NBA team presidents met Thursday and emerged with belief that there are still ways to resume the season, and Dallas owner Mark Cuban also expressed optimism that the league will find a way out of the coronavirus-caused shutdown.“Every intention is to return to play and try to create the best environment we can for the league and for the fans,” San Antonio Spurs CEO R.C. Buford said after participating in the call with top team officials. “And we’re all on board for that.”Team presidents around the league hold regular calls, as do general managers, and those calls have continued during the league’s shutdown. Thursday's call was not organized for any specific reason.The NBA has been shut down since March 11 and 259 regular season games have yet to be played. It remains unclear if any of those games would be rescheduled should the league resume play, or if the NBA would opt to go directly into the postseason.“As soon as it’s safe we would like to finish our season,” LeBron James of the Western... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Scott Perry will remain general manager of the New York Knicks after agreeing to a new one-year deal with the team Wednesday.Perry ran the team's basketball operations after Steve Mills was fired as president in February. Longtime player agent Leon Rose was hired to replace Mills on March 2, shortly before the NBA season was suspended because of the virus outbreak.Rose decided that his first big move would be to keep Perry for next season. The Knicks and Perry had a mutual option on his contract that needed to be decided by May 1. “Scott is a well-respected basketball executive who I have known for more than 20 years, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him as we look to build a winning team in New York,” Rose said in a statement.Perry's return was first reported by Newsday.Perry, who was hired by the Knicks on July 14, 2017, lasted through a turbulent season of change that included the firing of coach David Fizdale early in the season and later the ouster of Mills. He guided the team through the NBA's trade deadline, dealing veteran forward Marcus Morris to the Los Angeles Clippers.Rose will still have to make decisions on interim coach Mike Miller and other members of the Knicks front office.The Knicks were 21-45 when the season was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Scott Perry will remain general manager of the New York Knicks after agreeing to a new one-year deal with the team Wednesday.Perry ran the team's basketball operations after Steve Mills was fired as president in February. Longtime player agent Leon Rose was hired to replace Mills on March 2, shortly before the NBA season was suspended because of the virus outbreak.Rose decided that his first big move would be to keep Perry for next season. The Knicks and Perry had a mutual option on his contract that needed to be decided by May 1. “Scott is a well-respected basketball executive who I have known for more than 20 years, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him as we look to build a winning team in New York,” Rose said in a statement.Perry's return was first reported by Newsday.Perry, who was hired by the Knicks on July 14, 2017, lasted through a turbulent season of change that included the firing of coach David Fizdale early in the season and later the ouster of Mills. He guided the team through the NBA's trade deadline, dealing veteran forward Marcus Morris to the Los Angeles Clippers.Rose will still have to make decisions on interim coach Mike Miller and other members of the Knicks front office.The Knicks were 21-45 when the season was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have repaid a loan of roughly $4.6 million from coronavirus business relief funds after learning the program had been depleted.The Lakers applied for the loan under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, a part of the federal government's $2.2 trillion stimulus package. The Lakers' request was granted in the first round of distribution, but after the fund ran out of money in less than two weeks, the team returned its loan, as did several wealthier business including Shake Shack and AutoNation.The Lakers issued a statement Monday confirming what happened.“The Lakers qualified for and received a loan under the Payroll Protection Program,” the statement read. “However, once we found out the funds from the program had been depleted, we repaid the loan so that financial support would be directed to those most in need. The Lakers remain completely committed to supporting both our employees and our community.”ESPN first reported... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have repaid a loan of roughly $4.6 million from coronavirus business relief funds after learning the program had been depleted.The Lakers applied for the loan under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, a part of the federal government's $2.2 trillion stimulus package. The Lakers' request was granted in the first round of distribution, but after the fund ran out of money in less than two weeks, the team returned its loan, as did several wealthier business including Shake Shack and AutoNation.The Lakers issued a statement Monday confirming what happened.“The Lakers qualified for and received a loan under the Payroll Protection Program,” the statement read. “However, once we found out the funds from the program had been depleted, we repaid the loan so that financial support would be directed to those most in need. The Lakers remain completely committed to supporting both our employees and our community.”ESPN first reported... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have repaid a loan of roughly $4.6 million from coronavirus business relief funds after learning the program had been depleted.The Lakers applied for the loan under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, a part of the federal government's $2.2 trillion stimulus package. The Lakers' request was granted in the first round of distribution, but after the fund ran out of money in less than two weeks, the team returned its loan, as did several wealthier business including Shake Shack and AutoNation.The Lakers issued a statement Monday confirming what happened.“The Lakers qualified for and received a loan under the Payroll Protection Program,” the statement read. “However, once we found out the funds from the program had been depleted, we repaid the loan so that financial support would be directed to those most in need. The Lakers remain completely committed to supporting both our employees and our community.”ESPN first reported... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — NBA players will be allowed to return to team training facilities starting Friday, provided that their local governments do not have a stay-at-home order prohibiting such movement still in place as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.Any workouts that take place would be voluntary and be limited to individual sessions only, according to a person familiar with the league's decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because the directives from the league were not released publicly.Group practices would not be allowed yet, and teams will not yet be permitted to organize in-person workouts.But as certain states and municipalities began loosening restrictions on personal movement, the NBA decided it was time to let players return to their practice courts — if only on a limited basis. Georgia and Oklahoma are among the states that have allowed some businesses to reopen and some cities in Florida are expected to loosen their... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — NBA players will be allowed to return to team training facilities starting Friday, provided that their local governments do not have a stay-at-home order prohibiting such movement still in place as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.Any workouts that take place would be voluntary and be limited to individual sessions only, according to a person familiar with the league's decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because the directives from the league were not released publicly.Group practices would not be allowed yet, and teams will not yet be permitted to organize in-person workouts.But as certain states and municipalities began loosening restrictions on personal movement, the NBA decided it was time to let players return to their practice courts — if only on a limited basis. Georgia and Oklahoma are among the states that have allowed some businesses to reopen and some cities in Florida are expected to loosen their... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — NBA players will be allowed to return to team training facilities starting Friday, provided that their local governments do not have a stay-at-home order prohibiting such movement still in place as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.Any workouts that take place would be voluntary and be limited to individual sessions only, according to a person familiar with the league's decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because the directives from the league were not released publicly.Group practices would not be allowed yet, and teams will not yet be permitted to organize in-person workouts.But as certain states and municipalities began loosening restrictions on personal movement, the NBA decided it was time to let players return to their practice courts — if only on a limited basis. Georgia and Oklahoma are among the states that have allowed some businesses to reopen and some cities in Florida are expected to loosen their... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — NBA players will be allowed to return to team training facilities starting Friday, provided that their local governments do not have a stay-at-home order prohibiting such movement still in place as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.Any workouts that take place would be voluntary and be limited to individual sessions only, according to a person familiar with the league's decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because the directives from the league were not released publicly.Group practices would not be allowed yet, and teams will not yet be permitted to organize in-person workouts.But as certain states and municipalities began loosening restrictions on personal movement, the NBA decided it was time to let players return to their practice courts — if only on a limited basis. Georgia and Oklahoma are among the states that have allowed some businesses to reopen and some cities in Florida are expected to loosen their... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Linsanity is finally getting another run on MSG Network. In search of content with no games because of the coronavirus, the network is turning to Jeremy Lin’s memorable NBA breakthrough, which was once ratings gold. The network said Friday it will dedicate a week of programming to the 2012 stretch when Lin got his chance with the New York Knicks and took the league by storm, looking back at a feel-good story during a difficult time in the city.Undrafted out of Harvard, the NBA’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent outplayed Kobe Bryant in one game, dominated the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in another and created a buzz that the late Commissioner David Stern said was unlike any he had seen for one player in such a short time.It was one of the biggest highlights of the last two decades for the Knicks, but it has been largely ignored by them. Lin left as a free agent after that season and has received little acknowledgment from the team or the... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Linsanity is finally getting another run on MSG Network. In search of content with no games because of the coronavirus, the network is turning to Jeremy Lin’s memorable NBA breakthrough, which was once ratings gold. The network said Friday it will dedicate a week of programming to the 2012 stretch when Lin got his chance with the New York Knicks and took the league by storm, looking back at a feel-good story during a difficult time in the city.Undrafted out of Harvard, the NBA’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese decent outplayed Kobe Bryant in one game, dominated the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in another and created a buzz that the late Commissioner David Stern said was unlike any he had seen for one player in such a short time.It was one of the biggest highlights of the last two decades for the Knicks, but it has been largely ignored by them. Lin left as a free agent after that season and has received little acknowledgment from the team or the... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet is bracing for the suspended NBA season not to resume and if it does, he isn’t convinced health concerns can be adequately addressed as long as the coronavirus pandemic remains a threat.“I think everybody is just preparing for the worst case scenario, the season being canceled,” Van Vleet said in a conference call Wednesday. “We have to do what we have to do to try to shoulder the hit as best we can for us as players and owners and the league, while also working to try to resume as best we can.”Speaking from his home in Rockford, Illinois, VanVleet — a self-described skeptic — questioned whether a return to action could be carried out safely, and said he doesn’t relish the idea of playing in front of empty arenas.“I could play anywhere,” he said. “Do I want to play in front of no people? No, but does it really matter? At this point, I don’t think anybody is going to have a quarrel with what happens, as long as people’s health is first and... [More]

The year was 1997. Andy Thompson had an idea. Adam Silver liked his plan.Neither had any clue what they concocted.The ESPN and Netflix documentary “The Last Dance” — the story based around Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls — premieres Sunday night with the first two episodes of the 10-part series. And the images from that season exist because of the notion that Thompson had and Silver, now the NBA commissioner but then the person in charge of NBA Entertainment, helped arrange.Thompson, who already had been working at NBA Entertainment for about a decade, suggested embedding a crew with the Bulls. Silver made some phone calls. They were off and running.“It’s almost hard to understate how famous Michael was and how popular this Bulls team was,” Silver told The Associated Press. “And so, Andy’s view was, ‘We need to find a way to capture this team in its glory.’ And there were no such things as multi-part documentaries on sports on television back then.”But there had been some examples... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers are getting together for workouts while the NBA season is suspended — via video conference calls.Up to 10 players at a time tune in to do workouts led by the team's performance staff since the league shut down practice facilities because of the coronavirus pandemic.They've also been using workout equipment specially tailored for each player and provided by the team.“They're challenging each other, a lot of trash talk,” coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday on a conference call with reporters. “When we come out of this, (there will be) some of the funny stories guys will have about watching each other work out.”Rivers figures that when the league eventually resumes there will be a high level of competition as a result of the layoff that has allowed players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to train at a level that wasn't possible during the offseason, when they were dealing with injuries.“If we do get back to this, and rhythm and all that, bodies won't... [More]

Kevin Garnett always found Seattle to be a difficult place for opponents. He played in 27 games there during his NBA career, leaving the court as a winner only eight times.He remembers those days. And respects them, too.In a wide-ranging interview this week with The Associated Press, Garnett covered plenty of topics, including the announcement over the weekend that he officially is a member of the Class of 2020 for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, his relationship with fellow inductee Kobe Bryant, the coronavirus pandemic, and his plans for the next five and 10 years.But there was also a surprise: Garnett revealed a deep affinity for Seattle, to the point where he said he'd like to see the NBA return to that city — and said he would bring a team there if he could.“If I have a dream, I would say that I would love to be able to go and buy the Seattle SuperSonics and reactivate the Seattle Northwest and get NBA loving back going into that area,” said Garnett, who starred for... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Instead of preparing for a playoff run, LeBron James is mostly spending the spring playing hoops with his teenage sons and enjoying tea time with his young daughter.And when he isn't binge-watching “Tiger King” with his wife, he is scanning the news for information on whether the coronavirus pandemic will allow the Los Angeles Lakers to finish their impressive season chasing an NBA championship.James is still optimistic about the Lakers' future, but he also knows safety comes first.“I don’t think I’ll be able to have any closure if we do not have an opportunity to finish this season,” James said from his home Wednesday on a conference call with Lakers beat reporters.The Lakers were cruising toward their first playoff berth since 2013 when the NBA season was suspended March 11. They have the Western Conference’s best record at 49-14, leading the second-place Clippers (44-20) by 5 1/2 games and trailing only Milwaukee (53-12) in the overall league standings.The Lakers did... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Instead of preparing for a playoff run, LeBron James is mostly spending the spring playing hoops with his teenage sons and enjoying tea time with his young daughter.And when he isn't binge-watching “Tiger King” with his wife, he is scanning the news for information on whether the coronavirus pandemic will allow the Los Angeles Lakers to finish their impressive season chasing an NBA championship.James is still optimistic about the Lakers' future, but he also knows safety comes first.“I don’t think I’ll be able to have any closure if we do not have an opportunity to finish this season,” James said from his home Wednesday on a conference call with Lakers beat reporters.The Lakers were cruising toward their first playoff berth since 2013 when the NBA season was suspended March 11. They have the Western Conference’s best record at 49-14, leading the second-place Clippers (44-20) by 5 1/2 games and trailing only Milwaukee (53-12) in the overall league standings.The Lakers did... [More]

Kobe Bryant is back atop the best-seller lists, days after the late Los Angeles Lakers superstar was selected to the Hall of Fame.The latest release from Bryant’s Granity Studios, “The Wizenard Series: Season One” will debut at No. 1 on The New York Times’ middle-grade hardcover list that will be published April 19. Earlier this week, it had already hit No. 1 on Amazon’s bestseller list for children’s basketball books.Bryant and daughter Gianna were among nine who died in a helicopter crash in late JanuarySeason One, the latest installment of Bryant’s Wizenard story line that follows the progress of a young basketball player dealing with various trials and tribulations, was released last week. Bryant’s company describes it as “a story of strain and sacrifice, supernatural breakthroughs, and supreme dedication to the game.”Bryant was the series creator and envisioned the story lines. Other books created by Bryant’s content company soared in popularity in the days following the basketball... [More]

The votes are in, and word is about to come if this, finally, is the year that former Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich gets the call from the Basketball Hall of Fame.He's due.“Long overdue,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said.The opinions that matter are held by the 24 people who submitted their ballots to decide who goes into this year’s class, which will be announced on Saturday. Candidates need 75% of the vote — 18 ballots — to earn the congratulatory phone call from Basketball Hall President and CEO John Doleva.The late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, San Antonio great Tim Duncan and former Minnesota and Boston star Kevin Garnett headline this class, and it’s assumed they’ll all be officially announced Saturday. They’re first-time finalists, as is four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings.The other finalists have been close before: Baylor women’s coach Kim Mulkey, Bentley women’s coach Barbara Stevens, two-time AP college coach of the year Eddie Sutton are among... [More]