LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The secret can be told now: When the NBA was shut down for a few months because of the coronavirus pandemic, when most players in the league didn’t have a place to play because team facilities were closed as a precaution, Miami guard Tyler Herro was in a gym all the time.A couple of hours in the morning. A couple more at night. Almost every day.“I don’t think the Heat even know I did this,” Herro told The Associated Press.Given the way he’s played since the season resumed, the Heat probably could have suspected he used his downtime wisely. No rookie in these playoffs is averaging more points (14.7), 3-pointers (2.3), assists (3.3) and minutes (32.3) per game than Herro, the baby-faced 20-year-old who’ll make his Eastern Conference finals debut when Miami opens its series against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.Herro averaged 16.5 points in the first round of the playoffs, the most by a Heat rookie in a first round ever. And in the second round, he became... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade went through a long list of thank-yous as he delivered a 20-minute speech at his jersey retirement ceremony Saturday night, mentioning everyone from his business manager and the Miami Heat ball boys to Pat Riley.“I could have gone on for an hour,” Wade said following the ceremony at halftime of the Heat's 124-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. “This is about me for sure, but this is about all of us at the same time — the city of Miami, teammates over the years, everyone who has sacrificed, rooted and cried. We all did this together. I didn’t do this by myself.”Wade's wife helped to hoist his No. 3 jersey to the rafters, where it joined the retired jerseys of four other Heat players — Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Bosh. The ceremony was the centerpiece in a three-day celebration of Wade's 16-year NBA career, which included three championship seasons with the Heat. Wade, who now lives in Los Angeles, returned to the arena for the first... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade went through a long list of thank-yous as he delivered a 20-minute speech at his jersey retirement ceremony Saturday night, mentioning everyone from his business manager and the Miami Heat ball boys to Pat Riley.“I could have gone on for an hour,” Wade said following the ceremony at halftime of the Heat's 124-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. “This is about me for sure, but this is about all of us at the same time — the city of Miami, teammates over the years, everyone who has sacrificed, rooted and cried. We all did this together. I didn’t do this by myself.”Wade's wife helped to hoist his No. 3 jersey to the rafters, where it joined the retired jerseys of four other Heat players — Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Bosh. The ceremony was the centerpiece in a three-day celebration of Wade's 16-year NBA career, which included three championship seasons with the Heat. Wade, who now lives in Los Angeles, returned to the arena for the first... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade says that whenever he would hear the national anthem play before Miami home games, he would take a moment and look to the rafters.“I always imagined my jersey being up there,” Wade said.He will no longer have to imagine the sight. After this weekend, it’ll be there for good.Wade will become the fifth Heat player to get his number retired by the team, joining Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Bosh. A three-day celebration of Wade’s time in Miami starts on Friday, a weekend highlighted by his No. 3 formally going to the rafters on Saturday night when the Heat play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers.Wade spent 16 seasons in the NBA, 14½ of those with the Heat. He was one of two players to be part of all three Heat championship teams — Udonis Haslem, whose No. 40 will almost certainly be retired by the team one day, is the other.It was never a question of whether Wade’s jersey was going to be retired by the Heat, only a question of when. He’s the... [More]

The oddsmakers in Las Vegas usually know what they’re talking about.But even they get things wrong from time to time, and this season in the NBA there have been a few notable misses from all those preseason prognostications — specifically, ones made in relation to the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder.The Grizzlies have already topped most preseason projections for their win total. The sports books had them around 27 wins, and the Ja Morant-led club already has 28 wins and is holding down the Western Conference’s No. 8 playoff spot with 28 games left.“We are just young, very athletic and just get out and run,” said Morant, a clear Rookie of the Year front-runner and probably the favorite at this point. “I feel like we all have something to prove. We just go out with this chip on our shoulder. We keep proving people wrong. But we go out every night and play together.”And the Thunder, who were expected to freefall after losing Paul George, were slotted by most books as a 32-win... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Saturday night at NBA All-Star weekend. (all times local):9:45 p.m.Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. celebrated his 23rd birthday by winning the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, edging Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon in a memorable showdown that required two tiebreaker jams.Jones and Gordon each got a perfect 50 on both of their dunks in the final. Then they got two more perfect scores on their first jam in the dunk-off.Jones then took off from just inside the foul line and threw down a windmill jam with his left hand, drawing a 48 from the panel of five judges.After a short discussion with Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, Gordon brought out 7-foot-5 Boston Celtics rookie Tacko Fall and positioned him near the basket. He then took the ball from Fall's hands on his way to a thunderous dunk.The United Center gasped as the courtside NBA stars celebrated. But Gordon was awarded a 47, giving the victory to Jones.Gordon also lost a memorable dunk contest to Zach LaVine... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Saturday night at NBA All-Star weekend. (all times local):8:44 p.m.Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield made a late surge to win the NBA 3-Point Contest.Hield nailed a two-point money ball from the corner to finish with 27 points, edging Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker by one in the final round.Hield is one of the few bright spots for struggling Sacramento, averaging 20.4 points while shooting about 39 percent from 3-point range.Washington's Davis Bertans opened the second and final round with a 22, before Booker eliminated him.Defending champion Joe Harris of the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago's Zach LaVine were eliminated after they failed to crack the top three in the first round.Five racks with five balls each were set up around the perimeter — two in the corner, two on the wings and one up top. Four of those racks had four balls worth one point each plus a multi-colored two-point ball. The other had nothing but moneyballs.There were also two green balls worth... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Saturday night at NBA All-Star weekend. (all times local):8:44 p.m.Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield made a late surge to win the NBA 3-Point Contest.Hield nailed a two-point money ball from the corner to finish with 27 points, edging Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker by one in the final round.Hield is one of the few bright spots for struggling Sacramento, averaging 20.4 points while shooting about 39 percent from 3-point range.Washington's Davis Bertans opened the second and final round with a 22, before Booker eliminated him.Defending champion Joe Harris of the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago's Zach LaVine were eliminated after they failed to crack the top three in the first round.Five racks with five balls each were set up around the perimeter — two in the corner, two on the wings and one up top. Four of those racks had four balls worth one point each plus a multi-colored two-point ball. The other had nothing but moneyballs.There were also two green balls worth... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The Latest on Saturday night at NBA All-Star weekend. (all times local):7:38 p.m.Miami's Bam Abedayo has won the All-Star skills challenge.Abedayo narrowly defeated Indiana's Domantas Sabonis in the final in a matchup of All-Star big men. He shared a hug with former Heat star Dwyane Wade after accepting the trophy.Abedayo eliminated 2018 champion Spencer Dinwiddie and Raptors star Pascal Siakam in the first two rounds on the obstacle course. Sabonis advanced with victories over defending champion Jayson Tatum and Milwaukee's Khris Middleton.The 22-year-old Abedayo is in the middle of a breakout season, averaging 15.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 54 games for the Heat.___6:43 p.m.The NBA has renamed its All-Star Game MVP award in honor of Kobe Bryant.Commissioner Adam Silver announced the move on Saturday. Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine people killed when their helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain near Los Angeles on Jan. 26.Bryant... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins have never talked to one another about the 1988 dunk contest.They might be the only ones.It is still the dunk contest by which all other dunk contests are measured: Two stars, at the peak of their powers, the players who finished first and second in that season’s scoring standings, going head-to-head to decide a winner. Jordan left the old Chicago Stadium that night with the trophy. To this day, many believe Wilkins was the rightful winner. Either way, it was a never-to-be-forgotten show — and now, for the first time since that night 32 years ago, the dunk contest is returning to Chicago on Saturday night.“I did have a homecourt advantage, yes,” Jordan said this week in an interview with The Associated Press.“The fans got their money’s worth,” Wilkins said in a separate interview with AP.This season’s dunk contest entrants — Orlando’s Aaron Gordon, Miami’s Derrick Jones Jr., the Los Angeles Lakers’ Dwight Howard and Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins have never talked to one another about the 1988 dunk contest.They might be the only ones.It is still the dunk contest by which all other dunk contests are measured: Two stars, at the peak of their powers, the players who finished first and second in that season’s scoring standings, going head-to-head to decide a winner. Jordan left the old Chicago Stadium that night with the trophy. To this day, many believe Wilkins was the rightful winner. Either way, it was a never-to-be-forgotten show — and now, for the first time since that night 32 years ago, the dunk contest is returning to Chicago on Saturday night.“I did have a homecourt advantage, yes,” Jordan said this week in an interview with The Associated Press.“The fans got their money’s worth,” Wilkins said in a separate interview with AP.This season’s dunk contest entrant — Orlando’s Aaron Gordon, Miami’s Derrick Jones Jr., the Los Angeles Lakers’ Dwight Howard and Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins have never talked to one another about the 1988 dunk contest.They might be the only ones.It is still the dunk contest by which all other dunk contests are measured: Two stars, at the peak of their powers, the players who finished first and second in that season’s scoring standings, going head-to-head to decide a winner. Jordan left the old Chicago Stadium that night with the trophy. To this day, many believe Wilkins was the rightful winner. Either way, it was a never-to-be-forgotten show — and now, for the first time since that night 32 years ago, the dunk contest is returning to Chicago on Saturday night.“I did have a homecourt advantage, yes,” Jordan said this week in an interview with The Associated Press.“The fans got their money’s worth,” Wilkins said in a separate interview with AP.This season’s dunk contest entrant — Orlando’s Aaron Gordon, Miami’s Derrick Jones Jr., the Los Angeles Lakers’ Dwight Howard and Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton... [More]

CHICAGO (AP) — The NBA is headquartered in New York. Anthony Davis, one of the game’s biggest names, plays in Los Angeles.Both, unquestionably, are world-class cities.But in Davis’ eyes, they both pale to his hometown. And this weekend, the Chicago native believes the eyes of the basketball world are where they belong -- on his city.“Chicago basketball,” the Lakers’ forward said. “There is nothing like Chicago basketball.”Chicago is called the Second City, though no one from Chicago believes that the city is second to any other city on the planet -- particularly those who represent the city in the NBA. L.A. has the glitz and glamour of the Lakers and now the Clippers, New York has the tradition of Madison Square Garden and possibly the best-known outdoor court in the world at Rucker Park, but Chicago guys scoff at the notion that the game means more anyplace else.That’s why hosting All-Star weekend, with the events beginning in earnest Friday, is a badge of honor for Chicago. It’s been... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — In deciding whether to pursue a trade for Andre Iguodala, the Miami Heat went all-in on research. They talked to people who knew Iguodala. They watched what he did last season. They took a deep dive into the analytics.And they came to a determination.“He’s elite,” Heat President Pat Riley said.Simple as that. That’s why Iguodala is now in Heat colors, and a team that wasn’t even good enough to make the playoffs last season is thinking big as it gears up for a run at the 2020 postseason. Iguodala, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill all joined the team for a game-day shootaround practice in Sacramento on Friday to get their first taste of what life with the Heat is like.“He's an elite defender, an elite team defender, elite assist-to-turnover percentage, he ranks up into the top of those areas that are real tangible,” Riley said. “You don't lose that in seven months. And probably it was a blessing in disguise that he didn't play for seven months.Iguodala last played an NBA game in... [More]

The NBA is changing the format to this season’s 3-point contest at All-Star Saturday Night in Chicago by adding a pair of deep shots that will be worth three points apiece.That change means each round will now be a total of 27 shots instead of 25, and competitors will now get 70 seconds to finish their shots instead of the customary 60. Competitors were told of the changes in the past few days, and the NBA announced the change Tuesday night.The two additional shots will come from six feet beyond the 3-point line, between the racks located on the wings and the one at the top of the key. Those shots — only one from each spot called the MTN DEW Zone — will be taken with a special green ball.All-Star Saturday is Feb. 15, one night before the All-Star Game.The list of competitors for the 3-point contest this season includes Portland’s Damian Lillard, Sacramento’s Buddy Hield, Washington’s Davis Bertans, Charlotte’s Devonte’ Graham, Miami’s Duncan Robinson, Atlanta’s Trae Young, Chicago’s Zach... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid paid tribute to Kobe Bryant by wearing one of his jersey numbers.Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie and Orlando’s Terrence Ross are showing their respect by no longer doing so. Boston’s Kemba Walker is considering such a change.And coaches around the league left their snazzy leather shoes in the office Tuesday night, wearing Bryant’s signature sneakers instead.The games are going on — except in Los Angeles, for a couple more days anyway. So, too, is the grief after the fiery helicopter crash in Southern California on Sunday that took the life of Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others. And the tributes are continuing as well, such as the separate decisions by Dinwiddie and Ross to no longer wear the No. 8 that Bryant donned at the start of his NBA career.“We often search for meaning in numbers,” Dinwiddie tweeted.Dinwiddie will now wear No. 26. Ross is going back to No. 31. The moves, evidently, are simply their way of saying Bryant’s numbers — he... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Heat will celebrate Dwyane Wade’s career with a three-day series of tributes next month, including the retirement of his No. 3 jersey and a viewing of the documentary that chronicles his final season.A tribute to some of his best moments will be held on Feb. 21. The jersey will go to the rafters when the Heat play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Feb. 22. And the documentary covering his on- and off-court life will be shown at the team’s arena on Feb. 23.Wade will be the fifth former Heat player to have his jersey retired by the team, joining Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Bosh. The Heat previously announced that LeBron James eventually will have his Heat jersey retired as well.Wade played 16 seasons in the NBA, most of them with Miami. He helped the Heat win NBA titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013 and is the leading scorer in team history.

The milestones are piling up, and running out, for Atlanta’s Vince Carter.His next game — which could come as early as Tuesday, when the Hawks visit the New York Knicks — will be the 1,504th in his career, which will tie John Stockton for fourth-most in NBA history. Barring injury, Carter will pass Dirk Nowitzki later this season for No. 3 on the career list.Third place is the ceiling for Carter; assuming he doesn’t change his mind about retirement and play again next season, he can’t catch No. 2 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560) or No. 1 Robert Parish (1,611). Nowitzki retired after 1,522 games.It has not been the ideal start to the farewell season. The Hawks are 6-21. They need to beat the Knicks on Tuesday just to stay out of last place in the Eastern Conference. But Carter’s last lap around the league has been worth celebrating.“Many different teams, many different highlights, many different moments of his career, too many to count,” Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said. “But we’re going to cherish... [More]

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic left the game early with a sprained ankle, and the Dallas Mavericks rallied from 24 points down without their young star before falling to the Miami Heat 122-118 in overtime Saturday night.Bam Adebayo put Miami in front for good on a put-back dunk with 1:15 remaining in overtime and finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double in three games.Without Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 18 of his 28 points in the second half to help Dallas rally, but was shut out in overtime. Kristaps Porzingis, the other half of Dallas' star European pairing with Doncic, had 22 points and 14 rebounds but couldn't convert on two possessions late in the extra period. Then the 7-foot-3 Latvian gave up an offensive rebound after Jimmy Butler missed two free throws with nine seconds remaining.With another chance after another foul, Butler made two free throws for a three-point lead, and Jalen Brunson missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer. Butler led... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Pat Riley has never doubted Magic Johnson, and isn't about to start now.Riley believes Johnson will succeed in what looks like a daunting task of getting the Los Angeles Lakers back to prominence. After the Lakers cleaned house this past week, Johnson and Riley are contemporaries — Riley as president of the Miami Heat, Johnson in the same role out in L.A., where they won four titles together in the 1980s.Trade talks, he cautioned, will be dangerous for both sides."He's going to try to rifle my pockets and I'm going to try to rifle his," Riley said. "But I'm happy for him, and I'm also happy for the Lakers."The news took Riley back to 1991, when Johnson delivered the shocking word that he was HIV-positive and had to retire from basketball. Riley was gone from Los Angeles by that point, and was then coach of the New York Knicks. But it resonated deeply within Riley, who has maintained a very close relationship with Johnson.Hearing Johnson speak about taking over the Lakers this... [More]