reached double figures in scoring.

Wiggins got the Timberwolves back in the game Tuesday, sparking a rally after Irving hit a three pointer halfway through the third quarter to give Cleveland a 14-point lead.

Wiggins tallied 19 points in the third quarter.

Cleveland had to make due without forward Kevin Love, who had surgery on his left knee on Tuesday and will be sidelined for six weeks. Love was averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Channing Frye helped fill the void by chipping in with 21 points. Tristan Thompson also contributed to the offence by adding 14 points and 11 rebounds.

This is the Cavaliers’ second win over Minnesota in a two-week span. The Cavaliers beat the Timberwolves 125-97 on February 1. CBB

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Cavaliers continue to roll over Raptors

Channing Frye’s three-pointer in the final minute lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 121-117 win over the Toronto Raptors in a tight contest between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers beat their playoff rivals for the second time this season and the defending NBA champions appear to be an even stronger team than they were last season.

“We are a composed team. We have seen everything. It is not a situation we haven’t been in before. The coach drew up a great play we just tried to execute it to perfection,” Cavaliers star LeBron James said.

Frye has made 11 three-pointers in his last two games and the Cavs took a lead against the Raptors in the season series, something that could become important when home-court advantage is at stake.

“He’s been great. He’s just a difficult matchup,” James said of Frye. “We have a great lineup, and his ability to spread the floor and shoot the ball like he’s been able to do and also guard bigs and help out on the glass has been a great thing for our team.”

These teams met in the conference finals last season.

James fell one rebound shy of a triple-double with 28 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds in front of a crowd of 20,500 at Quicken Loans Arena. He had six assists in the fourth quarter.

Kevin Love scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Kyrie Irving scored 24 points. Frye came off the bench to finish with 21 points.

The Cavaliers made 13 three-pointers in the game, meaning they have made at least 10 three-pointers in each of their first 10 games, an NBA record.

“They’re shooting as many threes as anybody in the league right now,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “If a team is making 22 or 25 threes, you’re going to have a hard night.”

DeRozan kept in check

DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry each scored 26 points for Toronto, who suffered their first road loss of the season. Tuesday’s game marked just the second time in 10 games DeRozan failed to score at least 30. He began the night leading the league in scoring at 34 points per game.

In Miami, Dennis Schroder led a balanced offense with 18 points as the Atlanta Hawks won their fifth game in a row, defeating the struggling Miami Heat 93-90.

Leading 89-88, Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore made two free throws with 11 seconds left. Miami’s Josh Richardson got a dunk on the other end, and Schroder’s two free throws rounded out the scoring.

The win may have been costly for Atlanta, as center Dwight Howard left the game in the third quarter with a quad contusion. He finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and three steals in 24 minutes.

In Portland, Jimmy Butler scored 27 points as the Chicago Bulls went wire to wire for a 113-88 victory over Portland at the Moda Center.

Butler also had a season-high 12 rebounds and five assists for Chicago, which won its third consecutive game.

Dwyane Wade finished with 19 points, five rebounds and five assists. Jerian Grant scored a season-high 18 points, and Robin Lopez had 13 points and 11 boards for the Bulls.

Damian Lillard scored 19 points and CJ McCollum added 17 for the Trail Blazers. Allen Crabbe had 15 points for Portland, which had won five of its previous six outings.

In Minneapolis, Kemba Walker scored 30 points and Nicholas Batum added 16 to power the Charlotte Hornets’ comeback in a 115-108 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Richard Jefferson says he’s retiring as a champion

OAKLAND, Calif. — Richard Jefferson is an NBA champion, and that’s how he says his career will end.

The Cleveland forward told Fox Sports Ohio after Game 7 of the NBA Finals that he is retiring. Jefferson turns 36 on Tuesday, and just completed his 15th NBA season.

Jefferson was the No. 13 pick in the 2001 NBA draft. He spent his first seven seasons with New Jersey, and also played for San Antonio, Milwaukee, Utah, Golden State and Dallas before coming to Cleveland.

After the Cavaliers beat Golden State on Sunday night for the title, Jefferson offered emotional praise for finals MVP LeBron James, saying he owes his “entire basketball career to him.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors beat Cavaliers 89-83 in NBA Finals rematch

OAKLAND, California—Draymond Green had 22 points and 15 rebounds and the Golden State Warriors got defensive in their NBA Finals rematch against Cleveland, beating the Cavaliers 89-83 on Friday.

Stephen Curry added 19 points and Klay Thompson had 18 for the Warriors, who improved to 28-1 by winning their 32nd straight regular-season home game. Instead of doing it with 3-pointers, defending champion Golden State maintained its edge over Cleveland by limiting the Cavaliers to 32 percent shooting.

LeBron James scored 25 points to lead the Cavaliers. They had their six-game winning streak snapped.

The Cavaliers were short-handed when they lost the final to the Warriors in six games, missing power forward Kevin Love the entire series with a shoulder injury and losing point guard Kyrie Irving to a knee injury late in the first game.

Having both those players healthy for the rematch did little to help Cleveland. Love scored just 10 points on 5-for-16 shooting, and Irving missed 11 of 15 shots in a 13-point game.

With those two struggling, the Warriors built a 10-point lead midway through the fourth quarter following a jumper by Thompson and a layup from Green.

But James responded with a pair of dunks and a blocked shot on Thompson before Love’s tip-in made it 81-77 with just over 2 minutes to play.

James missed two free throws after Cleveland got another stop and Curry responded with a pair of layups around J.R. Smith’s 3-pointer to make it 85-80 with 57.6 seconds to play.

James shot an air ball from 3 with 12.7 seconds to play to end Cleveland’s comeback attempt.

There was an increased intensity at the start of the seventh Christmas Day rematch of the previous season’s finals with fans on edge far more than for most regular season games.

The officials let both teams play through contact early and the Warriors built a 28-19 lead after one behind 10 points and six rebounds from Green.

But the Cavaliers picked up the defense in the second quarter against Golden State’s reserves, taking advantage of an extended absence from Curry who get his strained right calf re-taped in the locker room. The Warriors led 45-42 at the half.

source: sports.inquirer.net