LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mourners gathered Monday in downtown Los Angeles to say farewell to Kobe and Gianna Bryant, arriving hours before the start of a sold-out memorial service for the basketball superstar and his 13-year-old daughter.The service took place at the Staples Center, the downtown arena where Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 17 seasons of his two-decade NBA career. Bryant and his daughter were among nine people killed Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash.The ceremony began with Beyonce performing her songs “XO” and “Halo" with dozens dozens of backup musicians.Among the early arriving fans was Alyssa Shapiro, 27, of Huntington Beach, who said she was inspired to become a basketball player after watching countless Lakers games with her father.The family’s love of the game — and Bryant’s work in women’s sports — prompted her to become a middle school girls’ basketball coach. Her team had played Gianna’s team and she would watch Bryant cheer for his daughter in the stands.Holding... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mourners gathered Monday in downtown Los Angeles to say farewell to Kobe and Gianna Bryant, hours before a sold-out memorial service for the basketball superstar and his 13-year-old daughter was scheduled to start.The service was to take place at the Staples Center, the arena where Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers for two decades. The two were among nine people killed in a Jan. 26 helicopter crash.Among the early arriving fans was Alyssa Shapiro, 27, of Huntington Beach, who said she was inspired to become a basketball player after watching countless Lakers games with her father.The family’s love of the game — and Bryant’s work in women’s sports — prompted her to become a middle school girls’ basketball coach. Her team had played Gianna’s team and she would watch Bryant cheer for his daughter in the stands.Holding homemade heart-shaped “Kobe” and “Gigi” signs, she said she went up to Bryant to introduce herself at a game.“I just wanted to thank him for being such... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mourners began gathering Monday in downtown Los Angeles to say farewell to Kobe and Gianna Bryant at the Staples Center, hours before Bryant's memorial service was scheduled to startThe basketball superstar and his 13-year-old daughter will be honored in a public memorial at the arena where Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe and Gianna Bryant died along with seven others in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26.Early arriving fans included Bob Melendez, 72, who has been a season ticket holder for 40 years. After seeing Bryant play for the Lakers for years — including at his retirement game — Melendez said he could not imagine missing the memorial. Melendez and friends Tom Ling, Rene Vega and Brett Noss said they wanted to pay their respects to the Bryant family. Vega said his grandchildren and Bryant’s children attend the same school. Bryant called Vega “Grandpa” and snuck up behind him and pick him up. Ling, wearing a silver No. 8 jersey, said he couldn’t believe... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thousands of mourners will gather in Staples Center on Monday to say farewell to Kobe and Gianna Bryant.The basketball superstar and his 13-year-old daughter will be honored in a public memorial at the arena where Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers.Kobe and Gianna Bryant died along with seven others on Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash.The Celebration of Life will feature speakers reflecting on Kobe Bryant's impact on his sport and the world, along with music and retrospectives on Bryant's on-court achievements. Bryant became active in film, television and writing after he retired from basketball in 2016.Bryant's family, dozens of sports greats and many major figures in Bryant's public life are expected to attend. Staples Center is sold out for the memorial. The money made from ticket sales will be given to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, which supports youth sports programs in underserved communities and teaches sports to girls and women.Bryant played his... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Markieff Morris has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for the postseason push.The Lakers announced the deal Sunday to add the nine-year NBA veteran immediately after he cleared waivers.Los Angeles waived injured center DeMarcus Cousins to clear a roster spot.Morris reached a buyout agreement with the Pistons on Friday. He averaged 11 points and 3.9 rebounds in 44 games with Detroit this season while hitting a career-best 39.7% of his 3-pointers and playing solid defense.He is expected to provide rebounding and defense as the backup power forward for the Lakers, who lead the Western Conference at 43-12 after beating Boston 114-112 on Sunday for their fifth consecutive win.The nine-year veteran has 24 games of playoff experience, all in the last three seasons with Washington and Oklahoma City. He began his career with Phoenix in 2011.Markieff Morris' twin brother, Marcus, plays down the Staples Center hallway for the Los Angeles Clippers, who acquired him earlier in the... [More]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss at least two weeks with a sprained left knee after getting hurt in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Grizzlies announced Sunday that Jackson will be re-evaluated in two weeks. An MRI exam showed Jackson sprained his knee Friday night contesting a shot late in the second quarter. He did not return for the second half of Memphis' 117-105 loss to the Lakers. Jackson is the Grizzlies' second-leading scorer, averaging 16.9 points per game. The fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft is shooting nearly 40 percent from 3-point range. Memphis currently is in the midst of a four-game road swing, holding the eighth spot in the Western Conference at 28-28. They visit the Clippers on Monday night. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MIAMI (AP) — Guard-forward Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat's leading scorer, was ruled out of Saturday night's game against Cleveland for personal reasons.Cavaliers forward-center Kevin Love sat out for the second time in the past three games because of a sore right Achilles' tendon. Love is the Cavs' third-leading scorer and rebounder.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ATLANTA (AP) — All-Star Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is skipping the second night of a back-to-back in Atlanta to rest the right ankle he has sprained twice, an injury that sidelined him both times.Doncic was listed as out with right ankle soreness for the visit to the Hawks on Saturday night. Fellow European star Kristaps Porzingis also is sitting to rest his surgically repaired left knee. It's the third straight back-to-back Porzingis has missed.Doncic was out four games the first time he sprained the ankle in December, then another seven when the 20-year-old sensation did it again before the All-Star break. Doncic played the final game before the break and the first game back, a 122-106 win at Orlando on Friday.The Mavericks are 2-0 without their top two scorers, including a 123-100 home win over Atlanta on Feb. 1. The other win was at home against Charlotte.Center Willie Cauley-Stein is out against Atlanta for personal reasons, and guard Seth Curry is questionable with right knee soreness that kept him out of consecutive games earlier this month.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons announced on Friday that they have signed guard Derrick Walton Jr. to a 10-day contract. Walton last played for the Los Angeles Clippers this season. In 23 games, with one start, he averaged 2.2 points, .7 rebounds and one assists before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 6. He was then waived by the Hawks. In college, the Detroit native played at the University of Michigan.Per team policy, terms of the agreement weren't disclosed.Also Friday, the Pistons said they and Markieff Morris reached an agreement to buy out the veteran forward’s contract. The Pistons have requested waivers on Morris.Morris signed as a free agent on July 6 last year. He averaged 11 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists during his stint with Detroit.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns will sit out for at least two more weeks because of an injured left wrist that the team announced Friday is broken.Towns first had an X-ray after hurting his wrist Jan. 25 against Oklahoma City, coach Ryan Saunders said. Towns played through discomfort in the next six games, posting 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in five of those, but he was ruled out of Minnesota's last game before the All-Star break with the injury. Further evaluation by multiple medical specialists revealed the fracture, the Timberwolves said.Towns will be re-evaluated in two weeks and his playing status reassessed, meaning his absence will total at least 10 games. Towns missed 15 games earlier this season with a left knee injury. He played in all 82 games in each of his first three seasons and 77 games last season.“Karl’s done everything to play through any type of pain, and he’s put the team first," Saunders said. “You can’t say enough positive... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson will not play this season, though it has not been ruled out that he could still compete in the Olympics this summer.It was expected that Thompson would miss the entire season as he recovers from a torn knee ligament, and the Warriors said it definitively before their game against Houston on Thursday night. Coach Steve Kerr said it is too early to rule Thompson out to play for the U.S. team and he hasn't formed an opinion on what would be best for Thompson given July is still five months away.“Just the determination by the training staff that even though he's coming along well there isn't really any chance that he's playing,” Kerr said. “This is what I expected from the beginning given the severity of the injury and the normal timetable, and so here we are. It's no surprise.”Thompson tore the ACL in his left knee last June 13 during the deciding Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors and had surgery July 2. He was... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson will not play the rest of the regular season, the team said Thursday.It was expected that Thompson would miss the entire season as he recovers from a torn knee ligament, and the Warriors said it definitively before their game against Houston.Thompson tore the ACL in his left knee last June during the deciding Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors and had surgery July 2. He was re-evaluated over the All-Star break and the team said Stephen Curry's Splash Brother “is making good progress and is right on track with his rehabilitation timeline.” Golden State expects him ready to go for training camp in late September.The question now will be whether Thompson still wants to play in the Tokyo Olympics if he hasn't returned to game action.An update on Curry's recovery and progress from a broken left hand is planned for Feb. 28 and he expects to be back on the court in March.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyrie Irving tried to keep playing through pain, a cortisone shot no longer providing enough relief.Eventually, he and the Brooklyn Nets decided it's best to get his right shoulder taken care of now and get healthy for next season — when Irving and Kevin Durant can finally play together. Irving will have arthroscopic surgery and miss the rest of the season, Nets general manager Sean Marks said Thursday.“Kyrie mentioned he was playing through pain and you have to give him a lot of credit for that. He wants to be out there and playing with his guys,” Marks said. “But there comes a point where you say enough is enough and again, it goes to long-term health. And the best thing that (we) could do is to shut it down and get this taken care of once and for all.”Coach Kenny Atkinson said the point guard was still having trouble with the shoulder that began troubling him in October and sidelined him for 26 games earlier this season.“Some days it was OK and other days it bothered... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving will have arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder and miss the rest of the season.The Nets made the announcement Thursday before playing the Philadelphia 76ers in their first game after the All-Star break.Coach Kenny Atkinson said the point guard was still having trouble with the shoulder that sidelined him for 26 games earlier this season.“Some days it was OK and other days it bothered him,” Atkinson said. “Obviously, it is difficult to perform under those circumstances.” Irving said pain in the shoulder initially worsened after a game on Nov. 4. The Nets then went on a five-game road trip, where Irving continued to play until the pain got so bad he was having trouble lifting his shoulder.He got a cortisone shot on Dec. 24 and was able to return on Jan. 12, but he acknowledged that surgery might still be necessary. By deciding to have surgery now, Irving's first season in Brooklyn ends after just 20 games.Irving averaged 27.4 points,... [More]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Chris Paul gets annoyed when the topic of the Thunder’s “surprising” success comes up.Expectations for Oklahoma City were low for many after an offseason during which the Thunder collected draft picks, traded Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Paul and sent Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari. Many weren’t sure if Oklahoma City’s new players would function well together — or if the group would stay together. It also wasn't clear if Paul could perform at an elite level at age 34, or if he could stay healthy. But Paul has embraced what appeared to be an undesirable situation and was named an All-Star for the 10th time. The Thunder not only stayed intact but come out of the All-Star break sixth in the Western Conference and firmly in the playoff race. Asked what skeptics might have missed when projecting Oklahoma City to be one of the worst teams in the league, Paul bluntly said, “That I was here.” Paul also... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jake Layman was finally cleared Thursday to return to practice, with his absence at 39 straight games and counting because of a sprained left toe.Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, however, does not have that clearance. Nor has there been clarity yet revealed by the Timberwolves about how long his sprained left wrist will keep him out. The Timberwolves will play Friday against Boston without Towns, who missed the last game before the All-Star break on Feb. 12. Coach Ryan Saunders has said only that Towns will miss multiple games.“We’re obviously still looking, getting opinions that are out there,” Saunders said Thursday. “You want to make the best decisions possible for himself, and also for the organization.”Towns missed 15 games earlier this season with a left knee injury. His latest setback came in the aftermath of the whirlwind week leading up the trade deadline that landed guard D'Angelo Russell, a good friend of Towns. The Russell-Towns... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jake Layman was finally cleared Thursday to return to practice, with his absence at 39 straight games and counting because of a sprained left toe.Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, however, does not have that clearance. Nor has there been clarity yet revealed by the Timberwolves about how long his sprained left wrist will keep him out. The Timberwolves will play Friday against Boston without Towns, who missed the last game prior to the All-Star break on Feb. 12. Coach Ryan Saunders has only said Towns will miss multiple games.“We’re obviously still looking, getting opinions that are out there,” Saunders said Thursday. “You want to make the best decisions possible for himself, and also for the organization.”Towns missed 15 games earlier this season with a left knee injury. His latest setback came in the aftermath of the whirlwind week leading up the trade deadline that landed guard D'Angelo Russell, a good friend of Towns. The Russell-Towns... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — When John Beilein resigned as Cleveland's coach, swallowing his pride to leave the Cavaliers after just 54 games, he offered his preordained replacement some encouraging words."Go after it,” J.B. Bickerstaff said, repeating Beilein's final message.That's Bickerstaff's plan.It's now up to the 40-year-old, who has experience at picking up the pieces after previously taking over in Houston and Memphis following in-season coaching changes, to guide the Cavaliers through the remainder of another 82-game schedule gone sideways — and beyond.On Wednesday, Beilein cited his health, his family's well-being and the toll of a challenge he wasn't ready for as the main reasons for stepping away before the end of his first NBA season. The Cavs won only 14 games under Beilein, who built a sterling reputation as a college coach, most recently for 12 years at Michigan.But their plans to have the 67-year-old Beilein mold their young team backfired, so it's on to Bickerstaff, who... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — John Beilein stood in front of the Cavaliers and emotionally explained why he's leaving. This was goodbye.But even on his way out, the admired coach gave his players one last lesson. He showed them honesty, dignity and vulnerability. He admitted the losing had beaten him.Beilein said he couldn't go on.“It took a real man to do that today,” Cavs forward Kevin Love said. “Everybody you talk to will say they respected the hell out of him.”One of college basketball's most successful coaches over the past two decades, Beilein didn't make it through one NBA season. He resigned Wednesday after just 54 games with the rebuilding Cavaliers, who can't seem to find the right person to lead their team.The 67-year-old Beilein never got comfortable during his short stint in the pros. The demands of travel, lack of practice time and a group of players who didn't respond to his coaching style or respect him — until it was too late — proved to be too much, so he decided to move... [More]

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — John Beilein didn't make it through one NBA season. Another college coaching dropout.Wildly successful at Michigan and other stops in his coaching career, Beilein resigned Wednesday after just 54 games with the rebuilding Cavaliers, who can't seem to find the right person to lead their team.The 67-year-old Beilein never got comfortable during his short stint in the pro game. The demands of travel, lack of practice time and a group of players who didn't respect him or respond to his coaching style proved to be too much, so he decided to move on before the team returned from the All-Star break.“This was a very difficult decision for me, but I want to be clear — this was my decision to step down and I truly appreciate the understanding and support of the front office during this time,” Beilein said in a statement released by the team. "I find losing very challenging and this year has taken a much bigger toll on me than I expected. I grew concerned for the consequences... [More]