Tony Brown, who officiated more than 1,100 NBA games over almost two decades, has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer, his family announced Thursday. He was 55. Brown was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in April 2021 and recovered to the point where he was able to return to work in the NBA replay center last season. He …

Getty Images As the sport of pickleball grows in popularity across the United States, more and more professional athletes are investing in the game. Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant has now joined the likes of LeBron James and Tom Brady by investing in a Major League Pickleball expansion team, according to Forbes. Durant, a two-time NBA champion, invested in the …

Jay Wright is joining CBS. The longtime Villanova coach and Hall of Famer will join CBS and Turner Sports this season as a broadcaster, according to The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand. Wright will both call games and work in-studio for CBS throughout the college basketball season, and then work in studio for the networks during the Final Four. Wright, …

NEW YORK — You’d expect a team featuring Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons — three players who’ve made All-NBA teams over the past two seasons — to demand strong, stirring adjectives to describe their play, their swagger, the way they lord over the court. Words like commanding. Dominant. Confident. Here, instead, are some of the words those three …

Michigan basketball finally has its first commit for the 2023 recruiting class. Four-star recruit Papa Kante, a 6-foot-10 center rated as the nation’s No. 108 prospect according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings, announced Tuesday he was signing with the Wolverines on the 247 Sports YouTube channel. Kante, who attends South Kent High School in Connecticut, chose Michigan over his other …

Not that Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant needed a reminder, but the trappings of superstardom include the responsibility of a heavy workload. Morant recorded game highs of 34 points and nine assists to lift Memphis to a 115-112 overtime win over the New York Knicks in Wednesday’s opener, doing so over 38 high-intensity minutes. He was one of four players …

Over the summer Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin sold his 10% stake in the Philadelphia 76ers and HBSE in order to enter the sports betting world with Fanatics. It made sense considering what Rubin and Fanatics were planning to do at the time. Now, Rubin’s stake has officially been purchased as David Adelman, the Campus Apartments CEO, has bought a significant …

For Detroit Pistons coach Dwane Casey, a comeback from a double-digit deficit Wednesday provided some much-needed optimism in the midst of an extended rebuild. For the New York Knicks, their attempt to overcome a double-digit deficit offered another hard-earned lesson about the narrow margins between happiness and disappointment under coach Tom Thibodeau. The Pistons will look to build off their …

Book credits Warriors’ culture for D-Lee’s game-winner vs. Mavs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea Playing in his first game since celebrating the Warriors’ championship four months ago, Damion Lee knocked down a clutch game-winning jump shot in the Phoenix Suns’ win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. Following the Suns’ win, superstar Devin Booker gave credit to Golden …

EAST LANSING — Watching from the sidelines is something new for Jaden Akins. So is dealing with an injury. “Boring,” is how he described his ongoing rehab after surgery Sept. 10 for a stress reaction in his left foot. Michigan State basketball’s sophomore guard no longer is wearing a walking boot but remains out of practice, though he said he …

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat fell just short of reaching the NBA Finals last season. Literally. With 16.6 seconds left and the Heat down two to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, Butler pulled up for a 3-pointer and watched along with the rest of the country as it clanged off the front rim. …

While the Brooklyn Nets organization has had its share of ups and downs with superstar Kevin Durant, former teammate Klay Thompson praised Durant and credited him for being a big reason why he’s carrying four rings. NBA champion Klay Thompson reflected on Golden State’s success and wanted to give credit to not only Durant but former coach Mark Jackson, who …

Baylor coach Scott Drew is all for the NCAA tournament expanding to 128 teams. (William Purnell/USA Today) Scott Drew wants the NCAA tournament to be bigger. Baylor’s head coach, speaking Wednesday at Big 12 media days in Kansas City, is all for expansion of the tournament — an idea that has recently grown significantly in popularity. So instead of just …

The Golden State Warriors have been the NBA’s model of stability for the past decade. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have been together since 2012. Steve Kerr joined them as coach in 2015. They’ve won four championships since, and while there have been minor incidents in the locker room and on the court in that time, Golden State …

Sixers replace Frosty Freeze Out with ‘Bricken for Chicken’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia CAMDEN, N.J. — The Frosty Freeze Out is history. As part of their promotional schedule announcement Thursday before their home opener against the Bucks, the Sixers included “Bricken for Chicken, presented by Chick-fil-A.” That will take the place of the Wendy’s Frosty Freeze Out, a …

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With two consecutive Elite Eight appearances in tow, Arkansas’ hopes for the Final Four aren’t just a pipe dream. Coach Eric Musselman, heading into his fourth season in charge of the Razorbacks, has two returning players from last year’s rotation, only one of which is a starter in guard Devo Davis. But he pulled in the No. …

Most expensive Christmas Day tickets for 2022-23 NBA season originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia Another NBA Christmas is coming up in December with an iconic series of games hitting the schedule. Over the years, the basketball world has witnessed some remarkable Christmas Day action. One that will always stand out is the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat showdown …

Getty Images The Indiana Pacers tipped off their season against the Washington Wizards, but did so without Myles Turner, who was a late scratch after suffering a left ankle sprain moments before the game. Turner landed on the foot of a ball boy in pregame warmups, according to Jake Fischer, and as a result, tweaked his ankle. The untimely accident was …

Friday, Nov. 11 Veterans Classic at the U.S. Naval Academy Houston vs. Saint Joseph’s 6:00 PM Princeton vs. Navy 8:30 PM Monday, Nov. 14 South Carolina State at Duquesne 7:00 PM Monday, Nov. 14 Holy Cross at Creighton 9:00 PM Tuesday, Nov. …

It sounds like Kevin Durant is a big fan of Chet Holmgren. From arguably the greatest slender 6-foot-10-plus basketball player, Holmgren has a big fan of his with Durant — who spent some time in the gym with him this past summer before suffering a season-ending foot injury. On his latest episode of The ETCs show, the Brooklyn Nets star …

Getty Images The last time Kawhi Leonard came off the bench, he was 21 years old. He was in his second season in the NBA, and it was his first game back in the lineup after missing about a month with quadriceps tendinitis. Before his return, he spent some time rehabbing with the San Antonio SpursSpurs G League affiliate, then …

Florida basketball’s Colin Castleton has been named to the preseason All-SEC first team on Wednesday. He is the only Florida player to be named to either preseason All-SEC team. Castleton joins Alabama‘s Jaden Shackelford and Jahvon Quinerly, Arkansas‘ JD Notae, Auburn‘s Allen Flanigan, Kentucky’s Sahvir Wheeler, LSU‘s Darius Days, Mississippi State’s Iverson Molinar, Tennessee’s John Fulkerson, and Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen …

Getty Images The overwhelming majority of NBA prognosticators believed that the Los Angeles Lakers needed to make a major trade before the season if they planned to seriously contend for a championship. If there were any doubters, they were converted on opening night, when the Lakers were blown out of the gym by the defending champion Golden State Warriors, 123-109. …

I’ve long believed All-America teams should consist of five players who could theoretically play together — meaning you need at least one lead guard and no more than two bigs. (Fill in the rest however you like.) But name, image and likeness rights becoming a reality for student-athletes at the same time NBA franchises no longer value traditional bigs has …

ATLANTA — The Houston Rockets (0-1) dropped their 2022-23 NBA regular-season opener to the Atlanta Hawks (1-0) by a score of 117-107. They looked much more proficient than in their opening game in Minnesota a year ago and were competitive to the end.  Houston looked uncertain at times in trying to fit the right combinations on the floor, which led …