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☆ 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.

☆ Nikola Jokić makes history with triple-double to lead Denver Nuggets to big Game 5 win leaving Phoenix Suns on the ropes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Nikola Jokić made history with a triple-double on Tuesday night to lead the Denver Nuggets to a comfortable 118-102 Game 5 win in their Western Conference playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. The Nuggets were spearheaded as usual by Jokić, who created yet more history with his excellent all-around performance. Brown provided a key thrust for Denver throughout, scoring 25 points off the bench, something Jokić was keen to praise. Devin Booker led the way for the Suns with 28 points while Durant added 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. The home team has now won every game in the series so far, with Game 6 taking place in Phoenix on Thursday.

☆ Joel Embiid's 'improbable' journey from newcomer to NBA MVP
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“He’s the biggest film nerd there is in the NBA,” Hanlen laughs. The ultimate scorerDespite his ‘Joel Troel’ alter-ego, Embiid’s approach to the game shows he is everything but a joker who fools around. Speaking after being named MVP, Embiid said: “I’d say the biggest key of it is, obviously, I’m all about family. Arthur is named after Embiid’s late brother who passed away shortly after the 2014 NBA Draft. But improbable doesn’t mean impossible.”Hanlen then summed up Embiid’s overall approach by saying: “I would just say he’s obsessed with greatness.

☆ An MVP Shoves. An NBA Team Owner Falls. The Basketball World Decides: ‘Flop or Foul?’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In the NBA playoffs, players will do anything for an edge. But what about team owners? That question came up almost halfway through Sunday night’s game between the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns. After Phoenix’s Josh Okogie sailed into the courtside seating to chase a loose ball, Denver star Nikola Jokic rushed to collect it, hoping to inbound the ball before Okogie had recovered. When Jokic tried to pry it from a spectator’s hands in Phoenix’s Footprint Center, a comedy of retaliatory gamesmanship ensued.

☆ Jokic fined $25,000, will not be suspended for Ishbia incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 8 (Reuters) - Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will not face a suspension after making contact with Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia during Game 4 of their conference semi-finals playoff series on Sunday. The NBA handed Jokic a $25,000 fine after he made contact with Ishbia in an attempt to take the game ball away from him and again when the game ball went further into the crowd at Phoenix's Footprint Center. The Suns won Game 4 129-124 to level the series. Ishbia previously said on Twitter that Jokic, a two-time MVP, should not receive a suspension. I have a lot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that," he said.

☆ Harden says 76ers taking confidence on the road after leveling series
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY SportsMay 7 (Reuters) - The Philadelphia 76ers hit the road to Boston with "huge confidence" this week after winning Game 4 116-115 against the Celtics on Sunday to level their conference semi-final series courtesy of another clutch three-pointer from James Harden. The game was a much-needed injection of confidence, Harden said in a televised interview after the game, after a pair of demoralizing losses with Embiid battling through a sprained right knee. "Huge confidence, huge confidence. "He just gave me good luck - he brought me good vibes, good energy," said Harden, adding he would invite Hao "every game - here on out." The Sixers face the Celtics in Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday.

☆ Horse racing-Kentucky Derby goes on after four horse deaths at facility
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] May 3, 2023; Louisville, KY, USA; A horse walks on Churchill Downs' backside Wednesday morning May 3, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stone-USA TODAY SportsMay 4 (Reuters) - A series of horse deaths at Churchill Downs cast a shadow over the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby, which kicks off the prestigious Triple Crown thoroughbred racing series on Saturday. Churchill Downs on Thursday handed an indefinite suspension to Saffie Joseph, Jr., who trained two of the horses that died, Parents Pride and Chasing Artie. The suspension forced another derby entrant, Joseph-trained Lord Miles, to scratch from Saturday's race. "And then Tapit Trice isn't super quick but hopefully he can get into the first turn, save some ground, get in a good position.

☆ 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.

☆ Nikola Jokic Gets More Kicks—Literally—Than Anyone in Basketball History
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nikola Jokic has always been a spectacle on offense. Despite his non-chiseled build and lack of top-percentile athleticism—six-feet-11 and 284 pounds, without much foot speed or vertical leap to speak of—the Denver Nuggets’ center plays basketball like a ballet dancer. In the opener of their conference semifinal against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, Jokic flung his usual inch-perfect passes and twirled through the lane, leading Denver to their first win in what became, Monday night, a 2-0 series lead. On defense, though, Jokic tends to be as lumbering as he is graceful at the other end. Most opposing dribblers can edge past the twice-reigning MVP, and almost everyone in the NBA can outjump him.

☆ 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.

The Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison partner is well-known for representing blue chip clients like Amazon in cases with millions or even billions of dollars on the line. "Widely considered one of the most preeminent litigators of his generation," is how his Paul Weiss bio puts it. Average profits per partner at Paul Weiss last year were $5.73 million, according to The American Lawyer. The case made national headlines, and the ex-judge, Roy Pearson Jr, was subsequently sanctioned by the D.C. Court of Appeals. In a statement filed with the court, Isaacson and McCrocklin's lawyer said the two sides' positions "are both extremely well-known to each other and seemingly very entrenched."

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☆ Dubai crypto regulator awards first broker-dealer MVP operational license
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, May 1 (Reuters) - BitOasis, a Middle East-focused crypto exchange based in the United Arab Emirates, has received the first broker-dealer minimum viable product operational license from Dubai's crypto regulator, the company said on Monday. BitOasis, which received provisional approval to start the licensing process in March 2022, is the first broker-dealer to complete the minimum viable product (MVP) stage. No firm has yet been licensed under the full market product (FMP) stage, according to VARA's website. BitOasis can now provide broker-dealer services to qualified retail and institutional investors from its headquarters in Dubai under the VARA's regulatory regime, the company said in a statement. Writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Steph Curry hailed after record 50-point Game 7 playoff win
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Curry scored a playoff career-high 50 points in Golden State’s 120-100 Game 7 victory against the Sacramento Kings, securing a 4-3 best-of-seven NBA playoff series win for the Warriors. He set the record for the most points in a Game 7 in NBA history, surpassing the 48 points scored by his former teammate Kevin Durant for the Brooklyn Nets against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. Curry also became the first player in Warriors history with 40-plus points in a Game 7, according to ESPN. Curry shoots a three-point basket during the game against the Kings. Curry had scored 20 points, but his second-half burst helped propel Golden State to victory.

☆ The Milwaukee Bucks Squander a Dominant Season With a First-Round Playoff Collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Giannis Antetokounmpo stands in the center of the court after a 128-126 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 5 of a first-round series. Photo: Michael McLoone/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConOver the six-month span of the regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks built the best record in the NBA with a formula featuring a two-time MVP pacing their attack and an airtight defense complementing it. But in the first round of the NBA playoffs, nothing was straightforward. During the fourth quarter of the must-win Game 5 of their opening-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, the Bucks failed time and again to press the advantages that had powered them to a league-leading 58 victories—or even that had let them enter Wednesday’s final period holding a 16-point lead on their home floor.

☆ NBA, NBPA ratify new collective bargaining agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 27 - The NBA Board of Governors and NBA players ratified the new Collective Bargaining Agreement on Wednesday, a seven-year deal that will start on July 1 and run through the 2029-30 season. It features a number of major changes, including an in-season tournament where players on the winning team would each earn $500,000. Despite the plethora of changes, the CBA still requires players to be at least 19 years old to enter the league. But the sides never reached an agreement on that, keeping the "one-and-done" rule in place. Had the sides not reached an agreement on the CBA earlier this month, either party could have decided to opt out of the current agreement, which would have caused the first major NBA work stoppage since the 2011-12 season.

☆ Jets comfortable with Rodgers deal terms, says GM
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 25 (Reuters) - The New York Jets are excited to welcome four-time National Football League (NFL) most valuable player Aaron Rodgers after agreeing a deal with the Green Bay Packers that includes a swap of key draft picks, General Manager Joe Douglas said on Tuesday. Under the agreement for 39-year-old Rodgers, Green Bay will trade their 2023 first-round draft pick (15th overall) and their fifth-round pick for the Jets' first-round pick (13th overall), second-round and sixth-round picks, according to ESPN. "Obviously, we're comfortable with how this deal shaped," Douglas told a news conference. "I don't think anyone ever walks away from a negotiation where you feel like you won everything in terms of what's gone back and forth. The deal will also see Rodgers reunite with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, with whom he was paired in Green Bay when he won back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021.

☆ Anthony Richardson: NFL Draft prospect who says he is 'not from Earth'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Heading into the NFL Draft, there’s always one prospect coming out of college who everyone becomes infatuated with, despite not being the finished article. This year’s golden boy is Anthony Richardson and, in his unique case, he’s impressed at every stage of the process. Richardson ran the fastest 40-yard dash time of all quarterbacks, as well as jumping the highest and furthest at the Combine. With potentially nine picks in the opening 12 being held by quarterback-needy teams, Richardson could be finding a new home anywhere across the league. David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire/Getty ImagesIt means that Richardson has just 13 career college starts to his name entering the draft.

☆ Aaron Rodgers: New York Jets general manager calls deal 'historic' for the franchise
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Wayne Sterling | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas called the deal to acquire four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers “historic” for the franchise. Douglas spoke Tuesday on how the trade – which has not yet been finalized as the two teams work out the details – came together. “Obviously, a long time in the making,” Douglas told reporters at a previously scheduled pre-draft press conference. Rodgers is joining the New York Jets after 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. The NFL Draft begins Thursday night in Kansas City, Missouri.

☆ NBA roundup: Anthony Davis, Lakers sprint past Grizzlies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Apr 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Dennis Schroder (17) shoots the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward David Roddy (27) in the fourth quarter during game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. LeBron James added 25 points and nine rebounds as the Lakers took a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference matchup. D'Angelo Russell had 17 points and Rui Hachimura scored 16 for Los Angeles, which led by as many as 29 points in the wire-to-wire victory. Desmond Bane (18 points) ended the Morant run with a 3-pointer that cut the Los Angeles lead to 108-99 with 1:24 remaining. James Harden collected 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

☆ LeBron James leads the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-101 win and 2-1 series lead against the Memphis Grizzlies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Patrick Sung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and center Anthony Davis had strong performances to help lead LA to a big 111-101 win over the Grizzlies in front of a sold-out crowd at Staples Center on Saturday to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven first round NBA Playoff series. Brooks was ejected from Game 3 for a flagrant 2 foul on LeBron James. Anthony Davis had a massive night, racking up 31 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks. Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesAfter the game, James said that the game wasn’t about making a “statement” to Brooks and the rest of the Grizzlies. Sixers forward Tobias Harris led the way for Philly with 25 points and 12 rebounds in what is Brooklyn’s second straight first-round sweep.

☆ Williams, Mewis hoping to play their way into US World Cup squad
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Apr 19, 2023; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; -New Jersey/New York Gotham FC forward Lynn Williams (10) celebrates her goal against the Washington Spirit during the second half at Red Bull Arena. "But he’s watching all the time - World Cup or not. "Being the best Lynn Williams I can possibly be will hopefully help me get on that team." The defending World Cup champions wrapped up their April camp with wins over Ireland in a pair of friendlies, with Mewis getting minutes off the bench while Williams did not feature. "What’s most important for me is to just try to be consistent and try to play the way I know how to play.

☆ LeBron James told he is ‘old’ in spat with Dillion Brooks as Grizzlies even playoff series with Lakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“I don’t care, he’s old,” Brooks, who finished the game with 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting during his 23 minutes on the court, told reporters. I know my guys know that.”Four-time NBA MVP James finished Wednesday’s game with 28 points and 10 rebounds. According to ESPN, the only player to score 40 against the Grizzlies in a game Brooks played this season was the Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard. He’s LeBron James. He’s shining.’“I can’t be looking at [him] that he’s LeBron James.

☆ Oh Canada, is this the year the Stanley Cup comes home?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Not since the Montreal Canadiens beat the Los Angeles Kings in 1993 has the Stanley Cup been paraded through a Canadian city, an ego-deflating run of failure that has scarred a generation of fans. After winning the Stanley Cup in 1967, Maple Leafs defenceman Larry Hillman allegedly jinxed the team, saying they would not win it again until the club settled a contract dispute and paid him the $2,400 plus interest he believed he was owed. The Maple Leafs' big misfortune is playing in the same division as the Boston Bruins, who this season set NHL records for wins (65) and points (135), and the Tampa Bay Lightning, Stanley Cup finalists for the last three years. These two teams are once again hurdles that must be cleared on the way to a Stanley Cup. When the playoffs open on Monday, the Oilers will be the first of the Canadian teams to hit the ice, hosting the Los Angeles Kings in Game One of their best-of-seven series.

☆ 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.

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