Solo due partite, tanto basta per capire che LeBronJames non ha voglia di scherzare a Philadelphia. Una media di oltre 15punti, quasi 10 rimbalzi e 6 assist. Andate a vedervi le cifre a fine carriera di alcune tra le più longeve star del passato. Si, gente di “poco conto” tipo KarlMalone, VinceCarter o PatrickEwing. Il Prescelto sta in universo a parte, non solo per le cifre. Anche per condizione atletica e intensità di gioco. Anche JaylenBrown non è partito male, nonostante incastri e gerarchie abbiano ancora bisogno di tempo per acquisire fluidità e automatismi. Joel Embiid? È sembrato rassicurantemente in forma. A rimbalzo può dare sicuramente di più (come cantava qualcuno…), ma le ginocchia sono quelle che sono. Tuttavia, al momento, non sembra esserci discussione alcuna, la stella della squadra è un certo TyresMaxey. E da queste fasi iniziali, i compagni di squadra sembrano anche averlo accettato di buon grado.
Talento irreale, guardia tiratrice “elettrica e veloce”. Fate conto un RobertPack (esplosivo playmaker di Denver degli anni ’90) che corre alla velocità del suono palla in mano per tutto il campo, solo che Maxey ha una completezza offensiva degna di un MitchRichmond nel picco di carriera. Nel ha messi 32 nella rimonta di stanotte contro Cleveland. Ne aveva segnati 28 nella serata di apertura contro NewYork. Sempre il miglior marcatore dei suoi. Somiglia sinistramente ad Allen “The Answer” Iverson per velocità sul primopasso, capacità di superare il difensore dal palleggio, abilità nel segnare in traffico. Fisico scolpito nel granito, grande esplosività, pazzesca velocità di base, eccezionale palleggio. Una superstarfatta e finita. Tyrese “The Second Answer” Maxey?
Ottimo esordio, ma con sconfitta, per Paul George
I Celtics hanno perso contro i DetroitPistons nella prima gara di stagione. Ma PaulGeorge, dopo anni in cui ha spesso arrancato (causa anche frequenti guai fisici), è parso davvero tirato a lucido. Ed è un’ottima notizia per Boston, anche perché sopperire alla dipartita di uno del calibro di JaylenBrown non è certo la cosa più semplice del mondo. Nella serata di apertura, George ha segnato ben 38punti, record per un esordio in maglia bianco verde, con un’interpretazione del gioco dal perimetro di livello “RayAllen”. Per lui 7 su 12 da tre e la sensazione di poter trovare la retina tutte le volte che alzava il braccio dopo uno scarico di un compagno.
Le primavere, ben 36, non sono più cosìpoche e non si può certo sperare che ritornil’iradiddio che era in maglia IndianaPacers. Tuttavia, se rimane sano, PaulGeorge può essere particolarmente efficace nella filosofiaoffensiva di coach Mazulla, alleggerire le spalle di Tatum e White in attacco, garantire un altro punto di riferimento che può essere decisivo quando conta per davvero. Sarà in grado di far dimenticare ciò che Brown faceva in campo? No, quello no. Intanto, dovrebbe iniziare a non farlo rimpiangere. Compito complesso.
Cunningham: il ritorno di Gran Hill?
Ricorda molto GrantHill per il modo in cui attacca il canestro dal palleggio, con (molto) meno stacco da terra, ma più visione di gioco rispetto all’ex stella dei Pistons. Ha letteralmente diretto l’orchestra di Detroit come se fossero alla prima de La Scala, portando la squadra alla vittoria proprio contro i BostonCeltics. Ha chiuso con 22punti e 8 assist. Certo, ha tirato maluccio sia dal campo (8 su 18) che da tre (1 su 6). Mani fredde, cuore caldo. Ha giocato una gara sempre in controllo, ha organizzato l’attacco, messo in ritmo i compagni (Jalen Duren dovrebbe fagli una statua…), leggendo in modoappropriatoritmi e spaziature.
Cade Cunningham non ha bisogno di segnare per incidere, è quel tipo di giocatore davvero poco egoista, che fa rispendere i compagni. All-aroud dalla tecnica sopraffina, tratta bene la palla, può agire in modonaturale come portatore primario, ma sa anche muoversi lontano dalla palla. Il tirodafuori, appunto, continua a essere altalenante. Anche nella sua miglior stagione dal perimetro, non è andato mai oltre il 35%. Se migliora anche in questo fondamentale, può puntare all’MVP, se non come premio in sé stesso (qualcuno tra SanAntonio, OklahomaCity e Denver potrebbe avere qualcosa da ridire), almeno come livello di gioco. Ma Detroit deve continuare a far bene.
Hours after President Donald Trump ripped his national anthem golf swing antics, LeBron James appeared to double down by working on his golf hip turns during Thursday's night's anthem before the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In what was a clear shot back at Trump, LeBron, who wouldn't dare disrespect the Chinese anthem, was seen standing normally during the national anthem before sending a signal back to Trump that sure looked like hip turns that golfers would use during warmups.
The Philadelphia Inquirer called hip turns "stretching." The golf world knows better.
Earlier Thursday, Trump unleashed on the Chinese sympathizer.
"While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country! I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "LeBron James should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!"
This is the video that had Trump, a noted golfer fanatic himself, fuming mad.
During a campaign stop Thursday night, Trump continued to hammer away. "What about LeBron James? Did you see that deal?" Trump asked voters in Iowa. "He's practicing his golf swing. I said, what the hell is that? I don't understand it."
Enes Kanter Freedom has come forward with new allegations regarding the culture of the NBA during his playing career and sent a warning to the WNBA amid his ongoing feud regarding the league's gender eligibility policy.
Freedom's new statements come one day after the WNBA tried to direct him to sit in a private luxury suite at Game 3 of the WNBA Finals in Atlanta instead of the courtside seat he purchased, amid security concerns. The change in arrangement resulted in a highly-publicized encounter with police at the entrance of State Farm Arena, which resulted in Freedom leaving the venue entirely amid disagreements over where he wanted to sit.
Now Freedom is revealing that his former Boston Celtics teammate Dennis Schröder privately questioned LeBron James’ motives as an activist, and that his Celtics teammates once shunned him for making an appearance on Fox News in his final year in the league in 2021.
According to Freedom, he asked Schröder that season what James was like as a teammate and how he viewed James’ public advocacy.
"He said, 'Whatever is LeBron doing is for LeBron.' I was like, enough said. We don't have to say a word anymore. Because, uh, I used to respect him a lot, you know, uh, for what he'd done for Black community. Uh, but when one of his former teammates said, you know, all his advocacy is for, is for LeBron, um, that's where, that's where he lost me."
Freedom also criticized James’ conduct during the national anthem before Philadelphia’s season opener against the Knicks on Tuesday. Video showed James making apparent golf and shooting motions during the performance, prompting criticism from President Donald Trump on Thursday.
"But I mean, everybody knows LeBron James... I call him the dictator of the NBA. And I think President Trump said the best. You know, he disrespects our country and disrespects our flag," Freedom said. "LeBron James is the reason the NBA is woke still. I promise you, once he retires, NBA is not going to be as woke as now."
In terms of the league's "woke" culture, Freedom also recalled an incident in his final year when he was praised for doing a television appearance on CNN, but shunned for going on Fox News to discuss the same topic of human rights abuses in China.
"I actually attended a show on CNN. The next day I walk in the locker room, they were saying, 'Good job last night, we watched your interview, keep doing what you're doing," he said. "The next morning I walk in the locker room, nobody said a word to me. They were not even looking at me. I was getting these dirty looks. I asked one of my teammates, I'm like, what happened?"
Freedom said a teammate explained that the objection was to the outlet carrying his message.
"They said, well, we watched your interview again last night. I'm like, okay. It's not your interviews, it's who you did it with. I walk on the court, one of my assistant coaches came up to me and whisper— he was whispering in my ear, hey man, me and my family watched you last night, good job. I'm like, why are you whispering?"
According to Freedom, the coach feared a backlash of his own.
"He said, because I don't want your teammates to know that I watch Fox News. I was like, why? They said, well, because none of them will talk to me the rest of the year."
Freedom said he explained to teammates that appearing on the network did not mean endorsing a political party, and that he wanted his human rights advocacy to reach a wider audience. But they weren't receptive to that reasoning, he claims.
"In NBA circles, we don't talk about Fox News, we don't watch Fox News, and if you do, you will realize that you are going to get cancelled and you're going to get hated on," Freedom said.
But Freedom also claimed that those beliefs are different in private, for some, claiming that that some players privately support conservative causes and President Donald Trump but conceal those views because they fear how they would be treated.
But Freedom claimed some NBA players privately support conservative causes and Trump while concealing those views because they fear how others would treat them.
"But there are many people actually that supports the conservative movements, supports the Republican Party, uh, many of them actually supports President Trump, but just because of they know that they will get canceled and they will get hated on throughout the whole year, they're just hiding it. I mean, you're not even allowed to say you watch Fox News," Freedom said.
Freedom said he has encountered similar reluctance to speak publicly among former NBA colleagues discussing his current campaign to push the WNBA to explicitly restrict eligibility to biological females.
He said some initially questioned his tactics, but expressed support after he explained his intentions.
"I don't want to give their name because I know, I just know that as soon as I expose their name, then there will be a lot of questions," Freedom said.
According to Freedom, those conversations included players telling him "we cannot help you," while also saying, "but now we understand what you're doing and we support you and we will pray for you."
Freedom also pointed to a podcast conversation with Michael Porter Jr., saying Porter initially had questions about the campaign and understood his position better after they discussed it. He did not identify the other players he said privately supported him.
Meanwhile, Freedom named Kevin Durant, Patrick Beverley, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson among the current and former NBA players he said have criticized him, challenging them to discuss their disagreements directly.
"Invite me to your podcast and let's sit down and talk. And let me explain to you why am I doing the things that I'm doing. Don't just go on Twitter. Don't just go on social media and just tweet about it. You know how to, you know, you have my number."
His campaign to join the WNBA has now culminated in two hostile incidents at WNBA arenas after he was ejected from a Chicago Sky game in August, and then faced police resistance while trying to enter State Farm Arena on Wednesday night.
Freedom said one of the reasons that sitting courtside on Wednesday was so important to him was because he wanted to make sure that his shirt, which read "What is a woman?" would be as visible as possible during the game. Asked whether he wanted television cameras to capture his "What is a woman?" shirt from courtside, he acknowledged that visibility was part of his thinking.
"I mean, that was one of the reasons maybe. My main reason was I wanted to support the WNBA," he said.
But he said accepting the suite was never an option.
"They were trying to put me in a prison box. And I mean, everyone knows me that I'm not going to bow down or kneel to someone who is trying to silence me," Freedom said.
The Atlanta Dream and State Farm Arena said the arrangement responded to safety concerns Freedom himself had raised with authorities and basketball officials. They said the suite would have additional security and was intended to protect him and other guests.
Although Freedom objected to being surrounded by police at the entrance, he acknowledged that the officers treated him courteously.
"They were very, actually very kind. They were trying to do their job, and I was being very very nice to them as well," he said. "This is not their fault."
He nevertheless rejected suggestions that he should have accepted the seating arrangement or handled the encounter more diplomatically.
"I think I handled everything perfectly," he said.
Freedom also pushed back against accusations that his campaign is a publicity stunt, pointing to threats he said included references to Charlie Kirk’s shooting.
"I think people need to understand I'm getting death threats every hour. I mean, I showed you that the text messages, you know, yesterday that people are sending me pictures and videos of the moment that Charlie Kirk got shot and said, you are next," he said.
"So I'm not that crazy. I'm not going to put my life on risk just to get attention."
Freedom said the campaign would end if the WNBA explicitly restricted eligibility to biological females. The league has already declared Freedom and fellow former NBA player Royce White ineligible, while its collective bargaining agreement limits participation to women without specifying sex assigned at birth.
"I'm literally telling the league that define what a woman is, or add the word biological in your collective bargaining next to the word female. I will disappear the next day," Freedom said.
But he said he was finished initiating further discussions with league officials.
"If they would like to sit down and have a conversation with me, listen, I love diplomacy," he said. "But I'm done reaching out. So if they would like to reach out, uh, go ahead. You have my number."
Despite the league’s eligibility determination, Freedom said he still intends to attend the next draft and continue preparing for it. He also claimed the campaign could expand to include additional male professional players, whom he did not identify.
"If they don't draft me and if they don't change the rules, now they have to deal with 6 other male professional players," he said.
President Donald Trump called on LeBron James to apologize Thursday after video showed the Philadelphia 76ers star moving his arms and practicing shooting motions during the national anthem.
LeBron James is officially back in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump over his performative antics during the national anthem during his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers this week.
James, who has turned into something of a golf addict, was spotted taking some practice swings in his new 76ers gear as the rest of the team stood respecting the anthem during Tuesday's game against the defending NBA champions.
"While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country! I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE. LeBron James should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!" the President wrote Thursday in a Truth Social post.
This isn't the first time James has pulled this stunt. Last year, on Christmas Day, while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, he went through the same golf swing routine.
It's no secret that Trump isn't a fan of James. Earlier this year, the president said why he believes Michael Jordan was better than James.
"Michael Jordan is a guy that's a friend of mine, play golf with him. He's a really good guy. And I think LeBron is, maybe he's a racist, but maybe he doesn't like Trump, I don't know. But I only like people that like me. So, I would say Michael Jordan all the way," the president said.
LeBron's history of anthem antics
In October 2019, as James was embroiled in drama surrounding his loving support of China, he pulled this stunt during the anthem. "LeBron is READY," the NBA on ESPN Twitter account proudly tweeted as if it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Do you want more instances of LeBron disrespecting the anthem? Let's fast-forward to 2023 at a USC basketball game featuring his son, Bronny James. That's the drama queen arriving to his seats during the anthem and taking a seat as the rest of the arena shows respect.
Donald Trump torna ad attaccare LeBronJames. Il rapporto tra il presidenteUsa e la star della Nba è sempre stato a dir poco teso. Questa volta Trump ha criticato James sul suo social Truth: “È una vergogna. Dovrebbe chiedere scusa”. Il motivo? Il comportamento del cestista durante l’inno nazionale americano suonato prima del match al Madison Square Garden tra i New York Knicks e Philadelphia76ers, poi vinta dai Sixers 106 a 100, con James che ha messo a segno 14 punti.
Un video mostra LeBron James che durante l’inno prima sembra mimare con le mani il gesto del golf e poi un tiro a canestro. Trump ha subito colto l’occasione per attaccarlo: “Mentre ascolta il nostro inno nazionale, LeBron James manca di rispetto al nostro Paese”, ha scritto. Per poi insultare: “L’ho detto fin dall’inizio: non vale nulla, è una vergognatotale. LeBron James dovrebbe chiedere scusa a tutti quei grandi guerrieri ed eroiamericani che sono morti per la bandiera americana e per tutto ciò che il nostro Paese rappresenta”.
LeBron James già dieci annifa fu tra le prime star dello sport americano a criticareTrump, durante la campagna elettorale, in particolare per le sue frasi sulle donne e poi per aver fatto tornare “di moda” l’odio in America. Nel 2017 difese la scelta di StephenCurry di rifiutare l’invito di Trump, scrivendo: “Andare alla Casa Bianca era un grande onore finché non sei arrivato tu”. Nel 2018 arrivò il primo affondo di Trump, che dopo un’intervista di James commentò: “”Lo hanno fatto sembrare intelligente, non facile”. L’ostilità è proseguita anche nel secondo mandato: il 24 luglio scorso, rispondendo a una domanda sul confronto tra James e Jordan, Trump ha definito LeBron “razzista“.
The LeBron James era in Los Angeles is officially in the rearview mirror, and Luka Doncic wasted no time introducing himself as the new face of the city.
Ahead of Wednesday night's season opener against the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers' superstar made an instant impression on everyday fans before even stepping onto the court.
Doncic bought out an entire parking lot outside Crypto.com Arena to give fans free parking and teamed up with Metro Bike Share to hand out free rides across Los Angeles all day long.
If you have ever tried driving into downtown Los Angeles on a game night, you know parking alone can feel like a shakedown.
Dropping 50 bucks just to leave your car on cracked asphalt for three hours is enough to ruin an evening before it even starts.
Anyone hoping Luka's generosity would carry over to the concession stands inside would be sorely disappointed. Free beer is definitely not on the menu, and you are still going to pay 20 dollars for a draft and 10 bucks for a soda once you clear security.
Taking a family of four to a ballgame is still a heavy hit on the bank account. Still, the gesture sends a clear message that this is Luka's team now.
For years, Lakers basketball was the LeBron show, complete with all the celebrity drama, roster turnover, and constant circus that came with it. With James gone, the keys to the most famous franchise in basketball belong entirely to Doncic.
Coming off a frustrating hamstring injury that cut his 2025-26 season short, he enters this fresh campaign with an enormous chip on his shoulder and the weight of 17 championship banners on his back.
Free parking and pedal bikes build quick goodwill, but hanging banner 18 is the only thing that truly matters. Wednesday night against Golden State is just the opening chapter of the Luka era.
The president called for the return of Stephen James Hubbard, a Michigan teacher seized from his home in Ukraine months after Russia invaded that country.
A new NBA season tips off this Tuesday, bringing with it the league’s galaxy of stars, from Jalen Brunson, Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić to veterans LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
President Donald Trump's administration has taken the unusual step of searching Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar's home in Washington, just three weeks before the midterm election.
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