NBA All-Star Weekend live updates: Schedule of events, dunk, 3 ...

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is at his first All-Star Game but he's also been fashion forward off the court. Someone asked him about those big red boots he wore to a game last month and how long it took him to get out then. SGA came to the arena prepared.

"I figured it out before I went to the game," he said, "so I wouldn't have no hiccups."

Mike Vorkunov·

Staff Writer, NBA and Basketball Business writer

Joe Dumars, a basketball Hall of Famer who has an affinity for players coming from smaller schools, posed an important question to McNeese State before committing to play college ball there in the early 1980s.

“I’m saying no to a handful of big schools,” Dumars recalled to The Athletic. “Will we play against the bigger schools in the country? They said, ‘Absolutely, those are money games for us, Joe.’ And that’s all I needed. I just needed the exposure against the bigger schools.”

Dumars parlayed his time at McNeese into a remarkable NBA career, one that included championships in 1989 and 1990 as a player and another as a team executive in 2004 with the Detroit Pistons.

Dumars, who serves as NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations, is a proponent of exposure to new opportunities for young people — on and off the court. It’s why he’s excited about the 2023 NBA HBCU Classic, which will feature Grambling State against Southern on Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City as part of NBA All-Star Weekend. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. ET, and the game will be nationally televised on TNT.

This is the second HBCU Classic as part of the weekend. Morgan State faced Howard in last year’s event. This year’s game will cap a series of events related to the NBA’s providing opportunities for students from historically Black colleges and universities.

Read more here.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Jason Jones·

Staff Writer, Culture

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2023 NBA HBCU Classic more than Grambling-Southern rivalry: ‘They need to get exposure’

Sonny Vaccaro, one of basketball’s most well-known names, has seen every elite high school player since 1965, when he co-founded the Dapper Dan Roundball Basketball Classic in Pittsburgh.

Vaccaro, who built his basketball legacy as a famous executive with Nike, Reebok and Adidas, was in awe of a young Raymond Lewis. After watching Lewis in high school, Vaccaro said those unfamiliar with the guard need to know his story.

“He was the best high school player that I had ever saw in my life,” Vaccaro told The Athletic. “What I saw was a kid oblivious to anything but the love of basketball.

“What I saw later on was basketball killed him, because basketball lied to him.”

Former NBA player and current Pepperdine coach Lorenzo Romar said the story of Lewis’ life is fascinating and sad. The documentary film “Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend,” which tells the story of a drafted athlete who never played a minute in the NBA, will be screened for free Saturday in Salt Lake City during All-Star Weekend.

Lewis was a phenom at Verbum Dei Jesuit High in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1969, winning three consecutive California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section championships. A prodigious scorer, Lewis was recruited by more than 250 schools, according to the documentary, but he surprised many by choosing California State University, Los Angeles.

Read the full story here.

Jason Jones·

Staff Writer, Culture

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Remembering Raymond Lewis, the 76ers draft pick who never played in the NBA

Joe Vardon·

Senior Writer, NBA

Shams Charania·

Senior Insider, NBA

Rockets wing KJ Martin isn’t even telling his dad Kenyon Martin which dunks he’ll use at the NBA Dunk Contest: “You’re going to see when I do it.” KJ sits down with @Stadium to discuss Saturday night, his emergence in Houston and more: pic.twitter.com/AxkXJtxPmF

Paolo Banchero will attempt to accomplish something that Markelle Fultz, Deandre Ayton, Zion Williamson, Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham did not accomplish.

Banchero is vying to become the first No. 1 pick to be named NBA Rookie of the Year since Ben Simmons won the award for the 2017-18 season. (Simmons was the top pick in the 2016 draft but missed the entire 2016-17 season because of an injury.)

Banchero appears to be the frontrunner as the league approaches its All-Star break. But what are his chances, really?

To answer that question, The Athletic has assembled three of its beat writers who voted for the award last season: Kelly Iko, who covers the Houston Rockets; Eric Nehm, who covers the Milwaukee Bucks; and Josh Robbins, who covers the Washington Wizards.

Read more here.

The Athletic NBA Staff

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Paolo Banchero? Bennedict Mathurin? Who leads the NBA Rookie of the Year race?

Four of the top 10 players in 3-pointers made this season — Buddy Hield, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and Lauri Markkanen — are among the participants in tonight's 3-point contest.

Hield, who leads the league in 3s (230) and attempts (540), needs only 53 over the Pacers' final 22 games to set a new career high.

The top 10 league leaders at the All-Star break:

(Photo: USA Today)

The Athletic Staff

Dominique Wilkins, one of the greatest in-game dunkers in NBA history and nicknamed “The Human Highlight Film,” told The Athletic dunking was used “as a tool for intimidation.” It’s arguably the most charismatic play in basketball. And even that charisma has levels.

A fan’s scream of excitement is noticeably different when watching a basic breakaway dunk off a steal than when watching a player get postered, becoming a top highlight on every TV station. In cataloging a dunk metaphorically: If simply scoring two points is a nice painting by a starving artist, then a good dunk can elevate two points to Michelangelo or Basquiat status. They all have value, but one has that unexplainable pop.

Basketball traditionalists will say two points is just that, two points. But in the game’s modern ages, particularly on an NBA level, style points matter to most fans. When All-Star Weekend is on, the Slam Dunk Contest normally is the featured attraction — no disrespect to the All-Star Celebrity Game, the 3-Point Contest and the Skills Challenge. When it’s time to see the high-flyers, all eyes are glued to the TV.

Now, put that same energy into a regular game environment. Imagine an arena’s turn-up level going from a 2 to a 10 with the assist of one perfectly timed monster jam. In the seven-plus decades of NBA action, there have been multiple athletes who have given those examples, providing classic footage for highlight reels and further explaining why dunks supersede layups.

Enjoy this in-depth roundtable, featuring The Athletic’s Jason Jones, Rob Peterson and Damon Sayles, as they discuss some of the game’s greatest in-game dunkers.

The Athletic NBA Staff

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NBA 75: Discussing some of the league’s all-time greatest in-game dunkers

The Cavaliers have completed Kevin Love’s contract buyout, a team source confirmed to The Athletic, and the Heat have emerged as leaders to sign the five-time All-Star, league sources said Saturday.

Love has spent the past nine years in Cleveland and helped the team win the 2016 championship.

He hasn’t played in recent weeks and has battled with injuries this season, clearing the way for him and the organization to begin discussions on a potential buyout arrangement that allows him to seek a better playing opportunity.

The Heat, who The Athletic previously reported would pursue Love, have an open roster spot and can offer Love a reserve role with ample minutes.

Love’s buyout is expected to be completed in the coming days, league sources said.

Read more below.

The Athletic NBA Staff

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Heat leaders to sign Kevin Love following buyout with Cavaliers: Sources

Earlier this season, a photo of Jericho Sims went viral on the Knicks’ corners of social media. The picture was a dunk contest plea, even if it wasn’t of a dunk at all. Sims leaped so high, flying at the rim without a basketball in hand, that his forehead was on the verge of cleanly clanking the basket. A last-second head-swivel in the other direction was the only jitter that saved him from a guaranteed headache.

But this is what Sims does. He jumps. And he jumps high. Very high. His teammates will throw him lobs anywhere and feel confident he can come down with the basketball. His teammate, Obi Toppin, won the contest last year. Others have pushed for him on his behalf. He barely even knows All-Star point guard Ja Morant, for example, but that didn’t stop Morant from tweeting that Sims needed to get in on the festivities. The always stoic Sims has wanted his opportunity. Now, it’s finally happening.

(Photo: Chris Nicoll / USA Today)

Fred Katz·

Staff Writer, Knicks

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Knicks’ Jericho Sims replacing Trail Blazers’ Shaedon Sharpe in NBA Dunk Contest: Sources

Sixers guard Mac McClung — who recently signed a two-way contract with the team — is favored to win the 2023 NBA dunk contest. Full odds, via BetMGM:

The Athletic NBA Staff

(Photo: Ken Blaze / USA Today)

Tobias Bass·

Associate Editor, News

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Pacers guard Buddy Hield are the favorites for tonight's 3-point contest, according to BetMGM odds.

The odds for the full field:

The Athletic Staff

Tobias Bass·

Associate Editor, News

SALT LAKE CITY — Back east in Portland, Maine, an assistant coach for the G-League’s Maine Celtics, Ross McMains, was planning to catch the Rising Stars game Friday evening. He had particular interest in Andrew Nembhard, the Pacers rookie he trained to prepare for the pre-draft team and combine workouts.

Nembhard didn’t put up big numbers — he came off the bench in both games and totaled two points, three assists and one rebound in 10 minutes on a night when Bennedict Mathurin came this close to winning the MVP for the title-winning Team Pau by scoring 14 points in two games — but, then, this wasn’t necessarily the type of game where Nembhard figured to flourish.

Nembhard’s game isn’t built on a foundation of flash and hyper-athleticism. Instead, he’s a cerebral sort whose deep understanding of the game led him to this night, where he was the only second-rounder (31st overall) to make the Rising Stars roster this year.

“He’s the highest IQ player I’ve ever worked with,” McMains said Friday afternoon. “I’ve worked for several NBA teams, worked with a lot of rookies, guys preparing for the league, and for that age group, he’s No. 1 in terms of understanding of the game. Sometimes you come across guys who have a good feel for the game, but with him, I could talk the game like I could with any coach I’d come across.”

Read more here.

Bob Kravitz·

Senior Writer, Indiana

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Kravitz: Don’t sleep on Rising Star Andrew Nembhard and his beautiful mind for basketball

As expected, Dirk Nowitzki, Gregg Popovich and Dwyane Wade were among the finalists named for induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023, the NBA announced Friday. Here’s what you need to know:

Read more here.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Joe Vardon·

Senior Writer, NBA

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Basketball Hall of Fame: Dirk Nowitzki, Gregg Popovich, Dwyane Wade among 2023 finalists

Law Murray·

Staff Writer, Clippers

What an amazing way to close out the Rising Stars challenge!

On their first possession with a chance to hit the target score, Team Pau hunted the game-winning 3. Bennedict Mathurin decided against forcing attempt in the corner and flipped it to Jose Alvarado, who splashed the handoff attempt in front of his team's bench.

Balanced effort for Team Pau in the final game, as Mathurin was the only player out of seven who didn't grab a rebound in the final game. Mathurin led the team with 7 points and 2 assists.

Grimes led all scorers in the championship game, scoring 14 of Team Joakim's 20 points.

Law Murray·

Staff Writer, Clippers

Law Murray·

Staff Writer, Clippers