There were obvious perks to being teammates with Michael Jordan. Plenty of his Chicago teammates own multiple championship rings, they appear in some of the most-replayed NBA highlight clips of all time and they’ve got a lifetime of stories to tell about one of the best to ever take the court.B.J. Armstrong also learned to move quickly — off the court, that is.Whether it was during his rookie season when his stall in the Bulls locker room was adjacent to Jordan’s locker, or at a dinner with the six-time NBA champion and Kobe Bryant about a quarter-century later, Armstrong often found himself with a front-row seat to witness the true cost of fame for arguably the world’s most recognizable athlete.“I remember as a young player I had this dream of playing in the NBA,” Armstrong, the longtime NBA guard and three-time NBA champion with the Bulls who is now a California-based sports agent, told The Associated Press. “And I vividly remember when I got to Chicago thinking, ‘You better be careful... [More]

There were obvious perks to being teammates with Michael Jordan. Plenty of his Chicago teammates own multiple championship rings, they appear in some of the most-replayed NBA highlight clips of all time and they’ve got a lifetime of stories to tell about one of the best to ever take the court.B.J. Armstrong also learned to move quickly — off the court, that is.Whether it was during his rookie season when his stall in the Bulls locker room was adjacent to Jordan’s locker, or at a dinner with the six-time NBA champion and Kobe Bryant about a quarter-century later, Armstrong often found himself with a front-row seat to witness the true cost of fame for arguably the world’s most recognizable athlete.“I remember as a young player I had this dream of playing in the NBA,” Armstrong, the longtime NBA guard and three-time NBA champion with the Bulls who is now a California-based sports agent, told The Associated Press. “And I vividly remember when I got to Chicago thinking, ‘You better be careful... [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]

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]

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]

NEW YORK (AP) — Leon Rose has spent years as one of the NBA's most powerful agents.Now he will try to turn around one of its weakest franchises.The New York Knicks hired Rose as their president Monday, hoping he can sign and draft the kind of dominant players he's been representing. Rose is taking over a team headed toward its seventh straight season out of the playoffs. But teams such as Golden State and the Lakers have found success handing their basketball operations to an agent and the Knicks believe they can do the same with Rose.“Leon is one of the most respected executives in professional basketball, with decades of experience successfully working with NBA players and team management in all facets of the game," Madison Square Garden executive chairman James Dolan said in a statement. "We are confident he brings the right combination of expertise and relationships to ensure the long-term success of our franchise.”Rose, the former co-head of the basketball division at CAA Sports, replaces... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Leon Rose has spent years as one of the NBA's most powerful agents.Now he will try to turn around one of its weakest franchises.The New York Knicks hired Rose as their president Monday, hoping he can sign and draft the kind of dominant players he's been representing. Rose is taking over a team headed toward its seventh straight season out of the playoffs. But teams such as Golden State and the Lakers have found success handing their basketball operations to an agent and the Knicks believe he can do the same.“Leon is one of the most respected executives in professional basketball, with decades of experience successfully working with NBA players and team management in all facets of the game," Madison Square Garden executive chairman James Dolan said in a statement. "We are confident he brings the right combination of expertise and relationships to ensure the long-term success of our franchise.”Rose, the former co-head of the basketball division at CAA Sports, replaces Steve... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks hired Leon Rose as their president Monday, hoping the longtime player agent can be just as successful as an executive.Rose is taking over what has become one of the NBA's worst franchises, headed toward its seventh straight season out of the playoffs. But teams such as Golden State and the Lakers have found success handing their basketball operations to an agent and the Knicks are hoping to do the same.“Leon is one of the most respected executives in professional basketball, with decades of experience successfully working with NBA players and team management in all facets of the game," Madison Square Garden executive chairman James Dolan said in a statement. "We are confident he brings the right combination of expertise and relationships to ensure the long-term success of our franchise.”Rose, the former co-head of the basketball division at CAA Sports, replaces Steve Mills, who was fired early last month.Rose has represented such All-Stars as LeBron James,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Memorable moments from inside the memorial for Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. BEYONCÉ, ALICIA, CHRISTINA AND ‘MARIA’Practically everything about what would happen at Kobe Bryant's memorial was a mystery to nearly everyone watching, and when Beyoncé took the stage to open the celebration of life, a gasp went up among the until-then subdued crowd at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The big screen in the arena soon showed that many major entertainment figures were in the audience along with the expected NBA stars, including Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.The memorial's other musical moments would provide their own surprises. A harp and grand piano that a scrambling crew set up on stage between speakers led to speculation about who else would perform. The harp accompanied Christina Aguilera as she sang “Ave Maria,” a nod to the Bryant family's Catholic faith and to Kobe Bryant's Italian upbringing. The piano was for Alicia Keys, who used it to play Beethoven's... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant’s wife remembered him as a devoted father and husband who arrived early for school pickups and wrote heartfelt cards and letters.Rob Pelinka, Bryant’s longtime agent and close friend, recalled his final texts from the NBA superstar minutes before he was killed last month in a helicopter crash. Bryant was attempting to secure an internship for the daughter of another friend who was sitting with him in the chopper.Michael Jordan called Bryant “a little brother” and said that when he died, "a piece of me died.”Bryant's athletic achievements were only part of the reason roughly 20,000 people gathered Monday for a public memorial service honoring him at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The event offered another chance to celebrate Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the other seven victims of the crash with tears, memories and laughs.Los Angeles already knew Bryant was much more than a basketball icon. His friends and family told the world.“I couldn't... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jordan says he didn't see Kobe Bryant as his rival for the mythical honor of being recognized as the best basketball player ever.Instead, he came to love Bryant as the little brother he never had, and as a student eager to learn from Jordan's experiences and skills.“He wanted to be the best basketball player that he could be,” Jordan said Monday at Bryant's public memorial service at Staples Center. “And as I got to know him, I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be.”Jordan broke into tears with those words during a moving speech about his largely unpublicized friendship with Bryant, who died along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash Jan. 26.“When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died,” Jordan said. “And as I look (around) this arena and across the globe, a piece of you died, or else you wouldn’t be here. Those are the memories that we have to live with and we learn from. I promise you from this day forward,... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant’s wife remembered him as a devoted father and husband who arrived early for school pickups and wrote heartfelt cards and letters.Rob Pelinka, Bryant’s longtime agent and closest friend, recalled getting a text from the NBA superstar moments before he was killed last month in a helicopter crash. The message asked for help in securing an internship for another friend’s daughter.Michael Jordan called Bryant “a little brother” and said when he died, "a piece of me died.”Bryant's athletic achievements were only part of the reason that 20,000 Lakers fans gathered Monday for a public memorial service at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The event offered another chance to honor Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the other seven victims of the crash with tears, memories and laughs.Los Angeles already knew that Bryant was much more than a basketball player. His friends and family told the world.“I couldn't see him as a celebrity, nor just an incredible... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant’s wife remembered him as a devoted father and husband who arrived early for school pickups and wrote heartfelt cards and letters.Rob Pelinka, Bryant’s longtime agent and closest friend, recalled getting a text from the NBA superstar moments before he was killed last month in a helicopter crash. The message asked for help in securing an internship for another friend’s daughter.Michael Jordan called Bryant “a little brother” and said when he died, "a piece of me died.”Bryant's athletic achievements were only part of the reason that 20,000 Lakers fans gathered Monday for a public memorial service at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The event offered another chance to honor Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the other seven victims of the crash with tears, memories and laughs.Los Angeles already knew that Bryant was much more than a basketball player. His friends and family told the world.“I couldn't see him as a celebrity, nor just an incredible... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant's wife offered a poignant portrait of her NBA superstar husband and their daughter Monday at a packed memorial service for the two, who were among nine people killed last month in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles.Speaking at times through tears, Vanessa Bryant praised her husband's devotion to their family as she addressed thousands of fans gathered at Staples Center to remember Bryant and 13-year-old Gianna.“God knew they couldn't be on this Earth without each other,” Vanessa Bryant said. “He had to bring them home to have them together. Babe, you take care of our Gigi.”The service took place at the downtown arena where Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers for the final 17 seasons of his two-decade NBA career. Thousands of Lakers fans, many wearing Bryant's jersey or team colors, attended the tearful gathering to honor Los Angeles' most popular athlete and a global basketball icon.The ceremony began with Beyonce performing her songs “XO” and “Halo" with... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kobe Bryant's wife offered a poignant portrait of her NBA superstar husband and their daughter Monday at a packed memorial service for the two, who were among nine people killed last month in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles.Speaking at times through tears, Vanessa Bryant praised her husband's devotion to their family as she addressed thousands of fans gathered at Staples Center to remember Bryant and 13-year-old Gianna.“God knew they couldn't be on this Earth without each other,” Vanessa Bryant said. “He had to bring them home to have them together. Babe, you take care of our Gigi.”The service took place at the downtown arena where Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers for the final 17 seasons of his two-decade NBA career. Thousands of Lakers fans, many wearing Bryant's jersey or team colors, attended the tearful gathering to honor Los Angeles' most popular athlete and a global basketball icon.The ceremony began with Beyonce performing her songs “XO” and “Halo" with... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on the public memorial for Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna in downtown Los Angeles (all times local):12:45 p.m.A selection from the short film “Dear Basketball” that won Kobe Bryant an Academy Award played on the big screens at Staples Center to wrap up a public memorial for the former Los Angeles Lakers superstar.He won a 2018 Oscar in the animated short category for the film based on a poem he wrote after ending his 20-year career basketball career in 2016.At the time, Bryant said he believed the nomination validated that he could succeed off the court and have a productive and creative retirement.The memorial for Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others who died in a helicopter crash last month featured heartfelt stories from Bryant's widow, Vanessa, NBA legends Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal and other friends in the basketball community. Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera performed.The memorial ended after the film was... [More]