NBA

11:59 AM ET Associated Press The NBA’s mini-bubble in Atlanta for the All-Star Game apparently worked. No players, coaches or game officials tested positive for COVID-19 while in Atlanta, the NBA said Monday after the final tests were processed and results were returned to the league and the teams involved. That includes Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid

6:47 AM ET When the Minnesota Timberwolves fired head coach Ryan Saunders last month and made the rare in-season move to hire Toronto Raptors assistant coach Chris Finch — bypassing Wolves associate head coach David Vanterpool, who is Black — it renewed the conversation about the NBA’s hiring practices for coaches. “It’s discouraging,” one Black

6:46 AM ET The NBA’s second half is here. Which stars, storylines and matchups are we watching down the stretch? Can LeBron James and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers wrestle the Western Conference lead from the Utah Jazz? Can Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors stay in the hunt? Can the New York

11:24 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Thanks to a perfect 16-for-16 performance from the field — including banking in multiple jump shots — Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo won his first NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, as Team LeBron cruised to a 170-150 victory over Team Durant on Sunday night in Atlanta. “You know

5:19 PM ET The 2021 NBA All-Star Game festivities are tonight in Atlanta. Due to COVID-19, it’s all happening Sunday. That’s right, all the skills, all the scoring, all the 3s and all the dunks in one night. It’s Team LeBron vs. Team Durant with LeBron James and Kevin Durant serving as captains. They drafted

12:17 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has committed to giving his winnings from Sunday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta to several Philadelphia homeless shelters, meaning $100,000 will go to the various organizations. “So many have fallen on such hard times during the pandemic,” Embiid said in a statement released by the team

5:34 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Saturday said the NBA will not require anyone to get a COVID-19 vaccine, however he believes “most players” will ultimately choose to do so. “We’re seeing this now, both in the actual numbers of people getting vaccinated in the United States and opinion polls, that

6:51 AM ET NBA All-Star Sunday is nearly here, and the schedule is jam-packed. Due to COVID-19, an entire weekend of festivities has been condensed into one star-studded night. It all starts with the skills and 3-point contests at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by tipoff of the 70th NBA All-Star Game at 8 p.m. ET.

8:47 PM ET Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley will replace Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker on Team Durant in Sunday’s All-Star Game, the NBA announced on Friday. Booker is unable to play in the game or participate in the 3-point contest because of a left knee sprain. Conley, 33, becomes a first-time All-Star in

3:35 PM ET Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert on Friday were both fined by the NBA for being critical of the officiating in Wednesday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Mitchell, who was also reprimanded for his conduct while exiting the court, was docked $25,000 in the statement by NBA executive vice

12:04 PM ET Six-time NBA All-Star Blake Griffin has agreed to a contract buyout with the Detroit Pistons and will become an unrestricted free agent, sources tell ESPN. Griffin, 31, has interest from most of the NBA’s top playoff contenders and is expected to make a decision on his next team after conversations with prospective

8:44 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN The past two years, LeBron James couldn’t have Giannis Antetokounmpo on his All-Star team, because the two of them were captains of their respective squads. But this year, with Kevin Durant getting the other captaincy opposite James, he made sure he would be playing alongside the NBA’s two-time reigning Most

8:00 PM ET The 2021 NBA All-Star Game will be held Sunday, March 7, in Atlanta. But because of COVID-19, a weekend’s worth of events will be compressed into a single night — the skills challenge and 3-point contest will take place pregame, while the dunk contest will act as the halftime show. All-Star voting

6:58 AM ET A dunk is worth just two points, but the best dunkers in the world always find ways to make it feel like more. From signature in-game slams to unforgettable posterizations to you-had-to-be-there dunk contest moments, players from generations past and present have left an indelible mark on the game with their ability

7:00 AM ET TIM CONNELLY SENSED something was off with Nikola Jokic. A year after selecting the center No. 41 overall in the 2014 NBA draft, the Denver Nuggets‘ president of basketball operations wondered: “Where are all these cool passes?” Jokic had impressed Connelly with a funky yet effective style of play as a teenager

10:25 PM ET NBA Insiders Wednesday night’s NBA slate of games includes numerous intriguing matchups, from the top team in the East facing the top team in the West, the drama of James Harden‘s return to Houston, All-Stars going up against each other with the Chicago Bulls‘ Zach LaVine facing the New Orleans Pelicans‘ Zion

6:58 AM ET James Harden isn’t worried about the details of his divorce with the franchise as he returns to Houston to face the Rockets on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) for the first time since his trade request was finally granted. “They showed me mad love and respect, and I am just

3:13 AM ET LeBron James will miss his first game of the season when the Los Angeles Lakers play a road game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday in their final game before the NBA All-Star break, the Lakers said. James did not accompany the team on its flight to Sacramento following a 114-104 loss