Texas football news: Robert Griffin III says Longhorns let Arch Manning down appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Texas Longhorns took on the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday night in a star-studded affair that saw Kevin Durant testing his quarterback skills and Matthew McConaughey narrating an exciting hype video. Texas QB Arch Manning took the field in a matchup against budding rival Julian Sayin but had a rough first half as Ohio State seized a 23-3 lead headed into the fourth quarter.
Manning threw an interception that fans couldn't believe, as he lofted a well-placed pass that was bobbled, dropped, and picked off. With just 60 yards at halftime, Manning's performance was heavily scrutinized, while former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Pro Bowler pointed the finger at his Longhorns teammates.
"Texas' WRs are letting Arch Manning down," Griffin III said matter-of-factly as the game continued to progress.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

#texas #longhorns #clutchpoints #ohio

Texas football news: Watch Kevin Durant test his QB arm at Ohio State clash appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Texas Longhorns welcomed Ohio State to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday for a big game that didn't go the 'Horns' way early, as the Buckeyes jumped out to a 20-3 halftime lead. Texas quarterback Arch Manning made a brutally honest admission about last year's game film of his team's loss to Ohio State but did little to change it as he completed only 50% of his passes in the first half for 60 yards with one interception.
The game included celebrity pregame appearances from Houston Rockets star and Longhorns alum Kevin Durant along with actor Matthew McConaughey, who narrated an ice-cold hype video before the marquee matchup.
Durant got plenty of attention as he was seen on the sidelines showing off his quarterback skills on the same night as Manning and Ohio State QB Julian Sayin's duel. He appeared calm and content in a black T-shirt, long pants, and white baseball cap, looking like he could pass as a college quarterback while slinging passes with ease.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)

#durant #quarterback #clutchpoints

The stars weren't out in the night sky just yet Saturday at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, but there were some sightings on the sidelines.
In one of the biggest Texas football games of the season against Ohio State, celebrities, politicians and Texas Exes came to Austin and were spotted throughout the sidelines. Earlier in the day, ESPN "College GameDay" featured Sen. Ted Cruz, who was booed by the Longhorn faithful and Austin native; movie star Glen Powell as the guest picker on the show.
Glen Powell on the field at the game between Texas Football and Ohio State at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin, Sept. 12, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman)
Of course, other Austin celebrities were out and about - what is a night game at DKR without Longhorn superfan Matthew McConaughey. He also brought out his friend and "True Detective" co-star Woody Harrelson who was seen chatting with athletic director Chris Del Conte. Gov. Greg Abbott was there, too.
Then there were the sports legends of the school in attendance. Former men's basketball player and current Houston Rocket Kevin Durant was seen throwing crisp spirals and chatting with former football head coach Mack Brown. Former running back Ricky Williams and quarterback Colt McCoy were also spotted as well as former Texas volleyball player Madisen Skinner.

#austin #royal #state

Ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season, HoopsHype is releasing rankings at every position. While Fred VanVleet was rated rather low as a point guard, Rockets star Kevin Durant was recently ranked as one of the best in his position. In a list of the top 27 small forwards in the NBA, Durant placed fifth after averaging 26 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 ***** ists, 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocks in 78 appearances last season.
The Duke duo of Jayson Tatum and Cooper Flagg were ranked first and second, respectively, before the newest member of the Philadelphia 76ers (Jaylen Brown) came in at No. 3. No. 4 is a much more controversial choice, as Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder was given the nod over Durant despite playing in just 33 contests last year. Kawhi Leonard (Raptors), Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers), Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Brandon Ingram (Clippers) and Brandon Miller (Hornets) rounded out the top-10.
For more NBA content, check out the BasketBaltes podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/@B...
https://www.instagram.com/...

#season #ranked

It started with yelling about toilets. Steve Ballmer was so serious about turning the Los Angeles Clippers into a serious franchise for the first time in their existence that he wanted to make sure no fan ever waited in a long line to use the bathroom when the team opened its new arena. Ballmer's drive to win eventually led the Clippers to courting Kawhi Leonard in free agency, fresh off leading the Toronto Raptors to a 2019 NBA championship. Leonard wanted to live in Los Angeles, yes, but he also wanted Paul George as his running mate, so the Clippers shipped out a boatload of draft picks and future two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to get him.
Leonard's people also made it known that their client wanted the type of big endorsement deals his off-putting, robotic personality couldn't land legitimately. Leonard's now infamous Uncle Dennis Robertson never tried to be subtle about his desire to secure similar off-court bags to the ones Kawhi's contemporaries like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant were landing on their own accord, and leaks of his demands circulated as soon as Leonard hit free agency.
The Clippers became so entangled in pleasing Leonard that it led to blatant salary cap circumvention, first reported by investigative journalist Pablo Torre. The NBA found enough evidence supporting Torre's claims that it hammered the Clippers with the most severe penalty in league history, stripping five future first-round draft picks, suspending executives including Ballmer, and more. That figured to be the end of the story, with the Clippers spending the next decade trying to climb out of the abyss. Torre continued to hint that there was another shoe to drop, and now that it's here, the Clippers might be in much bigger trouble than anyone first believed.
The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into the Clippers, according to the New York Times, and it's already issued one subpoena. While the scope of the investigation is unclear for now, the fact that the feds are watching the Clippers for under-the-table dealings potentially makes this a much bigger deal than simply breaking NBA rules.
How does breaking NBA rules amount to a federal crime by the Clippers? While there's a lot left to come out, the main idea is that the Clippers committed some level of fraud. Daktronics was a publicly traded company, the only one of the four tied up in the Leonard scandal to fit that description, while Aspiration, Lockton Insurance, and Boingo Wireless were not. Publicly traded companies have a fiduciary duty to their shareholders to disclose big investments, and it sure feels like that never happened when dealing with Leonard.

#ballmer

A longtime NBA journeyman recently named Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry as one of the league's top five players. In an interview with HoopsHype, 14-year NBA veteran Danilo Gallinari spoke about his career and the current state of the NBA. When asked to give a top-five list of current players, Curry was the first name he said. "Current Top 5, I always, I guess I always go with the old heads first: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James. And then I put Anthony Edwards and Nikola Jokic."
Gallinari, a former No. 6 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, played for eight different franchises, with his longest stop coming in Denver. Despite suffering two ACL tears during his career, the Italian forward put together an impressive resume, playing in 777 career games, averaging 14.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 ***** ists and 0.7 steals while shooting 42.8% from the floor and 38.1% from beyond the arc. His strongest campaign came with the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2018-19 season, where he averaged 19.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 ***** ists and 0.7 steals. Gallinari's final season came during the 2023-24 campaign, where he played for three different teams, the Wizards, Pistons and Bucks.
For more NBA content, check out the BasketBaltes podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/@B...
https://www.instagram.com/...

#current #first

DETROIT — The Motor City Cruise — the G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons — announced on Thursday the hiring of Steve Scalzi as their new head coach. Scalzi will replace Jamelle McMillan at the start of the 2026-27 season, becoming the third head coach in the franchise's history.
Scalzi has worked as an ***** istant coach for the Pistons for the past three seasons. Renowned for his player development skills, he has been instrumental in developing players such as Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson. In July, he also served as head coach for the Pistons during the 2026 NBA Summer League tournament.
Scalzi's role as coach of the Cruise marks his return to the NBA's professional developmental league. He began his career as an ***** istant coach with the then-Tulsa 66ers (Oklahoma City Blue), the Oklahoma City Thunder's G League affiliate.
At that time, the Blue were part of the NBA D-League. As one of the franchise's primary player development coaches, Scalzi helped a handful of players receive promotions around the league during the 2013-14 season.
Scalzi's success later led him to join the Thunder's coaching staff in 2014, where he held several roles during his seven-year tenure. His most memorable responsibility was helping develop future Hall of Famers Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

#pistons #cruise

Over a decade later, one of the most shocking moves in NBA history still requires a lot of brain power to process. Kevin Durant's decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors in 2016 is one of those history-altering events whose ripple effects can still be felt today.
After giving up a 3-1 series lead in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, Durant joined the arch-rivals to team up with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. That quartet of first-ballot Hall-of-Famers made the following couple of years skippable as they cruised their way to back-to-back NBA championships.
You know the story by now. The Thunder went all in to keep Durant. And despite their organizational pleas and pitches, it wasn't enough to convince the NBA superstar to stick around and run it back. His exit took a decade to get over as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helped heal the scars with a Larry O'Brien trophy in 2025.
In one of an endless supply of perspectives on Durant's decision, Dion Waiters weighed in with his two cents. He appeared on the 'Real Talk with MJ' podcast in Oct. 2024 to reflect on his exit and how it affected the role player's next move as he signed a last-resort one-year deal with the Miami Heat in the aftermath.
"We was in the WCF up 3-1 against Golden State. Tricked it off, bro. We're supposed to went to the Finals against Cleveland," Waiters said. "I feel like we would've beaten Cleveland. We just messed up at the right time, bro."

#back #golden #decade

The Los Angeles Rams have historically been OK with a lack of size at the cornerback position. Their last few draft picks—although rare—have demonstrated this from Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick to the likes of Tre Tomlinson.
But the Rams did something very out of character this offseason: they made a major free agent signing and brought in a player with real size attributes. Jaylen Watson is listed at 6-2 and 197 lbs.
The addition of Watson got lost in the shuffle during the aftermath of LA's trade for higher profile corner Trent McDuffie, his Kansas City teammate. McDuffie also fits the Rams' preference or accommodation of smaller defenders, although he has a strong lower half and is a willing tackler out of the slot.
However, in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, Watson may be the more important contributor out of the two.
The San Francisco 49ers' biggest offseason addition was receiver Mike Evans. It wouldn't be wise for the Rams to ask McDuffie to cover one of the most physical receivers in the NFL—this is a job for Watson.

#mcduffie #francisco #addition #angeles

Now that the Houston Rockets have locked up Amen Thompson with a five-year, $208 million contract extension that runs through the 2031-32 season, they can rest easy knowing their young core is secure for several seasons.
Thompson, Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason all have agreed to contract extensions over the past two years that can keep them together through at least the next three years until Şengün reaches the player option in his contract that he can pick up for the 2029-30 season.
The Rockets' entire roster actually is pretty secure for the next two seasons. Of the players expected to be in the rotation, only Fred VanVleet and Bogdan Bogdanovic definitely will be a free agent next offseason. Kevin Durant has a player option for $46.1 million he can pick up to play another year in Houston, and Marcus Smart, who signed with the team in July, has a $6.3 million player option for 2027-28.
Here's a look at the contract for each Rockets player entering the 2026-27 season ...
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/ Karen Warren) (Karen Warren/Associated Press)

#houston #player #next

The Houston Rockets locked up a member of their young core Thursday morning, agreeing to a five-year $208 million contract extension with Amen Thompson, which equates to an average annual value of $41.6 million per season. The deal also includes a 10% trade kicker if Thompson were to be moved in the future.
Overall this was a sound move made by Rockets general manager Rafael Stone. Signing Thompson well below the value of a max contract ($255 million) will give Houston more flexibility moving forward. Additionally, had the Rockets waited until next summer, Thompson may have had the chance to earn a supermax deal if he were to make an All-NBA Team, win an MVP award or win the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Considering one of those three outcomes isn't out of the realm of possibility, the Rockets saved even more money by reaching an agreement with Thompson as soon as they did.
With two seasons remaining on Kevin Durant's deal, Houston has put themselves in a position to succeed with their young core following his eventual retirement.
For more NBA content, check out the BasketBaltes podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/@B...

#rockets

Kevin O'Connor is joined by Sam Amick to continue his NBA Entertainment Rankings, diving deep into offseason moves, ****** le expectations and chaos potential for the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks. They break down Houston's all-or-nothing gamble on veterans like Kevin Durant, OKC's roster flexibility and subtle strategy shift and the Knicks' shot at a championship repeat amid new roster dynamics.
(0:29) Entertainment Rankings: Rockets
(06:38) Entertainment Rankings: Thunder
(15:16) Entertainment Rankings: Knicks
Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets drives the ball during the first half of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 01, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

#kevin

The wait for the new team format is finally over. The WTGL has officially locked in a start date and a major media rights deal that puts the league on national television. This is a concrete plan to get women's golf in front of millions of viewers, not just another press release. Broadcast rights for the competition have been locked in by TMRW Sports via multi-year agreements with ESPN and Scripps Sports/ION, signaling genuine confidence in the product. Although the complete schedule is still confidential, the league is scheduled to debut on Sunday, Nov. 8. This date aligns with the final round of the LPGA's TOTO ****** an Classic, providing the new league with a high-profile opening night.
Matches and shoulder programming will appear on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. On ION, the league joins a strong lineup of women's sports including the WNBA, NWSL, and PWHL. This distribution reaches 128 million homes nationally. It's a massive step up from streaming-only launches. The deal mirrors the success of the men's TGL, which ESPN has called home since its inaugural 2024-25 season. The infrastructure is ready. The players are set. Now the cameras just need to roll.
According to reports, the announcement came just two days after WTGL revealed the official rosters for the league's five teams. November will mark the league's start at the SoFi Center located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The regular season runs through November and December with a round-robin format. The postseason features single-elimination semifinals and a best-of-three finals. This structure creates a clear path to a champion, forcing teams to think about how they win a series rather than just a single tournament.
The broadcast partners are already on board. "We are genuinely excited to be the home for WTGL as it launches its inaugural season this fall," said Rosalyn Durant, executive vice president, programming and acquisitions, in a release. She added that bringing the league to fans continues a commitment to growing women's sports and supports the belief in the momentum of women's golf. While production details, the on-air talent list, and the full schedule are set for later announcement, the platform is ready.
The roster depth is significant. An inaugural season field of 25 players has been established by the league, comprising individuals with 112 LPGA Tour victories and 15 major championships. However, the real story is the format. Just three players from every five-player roster are eligible to compete in a match. Before the shot clock starts or the Hammer comes into play, a coach must decide who plays and which two sit. This lineup card determines whether team golf gains substance or merely resembles individual golfers wearing matching shirts.

#sports #golf #inaugural #players

What NBA's Kawhi Leonard-Clippers Punishment Means for Celtics' 2028 Pick originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The NBA did not let the LA Clippers off lightly.
After a nearly year-long investigation, ESPN's Shams Charania revealed that the NBA has stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks as part of the franchise's punishment for violating salary cap circumvention rules related to the 2019 signing of Kawhi Leonard.
The announcement impacts a number of teams, including the Boston Celtics, who control one of LA's future first-round draft picks.
MORE: Is Kevin Durant Going to the Celtics? Debunking Viral Trade Rumor

#celtics #picks #means

As the 2026-27 NBA season approaches this fall, Bleacher Report released an interesting list, as they ranked the best players by each age. Unexpectedly, there were multiple Houston Rockets players who earned that distinction.
Beginning with the more surprising of the two, Amen Thompson was named as the league's best 23-year-old. Last season, Thompson took a huge jump, playing 79 games and averaging a career-high 18.3 points to go along with 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 ******* ists, 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks. Although he was snubbed from an All-Defensive selection, Thompson did finish eighth in Defensive Player of Year Award voting. Other notable 23-year-olds that Thompson was selected over include Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller.
As readers may have expected, Kevin Durant (age 37) was the other Rockets forward listed, as Alperen Sengun fell short to Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham among players at the age of 24. A season ago, Durant averaged 26 points per game, tying him for 10th in the league. He also averaged 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 ******* ists, 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocks. James Harden, a former MVP in Houston, was the only other 37-year-old in the same realm as Durant, averaging 23.6 points and eight ******* ists between the Clippers and Cavaliers.
For more NBA content, check out the BasketBaltes podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/@B...

#year #durant #forward

Houston Rockets superstar Kevin Durant has been an avid gamer for years, and it turns out that hobby has led to him making some pretty special friends. During an episode of Boardroom Talks, Speedy Morman asked Durant whether he has made friends over video games and whether they know that it's actually him they're playing with.
"Yes, they hung out with me in my house," Durant said. "They'd been friends with me for ***** near 10 years now… One of my best friends I met on the game… And it's like I trust this dude with anything. Like seriously. We hung out plenty of times. So, I'm like, 'Let me see what this dude really about.'"
With Durant regularly speaking to this person and his group of gamers during these sessions, he decided he had to meet them in person. When he did, he realized they were great people, and they are his friends to this day. While Durant is, of course, this big superstar, some of his friends have just regular day jobs.
"We got 9-to-5s," Durant said. "… And I'm like, 'How y'all got so much time to play the game with me?' My job is from 9 to 11 in the summer. I go to work, and I don't have to do that. I just go do that 'cause I love to do it. And I'm like, 'How y'all got so much time to play the game?' I'm just like, man, this my safe haven for real. This is what I do to decompress.
"It's 10 of us in a party," Durant continued. "We competitively playing the game. We communicating, trying to win. It's like when you think about it, it's good for the soul when you know after a long day at work when you come home with your homies and just vibe without having to go out and have a drink or make a big production out of it.

#durant #like #playing #hung

Kevin Durant is not changing his weird relationship rules anytime soon, as he doubled down on his stance that women shouldn't expect to spend too much time at his home after spending the night.
During an appearance on Boardroom Talks with Speedy Morman, Durant spoke about his viral checkout policy and was asked about how women might react to being told it was time to leave. The Houston Rockets superstar didn't appear particularly concerned about upsetting his guests.
"She'll be alright, she'll be alright when she get home get to the shower and get into her routine. She'll be fine, we'll kick again some other time. Like she'll get over it."
Durant's comments continue a conversation he started during an October 2025 appearance on Bobbi Althoff's Not This Again podcast. At that time, the two-time champion compared having someone stay at his house to checking out of a hotel.
"It's almost like checkout. After breakfast, you gotta dip. It's like now get too comfortable. Like, we're not there yet, but once we get there though you can stay past 2, until at least 4 [p.m.]."

#time

Kevin Durant spoke frankly about the legendary status of his initials being his nickname, claiming it's more iconic than Michael Jordan's MJ or Allen Iverson's AI.
NBA players are often given unique nicknames that fans refer to them as, but some simply choose to go by their initials.
Chris Paul became CP, Paul George became PG, and most memorably, Kevin Durant became KD. Durant would even bet that no player-initial combo comes close to him in terms of a nickname.
Durant spoke to Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts on his podcast, where he explained why he, as KD, is more memorable than Jordan as MJ or Iverson as AI, primarily because there is no other famous KD.
"But AI is in hard competition with A.I. I don't have a competitor. Mine is just like standalone; MJ is also Michael Jackson. KG would be up there, but I edge him out because I am just… Better." "

#michael

For many years, millions of young basketball players across the world, including some in the NBA, looked to emulate Michael Jordan, who is considered arguably the greatest player in the history of the game. To a certain extent, people in recent years have looked to emulate late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, whether that has meant modeling their games after him or drawing inspiration from his "Mamba Mentality."
But Kevin Durant of the Houston Rockets, who has become a legend in his own right, noted on his "Boardroom Talks" show that now, players are starting to emulate current Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, and he likes it.
"Because he's that great. They should get it from him," Durant said. "I love when guys want to be like Luka or Michael Jordan or try to emulate them. When you go work out and get as close as you can to that level, you're going to be a good player… Why not? I love to see Luka, from a different country, crossing people up like we do. He's bringing that back to where he's from. That's a little piece of us there, too, the American culture of basketball."
While Doncic is from Slovenia, he does have an American flavor to his game. He has become known for talking trash to opponents, and he even has a bit of playground-style handles, as evidenced by the time he bounced the ball between the legs of Kevin Love during a fast break this past season.
Doncic averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 ******* ists and 1.6 steals a game last season. He won his second scoring ******* le in three years and got a bit of MVP consideration, even though his season ended prematurely when he sustained a hamstring strain in early April.

#doncic #love #years #Lakers

Josh Chambers: Joe Mazzulla says his goal as Celtics coach is to be forgotten "If the people around you didn't do what they do… I wouldn't do anything. The thing I reflect on the most is… I think you have to be willing to be forgotten. I think that's kind of my main goal." "I want to be forgotten about. Because that means after you… It was better. I think that's what it means to be a Celtic. However long you play, coach, work for the Celtics…" "Your job is to keep it exactly where it's at or bring it better. You cannot bring it down. If you leave and it gets worse, that's your fault. If you leave and they win, and they forgot about you, you did your job." "I talk about that every day with the staff. Our job is to one day be forgotten about because you did your job. It became about something bigger than you." "It's a burden and a love for being with the Celtics… But it's a responsibility. I think we could take that into our daily life. Can I leave it so much better that they don't remember me because the next person came and was better?"
x.com
On draft night, when teams Cenac had worked out for such as the 76ers, Raptors, and Knicks passed on him, Cenac seemed discouraged to Sampson. But the coach told him the night had a favorable result. "I said, 'Chris, I'm glad those teams didn't take you,' " he said. "Then when Boston took him, I said, 'They believe in you, Chris. You went to the right team.' Brad Stevens is one of the best basketball people in the world, and I've been so impressed with [coach] Joe Mazzulla." — 8/22/2026 Boston Globe
In June, while the NBA Finals and the Liga Betclic Finals were taking place, Neemias Queta had the opportunity to show Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla around Lisbon, Benfica and Barreiro, where Queta grew up and played. What did Mazzulla tell him about what he saw in Portugal and Portuguese basketball? "I think he liked what he saw. He said there are people who can make it there if they really want to work hard. And I think he really loved Portugal. I think the thing he liked the most was the food. It was a good time. He came alone, but he said next year he's coming with his wife and kids. We'll welcome them with open arms," Queta revealed. As for his expectations for the Celtics next season, Queta expects them to "be competitive again." "People have already started saying again that the other teams are the good ones and that we don't have enough quality. But I think, with the group we have, the people we have in the locker room? And our coach?" — 8/19/2026 A Bola
A February 4th game between the Celtics and the Houston Rockets served as an inflection point in Harper's season; he started for the first time in his career, guarded Rockets star Kevin Durant, and showed himself — and the world — he belonged. It's a game that Joe Mazzulla has pointed to as well in that it showcased Harper's readiness and preparation. "The first time I really played meaningful minutes was when I started in Houston, and that kind of came

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has been among the best players in the NBA throughout the 2020s, but the MVP award has continued to elude him. Doncic finished fourth in MVP voting last season despite winning the scoring ***** le, but ESPN's Tim MacMahon believes he could finally win in 2027.
MacMahon shared the pathway for Doncic to take home the Michael Jordan Trophy on the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast.
"I think it's pretty well set up for Luka to potentially win his first," MacMahon said.
Co-host Brian Windhorst pointed out it helps to have a narrative, and Doncic has one. Just like how Kevin Durant leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder helped Russell Westbrook's case in 2017, LeBron James departing for the Philadelphia 76ers this summer helps his.
"And a narrative where the expectations for the Lakers are as low as they've been since LeBron arrived," MacMahon added.

#Lakers

Kevin Durant has revealed a rather surprising new detail about his friendship with LeBron James, saying that the two NBA legends recorded approximately three rap songs during a trip to Akron more than a decade ago.
Durant made this revelation in a wide-ranging conversation with Speedy Morman on Boardroom Talks, and Morman asked if it was true that Durant and LeBron had recorded a song together. The Houston Rockets star revealed that they actually had three, and there was much more material.
Speedy Morman: "Is it true that you and LeBron have a song together?"
Kevin Durant: "We had like three songs, I think."
Speedy Morman: "For real? Are y'all recording them in person or, like, y'all sending the files?"

#morman #lebron #three #recorded

The Golden State Warriors with Kevin Durant are widely considered to be the most stacked team in NBA history. But KD himself thinks it was his best roster.
Kevin Durant's move to the Golden State Warriors back in 2016 was one of the most unpopular decisions in NBA history. This was largely due to the fact that his addition made them virtually unstoppable.
The Warriors showed this almost instantly, too. The team won back-to-back NBA championships in ruthless fashion, barely losing any games on their way to winning it all.
Durant left the Warriors in 2019, but it wasn't the last superteam he played on. And even though the Brooklyn Nets never got to the promised land, Durant thinks that roster was even more loaded.
Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

#durant #kevin #thinks

Kevin Durant has never denied that he loves trash-talking on the court. One could even say it fuels his game. Still, opponents and fans trash-talk him on several occasions every season.
The Rockets' veteran superstar recently sat down with Speedy Morman for a conversation on Boardroom Talks, where he discussed fans feeling entitled to talk trash to players as a part of the experience at NBA games.
"That's a part of the experience, man. I like, I've realized that too, like they enjoy that part, too. Like they enjoy getting, like, seeing that side of us. Fans do. Real sh-t…. They do. It's just cuz it just feels like that's why they bought my tickets, like to really get the feel for who these dudes are," Kevin Durant said.
"I know they're not just like the perfect individuals. We know we got some crazy motherf—ers in our league. So, let me see. Let me rage bait one of these dudes real quick."
"And sometimes dudes just don't; they might ignore them, but they know if they come to me, and now people know if they say something to me, I'm gonna say something back."

#part #kevin #talk

Kevin Durant admits he struggled to accept Russell Westbrook's retirement originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Back in the day, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were among the best partnerships in the league. It was a legendary duo that helped the Oklahoma City Thunder become perennial contenders with them as the superstars. Unfortunately, that came to an end when Kevin Durant made a big decision to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
It was a sad ending to one of the best duos in recent NBA history. That propelled Westbrook to become a bigger star, winning the MVP in 2017. Unfortunately, Westbrook ended up becoming an NBA journeyman in the later part of his career, eventually retiring in 2026.
Durant's departure from OKC was a sad one because everyone thought he and Westbrook would stay together and win a championship. Unfortunately, only Durant won a ***** le, and those two rings are disputed by a lot of people for being an easy way out for him.
Despite the animosity that stemmed from his exit, it seems that Durant and Westbrook are good friends. In fact, Westbrook is still quite friendly with Durant's mother, Wanda. It is a sad ending for one of this generation's best players, but it seems he made the right decision for him in the long-term future by stepping away on his terms.

#kevin #russell

Kevin Durant has reportedly already earned more than his 2026-27 salary with the Rockets, a little less than two months before the regular season kicks off.
According to Joe Pompliano, the renowned Sports and Business journalist, Kevin Durant's investment in Hugging Face has earned him a profit of approximately $60 million after Nvidia's recent acquisition of the business.
"Kevin Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, invested in Hugging Face's seed & Series A fundraising rounds. Nvidia just acquired the company for $12.9 billion, and since I'm told Durant invested $100,000 in the seed round and $150,000 in the Series A, he likely made more than $60 million on this investment alone," Pompliano wrote on X.
"That is one of the best athlete investments ever (and more money than Durant will make playing in the NBA this season)," he further added.
Kevin Durant is set to earn $43.9 million for the 2026-27 NBA season with the Rockets. This investment has already yielded him more than that.

#kevin #investment

Although the popular basketball video game NBA 2K27 is set to release September 4, the pre-release came out earlier this week, giving fans a first look at the new game. Prior to the game's release, Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson were listed among the top 100 players, with Durant ranking in the top 10. Since then, the full rosters have now become available for fans to view.
Kevin Durant - 93
Alperen Sengun - 87
Amen Thompson - 86
Jabari Smith Jr. - 80

#release #fans

Kevin Durant on LeBron James joining 76ers: He understands how to put a winning basketball team together. He's been in the league for 24 years. He should know how to understand how to do that. And then he knows how to put himself in position to be successful. And I feel like for him to take a minimum says a lot about his mindset and how he's going to come into the team. And they need a connector of guys that kind of somebody that understands like, all right, everybody's not going to average 25 points on this team. But it's going to be nights you going to be the man. It's going to be nights where you got to be the second guy, but it's going to be moving parts throughout the whole season. Everybody's role is going to change. And I think LeBron understands that.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: He understands how to put a winning basketball team …

#going #lebron #durant

Kevin Durant on Russell Westbrook retirement: It just hit me, man, because it's just like that's one of the first dudes you come in with and you was around every day to finally step out of this sh*t. You know what I'm saying? It's just like a lot of guys that's been younger than me or drafted after me have retired, but I wasn't as close to them as I was to Russell. Sharing the same. And then as somebody I felt like can still, you know what I'm saying? It surprised me, you know? So, yeah, it was one of those things that you can appreciate all the time spent and then you can somebody like Russ who's doing a lot off the court too, you know. I want to see what he does next.
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Kevin Durant says Russell Westbrook retirement affected him: It was one of the first dudes I came in with and was around every day

#russell #kevin #durant #westbrook

Draymond Green watched Klay Thompson build a career as one of the best second options for the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry led the team on the court as the No. 1 option during the years they were contending for NBA championships. Thompson was the team's second-leading scorer until Kevin Durant joined the team in 2016, and he became the third offensive option.
Eventually, Thompson's time in Golden State ended in 2024 when he joined the Dallas Mavericks. Leaving the Warriors was not a surprise, especially to his former longtime teammate. Green claims that the other half of the Splash Brothers would have left sooner.
Green claimed Thompson wanted to show the league that he could be a No. 1 option. However, the four-time champion revealed on Wednesday's "The Draymond Green Show" that his devastating ACL tear in the 2019 Finals changed his former co-star's plans.
Nov 12, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) hugs Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) after a game at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
"Everyone tries to make Klay the guy Klay was after the injuries," Green said. "I won't go for that. What I will also say is, [it was] highly likely that after the 2019 playoffs, Klay Thompson was going to leave the Golden State Warriors and go be a No. 1 option somewhere. Highly f**king likely.

#green #thompson #state