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Giannis Antetokounmpo nears triple-double as Greece eliminates Spain from EuroBasket
With Giannis Antetokounmpo falling one assist shy of a triple-double, Greece prevailed, 90-86, over Spain, eliminating the previous champions from EuroBasket 2025. In a packed Spyros Kyprianou Arena filled with MVP chants, the Milwaukee Bucks superstar in the NBA dropped 25 points behind 9/15 two-pointers and 7/12 free throws. The Freak grabbed 14 rebounds to shape his first double-double in the tournament, alongside nine assists, lasting nearly 32 minutes. Tyler Dorsey followed with 22 points, including 14 in the first quarter, setting the pace for an early 16-point lead.
Trey Lyles headed to Real Madrid
Donatas Urbonas: Trey Lyles, a 10-year NBA veteran, is finalizing an agreement with EuroLeague powerhouse Real Madrid, sources confirm. More on BasketNews basketnews.com/news-230798-tr…
Pau Gasol: “I think winning a championship... there are so many factors that have to come together. And there are a lot of all-time greats that haven’t won a championship. I don’t think that should define you. It’s about everything you’ve given, how you’ve performed, and what you’ve contributed to the game. Melo is one of those players who has done so much—not just on the basketball court, but off it as well. I think he’s left a really good legacy as a basketball player. His involvement post-career with the game... to me, his commitment to USA Basketball is something I really value. The way he performed, and how he came through in all those championship runs for his team and his country—that, to me, is just as important, or maybe even more important, than winning an NBA title.
Sam Amick: Do I think that NBA media—and even at times myself—is guilty of not, you know, jumping into the nitty-gritty? Um, especially, you know, listen—Pablo filing through Chapter 11 bankruptcy documents, and connecting dots between Kawhi’s arrangement with the team sponsor and Steve Ballmer’s relationship... That's old-school sleuthing. And we’ll see where it leads. But it's good work. And yeah, a lot of the media is not going down those roads, for sure.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper agrees to two-way deal with Memphis
Shams Charania: Free agent forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper has agreed on a two-way NBA contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, Todd Ramasar and Mike Simonetta of Life Sports Agency told ESPN. Prosper sifted through multiple offers, and now chooses the Grizzlies to enter his third NBA season.
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Jorge Sierra: In 2021-22, the Lakers roster featured 14 players who were not in the NBA the following season. That's the highest mark in the league since 1950. Now you know that.
Basketball and sneaker culture go hand in hand. Ever since Nike signed a rookie out of North Carolina to a $2.5 million endorsement contract back in 1984, shoes have been a primary form of expression for basketball fans and players alike. The on-court footwear choices reflect the players’ personal styles, personalities, and, with signature brand shoes, their own fandoms. There is one icon that NBA players choose to rep way, way more than any other: the late, great Kobe Bean Bryant. Most of the current crop of NBA players grew up on Kobe, watching him win title after title during their formative basketball years. He is a lot of players' favorite player. Whether out of personal fandom or just because they like the style, over 130 different players chose to wear Kobes as their primary shoe last season, according to data from NBAShoesDB.com.
The KD 17s, Book 1s, and Sabrina 2s were the next most popular models, which means two of the top four signature athletes (Kobe and Sabrina Ionescu) currently don't play in the NBA, and the other two (Kevin Durant and Devin Booker) were both on the Phoenix Suns last season. After Sabrina, there is a dropoff to LeBron James, who has released dozens of signature models over his 20-year career, and James Harden’s out-of-this-world designs. Harden (adidas) is the first non-Nike athlete on the list, which might tell you something about Nike’s continued dominance in the basketball shoe market.
Cam Thomas signing one-year, $6 million qualifying offer to return to Brooklyn
Restricted free agent Cam Thomas is signing a one-year, $6 million qualifying offer to return to the Brooklyn Nets, sources told ESPN on Thursday. The Nets were unable to reach a long-term deal with Thomas, so the 23-year-old high-scoring guard opted for the qualifying offer that gives him a full no-trade clause and sets him for unrestricted free agency next summer with at least 10 teams set to have cap space. Thomas is the first among the final restricted free agents in the NBA to land on a decision (including the Chicago Bulls' Josh Giddey, Golden State Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga, Philadelphia 76ers' Quentin Grimes). Thomas is only the fifth former first-round pick to sign a qualifying offer since 2017.
While he didn’t fly up the court like a Dominique Wilkins, Melo became the 10th leading regular-season scorer in NBA history in more of a Mark Aguirre-style of physicality. “His IQ to score — and I’m not talking about his IQ for the game, obviously it’s very high — but his IQ to score the basketball,” Felton answered about Anthony’s best scoring attribute. “Just understanding who’s guarding him. Understanding how they’re guarding him. Making adjustments within the game of ‘this guy is guarding me differently tonight’ or ‘this guy is guarding me this way.’ His IQ to score the ball is probably one of the highest I’ve ever seen.”
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What if Carmelo Anthony had never suffered a second stress fracture in his left foot in November of 2019, leading the Portland Trail Blazers to waive him? Without that injury, which ended his NBA career, would Anthony have ever been given a chance to extend his? At the time, Anthony had been out of the league for more than a year after being unceremoniously dropped by the Houston Rockets just 10 games into the 2017-18 season. The Blazers filled Pau Gasol's roster spot with Anthony, who went from unemployed to averaging 15.4 points for Portland that season. "So my injury gave him the opportunity to play again, prove himself," Gasol said. Anthony added 2,738 points to his career total in his final flourish -- two years with Portland and a final season in L.A., teaming up with James after all those years -- a coda that allowed Anthony to crack the top 10 on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
Baron Davis is turning to one of his former NBA teammates to help him win a Mirrorball Trophy this year -- telling TMZ Sports he's getting dancing advice from none other than Iman Shumpert! Just hours after it was revealed the former Golden State Warriors point guard would be on the newest season of "Dancing With The Stars" ... he told us he's already picking Shumpert's brain on how to two-step through the competition.
Ben Simmons mulling retirement?
Ben Simmons has generated interest from the Knicks and another team but is also questioning whether he even wants to continue playing in the NBA next season, The Post has learned. The former All-Star and Rookie of the Year, who has struggled recently with injuries and handling the public pressures of the league, is an option for the Knicks because of his upside as an elite defender and athlete to fill their backup point guard spot, a league source said. However, Simmons, who has accumulated DNPs the past few seasons, and over $200 million in career earnings, is sending a message that he isn’t sure “if he wants to continue,” another source added.
Pablo Torre: I can tell you though from the NBA perspective, what I've been told this morning is that it's been a bit of panic over there. I'm told that they did not know about this deal between Steve Ballmer, or at the very least between Aspiration and Kawhi Leonard with the influence of Steve Ballmer according to our reporting being the driving force of it. So yeah, it's going to get a a little messy, Dan, over there I think.
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