Oladipo has tried to look at the bright side of the situation and views quarantine like “almost getting a second chance.” “I had the opportunity to look at it two ways: negatively or positively. At the end of the day I chose the positive outlook on it,” Oladipo said. “I’m just using this opportunity to give me time to get healthy and continue getting stronger.” “I’m definitely optimistic and definitely thankful for where I’m at right now,” he added. “I just have to continue to keep working hard and staying ready.”
Storyline: Victor Oladipo Injury
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J. Michael Falgoust: Oladipo has swelling and soreness after a major surgery. He’s not hurt. There’s a difference. Still working out pregame #PacersBucks pic.twitter.com/vv9iifXmit
Indiana Pacers: Update: Victor is OUT for tonight’s game.
Joe Gabriele: Per Coach McMillan: Victor Oladipo (ankle) is a game-time decision for tonight.
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo (back tightness) shot around today and didn’t feel like he was ready to go. Both he and Edmond Sumner (sore hip) won’t play vs Hornets.
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo (back spasms) won’t play tonight in Toronto. Edmond Sumner (sore hip) also out. So look for Aaron Holiday to once again go from DNP to starter. Tough circumstances for the Pacers as their attempts to build chemistry continue to be interrupted.
Victor Oladipo returns after a year-long absence
Scott Agness: He’s back.
Mark Montieth: McMillan says @Victor Oladipo picked his return date, with approval of Pacers staff. Coming off road trip with 7 of next 8 at home seemed like the right time. Bulls could be a forgiving foe tonight with Wendell Carter Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter Jr. out.
J. Michael Falgoust: Oladipo will play for first time since Jan. 23, 2019 but come off bench. 24 min restriction #PacersBulls
NBA Central: Victor Oladipo will make his season debut tomorrow vs Chicago pic.twitter.com/fXYGnllMCB
J. Michael Falgoust: McMillan only will say Oladipo will play and be restricted min thru All Star break where they’ll revisit his playing time #PacersBulls
Victor Oladipo remains on track to return to the court next Wednesday when the Pacers take on the Bulls, a source tells Hoops Rumors. Oladipo, who has spent time this month in the G League rehabbing, hasn’t played since January of last year after he ruptured his quad tendon in his right knee, but has had January 29 circled on his calendar for the last few weeks.
Victor Oladipo return date set
Shams Charania: Pacers star Victor Oladipo tells @Stadium he plans to make season debut on Jan. 29 against Chicago and discusses emotions returning from yearlong absence after torn quad tendon in knee. Stay tuned for my full sitdown. pic.twitter.com/lmzwsKmwav
John Karalis: Pacers announce they’ve assigned Victor Oladipo to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants for today’s practice. He’s getting closer
Scott Agness: Nate McMillan watched Mad Ants practice yesterday, which included Victor Oladipo. McMillan didn’t have any notable takeaways other than how “He hasn’t had any setbacks. And I think that’s the big thing when a guy is going through rehab.”
Scott Agness: Pacers assigned Victor Oladipo to the Mad Ants for the fifth time since Nov. 12. The Mad Ants are practicing in Indy both today and Tuesday.
Victor Oladipo returning around early February?
Indiana Pacers All-Star guard Victor Oladipo is hopeful to return to the lineup by early February — and perhaps as soon as late January — from a ruptured right quad tendon, league sources tell ESPN.
How did they contact you? Was it easy to convince you to do the show? Victor Oladipo: They contacted me through my recording team. It was a no-brainer to me because I just wanted to do something different. Obviously this summer was a little different for me because of my injury.
The Indiana Pacers announced Saturday they have assigned guards Victor Oladipo and Edmond Sumner to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, their affiliate in the NBA G League. Oladipo and Sumner will participate in practices only with the Mad Ants today, Tuesday and Wednesday as part of their rehabilitation.
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo (quad rehab) and Edmond Sumner (fractured right hand) will not be on the Pacers’ five-game road trip. They will join the Mad Ants for practice next week. Summer, who has been out since Oct. 28, has been cleared for live action.
Scott Agness: Oladipo spoke for 5 minutes but remains evasive in his answers. Still no timeline, but he’s playing most days, scrimming full court and without rest. “I don’t think there’s anything I can’t do in life so I guess y’all will be the judge when I come back.” McMillan: He looked OK.
The Indiana Pacers announced Sunday they have assigned Victor Oladipo to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, their affiliate in the NBA G League. Oladipo will practice with the Mad Ants Sunday afternoon in Fort Wayne and will be recalled after practice.
J. Michael Falgoust: This is an offday after a back to back. #Pacers are traveling to Brooklyn for a game Monday. Therefore, to get Victor Oladipo practice time, theyve assigned him to the Mad Ants again and he’ll be recalled after he gets work in with them. Standard operating procedure
Rod Beard: #Pacers center Myles Turner is questionable tonight vs. #Pistons. Victor Oladipo, Jeremy Lamb, Goga Bitadze and Edmund Sumner all are OUT. #DFS
Oladipo was upbeat and calm after ramping up his participation during the Pacers’ practice session at St. Vincent Center. Having been relegated to non-contact drills since the beginning of training camp, he was given the go-ahead to jump into controlled halfcourt scrimmages for the first time. That marked a major step forward in the rehabilitation process related to the torn quadricep muscle he suffered in a game against Toronto on Jan. 23.
“I hadn’t played in 9 1/2 months,” he said, chuckling at the thought. “It felt good just being out there. Making a pass, shooting a jumper…shooting a floater, a layup…something. It feels good to be out there. Feels like I never left, honestly.”
McMillan offered no analysis of Oladipo’s play on Saturday other than to say he “looked good,” and said doctors are not offering a timetable for a return. “You never know,” McMillan said. “I know he’s working hard to get himself back. I’ve been watching him all summer long and I’ve never seen anyone attack the rehab as hard as he has. He’s working extremely hard every day to get back better than he was.”
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo participated in halfcourt 5-on-5 for the first time since his injury. He went about 30 minutes. “Good,” McMillan said, his face saying more than his words. “He looked good.”
And McMillan made sure the “half-court” distinction was clear in his announcement Friday, one day after Oladipo was absent from practice while getting a check-up with his doctors regarding his injury. “He’s been doing some things 1-on-1,” McMillan said. “But this is a good sign. “They’re going slowly to try to work him into being able to go every day, but it’s good news to know he’ll be able to participate in that first part of practice.”
Scott Agness: Still no updated timeline-to-return for Oladipo. They plan to evaluate him in 5-on-5 half-court at practice for several weeks. This is just another step in his road to recovery.
Jason Anderson: Injury report for Kings. vs. Pacers Kings: OUT–Harry Giles III (left knee soreness), Tyler Ulis (right groin strain). Pacers: OUT–Victor Oladipo (right knee rehab), Goga Bitadze (right ankle sprain). QUESTIONABLE–TJ Leaf (right quad strain), CJ Wilcox (right quad strain).
While Victor Oladipo avoids specifics about his recovery from a surgically repaired right knee, he participated in everything except scrimmaging when the Indiana Pacers opened training camp Saturday. “He spent the first 20 to 30 minutes of practice going through drills,” said coach Nate McMillan, who was briefed by the medical staff last night on Oladipo’s progress after a torn quad muscle Jan. 23. “Nothing with contact. Basically the warm-up part of practice. That was good enough for me to see him out on the floor with his teammates.”
Oladipo watched from the sidelines where he was his typical demonstrative self. He’s not going to scrimmage any time soon with his return on pace for December or January. Could he return sooner? Possibly. But the Pacers will be cautious and manage his workload. Last year he played through early-season soreness that probably led to the rupture of the quad tendon. “It was awesome,” Domantas Sabonis said of Oladipo being with them again. “He did 80 percent of the practice. It looks like he never left.”
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo went through the warmup/drills with the team, “good enough for me,” Nate McMillan said. Then watched when they went live. His camp always begins with the fundamentals and defense.
Myles Turner is hopeful Oladipo returns in December or January. “I’ve heard some people say after the All-Star break, but I just know how Vic’s wired,” Turner said Friday at the team’s annual media day. “He’s been attacking the whole process. He’s already doing stuff on the court.”
Tim Reynolds: Pacers’ Nate McMillan on Vic Oladipo: “I know that he will not start the season. I haven’t had any information given to me that he will be practicing live with the team anytime soon, so I don’t anticipate Victor being available for a while. I don’t really know what ‘a while’ is.”
Buchanan said he’s approaching 2020-21 as three separate seasons: without Oladipo, reacclimating Oladipo into the lineup, and playing with a fully healthy Oladipo as the rest of the team falls into place around him. “It was a very unique injury, a very rare injury, so we’ll be patient with it,” Buchanan said. “You guys know Vic; he’s an ideal worker, so we feel confident that he’s going to get back to what he was before.”
McMillan said he spent time with Oladipo in Miami and Las Vegas during the offseason, in addition to observing the guard at the team facility last week. The longtime coach said Oladipo is in good spirits but he has a hurdle in front of him — contact. “He’s not playing live but he’s moving. He’s in a good position mentally,” McMillan said. “He feels that everything is going well. I like what I see with him. … He’s doing great. He’s not doing any live contact, still in that rehab stage of working with the trainers. I just know (opening night on Oct. 23) he probably won’t be there. The time frame, we have no idea of when he will return.”
Chad Buchanan said he’s approaching 2020-21 as three separate seasons: without Oladipo, reacclimating Oladipo into the lineup, and playing with a fully healthy Oladipo as the rest of the team falls into place around him. “It was a very unique injury, a very rare injury, so we’ll be patient with it,” Buchanan said. “You guys know Vic; he’s an ideal worker, so we feel confident that he’s going to get back to what he was before.”
Victor Oladipo back sooner than expected?
SiriusXM NBA Radio: While speaking with @TheFrankIsola Pacers Center Myles Turner (@Original_Turner) was very optimistic about Victor Oladipo’s (@VicOladipo) return from injury. “He [Victor Oladipo] will be back a lot sooner than people think”.
[Victor Oladipo] resumed on-court work two months ago, but it’s all been one-on-zero. In other words, he hasn’t been challenged by a defense or had to react to an opponent’s movement. “Ah, I’m getting there,” he said, obviously hesitant to share any more. “I’m working my way there. You can’t rush these things, you just got to take your time. At the end of the day, Rome wasn’t built in one day.”
And while Oladipo has not publicly set a timeline to return, he’s eagerly awaiting the day when he can suit up again and rejoin his teammates on the floor, something he hasn’t done since Jan. 23. “I’m just excited to play basketball again, honestly,” Oladipo said as campers were nearby doing station drills. “Just go out there and compete at the highest level possible. I got a lot to let go so I’m looking forward to letting it go.”
J. Michael Falgoust: Since Ive been asked about Oladipo…there’s no indication when or if he’ll be here for #NBASummerLeague …. Wouldnt be surprised if he doesn’t show based on the vibe Ive gotten. No big deal if he doesn’t. He’s got other priorities #PacersGrizz
Oladipo out until December?
Scott Agness: While there’s no official timeline, Kevin Pritchard says he’s hopeful that Victor Oladipo (quad surgery) will be able to return in December or January. Assistant coach Bill Bayno has been in Miami with Oladipo this week, I’m told.
J. Michael Falgoust: McMillan says he’s not been told anything on when Oladipo will be ready #Pacers
Scott Agness: Pritchard had dinner with Oladipo while he was in town. Focus right now is on his physical therapy. “It’s coming along nicely and he feels really good about it. In Victor style, he has promised to come back 200 to 300 percent of what he was.” Still, no timeline to return.
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo received clearance from his doctor and has a flight scheduled to Indy this afternoon for Game 3 (8:30pm). It will be his first game since suffering a ruptured right quad tendon on Jan. 26.
Scott Agness: To be clear, Oladipo’s rehab is going well — but he isn’t close to returning. With it being the playoffs, the self-proclaimed “positive butterfly” wants to be back around his guys and show his support.
“He told me he would be coming back,” coach Nate McMillan told IndyStar, before they meet the Celtics for the final time in the regular season Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. “I don’t think he’ll travel with us, but I assume when we come home, he’ll be with us for those games.” Oladipo, whose breakout 2017-18 season included All-Star, All-NBA, All-Defense and Most Improved Player honors, went down Jan. 23.
Pacers star Victor Oladipo made significant progress in his recovery Thursday. An Instagram post from his account showed him walking without the assistance of a brace down the hallway. He had surgery eight weeks ago after suffering a season-ending injury in January. His doctor said that while Oladipo should continue wearing the brace in public, he’d like him to not wear it while at home.
Nothing can stop Victor Oladipo from getting buckets. In yet another video showing his recovery following surgery for a ruptured quad tendon, Oladipo shows that his 3-point shot is still very much intact, even with a brace still fitted to his right leg. While he’s shooting, Vic says “They say you gotta crawl before you can walk. They say you gotta walk before you can run.”
On the past few weeks. Victor Oladipo: “It’s just a blessing that I can still do something relating to basketball even though I can’t play the games. Just trying to find ways to get better even though I’m not able to play. I’m still watching games, still watching other people’s games, still study the game, still have time to go form shoot and stuff like that. I’m a very optimistic person and very confident that I’ll be able to come back better than ever. Just taking it one day at a time really.”
On what his surgeon told him about this surgery Victor Oladipo: “My doctor told me that the surgery had went well, that he got all unnecessary things out of my knee. I’m looking forward to seeing my knee be stronger than it ever was. I’m a positive butterfly. I’m not looking too far into the future, and I’m not looking into the past. I’m just focused on today. And trying to get better every day. That’s what it’s all about.”
Victor Oladipo has not been given a prediction for a return to full-scale workouts or playing in a game, but remains optimistic about coming back as strong as before his injury. “I’m just taking it one day at a time,” he said. “At the end of the day I’m a positive butterfly. I’m not looking too far into the future and I’m not looking at the past; just focused on today and trying to get better every day.”
On whether his injury was related to the knee soreness that kept him out of 11 games in November and December: Victor Oladipo: “Who knows? I can sit here and say it’s related, but I really wouldn’t know. I can sit here and say it’s not related, but I really wouldn’t know. I ‘m sure it might be connected in some way, but who can tell? Who knows, really? I’m not toto focused on the past. All I’m really worried about is today and today I have rehab at 4:30.”
On whether he plans to return to Indianapolis and rejoin the team at some point before the season ends: Victor Oladipo: “Definitely. I plan on coming back and coming to some games and supporting when I’m able to. I’m looking forward to that, too. Being back in the arena and seeing the fans and my teammates and my coaching staff and everybody that works for the Pacers as well. I miss them, for sure.”
Seeing is believing. The Pacers know Victor Oladipo is here, recovering from season-ending surgery to his right knee. Friday, before playing the Miami Heat on Saturday, they got a live audience with their two-time All-Star for the first time since rupturing his quad tendon Jan. 23 “It was good to see him, physically,” said Myles Turner. “He was in good spirits. I didn’t expect anything less.”
Oladipo remains on crutches and has to keep his leg elevated. His glee and message didn’t change. Miami is where Oladipo is based on the offseason. “It was pretty much what we’ve talked about when he was with us. We’ve got to stay together,” McMillan said. “We got to work our way through it. People are doubting you. It was really positive.”
“I just want to thank the players, coaches, fans and media for voting for me, it’s most appreciated,” said Victor Oladipo. “I am honestly speechless just knowing I have the support of my peers, people I look up to and admire, as well as the fans. All I can say is thank you and I am working on coming back stronger not just physically, but mentally as well.”
If anyone can understand the lengthy road ahead that Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo has to navigate following Monday’s surgery, it’s the veteran guard the Hornets signed in the offseason. Tony Parker fully comprehends the rigors ahead for Oladipo. Parker ruptured his left quadriceps tendon 20 months ago in the San Antonio Spurs’ second-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets. So he feels for Oladipo, knowing the grueling journey he’s facing. “It sucks. It sucks,” Parker told The Athletic. “You never want to see that and I wish him well. They already contacted me to talk to him and I’ll try to help him as much as I can because I’ve been through it. It’s a tough injury. It’s worse than an Achilles or an ACL. It’s a big injury. Hopefully, he’s ready for the long challenge ahead and the rehab. Hopefully, he’ll be fine and he’ll be back.”
Although he hasn’t spoken directly with Oladipo yet, Parker plans to lend his verbal support should he inquire with him — something that likely will happen. Pacers team officials may also have an opportunity to ask Parker a few questions when the Hornets are in Indianapolis again to play Feb. 11. If so, just like he’s been there for his new teammates in Charlotte, Parker plans on providing Oladipo with some invaluable knowledge. “Of course, of course,” Parker said. “I’m always open to talk and share everything that I went through.”
Pritchard and Buchanan made it back in time for Monday’s tipoff; Corbeil returned on a later flight and claimed his seat at the front of the bench for the second half. “I just spoke with him, he’s doing fine,” coach Nate McMillan said before the game. “He’s doing good, said everything went great.”
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo with a pre-game message: “I’ll be back better than ever.” #Feathery #Unbreakable
Victor Oladipo underwent successful surgery Monday to repair a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee, sustained with 4:05 to play in the second quarter of last Wednesday night’s game against Toronto. He is expected to make a full recovery. No timetable has been established for his return. Further updates will be provided as warranted.
When the Warriors (35-14) host the Indiana Pacers (32-16) on Monday, Cousins will not just have concerns on his ongoing progress from his injury. He will also have concerns with All-Star forward Victor Oladipo, who recently suffered a season-ending injury because of a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee. “There’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to battle from that and be even better a player than he was before,” Cousins said following practice on Sunday at Harvard University. “You hate to see any guy go through that type of thing. It sucks. It really does.”
Cousins also passed along his way wishes to Oladipo, who suffered a similar injury that ended Charles Barkley’s career in 1999. “We put our bodies through so much to play this game. I feel like that is undervalued how much you go through,” Cousins said. “I hate to see anybody go down. You got Oladipo dealing with an injury that is unheard of and probably one of the toughest to come back. Shout out to him and wish him the best.”
“That was brutal,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s had such a great young career the last couple of years. He’s elevated his game to the point where he’s become one of the top 20 players in the game and a perennial All-Star. I hate to see that happen to anybody, especially somebody like Oladipo, who has worked his way up to reach this plateau.”
Anthony Slater: DeMarcus Cousins just went through a grueling rehab. He feels for Victor Oladipo: “We put our bodies through so much in the NBA. I feel like it’s undervalued.”
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo took a charter flight from Indy to Miami this afternoon. That’s where he’s trained the last two summers. From the snow to 75°.
Anthony Slater: Quinn Cook played with Victor Oladipo in high school. Long-time friends. Oladipo had that devastating injury the other night. Cook has ‘VO4’ written on both shoes tonight.
Scott Agness: Victor Oladipo on IG: “I will be back better than ever and if you question that well, thank you.” pic.twitter.com/imK0XUKTzU
Pau Gasol: Speedy recovery @Victor Oladipo! Best wishes on your recovery 🙏🏼 #NBAFamily 💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/0t7bofCZqZ
Rudy Gobert: Come back stronger @Victor Oladipo 💪🏽.
Donovan Mitchell: Praying for you my brother @Victor Oladipo 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Royce Young: Paul George on Victor Oladipo’s injury: pic.twitter.com/Hi5nKMon60
May 29, 2020 | 11:55 am EDT Update
Shams Charania: Sources: NBA has sent GMs the results from GM survey: – 53% of GMs chose advancing directly to playoffs; 27% for resuming abbreviated season with play-in – 60% voted for 72-game season – “Playoffs Plus”: 83% voted 20 or more teams – Non-playoff teams split on resuming season
Shams Charania: Additional results from NBA’s GM survey, per sources: – Most GMs want season to end no later than Oct. 1 – GMs want larger roster/more flexibility to manage their roster – 53 percent voted to maintain traditional playoff seeding; 47 percent for reseeding
Sirius XM NBA: “That was kind of blown out of proportion.” @Georges Niang has no concerns about reported tensions in the Jazz locker room following the positive COVID-19 tests. #takenote pic.twitter.com/5kddhj4zHf
Adam Zagoria: Former Louisville F @JordanNwora has done Zoom calls with about 20 NBA teams, including the Knicks and Nets, per source. The former @NYRhoops F averaged 18.0 ppg and 7.7 rpg last season and is a projected 2nd-round pick. The Knicks have two 2nd-round picks in the Draft. pic.twitter.com/ISeBHH7dWt
May 29, 2020 | 11:26 am EDT Update
ON A SUNNY day in mid-April, the sun crested over Los Angeles, but Paul wished to be over a thousand miles away: poring over film in Oklahoma City, preparing for Game 2 or 3 of a first-round series. He wanted to be hooping. Instead of getting up shots in his team’s practice facility, Paul has been having direct conversations with Silver more than once a week as the liaison between the commissioner and the players. Paul has served as a sounding board for those looking for advice, ideas or an outlet for their frustration.
“Hell, I need to vent at times,” Paul said. “I just look at it as guys are actually concerned and they want to know what’s going on. They should have a say in their future.” Between homeschooling his kids and finding time to take online Spanish classes (“I’m trying to get better at something,” he said.), Paul has had calls almost every morning — most often union-related — and more in the afternoon.
“He’s never said, ‘Can I get back to you?’ Never,” Roberts said of Paul, who will often surprise Roberts’ staff by jumping on a conference call to offer encouragement and share ideas. “Being accessible has been a godsend.”
As rumblings of restart options and hypothetical scenarios have dotted their social media timelines, players across the league have been peppering Paul with the same questions curious basketball fans might have. “When are we going to play? How are we going to play? Where are we going to play?” said executive committee member Anthony Tolliver, outlining what’s being posed to Paul. “Are we going to try and finish the regular season? Is it worth it? Is it going to be too much? Are we going to bring guys back and possibly be subject to a bunch of injuries because of the circumstances? Just walking through and talking through all that stuff.”
PAUL’S VOICE CARRIES weight in conversations with the players’ union, but he doesn’t look to dominate them. He approaches a conference call much in the same way he approaches the game. “I frequently joke about this, he’s obviously a point guard and his claim to fame in terms of skill set is his ability to read the room, read the floor and pass the ball,” Roberts said. “He does that in meetings too. “If Chris sees a player who has not said much, he’ll ask, ‘John, what do you think about this? Come on, weigh in.’ That’s what he does. It’s a delight.”
NBA Central: Brian Windhorst says the NBA wants to make sure Zion Williamson is involved in the playoff plan, per @GetUpESPN pic.twitter.com/QuSWmRj2DI
Rudy Gay: Tough times don’t last, tough people do!! Honored to visit the staff at @chasebrexton Health Care in my hometown of Baltimore & present a 50k check via @directrelief to those working tirelessly to treat patients throughout the pandemic. Thank u to all on the frontline, be safe 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/v4Y5MMCB0c
May 29, 2020 | 9:29 am EDT Update
But I do cover sports, and the NBA is a huge, global league, that millions of people care about. And I respect that this is important to you. So, I’m going to concentrate on that below. After speaking to a couple dozen folks at all levels, from owners on down, the past few days, here’s the lay of the land, with the league’s Board of Governors set to meet with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Friday, a day after Silver spoke with the league’s GMs: The GM meeting, per a source, focused on the different potential playing formats after the restart, and the impacts of each on the final regular-season standings and other issues. But no definitive dates or decisions were made.
“I’m fairly certain that Disney is going to work,” a high-ranking official with knowledge of the union’s thoughts said Thursday. “Vegas had some of the logistical things we needed but didn’t have the environment that could enhance our health protocols. Vegas scared me to death. Florida worried me a little bit because of the state opening up so early, but having a venue that can basically be closed off, I do think we can check off the venue issue off our list. I think we’ve got that down.”
There is a lot of support among teams and agents to include as many teams as possible. “I’m pushing for all,” one prominent agent said Wednesday. “I’m hearing the league wants to go to directly to the playoffs and I personally don’t think that’s fair to all the players who missed this season and want to participate. My suggestion for a format has always been 3-4 games for everyone, (a) play-in tournament for the eighth seed and then (a) regular playoff format.”
Problem is, Antetokounmpo has trademarked his “Greek Freak” nickname. Eady, in a series of tweets in March aimed at Antetokounmpo, said he stopped selling the shirts after getting a cease-and-desist letter last October from the player’s lawyers. That led to more legal wrangling, none of which Eady wanted to discuss in specifics other than to say he has taken out a small loan to cover a cash settlement to the lawsuit. The situation is an example that experts say is one the risks that star athletes face: Protect their trademarks using the legal system or face the loss of those protections that allow them to control their image, brand and related monetization – which can be worth millions of dollars.
And therein lies further image peril: The risk of going to court is that it can be seen as a famous rich person being greedy and cruel in trying to squash an entrepreneur. “Making an example of a few unauthorized vendors can ward off others. But trademark overreach can also alienate athletes from their fans — especially if those devoted fans are the ones imagining and creating the apparel,” said Stephen Stanwood of Campbell, Calif.-based Stanwood Law that specialized in such cases. Antetokounmpo has filed 13 trademark infringement lawsuits in federal court since July in the Southern District of New York, of which at least five have been settled, court records show. A lawsuit filed Wednesday was the eighth filed this month, and it’s unknown many cease-and-desist letters halted sales of knockoff merch before they came to become lawsuits.
Enes Kanter: Are you freaking kidding me? State police in Minnesota arresting @CNN reporter @OmarJimenez while he’s on air Meanwhile, the cop who murdered #GeorgeFloyd continues to walk free. They arrested a @CNN reporter before the killers of #GeorgeFloyd 🤦🏻♂️ 🤦🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/WFJYVEC15X
May 29, 2020 | 7:50 am EDT Update
When the season was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, multiple players were approaching eligibility for contract bonuses. With basketball likely to return this summer, the league and the NBPA have to negotiate what will happen to that money. Sources told ESPN that the most likely outcome will be similar to how the league handled bonuses during the lockout-shortened season in 2011-12. Contract incentives initially intended for 82 games were prorated to account for the 66-game season. For example, a player with a $500,000 bonus in his contract for playing in 70 games qualified for the bonus if he played in 56 games. However, performance bonuses based on averages — such as shooting percentages — were not adjusted.
Fournier has $1.1 million in incentives, with $600,000 broken down into four categories: first-round appearance in the playoffs, second-round appearance, conference finals and Finals. Fournier will also need to appear in 75% of the games played per round. Likely outcome: There will be a negotiation when it comes to Fournier’s incentives. The guard has already met the required number of games (60), but the Magic might have to win a play-in game to make the postseason. When the season was postponed, Orlando was 5.5 games ahead of Washington for the final playoff spot in the East. If Orlando loses a play-in, does that mean Fournier doesn’t get his first-round appearance bonus?
Between homeschooling his kids and finding time to take online Spanish classes (“I’m trying to get better at something,” he said.), Paul has had calls almost every morning — most often union-related — and more in the afternoon. “He’s never said, ‘Can I get back to you?’ Never,” Roberts said of Paul, who will often surprise Roberts’ staff by jumping on a conference call to offer encouragement and share ideas. “Being accessible has been a godsend.”
As union president, Paul possesses the rare ability to gather the league’s top stars — LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant — on conference calls. That buy-in wasn’t there before, and high-ranking union members view Paul’s long-time superstar status as a big reason for the change. Players are more invested in their futures. They want more say. They want more power. “Our meetings are much more engaged now. That’s because of Chris,” Roberts said. “He won’t allow an issue to be presented and then not discussed.”
Paul’s competitiveness spills over into the role, but any beefs he has across the league don’t carry into meetings with players. “Pretty much everybody that I can imagine would have an on-court beef with him,” Tolliver said. “I’ve never seen any sort of negative confrontation [off the court]. “Most people’s experience with him is he’s so competitive … but that also is good for whenever he’s your president and he’s fighting [for] the things you want.”
Tim MacMahon: Anytime Luka (Doncic) goes overseas and people don’t see him there’s going to be these rumors, ‘He’s beefing up again, he’s looking puffy. That rumor’s out there. I asked. I was told that he looks looks fine on their Zoom calls, he’s been working out and he’s actually been playing pickleball over Slovenia.
Spencer Dinwiddie: … so here we go, I’ll explain this again for hot take Twitter. The question was revolving around what a less athletic KD could possibly look like because of how serious an Achilles injury is, especially for Bball players. Let me also first preface this with I don’t know what stage of rehab he’s at, I don’t have insider information, I don’t know when he’s going to return to play or any of that. This is my personal speculation from a basketball fan perspective. (Yes I appreciate HOFs, which he is) At 80% athleticism or so, which takes away his hyper mobility/dexterity for a 7fter. Who has a game that was built around mid post iso, pick/pop, a unblockable left foot turn around fade and overall extreme revolutionary proficiency in terms of a jumper/touch at that size. Sounds a lot like Dirk to me… and at the end of the day we’re comparing clear cut HOFs. Y’all acting like I said dirk was a bum or something
Georges Niang: In this time we need to come together as humans regardless of race, gender and enthicity! And do the right thing and try our best to spread love and positivity! What is happening to our country is devastating and we need to come together and change that now!
May 29, 2020 | 2:57 am EDT Update
A source said no vote has been scheduled on that yet after Commissioner Adam Silver had a conference call with team general managers on Thursday, but momentum seems to be building for a return-to-play scenario that includes only teams in playoff positions — and possibly ones just on the outside to give them a chance to earn a way in the postseason. But teams like the Wolves would be out in those scenarios.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver held a conference call with NBA general managers on Thursday to review the results of the survey delivered to teams last week regarding potential formats to resume play. “There was zero commitment to any one plan,” a general manager told me over the phone. “But it was a call to gather more information.”
Half of the league’s general managers voted to go straight to the playoffs and cancel the rest of the regular season, sources said. Just over half of the league voted to reseed the playoffs 1 to 16 without factoring in conference affiliation.
General managers were surveyed about a “playoffs-plus” format—either a play-in tournament between the bubble teams to determine the final seeds in the playoffs, or a World Cup–style group stage, which would replace the end of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs with a round-robin format. About 75 percent of teams voted in favor of a play-in tournament, sources said, while 25 percent of teams voted in favor of the group stage.
Teams with top seeds, such as the West-leading Lakers and East-leading Bucks, are in favor of a play-in tournament, not a group stage, multiple league sources say.
Even if teams vote in their own best interests, it’s still noteworthy that there is leaguewide support behind more dramatic changes that were balked at in the past—such as playoff reseeding and play-in tournaments. My personal impression from conversations with sources across the league is that Silver is surveying teams to see if there is hunger for a new format the league may be able to use beyond this summer’s restart. Perhaps
But rumblings across the league suggest the NBA will require teams to arrive at Disney World around July 16, at which point they’ll quarantine for a to-be-determined amount of time before group workouts resume and scrimmages begin. And then, games could begin on Friday, July 31. But all of that will be determined in the coming days and weeks, and anything as of now is simply tentative or speculation.
As for what the Wolves would like to see? A source said they will go along with whatever scenario is in the best interest of the league. Wolves coach Ryan Saunders has often said he wished he had a training camp to install systems instead of having to do it on the fly with a team that was largely assembled at the early February trade deadline.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on The Hoop Collective, the league may dismiss the idea of playing as many as 90 regular season games and go right to group-stage type opening round because it will give Zion Williamson and the Pelicans a better chance of making the 16-team playoffs. “I’ll tell you one thing: that scenario gets Zion Williamson in,” Windhorst said. “Look, I’ve just heard… I’m not saying the NBA is going this route, I’m just saying I’ve already heard this scenario that no matter what happens, the cutoff line will be the Pelicans. They’ll be in. It will be the first time in the history of the NBA that the league kicked the ball into the fairway for New Orleans.”
Wizards have zero interest in trading Bradley Beal
Do you think the Nets will trade for Bradley Beal. What do you think they would have to give up? David Aldridge: No. At least not this summer. Wizards have zero interest in moving Beal, and certainly aren’t going to even think about doing so until he and Wall play together again for a season.
Lillard sees longtime teammate CJ McCollum going through his routine with Blazers player development coach Jon Yim, but the backcourt runningmates won’t get a chance to chop it up, at least not face-to-face. There exists a cardinal rule: one guy, one coach, one basket. Then for the first time in what feels like an eternity, Lillard runs through his greatest hits, the barrage of long-range bombs, the floaters, the repertoire that makes him Damian Lillard. “The whole first week was a breath of fresh air,” Lillard says. “On a certain level, it was exciting. You’re finally back on the court and you’re seeing everyone’s faces again.”
Though Lillard’s workout is abbreviated and restricted, he can finally release the pent-up energy accumulated while being locked out of the gym for nearly two months. The return for Lillard and his teammates comes with both anticipation of what he hopes will be more basketball ahead, but also some disorientation. “There’s so much stuff you never realize or appreciate you have access to until you’re without it,” Lillard says. “But it was still good to be back.”
BY MAY 15, one week after the Blazers reopened, the novelty of returning to the facility has worn off for Lillard. While he still values the opportunity to get some portion of his work in, the restrictions are becoming onerous and, truthfully, just strange. “The second week everyone is like, ‘All right, this is kind of weird,'” Lillard says. “The excitement is gone and now it’s, ‘What going on?'”
Brooks addressed his rhetorical question to opposing coaches, who are the ones who get to vote as to which players make the All-Star squad. “If you don’t think he’s an All-Star, then why are you double-teaming every single time we play?” asked Brooks on a recent interview on the “Wizards Greatest Hits” broadcast, via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.
Spencer Dinwiddie understands that expectations are raised to championship if Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving return for the Orlando playoffs. But the Nets guard is unsure what his star teammates will decide. “That’s the billion dollar question. But that’s not something I can answer,” Dinwiddie said Wednesday morning on ESPN’s “First Take.” “I know they’re both working really hard. They’re two of the hardest working in the NBA on the court, and two phenomenal players. If they are able to return and that’s the decision they make, our aspirations turn from playoffs to championship. “If they’re not able to return, which they’ve pretty much said that’s kind of the stance that they’re taking, we still want to be a team that grinds to get to the playoffs and makes a run in the playoffs. But we also understand the talent they add with being two of the top-10 players in the league and KD being, in my opinion, the greatest scorer of all time.”
But Williams changed his mind after seeing LaMelo Ball play in a game early on against the Perth Wildcats and guard Damian Martin, a six-time NBL defensive player of the year. “That’s the benchmark for me,” Williams said of Perth. “Any import point guard who thinks they’re good, all we say is this: let’s see what he does against Perth and Damian Martin. They’re physical, they play extremely hard and they’re picking you up full court…. (But) Damian Martin couldn’t do anything with (Ball). They began doubling him, getting the ball out of his hand. Never seen that, ever.” Ball had 19 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in the preseason game. He hit four 3-pointers. Williams, and the dozens of NBA scouts/front office personnel in attendance, came away impressed. “I said then, that’s the No. 1 pick in the draft. This was (September).”
The advantage of Thibodeau wanting a return to New York is the defensive wizard has worked with Rose before as a client of Creative Artists Agency. Some insiders believe Atkinson could be a better fit than Thibodeau because he’s reputedly better suited for a younger roster that is rebuilding.
The Bulls seem to have had a bad image in terms of perception by free agents for years, what kind of work do you think the new front office will have to do to rehabilitate that image? @Patrick H. A lot of it is relationships. If they carry the pre-existing relationships people I have talked to insist they do, the job could be easy. I’ve heard from more than a few people who have been extremely impressed with the direction of the franchise.
@Brian M. As you know, I would LOVE for the NBA to go back to Seattle. What I was told by owners well before the pandemic was that it was unlikely there’d be much support for expansion until at least the next TV deal (which is set to expire in 2024) is done. So I’m not holding out much hope at present for a groundswell of support for new teams. If this season were, for some reason, ultimately cancelled, maybe some feelings would change.
