Amid heavy criticism, WNBA rescinds players’ warmup shirt fines Members of the New York Liberty await the start of a game against the Atlanta Dream on July 13, 2016. (AP/Mark Lennihan, File) After receiving heavy criticism for fining three teams and their players for wearing black warmup shirts in the wake of recent shootings by and of police officers, a decision that led the teams to engage … [Read more...]

Videos: Steph Curry, Justin Timberlake and Carlton are the best of golf buds Alfonso Ribeiro, Justin Timberlake and Stephen Curry are the three best friends anybody could have. (NBC Sports screenshot)   Two-time reigning NBA MVP Stephen Curry listed rehab from recent ankle and knee injuries chief among his reasons to forego Team USA service at the 2016 Summer Olympics, but that didn’t stop … [Read more...]

Video: Dudes can't stop dunking on Andre Drummond at the Drew League Andre Drummond hasn’t had this much pie on his face since the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Sports Awards. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)   Maybe it was payback for the vicious block Andre Drummond unleashed on a Danish child in June. Andre Drummond is a savage. ???????? (via @sebastian.pfaffnba, Submitted by @naqibs786) A … [Read more...]

Kyrie Irving not worried about Boomers 4:25 AM ET Peter Mitchell NBA All-Star and Team USA point guard Kyrie Irving says he is not worried about facing Australia at the Rio Olympics. Irving, who was born in Melbourne but elected to play for the US, also said he has not thought about going head-to-head with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Matthew Dellavedova. "My job is not to worry … [Read more...]

Activist: Athletes wield real power; action needed 5:00 AM ET ESPN.com news services Prominent sociologist and civil-rights activist Dr. Harry Edwards says the efforts of superstars such as Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James in using their platforms as a means for social change reflect an evolution in power among top black athletes but that action will be required to effect real change. Edwards, … [Read more...]

L.A. crowd boos KD, Green at U.S.-China game 1:00 AM ET Ramona ShelburneESPN Senior Writer Close Senior writer for ESPN.com Spent seven years at the Los Angeles Daily News LOS ANGELES -- Kevin Durant and Draymond Green were booed by the sellout crowd at Staples Center before Team USA's 106-57 win over China on Sunday. They didn't notice. The U.S. team rolled to a second straight blowout … [Read more...]

Durant paces U.S. in another exhibition blowout 10:53 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- Kevin Durant scored 19 points, Klay Thompson added 17 and the U.S. basketball team rolled to a second straight blowout exhibition victory, 106-57 over China on Sunday night. DeMar DeRozan scored 13 points in his hometown, and DeMarcus Cousins had 12 points and seven rebounds in another impressive … [Read more...]

New Warriors trio impresses with Team USA 11:40 PM ET Brian WindhorstESPN Senior Writer Close ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010 Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years Author of two books LAS VEGAS -- The watershed moment happened in the second quarter of Team USA's 111-74 win over Argentina on Friday in the first game of the Olympic preparation run. For the first time, new Golden State Warriors … [Read more...]

Offseason Beat: NBA Summer League West: Pt. 2 Summer League is over, but at least we still have the Olympics to tide us over. In case you missed Ryan Knaus' (@Knaus_RW) first part of Summer League recap, bang it here. We're also doing a ton of podcasts this summer. We did a Summer League Recap Podcast with Ed Isaacson (@NBADraftBlog), so check that out for more on the scouting side of things. … [Read more...]

Durant, U.S. crush Argentina by 37 in exhibition 11:54 PM ET ESPN.com news services LAS VEGAS -- New team. Same old result. Full of new star power, the U.S. men's basketball team opened its bid for a third straight Olympic gold medal Friday with a 111-74 exhibition romp over Argentina at T-Mobile Arena. A U.S. team that hasn't lost a game in 10 years had little trouble with Argentina, which … [Read more...]