If the NBA or NHL cancel the rest of their regular seasons because of the coronavirus outbreak and go right to the playoffs when (and if) they resume play, the Westgate SuperBook USA has set first-round matchup odds for gamblers to mull over. The Las Vegas sportsbook issued the odds, […]
Basketball
Chinese Basketball Association Delays Restart, Raising Questions for Leagues Worldwide
The Chinese General Administration of Sport ordered the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) to delay its restart on Tuesday, a decision that doesn’t bode well for the return of other sports leagues across the globe. The CBA had planned to return to play on April 15, then pushed that date back […]
ESPN to Air NBA 2K Esports Tournament with NBA Players
The relationship between the NBA and esports continues to strengthen during the coronavirus pandemic. With the NBA season shuttered indefinitely while America is under quarantine, the league planned a special, players-only esports tournament on the popular hoops video game, NBA 2K. ESPN plans to air the NBA 2K tournament that […]
Michael Jordan Documentary ‘The Last Dance’ Moves Air Date to April
ESPN announced it’s moving up the air date for “The Last Dance”, a 10-part documentary series on basketball legend Michael Jordan. The highly anticipated series on one of the world’s greatest professional athletes will air on Sunday nights starting April 19, 2020. The series will focus on the final championship […]
Devin Booker, Call of Duty, and Starting Five COVID-19 Relief
Before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the NBA season, Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker frequently played video games with friends and family, including the Call of Duty franchise by Activision. Booker recently started a charity called Starting Five COVID-19 Relief to raise coronavirus awareness and to promote social distancing. Booker, 23, […]
Israeli Hoops Star Deni Avdija Potential Lottery Pick in NBA Draft
The Cleveland Cavaliers heavily scouted Israeli basketball star, Deni Avdija of the Maccabi Tel Aviv, who is expected to become a sleeper lottery pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Avdija, a 6-foot-9 swingman, is an excellent shooter who can create his own shot off the dribble and in the post. […]
New York Knicks and Rangers Owner James Dolan Tests Positive for Coronavirus
One of the most-loathed owners in professional sports tested positive for COVID-19. News broke late on Saturday evening that James Dolan, owner of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, has been diagnosed with coronavirus. Dolan, 64, is self-isolating in an undisclosed location. According to a press release, “James […]
Harlem Globetrotters Legend Curly Neal Passes Away at 77
Fred “Curly” Neal brought a tremendous amount of joy and entertainment to millions of fans around the world as a member of the traveling basketball troupe, the Harlem Globetrotters, between 1963 and 1985. Neal passed away Thursday at the age of 77. Neal was a true globe trotter playing in […]
Going Pro: Player of Year Obi Toppin (Dayton) Declares for NBA Draft
The AP Player of the Year, Obi Toppin from the Dayton Flyers, declared himself eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft. Toppin led the Flyers to a 29-2 record and a projected #1 seed in March Madness. Toppin used social media to share his intentions. “I hope everyone is safe and […]
Clippers’ Steve Ballmer Avoids Lawsuits with $400M Forum Purchase
LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer will fork over $400 million in cash for the Forum in Inglewood, California. The purchase, announced Tuesday, paves the way for the Clippers’ new arena at a nearby location, but most of all, it ends Madison Square Garden’s (MSG) contentious legal battle with the City […]
Anthony Edwards Going Pro, Georgia Star to Be No. 1 Pick?
Anthony Edwards, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Georgia, will forgo his NCAA eligibility and declare himself available for the 2020 NBA Draft. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA hasn’t made a final decision on its annual draft, which is typically held in June. Whenever the draft happens, […]
Professional Basketball Players Head to China for CBA Restart
Jeremy Lin, Lance Stephenson, and Sonny Weems are among the professional basketball players heading back to China for an April restart of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The sports league is one of the first to emerge from hiatus after suspending its season due to the coronavirus outbreak. The CBA […]
Basketball Movies: ‘Blue Chips’ with Nick Nolte, Shaq, and Penny
Looking to get your hoops fix without March Madness? Check out “Blue Chips”, a 1994 basketball movie directed by William Friedkin, which features Nick Nolte as head coach Pete Bell from fictional Western University. Bell saw his program fall behind other schools because they were getting killed in the recruiting […]
Sabrina Ionescu Makes First-Team All-American After Bittersweet Season
Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu was unanimously selected to the first team of The Associated Press women’s basketball All-Americans. But while Ionescu’s senior year is one for the record books, it’s also marked by profound grief and unfinished business. Ionescu could have easily joined the professional ranks after her junior year. But […]
NBA Players and Video Games: Ty Jerome Streaming NBA 2K and Fortnite
With the NBA season suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ty Jerome (Phoenix Suns) and Josh Okogie (Minnesota Timberwolves) headed into the virtual world to get their basketball fix on NBA 2K. The Suns streamed the game on Twitch for their fans. Jerome, an avid gamer, recently streamed Fortnite with […]
Kevin Durant and 3 Other Brooklyn Nets Test Positive for Coronavirus
Four members of the Brooklyn Nets, including Kevin Durant, tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). The NBA now as at least seven confirmed cases during the coronavirus outbreak in North America. Only Durant confirmed that he tested positive for coronavirus, and the other three players who are infected remain unknown as […]
Rick Pitino Returns to College Hoops, New Coach of Iona
Rick Pitino will become the new head coach of Iona next season. Pitino, who currently coaches Panathinaikos in Greece, returns to the collegiate ranks for the first time since Louisville fired him in 2017 after 16 seasons due to an FBI investigation regarding a recruiting scandal. Pitino is the only […]
NBA Executives See Mid-to-Late June as Best-Case Scenario for League’s Return
While many sports leagues announced suspensions lasting for a matter of weeks, it is becoming apparent that the coronavirus outbreak may force much longer stoppages. According to ESPN, the NBA is already looking further out, with executives seeing mid-to-late June as the best possible scenario for when the league can […]
NCAA Cancels 2020 March Madness and Frozen Four Due to Coronavirus
The NCAA announced it’s cancelling the March Madness men’s and women’s basketball tournaments due to the growing concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The NCAA also cancelled all remaining winter and spring championships in all sports, at all levels (Divisions I, II, and III) The announcement came several hours after […]
ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC, Big East Cancel Conference Tournaments Due to Coronavirus
On Thursday, five of the Power 5 college basketball conferences opted to cancel their respective conference tournaments in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC suspended all play effective immediately and canceled their conference tournaments. The Big East started a game […]