SAN ANTONIO (AP) — After relying heavily on veterans for two decades, the San Antonio Spurs are having growing pains in their transformation to a younger roster. For the first time, San Antonio missed the playoffs for a second straight season after an NBA-record 22 straight appearances. “Unique, roller coaster, weird,” Spurs veteran guard DeMar DeRozan said. “I think those are three things that sum up this season.” The days of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili guiding a veteran roster have given way to Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson and Lonnie Walker learning on the fly through injuries, little practice and a compacted schedule because ot he pandemic. It was one of the most confounding seasons for Gregg Popovich, but also one of the most rewarding in his 25 years as Spurs coach. “If any team needs practices to work on consistency and execution, we did,” Popovich said. “(But) I don’t know if I have ever been more proud of a team that just doesn’t quit. No matter what... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Forgive Gregg Popovich for not being in much of a mood to discuss the current state of the San Antonio Spurs.Fact is, he’s just not used to losing like this.Here’s how long it’s been since the Spurs dropped seven games in a row, the way they now have after DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge and the rest of the team were beaten by the lowly Washington Wizards 138-132 on Wednesday night: You have to go all the way back to the 1996-97 season to find such a rut for Pop and Co.That was before Tim Duncan had even played a game for them — and that guy was in the arena Wednesday, sitting on the sideline as an assistant to Popovich. Before Popovich led the franchise to five NBA championships and 22 consecutive playoff appearances. Before folks such as Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard had come and gone.After the latest setback, Popovich spoke to reporters only briefly.“All in all, if you score 132 points, you should probably have a pretty good chance to win a game.... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Boris Diaw was rightly concerned about the well-being of a scrawny 19-year-old kid moving to a new country and attempting to compete against the game's best in the NBA. One odd Christmas dinner that turned into an impromptu film session helped Diaw realize his friend and French teammate, Tony Parker, was going to be just fine.The seeds of that evening came to full fruition as the San Antonio Spurs retired Parker's No. 9 jersey on Monday night in a stirring ceremony.The sting of a 113-109 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies was quickly forgotten as a sell-out crowd celebrated the career of San Antonio's mercurial point guard.Accompanied by his wife, Axelle, and sons Josh and Liam, Parker celebrated his career with former teammates and coaches along with the Spurs fans.Parker became the 10th player in franchise to have his number retired, joining fellow Big Three members Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili in having their jerseys lifted to the rafters of the AT&T Center."It was... [More]

In today's high-stakes NBA, a powerful pair beats three of a kind.Teams who longed to build a Big Three are now striving for a dynamic duo, hoping two premier players are good enough to win a championship when the belief used to be that it required a trio.And with some of the combinations assembled this summer, it sure seems less is more.That's certainly the thinking in Los Angeles, where LeBron James and Anthony Davis will try to power the Lakers back to the playoffs, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George attempt to carry the Clippers further than they've ever gone before.Houston is putting James Harden and Russell Westbrook together in a backcourt of recent MVPs, and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant made the Nets the talk of not only New York but also the entire NBA on the opening day of free agency when they decided to partner up in Brooklyn."Everybody was looking for a Big Three," George said. "It didn't work for a lot of teams, so now this is a new dynamic for the new generation of this league."One... [More]

In today's high-stakes NBA, a powerful pair beats three of a kind.Teams who longed to build a Big Three are now striving for a dynamic duo, hoping two premier players are good enough to win a championship when the belief used to be that it required a trio.And with some of the combinations assembled this summer, it sure seems less is more.That's certainly the thinking in Los Angeles, where LeBron James and Anthony Davis will try to power the Lakers back to the playoffs, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George attempt to carry the Clippers further than they've ever gone before.Houston is putting James Harden and Russell Westbrook together in a backcourt of recent MVPs, and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant made the Nets the talk of not only New York but also the entire NBA on the opening day of free agency when they decided to partner up in Brooklyn."Everybody was looking for a Big Three," George said. "It didn't work for a lot of teams, so now this is a new dynamic for the new generation of this league."One... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Spurs suffered through an odd, erratic season filled with injuries, strife and drama before a second straight ouster from the playoffs in the first round.Gregg Popovich enjoyed it so much he is coming back for a 24th season as coach in San Antonio.Normally extremely private, Popovich said Monday he is negotiating a new deal with the Spurs after his current contract expired this season. There was some uncertainty surrounding his return, but the 70-year-old Popovich put an end to that with a quip or two."I'm currently in negotiations and could very well end up with either the Portofino Flyers or the Positano Pirates (or the Spurs)," Popovich said dryly. "I think it's like one-third Positano, one-third Portofino and one-third San Antonio. So, we'll see where I end up."There is little chance Popovich ends up anywhere but San Antonio, where he has enjoyed unprecedented success. His desire to return was apparent during an 18-minute news conference to wrap up a season that... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Manu Ginobili would've been happy to quietly retire without the Spurs retiring his jersey. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said the humble Argentinian had no choice but to accept it with the same passion he gave to the game."When you're that great, you have to go through it, so we're going to make him go through it," Popovich said.The Spurs retired Ginobili's No. 20 following a 116-110 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. He and Bill Bradley are the only players to win an NBA championship, Euroleague title and an Olympic gold medal."What am I doing here," Ginobili said. "I had no expectations of being here when I was growing up."Ginobili won four NBA titles with the Spurs. Despite all his accomplishments and talent, he accepted a role coming off San Antonio's bench for all but 349 of his 1,057 games during his 16 seasons with the Spurs."To me, he's the definition of Spurs basketball because he had no ego," former Spurs point guard Tony Parker said.Parker... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Manu Ginobili would have been happy to retire quietly without the Spurs retiring his jersey, but San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said the humble Argentinian has no choice but to accept with the same passion he gave to the game."When you're that great, you have to go through it, so we're going to make him go through it," Popovich said.The Spurs retired Ginobili's No. 20 following a 116-110 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night."What am I doing here," Ginobili said. "I had no expectations of being here when I was growing up."He and Bill Bradley are the only players to win an NBA championship, Euroleague title and an Olympic gold medal. Ginobili won four NBA titles with the Spurs. Despite all his accomplishments and talent, Ginobili accepted a role coming off San Antonio's bench for all but 349 of his 1,057 games during his 16 seasons with the Spurs."To me, he's the definition of Spurs basketball because he had no ego," former Spurs point guard Tony Parker... [More]

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — It took a bear — Jazz Bear — to catch a bat and leave the high-flying hijinks to the NBA players.A wayward bat flew around the court inside the Vivint Smart Home Arena about an hour before Utah's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, interrupting the pregame shooting routines of the likes of Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell and Ricky Rubio.The few thousand fans in the building took turns cheering and then groaning while watching the flying mammal zip around the arena and elude several security guards and an on-court employee armed with a net.Jazz Bear took a break from entertaining the crowd by taking a few swings himself before finally capturing it — with nothing but net.Fans then cheered wildly as the proud mascot strolled off the court with the big catch."That was scary," Mitchell said after Utah's 106-101 victory . "I was not cool with that at all. I'm glad the Bear got him because I would not have finished my warmup. I would have gone to locker room if he was still flying around out there."The whole thing quickly became a social media hit, and Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma appropriately tweeted : "Where is Manu when you need him."That, of course, is former San Antonio Spurs star Manu Ginobili, who famously swatted a bat to the hardwood and captured it in the middle of game against Sacramento on Halloween night in 2009.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — It took a bear — Jazz Bear — to catch a bat and leave the high-flying hijinks to the NBA players.A wayward bat flew around the court inside the Vivint Smart Home Arena about an hour before Utah's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, interrupting the pregame shooting routines of the likes of Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell and Ricky Rubio.The few thousand fans in the building took turns cheering and then groaning while watching the flying mammal zip around the arena and elude several security guards and an on-court employee armed with a net.Jazz Bear took a break from entertaining the crowd by taking a few swings himself before finally capturing it — with nothing but net.Fans then cheered wildly as the proud mascot strolled off the court with the big catch."That was scary," Mitchell said after Utah's 106-101 victory . "I was not cool with that at all. I'm glad the Bear got him because I would not have finished my warmup. I would have gone to locker room if he was still flying around out there."The whole thing quickly became a social media hit, and Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma appropriately tweeted : "Where is Manu when you need him."That, of course, is former San Antonio Spurs star Manu Ginobili, who famously swatted a bat to the hardwood and captured it in the middle of game against Sacramento on Halloween night in 2009.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is downplaying the significance of Kawhi Leonard's return to San Antonio.As usual, Leonard isn't saying much.But Leonard's first game in San Antonio since being traded to Toronto along with Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl has more significance than just another regular season gamePopovich once deemed the franchise belonged to the 6-foot-7 MVP candidate with the impending departure of the Big Three — Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. But Leonard's unhappiness and request for a trade stunned the organization."Give me some popcorn, I just want to watch it," Spurs veteran LaMarcus Aldridge quipped Wednesday. "If I can just get some popcorn and watch it, I would, but I might have to play."It's easier to joke about the pending reunion because there was nothing funny about the breakup.Leonard sat out all but nine games last season with a right quadriceps injury that first flared up prior to training camp. The diagnosis, treatment... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is downplaying the significance of Kawhi Leonard's return to San Antonio.As usual, Leonard isn't saying much.But Leonard's first game in San Antonio since being traded to Toronto along with Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl has more significance than just another regular season gamePopovich once deemed the franchise belonged to the 6-foot-7 MVP candidate with the impending departure of the Big Three — Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. But Leonard's unhappiness and request for a trade stunned the organization."Give me some popcorn, I just want to watch it," Spurs veteran LaMarcus Aldridge quipped Wednesday. "If I can just get some popcorn and watch it, I would, but I might have to play."It's easier to joke about the pending reunion because there was nothing funny about the breakup.Leonard sat out all but nine games last season with a right quadriceps injury that first flared up prior to training camp. The diagnosis, treatment... [More]

The early returns are in, and we now have a winner from the summer blockbuster trade between San Antonio and Toronto.Both sides look victorious.Sometimes, trades really can benefit all parties involved — and this already looks to be one of those. Kawhi Leonard looks healthy again and has been fantastic in his first three games with the unbeaten Raptors (4-0), averaging 25.7 points and 9 rebounds per game. DeMar DeRozan is averaging 29.3 points and 9 assists for the Spurs, with a career-high 14 of those assists coming in Monday's overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers.Remember all those questions over the summer? Will Leonard like Toronto? Will DeRozan embrace the Spurs?Asked and answered — so far.There's still virtually an entire season left to play, but neither Leonard nor DeRozan is showing any sign of unhappiness right now. And that's why both teams — for now, at least — can say the trade was a very good idea.The bigger risk was taken by Toronto, who gave up an All-Star in DeRozan... [More]

Dejounte Murray was driving past James Harden and on his way to the basket, showing one of the skills that made the San Antonio Spurs convinced he's the right point guard for their team.And then Murray's knee gave out.In an instant, the entire trajectory of the Spurs' season might have changed.Murray's season is almost certainly over, after the Spurs learned Monday that their starting point guard has a torn ACL in his right knee. The team hasn't revealed when Murray will have surgery, nor has it determined a timetable for his return, but ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation is a process that typically takes around a full year."You just carry on," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, standing in a corner of the team's practice facility in San Antonio shortly after the Murray diagnosis was released. "He's going to be out. Devastating injury for him, for the team. But life goes on. Everybody will pick up and do the best job we can to carry forward without him."Murray, who turned 22 last month,... [More]

Dejounte Murray was driving past James Harden and on his way to the basket, showing one of the skills that made the San Antonio Spurs convinced he's the right point guard for their team.And then Murray's knee gave out.In an instant, the entire trajectory of the Spurs' season might have changed.Murray's season is almost certainly over, after the Spurs learned Monday that their starting point guard has a torn ACL in his right knee. The team hasn't revealed when Murray will have surgery, nor has it determined a timetable for his return, but ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation is a process that typically takes around a full year."You just carry on," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, standing in a corner of the team's practice facility in San Antonio shortly after the Murray diagnosis was released. "He's going to be out. Devastating injury for him, for the team. But life goes on. Everybody will pick up and do the best job we can to carry forward without him."Murray, who turned 22 last month,... [More]

Dejounte Murray was driving past James Harden and on his way to the basket, showing one of the skills that made the San Antonio Spurs convinced he's the right point guard for their team.And then Murray's knee gave out.In an instant, the entire trajectory of the Spurs' season might have changed.Murray's season is almost certainly over, after the Spurs learned Monday that their starting point guard has a torn ACL in his right knee. The team hasn't revealed when Murray will have surgery, nor has it determined a timetable for his return, but ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation is a process that typically takes around a full year."You just carry on," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, standing in a corner of the team's practice facility in San Antonio shortly after the Murray diagnosis was released. "He's going to be out. Devastating injury for him, for the team. But life goes on. Everybody will pick up and do the best job we can to carry forward without him."Murray, who turned 22 last month,... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan's first month with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been serene, though the All-Star guard acquired in the offseason from Toronto has been warned about provoking "angry Pop.""That hurts me," Popovich said playfully. "I just, just . it hurts me. Our relationship is not starting off well, I guess. I guess I have more work to do than I thought."Welcome to the kinder, gentler Spurs?Hardly.Popovich is still going to scream at his players on the court and will always be mischievous off it. More specifically, the franchise he built is still going to rely heavily on ball movement and defense, albeit with a whole lot of new faces.The era of the Big Three is officially over for San Antonio with Tony Parker leaving in free agency and Manu Ginobili joining Tim Duncan in retirement this summer. DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, Lonnie Walker, Dante Cunningham, Quincy Pondexter and Chimezie Metu and a host of others were invited to training camp, which starts Tuesday."I still don't... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Manu Ginobili walked into the San Antonio Spurs practice facility and saw the intense efforts of his young teammates in preseason workouts.Ginobili had put himself through those same workouts for 16 seasons. But this August morning, the 41-year-old realized he couldn't. For a player who has literally thrown himself into his basketball career, the realization his body and spirit were no longer willing cemented the decision to walk away from the NBA."I couldn't see my body going through that kind of grind again," Ginobili said Saturday during a press conference at the Spurs practice facility. "I felt that I had a good season, that I left everything that I had in the previous season both physically and mentally."Ginobili was thoughtful, self-effacing and funny in his first interview since announcing his retirement Aug. 27 on social media. He steps away after helping San Antonio win four of its five NBA titles, the last coming in 2014.His retirement, along with Tony Parker's... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Udonis Haslem arrived at the Miami Heat facility for a workout one day last week, and was told he needed to sign a waiver before he took the court.The reason: Technically, he wasn't on the team."That was a little weird, having to do that," Haslem said.It won't be a problem for the next year. Haslem officially signed his one-year, $2.4 million contract with the Heat on Monday, a deal that was struck last week and finally became official when he put pen to paper. Haslem will enter his 16th NBA season, all with the Heat, and that means the Miami native will be with his hometown franchise for more than half of its 31-year history."For the hometown kid in me, that means the world," Haslem said. "I wish I understood how big that is right now, because I really don't, but I know it's big."Haslem was the seventh-oldest player in the NBA last season — and will rise at least one spot on that list this season, with the retirement of San Antonio's Manu Ginobili. Vince Carter is 41 and will... [More]

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs have signed Quincy Pondexter, adding a forward in the same week veteran star Manu Ginobili announced his retirement.The 6-foot-7 Pondexter spent last season with the Chicago Bulls, averaging 2.0 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.5 minutes in 23 games. The seven-year NBA veteran out of Washington has averaged 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 17.3 minutes over 302 total games with Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Memphis and Chicago.Ginobili announced his decision to retire Monday. The 41-year-old helped the Spurs win four NBA championships in 16 seasons. This season will be the first for coach Gregg Popovich without stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports