The documentary looking at Michael Jordan’s last championship season with the Chicago Bulls is set for release nearly two months sooner than expected with no sports to air due to the coronavirus pandemic.ESPN and Netflix announced on Tuesday that the 10-part documentary series called “The Last Dance” will air next month will run in the U.S. over five consecutive Sunday nights starting April 19 and running through May 17. There will be two hour-long episodes on each of those nights, airing back-to-back at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern.ESPN was originally planning to release the documentary in June, when this season’s NBA Finals were to be played but those plans were accelerated.“April 19th can’t come fast enough. I CAN NOT WAIT!!” Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James tweeted upon hearing news of the series’ long-awaited release.The series will include never-before-seen footage from that season, one where the team chased its sixth championship in a span of eight years.“As society navigates this... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Goran Dragic of the Miami Heat said Tuesday that he is prepared to forgo his annual offseason move back to his native Slovenia if that is what the NBA schedule necessitates.Dragic, his wife and their two children are in Miami and have no plans to leave for Slovenia amid the global coronavirus pandemic. His parents recently left Miami to return home, but the Heat guard says he’s staying.“Three days ago they flew back home because they had to, the government said that all the Slovenian citizens needed to get back,” Dragic said, referring to his parents, adding that they wore masks and gloves on their not-very-full flight back to Slovenia. “But my situation is different. Here is my home. We have health insurance in America and we have a home to go to, so we’re going to stay here.”Dragic and his family have gotten a firsthand global view of the pandemic.He’s in Miami, and so is his uncle — who is staying in the U.S. because he cannot get back to his native Serbia because Dragic... [More]

The long-awaited look at Michael Jordan’s last championship season with the Chicago Bulls is finally set for release.ESPN and Netflix announced on Tuesday that the 10-part documentary series called “The Last Dance” will run in the U.S. over five consecutive Sunday nights starting April 19 and running through May 17. There will be two hour-long episodes on each of those nights, airing back-to-back at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern.“April 19th can’t come fast enough. I CAN NOT WAIT!!” Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James tweeted upon hearing news of the series’ long-awaited release.The series will include never-before-seen footage from that season, one where the team chased its sixth championship in a span of eight years.“As society navigates this time without live sports, viewers are still looking to the sports world to escape and enjoy a collective experience,” ESPN said in a statement. “We’ve heard the calls from fans asking us to move up the release date for this series, and we’re happy to... [More]

The long-awaited look at Michael Jordan’s last championship season with the Chicago Bulls is finally set for release.ESPN and Netflix announced on Tuesday that the 10-part documentary series called “The Last Dance” will run in the U.S. over five consecutive Sunday nights starting April 19 and running through May 17. There will be two hour-long episodes on each of those nights, airing back-to-back at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern.“April 19th can’t come fast enough. I CAN NOT WAIT!!” Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James tweeted upon hearing news of the series’ long-awaited release.The series will include never-before-seen footage from that season, one where the team chased its sixth championship in a span of eight years.“As society navigates this time without live sports, viewers are still looking to the sports world to escape and enjoy a collective experience,” ESPN said in a statement. “We’ve heard the calls from fans asking us to move up the release date for this series, and we’re happy to... [More]

Knowing when the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics will be solves one problem for USA Basketball.And it creates a few others.Let’s assume that the 2020-21 NBA season is over by next July, a premise that also assumes some sort of normalcy returns to the sports world and that the global coronavirus pandemic slows to the point where games can be played again. That would also mean that NBA players and coaches would be available, schedule-wise, to participate in the Tokyo Olympics next summer as planned.That’s good news. That is, until free agency is added to the equation.The NBA summer of 2021 is supposed to be another free agent extravaganza, one where plenty of the league’s biggest names and top USA Basketball candidates like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry and more could be on the market. This summer would have been so much easier for USA Basketball from that standpoint, with Anthony Davis one of the few big-name stars who could become free agents when this season... [More]

James Dolan, the executive chairman of Madison Square Garden Company and owner of the New York Knicks, has tested positive for the coronavirus.The Knicks announced Dolan’s diagnosis Saturday night. It is not clear when he was tested or when he received the diagnosis.Dolan is the first U.S. major pro sports owner known to have tested positive for the virus. He also owns the NHL's New York Rangers, along with other venues like Radio City Music Hall, The Hulu Theatre and The Chicago Theatre.“The Madison Square Garden Company Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Dolan has tested positive for coronavirus,” the Knicks' statement said. “He has been in self-isolation and is experiencing little to no symptoms. He continues to oversee business operations.”New York has been the hotspot for the pandemic in the U.S.All 50 U.S. states have reported some cases of the virus that causes COVID-19, but New York has the most, with over 52,000 positive tests for the illness and more than 700 deaths.... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics coach Brad Stevens can only remember leaving his home on a few occasions over the past two weeks. It is part of the new status quo for coaches and players across the NBA since the coronavirus pandemic sparked a rolling shutdown of professional sports across the globe. The league suspended its season March 11 after Utah Jazz All-Star Rudy Gobert became its first player to test positive for the COVID-19 strain.It has left the 42-year-old coach, like everyone else, searching for ways to adjust to a new reality and daily routine. The new coronavirus has caused a global pandemic that has sickened at least 597,000 and killed more than 27,000 worldwide, crippled economies and forced restrictions on the movement of millions of people in an effort to stop the virus from spreading further and overwhelming health care systems.The NBA has lost 100 games so far with no clear timeline for when the season might resume — if at all. Stevens said he's passing the time the same way many... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Top NBA executives are having their base salaries reduced by 20% for the foreseeable future, a person with knowledge of the details said Thursday.The reductions affect the roughly 100 highest-earning executives, as the NBA joins the NHL and NASCAR in cutting salaries while competitions are on hold because of the coronavirus.The cuts are effective immediately and affect NBA employees both inside the league headquarters in New York, and in global offices, the person told The Associated Press. The person was granted anonymity because the reductions were not announced publicly.The reductions were first reported by ESPN.Health benefits remain unaffected and there are no changes for the rest of the organization, including support and administrative staff.The NBA suspended its season on March 11 when Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz became the first player to test positive. The league is still discussing scenarios for resuming play once allowed. It had already been a challenging season... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Top NBA executives are having their base salaries reduced by 20% for the foreseeable future, a person with knowledge of the details said Thursday.The reductions affect the roughly 100 highest-earning executives, as the NBA joins the NHL and NASCAR in cutting salaries while competitions are on hold because of the coronavirus.The cuts are effective immediately and affect NBA employees both inside the league headquarters in New York, and in global offices, the person told The Associated Press. The person was granted anonymity because the reductions were not announced publicly.The reductions were first reported by ESPN.Health benefits remain unaffected and there are no changes for the rest of the organization, including support and administrative staff.The NBA suspended its season on March 11 when Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz became the first player to test positive. The league is still discussing scenarios for resuming play once allowed.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns says his mother is hospitalized and in a medically-induced coma after contracting the coronavirus. Towns talked about the condition of his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, Wednesday on his Instagram page. He urged his followers to take COVID-19 seriously and practice social distancing. Towns said both his parents went to the hospital recently and were tested for the disease. While his father was released and told to quarantine at home, his mother's condition deteriorated to the point where she was put on a ventilator and placed in a coma.“She just wasn’t getting better,” Towns said. “Her fever wasn’t cutting from 103. It’d maybe go down to 101.9 with the meds then immediately spike back up during the night. She was very uncomfortable. Her lungs were getting worse, cough was getting worse. She was deteriorating in front of our eyes.”Towns said he's trying to remain positive attitude as his family deals with the situation. “My mother, she’s the strongest woman I know and I know she’ll beat this,” Towns said. “We’re going to rejoice when she does.”For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The majority of people recover from the virus.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns says his mother is hospitalized and in a medically-induced coma after contracting the new coronavirus. Towns talked about the condition of his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, early Wednesday on his Instagram page and urged his followers to take COVID-19 seriously and practice social distancing. Towns said both his parents went to the hospital recently and were tested for the disease. While his father was released and told to quarantine at home, his mother's condition deteriorated to the point where she was put on a ventilator and placed in a coma.“She just wasn’t getting better,” Towns said. “Her fever wasn’t cutting from 103. It’d maybe go down to 101.9 with the meds then immediately spike back up during the night. She was very uncomfortable. Her lungs were getting worse, cough was getting worse. She was deteriorating in front of our eyes.”Towns said he's trying to remain positive attitude as his family deals with the situation. “My mother, she’s the strongest woman I know and I know she’ll beat this,” Towns said. “We’re going to rejoice when she does.”For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is buying the Forum for $400 million, ending the billionaire's legal fight with the Madison Square Garden Company and clearing the way to build a new arena for his NBA team down the street in Inglewood, California.Ballmer announced his cash purchase of the venerated arena Tuesday. Ballmer, the former Microsoft executive, and Clippers vice chairman Dennis Wong are making the transaction through CAPSS LLC, a newly formed entity that will continue to operate the Forum as a live music venue.“This is an unprecedented time, but we believe in our collective future,” Ballmer said. “We are committed to our investment in the City of Inglewood, which will be good for the community, the Clippers and our fans.”Apparently fearing competition for concerts and other big events, MSG has been aggressively attempting to thwart Ballmer's desire to build a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat home for the Clippers just a few blocks down Prairie Avenue from... [More]

The number of known coronavirus cases within the NBA doubled to 14 on Thursday, when Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics pleaded with people to take social distancing more seriously and the league ordered all teams to shutter their training facilities indefinitely.Smart revealed that he tested positive and the Los Angeles Lakers said two of their players tested positive as well, bringing the number of players who have acquired the virus to 10. The Philadelphia 76ers said three members of their organization tested positive and the Denver Nuggets said someone within their franchise was positive as well.The 76ers and Nuggets did not say if the affected people were players, coaches or other staff.“I’ve had no symptoms and I feel great,” Smart said on Twitter. “But the younger generation in our country MUST self distance. This is not a joke. Not doing so is selfish. Together we can beat this, but we must beat it together by being apart for a short while.”The league wants its teams to keep distance... [More]

The number of known coronavirus cases within the NBA doubled to 14 on Thursday, when Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics pleaded with people to take social distancing more seriously and the league ordered all teams to shutter their training facilities indefinitely.Smart revealed that he tested positive and the Los Angeles Lakers said two of their players tested positive as well, bringing the number of players who have acquired the virus to 10. The Philadelphia 76ers said three members of their organization tested positive and the Denver Nuggets said someone within their franchise was positive as well.The 76ers and Nuggets did not say if the affected people were players, coaches or other staff.“I’ve had no symptoms and I feel great,” Smart said on Twitter. “But the younger generation in our country MUST self distance. This is not a joke. Not doing so is selfish. Together we can beat this, but we must beat it together by being apart for a short while.”The league wants its teams to keep distance... [More]

The NBA has told its teams to close their training and practice facilities to all players and staff starting Friday, a development that came on a day where four more teams revealed they have had players or staff test positive for the coronavirus.The Los Angeles Lakers said Thursday that two of their players tested positive, and Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics said he tested positive as well. Those revelations came after the Philadelphia 76ers said three members of their organization and the Denver Nuggets said someone within their franchise also tested positive.The Lakers, 76ers and Nuggets all opted to not identify those who tested positive. The 76ers and Nuggets also did not reveal if the positive tests were linked to a player, coach or another level of staff.Smart said he waited five days for his test results.“I've been self-quarantined since the test, thank goodness," Smart said on Twitter. “COVID-19 must be taken with the highest level of seriousness. I know it's a #1 priority for... [More]

The NBA has told its teams to close its training and practice facilities to all players and staff starting Friday, saying the shuttering will last indefinitely in the latest response to the coronavirus pandemic.The league told teams of the new directive in a memo sent Thursday afternoon, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. As recently as Monday, the NBA was telling teams that individual workouts could take place using what the league called the “one player, one coach, one basket" rule.Now, that's not even permitted. If players are going to work out during the league's shutdown, they'll have to do it at home or some other private facility.The NBA said it was updating the guidelines “in light of the rapidly-developing coronavirus situation, and consistent with evolving advice from health experts regarding how to promote individual and public health while minimizing the spread of the virus." It further recommended that players “should take aggressive measures to avoid contact... [More]

It has been just one week.That’s all. Just one full week since Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, just one full week since the NBA became the first of the North American pro sports leagues to suspend operations, one week since sports essentially stopped.The NHL quickly followed the NBA’s lead and suspended play. Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball shuttered as well. Golf lasted a day before deciding it couldn’t still play, and auto racing screeched to a halt before the weekend. The NCAA basketball tournaments were called off and college sports for the entirety of the academic year soon followed.The situation, when it comes to the pro sports at least, is different for the NBA and NHL. The playoffs were looming, roughly a month or so away. They’re on hold now, just like virtually everything else in the world, and the only opponent for the best basketball and hockey teams on the planet is an invisible foe called COVID-19 — the coronavirus, a pandemic that... [More]

The NBA has told its teams to close its training and practice facilities to all players and staff starting Friday, saying the shuttering will last indefinitely in the latest response to the coronavirus pandemic.The league told teams of the new directive in a memo sent Thursday afternoon, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. As recently as Monday, the NBA was telling teams that individual workouts could take place using what the league called the “one player, one coach, one basket" rule.Now, that's not even permitted. If players are going to work out during the league's shutdown, they'll have to do it at home or some other private facility.The NBA said it was updating the guidelines “in light of the rapidly-developing coronavirus situation, and consistent with evolving advice from health experts regarding how to promote individual and public health while minimizing the spread of the virus." It further recommended that players “should take aggressive measures to avoid contact... [More]

It has been just one week.That’s all. Just one full week since Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, just one full week since the NBA became the first of the North American pro sports leagues to suspend operations, one week since sports essentially stopped.The NHL quickly followed the NBA’s lead and suspended play. Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball shuttered as well. Golf lasted a day before deciding it couldn’t still play, and auto racing screeched to a halt before the weekend. The NCAA basketball tournaments were called off and college sports for the entirety of the academic year soon followed.The situation, when it comes to the pro sports at least, is different for the NBA and NHL. The playoffs were looming, roughly a month or so away. They’re on hold now, just like virtually everything else in the world, and the only opponent for the best basketball and hockey teams on the planet is an invisible foe called COVID-19 — the coronavirus, a pandemic that... [More]

The NBA has told its teams to close its training and practice facilities to all players and staff starting Friday, saying the shuttering will last indefinitely in the latest response to the coronavirus pandemic.The league told teams of the new directive in a memo sent Thursday afternoon, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. As recently as Monday, the NBA was telling teams that individual workouts could take place using what the league called the “one player, one coach, one basket" rule.Now, that's not even permitted. If players are going to work out during the league's shutdown, they'll have to do it at home or some other private facility.The NBA said it was updating the guidelines “in light of the rapidly-developing coronavirus situation, and consistent with evolving advice from health experts regarding how to promote individual and public health while minimizing the spread of the virus." It further recommended that players “should take aggressive measures to avoid contact... [More]