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Kevin Porter Jr.’s time with the Houston Rockets is over, after the team agreed Tuesday to trade him and a pair of second-round draft picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press. The Rockets also will receive Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl as part of the trade, the person said. Porter is owed nearly $15.9 million for this season and an additional $1 million that was guaranteed for next season. The Rockets already had told Porter that he was essentially barred from the team after it learned of his arrest on domestic violence charges last month. Porter was arrested after an alleged attack on his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, in a New York City hotel room Sept. 11.

Persons: Kevin Porter Jr, Porter Jr, —, Victor Oladipo, Jeremiah Robinson, Earl, Porter, Kysre Gondrezick, Rafael Stone, “, ___ Organizations: Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Associated Press, Thunder, ESPN, The Houston Chronicle, Rockets, New York Post, ” Rockets, Miami Locations: New York City

☆ Arizona Coyotes local games move to broadcast networks – the latest big shift in sports TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Arizona Coyotes are skating to a new TV home for local games – showcasing the pressure on cable TV bundles due to cord cutting while broadcast stations look to nab more sports media rights. Scripps Co. on Thursday that will see its local games air on over-the-air networks. The Coyotes' local games aired on Bally Sports Arizona. MLB began running the distribution of the Diamondbacks, as well as the San Diego Padres, another contract rejected by Diamond, earlier this year. The landscape for local games has dramatically shifted as consumers flee the traditional cable TV bundle and opt for streaming services.

Persons: Barrett Hayton, Diamond, Phoenix Mercury –, Gray, Scripps, Knights – Organizations: Arizona Coyotes, Dallas Stars, American Airlines Center, The Arizona Coyotes, nab, NHL, Scripps Co, Diamond Sports Group, Coyotes, Scripps, Bally Sports Arizona, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Diamond, Suns, Mercury, Gray Television, MLB, Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, CNBC, Vegas, Knights, Stanley, Warner Bros, Warner Media, MLB's Houston Astros, NBA's Houston Rockets, T SportsNet, City Home Network Locations: Dallas , Texas

NEW YORK (AP) — Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr.'s alleged attack on his girlfriend at a New York City hotel left the woman with a fractured neck vertebrae and a cut above her right eye, prosecutors revealed at his arraignment Tuesday. Porter, 23, is charged with felony assault and strangulation in connection with the incident Monday at the Millennium Hilton near the United Nations in Manhattan. Hospital testing showed that the woman, 26, sustained a fractured vertebrae in her neck, the criminal complaint said. In April 2021, the NBA fined Porter $50,000 for violating the league’s COVID-19 health and safety rules by visiting a Miami strip club. In January 2022, the Rockets suspended Porter for a game after then-coach Stephen Silas said the player had a “spirited debate” and “lost his temper” at halftime.

Persons: Kevin Porter Jr, Porter, Kysre Gondrezick, Gondrezick, ” Porter, he'd, Stephen Silas, “, Kristie Rieken Organizations: — Houston Rockets, Millennium Hilton, United Nations, Rockets, NBA, Cavaliers, USC, Associated Press Locations: New York City, Manhattan, San Antonio, Houston, Cleveland, Miami

☆ Kevin Porter Jr. arrested on domestic violence charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 15, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. (3) reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Toyota Center. Porter, 23, is facing charges of felony assault and strangulation following the incident, alleged to have taken place Monday at the Millennium Hilton. Porter stands accused of hitting the woman in the face and choking her, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the New York Post. "We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr.," the Rockets said in a statement Monday. "The league office is in contact with the Houston Rockets and in the process of gathering more information," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said Monday.

Persons: Kevin Porter Jr, Troy, Porter, Bail, Prosecutors, Mike Bass Organizations: Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, Toyota Center, Manhattan Criminal, Millennium Hilton, Level Media, New York, ESPN, Rockets, NBA, Cleveland Cavaliers, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, USA, Troy Taormina, New York, Manhattan

☆ Basketball Canada outlasts U.S. in OT, capture first-ever basketball World Cup medal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Neil Jerome Morales | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Basketball - FIBA World Cup 2023 - Third-Place Playoff - United States v Canada - Mall of Asia Arena, Manila, Philippines - September 10, 2023 Canada players celebrate with their bronze medals after the match REUTERS/Lisa Marie David Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Canada bagged their first-ever FIBA Basketball World Cup podium finish at the expense of undermanned United States 127-118 in overtime in a riveting, record-setting bronze medal game on Sunday in Manila. It was the most points scored for a player in a medal-winning game in tournament history. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada's leading scorer, rebounder and passer, finished with 31 points, six rebounds and 12 assists. Team USA, previously unbeaten in their four bronze medal matches, recorded the most points they have conceded in a World Cup game. Despite the defeat, the United States finished better than their seventh spot in 2019, their worst-ever major international tournament result.

Persons: Lisa Marie David Acquire, Dillon Brooks, Brooks, Shai Gilgeous, Alexander, Canada's, rebounder, Paolo Banchero, Jaren Jackson Jr, Brandon Ingram, USA's, Anthony Edwards, Fan, Austin Reaves, Mikal Bridges, Canada's Kelly Olynyk, Neil Jerome Morales, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Basketball, FIBA, Asia Arena, Rights, FIBA Basketball, United, Houston Rockets, Team, NBA, Minnesota Timberwolves, Team USA, Brooklyn Nets, Mikal, Canada, Summer, United States, U.S, Thomson Locations: States, Canada, Asia, Manila, Philippines, Rights MANILA, United States, U.S

☆ Inside Otter University: How Travis Kalanick's sales boot camp for young techies went off the rails
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Meghan Morris | Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

"It seemed like a cool, innovative new company," Lam said. Starting in early 2022, the company poured millions of dollars into an experimental sales boot camp called Otter University. She joined the company in 2020 as Otter's head of sales enablement and helped dream up the idea of a sales boot camp a year later. Two former OtterU employees said that Law and another Otter executive urged managers to join their teams for late-night drinks following team dinners. But the late nights and free-flowing alcohol struck some OtterU employees as inappropriate for the workplace, especially when managers had to deal with hungover teams the next day.

Persons: Brian Lam, messaged, Travis, Lam, Uber, It's, Kalanick, voraciously, they're, Otter, wasn't, salespeople, Cory Epstein, Phoebe Law, Law, people's, –, Kalanick's Uber, Otter's, Kate, Samul Beal, I'd, Beal, didn't, terminations, he'd, OtterU, I'm, grads, Salespeople, Guido Gabrielli, Keith Dunphy, Dunphy, Bram van Staalduinen, Phoebe Law's, Debra Glaser, Jen Zablotny, there's, Ordermark, Burger, Meghan, Darius Organizations: Texas, Otter, Storage Systems, Microsoft, Otter University, Law, Adobe, SAP, Houston, OtterU, hungover, NCR, Google, Brands, Houston Rockets Locations: Korean, Houston, Toronto, LA, Las Vegas, Miami, Seoul, South Korea, Houston ., OtterU, Otter, Canada

☆ NBA star James Harden sells out 10,000 bottles of wine in seconds on Chinese livestream
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —NBA star James Harden expressed disbelief after Chinese fans snapped up 10,000 bottles of his own-branded wine in seconds, demonstrating the massive reach of livestreaming in the country, where basketball is loved by millions. “How many bottles do you usually sell in a day … from one store?” Yang asked Harden, who replied: “A few cases.”Yang then told the star to watch how quickly they could sell them. Go!” Yang told viewers. Basketball is enormously popular in China, in no small part thanks to Chinese legend Yao Ming’s Hall of Fame NBA career. That popularity among hundreds of millions of Chinese fans translates to lucrative sponsorship deals for the league and its star players.

Persons: James Harden, Brother Yang, Harden, ” Yang, ” Harden, Harden’s livestream, Yao Ming’s, there’s, Daryl Morey, Hong Kong’s, ” Morey, ”, Morey –, “ Daryl Morey Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — NBA, Philadelphia 76ers, Tuesday, Global Times, NBA, of Fame NBA, Houston Rockets, Hong, CCTV, Rockets, Morey, 76ers, NBA.com Locations: Hong Kong, livestreaming, China, United States, Beijing

☆ James Harden: Philadelphia 76ers star calls team’s president a ‘liar’ amid trade rumors
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden called his own team’s president Daryl Morey “a liar” in a surprising attack amid ongoing trade speculation surrounding the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/FILEWojnarowski reported on Saturday that the team broke off trade talks and expected Harden to return to training camp. “Harden has been emphatic in wanting a trade, so the Sixers are setting up an uncomfortable situation to start camp. Ultimately, Philadelphia wouldn’t make a trade that they believed would compromise their title hopes,” Wojnarowski posted on social media on Saturday. Just over a year later, he was traded to the 76ers from the Nets after rumors of his desire to leave Brooklyn had surfaced.

Persons: James Harden, Daryl Morey “, “ Daryl Morey, ” Harden, Daryl Morey, Morey, Harden, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, old’s, Tim Nwachukwu, “ Harden, ” Wojnarowski Organizations: CNN — Philadelphia 76ers, NBA.com, CNN, Sixers, 76ers, Saturday, Houston Rockets, Star, Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Nets Locations: China, Camden , New Jersey, Philadelphia, Brooklyn

☆ Saudi golf shot plays through CFIUS hazards
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

U.S. congressional lawmakers scrutinized PGA Tour officials on Tuesday this week about the group’s tie-up with a rival golf tournament owned by Saudi Arabia. Enter the Saudis, who launched an upstart golf tournament last year, LIV Golf, that competed with the U.S.-based PGA Tour and its European counterpart DTP. There are worries that Saudi Arabia, a regime viewed as hostile to women and LGBTQ groups, would have significant sway over golf’s culture. LIV Golf is owned by Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. Former AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson resigned from the PGA Tour policy board, the Washington Post reported on July 9.

Persons: State Condoleezza Rice, Darla Moore, Covid, LIV Golf, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Yasir Al, Ed Herlihy, Wachtell, Lipton, Katz, hasn’t, Randall Stephenson, Jamal Khashoggi, ”, Richard Blumenthal, –, Sherrod Brown, Maxine Waters, Janet Yellen, LIV Golf’s, Joe Biden hasn't, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Khashoggi, Uncle Sam, Refinitiv, China’s ByteDance, LIV, Stephenson, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Public Investment Fund, Augusta National Golf Club, State, U.S, PGA, LIV, Rosen, Breakingviews, Former AT, PGA Tour, Saudi, Department of Justice, Foreign Investment, U.S . Treasury, Saudi Arabian Crown, Walmart, Visa, Uber Technologies, Nation Entertainment, National Basketball League, Houston Rockets, People’s, NBA, backtrack, FIFA, Qatar, The Justice Department, Treasury, Committee, Homeland Security, Governmental Affairs, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, T, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, United States, American, U.S, South Carolina, Iran, China, Saudi, Hong Kong, People’s Republic, Beijing

☆ Victor Wembanyama scores nine points on shaky San Antonio Spurs debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

However, it’s fair to say the reality of ‘Wemby’s’ Spurs debut didn’t quite match the expectation as the 19-year-old finished with just nine points on 15.4% shooting in the Spurs’ 76-68 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Wembanyama acknowledged it was a difficult first night for him but called his debut a “special moment.”“It was really special to wear that jersey for the first time,” Wembanyama said. 3 pick in the draft, made his Portland Trail Blazers debut in an enthralling game against the Houston Rockets. Scoot Henderson impressed on his Portland Trail Blazers debut but was forced off with an injury. Injury permitting, next up for these teams is an intriguing clash between Henderson and Wembanyama as the Trail Blazers take on the Spurs on Sunday.

Persons: LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama, Wemby’s, Brandon Miller, Wembanyama, ” Wembanyama, “ It’s, I’m, Miller, Scoot Henderson, Jabari Smith Jr, Tari, Smith Jr, Ethan Miller, Henderson, Jonah Herscu Organizations: CNN, NBA, San Antonio Spurs, Spurs, Charlotte Hornets, ”, Hornets, Frenchman, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, Rockets, Getty, Blazers, ESPN, Injury Locations: Portland

☆ ESPN lays off on-air talent including NBA analyst Van Gundy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Houston Rockets Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy shouts about a call during the second half of NBA basketball action against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City April 18, 2007. REUTERS/Steve Wilson (UNITED STATES)/File PhotoJune 30 (Reuters) - ESPN laid off about 20 of its sports personalities on Friday as the Walt Disney (DIS.N) unit seeks to more closely manage costs, a source said. Among those affected by the cuts were long-time NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy, former head coach of the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets, and studio analyst Jalen Rose, a former NBA player at six teams including the Indiana Pacers. It also laid off ESPN Radio's morning show co-hosts, Max Kellerman and Keyshawn Johnson. ESPN has already undergone two rounds of layoffs that did not impact talent as part of parent company Disney's announced plans to eliminate 7,000 jobs.

Persons: Jeff Van Gundy, Steve Wilson, Jalen Rose, Max Kellerman, Keyshawn Johnson, “, ”, Disney's, pare, Dawn Chmielewski, Ken Ferris Organizations: Houston Rockets, NBA, Utah Jazz, REUTERS, UNITED STATES, ESPN, Walt Disney, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, ” ESPN, Reuters, Burbank, Thomson Locations: Salt Lake, Los Angeles

CNN —Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot-4 Frenchman who some NBA commentators think could be a generational talent, was the No. 1 pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Draft on Thursday night. “It’s a tough league,” Wembanyama told draft broadcaster ESPN through tears after he was selected. G-League player Scoot Henderson, a 6-foot-2 guard, was the third pick, going to the Portland Trail Blazers. The 6-foot-7 brothers are the first siblings to be picked in the top five (or top 10, even) of the NBA Draft in the same year.

Persons: CNN — Victor Wembanyama, Frenchman, – David Robinson, Tim Duncan, ” Wembanyama, “, Adam Silver, Wembanyama, LeBron James, we’ll, Victor, ”, Gregg Popovich, “ He’s, James, Duncan, Bryant, He’s Victor, that’s, I’ve, Wembanyama’s, Bilal Coulibaly, Washington, Jarace Walker, Brandon Miller, Miller, “ I’m, Scoot Henderson, “ They’re, Amen Thompson, Ausar, Jalen, we’ve, Ausar Thompson, FaceTime, Marcus, Markieff Morris, Robin Lopez, Kris Murray, Keegan Organizations: CNN, San Antonio Spurs, NBA, of Fame, ESPN, Levallois Metropolitans, Mets, ” Spurs, Wembanyama, Indiana, University of Houston, Pacers, Hornets, SEC, Charlotte Hornets, University of Alabama, Southeastern Conference, Portland Trail Blazers, “, NBA.com Twins, Houston Rockets, Rockets, Detroit Pistons, University of Iowa, Sacramento Kings Locations: Kobe, San Antonio, Washington, Alabama, Atlanta

☆ 2023 NBA draft: How to watch the next wave of basketball talent find their new teams
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —It marks the dawn of a new generation of basketball talent; the NBA draft is here and its more exciting than ever. How to watchThe 2023 NBA draft takes place on Thursday, June 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. To see who is selected by which team, fans can watch the draft on ABC, ESPN or via the NBA league pass. Two-time NBA MVP Jokić is what all general managers are stiving for, a late round pick who blossoms into a superstar player. First round draft orderHere is who will pick where in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft:1.

Persons: Victor Wembanyama, Wembanayama, he’s, “, ”, ” Wembanyama, Wembanyama, Gregg Popovich, Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson, Henderson, Miller –, Miller, Damian Lillard, Lillard, Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Amen Thompson, Dale Zanine, Cam Whitmore, Jarace Walker, Taylor Hendricks, Nikola Jokić, Jokić Organizations: CNN, NBA, Barclays Center, ABC, ESPN, San Antonio Spurs, Spurs, Morning, of Fame, Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat, AP, City, G League, City Reapers, USA, Sports, Reuters, Villanova, UCF, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, . Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers, LA Clippers Locations: Brooklyn , New York, Europe, “ San Antonio, “, Morning America, San Antonio, Alabama, LaMelo, Portland, Houston, Serbian

☆ Victor Wembanyama: How ‘Wembymania’ gripped France due to the most exciting draft prospect since LeBron James
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

There have been few players whose journey to the pinnacle of basketball have been as highly followed; in figures released by the NBA, Wembanyama is No. And I keep having to explain to them that having a sold-out, 15,000-people crowd for a regular French professional basketball game is not normal at all,” she said. His father was a high jumper, his mother was a former basketball player who is now a coach and his two siblings – older sister Eve and younger brother Oscar – are basketball players. And the French basketball system where he has been nurtured has helped develop his unique talent, says Krasnoff. “And it certainly has driven US interest in French basketball, at least as far as Wembanyama is concerned.

☆ San Antonio Spurs Get the No. 1 Pick in the N.B.A. Draft Lottery
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

He plays for Metropolitans 92, a professional French league team, where he is averaging 21.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. G League hosted his team for a two-game exhibition near Las Vegas in October, and the N.B.A. The draft order is decided by a lottery that grants teams with worse regular-season records better odds for the No. This system has led to teams being accused of tanking — not prioritizing winning to position themselves for high draft picks. The three teams with the best chance — 14 percent — to get the top pick this year were the Detroit Pistons, the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs.

☆ Ex-NBA player raised in Turkey slams Twitter censorship: 'I don't want to hear about Elon Musk talking about free speech ever again. He's literally bowing down to a dictatorship'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom doesn't want to hear Elon Musk talk about free speech. The Turkish-American said Musk is "bowing down to a dictatorship" by blocking tweets in Turkey. "I don't want to hear about Elon Musk talking about free speech ever again," Freedom said on CNN This Morning. "Turkish government called Elon to pretty much tell him, 'If you don't ban a couple accounts, then we are going to shut down the whole app in Turkey,'" Freedom added. "The whole country is saying enough is enough because we want to go back to democracy and freedom again," Freedom said on CNN.

☆ The Broken Fingers and Busted Eyes of the Boston Celtics’…Coaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Boston’s 126-102 win over the Houston Rockets, on Dec. 27, was a laugher, with the Celtics’ All-Star duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum racking up 39 and 38 points, respectively. The more intense competition had come hours earlier, on the same parquet floor at TD Garden. There, the Celtics’ coaching staff conducted a vicious, valorizing ritual. They played pickup basketball—or, rather, something like it.

☆ Embiid hopes 'improbable' path to MVP will inspire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 3 (Reuters) - National Basketball Association (NBA) MVP Joel Embiid hopes to be a role model of perseverance after overcoming extraordinary odds, the Philadelphia 76ers center said on Wednesday. "I felt like it was kind of my fault because I left Cameroon, I left, you know, my family. I felt like I should have been there to do something," said Embiid, who missed the first two seasons of his career with a broken foot. Embiid, who came second in MVP voting to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the last two seasons, produced an undeniable MVP campaign this time around, averaging a career-high 33.1 points per game, with 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Philadelphia 76ers Embiid wins first MVP award
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award for the first time, the league announced on Tuesday. Embiid was chosen over Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, to whom he lost the award in the past two seasons, and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won back-to-back awards in 2019 and 2020. The Cameroonian big man received 73 first-place votes from a panel of 100 broadcasters and journalists, marking the fifth consecutive win for an international player. The 29-year-old is only the second African player to become MVP after Nigerian-American Hakeem Olajuwon from the Houston Rockets in the 1993-94 season. The MVP trophy was renamed this season after Michael Jordan, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

☆ 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.

☆ Rockets Introduce Coach Ime Udoka, but Say Little About His Misconduct
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta asked fans to be forgiving on Wednesday as he introduced the team’s new head coach, Ime Udoka, who had been suspended and then fired by the Boston Celtics within the past year for violating unspecified team policies. Fertitta said any critic unwilling to give Udoka a second chance was “not a good Christian person.”The Celtics suspended Udoka for the 2022-23 N.B.A. At the introductory news conference in Houston, Udoka made his first public comments since leaving the Celtics, who have declined to specify which policies he violated. Udoka was flanked by Fertitta and Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone, who also declined to provide details on what they know, including whether they had seen the report from the Celtics’ investigation. “But just the same way, I wouldn’t talk about exactly what we did with anybody else, I’m not going to talk about it with Ime.

☆ Washington Commanders near a deal to sell to 76ers owner for almost $6 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Washington Commanders are nearing a sale to an ownership group led by Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils Owner Josh Harris at just under $6 billion, a person familiar with the deal told CNBC. Harris' ownership group includes Washington D.C.-based billionaire Mitchell Rales and NBA legend Magic Johnson. Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos was exploring the sale process, but decided not to make an offer, according to ESPN. For Commanders fans and former employees, progress in the sale process is welcome news. Commanders owner Dan Snyder announced in November of 2022, that he was putting the Commanders up for sale.

☆ NBA roundup: Warriors hang 157 on Blazers, glide into playoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Shaedon Sharpe added 18 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds, while Jeenathan Williams had 17 points for Portland. New Orleans' Brandon Ingram had 42 points and 12 rebounds, CJ McCollum scored 23 points and Trey Murphy III had 20. Lindell Wigginton scored 17 points and Bobby Portis had 16 for the Bucks. Jaden Hardy led all scorers with 25 points, with Theo Pinson forging a triple-double (23 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) for the Mavericks. De'Aaron Fox, who scored 13 points, played less than 18 minutes.

☆ Ex-Morgan Stanley advisor charged with defrauding NBA players out of $13 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Former Morgan Stanley advisor Darryl Cohen was arrested on Thursday morning for allegedly defrauding current and former NBA players including Jrue Holiday, Chandler Parsons and Courtney Lee. Three others, including former NBA players agent Charles Briscoe, were also charged. Cohen was an advisor for Morgan Stanley from 2015 to 2021, according to his Financial Industry Regulatory Authority profile. The DOJ said in its indictment document that the alleged fraud schemes took place from roughly 2017 to 2020. "We fully cooperated with the investigation and have resolved clients' claims related to Mr. Cohen," Morgan Stanley said in a statement.

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