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NBA All-Star Game: Live updates, highlights, results; Team Chuck strikes first, Team Shaq averts disaster

NBA All-Star Game: Live updates, highlights, results; Team Chuck strikes first, Team Shaq averts disaster

Yahoo17-02-2025

Playing without an injured LeBron James, Team Shaq averted disaster in the second semifinal of Sunday's All-Star mini tournament.
Led by nine points from Damian Lillard, Team Shaq scored a 42-35 win over Team Candace's roster of Rising Stars.
In the first-to-40 format, Team Candace kept pace with Team Shaq for much of the game that was tied at 28-28. But Team Shaq pulled away with a 14-7 run to secure the win and avoid losing to a team of non-All-Stars. Team Shaq missed a bunch of shots down the stretch as they tried to end the game on a 3-pointer while sitting on 37 points.
Officials then ignored an obvious foul of Kevin Durant as Team Shaq sat on 39 points in an apparent effort to avoid having the game end on the free-throw line.
The refs might have missed one here. pic.twitter.com/8KDX4LP9KY
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) February 17, 2025
Damian Lillard eventually put the game to bed with a deep 3 to secure the win.
DAME TIME FROM DEEP FOR THE WIN 🚨The Oakland native puts on the finishing touches...Shaq's OGs will face Chuck's Global Stars in the #NBAAllStar Championship on TNT! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/fvhN5rpcgc
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025
Team Shaq advances to face Team Chuck in the final.
Behind an outburst from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and some actual All-Star Game defense from Victor Wembanyama, Charles Barkley's team of international stars struck first Sunday night.
Team Chuck cruised to a 42-31 win over Team Kenny in the first semifinal, which featured a lineup of young stars headlined by Jalen Brunson and Evan Mobley. Anthony Edwards was a DNP with a lingering groin injury.
Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 12 points, including the game-winning bucket. Gilgeous-Alexander beat Jaren Jackson Jr. off the dribble and put Team Chuck over 40 points with a two-handed dunk. The first team to 40 points in the semifinal round wins.
SGA WINS IT FOR CHUCK'S GLOBAL STARS 🚨Scoring the final 5 PTS...They'll advance to the #NBAAllStar Championship on TNT! pic.twitter.com/BAHSxAQejt
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander's easy path to the bucket with the game on the line won't assuage critics tired of the lack of defense in the All-Star game. But Victor Wembanyama at least made an effort in his first All-Star game debut.
He finished with six points, four rebounds, one steal and this block of Cade Cunningham in the winning effort for Team Chuck.
WEMBY BLOCKS CADE CUNNINGHAMHE ISN'T MESSING AROUND pic.twitter.com/XQdAYxloSG
— WembyMuse (@Wemby_Muse) February 17, 2025
The 74th NBA All-Star Game begins at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on TNT with a new tournament-style format but legend LeBron James will not be participating after earning his record 21st All-Star nod.
James was a late scratch Sunday due to lingering ankle soreness. So it might be fair to say he isn't taking the event super seriously. Still, the show must go on.
Similar to the Rising Stars challenge, the NBA All-Stars will compete in a three-game tournament. The All-Stars have been split into three teams — through an All-Star Draft conducted by TNT analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith. The first two matchups are Team Shaq vs. Team Candace Parker, and Team Chuck vs. Team Kenny. Parker's team qualified Friday as the winner of the Rising Stars Challenge when it was coached by Chris Mullin, and it features Stephon Castle, Dalton Knecht, Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey and others.
For each game in Sunday's tournament, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points.
As for prize money, each player on the championship-winning team will receive $125,000; each player on the second-place team will receive $50,000; and each player on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.
The All-Star teams are comprised of the East and West starters (voted by fans, players and media members) and reserves (voted by coaches). Trae Young and Kyrie Irving were named as injury replacements for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis, respectively.
Here's a breakdown of the rosters (listed in order of how each team was drafted).
Shaq's OGs
LeBron James, Lakers*
Stephen Curry, Warriors
Anthony Davis, Mavericks*
Jayson Tatum, Celtics
Kevin Durant, Suns
Damian Lillard, Bucks
James Harden, Clippers
Jaylen Brown, Celtics
Kyrie Irving, Mavericks
Kenny's Young Stars
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
Jalen Brunson, Knicks
Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies
Jalen Williams, Thunder
Darius Garland, Cavaliers
Evan Mobley, Cavaliers
Cade Cunningham, Pistons
Tyler Herro, Heat
Chuck's Global Stars
Nikola Jokić, Nuggets
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks*
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
Pascal Siakam, Pacers
Alperen Şengün, Rockets
Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
Trae Young, Hawks*injured
Team Candace
Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs
Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns
Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies
Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Golden State Warriors
Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers
Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies
Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets (added by Parker after Friday's games)
Team Shaq's OGs defeated Team Candace's Rising Stars, 41-35, but it wasn't easy.
Team Shaq had numerous opportunities to put the game away, but needing just three points with a 37-31 lead, the veterans opted to take a lot of 3s — and missed them.
Finally, Damian Lillard hit a 3 to give Team Shaq victory and a ticket to face Team Chuck in the final.
Steph splashes for THREE 💦(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/enD01jFmkE
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 17, 2025
The NBA making its All-Star game less and less about basketball while complaining about NBA players not taking it seriously is about all you need to know about the state of NBA discourse in 2025.
— Micah Adams (@MAdamsStatGuy) February 17, 2025
Oh God. Now it's the comedy sketch again. F me, man. This used to be one of the best weekends of the sporting calendar. I used to LOVE it. Invite my friends over. Watch the game again. Blow this up. It's over. Praying NBC fixes this next year.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 17, 2025
Can the sandman come out with the hook? This is cooked
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) February 17, 2025
Lebron knows this format sucks lol pic.twitter.com/1ObBtr3mc8
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 17, 2025
The new format is good. The first game was good. Don't ever give Kevin Hart or Draymond a mic again.
— Heath Cummings (@heathcummingssr) February 17, 2025
I get what Draymond is saying about the disservice guys like SGA and Wemby will see with this new format. He can say this format sucks but let's not ignore how we got here, the guys just didn't care. The games have been awful.
— Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) February 17, 2025
with all due respect they gotta cut Kevin Hart's mic
— Jake (@SuperiorNBA) February 17, 2025
Been about 10 minutes of basketball and 50 minutes of not-basketball
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) February 17, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards did not participate for Team Kenny in the opening game of All-Star Sunday's new format due to a groin injury, he said afterwards.
There was no indication in the lead-up to the game that Edwards would not participate.
Edwards played his usual 36 points in a 15-point victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, compiling 23 points (5-of-18 shooting), seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Mr. Beast, the YouTube sensation, hosted a shooting contest between Damian Lillard and a fan for $100,000. The fan had to make one shot from the logo near halfcourt before Lillard made three. Lillard made two, but before he could sink his third the fan banked in the winning shot.
🚨🚨THIS FAN JUST WON $100,000🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/Av7cxG1Sdu
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 17, 2025
The All-Star players, just as hyped as the fans, showered the fan with congratulations.
Team Chuck topped Team Kenny in Game 1, 41-32, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander icing the contest with a dunk.
SGA shot 5-of-5 for 12 points in a game in which Anthony Edwards curiously did not play for Team Kenny.
The TNT broadcast said The Athletic reported Edwards had groin soreness.
SGA ICES GAME 1 😤Chuck's Global Stars move on to the Final Rd of the #NBAAllStar Mini-Tournament ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/YId5BJCAsE
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2025
The NBA and commissioner Adam Silver want the All-Star event to be taken more seriously, with players actually competing.
But the four-man booth for Game 1 — Shaq, Candace Parker, Reggie Miller and Brian Anderson — was all about jokes and topics other than the game during the early going.
The broadcast also gave time during the game to Ernie Johnson and Kevin Hart, who were sitting with coaches Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. Hart screamed a lot about whatever as action on the court took place.
I have wondered for a very long time who the Kevin Hart fans are? Where they are? Why does Adam think he's an ambassador lol. https://t.co/8GPCvBz5ku
— Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) February 17, 2025
When the broadcast went back to the actual broadcast booth, it was Anderson trying to give updates on the action, while his broadcast mates wanted to talk about anything except the action on the court.
The issue: If the action isn't interesting enough for the folks calling the game, why should anyone else care?
Then after the first game, Draymond Green ripped the new format, trashing everything about it. The NBA continues to lead American sports in giving monster platforms to voices who continue to tear apart, ridicule and denigrate its game. Some would say that isn't an optimal strategy when so much money and time are involved in "promoting" the game.
The NBA needs to take a hard look at this game presentation.
Led by Victor Wembanayama, the NBA's young stars are injecting some energy into the All-Star Game for the first time in years. In a back-and-forth battle, Wembanyama has wreaked havoc on both ends, inspiring everyone to compete.
WEMBY'S FIRST #NBAAllStar POINTS 👽Hops into the lane and stuffs it with the left!Chuck's Global Stars 14 PTS away from 40 on TNT 👀 pic.twitter.com/e998eS9CJU
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA NíO QUER SABER DE RELAXAR NO ALL-STARJÁ TEM 2 TOCOS NO JOGO pic.twitter.com/RG7bWFBAaQ
— Matchup Brasil 🇧🇷🏀 (@MatchupBR) February 17, 2025
The All-Stars are actually trying
Victor Wembanyama is here to play some All-Star game defense:
WEMBY BLOCKS CADE CUNNINGHAMHE ISN'T MESSING AROUND pic.twitter.com/XQdAYxloSG
— WembyMuse (@Wemby_Muse) February 17, 2025
Tyler Herro and Karl-Anthony Towns trading ridiculous 3s:
HERRO DRAINS THE 3. 👀KAT FOLLOWS UP FROM THE LOGO. 🎯First to 40 advances... #NBAAllStar on TNT pic.twitter.com/9zy0xPdb07
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025
In the first NBA All-Star tournament game, featuring Team Chuck vs. Team Kenny, it was Evan Mobley of Team Kenny who scored the first points of the new format.
In transition, the Cavs big man was on the receiving end of an alley-oop from Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams.
Mobley added another bucket as Team Chuck led 17-12 at the first timeout of the contest, which will be decided by the first to 40.
And we're underway. There's no game clock in these games. First team to 40 points in the semifinals wins.
Here are the rosters for the opening game:
Team Kenny
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota TimberwolvesJalen Brunson, New York KnicksJaren Jackson Jr., Memphis GrizzliesJalen Williams, Oklahoma City ThunderDarius Garland, Cleveland CavaliersEvan Mobley, Cleveland CavaliersCade Cunningham, Detroit PistonsTyler Herro, Miami Heat
vs.
Team Chuck
Nikola Jokić, Denver NuggetsTrae Young, Atlanta Hawks (replacing Giannis Antetokounmpo)Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City ThunderVictor Wembanyama, San Antonio SpursPascal Siakam, Indiana PacersAlperen Şengün, Houston RocketsKarl-Anthony Towns, New York KnicksDonovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
All-Star intros full of pomp and circumstance are over. Team Kenny vs. Team Chuck is up next.
Introducing Chuck's Global Stars!🌟 #NBAAllStar is LIVE on TNT pic.twitter.com/kc0nJ6QNDw
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025
Introducing Kenny's Young Stars!🌟 #NBAAllStar is LIVE on TNT pic.twitter.com/od0CL6nTbe
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, speaking before the All-Star Game, pledged to participate in a 1-on-1 battle next season, if the NBA decides to add the event to its festivities.
"If I had the chance to play 1-on-1 with anybody, I would love to do it," he said. "Anything that can make the weekend more exciting, more fun for the viewers, for the fans and for the players, I would love to participate. ... If it's a 1-on-1 competition, I would love to participate."
He gives himself a pretty good shot, too.
"I think sometimes you forget, to be a good 1-on-1 player, you've got to be able to play both ways," he said. "You've got to get a stop to get the ball. You don't get a stop, you're not getting the ball. It's kind of hard, say, if Kyrie Irving is going against [Victor Wembanyama]. He's got to get a stop. But it would be fun. It would be fun. I would love to participate if next year there's a 1-on-1 tournament. I would love to participate."
Is he sure?
"I can't make no promises," he said, "but if I'm healthy, I'd probably do it.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will be sidelined for the All-Star Game on Sunday night, as he manages the ankle soreness that has plagued him for the past few seasons, ending his record-setting streak of 20 consecutive All-Star Game starts.
"I was hoping that it would feel a lot better this morning, but it's just not where I wanted it to be," said James. "With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild West, I feel like it's very important for me to take care of myself and understand what was coming on.
"It is maintenance, but at the same time I have to look out for myself when it comes to this injury I've been dealing with for years."
James flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco on Sunday and will return later in the night.
"There will be no vacation for me," he said. "I head back to L.A. tonight and back to the rehab tomorrow and getting ready for practice on Tuesday."
His availability for Wednesday's home game against the Charlotte Hornets is questionable.
More on James' absence.
SAN FRANCISCO — NBA commissioner Adam Silver sees all and hears all: the praise of where his game is or, most importantly, the constant critique the NBA is subject to, almost on a daily basis.
The never-ending 3-point discussion, one that even he has chimed in on at times.
The money element, the financial decisions that have played a big part in trades involving Luka Dončić, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns, and the standoff with Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.
The officiating, the challenges with a million camera angles and a million more opinions on social media and in NBA locker rooms.
And he's even contributed to it in ways, jokingly throwing gasoline onto the discourse by suggesting 10-minute quarters instead of the usual 12 — a suggestion that earned a decent amount of criticism.
'I try to read it all, frankly, and we try to absorb it at the league office,' Silver said during his annual news conference at All-Star Weekend inside Chase Center. 'I think the state of the game is excellent. I think it's the media's role, the fans' role, it's perfectly appropriate to be critical of the game, and I find it very helpful. I'm not one of those people who said I don't read criticism.'
How Silver is trying to shape the league.
Nobody was beating Mac McClung in his three-peat bid.
The Magic G Leaguer was once again the runaway slam dunk contest winner for his third-straight title Saturday night in a performance for the ages. He started things with a dunk worthy of a closer and continued to wow with each successive dunk. Each of McClung's dunks earned a perfect 50 score.
Catch up on all of NBA All-Star Saturday night.
Team Shaq's OGs defeated Team Candace's Rising Stars, 41-35, but it wasn't easy.
Team Shaq had numerous opportunities to put the game away, but needing just three points with a 37-31 lead, the veterans opted to take a lot of 3s — and missed them.
Finally, Damian Lillard hit a 3 to give Team Shaq victory and a ticket to face Team Chuck in the final.
Steph splashes for THREE 💦(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/enD01jFmkE
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 17, 2025
The NBA making its All-Star game less and less about basketball while complaining about NBA players not taking it seriously is about all you need to know about the state of NBA discourse in 2025.
— Micah Adams (@MAdamsStatGuy) February 17, 2025
Oh God. Now it's the comedy sketch again. F me, man. This used to be one of the best weekends of the sporting calendar. I used to LOVE it. Invite my friends over. Watch the game again. Blow this up. It's over. Praying NBC fixes this next year.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 17, 2025
Can the sandman come out with the hook? This is cooked
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) February 17, 2025
Lebron knows this format sucks lol pic.twitter.com/1ObBtr3mc8
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 17, 2025
The new format is good. The first game was good. Don't ever give Kevin Hart or Draymond a mic again.
— Heath Cummings (@heathcummingssr) February 17, 2025
I get what Draymond is saying about the disservice guys like SGA and Wemby will see with this new format. He can say this format sucks but let's not ignore how we got here, the guys just didn't care. The games have been awful.
— Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) February 17, 2025
with all due respect they gotta cut Kevin Hart's mic
— Jake (@SuperiorNBA) February 17, 2025
Been about 10 minutes of basketball and 50 minutes of not-basketball
— Omari Sankofa II (@omarisankofa) February 17, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards did not participate for Team Kenny in the opening game of All-Star Sunday's new format due to a groin injury, he said afterwards.
There was no indication in the lead-up to the game that Edwards would not participate.
Edwards played his usual 36 points in a 15-point victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, compiling 23 points (5-of-18 shooting), seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Mr. Beast, the YouTube sensation, hosted a shooting contest between Damian Lillard and a fan for $100,000. The fan had to make one shot from the logo near halfcourt before Lillard made three. Lillard made two, but before he could sink his third the fan banked in the winning shot.
🚨🚨THIS FAN JUST WON $100,000🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/Av7cxG1Sdu
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 17, 2025
The All-Star players, just as hyped as the fans, showered the fan with congratulations.
Team Chuck topped Team Kenny in Game 1, 41-32, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander icing the contest with a dunk.
SGA shot 5-of-5 for 12 points in a game in which Anthony Edwards curiously did not play for Team Kenny.
The TNT broadcast said The Athletic reported Edwards had groin soreness.
SGA ICES GAME 1 😤Chuck's Global Stars move on to the Final Rd of the #NBAAllStar Mini-Tournament ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/YId5BJCAsE
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2025
The NBA and commissioner Adam Silver want the All-Star event to be taken more seriously, with players actually competing.
But the four-man booth for Game 1 — Shaq, Candace Parker, Reggie Miller and Brian Anderson — was all about jokes and topics other than the game during the early going.
The broadcast also gave time during the game to Ernie Johnson and Kevin Hart, who were sitting with coaches Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith. Hart screamed a lot about whatever as action on the court took place.
I have wondered for a very long time who the Kevin Hart fans are? Where they are? Why does Adam think he's an ambassador lol. https://t.co/8GPCvBz5ku
— Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) February 17, 2025
When the broadcast went back to the actual broadcast booth, it was Anderson trying to give updates on the action, while his broadcast mates wanted to talk about anything except the action on the court.
The issue: If the action isn't interesting enough for the folks calling the game, why should anyone else care?
Then after the first game, Draymond Green ripped the new format, trashing everything about it. The NBA continues to lead American sports in giving monster platforms to voices who continue to tear apart, ridicule and denigrate its game. Some would say that isn't an optimal strategy when so much money and time are involved in "promoting" the game.
The NBA needs to take a hard look at this game presentation.
Led by Victor Wembanayama, the NBA's young stars are injecting some energy into the All-Star Game for the first time in years. In a back-and-forth battle, Wembanyama has wreaked havoc on both ends, inspiring everyone to compete.
WEMBY'S FIRST #NBAAllStar POINTS 👽Hops into the lane and stuffs it with the left!Chuck's Global Stars 14 PTS away from 40 on TNT 👀 pic.twitter.com/e998eS9CJU
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA NíO QUER SABER DE RELAXAR NO ALL-STARJÁ TEM 2 TOCOS NO JOGO pic.twitter.com/RG7bWFBAaQ
— Matchup Brasil 🇧🇷🏀 (@MatchupBR) February 17, 2025
The All-Stars are actually trying
Victor Wembanyama is here to play some All-Star game defense:
WEMBY BLOCKS CADE CUNNINGHAMHE ISN'T MESSING AROUND pic.twitter.com/XQdAYxloSG
— WembyMuse (@Wemby_Muse) February 17, 2025
Tyler Herro and Karl-Anthony Towns trading ridiculous 3s:
HERRO DRAINS THE 3. 👀KAT FOLLOWS UP FROM THE LOGO. 🎯First to 40 advances... #NBAAllStar on TNT pic.twitter.com/9zy0xPdb07
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025
In the first NBA All-Star tournament game, featuring Team Chuck vs. Team Kenny, it was Evan Mobley of Team Kenny who scored the first points of the new format.
In transition, the Cavs big man was on the receiving end of an alley-oop from Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams.
Mobley added another bucket as Team Chuck led 17-12 at the first timeout of the contest, which will be decided by the first to 40.
And we're underway. There's no game clock in these games. First team to 40 points in the semifinals wins.
Here are the rosters for the opening game:
Team Kenny
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota TimberwolvesJalen Brunson, New York KnicksJaren Jackson Jr., Memphis GrizzliesJalen Williams, Oklahoma City ThunderDarius Garland, Cleveland CavaliersEvan Mobley, Cleveland CavaliersCade Cunningham, Detroit PistonsTyler Herro, Miami Heat
vs.
Team Chuck
Nikola Jokić, Denver NuggetsTrae Young, Atlanta Hawks (replacing Giannis Antetokounmpo)Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City ThunderVictor Wembanyama, San Antonio SpursPascal Siakam, Indiana PacersAlperen Şengün, Houston RocketsKarl-Anthony Towns, New York KnicksDonovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
All-Star intros full of pomp and circumstance are over. Team Kenny vs. Team Chuck is up next.
Introducing Chuck's Global Stars!🌟 #NBAAllStar is LIVE on TNT pic.twitter.com/kc0nJ6QNDw
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025
Introducing Kenny's Young Stars!🌟 #NBAAllStar is LIVE on TNT pic.twitter.com/od0CL6nTbe
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2025
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, speaking before the All-Star Game, pledged to participate in a 1-on-1 battle next season, if the NBA decides to add the event to its festivities.
"If I had the chance to play 1-on-1 with anybody, I would love to do it," he said. "Anything that can make the weekend more exciting, more fun for the viewers, for the fans and for the players, I would love to participate. ... If it's a 1-on-1 competition, I would love to participate."
He gives himself a pretty good shot, too.
"I think sometimes you forget, to be a good 1-on-1 player, you've got to be able to play both ways," he said. "You've got to get a stop to get the ball. You don't get a stop, you're not getting the ball. It's kind of hard, say, if Kyrie Irving is going against [Victor Wembanyama]. He's got to get a stop. But it would be fun. It would be fun. I would love to participate if next year there's a 1-on-1 tournament. I would love to participate."
Is he sure?
"I can't make no promises," he said, "but if I'm healthy, I'd probably do it.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will be sidelined for the All-Star Game on Sunday night, as he manages the ankle soreness that has plagued him for the past few seasons, ending his record-setting streak of 20 consecutive All-Star Game starts.
"I was hoping that it would feel a lot better this morning, but it's just not where I wanted it to be," said James. "With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild West, I feel like it's very important for me to take care of myself and understand what was coming on.
"It is maintenance, but at the same time I have to look out for myself when it comes to this injury I've been dealing with for years."
James flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco on Sunday and will return later in the night.
"There will be no vacation for me," he said. "I head back to L.A. tonight and back to the rehab tomorrow and getting ready for practice on Tuesday."
His availability for Wednesday's home game against the Charlotte Hornets is questionable.
More on James' absence.
SAN FRANCISCO — NBA commissioner Adam Silver sees all and hears all: the praise of where his game is or, most importantly, the constant critique the NBA is subject to, almost on a daily basis.
The never-ending 3-point discussion, one that even he has chimed in on at times.
The money element, the financial decisions that have played a big part in trades involving Luka Dončić, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns, and the standoff with Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.
The officiating, the challenges with a million camera angles and a million more opinions on social media and in NBA locker rooms.
And he's even contributed to it in ways, jokingly throwing gasoline onto the discourse by suggesting 10-minute quarters instead of the usual 12 — a suggestion that earned a decent amount of criticism.
'I try to read it all, frankly, and we try to absorb it at the league office,' Silver said during his annual news conference at All-Star Weekend inside Chase Center. 'I think the state of the game is excellent. I think it's the media's role, the fans' role, it's perfectly appropriate to be critical of the game, and I find it very helpful. I'm not one of those people who said I don't read criticism.'
How Silver is trying to shape the league.
Nobody was beating Mac McClung in his three-peat bid.
The Magic G Leaguer was once again the runaway slam dunk contest winner for his third-straight title Saturday night in a performance for the ages. He started things with a dunk worthy of a closer and continued to wow with each successive dunk. Each of McClung's dunks earned a perfect 50 score.
Catch up on all of NBA All-Star Saturday night.

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  • Yahoo

T.J. Watt has made his demand for a contract extension perfectly clear but with nothing in place, he will holdout of the Pittsburgh Steelers' mandatory minicamp this week.

T.J. Watt has made his demand for a contract extension perfectly clear but with nothing in place, he will holdout of the Pittsburgh Steelers' mandatory minicamp this week. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Few players measure in comparison to the tangible impact T.J. Watt has had one the Pittsburgh Steelers defense over the last eight seasons. Watt is a proven game-wrecker, having developed into one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL. Advertisement Since his rookie extension, Watt has an extraordinary pass rushing resumé, totaling 58.5 sacks in four seasons. That included 22.5 sacks in 2021, tying the single season record set by Michael Strahan. Watt's individual abilities jump off the page but he's arguably the catalyst for the success of others patrolling the Steelers' defense, commanding so much attention that offenses have no choice but to be vulnerable elsewhere. Arguably the most important Steeler of the last decade, he and the team have hit a rift this offseason. Watt, heading into the final year of that rookie extension, seeks a new contract. The two sides have not made any progress on a deal to this point, leading to a major announcement regarding Watt's status on Tuesday morning. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the six-time All-Pro linebacker will not be in attendance for the team's mandatory minicamp this week. Advertisement His holdout will result in a series of fines for the three days of absence including $17,462 on Day 1, $34,925 on Day 2 and $52,381 on Day 3. That comes out to a total of $104,768. Rival edge rusher Myles Garrett reset the market for defensive players earlier this offseason with an extension paying out $40 million per year with the Cleveland Browns. Watt's exact asking price is not exactly clear to this point, but it has certainly climbed with that move and other corresponding actions. He will have the most expensive cap hit for the Steelers this season with an expected figure of over $30 million. Advertisement Related: Steelers Fans Get Bad News on T.J. Watt to Open Mandatory Minicamp Related: Details Emerge on Aaron Rodgers' 'Cheap' Contract With Steelers As Signing Official This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.

Watch: Sue Bird discusses Caitlin Clark's passing and WNBA ownership
Watch: Sue Bird discusses Caitlin Clark's passing and WNBA ownership

New York Times

time37 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Watch: Sue Bird discusses Caitlin Clark's passing and WNBA ownership

Few names are more synonymous with basketball excellence than Sue Bird. A four-time WNBA champion, Bird spent her entire 20-year career with the Seattle Storm, where she earned a record 13 WNBA All-Star selections, made eight All-WNBA teams, won five Olympic gold medals, and still holds the league's all-time assists record with 3,234. Advertisement And on Saturday, she'll be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame at the Tennessee Theatre. Bird has remained just as impactful off the court since her retirement in 2022. She became part-owner of the Storm in April 2024 after joining the team's ownership group, Force 10 Hoops. In May, she was appointed as the first managing director of the USA women's national team. If that wasn't enough, the 44-year-old is also making waves in podcasting. She co-hosts 'A Touch More' with her wife, former soccer star Megan Rapinoe, and hosts her women's basketball-focused show, 'Bird's Eye View.' On the latest episode of 'No Offseason,' Zena Keita and Ben Pickman interviewed Bird to discuss WNBA media, her passion for podcasting, the unique perspective she brings to team ownership, and what makes Caitlin Clark such a special passer. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on the 'No Offseason' feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Keita: Sue, you officially retired in 2022, but you haven't really fully stepped away from the game and you've been very much involved since your retirement. One of the biggest things you've been doing since is podcasting, and you've inserted your voice in a unique way into the world of women's basketball. When you think about the media landscape right now, we know there's been a boom. … You know what it was like when there wasn't that much interest in your practices or games, and now everyone wants to get in there. So what do you see in the media landscape right now when it comes to women's basketball? Bird: Obviously, there's been a ton of growth, which is something we always wanted. It wasn't that we didn't have any coverage, but it was just that we didn't have enough, and now that's starting to enter into the picture. The way I refer to it is like an ecosystem. Think about what happened as the WNBA boomed in the last year or two. This ecosystem grew and more people were coming into it, but we didn't have a balance. We didn't have enough people who really understood the league, who knew the league, knew its history, knew why certain things would happen, why certain wouldn't, and had a true understanding of it. I think that's where I come into play, and not just myself, but other former players who are doing this and people like yourselves who are involved in women's basketball. Advertisement It's important to balance that ecosystem and to have an understanding, because with all the influx of people who were new to women's basketball, they were getting some of the narratives wrong. Some of them were just off, meaning those narratives took on a life of their own at times, and there wasn't something to counteract it, and there wasn't that balance. So the more that starts to increase, and as those of us who really know the game start to get larger platforms, it can all exist. Because sadly in our world today, you do need the hot take, you do need the wrong take, and you need to have these conversations to really get to the bottom of things. But what was missing was accuracy I would say. Keita: Exactly, and I imagine that's what you want to bring with 'Bird's Eye View.' I've been really enjoying that content, and particularly the accuracy you just mentioned where you're allowing players to tell their stories themselves, and provide that perspective and narrative themselves. Was that the impetus for why you launched your podcast? To be able to give players that lane that maybe you remember missing as a player? Or were you even hearing in the ecosystem from players saying, 'I really wish I could talk to a former player as opposed to a media member.' Is that one of the things that 'Bird's Eye View' wants to address? Bird: Yeah, partly, a lot of what I said about the ecosystem was more pertinent to 'A Touch More' because that's kind of how it got started. Then as we were doing that show, we talked about all different sports across the board, but obviously the WNBA and women's basketball was something we tapped into a lot. But I just found that I wanted to go deeper, and I wanted to talk about it more. And what I'm finding now as I'm doing it, is what you're saying, which is that I just really love having these conversations with players. I do think there's that element of being a former player where I'm able to disarm in a different way. But I also know that these players know I'm not trying to get any 'got you' moments, and I'm not trying to catch them out with anything. I'm just trying to have a real conversation. And I do think it gives them a chance to really talk about things and have somebody who can connect, relate and hopefully leave space for them to tell their side. So I've been really enjoying it and I'm having a lot of fun with it. I do have a couple of minutes on each side of the interview where I get to talk about the specific basketball things I want to talk about. Sometimes it's players, teams, themes, whatever it is. But for the most part, it's really just letting these players have that space. Pickman: Sue, when we had Candace Parker on the show, she talked about sometimes needing to take the white gloves off and the importance of that in the ecosystem. What are your thoughts on how media can do things differently, or about the idea of being fair but also critical when the situation warrants it? Advertisement Bird: Fair but critical is a great way of saying it, and that's something that not just Candace and I have talked about, but really all of us have for a long time. There wasn't a lot of critique, and in fairness to everyone who's been around for 20-plus years, it felt too risky to critique at times because it was so easy for so long to jump on that critique and then paint it across the whole league. If you said one bad thing about one thing, that was it: the whole league had no value. So it felt risky. But I do think we're now getting into this place where you can have both. But the important part is to be fair while also critical; both have to exist. And like I said, no 'we got you' moments, but real conversations. And in those real conversations come shooting slumps, come a game or a play where you look back and wish you did something different, or maybe a relationship with a teammate you wish you handled differently. Those are just real conversations. Pickman: You've mentioned some of your conversations with players, but I'm also curious about your conversations with ownership. We know you have an ownership stake in the Seattle Storm, and obviously there's an ongoing CBA negotiation. What have you learned about being on that side of the business? Have you talked to Ginny Gilder, Lisa Brummel, and the other members of the Storm ownership group about the ongoing negotiation? And what do you bring to the mix in terms of those talks? Bird: Yeah, I definitely do stay in touch with them, and what I'm bringing is what I knew I was going to bring the minute I became an owner just over a year ago. Which is I'm on the ownership side of things, but I have a player's perspective and that's unique. At times, I'm able to learn from the ownership group because I don't know that side as well. But then I'm also able to provide a little bit of understanding and nuance on what a player might be thinking in certain situations or certain moments. It's just a really good balance. And at the end of the day, I actually don't feel that much different being on this side as opposed to the player side. We all just want a great deal, and we just want this league to succeed, period, point blank. Pickman: You're the all-time leader in assists, and we have some great passers in the league right now. Courtney Vandersloot unfortunately tore her ACL this past weekend, and she's one of the all-time great passers too. But Caitlin Clark is very much on pace it seems to chase down your record one day. Bird: These records have no chance because they play way more games now. I don't want to get too caught up in the games played because it is what it is. I don't feel any way about it because records are meant to be broken. But I played 34 games for the majority of my career. So the players today are on the clock with these records, they better break those things in like five years. Pickman: Very true, and they probably will. But I wanted to ask, what makes Caitlin Clark so special as a passer in your mind? And what separates her as a passer compared to all her peers? Bird: The important thing to recognize here with Caitlin, and this conversation is we're not even bringing her name up unless she has incredible court vision, and unless she has the type of vision where she's able to anticipate and read. What I would add to that and what I think separates her, on top of all the qualities that most great passers have, is that she has strength. Sometimes she's able to make passes not because she sees it or because she's reading the defense — yes, those things exist, but that's not why she's able to make the pass — she's able to make the pass because she can actually get it there. The easiest way to see it is with her full-court passes, but they also happen in the half-court. Sometimes she'll have picked her dribble up, somebody will cut, and she still has the zip to get a backdoor pass off the bounce to her teammate on time. I would add that strength as a differentiator to some of the other great passers we've seen. You can listen to full episodes of No Offseason for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube. (Top Photo:for Fast Company)

Chicago Sky React to Major Angel Reese Announcement
Chicago Sky React to Major Angel Reese Announcement

Yahoo

time42 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Chicago Sky React to Major Angel Reese Announcement

Chicago Sky React to Major Angel Reese Announcement originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky had a tough weekend. After suffering a 79–52 loss to the Indiana Fever and falling to 2–5 on the season, the team received even more difficult news on Sunday: veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot has torn her ACL and will miss the remainder of the season. Advertisement Now, on Tuesday, the Sky are set to face the defending WNBA champion and currently undefeated New York Liberty for the second time this season. However, ahead of the matchup in New York, some positive news emerged Monday night. Sky forward Angel Reese was officially named the BET Sportswoman of the Year for the third straight year, a major honor that drew a celebratory reaction from the Sky franchise on Tuesday morning. "YOUR BET SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR," Sky posted."keep shining Angel." Fans reacted to Reese winning the prestigious honor: "When she steps on the court, it's her world and we're just living in it. Angel's not just playing the game; she's defining it," a fan said. Advertisement Someone else added, "what the culture feeling." Another fan posted, "BARBIE." "Congratulations, Angel Reese! You deserve it!" One more fan commented. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) walks on the court during the second half of a Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Angel Reese has had a major impact on the game of women's basketball dating back to her college days at LSU, where she helped lead the Tigers to a national championship. Since being drafted into the WNBA in 2024, she has quickly become one of the league's brightest young stars. As a rookie, she led the league in rebounds, became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 500-plus points and 500-plus rebounds, and earned an All-Star selection. Advertisement Now in her second season, through seven games, Reese has faced some challenges offensively as she adjusts to new head coach Tyler Marsh's system. However, she continues to contribute in other areas, averaging 12.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals, along with 9.1 points per game. Related: Big Angel Reese Announcement Made Ahead of Sky-Liberty Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.

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