Zion Williamson returned to New Orleans Pelicans practice for the first time in nearly two weeks on Tuesday night and coach Alvin Gentry said the NBA’s top overall draft pick might play when the club resumes its season against Utah on Thursday night.“It really isn’t a tough decision,” Gentry said after practice in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. “If he’s ready to play, he’ll play. And if he’s not, he won’t.“You’re not going to risk anything long term for something very, very short term. So we’ll see and evaluate tomorrow where he is — the medical people will — and so will Zion. Zion will tell us how he feels.”Gentry said Williamson, who left the team on July 16 to attend to a family medical matter, was held out of five-on-five drills and limited largely to three- and five-man sets with no defenders.The Pelicans have another practice scheduled on Wednesday.“Obviously, we would love to have Zion. Let’s be honest,” Gentry said. “He’s one of those generational players that can do a lot of things."After... [More]

Scottie Pippen says he’s talked with Michael Jordan since “The Last Dance” documentary aired in the spring and downplayed any rift between the retired Chicago Bulls stars.“Why would I be offended by anything that happened 30 years ago?” Pippen said.Jordan widely praised Pippen in the documentary that chronicled the Bulls’ dynasty in the 1990s as the best teammate he ever had — both players were elected to the Hall of Fame. But Jordan called out Pippen in the second episode for making a “selfish” decision to delay offseason surgery on a ruptured tendon in his ankle until after the start of the 1997-98 season. Jordan said in the documentary he didn’t understand Pippen’s decision.There were reports that Pippen was unhappy with his portrayal in the documentary, but he said Tuesday, “I wasn’t upset about it.” The documentary also included Pippen’s refusal to enter Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals in the final seconds.“It didn’t bother me at all,” Pippen said. “It was an opportunity... [More]

Scottie Pippen says he’s talked with Michael Jordan since “The Last Dance” documentary aired in the spring and downplayed any rift between the retired Chicago Bulls stars.“Why would I be offended by anything that happened 30 years ago” Pippen said.Jordan widely praised Pippen in the documentary that chronicled the Bulls’ dynasty in the 1990s as the best teammate he ever had — both players were elected to the Hall of Fame. But Jordan called out Pippen in the second episode for making a “selfish” decision to delay offseason surgery on a ruptured tendon in his ankle until after the start of the 1997-98 season. Jordan said in the documentary he didn’t understand Pippen’s decision.There were reports that Pippen was unhappy with his portrayal in the documentary, but he said Tuesday, “I wasn’t upset about it.” The documentary also included Pippen’s refusal to enter Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals in the final seconds.“It didn’t bother me at all,” Pippen said. “It was an opportunity... [More]

Scottie Pippen says he’s talked with Michael Jordan since “The Last Dance” documentary aired in the spring and downplayed any rift between the retired Chicago Bulls stars.“Why would I be offended by anything that happened 30 years ago” Pippen said.Jordan widely praised Pippen in the documentary that chronicled the Bulls’ dynasty in the 1990s as the best teammate he ever had — both players were elected to the Hall of Fame. But Jordan called out Pippen in the second episode for making a “selfish” decision to delay offseason surgery on a ruptured tendon in his ankle until after the start of the 1997-98 season. Jordan said in the documentary he didn’t understand Pippen’s decision.There were reports that Pippen was unhappy with his portrayal in the documentary, but he said Tuesday, “I wasn’t upset about it.” The documentary also included Pippen’s refusal to enter Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals in the final seconds.“It didn’t bother me at all,” Pippen said. “It was an opportunity... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving is making sure WNBA players can sit out the season and not stress about a paycheck.The Brooklyn Nets star is committing $1.5 million to supplement the income of players who choose not to play this season, whether it be because of coronavirus concerns or social justice reasons.The funds will come from the KAI Empowerment Initiative that Irving launched Monday. It will also provide players with a financial literacy program created by UBS.Irving said that with the help of WNBA players Natasha Cloud — who chose to sit out — and Jewell Loyd, he connected with several WNBA players who discussed with him the challenges they faced in deciding whether to play. The season began Saturday and will be played entirely at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.He decided to help with the financial burden in a league where the top annual salary is a little more than $200,000."Whether a person decided to fight for social justice, play basketball, focus on physical or mental health,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving is making sure WNBA players can sit out the season and not stress about a paycheck.The Brooklyn Nets star is committing $1.5 million to supplement the income of players who choose not to play this season, whether it be because of coronavirus concerns or social justice reasons.The funds will come from the KAI Empowerment Initiative that Irving launched Monday. It will also provide players with a financial literacy program created by UBS.Irving said that with the help of WNBA players Natasha Cloud — who chose to sit out — and Jewell Loyd, he connected with several WNBA players who discussed with him the challenges they faced in deciding whether to play. The season began Saturday and will be played entirely at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.He decided to help with the financial burden in a league where the top annual salary is a little more than $200,000."Whether a person decided to fight for social justice, play basketball, focus on physical or mental health,... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Thibodeau is coming back to the New York Knicks, who are still seeking the success they enjoyed when he was an assistant two decades ago.The Knicks are finishing a deal to make Thibodeau their coach, a person with knowledge of the details said Saturday.No contract has been signed but a deal is expected to be announced next week, the person told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations were ongoing.ESPN first reported that the Knicks and Thibodeau were completing a five-year contract.When they do, the 2011 NBA Coach of the Year in Chicago will become the 13th different person to coach the Knicks since Jeff Van Gundy resigned early in the 2001-02 season. Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford was told during his team’s scrimmage at Walt Disney World against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday that Thibodeau, his longtime friend and confidant, was going to get the New York job.“Look, he’s one of my closest friends,” Clifford said. “He’s one... [More]

Lawyers for New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson asked a federal judge in North Carolina on Friday to disregard an affidavit alleging a $400,000 payment was made to Williamson's family before the former Duke star began his lone college season.The new filing by attorney Jeffrey Klein reiterates his earlier public assertion that the claims made in the sworn affidavit were false and that evidence meant to support those claims, such as a purported Williamson driver's license, were fraudulent.The affidavit was provided to the court in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by lawyers for ex-Williamson marketing agent Gina Ford, who is seeking $100 million in damages from the basketball star for breach of contract.Klein said Ford's lawyers have sought to file an “improper, legally irrelevant, and patently false set of papers ... aimed at sullying the character of Mr. Williamson.”Ford, the president of Prime Sports Marketing, filed a lawsuit last summer in a Florida state court accusing Williamson... [More]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — An ownership group led by longtime NBA player Arron Afflalo is putting together an offer to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves, two people with knowledge of the bid said. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the deal was still in the process of being submitted. The group will consist of two to five individuals with a net worth of more than $10 billion. According to the people, Afflalo's group will submit the bid no later than this weekend.Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, who bought the club in 1994 to keep it from moving to New Orleans, has put the franchise up for sale on the condition it remain in Minnesota. Taylor has hired a merchant bank, The Raine Group, to broker talks. There are multiple groups interested, the 79-year-old Taylor said earlier this week. He also owns the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx.The Timberwolves have a lease at the city-owned Target Center that lasts through 2035. A $140 million renovation project on the arena... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies will be without forward Justise Winslow for the rest of the NBA's restarted season because of an injured hip.The Grizzlies announced Tuesday that Winslow fell a day earlier after absorbing contact during an intrasquad scrimmage. Further evaluation revealed a hip injury that will keep him out the rest of this season. Winslow is expected to make a full recovery, the team said in a statement.The Grizzlies acquired Winslow in a February trade that sent Andre Iguodala to Miami. A back issue delayed Winslow's debut with Memphis, which was expected to be a road game in Portland in March until the NBA stopped play because of the coronavirus pandemic.Memphis currently holds the eighth spot in the Western Conference with a 3 1/2-game lead going into the NBA's seeding games. The Grizzlies' first opponent in a seeding game is the Trail Blazers on July 31.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed Eric Bledsoe tested positive for COVID-19, but remains cautiously optimistic the veteran point guard will be ready for the start of the season’s resumption.“With the virus you’re never sure,” Budenholzer said Friday. “There are certainly things that you have to kind of clear and cover, but the opener, if it’s two weeks away, then I think most medical, most things and research would say he is going to be available.’’Budenholzer's comment came a day after multiple reports indicated Bledsoe said he had tested positive but was asymptomatic.The Bucks, who have an NBA-leading 53-12 record, will face the Boston Celtics on July 31 in their first game since the pandemic-imposed hiatus began in mid-March.Budenholzer added that the Bucks will “prepare without him and welcome him with open arms when he does come.’’The 30-year-old Bledsoe is averaging 15.4 points, 5.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds.Budenholzer declined to say whether any other players hadn’t yet joined the team in Florida.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe has tested positive for COVID-19, but has said he doesn't have any symptoms associated with the coronavirus. Bledsoe hasn't been with the team since they reported to Orlando last week, the Journal Sentinel reported.The Bucks began a second training camp early this month but shut it down after someone from the organization tested positive for the coronovirus. They didn't name the person at the time.Bledsoe is among other NBA players to announce positive COVID-19 tests since teams started reporting to the bubble at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex last week, including Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook, Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes and Indiana’s Malcolm Brogdon.Bledsoe is averaging 15.4 points 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game this season.All 22 NBA teams invited to conclude the season will play eight games before the postseason begins.

Zion Williamson left the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday to attend to what the club described as an “urgent family medical matter.” Williamson, the NBA’s top overall draft choice last summer, intends to rejoin the team in the Orlando, Florida, area for the resumption of the season, the Pelicans said, but the club did not specify when he would be able to return or whether he’ll miss any of the club’s eight remaining regular-season games.“We don't know anything right now from the standpoint of him coming back,” coach Alvin Gentry said after practice Thursday night. “Obviously, right now, we're not concerned about the basketball part for him. We're just concerned about his family.”Williamson will have to quarantine again when he returns to central Florida, a period that will last at least four days and could be significantly longer if he is not tested daily during his absence from the team.“Once we learn more about Zion’s specific circumstances, we will determine his reentry protocol based... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans say top overall draft choice Zion Williamson left the club on Thursday to attend to an urgent family medical matter. The Pelicans say Williamson intends to rejoin the team in the Orlando area for the resumption of the season, but the club did not specify when he would be able to return or whether he’ll miss any of the club’s eight remaining regular-season games.Williamson will have to quarantine again when he returns to Central Florida, a period that will last at least four days and could be significantly longer if he is not tested daily during his absence from the team.“Once we learn more about Zion’s specific circumstances, we will determine his reentry protocol based on our rules,” NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.The Pelicans resume the season on July 30 against Utah, followed by a matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers two days later.“We fully support Zion’s decision to leave the NBA campus to be with his family,” Pelicans Executive... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans say top overall draft choice Zion Williamson left the club on Thursday to attend to an urgent family medical matter. The Pelicans say Williamson intends to rejoin the team in the Orlando area for the resumption of the season, but they did not specify when he would be able to return or whether he'll miss any games.Williamson will have to quarantine again when he returns to Central Florida, a period that will last at least four days and could be significantly longer if he is not tested daily during his absence from the team.“We fully support Zion’s decision to leave the NBA campus to be with his family,” Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin said. “Out of respect for the Williamson family, we will have no further comment at this time.”Williamson, who starred for one season at Duke, has averaged 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 19 games this season after missing the New Orleans' first 44 games while recovering from preseason arthroscopic knee surgery.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The New Orleans Pelicans say top overall draft choice Zion Williamson left the club on Thursday to attend to an urgent family medical matter. The Pelicans say Williamson intends to rejoin the team in the Orlando area for the resumption of the season, but the club did not specify when he would be able to return or whether he'll miss any games.Williamson will have to quarantine again when he returns to Central Florida, a period that will last at least four days and could be significantly longer if he is not tested daily during his absence from the team.“We fully support Zion’s decision to leave the NBA campus to be with his family,” Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin said. “Out of respect for the Williamson family, we will have no further comment at this time.”Williamson, who starred for one season at Duke, has averaged 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 19 games this season after missing the New Orleans' first 44 games while recovering from preseason arthroscopic knee surgery.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Jamal Crawford is coming off a 51-point game.People may have forgotten. After all, it was more than 450 days ago. And for a while, it looked like that game might have been Crawford’s last as a player — because for most of this season, the now 40-year-old guard remained unsigned.“To be honest with you, I went through a range of emotions,” Crawford said. “I was frustrated at the beginning. I didn’t understand. I didn’t know what happened.”Luckily for Crawford, it doesn’t matter anymore. He’s back in the NBA, filling one of the spots that the Brooklyn Nets needed to address after their roster was decimated by injuries and coronavirus-related issues coming into the season restart at Walt Disney World. With Vince Carter now officially retired, Crawford comes back into the league as its oldest player — about 2 1/2 months older than Miami’s Udonis Haslem.Crawford, a three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year and a past winner of the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award,... [More]

Victor Oladipo is having second thoughts about calling it a season.If all goes well over the next two weeks, the Indiana Pacers just might get their two-time All-Star back.Twelve days after announcing he would sit out because of concerns over his surgically repaired right knee, Oladipo told reporters Wednesday the workouts in Orlando, Florida, have forced him to rethink his decision.“It was hard for me to assess where I was," Oladipo said. “But being able to come down here and practice with my guys at a high level, I think there’s a strong possibility that I might play. I want to be smart because I want to play the next 10 years."Oladipo's presence could give the Pacers a big boost when the season resumes, especially with starting guard Malcolm Brogdon also expected to be healthy.Indiana is scheduled to play three scrimmage games before facing Philadelphia on Aug. 1, the first of eight regular-season games. First-round playoff games are set to begin Aug. 17.Oladipo told team officials last... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings became the latest NBA player to reveal that he has the coronavirus, making the announcement Tuesday and saying he has hopes to join his team for the league’s restart later this summer.Barnes is the only player who has started all 64 of the Kings’ games this season. To extend that streak, he’ll need to be cleared and arrive at Walt Disney World before Sacramento’s season resumes with the first of its eight seeding games on July 31 against San Antonio.“Prior to the team leaving last week, I tested positive for Covid-19,” Barnes wrote on social media. “I’ve been primarily asymptomatic and am doing well. I’m quarantined and am abiding by the safety protocol until I’m cleared for action. I hope to join my team in Orlando when it is safe to do so! Stay safe out there.”Barnes is averaging 14.7 points this season for the Kings.The league said Monday that 19 players tested positive during in-market testing after July 1, those... [More]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings became the latest NBA player to reveal that he has coronavirus, making the announcement Tuesday and saying he has hopes to join his team at the league’s restart later this summer.Barnes is the only player who has started all 64 of the Kings’ games this season. To extend that streak, he’ll need to be cleared and arrive at Walt Disney World before Sacramento’s season resumes with the first of its eight seeding games on July 31 against San Antonio.“Prior to the team leaving last week, I tested positive for Covid-19,” Barnes wrote on social media. “I’ve been primarily asymptomatic and am doing well. I’m quarantined and am abiding by the safety protocol until I’m cleared for action. I hope to join my team in Orlando when it is safe to do so! Stay safe out there.”Barnes is averaging 14.7 points this season for the Kings.The league said Monday that 19 players tested positive during in-market testing after July 1, those tests... [More]