TORONTO (AP) — Masai Ujiri could see it in the proud posture and wide smiles of the young female players.The Toronto Raptors president was in Somalia last week for the last stop on his annual Giants of Africa tour."We have to preach equality on the continent and all over the world," Ujiri told The Canadian Press. "There's as much talent in girls as there is in boys. They have to be given the opportunity, too. At the end of the day, you see them walking taller, which was very important for us to continue on this journey."Ujiri has barely paused since the Raptors won the NBA championship in June. There was free agency and the departure of superstar Kawhi Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers.Much of his time has been devoted to Giants of Africa, his passion project since 2003. The tour added Somalia and South Sudan to the schedule this summer, two countries still staggering from civil wars.Islamic extremism in Somalia had forbidden females to watch sports let alone participate in them. The... [More]

TORONTO (AP) — Masai Ujiri could see it in the proud posture and wide smiles of the young female players.The Toronto Raptors president was in Somalia last week for the last stop on his annual Giants of Africa tour."We have to preach equality on the continent and all over the world," Ujiri told The Canadian Press. "There's as much talent in girls as there is in boys. They have to be given the opportunity, too. At the end of the day, you see them walking taller, which was very important for us to continue on this journey."Ujiri has barely paused since the Raptors won the NBA championship in June. There was free agency and the departure of superstar Kawhi Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers.Much of his time has been devoted to Giants of Africa, his passion project since 2003. The tour added Somalia and South Sudan to the schedule this summer, two countries still staggering from civil wars.Islamic extremism in Somalia had forbidden females to watch sports let alone participate in them. The... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dwight Howard rejoined the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, six seasons after his acrimonious departure.The eight-time All-Star center and 15-year NBA veteran is the Lakers' improbable choice to fill the sudden roster vacancy created by DeMarcus Cousins' knee injury.Howard spent one memorable season with the Lakers in 2012-13 after joining the club with Steve Nash in Los Angeles' high-risk attempt to create an immediate championship contender. While he led the NBA in rebounding and valiantly played through injuries, Howard also clashed with Kobe Bryant and subsequently spurned Los Angeles as a free agent after the Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs.He bounced to six franchises after his departure, while the Lakers haven't made the NBA postseason in those ensuing six seasons.Howard has been aggressively booed at Staples Center ever since he took significantly less money than the Lakers offered him and joined the Houston Rockets instead.Howard appeared in nine... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dwight Howard has rejoined the Los Angeles Lakers six years after his acrimonious departure.The eight-time All-Star center and 15-year NBA veteran agreed to a contract Monday with the Lakers.Howard led the NBA in rebounding while spending the 2012-13 season with the Lakers, but he clashed with Kobe Bryant and subsequently spurned Los Angeles as a free agent. He bounced to six franchises after his departure, while the Lakers haven't made the playoffs since.He played nine games with Washington last season.Howard will take over the role expected to be filled by DeMarcus Cousins, who tore his knee ligament after signing with the Lakers last month. Howard will team with JaVale McGee and Anthony Davis to play center for Los Angeles.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Caris LeVert to a contract extension after his remarkable recovery from injury last season.The 2016 first-round pick was averaging a team-best 18.4 points in his first 13 games before sustaining a dislocated right foot, a gruesome-looking injury that had players in prayer as he was taken off the court on a stretcher.But it was quickly determined that he wouldn't need surgery and would be able to return during the season, which he did after missing about three months. He helped the Nets make the playoffs, where he averaged 21 points in a first-round loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.Terms of the deal announced Monday were not disclosed.The Nets respect the way LeVert has overcome injuries dating to college at Michigan, and view him as an important piece of a team that signed superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in July.General manager Sean Marks says "Caris personifies what it means to be a Brooklyn Net, and we firmly believe his best basketball is in front of him."___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies have waived Dwight Howard ahead of the veteran center's expected move to the Los Angeles Lakers.The Grizzlies announced the move Saturday. They acquired Howard in a trade with Washington last month.Howard still must clear waivers before he can sign with another team. The Associated Press and many media outlets reported Friday that Howard plans to sign with the Lakers, with whom he spent one eventful season in 2012-13.Howard will bolster the Lakers' roster after the loss of DeMarcus Cousins, who tore a knee ligament in an offseason workout this month shortly after signing with Los Angeles.Howard worked out for the Lakers and met with several players earlier this week before the team agreed to sign him.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers intend to sign center Dwight Howard after he completes a buyout with Memphis, a person familiar with the decision says.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the deal hasn't been completed for Howard to make an improbable return to the Lakers six years after his acrimonious departure.The eight-time All-Star selection will be the ostensible replacement for center DeMarcus Cousins, who recently tore a knee ligament after signing with the Lakers as a free agent last month. Cousins could be sidelined for the entire upcoming season, and Howard will team with JaVale McGee and Anthony Davis to play the center spot for the Lakers.Howard spent one infamous season with the Lakers, who acquired him from Orlando in August 2012 and teamed him with Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in the hopes of building a championship-contending superteam.Although Howard valiantly played through injuries, he also clashed with Bryant, coach Mike D'Antoni... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers intend to sign center Dwight Howard after he completes a buyout with Memphis, a person familiar with the decision says.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the deal hasn't been completed for Howard to make an improbable return to the Lakers six years after his acrimonious departure.The eight-time All-Star selection will be the ostensible replacement for center DeMarcus Cousins, who recently tore a knee ligament after signing with the Lakers as a free agent last month. Cousins could be sidelined for the entire upcoming season, and Howard will team with JaVale McGee and Anthony Davis to play the center spot for the Lakers.Howard spent one infamous season with the Lakers, who acquired him from Orlando in August 2012 and teamed him with Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in the hopes of building a championship-contending superteam.Although Howard valiantly played through injuries, he also clashed with Bryant, coach Mike D'Antoni... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wants to temper expectations. Maybe that is understandable.He is preparing to step into the point guard position Russell Westbrook held for 11 years for the Oklahoma City Thunder.Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 10.8 points and 3.3 assists as a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He joined the Thunder in the deal that sent All-Star Paul George to the Clippers.He has a massive hole to help fill. Westbrook was the 2017 NBA MVP and two-time scoring champion, two-time All-Star MVP and two-time assist leader who averaged a triple-double the past three seasons with the Thunder before he was traded to the Houston Rockets this summer."I am not Russell Westbrook," Gilgeous-Alexander said matter-of-factly Thursday. "We don't have the same name, the same body type, nothing like that. So I'm going to try to be myself and be the best me, and everything else will take care of itself."Thunder general manager Sam Presti has said Gilgeous-Alexander has... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wants to temper expectations. Maybe that is understandable.He is preparing to step into the point guard position Russell Westbrook held for 11 years for the Oklahoma City Thunder.Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 10.8 points and 3.3 assists as a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He joined the Thunder in the deal that sent All-Star Paul George to the Clippers.He has a massive hole to help fill. Westbrook was the 2017 NBA MVP and two-time scoring champion, two-time All-Star MVP and two-time assist leader who averaged a triple-double the past three seasons with the Thunder before he was traded to the Houston Rockets this summer."I am not Russell Westbrook," Gilgeous-Alexander said matter-of-factly Thursday. "We don't have the same game, the same body type, nothing like that. So I'm going to try to be myself, the best me, and everything else will take care of itself."Thunder general manager Sam Presti has said Gilgeous-Alexander has star... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks have given general manager Travis Schlenk an extra title: president of basketball operations.Owner Tony Ressler announced the promotion on Monday, saying he is "extremely pleased with the direction that Travis and our entire basketball operations team has us heading as a franchise."As he goes into his third year with the Hawks, Schlenk has totally overhauled the roster and assembled an impressive core of young players through the draft, including Trae Young, John Collins and incoming first-round picks De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish.The Hawks have endured two straight losing seasons but Ressler says the massive rebuilding job has provided "the cap space, draft picks and financial flexibility needed to have long-term success in the NBA."___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — In a record sale for a U.S. sports franchise, the co-founder of Alibaba agreed to buy the remaining 51 percent of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center for about $3.4 billion, two people with knowledge of the details said Friday.Joe Tsai already had purchased 49 percent of the team from Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov in 2018, with the option to become controlling owner in 2021.Instead, he pushed up that timeline for full ownership of a team on the rise after signing superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in July.Terms were not disclosed, but those familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Tsai is paying about $2.35 billion for the Nets and nearly $1 billion in a separate transaction for the arena. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreements are not complete.The deal is expected to be completed by the end of September and is subject to approval by the NBA's Board of Governors.It will surpass the $2.2 billion that Tilman Fertitta paid... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — In a record sale for a U.S. sports franchise, the co-founder of Alibaba agreed to buy the remaining 51 percent of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center for about $3.4 billion, two people with knowledge of the details said Friday.Joe Tsai already had purchased 49 percent of the team from Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov in 2018, with the option to become controlling owner in 2021.Instead, he pushed up that timeline for full ownership of a team on the rise after signing superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in July.Terms were not disclosed, but those familiar with the agreements told The Associated Press that Tsai is paying about $2.35 billion for the Nets and nearly $1 billion in a separate transaction for the arena. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the transactions are not complete.The deal is expected to be completed by the end of September and is subject to approval by the NBA's Board of Governors.It will surpass the $2.2 billion that Tilman Fertitta... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joe Tsai has agreed to buy the remaining 51 percent of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center from Mikhail Prokhorov in deals that two people with knowledge of the details say are worth about $3.4 billion.Terms were not disclosed Friday, but the people told The Associated Press that Tsai is paying about $2.35 billion for the Nets — a record for a U.S. pro sports franchise — and nearly $1 billion in a separate transaction for the arena. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the transactions have not yet been completed.Tsai is the co-founder and executive vice president of the Alibaba Group, the Chinese e-commerce giant. He already had purchased a 49 percent stake in the team from Prokhorov in 2018, with the option to become controlling owner in four years.Instead, he pushed up that timeline for full ownership of a team on the rise after signing superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in July.Prokhorov, a Russian billionaire, became the NBA's first non-North American... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joe Tsai has agreed to buy the remaining 51 percent of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center from Mikhail Prokhorov in deals that two people with knowledge of the details say are worth about $3.4 billion.Terms were not disclosed Friday, but the people told The Associated Press that Tsai is paying about $2.35 for the Nets — a record for a U.S. pro sports franchise — and nearly $1 billion in a separate transaction for the arena. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the transactions have not yet been completed.Tsai is the co-founder and executive vice president of the Alibaba Group, the Chinese e-commerce giant. He already had purchased a 49 percent stake in the team from Prokhorov in 2018, with the option to become controlling owner in four years.Instead, he pushed up that timeline for full ownership of a team on the rise after signing superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in July.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins is facing rehab from another major injury, and the Los Angeles Lakers have endured their first big problem of a season with championship expectations.Cousins was diagnosed Thursday with a torn ACL in his left knee, an injury that could sideline the six-time All-Star big man for much — if not all — of this coming season. Cousins' agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, said a timeline for surgery is being discussed.Cousins, who spent last season with Golden State, got hurt earlier this week in a workout in Las Vegas. The ACL tear comes about 18 months after he ruptured his left Achilles tendon, and roughly four months after he tore his left quadriceps muscle during this past season's playoffs.Those previous injuries cost him a lot of games and a lot of money.This injury is only going to add to those totals."He was going to be a big part of what we're going to do," Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma said after USA Basketball practice at the Lakers'... [More]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins is now facing rehab from another major injury, and the Los Angeles Lakers have endured their first big problem of a season with championship expectations.Cousins was diagnosed Thursday with a torn ACL in his left knee, an injury that could sideline the six-time All-Star big man for much — if not all — of this coming season. Cousins' agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, said a timeline for surgery is being discussed.Cousins got hurt earlier this week in a workout in Las Vegas. The ACL tear comes about 18 months after he ruptured his left Achilles, and roughly four months after he tore his left quadriceps muscle.Those previous injuries cost him a lot of games and a lot of money.This injury is only going to add to those totals."He was going to be a big part of what we're going to do," Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma said after USA Basketball practice at the Lakers' facility on Thursday, shortly after the severity of Cousins' injury was confirmed.The... [More]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins is now facing rehab from another major injury, and the Los Angeles Lakers have endured their first big problem of a season with championship expectations.Cousins was diagnosed Thursday with a torn ACL in his left knee, an injury that could sideline the six-time All-Star big man for much — if not all — of this coming season. Cousins' agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, said a timeline for surgery is being discussed.Cousins got hurt earlier this week in a workout in Las Vegas. The ACL tear comes about 18 months after he ruptured his left Achilles, and roughly four months after he tore his left quadriceps muscle.Those previous injuries cost him a lot of games and a lot of money.This injury is only going to add to those totals.The Achilles tear preceded Cousins' 2018 trip to free agency, one where he could have commanded a multi-year deal exceeding $100 million. He wound up having to sign a one-year, $5.3 million contract with Golden State.And... [More]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Lakers center DeMarcus Cousins was scheduled for tests on Thursday amid fears that he has a torn ACL, which would be a third major injury in less than two years for the once-perennial All-Star.Cousins got hurt in a workout in Las Vegas earlier this week, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no official diagnosis has been released publicly.ESPN first reported that Cousins was injured.If the fears are confirmed, Cousins would almost certainly miss much — if not all — of the coming season. And his run of amazingly bad luck, costing him a lot of games and an enormous amount of money, would continue as well.He tore his Achilles in February 2018, a few months before he could have commanded a massive contract in free agency. He wound up signing with Golden State for the relatively low price of $5.3 million, sat out much of last season while rehabbing the Achilles, and then was sidelined again for... [More]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — A person with knowledge of the situation says Los Angeles Lakers center DeMarcus Cousins is undergoing tests to confirm a preliminary diagnosis of a ligament tear in his knee.Cousins was injured in a workout in Las Vegas this week, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press on Thursday because no official diagnosis has been released publicly.ESPN first reported that Cousins was injured.It could be the latest major blow for Cousins — an All-Star for six consecutive seasons when his injury woes began.He tore his Achilles in February 2018 and was sidelined nearly a year, plus he missed out on what likely would have been a massive contract in free agency that summer. He signed with Golden State for $5.3 million, missed roughly half the season while rehabbing, and then missed much of last season's playoffs after tearing a quad muscle.He signed a one-year deal this summer with the Lakers for $3.5 million.Cousins has averaged 21.2 points and 10.9 rebounds over parts of nine NBA seasons with Sacramento, New Orleans and Golden State.