LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension through the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, his agent announced Wednesday.
Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul said the league-maximum deal makes James the highest-paid player in NBA history.
By mid-January, LeBron James could be the NBA’s scoring king.
The NBA schedule was released Wednesday, all 1,230 games that are set between Oct. 18 and April 9 taking place in four countries with Mexico and France playing host to regular-season contests along with the U.S.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Derrick Henry has been seen jogging on the field with his daughter after practice. Green Bay Packers are once again borrowing kids' bicycles for rides to practice.
The NBA will be off on Election Day.
The league’s schedule for the coming season will have all 30 teams playing on Nov. 7, the night before the midterm elections. The NBA is hoping teams use that night as an opportunity to encourage fans to get out and vote, plus amplify the need for civic engagement.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers have settled the grievance he filed to recoup a portion of last season's salary, a person with knowledge of the details said Monday.
Simmons was seeking a portion of the nearly $20 million that was withheld after he refused to suit up for the 76ers last season.
Pete Carril, the rumpled, cigar-smoking basketball coach who led Princeton to 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, where his teams unnerved formidable opponents and rattled March Madness with old-school fundamentals, died Monday.
Merry Christmas, Memphis. The Grizzlies are in line to be part of that holiday’s NBA showcase for the first time.
Ja Morant and the Grizzlies will face Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the rest of the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors on Dec.
Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.
MOVIES
— In the almost 25 years since Princess Diana died, there has never been any shortage of content examining the enormous impact and intrigue of her short life.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A protester has filed a federal civil lawsuit against the city of San Francisco claiming that a paramedic, under the direction of a police sergeant, injected her against her will with a sedative while she was handcuffed after being removed from a Golden State Warriors championship game for demonstrating in favor of abortion rights.
Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey is being retired across the NBA, a first for the league.
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association announced Thursday that the number worn by the 11-time champion, civil rights activist and person good enough to be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach was being permanently retired by all 30 teams.
A diversity report found the NBA posting nearly across-the-board gains in hiring of minorities and women after a small, one-year dip in its overall grade.
Wednesday’s report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida gave the NBA an overall A grade, with an A-plus for racial hiring and a B-plus for gender hiring.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Bay Area Dragons have added three stars from the Chinese Basketball Association to complete a roster that already contains former NBA players Andrew Nicholson and Myles Powell and the aptly named Big Liu for the inaugural season of the revamped East Asia Super League.
Kevin Durant has again told Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai that he wants to be traded, reiterating a request he first made nearly six weeks ago, a person with knowledge of the matter confirmed Monday night.
After Donald Sterling's racist ramblings were exposed to the world, the NBA moved quickly to banish him from the league.
Sure, the forced sale of the Los Angeles Clippers made Sterling even richer, but it sent a clear signal that such behavior would not be tolerated, even from the guys with the biggest checkbooks.
WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner was convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison for drug possession and smuggling Thursday.
DALLAS (AP) — Former NBA player Iman Shumpert was arrested at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport last weekend for allegedly trying to bring six ounces of cannabis through security.
The police report from the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety shows police were called to a TSA checkpoint at about 3:40 p.m.
BOSTON (AP) — Bill Russell never had to find his voice as an activist. He didn’t know any other way but to speak his mind.
It's what made the winningest athlete in team sports one of the greatest champions of activism.
BOSTON (AP) — Bill Russell redefined how basketball is played, and then he changed the way sports are viewed in a racially divided country.
The most prolific winner in NBA history, Russell marched with Martin Luther King Jr., stood with Muhammad Ali and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.
Reaction from the basketball world and beyond on the death of NBA great and 11-time champion Bill Russell:
Bill Russell hated autographs. Saw no point to them. If he was out dining and got approached by someone asking for his signature, Russell’s usual response was to instead ask the person to join him at the table to have a conversation about life.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — New Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark is learning the NCAA's issues in real time and during a period of sweeping change and uncertainty.
While Monday is Yormark's first day working full-time out of the Big 12 office, leaving behind Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, the ex-CEO of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets has been steadily involved in conference matters since landing his first job in college athletics.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers are being investigated by the NBA for possible tampering in offseason free-agency moves involving James Harden, P.J. Tucker and Danuel House, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Friday night.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — James Harden decided to grow his beard and shear his annual salary in Philadelphia.
Harden signed a deal worth slightly over $68 million, paying him about $33 million this season with a $35 million player option for the 2023-24 season.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have officially agreed to a multi-year contract extension for Monty Williams, the NBA's Coach of the Year last season after leading the franchise to a team-record 64 wins in the regular season.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes emerged Wednesday as the clear favorite in what had been a crowded Democratic field seeking to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, as his nearest rival dropped out and threw his support behind Barnes.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Pelicans second-round draft choice E.J. Liddell has had surgery to repair torn knee ligaments, the team said Tuesday.
The injury to the 6-foot-6 forward from Ohio State occurred during a Summer League game on July 11 against the Atlanta Hawks in Las Vegas.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Wei Chen wants people who visit Philadelphia’s Chinatown to look through the community’s gateway arch and see the residents chatting in Mandarin on the steps to the apartments above or the vendors selling traditional Chinese food to families walking by, not a giant Philadelphia 76ers arena a block away.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Los Angeles Lakers player Slava Medvedenko is selling his two NBA championship rings to raise money for his native Ukraine.
Medvedenko was a power forward on the Lakers’ championship teams in 2001 and ’02, playing alongside Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge in North Carolina has again ruled in favor of NBA All Star Zion Williamson, this time in connection with a lawsuit he filed against a marketing agent two years ago in an attempt to break a contract.
NEW YORK (AP) — Han Xu understandably grew up idolizing Yao Ming, mesmerized by the giant shadow the 7-foot-6 Hall of Famer cast each time he stepped onto an NBA court.
Standing 6-10, Han would like to emulate Yao's impact — including his influence on the sport in China.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves finalized a contract Thursday with guard Austin Rivers.
The 6-foot-4 son of Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers spent last season with Denver, where he averaged 6.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 67 games.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday announced plans to take the first steps toward building a privately funded $1.3 billion sports and entertainment arena.
The team's managing partners, Josh Harris and David Blitzer, unveiled the creation of a new development company led by business leader David Adelman to create its future home in the city's Fashion District.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Soccer player Megan Rapinoe admonished her fellow athletes for not doing enough to speak out and encouraged them to support detained WNBA star Brittney Griner at The ESPYS on Wednesday night.
James Harden has agreed to terms on a two-year contract to stay with the Philadelphia 76ers and will make about $14.5 million less this coming season than he could have earned under his previous deal, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Wednesday.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Major League Baseball's Midsummer Classic remains the most-watched all-star game in the major professional sports, even though it drew record lows in viewership for the fifth time since 2015.