Bronny James says the chance to play professionally alongside his father LeBron James had no role in his choice to join the NBA draft. Now that he has been chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers, Bronny says he can still deal with all the extra attention and expectations as the James family makes basketball history. “I’m … trying to get my name out for myself,” Bronny said Tuesday. “I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day. I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad. That’s always there to take part of, but it wasn’t a main focus of mine.” The Lakers formally introduced Bronny James and their first-round pick, Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht, in a news conference at their training complex. They chose home with the 55th overall pick last week, creating the potential for an NBA first. No father and son have ever played in the NBA at the same time, let alone on the same team. Bronny repeated that he did not join the NBA because his 39-year-old father is still an active player. He acknowledged that he did not share his father’s oft-stated dream of playing in the league together. He also knew that he could not control where he was drafted, despite that he read on social media recently about the Lakers’ being a nepotistic effort to keep LeBron James with them for the rest of his career. Bronny James said he is ready for the challenges ahead of him because of “stuff that “stuff that (LeBron) has been telling me my whole life. Just having that work ethic, and coming in and getting your work in, and listening to your coaches and being coachable, stuff like that he’s driven into my head my whole life.” He smartly answered questions about everything that he will face after jumping straight to the NBA from one short season of college basketball. He played inconsistently last winter at USC after recovering from a terrifying cardiac event in July 2023. “The time that I had off, I feel like I could have been perfecting my game more,” Bronny said. “I just feel like I’ve been given the opportunity to showcase what I can really do, because I wasn’t given that much of an opportunity at SC. So I’m excited for what it’s going to be.” Rather than spending another year in college, Bronny said he expects to improve his game in the Lakers’ player development system new coach JJ Redick is setting up. Redick, emphasised the necessity of developing talent from within the organisation after general manager Rob Pelinka hired him last month. “Rob and I did not give Bronny anything,” Redick said. “Bronny has earned this through hard work. For us, prioritising player development, we view Bronny as Case Study 1, because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing, there’s a lot to like about his game. As we build out our player development program holistically, he’s going to have the opportunity to be an excellent NBA player.”

Klay Thompson has accepted a three-year $50 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks, ending his epic 13-year run with the Golden State Warriors. Sources told ESPN this on Monday. Thompson’s contract was significantly influenced by the chance to compete for a fifth title with the Western Conference champions Mavericks. Greg Lawrence of Wasserman (Thompson’s agent) negotiated the deal, it required a multiteam sign-and-trade that sends Dallas guard/forward Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets and two second-round picks to the Warriors.  The Mavericks will send their 2031 second-round pick in the deal including the least favourable of the 76ers or Nuggets’ second-round pick in 2025, a source said. Lawrence and Thompson met Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison and VP Michael Finley at the Bottle Inn in Hermosa Beach, California, to delve into the details of a Thompson-Mavericks partnership. The Los Angeles Lakers were enticing to Thompson, but how much money he would save from living in Texas over California and the fact the Dallas Mavericks were three wins away from an NBA championship were major factors in his decision.  In the last season of Klay’s noteworthy 13-year run with the Warriors, his relationship with the franchise became strained due to contract discussions and his impending free agency. His departure became more apparent as the season progressed. His sadness grew as his role with the Warriors changed throughout the campaign; highlighted by him being removed from the closing lineup in early February and moving to a bench role later that month. Thompson, 32 averaged 17.9 points last season, his lowest since 2012-13. Klay’s tenure with the Golden State earns his place in the franchise and NBA history solidified. Curry, Thomposon, and Draymond Green contributed 518 victories in the regular season and playoffs, sixth most by a trio all time. Their 98th playoff victory together is third in NBA history and their four titles are tied with Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker for the most by an All-NBA trio over the last 50 seasons. The Warriors wished Thompson well in a statement released on Monday, saying they look forward to retiring his No. 11 jersey. “The amount of joy and happiness that Klay provided Warriors fans, Bay Area natives and Dub Nation supporters all around the world has been immense and cannot be minimised,” the statement read. “His penchant for delivering in pressurised situations on the biggest stage, including many Game 6 heroics, has helped define a career. “Klay’s legacy will live on forever and we look forward to the day we can retire his #11 jersey at Chase Center where he will join a host of Warriors immortals, including those who helped shape this recent dynasty — himself included. “We thank Klay for his contributions and wish him the best as another chapter in his journey is written.”

The Brooklyn Nets are trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, where he will join Jalen Brunson and reunite with his other former Villanova teammates. Two people who know about the details reported on Tuesday. The first trade between these two New York rivals (Nets and Knicks) will place Bridges in a lineup alongside Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. These players helped the Wildcats win two NCAA championships. They were the soul of a Knicks squad that advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. New York will pay a huge sum to get him, with ESPN reporting they are sending Bojan Bogdanovic to the Nets. Bogdanovic will get four unprotected first-round picks and one-protected pick. The Associated Press confirmed the deal under condition of anonymity as it is not yet official. Knicks receive: Mikal Bridges 2026 2nd-round pick Nets receive: Bojan Bogdanovic unprotected 1st-round pick in 2025 unprotected 1st-round pick in 2027 unprotected 1st-round pick in 2029 unprotected 1st-round pick in 2031 unprotected pick swap in 2028 top-four protected 2025 1st-round pick via Bucks 2nd round pick in 2025 The Brooklyn Nets got Bridges from the Phoenix Sun in the deal for Kevin Durant in February 2023 and he went ahead to average 26.1 points for the rest of that campaign, helping the Nets reach the playoffs. He scored 19.6 per game in 2023-24 but the Nets fell to 32-50 and missed the postseason. While his team was struggling, Bridges noticed how much fun his friends were having only a few miles away. Brooklyn signed Brunson in the summer of 2022, traded for Hart in the 2022-23 season and then signed DiVincenzo last summer. The Knicks have advanced to the second round in both campaigns. The four players helped Villanova win the 2016 NCAA title, while Brunson, Bridges and DiVincenzo were still playing for the Wildcats when they won the title again in 2018. They cannot wait to reconnect. “This is crazy lol,” Bridges wrote on the social media platform X after the deal was reported. Hart posted a picture of what appeared to be the four players smiling during a group video call. Bridges was runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and is presently the NBA’s most durable player, which should make him an instant favourite with Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. He has played in all 474 matches in his career and never missed a game in college, either. He led the NBA in minutes played in both 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Jaylen Brown received the title of NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in the recently concluded matchup between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. Brown’s Celtics destroyed the Mavericks four games to one to win a historic 18th championship. “It was a full team effort,” Brown said as he accepted the Finals MVP trophy named for Celtics legend Bill Russell. Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in five Finals matches and delivered a solid defensive effort against Mavericks star Luka Doncic, the regular-season scoring leader. “I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime Jayson Tatum – he was with me the whole way so we share this together,” Brown said. Boston secured their first title since 2008. They had advanced to the finals in the 2022 season only to lose to the Golden State Warriors and last season they failed to get back to the championship race, losing to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. With victory on their mind this season, the Celtics won a league-leading 64 regular-season matches.  Boston swept the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals; Brown also won MVP honours in that series.  Brown, in his first year of colossal fiv-year, $286 million contract extension with the Celtics, received his third All-Star nod, but Tatum, not him, was often recognized as the club’s top star. Overlooked for All-NBA honours and by selectors for the US Olympic basketball team for Paris, Brown now finally has the honour he really wanted, an NBA title and the Finals MVP to complement it. Jaylen, who was chosen third overall in the 2016 draft, shared a long, heartwarming hugh with Tatum as the last moments of the 106-88 deciding match counted down.  Brown said he had let go of doubts from past play-off misses for this season. “I never hung my head,” he said.

Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown reaches the top spot in the NBA Finals MVP Ladder. Three days of consistent Jayson Tatum consternation all over the globe appeared equivalent to the Dallas Mavericks calling out the “Candyman’’ five times in front of a mirror. Tatum heard the summon and responded loudly in Game 3, holding off the Mavericks alongside Jaylen Brown. Both players shared 61 points in a 106-88 win over Dallas in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis.  Boston’s performance ruined any chances Kyrie Irving had at redemption that night. Irving shook off duds in Games 1 and 2 with a game-high 35 points, only to witness that effort crumble when Luka Doncic fouled out with 4:12 left. The Celtics ride a dominating 3-0 series lead in the NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV into Friday’s possible elimination clash at American Airlines Center. No NBA club has ever rallied from down 3-0 to a win of best-of-seven series.  Here are the Top 5 in the 2024 Race to the NBA Finals MVP Ladder after Game 3: 1. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics Last ranking: No. 3 NBA Finals stats: 24.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 5.7 apg. Brown has been consistent in scoring. He delivered a game-high 15 points in the third quarter, combining to outscore Dallas 22-19, building a 15-point lead, before fouling out Doncic with the game on the line. As usual, Brown was clutch down the stretch.  2. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics Last ranking: No. 4 NBA Finals stats: 21.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 7.3 apg. Tatum began fast with 13 points in the first frame on his way to matching Irvings’ game-high 20 points in the first half. He kept Boston in the contest over that span as Irving and Doncic combined for 37 points before Brown joined the party in the second half. Tatum earned his triumphant stroll to the visitor’s locker room. 3. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks Last ranking: No. 5 NBA Finals stats: 21 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.3 apg Irving averaged 26.5 ppg in the first round, 15.7 ppg in the conference semifinals and 27 ppg in the West Finals. He averaged 14 in Games 1 and 2 on 35.1% shooting and was 0-for-8 on 3-pointers. In Game 3, Irving was 4-for-5 from range in just the first half to become the first Mavericks besides Doncic to hit multiple 3s in the series. 4. Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics Last ranking: No. 1 NBA Finals stats: 15.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 4.3 apg. Derrick White deserves a mention after his performance in Game 3 (16 points, five rebounds, four assists, two blocks). But Holiday is in this spot because his consistent, versatile and hustles in this series. His scoring numbers may not be high, but his effort is. Jrue won’t completely shut down his defensive assignments, but he will certainly make life hard on them.  5. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks Last ranking: No. 2 NBA Finals stats: 29.7 ppg, 9 rpg, 6 apg.  A difficult first-half showing. But Doncic fouled out for the third time in his career and the first time in the playoffs. His disqualification could not have come at a worse time with 4:12 left and Dallas trailing by 3. The Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has talked to Doncic several times for allowing arguments with officiating to take him out of matches. 

It would appear that the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks wanted to get on with their last matches and have enough prep time before Game 1 of  the Celtics VS Mavericks 2024 NBA Finals on June 6.  Boston was the league’s best team by record all season, winning the East and clinching home court for as long as they needed it, including this round.  The Mavericks went 50-32, which is worth noting would have tied for second in the East with New York. That still was 14 matches off the Celtics’ pace and good for just the No.5 seed in the West. That left Dallas playing from down under to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, the Oklahoma Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves, all while establishing themselves as title contenders at each step.  Boston stayed above the fray as favourites, bringing criticism for lone missteps against the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. It also permitted some critics to judge forward Jayson Tatum’s heat. The Celtics won both meeting against the Mavericks this campaign. They won 119-110 at the American Airlines Center and defeated Dallas again 138-110 on March 1 at TD Garden. This is the Celtics’ 23rd visit to the finals. The Mavericks has made it twice before, this one 13 years after its 2011 upset championships over the first edition of Miami’s “super team’’. Celtics VS Mavericks Series Schedule These are the match timings for the the Celtics VS Mavericks series Finals:  All times Eastern Daylight Time  Game 1: Mavericks vs. Celtics, June 6 (8:30 p.m., ABC)  Game 2: Mavericks vs. Celtics, June 9 (8 p.m., ABC)  Game 3: Celtics vs. Mavericks, June 12 (8:30 p.m., ABC)  Game 4: Celtics vs. Mavericks, June 14 (8:30 p.m., ABC)  Game 5: Mavericks vs. Celtics, June 17 (8:30 p.m., ABC)*  Game 6: Celtics vs. Mavericks, June 20 (8:30 p.m., ABC)*  Game 7: Mavericks vs. Celtics, June 23 (8 p.m., ABC)*  * = If necessary. 

Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown will reportedly be staying with the Kings for a longer duration. Reports came out late Friday night, that the two-time Coach of the Year winner and the Kings, signed a re-negotiated two-year extension that would keep him with the team through 2026-27. ESPN first reported the deal and said that Brown will receive a $4 million raise to $8.5 million for next season and the $8.5 million a year for two extra seasons added to his last deal. Brown secured a 94-70 record in two seasons with Sacramento. He led the Kings to their first playoff spot since 2006 in his first year and missed a return to the playoffs this last campaign. Sacramento lost a play-in match for the eighth seed to New Orleans after going 46-36 in the regular season. Mike has been a significant part of Sacramento’s transformation, helping the club end the longest playoff drought in NBA history and winning his second career coach of the year award. Brown and Rick Adelman are the only Kings coaches to lead them to a winning record in any season since they moved to Sacramento in 1985. Mike Brown has a 441-286 career record with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Kings.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is a coach’s dream according to Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl. The longest-serving member of the club met the billing against the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final at American Airlines Center on Friday. Nugent-Hopkins scored two power-play goals in a 3-1 victory that gave the Oilers a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Edmonton can enter the 2024 Stanley Cup Final with a victory in Game 6 at Edmonton on Sunday (8 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, MAX). “He’s so valuable in every facet of the game. He touches every part of the game,” Draisaitl said prior to the victory. “Have you guys ever seen him make a mistake? I really haven’t. He’s just such a smart, good hockey player and he’s probably the coach’s favourite player in the world.” Before that match, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said his favourite player always changes, but there is no doubt who received that honour on Friday. “I actually saw Ryan tonight, and I told him tonight, he’s my favourite,” Knoblauch said. “Two goals tonight. Obviously the power play was really big. [He’s] a part of the penalty kill. He had a good game. A lot of guys had a good game.” Nugent-Hopkins opened the scoring by batting the rebound of an Evan Bouchard shot past Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger at 14:09 of the first period. He scored another goal to make it 2-0 at 1:06 of the second period, sending a shot past Oettinger from the slot off a pass from Draisaitl. “We gave ourselves a chance here (to win the series) and that’s all you can ask,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “I thought we played a great game, a pretty full 60 (minutes), and now we get a chance to close it out on home ice. It’s going to take everything, an effort like we had tonight.” It has been a long road for the Oilers forward, who was the No.1 pick by Edmonton in the 2011 NHL Draft and is in his 13th season with the team. Nugent-Hopkins was part of an initial rebuild that included No.1 picks Taylor Hall (2010) and Nail Yakupov (2012) but it never held. It was when Edmonton won the 2015 NHL Draft Lottery and chose Connor McDavid No.1 that things began to change. “He gets asked to do so much on this team, whether it’s on the kill, big draws on the kill, he’s got a big responsibility on the power play,” said McDavid, the Oilers captain. “He’s asked to do everything and always delivers, and tonight was big. He was awesome.” Nugent-Hopkins had not played in a Stanley Cup Playoff game in his first five seasons, until the Oilers snapped a 10-season postseason drought in 2017. He has 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 7 matches in the playoffs this campaign, and 59 points (16 goals, 43 assists) in 66 NHL postseason matches. “It’s the furthest we’ve been in a while. It’s a lot of fun,” Nugent-Hopkins said prior to the game. “This is why we do it. This is why we work so hard and play. Obviously when you’re in it, you’re just playing and looking for that next win, so it’s not like you sit back and reflect too much on it while you’re in the moment. At the same time, it’s exciting and we understand where we are and the opportunity we have ahead of us, so it’s fun to be a part of it.” Nugent-Hopkins endured tough terms with the Oilers before they became Stanley Cup contenders. He is the only player left from the earlier rebuild and rededicated to the organisation, when he signed an eight-year contract on June 29, 2021, that runs through the 2028-29 season. “I think your early years, especially if you’re coming from junior where you had some success, it can be frustrating for sure to be missing the playoffs year in and year out, but at the same time, you get extra time to work on your game in the summer,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “As a young kid there’s lots to grow into physically and mentally. You kind of mature and figure out how you’re going to be a good player in the League.” Missing the playoffs in his early seasons, made him appreciative of the present run. Edmonton has reached the playoffs for a fifth straight season, and have gone through heartbreak in the postseason. Now Nugent-Hopkins and the Oilers are one step away from facing the Florida Panthers or New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final, where they have not been since 2006. “Definitely the crowd is going to be buzzing for sure, it’s going to be loud and it’s going be exciting,” Nugent-Hopkins said of Game 6 at home. “For us, it’s about controlling the emotions, playing within ourselves and trusting our game, and it should be good enough to get the job done.” When he first came into the league, Ryan was the face of Edmonton’s future. Although he does not seem to have aged since joining the Oilers from Red Deer of the Western Hockey League. Nugent-Hopkings has grown into one of the best two-way players in the NHL. “I think he’s the heartbeat of this team,” defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. “He’s been here a long time. He’s the one that shows the culture. He’s a hardworking guy, and I think his game suits that perfect where he is so responsible defensively but still a threat and part of that power-play unit that is probably one of the most lethal ones in the game. I have nothing but praise for him. I think he’s a great guy off the ice as well, so he does it all.” He is one of the few players on the roster who plays a major role in all contests. He is on the first line with McDavid and Zach Hyman, plays on the first power-play unit and kills penalties. “Definitely, it’s something that I’ve

Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton was forced to watch from the sidelines in Game 4 of the NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics on Monday, no thanks to an injured left hamstring. It was the second straight game the All-NBA guard missed in the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston leveraged Haliburton’s absence, once again defeating the Pacers in the fourth quarter to win 105-102 and secure their 23rd contest in the NBA Finals. Haliburton, the NBA’s assists champion, had been the driving force for Indiana’s longest postseason appearance in a decade. Although the Pacers built 18-point leads without Haliburton in Game 3, the Celtics regrouped to take the lead in the match’s final minute and won 114-11. They ended the Pacers’ perfect postseason run at home. On Monday, Indiana led by eight with 5:56 remaining, before Boston fought back again, taking the final lead on Derrick White’s 3-pointer in the final minute. Celtics played without All-Star center Kristaps Porzingis, who has not played since April 29th due to a strained right hamstring.