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Jalen Lewis becomes youngest prospect to turn pro in American history

High school junior Jalen Lewis — a five-star basketball recruit — is signing a contract with the new Overtime Elite professional league, sources tell The Athletic. His multiyear deal is worth more than $1 million, sources said. Lewis, 16 and born in 2005, is the youngest prospect ever to turn pro in America. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound center from Oakland, Calif., (Bishop O’Dowd High) is 12th in the Class of 2023 in the 247Sports Composite Rating. Kentucky, Duke and UCLA were among the schools recruiting Lewis, sources said.
2 weeks ago – via Shams Charania @ The Athletic

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This rumor is part of a storyline: 11 more rumors
Overtime Elite has continued to attract top talent, signing a pair of highly ranked twin brothers: Matt and Ryan Bewley and Auser and Amen Thompson. This gives OTE three top prospects for the 2023 high school class. OTE has also signed top international prospects, including Jean Montero, Alexandre Sarr and Nathan Missia-Dio. Overtime Elite is planning to start in September with former Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie serving as head coach.
2 weeks ago – via Shams Charania @ The Athletic

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NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league’s ability to get over a million fans back into attendance during the playoffs has helped the league stem its financial losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We did somewhat better than we initially projected,” Silver said Tuesday before Game 1 of the NBA Finals. “We don’t have the exact numbers yet, but maybe we’ll be down roughly a third in revenue, something around there, instead of 40 percent.”
2 weeks ago – via Ramona Shelburne @ ESPN

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Storyline: Coronavirus
Two, Silver said the NBA will continue some version of a play-in tournament. “Overall, it was very positive for the league and the players,” Silver said. “Certainly there’d been some suggestions about some tweaks we should consider, but again, I think once we bring it back to our owners for a vote and the Players Association meets and has an opportunity to consider it, it’s my expectation that it will continue for next season.”
2 weeks ago – via Mark Medina @ USA Today Sports

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Storyline: Play-In Tournament
Although Silver defended Morey’s freedom of speech and resisted pressure from the Chinese government to fire him, Silver stressed that Morey’s views did not reflect the NBA’s. “It certainly doesn’t mean that we are blessing everything that happens in China by any means. We are at root an American company, and so we follow U.S. government policy,” Silver said. “But it’s my expectation that we will continue to distribute our games in China through their service, Tencent, and others, and that we can play a productive role in helping the people of the United States and the people of China have a better understanding of each other, and see that we’re all human beings and that there is commonality between us.”
2 weeks ago – via Mark Medina @ USA Today Sports

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