Rumors

With Klay Thompson coming in on Tuesday night as a Chase Center visitor for the first time since he was drafted in 2011, the Golden State Warriors have continued on. Despite their lifelong brother moving onto a new challenge with the Dallas Mavericks, the cornerstone duo of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green still represents the foundation of a franchise that soldiers forward in pursuit of an NBA title. Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, and Gary Payton II have contributed to that championship success, and so have Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody from the moment they were drafted and lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy as rookies. Constantly evolving, the fourth-year swingmen have been relied on in various ways and in different moments over the years. This season, it feels like the belief is growing stronger. “It's cool to be a part of things,” Moody told RG in a pregame interview on Friday in Cleveland. “Throughout the years, everything's gonna be draining. A lot of highs of lows just come with every season. I'm sure they'll come this season at some point, too, but just never reaching the finish line. Keep going, keep working, keep trying to get better.”

Responsible Gaming

“I’m not as beat up as I was last [year],” he said. “I feel really good physically. Mentally, I feel really good, really sharp, really fresh. [The Olympics] gave me a sense that I have a lot in the tank — a lot. I can help be a big part of a team win the ultimate [prize], whether it’s a gold [medal] or the Larry O’Brien trophy. I can still get it done. ... It felt damn good, it felt great, to play meaningful basketball, to play for the highest level. ... That fire and desire was brought back to me.”

Washington Post

Jayson Tatum's first NBA championship will be with him -- or on him -- forever ... 'cause it seems the Boston Celtics star just got a new tattoo ... showing the NBA superstar kissing the Larry O'Brien trophy. Photos of the piece started circulating on social media this week ... a large tattoo located on the back of the 5x NBA All-Star, next to other tats paying homage to his hometown, St. Louis.

TMZ.com

The Athletic: The Boston crowd goes crazy as Jayson Tatum lifts the Larry O'Brien trophy at the Celtics' championship parade. 🎥 @JeremyCGuerin

Twitter

Get Up: "I can look into the future ... and see Luka holding the Bill Russell trophy in one hand and the Larry O'Brien trophy in the other and say you know what, 'Back in 2024, I wasn't ready to win and I had to learn how to do it.'" —@windhorstespn on Luka's potential future pic.twitter.com/7CSgaBsPN8

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The six games available at launch will update each morning at 9 a.m. ET and at times will be programmed to dovetail with on-court stories. They are: · NBA Blast: A match-three game using basketball-related symbols, including the Larry O’Brien trophy. · NBA IQ: An NBA history quiz tied to certain categories (such as all-time scoring leaders). · NBA Rank: A trivia challenge requiring players to correctly order players or teams based on the day’s statistical criteria. · NBA Hoop Connect: Users will be shown two players and asked to name someone who played with each (more rare guesses will be rewarded with more points). · NBA Full Court Guess: A clue-based daily player mystery prompt. · NBA Player Path: A game requiring fans to trace a given player’s NBA trajectory from team to team while playing in the league

Sportico

“For the Finals, we could have a special Finals court — not just with the (Larry O’Brien) trophy in the center, but a little bit more colorful,” Silver said.

The Athletic

Jovan Buha: LeBron on his motivation in Year 21: “I just think for one, it’s just my motivation to continue to be as great as I can be and solidify what I want to do in my career and still seeing that Larry O’Brien trophy in my mind on a daily basis. So that’s one of the best four moments of my career, being able to hoist up that trophy. So, that motivation alone. But also wanting to be legendary in this game and let my game speak for itself long after I’ve played. But this team has motivated me as well. Coming to practice every day, seeing the guys go to work every day, challenging each other, trying to get better every day. Implement what we want to do. And so, that’s been motivating as well.” pic.twitter.com/3yujT5PisE

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As for the mental side of it all, it’s no coincidence they chose to come to the same state where the Larry O’Brien trophy currently resides. Or, for that matter, where Nuggets big man Nikola Jokić staked his claim as the game’s best player with his historic play during Denver’s title run. As Nurse saw it, the physical and motivational benefits that came with this place made all sorts of sense. And once the Nuggets gave the blessing that was required by the league because of Fort Collins’ proximity to Denver, the Sixers’ plan was set.

The Athletic

It looks like the shiny Larry O’Brien NBA championship trophy won’t be visiting Jamal Murray’s hometown of Kitchener after all. The Denver Nuggets told the Star in an email that the 2023 NBA championship hardware has been kept safe and out of reach since after the team’s parade in downtown Denver on June 15.

Toronto Star

NBA on ESPN: "I'm a Milwaukee Buck, but most importantly I'm a winner. ... If there is a better situation for me to win the Larry O'Brien I have to take that better situation." Giannis Antetokounmpo on his future with the Bucks. pic.twitter.com/XzucRXtmOv

Twitter

The National Basketball Association’s Larry O’Brien trophy will attend the 2023 Indy 500 red carpet as part of its “2023 NBA Finals Bucket List Tour.”

wishtv.com

Kevin Chouinard: John Collins, on carrying momentum into next season "It gives us confidence for sure. It just solidifies what we knew we could do. Obviously, we fell short on what we want: that Larry O'Brien trophy. We know that we're built for this. We're going to be more ready the next time."

Twitter

Clutch Points: The NBA GM's survey has the Milwaukee Bucks hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the 2022-23 season. Coming in second are the defending champions, the Warriors 👀 pic.twitter.com/oBCy56EXuh

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