After the Nuggets swept the Lakers in last season’s Western Conference Finals, both teams had plenty to say and before you knew it, a beef had been born. There were heated moments on the court – like when LeBron James and Aaron Gordon got into it – but the feud kicked into another gear thanks to everything that was said off the court. in case you needed a reminder @KingJames pic.twitter.com/hFFW8TH6gQ — LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) April 19, 2024 As we get ready for the LA-Denver playoff rematch, here are the key moments that led to Lakers and Nuggets being at each other’s throats: MIKE MALONE I ..read more

The Suns have a big challenge ahead of them facing the Timberwolves in the first round, but Stephen A. Smith thinks there is far more on the line for Kevin Durant than anyone else. “Well, if we’re going to talk about legacy with LeBron James, how come we can’t talk about legacy with Kevin Durant?,” Smith said on First Take. “I think that Kevin Durant is a natural-born professional scorer. He’s one of the greatest players we’ve ever seen in NBA history. “He’s got two championships; he’s got two NBA Finals MVPs. But that was playing with the Splash Brothers – the most elite shooting backcourt th ..read more

Trae Young has been roasted online over some controversial plays during the Atlanta Hawks’ 131-116 play-in loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, a defeat that resulted in the team’s elimination from postseason contention. On one such play, Young made a horrible attempt to draw a foul, which instead led to an easy layup for the Bulls. Chicago then went on a 19-7 run to close the third quarter. Young was also called out for some horrible defensive plays during the game. If anybody wants to know why I hate Trae Young as a basketball player, here’s my video essay. One of the worst defensive pl ..read more

The message at the Warriors is clear – they want Klay back and General Manager Mike Dunleavy is the latest member of the organization to say so. After a nightmare end to the season, Klay is set to enter unrestricted free agency over the summer. But his teammates Steph Curry, Draymond Green, coach Steve Kerr and now Dunleavy have all expressed their desire to re-sign the four-time champion. “Well, considering they won four [championships] before, I would say it’s well within the realm of reasonability,” Dunleavy said Thursday. “But we got to, you know, certainly we want Klay back, first and for ..read more

Kyrie Irving isn’t immune to the outside noise and knows he’s copped his fair share of criticism in the past. After a tumultuous stint in Brooklyn, Kyrie finally got his wish and was traded to Dallas last year. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing with the Mavs, but Irving is the happiest he’s looked in a long while – reflected in his performances on the court this season. After practice on Thursday, Irving got candid about how he’s perceived. “I think if you look at some of the guys on our team, we’ve dealt with a lot of naysayers, a lot of critics, a lot of noise,” Irving told reporters. “Just ..read more

Anthony Davis has been linked to the Knicks amid rumors of major roster changes if LA loses to Denver in the first round of the playoffs. If the Lakers decide their current core has run its course and opt to trade Davis, their best bet would be making a deal with New York, according to an anonymous NBA general manager who spoke with Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney. “When you look at it, if you’re serious about trading Davis at some point then you need to accomplish a few things,” the GM said. “You have to get him somewhere he wants to be. He wants to be a Laker. So if you trade him, you have to do ..read more

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks has been called into question as the team finds itself at the business end of a turbulent season. Milwaukee’s campaign has been marred by a series of bad losses, and with a first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers looming, the Bucks are heading into the postseason in unconvincing fashion. To make matters worse, Antetokounmpo’s health status is uncertain for Game 1 against the Pacers. All this suggests a first-round exit is entirely possible, and according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, that would spark some serious concerns aroun ..read more

Caitlin Clark was drafted as the WNBA number one pick with the Indiana Fever and fans on social media are upset about the pay disparity between her and the NBA’s number one pick. Clark will make about $76,535 in base salary during her rookie year, compared to Victor Wembanyama’s $12.2 million salary in his first year. Former NBA player Matt Barnes says that people need to support women’s ball in meaningful ways, rather than being ‘fake mad’ on social media about a very complex issue. “Everyone’s outraged and now Ice Cube looks like he was onto something,” Barnes said on All the Smoke. “But ins ..read more

Klay Thompson’s future remains a hot topic, particularly after the way the Warriors’ season ended and the franchise’s former General Manager has shared his thoughts on it. Myers spent 11 seasons at Golden State’s Front Office, so he is more than qualified to weigh in on Klay’s impending unrestricted free agency. The GM-turned-ESPN-analyst cited Klay’s connection with his longtime teammates Steph Curry and Draymond Green as the biggest reason why Thompson would stay in The Bay. “I will say this,” Myers explained on ESPN. “Great reverence for Klay Thompson, and Steph Curry and Draymond Green. I ..read more

Heat star Jimmy Butler may have suffered a season-ending injury in Miami’s 105-104 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday. Miami’s best scorer may have sustained a knee injury during their play-in, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. “Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is feared to have an MCL injury in his knee, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The injury could sideline Butler for an indefinite period. MRI to come,” Shams reported on X. In the dying seconds of the first half, Butler ran down the court and went to sink a shot when Sixers guard Kelly Oubre jumped up to try and block the shot an ..read more