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 NBA slapped new Boston Celtics forward Paul George with a meager $2,000 fine for flopping during Tuesday’s 121-113 season-opening loss to the Detroit Pistons, the league announced Wednesday.
The penalty stemmed from a fourth-quarter sequence with roughly three minutes remaining in regulation. Pushing the ball in transition, George made contact with Detroit guard Duncan Robinson before dramatically collapsing to the floor in an Oscar-worthy attempt to bait a whistle.
On-court officials swallowed their whistles in real time, but the league office retroactively assessed the violation upon postgame video review.
Under NBA regulations, postgame flopping penalties begin at $2,000 on an escalating scale. For a superstar commanding nearly $50 million this season, the fine amounts to little more than loose couch cushion change.
Tuesday's physical opener frequently devolved into a four-quarter flop-fest with players repeatedly hitting the deck on contested shots, yet George was somehow the only player singled out to receive an invoice from league officials.
The slap on the wrist capped an otherwise strong Celtics debut for the nine-time All-Star, who was putting on an absolute clinic.
George poured in 38 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the floor, including 7-of-12 from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds, five steals, and three assists in 31 minutes, breaking the franchise record for points in a Boston debut previously held by Kristaps Porzingis.
George's individual performance was ultimately spoiled by Boston's collapse. The Celtics squandered a 22-point advantage, largely undone by a sickening 23-0 Detroit run in the fourth quarter led by Robinson and Cade Cunningham.
With Jayson Tatum struggling through a dismal 6-of-23 shooting performance, George carried the offense until Boston’s execution fell apart in the closing minutes.
Because the flopping infraction carries no suspension, George remains fully cleared to suit up Friday when Boston hosts his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis is away from the team indefinitely and reportedly weighing whether he has a future in basketball.
Porzingis is reportedly dealing with recurring symptoms tied to Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which can cause dizziness and fatigue.
Porzingis addressed speculation about his health in an Oct. 14 post on X.
"I'm working with doctors and experts to figure out how to be fully back to good health asap," he wrote, adding that he was "getting better and better." He also said it had been "frustrating dealing with some health stuff that you can't exactly pinpoint," alongside injuries throughout his career, and jokingly swatted online rumors on his health, posting, "I don’t have HIV or AIDS."
As Porzingis considers his future, Golden State is reportedly exploring trade options. The Warriors signed him to a two-year, $40 million extension over the summer. He is owed $20 million this season, but only $3 million of his $20 million salary for next season is guaranteed.
The Warriors declined to comment on trade speculation or reports about Porzingis’ health. The team said conversations with Porzingis and his representatives would remain private and that it did not expect him to be around the team in the immediate future.
The New York Knicks selected Porzingis fourth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. He later played for the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks before joining Golden State.
His best season came with Boston in 2023-24, when he averaged 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds and helped the Celtics win the NBA title. He is also a 2018 All-Star.
Boston traded him to Atlanta in 2025 after he played 99 regular-season games over two seasons with the Celtics. The deal helped the team reduce payroll and avoid second-apron restrictions.
Porzingis’ contract could appeal to a team looking to shed longer-term salary: It could acquire him in a trade, then waive him next summer before the rest of his salary becomes guaranteed, leaving it responsible for the $3 million guarantee.
His basketball future remains uncertain as he focuses on his health and the Warriors consider their options.
The NBA returned to action yesterday, and I had two plays for us, and we started perfectly with wins in both games. It won't always be a rosy outlook, but it was nice to get off to a good start in the NBA. We had the appetizer of three great games yesterday, and today we have 11 different matchups to choose from. The first one I have circled is on ESPN as the Timberwolves take on the Heat.
The Minnesota Timberwolves should probably be given a little bit of credit for all of the tinkering they've done with their roster over the years. We see a lot of teams build a roster and then leave it alone for a few years to see if it will work out. The Timberwolves have given their team a chance, and then they adjust based on the results of the squad. For example, they've traded for Rudy Gobert, then they traded away Karl-Anthony Towns when the pairing didn't work. They realized they needed a point guard, and they traded for LaMelo Ball in the offseason.
The problem with the trade is that they got rid of one of their best players, Naz Reid, in the deal. He will be missed off the bench and in key moments. However, Ball should make the offense look a little more dynamic. Ball has plenty of flaws. He has terrible shot selection, seems to be a complete disaster on defense in isolation situations, and he is injury-prone. There is no denying his talent, though. When his shot is falling, he is elite. He is great in transition, and he will now be a second option to Anthony Edwards, who seems to already really like playing with him.
The Miami Heat come into this game with a new look as well. They still have some key mainstays like Erik Spoelstra as their coach. I've removed any doubt about his abilities. He seems to find a way to get things to work regardless of who he has on the roster. That doesn't mean they always win, but he certainly gets the most out of his team. Pat Riley is also willing to shake things up as he tries to get the team back to championship contention.
There is no doubt they are close again because they added one of the best players in basketball in the offseason with Giannis Antetokounmpo coming to the team. Giannis will now be the offensive force for the team. If you're going to question anything about the roster, the main question should be: where will the shooting come from? No one on the roster, outside of Klay Thompson, is a great 3-point shooter, and he is on the wrong side of his career to be relied on. Probably the same with Tim Hardaway Jr.
The Heat might have the best defensive five in basketball. Davion Mitchell is an elite defender, even if he doesn't get much recognition for it. Thompson and Wiggins have both likely lost a step, but both are still good defenders. Giannis and Bam are potential Defensive Player of the Year candidates. It is a bit hard to take the under in this game because the Timberwolves could absolutely be an offensive force, and no one really will stop Giannis on their team, but I think the Heat defense, plus the lack of 3-point shooting from Miami, give the under 238.5 a good shot.
The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries left the court for the national anthem before the first two games of the WNBA Finals, despite a provision in the league’s own rulebook calling for players to stand and line up during the performance.
Now the NBA has joined the WNBA and both teams in leaving OutKick’s questions about those absences unanswered.
OutKick contacted NBA Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass on Tuesday.
The inquiry asked about the NBA’s role in the matter, possible discipline and whether the teams would be instructed to be present for the anthem before Wednesday’s Game 3.
The NBA did not respond by the deadline. The WNBA and both teams also have not answered OutKick’s repeated inquiries.
NBA asked about its role in WNBA anthem enforcement
The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook calls for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up along the sidelines or foul line during the national anthem.
OutKick asked Bass whether the NBA has a role in overseeing or enforcing that provision, or whether enforcement is solely the WNBA’s responsibility.
We also asked whether NBA Commissioner Adam Silver or anyone at the NBA league office had discussed the absences with WNBA leadership and, if so, what guidance had been provided.
Additional questions covered whether either team had received an exemption, whether discipline was planned or under consideration, and whether the teams would be instructed to be on the court for Game 3.
The NBA was given until the end of Tuesday to respond.
Bass’s responsibilities span both leagues. His 2026 Sports PR Summit biography says he oversees public relations, including basketball and business communications, for the NBA and WNBA, among other leagues.
Bass previously issued an NBA statement on anthem policy
In February 2021, Bass issued an official NBA statement reiterating the league’s requirement that teams play the national anthem.
The statement said "all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy."
That statement addressed playing the anthem. OutKick’s current questions concern whether WNBA teams must be on the court during the performance.
Before Saturday’s WNBA Finals opener and Monday’s Game 2, both teams left the floor ahead of the anthem and returned within seconds of the performance ending.
OutKick contacted the WNBA, Dream and Valkyries after Game 1 and followed up with all three Sunday, asking about the absences, the league’s anthem requirements and plans for Game 2.
After both teams were absent again Monday, OutKick followed up with all three Tuesday, seeking explanations and asking about plans for Game 3.
OutKick attended five pregame and postgame press conferences Saturday, plus both coaches’ pregame and postgame press conferences Monday. OutKick was not called on to ask a question at any of the nine sessions.
LeBron James played spoiler against the New York Knicks on their championship banner night in his first game of his unprecedented 24th NBA season, but not before getting into a war of words with a fan.
Late in the second quarter, Jalen Brunson was shooting free throws as the brand-new Philadelphia 76ers star got heated with someone sitting near the sidelines.
It's not clear what provoked James to get angry, but it seems like it had to do with where he's from and/or previously lived.
"Ain't nothing soft in the Midwest, I don't know what the f--- you talking about," James, an Akron, Ohio, native said.
The conversation took a turn when James, who just got finished playing eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, mentioned what is now his former home.
"I'm not from the west coast, I'm from Ohio baby. I'm not a midwest kid - I'm an Ohio baby. F--- is you talking about?"
The NBC broadcast, via the New York Post, said that the exchange came as fans were taunting James over his helicopter use, which has become rather controversial. James’ brand deal with Fanatics includes use of the company’s corporate aviation, and he has been using it to commute from his new home in New York to Philadelphia for practices.
James recently said it was "just another way of transportation."
During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made clear that there was no reason to be concerned about either the arrangement between James and Fanatics or potential salary-cap circumvention.
"He has a deal with Fanatics," Silver said just hours before the Detroit Pistons rallied for a comeback win over the Boston Celtics to tip off the new season. " . . . Part of his deal is they're going to supply a helicopter to him as long as it's just a deal between the Fanatics and LeBron and no team is involved; there's no rules issue there whatsoever."
Naturally, James' first game of the season was at Madison Square Garden, so he had a much shorter commute.
After signing with the Sixers in free agency, James decided his primary residence would be in the country's largest city. He is not the first NBA player to do so while playing for Philadelphia. Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick also lived in New York during his two seasons with the Sixers. But James’ decision to make the routine trip by helicopter has drawn particular attention.
Former NBA player Royce White says he plans to explore legal avenues against the WNBA after Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Congress that he and Enes Kanter Freedom are ineligible to play because they are men.
White told OutKick that Engelbert’s response does not resolve his challenge to the league’s eligibility standards, calling on the WNBA to explain how it defines men and women.
"We plan to explore every legal avenue possible to hold the WNBA and NBA community to their stated standards and values," White said.
Asked whether Engelbert’s letter had officially triggered a previously discussed discrimination lawsuit, White said he could not discuss particulars. He did not announce a filing or provide a timetable for taking legal action.
The dispute centers on White’s and Freedom’s efforts to enter the 2027 WNBA draft after declaring that they identify as women. During the interview, White agreed when asked whether his declaration was "for basketball purposes."
In an Oct. 16 letter responding to Republican lawmakers, Engelbert stated the league’s position directly.
"With respect to your questions regarding eligibility, only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men," Engelbert wrote.
The response followed a Sept. 17 inquiry from Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., and four Republican colleagues asking how the WNBA defines "women" under its collective bargaining agreement and why White and Freedom had been deemed ineligible. The lawmakers requested answers by Oct. 16.
The agreement states that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," but does not specify language concerning gender identity or sex assigned at birth, Front Office Sports reported in August.
Engelbert’s response did not supply a definition of "women" or explain the criteria used to classify White and Freedom as men.
White said that distinction remains central to his challenge.
"No, we’re not letting them off that easy," he said when asked whether Engelbert’s statement represented a step in the right direction.
"She has to define, and the WNBA has to define, what a man and a woman is and why."
White also called for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to address the dispute.
White described himself as a longtime fan of women’s basketball, saying he grew up watching older female relatives play sports and learned from local girls’ basketball players.
"I’m a fan of the WNBA. I think the women have come a long way," White said. "I’d love to see it not as politicized as it is, because I think it takes away from the beauty of the game."
White added that he has been watching the WNBA Finals and is considering attending games, although he declined to identify which ones, citing security concerns.
"I have my eyes on a few games for sure, and I’ve been watching," he said, describing himself as "scoping the competition."
Instead of quietly eating the reprint bill, the Knicks posted the evidence and let the internet have its way with them. Then again, misprints make fortunes in coin collecting. Maybe MSG didn't blow the giveaway so much as hand 20,000 fans a collector's item.
For good measure, they also hung their NBA Cup banner to crowd the rafters.
When that 2025-26 banner finally joins 1970 and 1973 to mark the franchise's third championship, it officially closes a miserable half-century drought, cementing this team into New York sports immortality.
Keeping that crown will be a nightmare. The East got a lot meaner over the summer, headlined by LeBron James taking his talents to Philadelphia. LeBron hunting one last ring with the Sixers feels cooked up specifically to ruin New York's party.
For now, the Knicks are on top of the basketball world.
The helicopter that new 76ers superstar LeBron James uses to commute between New York and Philadelphia remains a topic of conversation in NBA circles. Just ahead of the league’s 2026-27 season, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver characterized the Fanatics-branded aircraft and the financial structure of the arrangement as "perfectly appropriate."
James played in the Sixers’ preseason finale Friday and was asked about the chatter surrounding his preferred method of travel on days when he needs to commute from the team’s facility to New York City.
"Yeah, I’ve done it before," and described the rotorcraft as "just another way of transportation."
Fanatics, which was founded by former 76ers minority owner Michael Rubin, is covering the costs associated with transporting James on the roughly 40-minute, one-way trip.
According to multiple reports, James’ estimated commute costs for Sixers home games are expected to total just under $1 million this season, depending on how often he uses the helicopter. The Athletic calculated that flying James to and from 41 home games at $4,000 per flight would create a $328,000 tab. That figure does not include trips for practices, though it also does not account for flight cancellations.
In 2022, Rubin said he decided to sell his stake to "ensure our new businesses don’t conflict with my responsibilities as part-owner of the Sixers."
Rubin said in June 2022 that he decided to sell his stake "to ensure our new businesses don’t conflict with my responsibilities as part-owner of the Sixers." Rubin was part of the ownership group that purchased the 76ers for an estimated $290 million in 2011. But as Fanatics expanded into sports betting and other business ventures, Rubin decided it was time to sell his estimated 10% stake in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment.
Rubin continues to be a self-described "life-long fan" of the team.
During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," Silver made clear that there was no reason to be concerned about either the arrangement between James and Fanatics or potential salary-cap circumvention.
"He has a deal with Fanatics," Silver said just hours before the Detroit Pistons rallied for a comeback win over the Boston Celtics to tip off the new season. " . . . Part of his deal is they're going to supply a helicopter to him as long as it's just a deal between the Fanatics and LeBron and no team is involved; there's no rules issue there whatsoever."
After signing with the Sixers in free agency, James decided his primary residence would be in the country's largest city. He is not the first NBA player to do so while playing for Philadelphia. Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick also lived in New York during his two seasons with the Sixers. But James’ decision to make the routine trip by helicopter has drawn particular attention.
After 76ers practice has wrapped and news conferences are underway, James’ teammates have occasionally paused and laughed as the noise from his helicopter taking off from the roof of the team’s business center briefly drowns out their responses.
The 76ers visit Madison Square Garden to face the reigning champion New York Knicks Tuesday night.
While most fans in the stands at Madison Square Garden are looking forward to the New York Knicks lifting their first NBA title banner in 53 years on Tuesday night, there will be a minority excited for this new chapter with the Philadelphia 76ers, which will feature the league’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, during the 2026-27 season.
Expectations are just as high in Philadelphia as they are in New York this season, especially with James joining the likes of Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe on a team that could do damage in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks are still the team to beat – they are the reigning champions after all – out of the East, but the 76ers are another early-season favorite to win the conference because of the star power.
We’ve seen so-called "super teams" come and go throughout sports, and James was a part of one that ended up seeing success with one during his Miami Heat years. Could the same thing occur in Year 24 in the NBA, this time in Philly?
Either way, one NBA legend believes this is a dream scenario for the league, granted things turn out the way they’re supposed to on paper.
"Lebron in Philly is exactly the kind of storyline that the league thrives on," Carmelo Anthony told OutKick, while highlighting his role in DraftKings new campaign for the NBA season. "You got a guy who’s done everything in this game of basketball. He’s now in a new city with a hungry, starving fan base that was almost there a couple of seasons ago. So, that didn’t go anywhere. They’re not so far beyond that point. They still understand the process.
"So, if they figure it out with the fit and time, they figure it out early, to me that’s important. They’re a problem for everyone in the East, including New York. Because they’re not going to let off the gas if they are healthy."
James figures to be a catalyst of sorts in this 76ers juggernaut, though there are questions surrounding his regular-season availability – he turns 42 in December – and what role he will play given the All-Star options around him.
As we saw with the Los Angeles Lakers, James didn’t mind wearing different hats. He played the leading scorer role if needed, facilitated as a pseudo point guard in some cases, and simply moved around the court to allow space for another star that was getting hot on the offensive end.
Philadelphia has 5 strong scorers when they tip off on Tuesday night in Manhattan, which is why the thought of this team fully healthy throughout the season is intriguing.
It’s also why some believe James is simply setting himself up for one more final push for a fifth NBA title ring. This group, in his eyes, is ready to make that run, so could this be his final year in the NBA?
"Now, I haven’t spoken to him about that part of it. But I would say just observing from afar and comprehending where he’s at mentally, he loves the game of basketball," Anthony replied when asked that exact questions. "He also loves challenges, right? I think this is a challenge that he distilled into himself that he’s willing to take on. He understands that this is Year 20-something in the league, and he’s not going to be able to do it the way [he did in the past]. He understands all of that. I don’t think he’s coming into Philly with that mentality.
"I think he’s coming I with, ‘I know I have a high-impact guard in Tyrese [Maxey]. I know I have a high-impact shooting guard in Jaylen Brown on both sides of the basketball. I know I have, when healthy, arguably the best big man in the game of basketball in Joel Embiid.’ He’s seeing all of these pieces – we got a young, explosive V.J. Edgecombe that he’s going to get better from an intellect standpoint. He’s going to learn the little intricacies of the game of basketball that LeBron understands. He’s going to teach that to him.
"I just like Philly, if they get it right and the fit and time, and they get it right early, they’ll be in the driver’s seat."
STAYING MELO WITH DRAFTKINGS
While Anthony is looking forward to what the Knicks do this season, he’s excited for his partnership with DraftKings and being a part of its campaign ahead of the season.
"We got a great campaign, man. Myself, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas. We really came together, and I got to give a shoutout to DraftKings and that creative team for putting that concept together," he said. "The beauty in that is the fact that we can have more fun with DraftKings because it’s in all 50 states now, which is major. I just love the fact that more people are involved, and more people can have fun with the game of basketball in this sense, and just sports in general. I love that."
Anthony called it a "beautiful thing" being able to work alongside Hart and Jonas for the campaign, which he is excited for fans to see.
With DraftKings available in all 50 states, the campaign revolves around Hart and Jonas traveling throughout the country, where car troubles can happen. As the tow truck figures out their situation, Anthony is waiting with his own car problems in the clip as he tries to get the word out about DraftKings.
I have always felt that, above any other league, the NBA does a great job of trying to provide the best matchups on the biggest days. The NBA Opening Day brings three phenomenal games. The first is between the Celtics and Pistons, and the last one of the night is between the Spurs and Thunder. Sandwiched between the two games is this one between the 76ers and the Knicks.
The Philadelphia 76ers are most people's pick to win the Eastern Conference this season. Their additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James are the main cause of all of the excitement. Adding those two players to the lineup with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe gives them arguably the best starting lineup in the league. Their bench is a bit thin, with just Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as the main players. This team isn't built for the regular season; they are built for the playoffs.
There is obviously a long way to go before we get there. There will almost certainly be a learning period for the team to play together. There are now four guys on the team who could be the leading scorer for the team if they got the opportunity. There will be some questions about matchups and defense. There will be some struggles trying to play together. Those may come out tonight against a team with continuity and even more reason to be excited.
The New York Knicks are raising a banner tonight and receiving their rings. That alone will make the entire fanbase of Madison Square Garden go nuts. This team has already captured the hearts of New York, and tonight is the final marker of the celebration from last year's championship. The Knicks have a deep starting lineup with Jalen Brunson being the superstar. Karl-Anthony Towns is still an elite option, and his backup, Andre Drummond, will help the team maintain some strength when he goes to the bench. I like him more than Mitchell Robinson, to be honest.
I am most interested in seeing how the team responds after the opening ceremony. When the ball goes up for tip-off, it will essentially be the same as any other time. The Knicks have the edge in terms of familiarity. That helps quite a bit in basketball, but the big issue for them in this will be on defense. Teams have tried to exploit Brunson on defense for years, but against the 76ers, no matter who he guards, they will have the advantage.
The NBA Preseason doesn't always give us much insight, but I think there might be some opportunity for us to look into how the 76ers did their substitutions. They were trying to keep two of the four- James, Brown, Embiid, and Maxey- on the floor at all times. The Knicks might have a lot of adrenaline coming into the quarter, but I think the rotations for the 76ers, and being a bit amped up, might cause them to not shoot all that well. I think the total of 60.5 points in the first quarter is just a bit too high for this one. Give me the under 60.5 in the first quarter.
The NBA is here, and I am like a kid in a candy store. The NBA is my favorite league, and basketball is my favorite sport. This also means that all four leagues are in action starting now. The World Series is on Friday, the NFL is on Thursday, and the NBA and NHL play every day. This is the best time of the sports year. College basketball will join the fray shortly, and of course, college football is in action. This afternoon, the NBA season kicks off with the Boston Celtics playing the Detroit Pistons.
The Boston Celtics are at a bit of a crossroads. Last season, they were up 3-1 on the 76ers before they lost the final three games, including a game at home, and were knocked out of the playoffs. How did the Celtics respond to that loss? They decided it was time for them to part with a superstar, Jaylen Brown. In fairness, Brown was expressing discontent with the organization and clearly didn't want to be partnered with Jayson Tatum.
The Celtics made a clear choice, and now they have to live with it. Tatum will now be in his first full season after tearing his Achilles in the playoffs a couple of years ago. Tatum shouldn't have any struggle with being the top option on the team. However, he has always had excellent secondary options. I'm not sure Paul George or Derrick White will be at the same level as what he had with Brown. Mitchell Robinson should help the defense and rebounding, but he's injured regularly. This could be a tough year for Boston.
The Detroit Pistons lost 68 games in the 2023-24 season. Take a second read of that sentence. They lost 68 games in one season. They won 44 games the next year and made the playoffs. Last season, they won 60 games and a playoff series. The next step forward would be to win another series in the playoffs and make the Eastern Conference Finals. Cade Cunningham is the leader of this team, and his health pretty much dictates how well this team will do.
The Pistons are relatively deep as a club. They have elite shooting from deep with Duncan Robinson. Ausar Thompson is one of the better young forwards in the league. He needs to take a big step forward this season on offense if the team wants to improve from last year. John Collins will add some rebounding and athleticism, but he isn't as good a shooter as Tobias Harris. Jalen Duren was signed to a long-term deal, but there are still talks about trades for Domantas Sabonis.
For tonight's game, the line has moved in favor of the Celtics, and I'm just not sure that I see it. I don't think the Celtics are that impressive a team. They have the advantage with Paul George, but I think the interior of Detroit is better than the interior of Boston. I'm going to back the Pistons on the moneyline here. Sharp money says otherwise, so it is a risk, but I think them at home, with a better interior, against a team with two new starting lineup pieces is a better look. Give me Detroit.
The NBA ruled that the team circumvented salary cap rules with Kawhi Leonard, resulting in the forfeiture of five first-round picks from 2029 through 2033, and owner Steve Ballmer has been suspended from team activities for a year.
More often than not, especially considering the NBA Draft is only two rounds, those franchise-altering players are found in those first 30 picks. And for the Clippers, who missed the playoffs and traded away their best player in Leonard, it will be even tougher without potential lottery picks.
Now, the team must think longer and harder when attempting to find a hidden "gem," said former Clipper Baron Davis.
"I think for the Clippers, the next five years are going to be super important around how they stay competitive, how they develop the young guys that they can get. And then it's really going to be a big burden placed on free agency and then also scouting, right? Where can you find a gem that you can't find in the draft? Where can you take a chance on someone who may not have performed as a high pick three years later and bring them in and develop them?" Davis told Fox News in a recent interview.
"So, it does put you somewhere behind the eight ball when it comes to getting better through the draft, finding that [Victor Wembanyama], AJ Dybantsa, [Kevin Durant], right? LeBron [James], like getting those picks. And so, what the Clippers must do is figure out which direction - and I think over the next two years, we'll start seeing which direction they want to go, as far as do they want to get young and take chances, or are they good enough now to really just rely on free agency to put them back into playoff contention?"
Given the situation, it might be a safe bet to bet against the Clippers over the next few seasons, which is always one way for fans to stay tuned into the action. That’s why Davis has recently partnered with Fanatics, whose sportsbook is offering its Fair Play pledge for injury protection and $1 million in FanCash.
"For a lot of fans who feel like they have a certain expertise or a certain feeling about a player or a team, now you can actually place your bet, right, and place your wager and be a part of a jackpot or be a part of a transactional bet that rewards you for your expertise," Davis said.
"We live in a time now where basketball — sports in general, but specifically basketball — is on a global stage, and that means so many people have access to our game and are watching our game. And so it gives the fans an opportunity to really just gamify their participation while watching as well."
The fan experience, though, will still be tough to top the New York City celebrations from this past summer, when the New York Knicks brought home their first title since 1973. Davis’ time with the Knicks was short, but he knew what type of magic could occur in the Big Apple.
"I knew what the Knicks brand was about because I was next to Jeremy Lin during Linsanity, and so that was really a snapshot of what could potentially happen," Davis said.
"When you look at New York, it's an international market, right? There's a diverse community of people that are well represented, and culture is well represented and respected in New York. And so when you get a run like that in a city like that, it unites people from all walks of life, and it just shows you the power of sports and what sports can do for a city."
Carmelo Anthony can’t wait for Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, as he watches Jalen Brunson and the rest of the New York Knicks receive their long-awaited NBA title rings, and even better, watching a banner fly to the rafters for the first time in 53 years.
In fact, Anthony, who will be working the NBC Sports desk as part of their NBA crew, has to stop himself from prepping like he’s the one on the court wearing his No. 7 jersey again for the Knicks.
"A game like tomorrow – opening night, ring night, banner night. Like right now, I’m preparing myself to get ready for the game like I’m about to go play," he told OutKick, while highlighting his partnership with DraftKings ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.
"And I have to pinch myself, like, ‘Yo bro, you ain’t getting back out there. You’re good on this side.’ Just the fact that I can still be in tuned to the game of basketball like that, and more importantly, to moments and still feel what those moments actually feel like.
"I can imagine what will be going through those guys’ minds tomorrow, the adrenaline that will be pumping through them. Because winning one is a dream – we all dream of winning one. You don’t play this game without dreaming of winning a championship."
This past summer felt like a dream for millions of New Yorkers and others in the surrounding area who were all pulling for the Knicks to break their championship drought. It felt like destiny, from the OG Anunoby tip-in to win Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, to the other key moments in their playoff run that Anthony and many other former Knicks had great seats for at The Garden.
But now, Anthony knows what comes with the title territory: everyone is hunting for the crown.
"Defending it is a job," Anthony said. "So, nobody’s sneaking up on anybody anymore. That banner is going up there and the target goes on [the backs of the Knicks] instantly. Every team is going to circle the Knicks on the schedule, so that price of being champs in New York. You better embrace it and it’s going to be a fun ride."
The ride this past season was one Anthony didn’t want to get off. He admitted watching the team at first felt like he was a player all over again – until he realized he needed to just enjoy the moment like the rest of his peers and all Knicks fans hoping things would end with the Larry O’Brien Trophy being hoisted.
"I was putting myself into those moments and kind of thinking from a mental standpoint like, ‘What would I do here? What play?’ I was playing those games in my head, and then after a while I was like, ‘No, Melo, what are you doing? Just be a fan,’" he said. "So, I started to turn that part of my brain off and operating that way. To be a fan of basketball and the New York Knicks and of the players that were out there representing. It’s a beautiful thing, because as a former player, I love those moments. I live for those moments. The tip-in was like – ah! That was a moment! Jalen Brunson’s three was a moment. So, I understand what the Garden feels like in those moments, but that moment right there was special."
A new season brings new opportunity for not just the Knicks, but every NBA team hoping this will be their year. The Knicks have the crown, but teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, who will have LeBron James and Jaylen Brown suiting up for their first regular-season game with them in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, gunning for the title.
"When you know you have the crown, you’re not going to let anybody knock that crown off," Anthony said. "No matter what we gotta do, no matter how we gotta do it, no matter how hard it is to maintain this crown, we gotta do what we gotta do. And I think that’s the mentality coming into this season. Also, I think each individual player had to get better at something and get stronger in their weaknesses this offseason. If they did that, again, that’s the championship mindset.
"If they’re coming back like that, New York is the team to beat."
While Anthony is looking forward to what the Knicks do this season, he’s excited for his partnership with DraftKings and being a part of its campaign ahead of the season.
"We got a great campaign, man. Myself, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas. We really came together, and I got to give a shoutout to DraftKings and that creative team for putting that concept together," he said. "The beauty in that is the fact that we can have more fun with DraftKings because it’s in all 50 states now, which is major. I just love the fact that more people are involved, and more people can have fun with the game of basketball in this sense, and just sports in general. I love that."
Anthony called it a "beautiful thing" being able to work alongside Hart and Jonas for the campaign, which he is excited for fans to see.
With DraftKings available in all 50 states, the campaign revolves around Hart and Jonas traveling throughout the country, where car troubles can happen. As the tow truck figures out their situation, Anthony is waiting with his own car problems in the clip as he tries to get the word out about DraftKings.
Brandon Miller, the No. 2 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, received a lucrative contract extension from the Charlotte Hornets heading into his fourth season in the league.
Miller, coming off a career year with the Hornets, agreed to a five-year, $209 million extension, per The Associated Press.
The 23-year-old averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game last year, while also dealing with a shoulder injury. The guard/forward has tallied 19 points and 4.6 rebounds per game across his three seasons.
With LaMelo Ball traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of this year, Miller should be expected to take on a larger role for Charlotte during the 2026-27 campaign.
Miller was taken after the San Antonio Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 Draft, but there was a time during his final season at Alabama where Miller’s draft stock was in limbo because of controversy off the court.
Miller was involved in the death of a 23-year-old woman in January 2023, where it was found he transported the murder weapon, a firearm, to former teammate Darius Miles, the legal owner of the gun. Miles then gave the gun to Michael Lynn Davis, who was found guilty of shooting and killing Jamea Harris near The Strip in Tuscaloosa.
While Miller was never accused of any wrongdoing, he drove the gun to the scene where it was taken out of the vehicle by Miles and Davis. Prosecutors presented text messages showing that Miles had asked Miller to bring the gun to the scene.
Miller testified in the capital murder trial last year, admitting he did indeed bring the gun in his Dodge Charger to the scene, but said Miles didn’t tell him why he needed it, that he was going to give it to Davis or that a shooting would occur.
Miller also testified that, when gunfire rang out shortly after, two bullets had struck his windshield. He said he was almost hit by the bullets.
Ultimately, Miller was never charged with a crime or offered any special promises or rewards in exchange for cooperating.
Miller was one of four former members of the Alabama men’s basketball program who appeared on the pretrial potential witness list in the case. Davis was someone he knew since he joined the Crimson Tide’s program, being introduced to him through Miles. Davis had hung around the basketball team, which included moments in the locker room with Miles.
Miller was with the Crimson Tide for one season during the 2022-23 campaign before being selected by the Hornets. As news came out about his connection to the shooting, Miller started to face backlash from opposing teams’ fans, with "lock him up" ringing out during a game at South Carolina. He wasn’t fazed, though, dropping 41 points, as well as the game-winner in overtime, in that game.
"We hear the chants," Miller said at the time. "I feel like we really just lean on each other to go to places like that and pull out tough wins."
With Miller cleared of any wrongdoing, his draft stock remained on a top-three path, and the Hornets selected him in hopes that his prowess on the court in college would translate to the NBA.
It certainly has, and Miller has what every professional hopes for after entering the league: a big-time pay day.
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