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☆ Simmons wants to play for Australia at Paris Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Aug 30 (Reuters) - All Star forward Ben Simmons says he wants to play for Australia at the Paris Olympics next year, ending a decade-long absence from the Boomers team. "To me, I'm going to play when I'm ready. Melbourne-born Simmons said he had not yet informed Basketball Australia of his intentions and fans Down Under might be forgiven for not getting too excited. The three-times NBA All Star has frequently committed to playing for the land of his birth at the Olympics and World Cups over the last nine years only to later withdraw. Australia, bronze medallists at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, will qualify for the Paris Olympics if they achieve a better finish than New Zealand at the ongoing World Cup in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

Persons: Ben Simmons, JaKarr Sampson, Mike DiNovo, hasn't, I've, Simmons, Nick Mulvenney, Robert Birsel Organizations: Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, United Center, Rights, Australia, Paris Olympics, Boomers, Brooklyn Nets, NBA, Olympic, Basketball Australia, Star, Tokyo, Thomson Locations: Chicago , IL, USA, Melbourne, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Japan, Indonesia

☆ Vancouver and Montreal to host two preseason NBA games in October
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Apr 12, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A general view of Scotiabank Arena before the start of the NBA Play-In game between the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY SportsAug 3 (Reuters) - The Canadian cities of Montreal and Vancouver will host one preseason game each ahead of the 2023-24 National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season, the league said on Thursday. The two games are part of the NBA Canada Series aimed at growing the game in the country and will start with the Toronto Raptors facing the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 8 in Vancouver. In total, 15 NBA teams have participated in 16 preseason games across six cities as part of the NBA Canada Series, which launched in 2012. The 2023-24 NBA regular season begins on Oct. 24.

Persons: John E, Shai Gilgeous, Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Frank Pingue, Clare Fallon Organizations: CAN, Scotiabank Arena, NBA, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Basketball Association, NBA Canada, Sacramento Kings, Vancouver . The Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Montreal, Vancouver, Vancouver ., Canada, United States, Toronto

CNN —After the thrill of winning successive Women’s World Cup titles, the 2023 tournament – so far – has brought the US team very much down to earth with a bump. For a team that has been so historically dominant at the Women’s World Cup, performances throughout the 2023 edition so far have been underwhelming for women’s soccer’s most dynastic team. Fans of the US team get ready for the Women's World Cup group game against Portugal. 3 ranked in the world by FIFA, has plenty of World Cup history. Sweden drew with the US in 2015 and also beat them in 2011 – the last time any team defeated the USWNT inside regulation at a World Cup.

Persons: Ana Capeta’s, Vlatko Andonovski, “, Julie Foudy, Buda Mendes, Alex Morgan, ” Morgan, Thailand’s, –, Megan Rapinoe, Morgan, Andonovski, Mallory Swanson, Tobin Heath, Sam Mewis, Catarina Macario, Becky Sauerbrunn, Abby Dahlkemper, Andrew Cornaga, Trinity Rodman, Carli Lloyd, ” Lloyd, Crystal Dunn, Lloyd, ” Andonovksi, ”, Rebecca Welch, Rose Lavelle, Lavelle, Saeed Khan, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sophia Smith, we’ll, Lindsey Horan, ” Andonovski, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, TNT, US, National, Getty, Portugal, New Zealand, Canada, Tokyo, Christen Press, Vietnam, Professional, Chicago Bulls, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Montreal Canadiens, UEFA, Leagues, ”, Sweden, FIFA Locations: Portugal, Buda, Thailand, Netherlands, Vietnam, England, New, New Zealand, Sweden, Spain, Auckland, Wellington, AFP, Real Madrid

☆ ‘Break Point’ Just Might Be the Best Way to Watch Tennis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Jake Nevins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

“By the way,” Tomljanovic says at one point, “do we have a room?” Shortly after his daughter sealed her spot in the final eight of the world’s pre-eminent tennis tournament, Ratko was seen on booking.com, extending their stay in London. This is not the stuff of your typical sports documentary, but it is the life of a professional tennis player. “Break Point,” executive-produced by Paul Martin and the Oscar-winning filmmaker James Gay-Rees, arrived this year as a gift to tennis fans, for whom splashy, well-produced and readily accessible documentaries about the sport have been hard to come by. Perhaps this is because the narrative tropes of the genre tend toward triumphs and Gatorade showers, while the procedural and psychological realities of professional tennis lie elsewhere. The 10 episodes of “Break Point” render tennis unromantically: This is the rare sports doc whose primary subject is loss.

Persons: Ajla, Ratko, Chris Evert, ” Tomljanovic, Taylor Fritz, Paul Martin, Oscar, James Gay, Rees, splashy, Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic —, Michael Jordan’s, Nas, Isiah Thomas, “, ” Barack Obama, Andre Agassi’s, ”, Stefanos Tsitsipas Organizations: Netflix, Tennis, Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, Gatorade Locations: London, Chicago

☆ Michael Jordan to Sell Majority Stake in Charlotte Hornets
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Michael Jordan, the owner of the Charlotte Hornets and one of the most storied athletes in sports history, has agreed to sell his majority share in the team to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, two private equity investors. The team, in its announcement of the sale, did not disclose what percentage of his stake Jordan would sell, but said he would remain a minority investor. Jordan, a North Carolina native, first purchased the team in 2010 for $275 million, when it was known as the Bobcats. The acquiring group also includes the country music star Eric Church and the rapper J. Cole, both of whom are from North Carolina. Jordan won six championships with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s and is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player ever.

Persons: Michael Jordan, Gabe Plotkin, Rick Schnall, Jordan, Eric Church, J, Cole Organizations: Charlotte Hornets, Bobcats, Chicago Bulls Locations: North Carolina

☆ 2023 NBA Finals: How to watch the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

There’s Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets – the hulking Serbian center who has battled underappreciation and misinterpretation to become one of the league’s greats and a two-time Most Valuable Player. It’s the performances of Jokić and Butler which help to explain why the NBA Finals are being contested by Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat as the 2022/23 NBA season concludes. Jokić shoots the ball during Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. Jokić admitted that the celebrations were short-lived after the Western Conference Finals sweep of the Lakers as Denver’s goal is lifting the title. Jokić leaves the floor after the Nuggets beat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Persons: There’s Nikola Jokić, underappreciation, Jimmy Butler –, Jokić, Butler, Erik Spoelstra, Denver’s Michael Malone, Larry O’Brien, Butler –, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Adam Pantozzi, Jamal Murray’s, Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell, Pope –, “ I’m, ” Jokić, AAron Ontiveroz, – Miami, Al Horford, David Butler II, – Butler, ”, “, Pat, Riley, Spoelstra, Nathaniel S, you’ve, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Denver Nuggets, NBA, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Western, Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Ball Arena, Games, ABC, Western Conference, Denver, Lakers, Denver Post, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Bucks, New York Knicks, Celtics, Eastern, USA, Sports, Reuters, Heat Locations: Serbian, Denver , Colorado, Miami, Denver, Milwaukee Bucks . Miami

☆ Scottie Pippen: Michael Jordan was 'horrible player' and 'horrible to play with,' says former Chicago Bulls teammate
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In fact, the only two years the Bulls didn’t win the title was when Michael Jordan tried his hand at baseball. However, speaking on his former Bulls teammate Stacey King’s podcast ‘Gimme the Hot Sauce’ on Friday, Pippen described Jordan as a “horrible player.”“I’ve seen Michael Jordan play before I came to the Bulls. “Michael Jordan was the greatest to ever put on shoes and play in our game. The way LeBron James plays, Michael Jordan was never asked to play that way because I took that away from him. “And there’s no game that I would ever play in and pick LeBron James over Michael Jordan.

☆ Sam Zell, billionaire real estate investor, dies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

He had a golden touch with real estate, and got his start managing apartment buildings as a college student. His father was a wholesale jeweler who dabbled successfully in real estate investment and the stock market. His first successes in real estate came while he was a student at the University of Michigan. After the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s, Zell went on a buying spree of real estate properties. He also encouraged institutional investors to pool their money for commercial real estate in the early '90s when it was on the outs.

☆ LeBron James vs. Steph Curry: Old rivalries reignite as LA Lakers face Golden State Warriors
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers took down the Memphis Grizzlies 4-2 in the opening round of the playoffs. In another battle of the old vs. the young, the Golden State Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings in an exhilarating seven-game series. José Luis Villegas/APBattles of old2015 FinalsThe first NBA Finals matchup between LeBron and Steph was in 2015. Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images2017 FinalsThe Golden State Warriors responded to their 2016 Finals loss by recruiting Kevin Durant in the off-season. Following a disappointing end to his second stint with the Cavaliers, LeBron moved across to the West and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

☆ Basketball Star Kenny Smith Learned From the Best
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Emily Bobrow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kenny “the Jet” Smith won back-to-back NBA championships with the Houston Rockets in the mid-90s and has since found yet more fame as a basketball analyst on TNT. Still, he wonders what might have been if he had played for the Chicago Bulls alongside his former teammate at the University of North Carolina, Michael Jordan. “That’s why I was always jealous of Scottie Pippen. When Scottie Pippen first came into the NBA, he wasn’t a threat, but then he became one of the 75 best players of all time. That’s what Michael did for him,” he says.

☆ Knicks vs. Heat: Brawls, Nail-Biters and a Clinging Coach
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Victor Mather | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Riley, who had led the Knicks for three seasons, had become the coach of the Heat, and there was bad blood over the move. The Heat eventually had to send the Knicks a first-round pick after they were found to have tampered with Riley while he was still under contract. It started when Charles Oakley of the Knicks bumped Alonzo Mourning of the Heat and was ejected. Five Knicks were suspended — Ward, Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, John Starks and Larry Johnson — and only one Heat player, Brown. Because so many Knicks had been suspended, the penalties were staggered: Three Knicks were to miss Game 6 and two Game 7.

☆ Raptors fire coach Nick Nurse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Nick Nurse, who guided the Toronto Raptors to their one and only NBA title in 2019, has been fired, the team said on Friday. NBA coach of the year in 2020, Nurse spent 10 seasons with the Raptors (including five as an assistant) and had the best winning percentage in team history 227-163 (.582) and took the team to three playoff appearances. But the team disappointed this season when they failed to qualify for the post-season, crashing out to the Chicago Bulls in the play-in game. While Nurse is leaving the team he will not be leaving Canada where he remains head coach of the national men's basketball team which is preparing for the World Cup and qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dallas Mavericks Fined $750,000 for ‘Desire to Lose’ a Game
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Victor Mather | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Dallas Mavericks were fined $750,000 by the N.B.A. on Friday for playing a weakened lineup in a game in an effort to miss the postseason and hang on to a first-round draft pick. The Mavericks sat out five of their best players for their second-to-last game of the season, against the Chicago Bulls on April 7. The remaining Mavericks lost the game, 115-112, and were eliminated from a chance to qualify for a play-in game. “It’s not so much waving the white flag,” Coach Jason Kidd told reporters after the game.

☆ James leads surging Lakers into playoffs, Bucks enter as favourites
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Apr 11, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) celebrates the victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves following overtime at Crypto.com Arena. By clinching the Western Conference's seventh seed, the Lakers earned the right to face electrifying guard Ja Morant and the No. He's going to get to the paint one way or another," ESPN NBA analyst JJ Reddick said on a conference call. "He's going to elevate. He's going to decide what the hell to do in the air and he's probably going to score.

☆ NBA fines Mavs $750K for sitting players, undermining 'the integrity of our sport'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 14 (Reuters) - The National Basketball Association fined the Dallas Mavericks $750,000 on Friday for resting multiple players during a game last week that had draft implications and while they were not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. The NBA said Dallas violated the player resting policy and demonstrated through actions and public statements a desire to lose the contest in order to improve their chances of keeping their first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. "The Dallas Mavericks' decision to restrict key players from fully participating in an elimination game last Friday against Chicago undermined the integrity of our sport," NBA Executive Vice President Joe Dumars said in a news release. A lottery to determine the final order for the June 22 draft will be held on May 16. Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The Haslam family sold its gas station business to Warren Buffett this year. Now it's set to buy a stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( George Glover | Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Haslam family will finalize buying a stake in the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, according to Bloomberg. They're swapping fuel pumps for courtside seats after selling their gas station business to Warren Buffett. They're poised to own 25% of the Bucks in a deal that values the NBA franchise at around $3.5 billion. The Haslams agreed to buy billionaire investor Marc Lasry's 25% stake in the Bucks in a deal that values the NBA franchise at $3.5 billion back in February, per a previous Bloomberg report. The Haslam family retains control of Pilot's day-to-day operations.

☆ Jordan's 'Last Dance' sneakers sell for record $2.2 mln
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 12 (Reuters) - A pair of signed, game-worn Michael Jordan sneakers from the 1998 NBA Finals fetched a record $2.2 million on Tuesday, making them the most valuable sneakers ever sold, auction house Sotheby's said. He went on to win his sixth and final NBA Championship and was named the Finals MVP. Sotheby's said Jordan gifted the sneakers to a Jazz ball boy after the game as thanks for finding a lost jacket. They were the final pair of Breds that Jordan wore in a game. The previous record for a pair of sneakers was held by a pair of Kanye West's Nike Air Yeezy 1s, which Sotheby's sold for $1.8 million in 2021.

☆ Michael Jordan's 'Last Dance' shoes just became the most expensive sneakers ever sold
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals Game 2 Air Jordan 13s from 'The Last Dance' season were expected to sell for $2million to $4 million. A pair of Michael Jordan's shoes have become the most valuable sneakers ever to be sold at auction. Sotheby's says the Nike Air Jordan 13 sneakers sold for a record $2.2 million on Tuesday. It may be a new world record, but the shoes sold on the lower end of estimates. "Today's record-breaking result further proves that the demand for Michael Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations," said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's head of streetwear and modern collectibles.

The 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament runs from April 11-14 to decide the final seeds in this year's playoffs. How to watch the NBA Play-In Tournament in the USYou can watch the NBA Play-In Tournament on TNT and ESPN, with games spread across both channels. If you're outside the US right now, you might be in a region that doesn't have access to the NBA Play-In Tournament. How to watch the NBA Play-In Tournament with a VPNSign up for a VPN if you don't have one. 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament scheduleGame Date and time Channel Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat April 11, 7:30 p.m.

☆ NBA roundup: Mavs' playoff hopes dashed by Bulls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

The result ended the Mavericks' hopes of reaching the Western Conference play-in tournament. Chicago, which had already clinched an Eastern Conference play-in spot, played without leading scorers DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine as well as Patrick Beverley. Orlando, which was in contention for a play-in spot over the past month following a 5-20 start, played its second game since being eliminated Tuesday. Grizzlies 137, Bucks 114Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 36 points to lead seven Memphis players in double figures as the Grizzlies clinched the No. Pascal Siakam scored 19 points, Precious Achiuwa added 16 points, and Fred VanVleet had 12 points and eight assists.

☆ SlamBall, which combines basketball and football with trampolines, snags big investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Are you ready for some ... SlamBall? A star-studded lineup of investors in and around sports are jumping into the sport, which is a mashup of football, basketball and trampolines that was buzzy for a short time in the early 2000s. The investment comes as SlamBall plans to relaunch this summer, more than 20 years after the alternative sport was shut down in the U.S. as ratings fell in its second season. SlamBall recently closed an $11 million Series A funding round led by Roger Ehrenberg's IA Sports Ventures and Eberg Capital, a stakeholder in MLB's Miami Marlins. It took founder and CEO Mason Gordon and Mike Tollin – a producer behind the popular Chicago Bulls docuseries "The Last Dance" who helped launch the league the first time – nine months to secure their full roster of investors.

☆ Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Dance’ sneakers are being auctioned off. They could go for millions, and become the most expensive sneakers ever sold.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Michael Jordan's sneakers from 1998 could sell for $4 million, breaking auction records. They are a pair of Air Jordan 13s Jordan wore in the last NBA finals he played for the Chicago Bulls. If sold at their estimated $4 million, they will set a record for the most expensive sneakers ever sold. The shoes are a pair of black and red Air Jordan 13s from Jordan's "Last Dance" — the last championship final Jordan played for the Bulls in 1998. If sold for their estimated price, the Air Jordan 13s will set the record for the most expensive sneakers ever sold, per CBS News, citing Sotheby's.

☆ Michael Jordan's 'Last Dance' sneakers are going up for auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals Game 2 Air Jordan 13s from 'The Last Dance' season are expected to sell for $2/4 million. An iconic pair of Air Jordan sneakers is going up for sale and is expected to be the most expensive pair of sneakers ever to appear at auction, estimated to sell for between $2 million and $4 million. Sotheby's is listing Michael Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals Nike Air Jordan 13s, worn during the basketball legend's final season in the NBA. Jordan already holds the record for most expensive pair of sneakers sold at auction: In 2021, Sotheby's sold the earliest known Michael Jordan Air Ships, also made by Nike, for $1.472 million. "Michael Jordan game-worn sports memorabilia has proven time and time again to be the most elite and coveted items on the market," Wachter said.

☆ Michael Jordan’s Championship Air Jordans, Sneakerdom’s Most Elite Collection, Head to Sotheby’s Sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Jacob Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Sotheby’s auction house will unveil on Tuesday in Dubai what many sneaker collectors consider to be the Holy Grail: the “Dynasty Collection,” or six Nike Air Jordan sneakers that Michael Jordan, His Airness himself, wore during the six NBA championship games the Chicago Bulls won in the 1990s. The price for the collection, on offer in a private sale? Sotheby’s won’t disclose it. But to sneaker collectors, it’s close to priceless: These shoes are like the Mona Lisa, the David and a few of Monet’s Water Lilies rolled into one. Memorabilia experts place their value well into the millions, which would make the collection the most expensive set of shoes ever sold.

☆ 6 sneakers Michael Jordan wore during game-clinching NBA Finals games are about to go on sale — and the price could set a record
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sotheby's this week will put up for sale a collection of six Air Jordan sneakers. Each of the six sneakers was worn by Michael Jordan during an NBA Finals game. Auction house Sotheby's on Tuesday will unveil a collection of six Air Jordan sneakers in Dubai. For perspective, a jersey Jordan wore during the 1998 NBA Finals sold last year for $10.1 million. "This set represents the most valuable and significant collection of Air Jordan sneakers ever brought to market," Sotheby's said, in a listing.

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