PHOENIX — Fresh off, arguably, the most important performance of his young career, Anthony Edwards sat in front of the world with a white tank top and an all-black Atlanta Braves fitted cap that sat loose, hovering just above his crisp hairline — making him look more like an extra in Outkast’s “Player’s Ball” video … Read more
Anthony Edwards (5) of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts after a call in the first quarter Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. Timberwolves vs. Phoenix Suns first round NBA playoffs series, game 2, Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn. Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune via Getty Images The Phoenix Suns host the Minnesota Timberwolves for Game … Read more
Sample size matters, people. So when The Athletic launched its first NBA player poll in 2019, with 127 players answering questions about league matters so honestly because of the anonymity they were granted, the bar was set very high. We hit triple digits again last year (108 players), when the popular poll returned in full … Read more
We, as a species, have trouble imagining something until it actually happens. The NBA playoffs are a perfect vessel from which to view this particular shortcoming. The Boston Celtics just completed a regular season in which they won 64 games, winning their conference by a staggering 14 games and posting the fifth-best scoring margin of … Read more
Rudy Gobert knows what is coming. He knows that a fourth NBA Defensive Player of the Year award is almost assuredly his after being the best defensive player on the best defensive team all season long. He also knows that will do nothing to quiet the legion of skeptics who are ready to pile on … Read more
Are you ready for some NBA postseason? We got a little taster on the season’s final weekend, with a few teams playing high-stakes games that resembled playoff environments. That was particularly true in the jumbled Western Conference standings, where the New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings were … Read more
Yesterday, I largely focused on setting the table for the updated NBA Pre-Postseason Players Tiers before revealing Tier 3 (players between the 24th and 42nd spot) and Tier 4 (Nos. 43-80). Today, I’m going to get a little more into some of the more interesting and/or challenging placements, as well as note a few overall … Read more
NBA players have always gotten an earful from fans, whether at home or on the road. It comes with the job. But this season, it’s getting darker. The recent surge in legalized gambling in every pro league, and throughout college athletics, has impacted American sports in ways thought unimaginable just a few years ago. But … Read more
Co-owners Alex Rodriguez, right, and Marc Lore of the Minnesota Timberwolves during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Target Center Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Dec. 30, 2023. David Berding | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images The National Basketball Association’s Minnesota Timberwolves and the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Lynx are no longer for sale … Read more
Growing up in Spain, Ricky Rubio had a decision to make. At just 10, he showed promise as an athlete and was asked to choose between basketball and soccer. “The real football,” he said. He was a good soccer player, and the popularity of the sport in his country compelled him to throw everything into … Read more
