The Mamba in flight: A Kobe Bryant Dunk History retrospective In each of the last two offseasons, we here at Ball Don't Lie have whiled away some late-summer moments by turning our attention to the past, recalling some of the most scintillating slams of yesteryear, the most thunderous throwdowns ever to sear themselves into our memories. We call this Dunk History. Today, on the occasion of … [Read more...]

Comparing the work of Kobe Bryant to 10 all-time NBA greats Basketball is a team sport by heart and practice, but it is also one that can be dominated by the individual. Few other individuals in NBA history dominated the game as soundly as Kobe Bryant, and while he’ll remain one of the more polarizing figures in league history, we thought it fair to discuss some of the more similar (due to … [Read more...]

Barnes: Griz can 'interrupt history' vs. Warriors 4:15 AM ET ESPN.com news services print The Golden State Warriors will be going for their NBA-record 73rd victory of the season Wednesday night. The Memphis Grizzlies are the only thing standing in their way. "They're chasing history," Memphis forward Matt Barnes said after the Grizzlies' 110-84 loss to the Los Angeles … [Read more...]

Basketball Daily Dose: Dose: Make Grants Like Jerian Hey! We actually have matchups for the postseason. The Cavs will play the Pistons and the Raptors will face the Pacers in the first round. Amazingly, we still don’t know any of the Western Conference matchups or the other two matchups on the Eastern Conference. If you play DFS, I will tweet out lineup breakdowns for each team (@MikeSGallagher), … [Read more...]

NBA Playoff Picture: The scenarios at stake on season's final day It's finally here. Nearly six months since the season tipped off in late October, the last night of the 2015-2016 NBA regular season will commence on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. While the day's big stories are clearly the Warriors' chance at 73 wins and Kobe Bryant's final game, there are plenty of games with potential impact on … [Read more...]

Celtics coach Brad Stevens sends playoff scenarios to recycling bin 12:02 AM ET Chris ForsbergESPN Staff Writer Close Covered Celtics since 2007 Emmy award-winning videographer Joined ESPNBoston.com in 2009 print WALTHAM, Mass. -- A Boston Celtics staffer walked into coach Brad Stevens' office Tuesday morning with a printout that detailed all the possible playoff scenarios in the … [Read more...]

Cavaliers, Raptors have sights set on title 12:32 AM ET ESPN Stats & Information print Tuesday night’s outcomes set in place the first round opponents for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors. The Cavaliers will open with the Detroit Pistons, and the Raptors will open with the Indiana Pacers. According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Cavaliers have the best odds … [Read more...]

Spurs close regular season at home with heavy workload 11:45 PM ET Michael C. WrightESPN Staff Writer Close Joined ESPN in 2010 Previously covered Bears for ESPN.com Played college football at West Texas A&M print SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich accomplished the goal of pushing the team through some strenuous work -- by virtue of a 102-98 overtime win … [Read more...]

Kobe vs. Kobe: Who wins, No. 8 or No. 24? Kobe Bryant spent the first 10 seasons of his NBA career wearing No. 8. He switched to No. 24 prior to the 2006-07 season, giving him an even 10 seasons in each jersey. Here's how No. 8 Kobe fared against No. 24 Kobe: … [Read more...]

Kobe finale draws onslaught of U.S., global media 8:56 PM ET print LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant's career finale Wednesday at Staples Center, where the Los Angeles Lakers face the Utah Jazz before a sold-out crowd, will be one of the most heavily covered regular-season games in recent NBA history. In fact, by Tuesday afternoon, between 350 and 400 media members were issued credentials, … [Read more...]