ADAM SILVER

The State Department said Tuesday that it still pushing to have regular contact with WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia for nearly three months.

Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, Max Strus added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and the Miami Heat moved one win away from a trip to the Eastern Conference finals by topping the Philadelphia 76ers 120-85.

Ja Morant scored on a layup with a second left, and the Memphis Grizzlies rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to edge the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-109 and grab a 3-2 lead in their first-round Western Conference series.

The season-long celebration of the NBA’s 75th anniversary is winding down.

The NBA plans to keep its next All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, despite its opposition to Utah’s ban on transgender youth athletes playing on girls teams.

Two of the NBA’s most significant dynasties emerged in the second decade of the 2000s.

If the nine months that led to Monday night’s national title game proved anything, it’s that college sports are changing.

The sport Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is leaving is run by an organization he doesn’t much recognize anymore.

Michael Jordan gave way to LeBron James in the NBA of the 2000s, just as traditional forms of communication began to yield to the birth and growth of new media.

Former Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson is suing the Mavericks, alleging that team owner Mark Cuban fired him in retaliation for reporting sexual misconduct by a team executive.

Stephen Curry is heading back to Japan, Rui Hachimura is going home and the NBA is planning to take another step toward normalcy.

Mike Krzyzewski has already turned his attention to the postseason after losing his final home game at Duke.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver didn’t like the circumstances that led to the blockbuster Ben Simmons-James Harden trade.

Plus: The case for a younger woman to lead us

Plus: The case for a younger woman to lead us

Golden State Warriors owner Chamath Palihapitiya suggested recently that “nobody cares” about China’s human rights abuses against the Uyghur community in Xinjiang.

The Dallas Mavericks have retired the No. 41 of franchise icon Dirk Nowitzki.

Dallas star Luka Doncic has entered the league's health and safety protocols.

Seven NBA games have been postponed with more potentially in doubt, and over 100 players and coaches have entered​ the league's health and safety protocols.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says there are no plans to pause the season, even as numbers of players entering the league’s health and safety protocols related to the coronavirus continues to rise.

U.S. sports leagues are seeing rapidly increasing COVID-19 outbreaks with dozens of players in health and safety protocols, amid an ongoing surge by the delta variant of the coronavirus and rising cases of the highly transmissible omicron mutation.

Enes Freedom will now be linked forever to a word he says he fought for his entire life.

Chinese broadcaster and NBA partner Tencent has deleted all references to the Boston Celtics from its platforms, in apparent response to comments Celtics center Enes Kanter made to advocate Tibetan independence.

Several months after COVID-19 vaccinations were made widely available in the United States, vaccination status continues to disrupt professional and college sports.

Adam Silver, the basketball fan, would prefer to see Kyrie Irving on the court again with the Brooklyn Nets as soon as possible.

The NBA celebrates it 75th anniversary with its 2021-22 season. League commissioner Adam Silver projects $10 billion in revenue.

It started in 1946 with 11 teams and 160 players.

Kahleah Copper scored 20 of her 22 points in the first half and Chicago used a dominant defensive effort to reach a record rout of the Phoenix Mercury 86-50, moving the Sky one victory away from the franchise’s first WNBA title.

The Milwaukee Bucks are staying home for Christmas, which is becoming an annual perk for reigning NBA champions.

Earlier this year, the basketball guard was preparing for the NBA draft after completing his freshman year at the University of Kentucky. He had signed to an agency associated with LeBron James.

Cunningham had been widely expected to be the first name called in New York.

The Detroit Pistons selected Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Thursday night.

The NBA’s play-in tournament is back for at least one more season.

If Vince Budenholzer had his way, the Milwaukee Bucks would start guarding Chris Paul the minute he walked into the arena.

The NBA's business operations in China is worth more than $5 billion, and the league plans to continue showing its product despite a feud between the two global superpowers.

The NBA may emerge from the pandemic on better financial footing than it first anticipated, though Commissioner Adam Silver is warning that it’s too early to declare things fully back to normal.

The NBA has informed teams that it intends to return to a normal schedule next season, with training camps opening in late September and the regular season set to begin on Oct. 19.

Nikola Jokic was revealed Tuesday as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for 2020-21, making him by far the lowest draft pick ever to win the award.

NBA Africa will help operate the Basketball Africa League, which launched this month and is run jointly with International Basketball Federation.

Marv Albert is retiring after the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals, ending a broadcasting career spanning nearly 60 years.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar appreciates what today’s NBA players are doing in their attempts to make the world better.

With basketball games scheduled to be played, a Rwandan exile asks NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for help.

No one in the NBA will be considered fully vaccinated until two weeks after receiving the final vaccine dose. Once that happens, rules for some of those individuals will change, the NBA said in a memo sent early Thursday to teams and obtained by The Associated Press. Had they been fully vaccinated, they would not have had to miss any time even after being around someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Toronto’s Fred VanVleet revealed earlier this week that he tested positive for the virus and that his recovery process, at times, was not easy. More than 100 players have tested positive this season, nearly half of them doing so in November just before training camps around the league opened.

FILE - Miami Heat forward Meyers Leonard, center, greets his teammates before an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, file)MIAMI – The Miami Heat have turned Meyers Leonard's contract into an opportunity to see if Trevor Ariza can help them for the rest of this season. AdThe Heat also said they wish Leonard and his wife Elle “the best of luck in the future.”“He's going to do everything that he possibly can to grow and get better from everything this week," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Ariza has not played an NBA game since March 10, 2020, but the Heat clearly felt he was worth the low-risk gamble. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver fined Leonard $50,000 and barred him from being around the Heat for one week.

Some members of the New Orleans Pelicans received the COVID-19 vaccine over the weekend, making them the first NBA team to publicly acknowledge they've had players who got the shot. "The Pelicans support the state's vital efforts to encourage everyone to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as large-scale vaccination of our community is the best way to keep everyone safe and to end the COVID-19 pandemic," the team said in a statement to CBS News. "I got the first Covid vaccine shot yesterday. I got the first Covid vaccine shot yesterday. #vaccine — Nicolò Melli (@NikMelli) March 14, 2021NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on March 6 that the league won't require players to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but he believes most will anyway.

They are the first NBA team to acknowledge a widescale receipt of the vaccine by members of a club. “In my opinion, the more people we can encourage to get vaccinated, the better off all of us are going to be," Van Gundy said. AdMany of the Pelicans’ players fall into that category, despite being NBA players and elite athletes. The NBA has been holding Zoom calls with teams for the past several weeks, educating players and staffers on the vaccine. “We need to understand where that comes from,” Van Gundy said.

Glen Taylor, owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves passes a ball before the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs on November 15, 2017 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It's how one team front office member described the Minnesota Timberwolves, the latest National Basketball Association franchise to hit bottom and now has the lowest winning percentage in major sports. And the Timberwolves roster, the main business attraction, is the other confusing piece and could be on the verge of another makeover. Head Coach, Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves talks to his team during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 3, 2021 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cody Martin #11 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 3, 2021 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The NBA has fined Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard $50,000 and suspended him from all team activities for a week after he used an anti-Semitic slur that was heard on a video game livestream, the league announced Thursday. Leonard will also be required to participate in a cultural diversity program. In a now-viral clip posted online earlier this week, Leonard could be heard yelling: "F-----g cowards, don't f-----g snipe at me you f-----g k--- b----." Meyers Leonard of the Miami Heat seen January 9, 2021. Leonard is recovering from surgery and has not played since January 9, according to CBS Sports.

The NBA has fined Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard $50,000 and suspended him from all team activities for a week after he used an anti-Semitic slur that was heard on a video game livestream, the league announced Thursday. Leonard will also be required to participate in a cultural diversity program. In a now-viral clip posted online earlier this week, Leonard could be heard yelling: "F-----g cowards, don't f-----g snipe at me you f-----g k--- b----." Meyers Leonard of the Miami Heat seen January 9, 2021. Leonard is recovering from surgery and has not played since January 9, according to CBS Sports.

FILE - Miami Heat forward Meyers Leonard, center, greets his teammates before an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020, in Miami. Leonard made an ethnic slur while streaming a video game, a comment that was quickly condemned by the NBA shortly after it learned of the matter Tuesday, March 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, file)MIAMI – The NBA has fined Meyers Leonard $50,000, the maximum allowed by league policy, and suspended him from using all Miami Heat facilities and activities for one week in response to his use of an anti-Semitic term. Commissioner Adam Silver, in announcing those sanctions Thursday, also said that he believes Leonard “is genuinely remorseful” for using the slur. “Meyers Leonard’s comment was inexcusable and hurtful and such an offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society,” Silver said.

(AP Photo/John Locher)Nobody knew exactly what to say in Oklahoma City around 7:10 p.m. local time on March 11, 2020. The NBA was the first major league to stop play. A day later, so did the NHL, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer. We had no idea the true impact of what happened.”AdThe global fight against COVID-19 didn’t begin that night in Oklahoma City, of course. Sports are games, and games are charted with numbers, and the numbers from the past year are incalculable.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said over the weekend that he plans to keep his decision private over whether he will get a COVID-19 vaccine. Pretty much keep that to a private thing," James said. "My hunch is that most players ultimately will choose to get vaccinated," Silver said Saturday. But my sense is most [players] will, ultimately, decide it is in their interest to get vaccinated." The NBA has created a number of public service announcements featuring league legends in order to help encourage others to get vaccinated.

No players, coaches or game officials tested positive for COVID-19 while in Atlanta, the NBA said Monday after the final tests were processed and results were returned to the league and the teams involved. A barber both saw before going to Atlanta tested positive, and that meant Embiid and Simmons were potentially exposed to the virus. “All players, coaches, and game officials were tested for COVID three times after arriving in Atlanta, including a final test immediately prior to last night’s All-Star Game," the league said in a statement Monday. All players and coaches who were involved in the game arrived in Atlanta on Saturday and left late Sunday following the game. But the league and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver insisted throughout the planning for the game that players would be safe in Atlanta.

National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver is supportive of the new high school league that pays young players at least $100,000. The NBA boss discussed media company Overtime's new basketball league (Overtime Elite) for 16-18-year-olds. The league is backed by Overtime investors including NBA stars Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony, and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Stacy Revere | Getty ImagesAsked by CNBC to provide a financial update on the NBA, which nearly a year ago suspended games due to the pandemic, Silver was optimistic. Should it resume normal operations for 2021-22, Silver said all NBA players would not require vaccinations.

FILE - In this Feb. 15, 2020, file photo, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver unveils the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP Award during a news conference in Chicago. Silver was discussing the leagues ongoing pandemic response and plans for next season on Saturday in his annual address at the All-Star Game. But otherwise, things may largely appear back to normal — with the NBA eyeing a return to the 82-game schedule, starting in October and ending in June. “Last season and this season has required a significant investment on the part of the team owners," Silver said. “One thing we've all come to understand over the last year is that the virus is firmly in charge," Silver said.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, shoots as Phoenix Suns forward Dario Saric defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 2, 2021, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)ATLANTA – It's the NBA All-Star Game almost no one seemed to want. "It’s the All-Star Game, so there’s going to be some shenanigans out there. Team LeBron will play on behalf of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, while Team Durant represents the United Negro College Fund. Trae Young, a starter in 2020, was snubbed this season despite averaging 26.4 points — the most of any player not selected for the All-Star Game.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)MIAMI – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has heard all the reasons why the league should not have an All-Star Game in Atlanta next weekend. “It’s the largest factor, the amount of engagement we get from our fans around All-Star,” Silver said. And we looked at the All-Star Game the same way. “It was not under active consideration before the pandemic,” Silver said. All our attention is on getting the business back to being fully operable as quickly as possible.”Ad___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

FILE - In this Nov. 23, 2015, file photo, Utah Jazz guard Elijah Millsap brings the ball downcourt against the Oklahoma Thunder in the second half during an NBA basketball game in Salt Lake City. Former Jazz player Millsap alleged this week that Utah executive Dennis Lindsey made a bigoted comment to him in 2015. “And in this case, the investigation is being conducted in partnership and in coordination with the Utah Jazz." The incident in question came from an April 2015 exit meeting, which Millsap — the brother of longtime Utah standout Paul Millsap — said was also attended by Jazz coach Quin Snyder. “I’ve never heard anything remotely close to that from Dennis,” Snyder said.

Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse talks to players during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, in Minneapolis. Assistant coach Sergio Scariolo was promoted to coach the team's game in Tampa, Florida, against the Rockets. Scariolo had been away from the Raptors while coaching Spain in FIBA's EuroBasket 2022 qualifiers and just cleared quarantine Friday. Ad“I don't know how many hundreds or thousands of games he's been a head coach," Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said about Scariolo. Webster said the team isn't certain if Siakam's issue is related to the issue with the coaching staff.

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives past Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)NEW YORK – Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was selected Wednesday to replace injured Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis in the NBA All-Star Game. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver choose Booker to take Davis' spot a day after Booker was snubbed by the league's head coaches for a reserve spot in the March 7 game in Atlanta. “Devin Booker is the most disrespected player in our league!!! Booker and fellow All-Star Chris Paul have helped Phoenix to a 20-10 record, fourth-best in the NBA.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)New Orleans forward Zion Williamson now can be called an NBA All-Star, and only three others in the game’s 70-year history have gotten there at a younger age. Phoenix’s Chris Paul is an All-Star for the 11th time, and Brooklyn’s James Harden is one for the ninth consecutive year. The rest of the reserves include Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic from the Eastern Conference, along with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George, Utah teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and Portland’s Damian Lillard from the Western Conference. But this will be his first time in the All-Star Game itself.

James and Durant were revealed Thursday as the leading fan votegetters in the Western and Eastern Conferences for the All-Star Game, meaning they’ll be captains for the matchup in Atlanta on March 7. James will start for the 17th time, extending his record, and Durant is an All-Star for the 11th time. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19) and Kobe Bryant (18) have more total All-Star selections than James. The game has been criticized by some of the league’s top players, James included, who voiced concerns about having it during a pandemic. Ad“NBA All-Star in Atlanta will continue our annual tradition of celebrating the game and the greatest players in the world before a global audience,” Silver said.

Players, coaches and staff kneel during the national anthem before the game between the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers at The Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 04, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. For the first time this season, the Dallas Mavericks will play the national anthem ahead of a home game. The Mavericks had not played the national anthem before any home games during the preseason or regular season at Cuban's direction, a team spokesperson confirmed to NBC News. "With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming fans back into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy," Chief Communications Officer Mike Bass said in a statement Wednesday. Though league policy requires players to stand for the national anthem, according to NBC Sports, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver hasn't strictly enforced the rule, allowing players to kneel during the anthem in the NBA bubble last season.

The NBA's plan to lure private equity money is in motion, and it's betting on the allure of owning limited partnerships in its clubs will pay off. Some in the private equity space praise the NBA's move, and even attempt to connect it to a more global play down the line. Allowing private equity investments will also help minority owners looking to sell and exit ownership groups. When discussing the NBA's private equity play, a Wall Street CEO said the firms make no money on fiduciary capital until it sells something. The CEO, who has an extensive history in private equity, also questioned how private firms would make any return on $2 billion.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) shoots as Utah Jazz center Derrick Favors (15) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)MIAMI – USA Basketball is casting a wider-than-usual net in its roster selection for this summer's rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, two people with knowledge of the situation said Saturday. The additions mean at least 60 players could be on the player-pool list that will be released by USA Basketball in the coming weeks. ESPN first reported that USA Basketball has sent approximately 60 invitations to be part of the player pool. USA Basketball is planning a training camp and exhibition games.

(Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Oklahoma City Thunder's scheduled home game Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers has been postponed. ___The Green Bay Packers are making 6,500 tickets available to season-ticket holders for the NFC championship game. That marked the first home game this season that the Packers played in front of any paying spectators. The Cornhuskers’ home game against Minnesota on Wednesday and game at Iowa next Sunday have been postponed. Abdul-Jabbar revealed in a magazine article last month that he's had prostate cancer, leukemia and heart bypass surgery.

Utah's game in Washington on Wednesday was postponed because contact-tracing issues among the Wizards meant they wouldn't have eight available players for that matchup. “I'm for whatever the NBA wants us to do," Washington coach Scott Brooks said. When teams started testing in late November prior to the start of training camps, 48 players had positive COVID-19 tests. There were at least 36 players in the league dealing with virus-related issues or protocols when Tuesday began, based on information released by teams. Counting the two new postponements and another on Dec. 23 between Oklahoma City and Houston, the league has seen six games moved because of virus issues.

But due to the NBA's Covid-19 protocols, the Sixers technically had enough players to compete. The team had seven players on the court in the Jan. 9 loss, as one of the latest NBA Covid-19 scares impacted the team. This is what the NBA signed up for when it went head-to-head with Covid-19. The Boston Celtics' matchup with the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday was also delayed due to another outbreak throughout NBA clubs. There are no plans to pause the season, and we will continue to be guided by our medical experts and health and safety protocols."

Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner. Getty ImagesOn the eve of a new season, National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver made clear his league would not jump the line to receive Covid-19 vaccines as the NBA attempts to normalize its business. The league elected to play a shortened 72-game season because of pandemic interruptions to its previous season, which ended in October instead of June like usual. The remaining task is managing a season where the Covid pandemic is worse than it was when the league resumed in July. Beyond this season, the league could help make up the difference by adding more teams, which brings expansion fees.

Garrett Ellwood | National Basketball Association | Getty ImagesIt's still early, but the National Basketball Association could have a Christmas gift in disguise with its shortened 72-game schedule for the 2020-21 season. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association agreed to a Dec. 22 return weeks after completing its Covid-19 bubble postseason. The networks will be fineMedia rights make up a large portion of NBA revenue, but network partners shouldn't be impacted with a 72-game model. On the local front, one NBA executive pointed out that regional broadcast partners usually aren't guaranteed 82 games due to certain NBA games' national exclusivity. Turner would benefit as NBA games would avoid direct competition with the National Football League on Thursday nights if the NBA starts in December.

Source: PopulousCoronavirus has forced sports teams to rethink the way they do business once it comes time for fans to return. The Milwaukee Bucks are one of several sports teams preparing for the possibility of the unknown when it comes to welcoming fans back next season. One area that's of great interest: the outdoor tailgating space. Other high end categories include an area of two-level, stacked shipping containers and modular "suite towers" in the center of the tailgate campus. We think we can convert the modular shipping containers to food and beverage and cool bars, very quickly," Feigin said.

FILE - In this Dec. 1, 2018, file photo, Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) dribbles the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets in Washington. Wizards point guard John Wall says he is "110%" healthy after missing the past 1 years with two major injuries. He is working out at home and looking forward to getting back to the NBA next season. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)WASHINGTON Washington Wizards point guard John Wall declared himself fully recovered after two operations that sidelined him for the past 1 years and said he is itching to get back on the court next season. Im healthy.He has not played in an NBA game since December 2018.

The National Basketball Players Association is also part of the talks with Disney. Games would be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a massive campus on the Disney property near Orlando. Space wont be an issue, even if Major League Soccer which is also in talks to resume its season at Disney is there at the same time as the NBA. The entire Disney complex is roughly 40 square miles, with nearly 24,000 hotel rooms owned or operated by Disney within the campus. The list of NBA players who were known to test positive eventually grew to 10 not all were identified and Commissioner Adam Silver said last month that the actual total was even higher.

LeBron James reiterated Monday that he is hopeful the NBA season can resume, with the caveat that the health and well-being of players wont be jeopardized by a return to play. Definitely not giving up on the season, James said. Theres a lot of players that I know personally that want to play. James was among a group of some of the leagues highest-paid players, National Basketball Players Association president Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder also part of the group, who met last week to talk about the season. Those players affirmed to one another on that call that they would like to see the season resume.

We asked public health and industry experts for their thoughts on what the world will look like when the Covid-19 pandemic finally recedes. *** Hundreds of billions of dollars are spent each year on large events like conferences, sports and concerts. "The reality is in the hospital we see the real devastating effects of moving too quickly and not adhering to social distancing practices. Governors of states including Missouri and Arkansas have decided to reopen large events and gatherings beginning this week. And public health officials have made very clear we have miles and miles to walk before we can be back in those environments."

Asked for updates surrounding the decision on those events, the NBA did not immediately return a request for comment. But if league owners are seriously considering resuming play without sacrificing games, pushing back the start of the 2020-2021 regular season is almost inevitable. In essence, the idea of starting games around Christmas is a time more relevant for the NBA, Koonin said. "Many times, at the start of the NBA season, we are competing with arguably the best Thursday Night Football game with the NBA on TNT, our marquee broadcast, and we get crushed and we wonder why," Koonin said, according to ESPN. Ponturo agreed with the NBA starting games around Christmas, saying fan activity around the sport usually increases.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Mike Stobe | Getty ImagesTo those who know him, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is built for this moment. "Being first counts, and he was first," said Ed Desser, president of Desser Media and a former league executive and president of NBA television. Before earning his stripes as the NBA's deputy commissioner, Silver held several positions in the league including COO, president of NBA Entertainment and NBA chief of staff. Before joining the NBA in 1992, Silver worked at New York law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore as a litigation associate. Top priorityWasserman said Silver is using that same strategy as he thinks of ways to possibly save the rest of the NBA season.

The National Basketball Association will adopt Microsoft's Azure cloud to enhance the online experience for fans, and will use Microsoft Surface tablets in unspecified ways, starting in the league's 2020-21 season, the parties announced Thursday. "I think the fact that we are announcing it in the middle of this pandemic is a testament to how important it is that we move forward with this deal," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told CNBC in an interview on Wednesday. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella noted that the company has worked with the NBA for a long time. It is not yet clear if the NBA deal will include similar product placement. Microsoft and the NBA began discussing the effort before the company sent home nonessential workers to prevent further spread of the coronavirus, Nadella said.

Las Vegas has emerged as the best location to resume the season, according to league executives. But if the NBA does return, team executives told CNBC they favored Las Vegas as a possible location to conclude the season. An NBA spokesperson told CNBC the league has considered many "scenarios" but is not close to rolling out a plan. The NBA could decide to cancel the remainder of its regular season and create a play-in tournament for lower-seeded teams to enter the postseason. At last month's NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago, Silver told reporters the NBA could lose up to $400 million due to its rift with China.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban watches on from behind the bench during the second half of an NBA game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on February 22, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. The National Basketball Association fined Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $500,000 for publicly criticizing and displaying detrimental conduct regarding officiating in a Feb. 22 game against the Atlanta Hawks, the league announced on Friday. The NBA also denied the Mavericks' protest of the loss in Atlanta, where a controversial goal-tending call was overturned late in the fourth quarter, leading to Cuban's tirade. After the call, Cuban approached NBA officials "shaking his head and directing comments toward them," the league said in a statement. After examining game footage, NBA commissioner Adam Silver determined the Mavericks' challenge of the Feb. 22 contest was not valid.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announces NBA All-Star Game MVP Trophy will honor Kobe Bryant during NBA All-Star Saturday Night Presented by State Farm as part of 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend on February 15, 2020 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard is the first recipient of the Kia National Basketball Association's All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player award, which the league officially named after the late Bryant. "Kobe Bryant is synonymous with NBA All-Star and embodies the spirit of this global celebration of our game," Silver said. Sunday's All-Star game commenced with words from Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, who requested an 8-second moment of silence for Bryant, who started his 20-year career with the Lakers wearing the No. Bryant played in a record 18 consecutive All-Star games, the second-most appearances behind Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who made 19 appearances.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The National Basketball Association All-Star Game MVP Award has been permanently named for the late Kobe Bryant, league Commissioner Adam Silver said on Saturday. Feb 15, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver unveils the Kobe Bryant MVP Award at a press conference during NBA All Star Saturday Night at United Center. As the father of a child ... thats the unimaginable.The Kobe Bryant MVP Award will be presented on Sunday to the most valuable player at the end of the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. Kobe Bryant is synonymous with NBA All-Star and embodies the spirit of this global celebration of our game, Silver said in a statement. Silver said the decision to name the MVP award in honor of Bryant was made collectively by league officials and some players.

"I think that the magnitude of the loss will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars," Silver said. Weeks after Morey deleted the tweet, Silver admitted the NBA suffered "substantial" losses as the rift intensified. Silver also mentioned the possibility of NBA games returning to China this year. But despite the yet unknown losses from suspended business with China, Silver believes regular business will resume. He did not give a timeframe of when the NBA expects games to be shown on CCTV.

Details and information are projected on a screen during the announcement of the The NBA-backed Basketball Africa League (BAL) at the Museum of Black Civilisations in Dakar, on July 30 2019. The Basketball Africa League is set after the 12 teams that will participate in the inaugural season next month were announced during the National Basketball Association's 2020 All-Star Weekend in Chicago. Basketball clubs from Algeria (GSP), Cameroon (FAP), Madagascar (GNBC), Mali (AS Police), Mozambique (Ferrovirio de Maputo), and Rwanda (Patriots Basketball Club) will be added to the 2020 season, too. Last February, the NBA, in partnership with FIBA, announced its plans to commence a basketball league in Africa. The BAL will tip-off the 2020 season at Dakar Arena in Dakar, Senegal.

What is clear is that Chinese NBA fans a massive and passionate group strategically targeted for the last two decades have been limited significantly in their opportunities to watch the players and teams they love. Houston GM Daryl Moreys tweet in support Hong Kong protesters continues to be a sore point between the NBA and China. Government-run China Central Television used to show NBA games three days a week, with one to two games per day. Last season, 490 million fans in China watched the NBA on Tencent, nearly three times the number who watched during the 2014-15 season. Chinese fans of the Rockets appear to have it the worst.

Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Washington Wizards in the first half at Verizon Center on December 2, 2015 in Washington, DC. "The NBA family is devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. Much respect my brother #33644," Bryant tweeted at 10:39 p.m. after the Lakers fell to the Philadelphia 76ers, 108-91. Andrew D. Bernstein NBAE | Getty ImagesA well-known mentor of Bryant's, NBA legend and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan, labeled Bryant "a little brother" after learning of his death. Retired NBA star Kobe Bryant Ronald Martinez | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

CALABASAS, Calif. (Reuters) - Kobe Bryant, one of the NBAs all-time greats whose international stardom transcended basketball, was killed on Sunday in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven others on board, officials said. The chopper went down around 10 a.m. (1800 GMT) in hilly terrain in Calabasas, California, about 40 miles (65 km) northwest of central Los Angeles, sparking a brush fire, officials said. 18-TIME ALL-STARFILE PHOTO: Jul 27, 2019; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kobe Bryant is pictured with his daughter Gianna at the WNBA All Star Game at Mandalay Bay Events Center. Bryants star power translated into the entertainment world as he mingled with show-business stars in Los Angeles. Bryants father, Joe Jellybean Bryant, also played in the NBA, and Kobe demonstrated from an early age he would surpass his fathers accomplishments.

Shaquille O'Neal tweeted a heartfelt remembrance of his former teammate Kobe Bryant after Bryant died in a helicopter crash Sunday. My condolences goes out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. "My condolences goes out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. "Kobe was so much more than an athlete, he was a family man," O'Neal said. O'Neal won another NBA title with the Heat while Bryant won two more with the Lakers.

NBA legends Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and NBA Commissioner David Stern on the red carpet of the premiere of Magic Bird on Broadway on April 11, 2012 at the Longacre Theatre in New York. The National Basketball Association continues to mourn the death of former commissioner David Stern, with league executives remembering him as a commanding and complicated leader who many regard as having been one of the greatest commissioners in sports. Adam Silver, who succeeded Stern as NBA commissioner in 2014, called him a "mentor" and "friend." Stern is described by some as a "shrewd businessman" and a commissioner who was a "commanding leader." After Stern's first year as NBA commissioner in 1984, players' salaries ranged from $60,000 to $2.5 million, and the league's salary cap was roughly $3.6 million.

(Reuters) - Former National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner David Stern, who oversaw the explosive growth in the popularity of the game during his tenure, has died at the age of 77, the league said on Wednesday. FILE PHOTO: NBA Commissioner David Stern holds a news conference before Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball playoff in Miami, Florida June 6, 2013. Every member of the NBA family is the beneficiary of Davids vision, generosity and inspiration, current commissioner Silver said in a statement. David Stern was the most important non-player/non-coach who ever passed through the NBA and its not really close, Bill Simmons, broadcaster and author of The Book of Basketball: The NBA said on Twitter. David took over the NBA in 1984 with the league at a crossroads, current commissioner Silver added in his statement, adding that Stern ushered in the modern global NBA.

(Reuters) - Former National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner David Stern, who oversaw the explosive growth in the popularity of the game during his tenure, has died at the age of 77, the league said on Wednesday. FILE PHOTO: NBA Commissioner David Stern holds a news conference before Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball playoff in Miami, Florida June 6, 2013. Stern also presided over four NBA lockouts, including two that resulted in shortened seasons in 1998-99 and 2011. David took over the NBA in 1984 with the league at a crossroads, current NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, adding that Stern ushered in the modern global NBA. Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand.

David Stern, the former commissioner of the National Basketball Association died Wednesday, the NBA said. At the time of his retirement, Stern was the longest serving NBA commissioner, having held the position for exactly 30 years. "For 22 years, I had a courtside seat to watch David in action," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. As commissioner, Stern oversaw the considerable expansion of the league, which was airing games in over 200 countries by the time he stepped down. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of NBA Commissioner Emeritus David Stern," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.

The game featuring the best two teams in the National Basketball Association is the most-watched NBA game on any network since opening night on the channel, according to officials from Turner. The network added the Thursday night game was also the most-watched regular-season game on TNT since the Jan. 15, 2018 game between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Lakers All-Star LeBron James finished with his sixth triple-double of the season (21 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists). In the contest, James also moved to ninth on the all-time assists list (8,970), passing Gary Payton. The NBA is in the middle of a $24 billion media rights deal it extended with Turner and ESPN in 2014.

After a tumultuous start to the 2019-2020 season, the Spurs are showing they still have a pulse. The team is on a two game win streak after home victories against Houston 135-133 in double overtime and Sacramento 105-104. The Spurs then rallied to not only tie the game but forced two overtimes and ultimately won by two points. A championship parade may not be in the cards for the Spurs this year but at stake is a league leading 22 season consecutive playoff streak. Can the Spurs build on this streak and make a playoff run to another Larry OBrien trophy?

The proposed changes to the National Basketball Association's 82-game regular-season schedule is receiving mixed reaction, with some saying the league isn't cutting enough games. In an interview with CNBC, Patrick Rishe, director of the sports business program at Washington University in St. Louis, said the NBA should go beyond cutting to the proposed 78 games, with the belief 68 contests could help the NBA's current ratings and load management issues. That scenario would also allow an East vs. West conference final, or a same-conference NBA Finals. The 7th and 8th seed would play a game for ownership of the 7th-seed slot, and the loser of the game would play the winner of the 9th- and 10th-seed play-in game. But McCollum also raised additional questions surrounding the Basketball Related Income split, as some teams could play more than 78 games with the addition of play-in games.

(CNN) - Retired NBA superstar Charles Barkley had harsh words for Mike Pence on Thursday after the vice president accused the league of acting as a "wholly owned subsidiary" of China. The controversy has led to accusations that the NBA is prioritizing business interests over American values, but Barkley pointed out that the US and others do business in China regardless. "Vice President Pence needs to shut the hell up," Barkley said on "Inside the NBA" on TNT, which is a part of WarnerMedia, along with CNN. Earlier Thursday, Pence criticized the NBA in a speech that also chided Beijing for economic and human rights abuses. "In siding with the Chinese Communist Party and silencing free speech, the NBA is acting like a wholly owned subsidiary of that authoritarian regime," Pence said.

The 2022 Winter Olympics shouldn't be held in China, Sen. Rick Scott said Tuesday, referring to the recent standoff between Beijing and the NBA as well as the Chinese regime's human rights violations. The Hong Kong protests, which have escalated over the past four months, began in response to a now-withdrawn proposed extradition bill that activists said would threaten judicial protections. "Human rights are important to us in America," the senator said. "There's no human rights over there. They're trying to take them away from China, or from Hong Kong."

A Chinese flag is placed on merchandise in the NBA flagship retail store on October 9, 2019 in Beijing, China. The government-controlled broadcaster said Silver "crossed the bottom line" by continuing to defend Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey. "To cater to the taste of certain American politicians," CCTV claims, Silver "fabricated lies out of thin air" and portrayed China as unforgiving. Silver ... is using so-called 'freedom of speech' to cover for Morey, who voiced support for violent elements in Hong Kong. CCTV China state broadcasterChina has denied making that request.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Chinese officials wanted Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey to be fired for his tweet supporting anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, and the league emphatically dismissed the request. Silver also said that the league is already feeling "substantial" financial losses because of the Chinese reaction to Morey's deleted tweet. "I felt we had made enormous progress in terms of building cultural exchanges with the Chinese people," Silver said. Morey has not been rebuked publicly by the league, and Silver has said that the league will support his freedom of expression. Tencent, which has a $1.5 billion deal to stream NBA games in China over the next five years, has also stopped showing Rockets games but has not totally dropped all NBA content.

The NBA has already suffered "substantial" losses as Chinese businesses distance themselves from the league, Silver said. Chinese state-run television network CCTV suspended its broadcast arrangements for the NBA's preseason games in China, and Tencent, which owns the digital streaming rights for the NBA in China, also suspended its preseason broadcast agreement. The Chinese government asked the NBA to fire Morey for his now-deleted Oct. 4 tweet. On Thursday, Silver said he told Chinese officials "there's no chance" Morey will be fired for speaking his mind. A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Geng Shuang, however, on Friday denied that China asked for Morey to be fired, according to Reuters.