Bet on Holmgren, Nembhard to win NBA Finals MVP
Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick preview the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, sharing one longshot on each team who could be named the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
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Lakers' LeBron James Strongly Urged to Retire By Former NBA Big Man
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has put together a career that places him on the "GOAT" list to many. At the very least, he's a legitimate contender to the title and the only other name on that list is Michael Jordan. It is expected that James will make his return for another season in 2025-26. He is still playing at a high level and would have a full season playing with Luka Doncic next year. He has played in 22 NBA season to this point in his career. Should he play next year, he would officially hold the record for most seasons played in the league. Right now, he is tied with Vince Carter for that record. LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks towards the crowd during a timeout against the Denver Nuggets in the second half of the NBA Opening night game at Ball Arena on October 24,... LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks towards the crowd during a timeout against the Denver Nuggets in the second half of the NBA Opening night game at Ball Arena on October 24, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. More Photo byWhile James is expected to return for year 23, one former NBA big man does not think he should keep playing. Read more: NBA Analyst Floats Knicks Theory Regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jason Kidd During an appearance with Byron Scott on the "Fast Break" podcast, Olden Polynice spoke out with a pointed statement about James. He believes that it's time for the longtime superstar to call it a career. "The longevity aspect, I think it's getting a little bit too much now," Polynice said. "Because I'm like, dude, what else you want to do? It's time for you (James) to start thinking about retiring. He ain't getting no fifth ring unless he buys one, It ain't happening." Granted, there is obvious proof that James has started slowing down some. However, he is still putting up impressive numbers and making a massive impact night in and night out. Read more: Warriors Trade Idea Lands 2-Time All-Star in Massive Offseason Move Throughout the course of the 2024-25 NBA season, James played in 70 games. He averaged 24.4 points per game to go along with 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and a steal. In addition, he shot 51.3 percent from the floor and knocked down 37.6 percent of his three-point attempts. Looking ahead to next season, the Lakers will need to make some offseason moves to get back into NBA Finals contention. Los Angeles needs more defense and also needs a legitimate starting center. Rob Pelinka has his work cut out for him. Polynice may be right that the Lakers aren't a favorite to win a championship, but James is more than capable of continuing to play for another year or two if he chooses to do so. It's an eye-opening take, but it's an opinion that many disagree with. For more on the Los Angeles Lakers and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
USA Today
31 minutes ago
- USA Today
Chet Holmgren vows Thunder must be better on boards after Pacers won Game 1 rebound battle
Chet Holmgren vows Thunder must be better on boards after Pacers won Game 1 rebound battle For the next two days, all criticisms for the Oklahoma City Thunder's 111-110 Game 1 loss to the Indiana Pacers will be magnified on Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. It was death by a thousand papercuts that put the title favorite in an early 0-1 series deficit in the 2025 NBA Finals. But put it plain, it's difficult to win a playoff game when two of your three best players struggle. At least Williams had his moments. On the other hand, Holmgren disappeared into the background. The Thunder went with a single center to start. Isaiah Hartenstein was benched in favor of Cason Wallace. By the end, they abandoned that, too. Holmgren finished with six points on 2-of-9 shooting and six rebounds. He shot 0-of-1 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had a block. As the game progressed, you saw less of Holmgren. He only logged 24 minutes and played just four minutes of a close fourth quarter. The Pacers' outside shooting pulled the seven-footer outside of the paint. The Thunder had to concede and play mostly small-ball in the final moments. Questions arose about Hartenstein's playability against the Pacers. Very different circumstances, but he struggled against mostly the same roster on the New York Knicks. Funny how sports can turn out, as he was more effective than Holmgren in Game 1. The Thunder will need Holmgren to play better. They were killed on the boards by a 56-39 disadvantage. That allowed the Pacers to overcome the shot-attempt difference slowly. The 23-year-old has to play better on both ends or risk being unplayable. "Obviously, we could be better on the glass. That stood out to me, too, at first. They did have more offensive rebounds than we did. We forced a lot of turnovers and got a lot of steals. There's no rebound opportunity on plays like that 'cause they're not even getting a shot up," Holmgren said. "I guess that stat doesn't tell the whole story. But we can still continue to be better on that end in that area."
Indianapolis Star
38 minutes ago
- Indianapolis Star
'We didn't even play well.' Pacers All-Star's message after Game 1 win in NBA Finals
The Indiana Pacers may have some mixed feelings about Thursday's nail-biting 111-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. But Tyrese Haliburton doesn't appear deterred. In a video posted to social media by ESPN, Indiana's star point guard seemed amped up for Game 2 while exiting the court with fellow star teammate Pascal Siakam. "We did our job — c'mon man, let's get greedy... we have so much to work on," Haliburton told Siakam. Siakam, who led the Pacers with 19 points, echoed the sentiment: 'We didn't even play well.' Pre-order our new book on Pacers' rise to NBA Finals Despite struggling in the first half, Haliburton ended the night with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. That mutual hunger might be the key to Indiana's improbable postseason run, which once again found its hero in Haliburton. The 24-year-old buried his third game-winning shot of the playoffs with just 0.3 seconds remaining, giving the Pacers their first lead of the night and capping off a dramatic comeback. Oklahoma City had history on its side throughout its nail-biting loss. The Thunder racked up 12 first-half steals — the most in an NBA Finals half since 1998 — leading to 19 Pacers turnovers before halftime. They also managed 16 more field goal attempts than Indiana, despite shooting just 39.8% from the floor. But the Pacers refused to fold. Indiana clawed its way back with a dominant second half, outrebounding the Thunder 56-39 and pouring in 32 second-chance points. The performance was an astounding feat considering the Pacers rank last in offensive rebounding percentage (23.8%) and near the bottom in second-chance scoring during this postseason. In the series opening matchup between two of the league's most cerebral teams, Indiana's grit and poise stole the spotlight. The Game 1 win gives the Pacers a 1-0 series lead, and even more belief in their ability to deliver under pressure. "I think as a group, we never think the game is over ever, honestly speaking," Haliburton said. "That never creeps in. I think we just keep talking as a group, how can we walk this team down. That's just the confidence that we have as a group, and I think that's a big reason why this is going on."
