Basketball news from around the world
Purdue point guard Braden Smith reached 1,000 career assists Thursday night against No. 13 Michigan State. The milestone made him just the fifth player in Division I history to hit the mark.
President Donald Trump is set to meet with college athletics leaders on March 6 for a roundtable discussion about the sport’s direction. Conference commissioners are expected to be among the attendees, alongside sports celebrities and dignitaries.
Oregon State announced Thursday that men’s basketball coach Wayne Tinkle will not return next season. Tinkle led the Beavers for 12 years.
Georgetown junior guard KJ Lewis will miss the rest of the regular season due to a left ankle injury. The Hoyas will have to move forward without the backcourt contributor as the schedule winds down.
Chris Bosh described a recent health scare in stark terms, saying he was “lucky to be alive.” The former NBA star said the incident left him waking up “covered in my own blood.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is set to return to the lineup after missing nine games with an abdominal strain. The Thunder will have him available Friday against the Nuggets.
Veteran free agent Taj Gibson has agreed to a two-year contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. Gibson, 40, will join the franchise after reaching terms on the deal through his representation.
A new fantasy-focused breakdown highlights several notable NBA players, including Julius Randle and LaMelo Ball. The piece outlines expectations and where key contributors could land among their peers.
Deandre Ayton and the Los Angeles Lakers are heading into what’s being framed as the season’s most pivotal stretch. At the center of it is a simple, high-stakes question: will Ayton embrace the role the Lakers say they need most?
Duke continues to lead the men’s power rankings, positioning itself as the team to beat. The Blue Devils also appear to hold the inside track to the NCAA tournament’s top overall seed.
Keaton Wagler’s rise has become one of the defining stories of Illinois’ season, pushing him toward the top tier of a loaded freshman class. His path hasn’t followed a single blueprint, but his impact has been clear as the Fighting Illini lean on their young star.
Oklahoma City snapped its losing streak Wednesday night against Detroit, but did so with a depleted lineup. The Thunder were without their top six scorers due to injury, leaving the Pistons facing a short-handed version of the defending champions.
UConn responded to its Feb. 6 setback with a dominant 72-40 win over St. John’s on Wednesday night. The Red Storm went ice-cold late, missing their final 24 field-goal attempts in Rick Pitino’s biggest defeat at the program.
Washington State forward Emmanuel Ugbo has been suspended for the rest of the season. The move comes while Ugbo is under a court order tied to allegations of stalking and harassment.
UCF caught fire from deep, hitting 14 of its 24 3-point attempts to pull away from No. 19 BYU in a 97-84 win Tuesday night. The Knights’ perimeter barrage turned a competitive matchup into a decisive upset.
The Los Angeles Lakers have added former Virginia coach Tony Bennett to their front office support staff. Bennett will serve as an NBA draft adviser to president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka.
Jontay Porter, who was banned for life by the NBA in 2024 for gambling, is planning to continue his career in an upstart professional league. Porter is also awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a related federal charge.
Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia is offering a $1 million prize to the winners of the NBA’s slam dunk and 3-point contests. The incentive is aimed at drawing more star participation when Phoenix hosts All-Star Weekend next year.
Cavaliers guard James Harden is listed as questionable for Wednesday night’s game against the Bucks. Cleveland said Harden suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right thumb Tuesday against the Knicks.
NBA MVP betting odds have narrowed at the top, with Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokic still leading the market. Both stars are also at risk of falling short of the league’s regular-season award eligibility requirements.
With the 2026 coaching carousel already generating chatter, several programs and coaches are being monitored closely. Oklahoma and Syracuse are among the schools being discussed, while Will Wade, Porter Moser and Josh Schertz are names appearing in the early conversation.
Zion Williamson has been on the floor more consistently, offering a notable development for fantasy managers tracking his availability. Elsewhere, the Clippers, Kings and Jazz have produced emerging options worth monitoring.
Nike began building a global marketing campaign around the “black mamba” nickname in late 2002. The concept was pitched to an NBA superstar — and it wasn’t Kobe Bryant.
The NBA’s post-break pecking order is in focus as insiders reassess every team coming out of All-Star weekend. Here’s a concise look at where all 30 clubs land as the regular season resumes.
Cameron Boozer posted 24 points and 13 rebounds as No. 1 Duke rolled past Notre Dame 100-56 on Tuesday night. The 44-point defeat marked the Irish’s worst home loss since 1898.
The Los Angeles Lakers fell 110-109 to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday after a sideline out-of-bounds play in the final seconds broke down. The sequence between LeBron James and Luka Doncic ended without a quality shot, sealing a one-point loss.
Atlanta All-Star forward Jalen Johnson left Tuesday’s victory over the Washington Wizards after just 5½ minutes. The Hawks said Johnson suffered a left hip flexor injury.
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said the team is playing with renewed confidence since adding James Harden. He made the comments after Cleveland’s win over the Knicks on Tuesday night.
New Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen said Rob Pelinka will remain in his role as general manager. Rosen added that Pelinka will be supported by Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi.
Jonathan Kuminga made a positive first appearance for the Atlanta Hawks after spending months on the bench with the Golden State Warriors. He left his debut smiling and described the experience as “great.”
