LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NBA's All-Star version of a pickup game is taking center stage in Hollywood.The 67th version of the All-Star Game on Sunday night features teams picked by captains LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Dispensing with the usual East vs. West format, the league is creating a new look to its annual showcase with teams picked regardless of geography.That's how Curry and Golden State teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will be going against Kevin Durant, and how James will play alongside Oklahoma City duo Russell Westbrook and Paul George.Boston teammates Kyrie Irving and Al Horford are on opposing teams. Irving is on the same team as James, several months after Irving broke up their Cleveland partnership by forcing a trade.___More AP basketball: www.apnews.com/tags/NBAbasketball

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest from Sunday's NBA All-Star Game and events around the league's annual showcase (all times local):2:05 p.m.NBA Commissioner Adam Silver doubled down on his support of players speaking out on social and political issues, opening his comments at the Legends Brunch by thanking the veterans for setting the tone for current players."Bill Russell was recognized before, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, I could go down the list of so many others here who created that tradition for the players in the NBA, who gave them the safety and comfort to speak out on issues that are important to them as they do today," Silver said Sunday."I'm so proud of that legacy," added the commissioner, who praised the current players on Saturday . "So thank you to all of the people in this room."The issue of players publicly speaking out on various issues surfaced during All-Star weekend after Fox News host Laura Ingraham criticized three-time NBA champion LeBron James for his recent comments. James... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Standing in the rain seven stories above concrete, construction workers, steel and mud, Rick Welts is beaming at an arena project that is absolutely his baby."It's real," Welts says, wearing a bright yellow jacket and hard hat for the work site tour. "It's happening."After years in the making, too.The chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors has been entrusted by team owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber to be the unofficial foreman as Chase Center goes up in the Mission Bay district of San Francisco for a scheduled opening of late summer 2019. The goal is to build one of the top entertainment venues in the world, right up with The O2 in London and Madison Square Garden for attracting the best music shows.Welts has been an NBA junkie since his early days growing up in Seattle, where he got his start as a SuperSonics ball boy at 16. Later, he got the keys to the Seattle Center Coliseum and, specifically, the laundry room.Welts, who turned 65 in January and is... [More]

When LeBron James stepped on the court wearing mismatched sneakers in the nation's capital, it wasn't a fashion statement by the NBA's most popular athlete. The message was clearly emblazed in gold on the back of his kicks, one white and one black: Equality.Sneaker enthusiasts around the world eagerly await NBA All-Star weekend when new and limited editions of the latest shoes make their debut, but the month leading up to the highly anticipated shoepalooza is often used to make a social statement.Starting with Martin Luther King Day and coinciding with Black History Month, players and companies honor the past and create dialogue about the future through footwear."I just think it's more of a paying homage to people that paved the way before me," Warriors forward Kevin Durant said. "It's much more than just shoes. It's more so of a memorial more than anything."Nike, which started building Black History Month campaigns in 2005, has created an entire theme around equality.Kyrie Irving's fourth... [More]

From Isaiah Thomas to Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose, the Cleveland Cavaliers loaded up on big names last summer.None will be there if the Cavaliers get back to the NBA Finals.In what felt like an unprecedented do-over for a contending team, the Cavaliers simply changed the pieces that weren't fitting for new ones on Thursday at the trade deadline.Fans who usually marvel at LeBron James were instead praising his general manager, as Koby Altman used a series of swaps to strengthen a sputtering team and leave open the possibility for more moves."They got better. They made the moves they wanted to make and I'm sure they're going to make it work over there," Golden State's Kevin Durant said. "It's fun for all the fans and the media to kind of see what's going on with the trade deadline."Cavs' fans probably had the most fun, and for good reason. Cleveland was the story Thursday .The Cavaliers acquired Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. in the deal with Los Angeles, which also got Channing Frye... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — To LeBron James, the Golden State Warriors are a highly respected rival — nothing more.Now and forever.James strongly denounced a report that said he would consider playing for the Warriors if the NBA champions were able to restructure their roster to accommodate the four-time league MVP. On Thursday, ESPN, citing anonymous league sources, reported James would meet with the Warriors this summer if they cleared the salary-cap space to sign him, assuming he will opt out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and become a free agent"It's nonsense, and it's a non-story," James said Friday following the Cavaliers' practice. "I think it's a discredit to what I'm trying to do here. It's a discredit to my teammates and the coaching staff here. My only focus right now is trying to figure out how we can become a championship-caliber team in these next few months. It's been so many stories about me in the last few months, in the last few days, about where I'm going... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — LeBron James wouldn't reveal the order he drafted players for his All-Star team.Kevin Love had an idea when he was chosen."Probably dead last," Love said, joking."Kev would say that," James said.Cleveland's All-Stars will indeed play together in the Feb. 18 game after James selected his teammate — and former Cavs guard Kyrie Irving — to join him on a squad that will face a team featuring Golden State's Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in Los Angeles.As the top two vote-getters, James and Curry were named captains and selected their teams for the All-Star game, which the league has acknowledged needs a jolt of excitement, intrigue and intensity following some lackluster affairs. Last year, the West won 192-182 in a game devoid of defense or much competitiveness.James, who will be playing in his 14th consecutive All-Star game, nabbed Warriors star Kevin Durant with his first pick. But he wouldn't divulge how the rest of the draft unfolded or the reasons... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — LeBron James wouldn't reveal the order he drafted players for his All-Star team.Kevin Love had an idea when he was chosen."Probably dead last," Love said, joking."Kev would say that," James said.Cleveland's All-Stars will indeed play together in the Feb. 18 game after James selected his teammate — and former Cavs guard Kyrie Irving — to join him on a squad that will face a team featuring Golden State's Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in Los Angeles.As the top two vote-getters, James and Curry were named captains and selected their teams for the All-Star game, which the league has acknowledged needs a jolt of excitement, intrigue and intensity following some lackluster affairs. Last year, the West won 192-182 in a game devoid of defense or much competitiveness.James, who will be playing in his 14th consecutive All-Star game, nabbed Warriors star Kevin Durant with his first pick. But he wouldn't divulge how the rest of the draft unfolded or the reasons... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James got Kevin Durant and reunited with Kyrie Irving in the NBA's first All-Star draft.Stephen Curry picked James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA's top two scorers, and grabbed his other two Golden State teammates in the selections Thursday.The draft was not televised, and neither James nor Curry would reveal who they chose first when they were interviewed on TNT when the rosters were unveiled. However, Durant later said that he had been the No. 1 selection.James was among those who said fans should have watched the proceedings and his decision to draft Irving could have made for a must-see moment. The point guard asked out of Cleveland last summer and the Cavaliers traded him to conference rival Boston."Kyrie was available on the draft board, he's one of the best point guards we have in our league," James said. "It was an easy choice for me."James and Curry will be the captains Feb. 18 in Los Angeles for the first NBA All-Star Game that doesn't use the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant was fined $15,000 by the NBA on Thursday for his comments about referee James Williams.Durant criticized Williams after he was ejected from Golden State's 123-112 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night.Durant apologized Wednesday, saying after watching replays that he acted like a "diva" and a "jerk" and vowed to apologize directly to Williams in person.

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James got Kevin Durant and reunited with Kyrie Irving in the NBA's first All-Star draft.Stephen Curry picked James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA's top two scorers, and grabbed his other two Golden State teammates in the selections Thursday.The draft was not televised, and neither James nor Curry would reveal who they chose first when they were interviewed on TNT when the rosters were unveiled.James was among those who said fans should have watched the proceedings and his decision to draft Irving could have made for a must-see moment. The point guard asked out of Cleveland last summer and the Cavaliers traded him to conference rival Boston."Kyrie was available on the draft board, he's one of the best point guards we have in our league," James said. "It was an easy choice for me."James and Curry will be the captains Feb. 18 in Los Angeles for the first NBA All-Star Game that doesn't use the Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format.James had the No.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James got Kevin Durant and reunited with Kyrie Irving in the NBA's first All-Star draft.Stephen Curry picked James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA's top two scorers, and grabbed his other two Golden State teammates in the selections Thursday.The draft was not televised, and neither James nor Curry would reveal who they chose first when they were interviewed on TNT when the rosters were unveiled.James and Curry will be the captains Feb. 18 in Los Angeles for the first NBA All-Star Game that doesn't use the Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format.The league is hoping that trying to something new will bring back some old-school intensity that has been absent from the last two games, when the West nearly scored 200 points.James also took the New Orleans duo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. His reserves are Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, the NBA MVP, Cleveland teammate Kevin Love, Washington guards John Wall and Bradley Beal, LaMarcus Aldridge of San Antonio, Indiana's Victor Oladipo and Kristaps Porzingis of New York.After taking starters Joel Embiid of Philadelphia and DeMar DeRozan of Toronto, Curry rounded out his roster with Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Minnesota's Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns, Toronto's Kyle Lowry, Portland's Damian Lillard, and Boston's Al Horford.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant is apologizing to referee James Williams for behaving like a "jerk," using an expletive to describe how he acted during a victory against the Knicks on Tuesday night when the NBA Finals MVP was ejected late for a second technical.While Durant had yet to hear from the NBA on Wednesday, he said he is prepared for whatever fine he receives. He also plans to say sorry in person the next time he sees Williams and vowed to handle himself more respectfully next time."I wish I had handled that better obviously but it was kind of a heat-of-the-moment for me. I could be better. It was a great learning experience for me though," Durant said after practice. "... I wasn't getting picked on last night. I was being a diva last night. I've got to just own up to it. I watched it when I got home. I was wondering why he was coming at me so hard but then I watched the plays I was like, 'Yeah, I looked like a jerk out there.' It was bad. Luckily we won and we can move past... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant is apologizing to referee James Williams for behaving like a "jerk" and he also used an expletive to describe how he acted during a victory against the Knicks on Tuesday night, when the NBA Finals MVP was ejected late for a second technical.While Durant had yet to hear from the NBA on Wednesday, he said he is prepared for whatever fine he receives. He also plans to say sorry in person the next time he sees Williams and vowed to handle himself more respectfully next time.Durant had 14 points, a career-high 14 assists and two blocks before his ejection with 2:50 left in the 123-112 win, then criticized Williams publicly afterward.Durant says he watched the plays that earned him the technical and noted that he behaved inappropriately.___More NBA basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

LeBron, Stephen, you have some big decisions to make.We're here to help.Just like in fantasy sports, where you know most people are relying on a mock draft they found online or in some magazine anyway, AP Basketball Writers Brian Mahoney and Tim Reynolds have drafted the teams for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game — in case captains LeBron James and Stephen Curry needed a bit of guidance on how to put together their rosters for the Feb. 18 game in Los Angeles.Mahoney won a coin toss and goes first, where he drafts as if he were picking Team LeBron; Reynolds drafted as if he were picking Team Stephen. And since the NBA isn't planning to make the draft details public, this might be as close as you get to the real thing anyway.___STARTER ROUNDFirst PickMahoney: Giannis Antetokounmpo.He's a dominant athlete who wants to dunk on everyone and is too young and hungry to know you're not supposed to go all out in the All-Star Game.Reynolds: Kevin Durant.Because he's Kevin Durant and I know if he doesn't... [More]

LeBron, Stephen, you have some big decisions to make.We're here to help.Just like in fantasy sports, where you know most people are relying on a mock draft they found online or in some magazine anyway, AP Basketball Writers Brian Mahoney and Tim Reynolds have drafted the teams for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game — in case captains LeBron James and Stephen Curry needed a bit of guidance on how to put together their rosters for the Feb. 18 game in Los Angeles.Mahoney won a coin toss and goes first, where he drafts as if he were picking Team LeBron; Reynolds drafted as if he were picking Team Stephen. And since the NBA isn't planning to make the draft details public, this might be as close as you get to the real thing anyway.___STARTER ROUNDFirst PickMahoney: Giannis Antetokounmpo.He's a dominant athlete who wants to dunk on everyone and is too young and hungry to know you're not supposed to go all out in the All-Star Game.Reynolds: Kevin Durant.Because he's Kevin Durant and I know if he doesn't... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen Curry will be able to stock his All-Star roster with plenty of Golden State teammates.Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were chosen as reserves Tuesday, giving the defending NBA champions a record-tying four All-Stars for the second straight year.The Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards also had two reserves selected, and they will go into the pool of players that Curry and fellow captain LeBron James can draft to comprise the teams for the Feb. 18 game in Los Angeles. Their rosters will be unveiled Thursday, though the selection process won't be televised.Minnesota's Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns were chosen from the Western Conference, along with Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, San Antonio's LaMarcus Aldridge and Portland's Damian Lillard.Besides Washington's John Wall and Bradley Beal, the rest of the Eastern Conference reserves were Boston's Al Horford, Cleveland's Kevin Love, New York's Kristaps Porzingis, Toronto's Kyle Lowry and Indiana's... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen Curry will be able to stock his All-Star roster with plenty of Golden State teammates.Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were chosen as reserves Tuesday, giving the defending NBA champions a record-tying four All-Stars for the second straight year.The Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards also had two reserves selected, and they will go into the pool of players that Curry and fellow captain LeBron James can draft to comprise the teams for the Feb. 18 game in Los Angeles. Their rosters will be unveiled Thursday, though the selection process won't be televised.Minnesota's Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns were chosen from the Western Conference, along with Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, San Antonio's LaMarcus Aldridge and Portland's Damian Lillard.Besides Washington's John Wall and Bradley Beal, the rest of the Eastern Conference reserves were Boston's Al Horford, Cleveland's Kevin Love, New York's Kristaps Porzingis, Toronto's Kyle Lowry and Indiana's... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Kevin Durant became the 44th player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points Wednesday night.Durant reached the milestone on a pull-up jumper from the left wing at the 1:41 mark of second quarter. The Warriors announced his accomplishment on the main scoreboard and Durant received a standing ovation, shaking his head in acknowledgment while still very much in game mode.The NBA Finals MVP returned from a three-game absence with a strained right calf and scored 25 points in the first half against the Clippers — KD's biggest half of the season. He came in needing exactly 25 points for 20,000.Durant, who had a four-point play during the second quarter on the way to 14 points in the period, is at 29 the second-youngest player behind LeBron James and the first to reach the 20,000 mark as a member of the Warriors.___For more NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Golden State star Stephen Curry was out for Wednesday night's home game against the Clippers after he slipped during the shootaround and re-sprained his troublesome right ankle.The Warriors updated their injury report to include Curry's status. It's the same injury that recently sidelined him for 11 games, though coach Steve Kerr said "I don't think it's serious." No MRI or X-rays were scheduled for now though Curry was sore and the Warriors won't take any chances."I didn't see anything," Kerr said before the game. "We just had a normal shootaround and he was in his usual game day routine with Q (Bruce Fraser) and he just rolled his ankle somehow," Kerr said. "Just kind of a fluke thing, kind of caught us off guard, but obviously he won't play."The reigning Western Conference player of the week, Curry has scored at least 29 points in seven straight games with 30 or more in six of those games. He has 12 30-point performances overall this season.Kevin Durant was set... [More]