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BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
NBA & WNBA expand talent search with first UK camp
For most young basketball hopefuls, the closest they will get to learning from the sport's biggest names is by watching a YouTube video of them playing or seven Britons, this week in Manchester has been a rare shooting while being marked by Los Angeles centre Ivica Zubac to being guided by Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse, the first Basketball Without Borders camp to take place in the UK has the potential to be was at a camp like this in Latvia where Amari Williams - drafted this year by the Boston Celtics to become only the NBA's third English-born active player - was camp coming to Britain for the first time was part of the NBA's continued push to grow the following of and participation in basketball in the country. It also followed last month's announcement that the UK will host its first NBA regular-season games since 2019 with a match in London in 2026 and Manchester in 2027."We can virtually guarantee that a handful or more of the players sitting out there today will be in the [NBA and WNBA]," Nurse told BBC Sport, during the four-day camp where the Britons taking part were among Europe's 60 highest-rated teenagers."It's an amazing event, it always is. I've been fortunate enough to be a part of it before, but when they said they were coming to Manchester, I wanted to be a part of it."That's always exciting to see them at this stage, and then down the line say, 'I remember we had them in Manchester in the camp'. Always happens. It's exciting to be among the most talented young players in the world."American Nurse played in the British Basketball League for Derby Rams in the 1990-91 season, and had coaching spells at Birmingham Bullets, Manchester Giants, London Towers and Brighton Bears before rising to land NBA posts with Toronto Raptors and the event in Manchester, in which both current and former players and coaches from the NBA and WNBA were involved, is designed to help aspiring basketball stars of high school ages outside of the United States get valuable first-hand coaching and BWB camps also run across Asia, Africa and The Americas. The best performing players from the four camps combined are then selected to attend another BWB camp for the world's best young players that take place during the NBA and WNBA All-Star from all 30 NBA teams are in attendance to cast their eyes over the young hopefuls. 'A huge boost' - NBA's return to Britain Almost a decade ago, Los Angeles Clippers centre Zubac was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers having played professionally as a teenager in Serbia and his homeland is a similar path for many Europeans entering the NBA and of the camp's aims is to scout the best talents outside of the US from a young age."I never really had a chance to participate [in these camps] as a kid but I would've loved to," said Zubac, 28."I think getting advice, knowledge and experience from the NBA players, NBA coaches, all the basketball legends here, some of who have won a lot of championships, it's very valuable and I think it's going to be really helpful."NBA's 2024-25 Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is among the current stars who have attended BWB camps, as well as 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid and 23-year-old Williams.A total of 129 players who have attended the camps, including 41 currently in NBA starting teams, have gone on to play in either the NBA or Oboavwoduo, from Manchester, hopes this might happen for her too and first aiming for a US college route to help her chances. "It's pretty hard because basketball is not as big in England, but basketball is expanding in the UK," said the 17-year-old. "I'm glad I've been able to do this as an experience for exposure."Nurse believes the return of NBA matches to the UK can only help the sport grow."The NBA and the WNBA are certainly turning into international leagues. There are players from all over the world now," he said."It's a huge boost. When the NBA brings its brand and brings its star power, bringing NBA players certainly draws a lot of attention."Williams' arrival to the NBA will make him the fourth active Briton in the league alongside OG Anunoby, Tosan Evbuomwan and Jeremy Sochan, although Sochan plays internationally for are currently only two British players in the WNBA - Temi Fagbenle and Elizabeth Williams, who play for the Golden State Valkyries and Chicago Sky respectively,That is despite basketball currently being the second-most popular team sport in the UK, with one-and-a-half million participants on a weekly basis. Will WNBA games be held in UK? The topic of top-level basketball heading outside the United States comes in a week where the first WNBA game to be held internationally takes Atlanta Dream face the Seattle Storm in Vancouver, Canada, on Friday that lead to a future WNBA match in the UK?"That's always a possibility," said two-time WNBA champion Sylvia Fowles, who is also part of the BWB's coaching staff."I want to see the WNBA everywhere."It says a lot to have WNBA players here [at the camp], so hopefully it trickles down so that we can get games here - and I think would be pretty."
NBC Sports
14-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Brook Lopez talks about a sort of homecoming, signing with Clippers
LAS VEGAS — Brook Lopez has never played for the Clippers. Yet his free agent signing with them this summer is a sort of homecoming, with multiple ties between the Southern California native and the Clippers. That starts with team president Lawrence Frank. 'He was my coach way back when in 2008 with the New Jersey Nets,' Lopez said. 'So it's definitely a full circle moment.' Lopez was a hot name early in free agency, linked to the Lakers (a team he did play for in the past), the Rockets, and others, but he signed a two-year, $17.9 million contract to back up Ivica Zubac with the Clippers. 'Everything happened pretty fast, but looking at my options, I was just thrilled the Clippers reached out and were one of them,' Lopez said. 'You know, they've been a great team for quite a while now. They have a ton of great players, obviously Hall of Famers, all sorts of great young players. I got Zuby [Ivica Zubac]. And there's just a great chance to win a championship here.' Among Lopez's connections with the Clippers is Zubac — they were teammates on the Lakers a decade ago. Look for Tyronn Lue, who likes big lineups, to experiment with playing Lopez and Zuback together. 'I think we complement each other extremely well,' Lopez said. 'Obviously, we'll be very big. I think we'd be great defensively, just dominating the paint, sealing the paint off. Then offensively, we complement each other there as well, spread the floor for him, give him all the room in the paint for them to go wild.' Lopez's primary role with the Clippers will be as a backup big behind Zubac, but because of his floor spacing shooting — 37.3% from beyond the arc on 4.7 attempts a game last season — he's going to find himself in a lot of different lineups and roles. 'We'll see. I'm capable of a lot of stuff,' Lopez said. 'Obviously, I'm comfortable spreading the floor. I'm comfortable being in the post. I love defending, I love being anchor on defense. Bottom line, I just want to help the team win. Whatever they need me to do, whatever they see fit for my role, I'm going to be working as hard as possible to be great at that.' One teammate Lopez thinks there will be fast chemistry with is James Harden — Lopez knows where his points will come from. 'I'm going to get as many pick-and-rolls with him as possible,' Lopez said with a laugh. 'Just get in that pocket. I know he's going to make something good out there.' The other role Lopez will play with the Clippers is that of a mentor. The Clippers have a few young players, most notably No. 30 pick Yanic Konan Niederhauser, a center from Switzerland via Penn State, a 6'10 'center who has moved well and shown flashes at Summer League. Lopez is excited about being a veteran mentor. 'I was fortunate to play with a lot of great players throughout my career: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Vince Carter. I can keep going down the line, but particularly KG was someone I was fortunate to play with when I was a younger player in this league and he helped mold me to the player I am today. 'So I think it's only right to pass on the things he taught me. Help the younger guys the same way he helped me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him.' Ultimately, Lopez is back home in Southern California — closer to Disneyland than he has been at any stop in his professional career — and about to play for a franchise that was not on his radar growing up. 'I'm a Cali boy. I grew up in the valley, North Hollywood. Obviously, things were very different back then,' Lopez said. 'To see where the Clippers have come now, it's just astonishing. It's beautiful.' The Clippers think it's beautiful to have him in their lineup, too. It's a sort of homecoming.
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Brook Lopez will see familiar faces with Clippers
The Lakers appear to have their starting center. Meanwhile, the Knicks are nearing a deal for Tom Thibodeau's replacement. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images The LA Clippers will sign Brook Lopez for two years. Lopez just turned 37 years old. But he doesn't have to start, and he has a relationship already with two key Clippers: president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank (his first head coach in New Jersey) and center Ivica Zubac (teammates from the 2017-18 season in Los Angeles, Lakers edition). Now, the Clippers have three different centers: A post up big in Zubac who is an All-NBA defender, a veteran in Lopez who spaces the floor and protects the rim in deep drop and the 2025 first round pick in Yanic Konan Niederhauser who will develop his athletic tools. Lopez is arguably the best backup center LA has had for Zubac since Serge Ibaka's back injuries allowed Zubac to reclaim the starting job midway through the 2020-21 season, with the possible exception of Isaiah Hartenstein in 2021-22. Brett Davis / Imagn It's the end of an era in Milwaukee. For the last seven seasons, Brook Lopez has been a cornerstone of everything the Bucks have done on both ends of the floor. Defensively, Lopez was going to be playing drop coverage and waiting to swat shots at the rim. Offensively, he was going to be stationed in one of the high quadrants ready to fire a deep 3 and give space to two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. He exits Milwaukee as one of the greatest players of their championship era. Along with Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, he was a member of the core four that led the Bucks to the league's best record in five seasons under former head coach Mike Budenholzer and the franchise's first title in 50 seasons. Brook Lopez becomes the first player in NBA history to give his team a "Disney discount," signing for two years and $18 million and putting himself within a short drive of his theme park of choice. The Clippers are now loaded up front with Ivica Zubac and Lopez. Rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser's chances at rotation minutes just went from "pretty decent" to "LOL, kid." The Clippers are $4.5 million from the luxury tax line with at least one open roster spot left to fill. Getting an older guy in the building who can help Yves Missi and Derik Queen grow was high on the Pelicans' priority list. Kevon Looney has been around forever, but he's still only 29. He could be an important piece for this team on and off the court. Brett Davis / Imagn Given how tight the market was expected to be, I'm surprised we're seeing backup centers getting the contracts they are. Not so much in money, but in length of contract. I thought depth centers might get squeezed in this environment, but that is not the case. Ronald Cortes / Getty Images The Celtics had wanted to retain Luke Kornet, but didn't have the financial flexibility to compete with an offer the size he received from San Antonio (four years and $41 million). Without him, their depth at the center position is beginning to look bleak. In addition to Kornet, Boston also lost Kristaps Porziņģis this offseason and could soon lose another free agent in Al Horford. If Horford departs, the Celtics will only have Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman and second-round pick Amari Williams (expected to sign a two-way contract) as rostered big men — and they will have limited resources to search for an upgrade or two. A two-year, $29 million deal for Caris LeVert would be for the entire nontaxpayer midlevel exception, and is a strong tell that A) the Pistons will operate as an over-the-cap team and thus re-sign Paul Reed via Bird Rights, and B) that the Hawks are very much in the market for a different backcourt player, most likely Nickeil Alexander-Walker. By virtue of operating this way, the Pistons can still re-sign or sign-and-trade Dennis Schroder and Tim Hardaway Jr. Note that this LeVert deal cannot be converted into a sign-and-trade, which would potentially benefit Atlanta, because a sign-and-trade must be for three seasons. The Detroit Pistons and free-agent guard Caris LeVert have agreed to terms on a two-year, $29 million, a league source confirmed The Athletic on Monday. LeVert, who will be 31 years old at the start of next season, averaged 12.1 points on 46.7 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from 3 during 64 games split between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks. The former Michigan Wolverine will presumably take over primary ballhandling duties on the Pistons' second unit, aiding Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. GO FURTHER Caris LeVert, Pistons agree to terms on 2-year, $29 million deal: Source Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images The Houston Rockets will sign center Clint Capela to a fully guaranteed three-year, $21.5 million contract, a league source told The Athletic. Al Bello / Getty Images Free agent center Luke Kornet will sign with the San Antonio Spurs on a four-year, $41 million deal, a team source confirmed. In signing Kevon Looney to a two-year, $16 million contract, per a league source, the Pelicans add a veteran big with championship experience to the bench. Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Center Kevon Looney will sign a two-year, $16 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, a league source said. Looney departs the Warriors after spending his first 10 seasons in the Bay Area. Matthew Stockman / Getty Images Free agent wing Bruce Brown will sign a one-year contract with the Denver Nuggets, a league source said. The deal is for the veteran's minimum, a team source said. Brown was a key member of Denver's 2023 championship team before departing that summer as a free agent. He now returns to Denver. Cam Johnson was widely expected to be traded at the deadline back in February, with the Nets reportedly seeking two first-round picks. This trade for Michael Porter Jr. is a great reminder of how there is nuance to how we talk about asset value and the trade market. There is a massive difference between a first-round pick in the near future from a playoff team than the Nuggets' 2032 first, when Nikola Jokic would be 37. It's apparent the Nets are stretching out their rebuild timeline by taking on the next three seasons of Porter Jr.'s deal, but it's worth it to have that Nuggets pick as a gem in their trade coffers. First-round picks are not homogenous and the Nets' patience trading Johnson paid off big time. Teams in the west aren't sitting idly by, resigned to an Oklahoma City dynasty. Love the Nuggets going for it by getting Cam Johnson while also getting some salary cap-luxury tax relief. It cost them a 2032 first-round pick, but guess what? The Joker isn't interested in asset management. Bringing Kevin Porter Jr. back for the 2025-26 season at an affordable rate (two years, $11 million, according to The Athletic's Fred Katz) was one of the moves that made the most sense for the Bucks this offseason. Porter is only 25 and gives the Bucks an upside play at point guard with Damian Lillard expected to miss most of the regular season as he recovers from surgery on a torn left Achilles tendon. In his first 16 games with the Bucks, Porter averaged 10.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 16.4 minutes per game. Once Lillard went down with the diagnosis of a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, Porter averaged 14.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game in 24.7 minutes per game, as he took on a bigger role. In that larger role, Porter thrived and earned a place in Doc Rivers' playoff rotation. After some initial struggles in the postseason, Porter found his footing and played well in both Game 4 (23 points, five rebounds and six assists) and Game 5 (11 points, three rebounds and seven assists) against the Indiana Pacers In a second season with the Bucks, Porter should have plenty of opportunity on the ball. Getting to play with Giannis Antetokounmpo more consistently should be a huge help. In 541 possessions on the floor together — which was only about 270 minutes, a very small sample — the two-man combination of Antetokounmpo and Porter was plus-20.1 points per 100 possessions. They scored 125 points per 100 possessions and gave up just 104.9 points per 100 possessions. Per Cleaning the Glass, the offensive production was in the 97th percentile and the defensive production was in the 98th percentile. The Michael Porter for Cam Johnson trade is all about cap management for Denver. The Nuggets just turned a $40 million player into a $20 million player, and in doing so, they opened up millions in breathing room to spend on upgrading their dilapidated depth. Denver is now $9.7 million below the tax line, and I don't expect the Nuggets to go back above it due to the repeater penalty. However, the Nuggets have enough breathing room to use most of their nontaxpayer midlevel exception and could potentially use even more if they waive and stretch Dario Saric. Note that Johnson's salary included an extra $3.6 million that counts toward the tax aprons because of his unlikely incentives, but for the Nuggets, the bigger deal this season is likely to avoid the tax entirely because they are subject to the repeater penalty. Page 2
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Clippers agree to two-year deal with Brook Lopez
The Clippers got the backup center they have yearned for when Brook Lopez agreed to a two-year, $18-million deal, according to people not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Lopez, who spent the last seven seasons with Milwaukee, averaged 13 points, 5.0 rebounds and shot 37.3% from three-point range. Advertisement Lopez will be the backup to starting center Ivica Zubac, and he gives the Clippers depth and experience at the position. Read more: James Harden to sign two-year, $81.5 million deal with the Clippers The 7-1 Lopez still is a good rim-protector, averaging 1.9 blocks per game last season. Lopez has won an NBA championship with the Bucks. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Clippers agree to two-year deal with Brook Lopez
The Clippers got the backup center they have yearned for when Brook Lopez agreed to a two-year, $18-million deal, according to people not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Lopez, who spent the last seven seasons with Milwaukee, averaged 13 points, 5.0 rebounds and shot 37.3% from three-point range. Advertisement Lopez will be the backup to starting center Ivica Zubac, and he gives the Clippers depth and experience at the position. Read more: James Harden to sign two-year, $81.5 million deal with the Clippers The 7-1 Lopez still is a good rim-protector, averaging 1.9 blocks per game last season. Lopez has won an NBA championship with the Bucks. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
