New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is pushing back on criticism that he has faced throughout his career, but says it “comes with the territory.”

Williamson was the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft but has struggled to be on the court, dealing with injuries and allegations. Williamson, in his lone season at Duke, had one of the greatest freshman seasons of all time, being named the Naismith Player of the Year in 2019.

Williamson, 25, is a two-time All-Star, but it would be fair to say that his career has been a disappointment so far, as he has only played more than 60 games twice in his career.

The Pelicans’ star sat down with ESPN’s Malika Andrews and answered the critics, saying, “There are pros and cons to being in a certain position. Critics come with the territory.”

“The part that would get at me the most is, people saying I didn’t care and I care a lot. I really care and when you’re not on the court and you just have to sit on the sideline, how much my critics hate it, I hate it more than them. Because I don’t want to be on the sideline, I want to be out there on the court. That was a part of the process of looking in the mirror. Am I doing enough? Am I really doing what I need to do?”

“Going through all those injuries and missing lots of time because of it, it did a lot on my mental, but it also helped me grow as a pro,” Williamson added.

Williamson spoke on how difficult it was to miss his entire third season in the NBA.

“There was a lot of criticism on my weight, my care for the game,” Williamson said. “But the whole time I’m looking at a doctor and the doctor is telling me that, ‘yeah we’re going to perform this surgery, but if this surgery doesn’t work we really don’t know the next step.’ And people are saying what they’re saying and everybody is entitled to their own opinion. It is what it is. I’m in Portland rehabbing, not knowing if my foot’s going to heal.”

Williamson is on track to have his most healthy season since 2024, when he played 70 games. The question has never been about talent, as Williamson is averaging 24.1 points-per-game in 45 games.

Ahead of Trae Young making his debut for his new team, the Washington Wizards, he was ejected for going onto the court during an altercation on Monday evening against the Houston Rockets.

Young will make his Wizards debut on Thursday, but he decided to make an impact before he returns to action. The sequence happened in the third quarter when Rockets forward Tari Eason shoved Wizards guard Jamir Watkins to the ground, and no foul was called.

The two would continue to go at it, with a foul eventually being called, requiring the two teams to be separated. Four players would get called for technical fouls: Eason, Watkins, Young and Shariffe Cooper.

Young walked onto the court to argue with the official, and, under NBA rules prohibiting players on the bench from entering the court of play, he would be ejected. Young could potentially face a suspension because we have seen players face harsh penalties for going on the court.

Following his ejection, Young took to his X account to say, “Don’t expect me to get ejected too many more times, D.C…. but I’m definitely bringing that energy & competitiveness when I’m back for my brothers!”

The Wizards have been patiently waiting for Young to make his debut after trading for him back in January, sending Corey Kispert and C.J. McCollum to the Atlanta Hawks.

Kon Knueppel was playing high school basketball just two years ago, and now he has etched his name in history by setting the record for most three-pointers made by a rookie in a single season.

The first-round pick out of Duke made history on Thursday during the third-quarter when he nailed a three from the left wing, passing Kings’ forward Keegan Murray for the lead. Knueppel would finish the game with 28 points and was 8/12 from beyond-the-arc.

Knueppel already made history by being the fastest ever to 200 three-pointers made, and he also leads the entire NBA in three-pointers made this season.

The Charlotte Hornets made a home run pick selecting Knueppel with the fourth overall pick. The guard is battling for rookie of the year with his college teammate, Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks.

Knueppel is averaging 19.3 points-per-game, while shooting a remarkable 44.2% from three. The rookie has a chance to join the exclusive 50/40/90 club as he is currently sitting at 49.1/44.2/89.3. No rookie has ever accomplished this feat.

The Hornets and Knueppel have a chance to make some noise as they are competing to make the play-in and for a chance to make the postseason in the East.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced on Thursday that the league intends to add an anti-tanking policy starting next season.

The talks of adding an anti-tanking policy intensified during its December meeting with the NBA owners. They started proposing concepts of what the policy may look like.

The concepts that have been discussed include:

• First-round draft picks can be protected only for top-four or top-14-plus selections
• Lottery odds freeze at the trade deadline or a later date
• No longer allowing a team to pick in the top four in consecutive years and/or after consecutive bottom-three finishes
• Teams can’t pick in the top four the year after making the conference finals
• Lottery odds allocated based on two-year records
• Lottery extended to include all play-in teams
• Flatten odds for all lottery teams

During Thursday’s GM meetings, Silver and the league expressed interest in maintaining the integrity of the league to help combat the ongoing tanking problem.

The senior advisor to basketball operations, Mike Krzyzewski, the former Duke Blue Devils legendary head coach, gave a message saying that there should be a “tasteful” attack on the problem, and everyone involved should be ready to respond to whatever the league implements.

This comes in the wake of the NBA fining the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for players who were deemed healthy sitting out.

On Thursday, the NBA came down hard on the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for prioritizing draft position over winning, according to the league.

The Jazz were handed a $500,000 fine for how the team handled their star players, Lauri Markkanen and newly acquired Jaren Jackson Jr., when the Jazz decided not to play both of them in the fourth quarter of two contests on Feb. 7 versus the Orlando Magic and on Feb. 9 versus the Miami Heat. Against the Magic, the Jazz entered the fourth quarter with a 7-point lead and lost 120-117. Against the Heat, they led by three heading into the fourth quarter and went on to win 115-111. This led to one of the NBA’s biggest fines ever.

The Pacers were fined $100,000 for violating the Player Participation Policy in a game against the Jazz on Feb. 3. The NBA investigated the situation and discovered that Pascal Siakam and two other Pacers starters were ruled out despite being medically able to play. The Pacers went on to lose the game 131-122.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke on the situation, saying, “Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition, and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games.”

Tanking has been an issue across the league for quite some time, and the NBA continues to try to combat teams that intentionally lose games to improve their draft position.

There has been an increase in tanking this season because of how talented this upcoming draft class is with stars such as Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson.

The Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets got into a huge brawl Monday night that included four player ejections.

The altercation happened in the third quarter after Hornets’ forward Moussa Diabate had a hard foul on Pistons’ center Jalen Duren as he was going up for a shot. This led to the two meeting face-to-face and exchanging words before Duren shoved Diabate, triggering chaos. Diabate charged at Duren before swinging a punch as he was held back by assistant coaches. This prompted Hornets’ Miles Bridges to get involved and throw a punch at Duren. Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart, who was on the bench, sprinted onto the court to get into it with Miles Bridges, exchanging blows.

After a lengthy review, the referees ejected Duren, Stewart, Bridges and Diabate. There will almost certainly be suspensions as the league begins to look into the altercation. Stewart will most likely face a heavy punishment, as coming off the bench to get into a scuffle usually leads to a multiple-game suspension and hefty fines.

Hornets coach Charles Lee was also ejected later in the contest for rushing at an official.

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff spoke to the media after the game about the altercation, saying, “I hate that it got as ugly as it got. That’s not something that you ever want to see. But if a guy throws a punch at you, you have a responsibility to protect yourself, and that’s what happened tonight. If you go back and watch the film, they’re the ones that initiated crossing the line, and our guy had to defend himself,” Bickerstaff said, placing the blame on the Hornets.

The Pistons led 70-62 at the time of the ejections and went on to win 110-104, ending the Hornets’ nine-game win streak.

The Golden State Warriors have not had the year they had hoped for, with star forward Jimmy Butler tearing his ACL and struggling to find consistency. But it seems as if the Warriors are going for a major splash in the offseason or perhaps two.

According to reports, the Warriors will pursue 21-time All-Star LeBron James after his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers expires at the end of the season. James has been rumored to the Warriors many times, but nothing has actually come to fruition, as James and the Lakers aren’t on the best of terms. This opens up the possibility of James going elsewhere.

The Warriors are determined to maximize their title chances while they still have Superstar Stephen Curry, and that includes monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo and his status with the Milwaukee Bucks. A trade for Antetokounmpo is unlikely this season, but the off-season gives the Warriors the flexibility to offload contracts like Butler and Draymond Green if they are truly interested in bringing in James and Antetokounmpo.

With the trade deadline on February 5, the Warriors may just hold onto all their assets in the hope that Antetokounmpo becomes available after the season.

If the Warriors were to pull off these crazy moves, a trio of Curry, James and Antetokounmpo would almost certainly go down as the most talented big three of all-time. Between the three, they have eight MVP awards and nine NBA Championships.

James and Curry played together during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. Together, they put on a show as they led Team USA to a Gold Medal in a thrilling game against the hometown French Men’s National Team. James has talked many times about how much he would love to play with Curry. The two were the biggest of rivals in the 2010s, but as both have gotten older, they seem to have built a strong relationship and respect for each other.

A lot of factors will have to go right if the Warriors want to pull off these moves, including James deciding to play another year.

On Saturday, the NBA announced that it would be postponing the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors following another federal officer fatally shooting someone. Inside the NBA member and former NBA MVP Charles Barkley spoke up about these horrific acts in Minneapolis.

Barkley said, “people need to step up and be adults,” referring to Federal ICE Agents being deployed to Minnesota and fatally shooting two people. Barkley added, “Two people have died for no reason,” and that it is “sad” and “scary.”

Barkley is referring to Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two victims of the ICE shootings. Things are “going to end badly, it’s already ended badly twice,” Barkley said on Inside the NBA.

This comes in the wake of NBA players speaking out about what is currently happening in Minneapolis and across the country. Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton went to X to voice his frustrations, stating, “Alex Pretti was murdered.”

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama also spoke to the media. “Every day I wake up and see the news, I’m horrified,” Wembanyama said.

The NBA wanted to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community, as the Timberwolves versus Warriors game was rescheduled to January 25.

After a 112-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, LeBron James spoke to the media about recent comments made by Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.

A story came about how Buss felt about James, calling him “ungrateful” and expressing her frustration with him. James was asked about this Thursday night, and he brushed it off, saying “[I] don’t care how somebody feels about me.”

James, 41, is without a doubt one of the most accomplished players of all time, and that includes bringing a championship to the Lakers in 2020. James spoke about why he came to the Lakers, and a major goal of his was “restoring excellence” to the organization. The Lakers are 330-266 with a championship since James signed with the historic franchise. James was a big part of the Anthony Davis trade, as he lobbied for the star big man, and the duo would go on to dominate the league in their first season together.

Before James joined the Lakers, they struggled mightily, missing the playoffs for 6 straight seasons and consistently at the bottom of the Western Conference.

Buss didn’t agree with labeling James the “savior of the franchise.” There was friction ever since the Lakers traded for point guard Russell Westbrook.

James was asked what he thought of their relationship. “I thought it was good, but, you know, somebody could see it another way,” James said. The 21-time NBA All-Star has spent eight years with the Lakers, his longest stint with any team.

With James being a free agent after this season, could his time with the Lakers be coming to an end, whether through retirement or a move to a different organization?

The New York Knicks were crowned NBA In-Season Cup Champions on December 16, and ever since then, they have dropped 10 of their last 17 games and are just 2-8 dating back to December 30.

The latest loss came on Monday evening at home against the Dallas Mavericks, a blowout right out of the gate. The Mavericks went on to destroy the Knicks 114-97, giving the Knicks faithful little to cheer about.

Knicks coach Mike Brown had very little to discuss with his teammate at halftime, saying, “There was nothing to be said at halftime except for lock in and do your … do your job,” showing some frustration within the lockerroom.

Brown is in his first year with the Knicks, and during this significant slump, it seems he may have lost his players’ respect. During a timeout, it looked as if Knicks captain Jalen Brunson was having a players-only meeting in the middle of the game, with Brown and his coaches not seen in the huddle during the timeout.

Brunson was named an All-Star starter in the Eastern Conference earlier Monday, but that is not on his mind as the Knicks try to navigate this prolonged slump. Brunson said, “There’s been a lot of things to pinpoint, but I mean as a team we know what we have to do… It’s either we do it, we care enough to do it, or we don’t.”

Forward Josh Hart spoke on the team’s effort, saying, “It was embarrassing.” Hart was cleared to return from injury before the game.

The Knicks decided to move on from coach Tom Thibodeau in the off-season after an Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers, but did they move on too quickly?

The Knicks are still the three seed in the Eastern Conference, but are only 1.5 games above the play-in. with 39 games remaining.

In what was already a frustrating season for the Golden State Warriors, they will now be without forward Jimmy Butler for the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL late Monday night versus his former team, the Miami Heat.

The injury happened in the third quarter, when Brandin Podziemski floated a pass to Butler, and as he went up for the ball, he landed awkwardly on his right leg after a mid-air collision with Davion Mitchell.

Butler was in obvious pain immediately after coming down on his leg and being helped to the locker room. Butler was unable to put any weight on his leg. An ACL injury was confirmed early Tuesday morning.

Without Butler, the Warriors face an uphill battle the rest of the season. Sitting at 25-19 and eighth in the Western Conference. The Warriors are looking to avoid the play-in for the second consecutive year, but without Butler, it will be very difficult to make any significant noise, especially in a tough conference. Butler was averaging 20.0/5.6/4.9 in what was another stellar season for the veteran forward.

Butler, 36, has one more year left on his current deal with the Warriors and is owed $56.8 million next season. This injury will almost certainly impact the Warriors’ plans for the trade deadline, which is on February 5. Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has requested a trade from the organization, but with Butler’s injury, that may change whether Kuminga remains a Warrior.

The Warriors are already one of the oldest teams in the league, with Stephen Curry, 37, Draymond Green, 35, and Al Horford, 39, so the direction of the team is certainly a massive question mark.

Butler faces an uphill battle, as ACL injuries for aging players tend not to be kind, which makes this so much more difficult.

With the game tied and seconds winding down, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James‘ streak of 1,297 consecutive games of double-digit points hanged in the balance.

The veteran forward tallied eight points against the Toronto Raptors, but had a chance to win the game – and keep his streak alive – in the final seconds as the Lakers held the final possession.

But like many times in his career, James made the right play at the right time.

Sacrificing his streak, he dished the ball wide to set up Rui Hachimura‘s 3-point buzzer beater to defeat the Raptors on Thursday night, 123-120.

James didn’t seem bothered when asked about his feelings after his run ended, which began in early 2007.

“None. We won,” he said.

“Just playing the game the right way. You always make the right play. That’s just been my M.O. That’s how I was taught the game. I’ve done that my whole career.”

The Lakers led by as many as 13 points. They held a nine-point advantage going into halftime, but the Raptors made adjustments and clawed their way back into the contest.

Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 44 points, half of those coming in the third quarter. Each team traded leads in the second half which ultimately came down to the final play of the match.

With James having space through the center, he could have gone for the game-winning jump shot from midrange. But he picked out an open Hachimura in the corner, who drilled a 3-pointer with no time remaining.

“Once they doubled AR [Reaves] and the ball got swung to me, I know it’s a numbers game,” James said. “We got a four-on-three advantage and were just trying to put the ball on time, on target, in Rui’s socket, in his shot pocket, and he knocked it down.”

The win was the Lakers’ eighth in their last nine games as they remain in the top three of the Western Conference.

James and point guard Luka Doncic missed the following game against the Boston Celtics, where the team lost 126-105 the next day.

The Lakers conclude their three-game away trip against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night. On Wednesday, JJ Redick‘s side faces the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.

Boston Celtics small forward Jordan Walsh struggled to make an impact in the opening weeks of the season.

The 2023 second-round pick played less than five minutes in his first three games this year. He didn’t even appear in four of the Celtics’ opening eight matches of the campaign and tallied just 24 minutes. And still, most of those minutes came when games were long settled.

But after a game against the Washington Wizards on Nov. 5, where the forward logged seven points and seven rebounds, Walsh has played 15 or more minutes in all but one game since that moment.

He continued his strong form for the Celtics on Friday night, this time putting up 17 points and four rebounds in the team’s 126-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The previous night, Walsh posted a season-high 22 points in a 146-101 win against the Wizards.

His performance on Friday caught the eye of Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves.

“He just plays hard as crap every single possession,” Reaves said after the game in which he put up 36 points. “He doesn’t take a possession off. His ability, his length, his athleticism, he’s physically gifted, [he] moves really well. I can see him being one of the best defenders in the league for many years to come.”

Despite the recent praise, guard Jaylen Brown wants Walsh — and the media — to stay focused and not hype him too much.

“I don’t want to boost his head up too much,” Brown said. “I don’t want him to start getting cute. You gotta still take care of the details. But he’s been doing a good job.”

The Celtics move to fifth place in the Eastern Conference following four straight wins. They travel to Canada on Sunday to face the Toronto Raptors.

Both James Harden and Kawhi Leonard were left shocked after hearing the Los Angeles Clippers released Chris Paul.

In a bombshell announcement, Paul posted on his Instagram account in the early hours of Wednesday that he was being sent home, the same day the team prepared to play the Atlanta Hawks.

After the game, reporters asked Harden and Leonard about their reactions to the decision.

“I’m just as confused and shocked as you guys, the world,” Harden said. “Definitely surprised me. But not just Chris, it’s a lot that we were dealing with. But that is out of my hands.”

Leonard also couldn’t believe the news.

“It was shocking to me,” he said. “I guess they had a conversation, and front office made a decision.”

The victory on Wednesday ended a five-game losing run for the Clippers. However, the team sits 13th in the Western Conference with a 6-16 record.

The poor start to the season hasn’t gone to plan for Paul, who rejoined the team which he spent six seasons with between 2011 and 2017 in the summer. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Paul’s relationship with head coach Ty Lue began to worsen, with the two “not on speaking terms.” The sources also told ESPN that Paul’s presence began to become disruptive.

Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations for the Clippers, confirmed to ESPN that the team parted ways with the veteran point guard, but remains grateful for his contributions to the franchise.

“Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career,” Frank said. “I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance. I accept responsibility for the record we have right now. There are a lot of reasons why we’ve struggled. We’re grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise.”

Though released from the team, Paul cannot be officially eligible for a trade until Dec. 15 due to signing a one-year deal this past summer.

It’s been an uncharacteristic season for the Kansas City Chiefs, who are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

Their postseason chances took another hit on Thanksgiving after a 31-28 loss against the Dallas Cowboys, putting Andy Reid‘s side 6-6 with five games remaining.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who threw four touchdowns during the loss, says the equation is simple if the Chiefs want to make the playoffs: win.

“You’ve got to win every game now and hope that’s enough,” Mahomes said after the game.

Thursday’s defeat was the Chiefs’ sixth one-score loss this season. It’s a stark contrast to their 2024 record, where the team went 11-0 in those situations.

Kansas City started the game on the front foot, racing to a 14-7 lead in the first quarter after touchdowns from wide receiver Rashee Rice and tight end Travis Kelce. However, the Cowboys responded by scoring 13 unanswered points through the following two quarters.

The Chiefs retook the lead early in the fourth quarter from another touchdown by Rice. But Dallas responded again by scoring a touchdown and field goal, putting the game out of reach for Reid’s side.

After reaching at least the AFC Championship in the past seven seasons, the Chiefs are currently on the outside looking in as of Sunday. Their remaining games are all against AFC opponents, including matches against division rivals Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders.

“We’re going to play a lot of good football teams coming up,” Mahomes said. “If we’re going to make the playoffs, we’re going to have to win them all. That’s got to be the mindset when we step into the building when we get back.”

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey is having quite the start to the season.

After 16 games played, the 25-year-old is having his highest points per game since joining the league in 2020. He’s averaging 33.4 points per game while also averaging his best field goal percentage (47.3%) since the 2022-23 campaign.

In the 76ers’ victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, Maxey recorded a career-high 54 points as he led the team to its ninth win of the season. The guard also tallied nine assists and five rebounds during the overtime win.

Maxey followed his career night with another big performance three days later against the Miami Heat. He led the team with 27 points and notched six assists, but it wasn’t enough for a tenth victory as the Heat won 127-117.

Out of the 16 games played for the team this season, only two of them have seen Maxey record less than 25 points. But even in those two games, he tallied over 20 points.

The 76ers are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2024-25 campaign. The team finished 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-58 record, its fewest wins since the 2016-17 season.

Maxey will look to continue his strong form in the upcoming week, where the 76ers will play two NBA Cup games. Philadelphia will host the Orlando Magic on Tuesday before facing the Brooklyn Nets on the road on Friday.

Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball responded to rumors surrounding his future in North Carolina.

The 24-year-old was reportedly open for a trade on Thursday following frustration within the team, according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports. However, Ball responded to the rumor by posting a clown emoji on social media.

On Friday, he spoke to reporters and dismissed the report.

“He never heard that come from me,” Ball said. “Source is not from me, so it’s false info. Got to let him know. I really don’t like commenting back on stuff, but when it gets too big, you’ve got to say something.”

Ball is beginning his sixth season with the Hornets. He is averaging 21.2 points per game after 10 matches, where he’s been nursing an ankle injury. Charlotte is enduring another difficult start to the season, beginning the 2025-26 campaign 4-12 entering Sunday.

Since Ball’s arrival, the Hornets have yet to make the playoffs and have finished with fewer than 30 wins in the last three seasons. In Ball’s first two years, Charlotte twice finished 10th but lost both times in the play-in tournament.

“I love being here,” Ball said. “I ain’t saying nothing, I’m just trying to win. That’s what we’re going to keep doing.”

The Hornets will play two home NBA Cup games this upcoming week: first against the New York Knicks on Wednesday and then against the Chicago Bulls on Friday.

The Los Angeles Lakers fired team executives Joey and Jesse Buss with immediate effect, ESPN reported on Thursday.

Joey Buss worked as an alternate governor and vice president of research and development. Jesse Buss’ position was assistant general manager. The brothers both worked with the Lakers organization throughout the past decade.

“We are extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons,” the brothers said to ESPN. “Thank you to Laker Nation for embracing our family every step of the way. We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team. At times like this, we wish we could ask our Dad what he would think about it all.”

Jesse and Joey’s firings came a month after the NBA Board of Governors approved Mark Walter‘s purchase of a majority stake in the franchise, valued at $10 billion. Walter is also the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have won three World Series championships in the past six seasons.

Jesse and Joey’s father, Jerry Buss, bought the Lakers in 1979. During his reign as owner, the team won 10 NBA titles and featured talent such as Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. When Jerry died in 2013, his daughter Jeanie Buss took over and is currently the team’s primary team governor.

The firings also signal movement in the front office and scouting positions following the change in ownership.

The Lakers, who sit third in the Western Conference with an 11-4 record, visit the Utah Jazz on Sunday night.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic spoke on the recent firing of former Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, the person who traded the superstar to the Lakers in February.

Doncic, who was asked about Harrison’s firing after the team’s 121-92 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, preferred not to address the situation directly and declined to speak on a possible return to Dallas.

“Right now, I’m just focused on the Lakers,” Doncic said. “No further comments.”

On the first night of February, Harrison shocked the basketball world when the Mavericks traded Doncic in exchange for power forward Anthony Davis in a three-way deal. The move drew criticism and pressure mounted on Harrison, with fans routinely chanting “Fire Nico” at home games.

The Mavericks’ season collapsed: Davis suffered an adductor injury in his first appearance for the team while Kyrie Irving tore his ACL. Dallas slid to 10th in the Western Conference and missed the playoffs after making the finals the year prior.

Nine months after the trade, the Mavericks fired Harrison after starting the season 3-8 and months of fan discontent.

Doncic, meanwhile, is continuing to make a name for himself in Southern California. He’s averaging 34.9 points per game this season while also averaging 9.1 rebounds and 8.9 assists. The Lakers finished third in the West last season and currently sit fifth with a 8-4 record.

Despite leaving the Lone Star State, Doncic said he still holds the Mavericks close to his heart.

“I thought I was going to stay there forever, but I didn’t,” Doncic said. “So that will always be a special place for me. I will always call it home. But right now, I’m focused on the Lakers and trying to move on. But obviously, always there will be a part of me there.”

Harrison became general manager of the Mavericks at the start of the 2021-22 season. During his tenure, Dallas made two trips to the Western Conference Final and one trip to the NBA Finals, eventually losing to the Boston Celtics in 2024.

Ja Morant hinted at a coaching staff issue during a post-game conference.

This incident happened on October 31, when the Memphis Grizzlies played against the Los Angeles Lakers.

During a quick locker room interview, Morant took questions from reporters when he was questioned on why he wasn’t his usual self. He responded with a quick one.

“Go ask the coaching staff why,” Morant said.

Then reporters asked what could have been done differently other than asking the coaching staff, Morant answered honestly.

“According to them, probably don’t play me,” Morant said. “That’s basically what the message was. It’s cool.”

Following these responses, the Grizzlies quickly disciplined Morant.

Morant was suspended for one game for detrimental conduct towards the team.

The Grizzlies continued their losing streak against the Toronto Raptors and the Detroit Pistons.

To make matters worse, Morant has been shooting 38.3% from the field and 14.0% from three-point range, and as a result, the Grizzlies had a miserable 0-4 week.