News for Kobe Bryant - 2021 9 Category, $200 Cap, 4G/4F/2C

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Thu Jul 15 202117:28Jason Kidd, GM Nico Harrison begin Mavericks' 'new chapter'
DALLAS (AP) — New Mavericks coach Jason Kidd and general manager Nico Harrison were introduced Thursday by their new boss, who called it “a new chapter” for a franchise that had not changed GMs under his 21-year ownership and has not won a playoff series since winning the 2011 NBA championship. Owner Mark Cuban said the need for “a new voice” motivated him to change GMs for the first time. “The league has changed in the 21 years since I’ve been here,” he said. “Players have changed. How you build a championship team has changed. Sometimes you just have to look to have a different tool set.” Kidd is a Hall of Fame guard who had two playing stints in Dallas during his 19-season NBA career that included the championship season. He was hired last month after Rick Carlisle resigned following 13 seasons with the Mavericks. “I guess it’s ‘Hello, Dallas,’ again,” Kidd said. “What a dream come true – to be drafted (second overall in 1994), to win Rookie of the Year, to win a championship and then... [More]
Thu Jul 15 202117:08Jason Kidd, GM Nico Harrison begin Mavericks' 'new chapter'
DALLAS (AP) — New Mavericks coach Jason Kidd and general manager Nico Harrison were introduced Thursday by their new boss, who called it “a new chapter” for a franchise that had not changed GMs under his 21-year ownership and has not won a playoff series since winning the 2011 NBA championship. Owner Mark Cuban said the need for “a new voice” motivated him to change GMs for the first time. “The league has changed in the 21 years since I’ve been here,” he said. “Players have changed. How you build a championship team has changed. Sometimes you just have to look to have a different tool set.” Kidd is a Hall of Fame guard who had two playing stints in Dallas during his 19-season NBA career that included the championship season. He was hired last month after Rick Carlisle resigned following 13 seasons with the Mavericks. “I guess it’s ‘Hello, Dallas,’ again,” Kidd said. “What a dream come true – to be drafted (second overall in 1994), to win Rookie of the Year, to win a championship and then... [More]
Mon Jun 28 202118:28Mavs welcome back Kidd as coach, along with new GM Harrison
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks welcomed back former point guard Jason Kidd as their coach Monday along with new general manager Nico Harrison. Kidd returns to the Mavericks nine years after backing out on an oral agreement to re-sign in free agency for what ended up being his final season as a player in 2012-13. Kidd finished his career with the New York Knicks. The floor leader for Dallas' only championship in 2011 is replacing his coach from that team, Rick Carlisle. The winningest coach in franchise history resigned June 17, a day after general manager Donnie Nelson's departure was announced. The 48-year-old Kidd inherits a team with a young superstar in point guard Luka Doncic, but without a playoff series victory since the 2011 NBA Finals. Dallas lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round for the second consecutive season. “Dallas has meant so much to me as a player and I want to thank (owner) Mark Cuban for the opportunity to return as a head coach,” Kidd said. “I am... [More]
Fri Jun 25 202117:17AP source: Mavs hire title-winning guard Jason Kidd as coach
DALLAS (AP) — Jason Kidd is coming back to Dallas again, this time to replace the coach he won a championship with as the point guard of the Mavericks 10 years ago. Kidd and the Mavericks agreed on a contract Friday, eight days after Rick Carlisle resigned abruptly in the wake of general manager Donnie Nelson’s departure, a person with direct knowledge of the agreement said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced. Carlisle, who took the Indiana job Thursday, gave ESPN an unsolicited endorsement of Kidd for his old job because of the impact Carlisle thought Kidd could have on Luka Doncic, the sensational young point guard who carries the hopes of the Mavericks. Dallas also found Nelson’s replacement in Nike executive Nico Harrison, who will carry the titles of GM and president of basketball operations, the person told AP. It is the third head coaching stop for the 48-year-old Kidd, who took Brooklyn to the second round in... [More]
Fri Jun 25 202114:28AP source: Mavs pick title-winning guard Kidd after Carlisle
DALLAS (AP) — Jason Kidd is coming back to Dallas again, this time to replace the coach he won a championship with as the point guard of the Mavericks 10 years ago. A person with direct knowledge of the agreement said Kidd and the Mavericks agreed on a contract Friday, eight days after Rick Carlisle resigned abruptly in the wake of general manager Donnie Nelson’s departure. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced. Carlisle, who took the Indiana job Thursday, gave ESPN an unsolicited endorsement of Kidd for his old job because of the impact Carlisle thought Kidd could have on Luka Doncic, the sensational young point guard who carries the hopes of the Mavericks. The Mavericks have also found Nelson’s replacement in Nike executive Nico Harrison, who will carry the titles of GM and president of basketball operations, the person told AP. Harrison was on board with the Kidd hiring, the person said. It’s already the third head coaching... [More]
Tue Jun 15 202118:4576ers, Jazz head home in tied series with ailing stars
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid and the 76ers barely have a leg to stand on. Embiid can’t jump. He can’t get any lift in his shots -- notable in a blown layup that should have won Game 4 -- and couldn’t make any buckets in the second half. Embiid is day to day. So, now, are the top-seeded Sixers. Embiid continues to suit up and play through torn cartilage in his right knee -- admirably, perhaps -- but at the point of diminishing returns for the Sixers. The big man is hurting as the Sixers return home Wednesday for Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks. Embiid and Ben Simmons’ failures in Game 4 keyed the Sixers collapse down the stretch and let the Hawks pull away with the win and tie the series 2-2. The Western Conference semifinals between the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers. The Jazz return to Salt Lake City with their young star Donovan Mitchell playing with a sore right ankle and all the momentum in the series now with the Clippers. Los Angeles dominated Utah in in Game 3 and Game 4... [More]
Mon Jun 14 202114:55Analysis: Chris Paul, like it or not, is the favorite now
It seems like Chris Paul relishes the notion of being the underdog. That’s why, when the Western Conference semifinals were over and the Phoenix Suns had swept their way into the NBA’s final four, he talked about how he felt written off a couple of seasons ago. Why he talked about spending two years on his high school’s junior varsity team. How he wasn’t, in his words, “necessarily supposed to be here.” It’s a neat narrative. But it’s not reality. Fact is, this is exactly where Paul and the Suns are supposed to be. He’s still elite at what he does. He’s helped take the Suns to levels few thought they could reach in Year 1 of his tenure in the valley. They’re headed to the West finals against the Utah Jazz or the Los Angeles Clippers, a matchup that’ll start early next week, and there will be no shortage of experts picking the Suns to go from there to the NBA Finals. “I’ve always had to grind, and I like that mentality, and that’s always been who I’ve been, and I’m going to stay that way,”... [More]
Mon Jun 14 202111:45Analysis: Chris Paul, like it or not, is the favorite now
It seems like Chris Paul relishes the notion of being the underdog. That’s why, when the Western Conference semifinals were over and the Phoenix Suns had swept their way into the NBA’s final four, he talked about how he felt written off a couple of seasons ago. Why he talked about spending two years on his high school’s junior varsity team. How he wasn’t, in his words, “necessarily supposed to be here.” It’s a neat narrative. But it’s not reality. Fact is, this is exactly where Paul and the Suns are supposed to be. He’s still elite at what he does. He’s helped take the Suns to levels few thought they could reach in Year 1 of his tenure in the valley. They’re headed to the West finals against the Utah Jazz or the Los Angeles Clippers, a matchup that’ll start early next week, and there will be no shortage of experts picking the Suns to go from there to the NBA Finals. “I’ve always had to grind, and I like that mentality, and that’s always been who I’ve been, and I’m going to stay that way,”... [More]
Mon Jun 14 202102:55Suns rising at the right time, roar into conference finals
DENVER (AP) — Jae Crowder received all sorts of quizzical text messages for his decision to sign with the Phoenix Suns in the offseason. What was he thinking? The Suns hadn't been to the playoffs in a decade. The West was stacked. “I look like a genius, huh?” cracked Crowder, who took his talents to the Suns after helping Miami reach the NBA Finals last season. “I knew the type of group these guys were. I felt like they were hungry. They wanted to do some special things and I wanted to be a part of it.” Behind the brilliant backcourt of Chris Paul and Devin Booker and steady contributions from the likes of Crowder, the Suns are roaring into the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2010, the last year they reached the postseason. The Suns completed a four-game sweep of the short-handed Denver Nuggets with a 125-118 win Sunday night in a testy game in which MVP Nikola Jokic was ejected in the third quarter for a flagrant foul on Cameron Payne. It was the seventh straight win... [More]
Wed Jun 2 202118:01By the numbers: LeBron James in a most unusual position
LeBron James has entered uncharted waters. He has been to the NBA playoffs in 15 of his 18 NBA seasons, and has never missed the second round — a streak that is now very much in doubt. James and the Los Angeles Lakers trail their first-round series against Phoenix 3-2, with Game 6 in Los Angeles on Thursday. Game 7, if necessary, is back in Phoenix on Saturday. James’ 14-0 record in first-round series — counting his times in Cleveland, his four-year run in Miami and now his Lakers’ stint — is almost beyond compare in NBA history. Robert Horry and Derek Fisher both played in the first round 16 times; their teams went 16-0 in those series. They are the only players who have enjoyed more first-round success than James. Now, he’s on the brink of something he’s never experienced. The approach, from here, is simple. “You shoot all the bullets you’ve got and throw the gun too,” James said. “I look forward to the environment. Obviously, our Laker faithful are going to give us a lot of energy. I... [More]
Sat May 29 202119:22Lakers, Hawks, Mavs look to seize 1st-round control at home
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks all began their first-round playoff series at a home-court disadvantage. After moving ahead of their higher-seeded opponents with early-series road wins, all three are up 2-1 and in position to move to the brink of the second round Sunday. The stakes are similar in all four NBA playoff games on a tantalizing slate: Atlanta, Dallas and the defending NBA champions will attempt to seize firm control of their series at home, while the heavily favored Brooklyn Nets can do the same in Boston. Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas are probably aware of the massive statistical edge for NBA teams with a 3-1 series lead — only 13 of 260 teams in that situation have ever blown it. They also realize Phoenix, New York and the Clippers will play for a split with appropriate intensity. “It’s going to be probably the biggest game in this series unless, it goes to a Game 7,” Lakers forward Anthony Davis said Saturday. “We’re going in... [More]
Thu May 13 202122:55The captain: Haslem makes season debut, scores, gets ejected
MIAMI (AP) — Udonis Haslem finally played, and made an immediate impact for the Miami Heat. He scored twice, making both his shots. He took a charge. And then he got ejected. Haslem can finally say that he has played in 18 NBA seasons — and it was a memorable, albeit brief, appearance. He got two technical fouls and was ejected with 10:19 remaining in the first half, less than three minutes after getting into a game for the first time all season. “If this is the last one, I finished it the only way Udonis Haslem could — with an ejection," Haslem said. He took offense to getting pulled down by Philadelphia's Dwight Howard, then had words with the 76ers' veteran as they went nose-to-nose. Haslem and Howard both got technicals, then Haslem got a second one and was sent off. His final line: 2 for 2 from the field, four points, one rebound, two technicals, one ejection, in about 2-1/2 minutes. Haslem, who turns 41 on June 9, became the oldest player to appear in a game for the Heat and the oldest... [More]
Thu May 13 202120:44The captain: Miami's Udonis Haslem now an 18-year player
MIAMI (AP) — Udonis Haslem finally played, and made an immediate impact for the Miami Heat. He scored twice, making both his shots. He took a charge. And then he got ejected. Haslem can finally say that he has played in 18 NBA seasons — and it was a memorable, albeit brief, appearance. He got two technical fouls and was ejected with 10:19 remaining in the first half, less than three minutes after getting into a game for the first time all season. He took offense to getting pulled down by Philadelphia's Dwight Howard, then had words with the 76ers' veteran as they went nose-to-nose. Haslem and Howard both got technicals, then Haslem got a second one and was sent off. His final line: 2 for 2 from the field, four points, one rebound, two technicals, one ejection, in about 2-1/2 minutes. Haslem, who turns 41 on June 9, became the oldest player to appear in a game for the Heat and the oldest to get on an NBA floor for any team this season. Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao, 38, was the oldest to... [More]
Thu May 13 202120:34The captain: Miami's Udonis Haslem now an 18-year player
MIAMI (AP) — Udonis Haslem can finally say that he has played in 18 NBA seasons. The Miami Heat forward got into a game for the first time this season Thursday night, checking in with 59.3 seconds left in the first quarter of the team’s regular-season home finale against Philadelphia. Haslem, who turns 41 on June 9, became the oldest player to appear in a game for the Heat and the oldest to get on an NBA floor for any team this season. Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao, 38, was the oldest to play in the NBA so far in 2020-21; the next-oldest to play this season was Miami’s Andre Iguodala, 37. Haslem got a layup with 2.3 seconds left in the quarter, putting Miami up 38-20 in the early going. It was his first basket at home since Nov. 12, 2019. At 40 years, 338 days, Haslem was 269 days older than Juwan Howard was when he made his final appearance with the Heat on April 17, 2013. Haslem has not said if he will consider retiring this summer; the Heat have told him that he would be welcomed back... [More]
Mon Mar 22 202118:21Elgin Baylor, Lakers great and aerialist pioneer, dies at 86
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Elgin Baylor changed the very direction of basketball when he joined the NBA and brought his vertical feats of athletic brilliance to a largely horizontal game. He filled scoresheets and sparked young imaginations with his trailblazing aerial style, and every high-flying player of the past 60 years has followed his path. Although the Lakers’ first superstar in Los Angeles never won a championship ring, Baylor still looms high above the franchise and the game he loved. The Hall of Fame forward died Monday of natural causes in Los Angeles with wife Elaine and daughter Krystal by his side, the team said. He was 86. An 11-time All-Star who soared through the 1960s with a high-scoring artistry that became the model for the modern basketball player, Baylor played a major role in revolutionizing basketball from a ground-bound sport into an aerial show. “Elgin was THE superstar of his era — his many accolades speak to that,” Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement. With... [More]
Mon Mar 22 202117:51Elgin Baylor, Lakers great and aerialist pioneer, dies at 86
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Elgin Baylor soared through the 1960s with a high-scoring, high-flying artistry that that became the model for the modern basketball player. The Lakers' 11-time All-Star and Hall of Famer died Monday of natural causes at 86 in Los Angeles with wife Elaine and daughter Krystal by his side, the team said. With a silky-smooth jumper and fluid athleticism, Baylor played a major role in revolutionizing basketball from a ground-bound sport into an aerial show. He spent parts of 14 seasons with the Lakers in Minneapolis and Los Angeles, teaming with Jerry West throughout the ’60s in one of the most potent tandems in basketball history. “Elgin was THE superstar of his era — his many accolades speak to that,” Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement. Baylor’s second career as a personnel executive for 22 1/2 years with the woebegone Los Angeles Clippers was far less successful, but he remained a beloved basketball figure in Los Angeles and beyond. Baylor strengthened his ties... [More]
Mon Mar 22 202115:31Elgin Baylor, silky-smooth Lakers Hall of Famer, dies at 86
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Elgin Baylor, the Lakers’ 11-time NBA All-Star who soared through the 1960s with a high-scoring style of basketball that became the model for the modern player, died Monday. He was 86. The Lakers announced that Baylor died of natural causes in Los Angeles with his wife, Elaine, and daughter Krystal by his side. With a silky-smooth jumper and fluid athleticism, Baylor played a major role in revolutionizing basketball from a ground-bound sport into an aerial show. He spent parts of 14 seasons with the Lakers in Minneapolis and Los Angeles during his Hall of Fame career, teaming with Jerry West throughout the ’60s in one of the most potent tandems in basketball history. “Elgin was THE superstar of his era — his many accolades speak to that,” Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement announcing Baylor's death. Baylor’s second career as a personnel executive with the woebegone Los Angeles Clippers was much less successful. He worked for the Clippers from 1986 until 2008,... [More]
Sun Mar 7 202122:14NBA Slam-Dunk Contest Winners
2021 — Anfernee Simons, Portland 2020 — Derrick Jones Jr., Miami 2019 — Hamidou Diallo, Oklahoma City 2018 — Donovan Mitchell, Utah 2017 — Glenn Robinson III, Indiana 2016 — Zach LaVine, Minnesota 2015 — Zach LaVine, Minnesota 2014 — John Wall, Washington 2013 — Terrence Ross, Toronto 2012 — Jeremy Evans, Utah 2011 — Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers 2010 — Nate Robinson, New York 2009 — Nate Robinson, New York 2008 — Dwight Howard, Orlando 2007 — Gerald Green, Boston 2006 — Nate Robinson, New York 2005 — Josh Smith, Atlanta 2004 — Fred Jones, Indiana 2003 — Jason Richardson, Golden State 2002 — Jason Richardson, Golden State 2001 — Desmond Mason, Seattle 2000 — Vince Carter, Toronto 1999 — No competition 1998 — No competition 1997 — Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers 1996 — Brent Barry, L.A. Clippers 1995 — Harold Miner, Miami 1994 — Isaiah Rider, Minnesota 1993 — Harold Miner, Miami 1992 — Cedric Ceballos, Phoenix 1991 — Dee Brown, Boston 1990 — Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta 1989 — Kenny Walker, New York 1988 — Michael Jordan, Chicago 1987 — Michael Jordan, Chicago 1986 — Spud Webb, Atlanta 1985 — Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta 1984 — Larry Nance, Phoenix
Tue Feb 23 202119:42NBA chooses All-Star reserves, with Zion among first-timers
New Orleans forward Zion Williamson now can be called an NBA All-Star, and only three others in the game’s 70-year history have gotten there at a younger age. Williamson is one of four first-time All-Stars, all revealed Tuesday night when the league announced the reserves for the March 7 game in Atlanta. Joining him as fellow All-Star rookies: Boston’s Jaylen Brown, New York’s Julius Randle and Chicago’s Zach LaVine. Phoenix’s Chris Paul is an All-Star for the 11th time, and Brooklyn’s James Harden is one for the ninth consecutive year. The rest of the reserves include Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic from the Eastern Conference, along with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George, Utah teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and Portland’s Damian Lillard from the Western Conference. “It's definitely an honor," Mitchell said. Team captains LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of the... [More]
Thu Feb 11 202109:35The Gubble opens: G League's bubble season begins
For the G League Ignite, it was a beginning. For Jeremy Lin, it may be a new beginning. The G League season has finally started, opening Wednesday inside a bubble at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and using many of the same buildings and amenities the NBA did when it played there last summer and fall. And the Ignite — the program that was formed to serve primarily as a one-year development program for elite NBA draft prospects — got the first win in G League bubble history, beating Lin and the Santa Cruz Warriors 109-104. NBA veteran Jarrett Jack led the Ignite with 23 points, and likely 2021 lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga scored 19. “They’re embracing the process of trying to go from amateurs to professionals, and high-level professionals at that,” Jack said. He’s setting an example. So is Lin. Wednesday was the ninth anniversary of perhaps the peak of the phenomenon known as Linsanity, a 2½-week run in which Lin was starring for the New York Knicks. On Feb. 10, 2012, he... [More]
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