SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) — Longtime Sacramento Kings TV broadcaster Grant Napear resigned Tuesday after he tweeted “ALL LIVES MATTER” when asked by DeMarcus Cousins for his opinion on the Black Lives Matter movement.The 60-year-old Napear also was fired by KTHK Sports 1140 in Sacramento. He had co-hosted a show on the AM radio station with former Kings player Doug Christie.Bonneville International, the station's parent company, said Napear's “recent comments about the Black Lives Matter movement do not reflect the views or values of Bonneville International Corporation. The timing of Grant's tweet was particularly insensitive."There have been demonstrations across the country since George Floyd, a black man, died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck while Floyd was handcuffed and saying that he couldn’t breathe.Cousins was drafted by Sacramento and played for the Kings for six-plus seasons before he was traded to New Orleans in February 2017.Cousins,... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wes Unseld was an undersized NBA center known more for his bruising picks, tenacious rebounding and perfectly placed outlet passes than any points he produced.He thrived in his role as a workmanlike leader.“I never played pretty,” Unseld said when elected to the Hall of Fame in 1988. “I wasn’t flashy. My contributions were in the things most people don’t notice. They weren’t in high scoring or dunking or behind-the-back passes.”Unseld, who began his pro career as a rookie MVP, led Washington to its only NBA championship and was chosen one of the 50 greatest players in league history, died Tuesday after “lengthy health battles, most recently with pneumonia,” his family said in a statement released by the Wizards. He was 74.He spent his entire 13-season playing career with the Bullets-Wizards franchise, then was its coach and general manager. The team was based in Baltimore when he was drafted; he and his wife, Connie, opened Unselds’ School in that city in 1978.“Wes Unseld... [More]

The NBA Board of Governors met again without a consensus opinion emerging on how many teams should be back on the floor for the planned late-July resumption of the pandemic-interrupted season, three people familiar with details of the call said Friday.The people, speaking on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because no details of the call were publicly released, said Commissioner Adam Silver is still collecting information on multiple options ranging from 16 to 30 teams returning to action when the season begins again at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex near Orlando, Florida.One person said the idea of bringing back 20 teams — possibly a few more, but not all 30 — continues to resonate as the most likely scenario, as of now. Another plan discussed Friday, the person said, would bring any team within six games of a playoff spot back for the resumption of the season, a scenario where based on the current standings 13 teams from the Western Conference and nine from the Eastern... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Truth: George Karl hasn’t felt this healthy in 15, maybe even 20 years. He’s playing plenty of golf, bike riding and finding time for yoga.Basketball: The longtime NBA coach who has fought cancer three times is keeping the door open for getting back into the business, maybe as a head coach or possibly as an assistant. Truth + Basketball: The title of the 69-year-old Karl's new, speak-his-mind podcast that he's finding “soulful.” He may be leading a quasi-retired lifestyle but make no mistake — he's not retired.“I love the game as much as I ever have," said Karl, who hasn't coached in the league since being let go by Sacramento following the 2016 season. "If the right situation came up, I might coach again.” Karl has been quenching his thirst for hoops through his son, Coby, who's the head coach of the South Bay Lakers, a G League club. George Karl caught quite a few of his son's games in person before the season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. When he wasn't there,... [More]

The NBA is in talks with The Walt Disney Company on a single-site scenario for a resumption of play in Central Florida in late July, the clearest sign yet that the league believes the season can continue amid the coronavirus pandemic.The National Basketball Players Association is also part of the talks with Disney, the league said Saturday. Games would be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a massive campus on the Disney property near Orlando.NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the conversations were still “exploratory,” and that the Disney site would be used for practices and housing as well.“Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved, and we are working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place,” Bass said.The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a 255-acre campus with multiple arenas that could host games simultaneously and has been home... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard Ben Simmons is closer to getting cleared to play, should the NBA season resume.The league leader in steals was sidelined with nerve issues in his lower back when the season was suspended on March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic. He is allowed to rehabilitate at the 76ers’ practice facility in Camden, New Jersey, but there seemed to be no guarantee he would have been cleared to play in time for a playoff run.“We’ve took our time, we’ve been methodical and thoughtful about his recovery and rehab, just to make sure, because we weren’t in a rush,” 76ers GM Elton Brand said Tuesday. “It’s hard to speculate. He’s been working hard and I know he’d be close or ready.”Simmons had missed his eighth straight game and was receiving daily treatment for his nerve impingement at the time the season stopped. Brand, speaking to media for the first time since, said he would not speculate on Simmons’ availability had the Sixers still been playing... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard Ben Simmons is closer to getting cleared to play, should the NBA season resume.Simmons, the league leader in steals, was sidelined with nerve issues in his lower back when the season was suspended on March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic. He is allowed to rehabilitate at the 76ers’ practice facility in Camden, New Jersey, but there seemed to be no guarantee he would have been cleared to play in time for a playoff run.“We’ve took our time, we’ve been methodical and thoughtful about his recovery and rehab, just to make sure, because we weren’t in a rush,” 76ers GM Elton Brand said Tuesday. “It’s hard to speculate. He’s been working hard and I know he’d be close or ready.”Simmons had missed his eighth straight game and was receiving daily treatment for his nerve impingement at the time the season stopped. Brand, speaking to media for the first time since the Sixers’ last game, said he would not speculate on Simmons’ availability... [More]

There were obvious perks to being teammates with Michael Jordan. Plenty of his Chicago teammates own multiple championship rings, they appear in some of the most-replayed NBA highlight clips of all time and they’ve got a lifetime of stories to tell about one of the best to ever take the court.B.J. Armstrong also learned to move quickly — off the court, that is.Whether it was during his rookie season when his stall in the Bulls locker room was adjacent to Jordan’s locker, or at a dinner with the six-time NBA champion and Kobe Bryant about a quarter-century later, Armstrong often found himself with a front-row seat to witness the true cost of fame for arguably the world’s most recognizable athlete.“I remember as a young player I had this dream of playing in the NBA,” Armstrong, the longtime NBA guard and three-time NBA champion with the Bulls who is now a California-based sports agent, told The Associated Press. “And I vividly remember when I got to Chicago thinking, ‘You better be careful... [More]

There were obvious perks to being teammates with Michael Jordan. Plenty of his Chicago teammates own multiple championship rings, they appear in some of the most-replayed NBA highlight clips of all time and they’ve got a lifetime of stories to tell about one of the best to ever take the court.B.J. Armstrong also learned to move quickly — off the court, that is.Whether it was during his rookie season when his stall in the Bulls locker room was adjacent to Jordan’s locker, or at a dinner with the six-time NBA champion and Kobe Bryant about a quarter-century later, Armstrong often found himself with a front-row seat to witness the true cost of fame for arguably the world’s most recognizable athlete.“I remember as a young player I had this dream of playing in the NBA,” Armstrong, the longtime NBA guard and three-time NBA champion with the Bulls who is now a California-based sports agent, told The Associated Press. “And I vividly remember when I got to Chicago thinking, ‘You better be careful... [More]

NBA team presidents met Thursday and emerged with belief that there are still ways to resume the season, and Dallas owner Mark Cuban also expressed optimism that the league will find a way out of the coronavirus-caused shutdown.“Every intention is to return to play and try to create the best environment we can for the league and for the fans,” San Antonio Spurs CEO R.C. Buford said after participating in the call with top team officials. “And we’re all on board for that.”Team presidents around the league hold regular calls, as do general managers, and those calls have continued during the league’s shutdown. Thursday's call was not organized for any specific reason.The NBA has been shut down since March 11 and 259 regular season games have yet to be played. It remains unclear if any of those games would be rescheduled should the league resume play, or if the NBA would opt to go directly into the postseason.“As soon as it’s safe we would like to finish our season,” LeBron James of the Western... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Scott Perry will remain general manager of the New York Knicks after agreeing to a new one-year deal with the team Wednesday.Perry ran the team's basketball operations after Steve Mills was fired as president in February. Longtime player agent Leon Rose was hired to replace Mills on March 2, shortly before the NBA season was suspended because of the virus outbreak.Rose decided that his first big move would be to keep Perry for next season. The Knicks and Perry had a mutual option on his contract that needed to be decided by May 1. “Scott is a well-respected basketball executive who I have known for more than 20 years, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him as we look to build a winning team in New York,” Rose said in a statement.Perry's return was first reported by Newsday.Perry, who was hired by the Knicks on July 14, 2017, lasted through a turbulent season of change that included the firing of coach David Fizdale early in the season and later the ouster of Mills. He guided the team through the NBA's trade deadline, dealing veteran forward Marcus Morris to the Los Angeles Clippers.Rose will still have to make decisions on interim coach Mike Miller and other members of the Knicks front office.The Knicks were 21-45 when the season was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Scott Perry will remain general manager of the New York Knicks after agreeing to a new one-year deal with the team Wednesday.Perry ran the team's basketball operations after Steve Mills was fired as president in February. Longtime player agent Leon Rose was hired to replace Mills on March 2, shortly before the NBA season was suspended because of the virus outbreak.Rose decided that his first big move would be to keep Perry for next season. The Knicks and Perry had a mutual option on his contract that needed to be decided by May 1. “Scott is a well-respected basketball executive who I have known for more than 20 years, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him as we look to build a winning team in New York,” Rose said in a statement.Perry's return was first reported by Newsday.Perry, who was hired by the Knicks on July 14, 2017, lasted through a turbulent season of change that included the firing of coach David Fizdale early in the season and later the ouster of Mills. He guided the team through the NBA's trade deadline, dealing veteran forward Marcus Morris to the Los Angeles Clippers.Rose will still have to make decisions on interim coach Mike Miller and other members of the Knicks front office.The Knicks were 21-45 when the season was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have repaid a loan of roughly $4.6 million from coronavirus business relief funds after learning the program had been depleted.The Lakers applied for the loan under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, a part of the federal government's $2.2 trillion stimulus package. The Lakers' request was granted in the first round of distribution, but after the fund ran out of money in less than two weeks, the team returned its loan, as did several wealthier business including Shake Shack and AutoNation.The Lakers issued a statement Monday confirming what happened.“The Lakers qualified for and received a loan under the Payroll Protection Program,” the statement read. “However, once we found out the funds from the program had been depleted, we repaid the loan so that financial support would be directed to those most in need. The Lakers remain completely committed to supporting both our employees and our community.”ESPN first reported... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have repaid a loan of roughly $4.6 million from coronavirus business relief funds after learning the program had been depleted.The Lakers applied for the loan under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, a part of the federal government's $2.2 trillion stimulus package. The Lakers' request was granted in the first round of distribution, but after the fund ran out of money in less than two weeks, the team returned its loan, as did several wealthier business including Shake Shack and AutoNation.The Lakers issued a statement Monday confirming what happened.“The Lakers qualified for and received a loan under the Payroll Protection Program,” the statement read. “However, once we found out the funds from the program had been depleted, we repaid the loan so that financial support would be directed to those most in need. The Lakers remain completely committed to supporting both our employees and our community.”ESPN first reported... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have repaid a loan of roughly $4.6 million from coronavirus business relief funds after learning the program had been depleted.The Lakers applied for the loan under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, a part of the federal government's $2.2 trillion stimulus package. The Lakers' request was granted in the first round of distribution, but after the fund ran out of money in less than two weeks, the team returned its loan, as did several wealthier business including Shake Shack and AutoNation.The Lakers issued a statement Monday confirming what happened.“The Lakers qualified for and received a loan under the Payroll Protection Program,” the statement read. “However, once we found out the funds from the program had been depleted, we repaid the loan so that financial support would be directed to those most in need. The Lakers remain completely committed to supporting both our employees and our community.”ESPN first reported... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — NBA players will be allowed to return to team training facilities starting Friday, provided that their local governments do not have a stay-at-home order prohibiting such movement still in place as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.Any workouts that take place would be voluntary and be limited to individual sessions only, according to a person familiar with the league's decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because the directives from the league were not released publicly.Group practices would not be allowed yet, and teams will not yet be permitted to organize in-person workouts.But as certain states and municipalities began loosening restrictions on personal movement, the NBA decided it was time to let players return to their practice courts — if only on a limited basis. Georgia and Oklahoma are among the states that have allowed some businesses to reopen and some cities in Florida are expected to loosen their... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — NBA players will be allowed to return to team training facilities starting Friday, provided that their local governments do not have a stay-at-home order prohibiting such movement still in place as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.Any workouts that take place would be voluntary and be limited to individual sessions only, according to a person familiar with the league's decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because the directives from the league were not released publicly.Group practices would not be allowed yet, and teams will not yet be permitted to organize in-person workouts.But as certain states and municipalities began loosening restrictions on personal movement, the NBA decided it was time to let players return to their practice courts — if only on a limited basis. Georgia and Oklahoma are among the states that have allowed some businesses to reopen and some cities in Florida are expected to loosen their... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — NBA players will be allowed to return to team training facilities starting Friday, provided that their local governments do not have a stay-at-home order prohibiting such movement still in place as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.Any workouts that take place would be voluntary and be limited to individual sessions only, according to a person familiar with the league's decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because the directives from the league were not released publicly.Group practices would not be allowed yet, and teams will not yet be permitted to organize in-person workouts.But as certain states and municipalities began loosening restrictions on personal movement, the NBA decided it was time to let players return to their practice courts — if only on a limited basis. Georgia and Oklahoma are among the states that have allowed some businesses to reopen and some cities in Florida are expected to loosen their... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — NBA players will be allowed to return to team training facilities starting Friday, provided that their local governments do not have a stay-at-home order prohibiting such movement still in place as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.Any workouts that take place would be voluntary and be limited to individual sessions only, according to a person familiar with the league's decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because the directives from the league were not released publicly.Group practices would not be allowed yet, and teams will not yet be permitted to organize in-person workouts.But as certain states and municipalities began loosening restrictions on personal movement, the NBA decided it was time to let players return to their practice courts — if only on a limited basis. Georgia and Oklahoma are among the states that have allowed some businesses to reopen and some cities in Florida are expected to loosen their... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Linsanity is finally getting another run on MSG Network. In search of content with no games because of the coronavirus, the network is turning to Jeremy Lin’s memorable NBA breakthrough, which was once ratings gold. The network said Friday it will dedicate a week of programming to the 2012 stretch when Lin got his chance with the New York Knicks and took the league by storm, looking back at a feel-good story during a difficult time in the city.Undrafted out of Harvard, the NBA’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent outplayed Kobe Bryant in one game, dominated the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in another and created a buzz that the late Commissioner David Stern said was unlike any he had seen for one player in such a short time.It was one of the biggest highlights of the last two decades for the Knicks, but it has been largely ignored by them. Lin left as a free agent after that season and has received little acknowledgment from the team or the... [More]