The high-flying Utah Jazz have some extra star power off the court after NBA great Dwyane Wade purchased an ownership stake in the franchise.
Wade – a three-time champion and 13-time All-Star – joins majority owner Ryan Smith in Utah, where the Jazz lead the NBA with a 42-14 record this season.
The 39-year-old Wade won three titles with the Miami Heat, having also played for the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers before retiring in 2019.
"When you're able to get an opportunity to meet someone like Ryan that has been very successful in business, that can educate you, that can teach you — I'm all about I want mentors, and Ryan became a mentor to me," Wade said after joining a shortlist of former players with ownership stakes in NBA franchises, alongside Hall of Famer Michael Jordan (Charlotte Hornets), Los Angeles Lakers great Shaquille O'Neale (Sacramento Kings) and Grant Hill (Atlanta Hawks).
"Did I ever think that this would be a part of our conversations? No, I did not. But this was always a goal of mine, to one day hopefully be a part of something bigger than I, and that's what the Utah Jazz is — something bigger than myself."
"The respect I that I have for that [Heat] organisation will not go anywhere, the love that I have for the [Heat] fans -- that goes nowhere," Wade told ESPN.
"But this is about the next phase of my life as an investor, a businessman, an entrepreneur. For me, this is an opportunity to grow."
The Jazz – spearheaded by All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley – are eyeing their maiden NBA championship.
Utah have suffered back-to-back first-round exits in the playoffs, having last reached the NBA Finals in 1998 – beaten by Jordan's Bulls.
"Dwyane is not only a basketball legend, he is also a great leader, businessman, and human being," said Smith. "As we continue to build on the incredible legacy of the Utah Jazz franchise, we are excited to add Dwyane's experience and expertise to the equation.
"Utah is an amazing place and I couldn't be more thrilled about the future of the franchise and the future of this state. Dwyane's influence will be important to both."
Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks said former NBA MVP James Harden is "progressing well" from a hamstring strain.
Harden has missed five consecutive games since exiting Brooklyn's win over the New York Knicks on April 5.
The All-Star guard – one of the frontrunners for MVP honours this season having been averaging 25.2 points, 10.9 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game – sat out Friday's 130-115 victory against the Charlotte Hornets.
Marks provided an update on Harden, telling reporters: "I can tell you that James is progressing well. He's looking forward to having at least one or two more play days -- which means he'll play four on four, five on five with the group in practice.
"And hopefully, if things go smoothly like that, he'll be out and joining the guys in a game. But he's progressed well, he's met his markers up to this point and we'll just continue to progress him along.
"Hopefully, it's not too much longer. But at this point, I can't put a timetable on if it's two days, five days or so forth."
Nets head coach Steve Nash was also asked about Harden after star-studded Brooklyn improved to 38-18 behind Kevin Durant's 25 points and 11 assists.
Steve Nash added: "I haven't seen James. So he worked out [Thursday]. We had an off day. He worked out when we were on the road.
"But I think he was going to work out this evening. So I haven't seen him. all I can go off is what I heard and I know, speaking to James and speaking to people who were on the court with him -- he is improving and he is on the right track and hopefully won't be long before he's back.
"But there are still markers. And you know there's James -- he wants to play tonight -- and there's performance that wants to lean on science and be safe.
"There are two kind of despaired opinions and that's what we're here for is to try to find the middle ground and make sure he returns safely but also as soon as he possibly can."
The Nets are set for a three-game road trip against the Miami Heat (Sunday), New Orleans Pelicans (Tuesday) and Toronto Raptors (Wednesday).
"I mean, again, I hope I'm not speaking out of term," Nash said. "But I think typically, at this stage of the rehab, it's about high-intensity play. So can get out there and play one on one, three on three, four on four, five on five and can he do it consistently over two or three times in a row?
"Not necessarily back-to-back days, but two or three bouts of high-intensity play in a row and you recover, do it again and prove that he can meet the demands and intensity and have no ill effects the next day or the next performance. So that's kind of the way it works, in a very general way."
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich described LaMarcus Aldridge as a "consummate professional" after the veteran retired due to a health issue.
Aldridge played while dealing with an irregular heartbeat in the Brooklyn Nets' 126-101 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers last Saturday, a problem that became worse after the game.
The seven-time All-Star was listed as out with a non-COVID related illness for the Nets' next two games against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Philadelphia 76ers.
On Thursday, the 35-year-old announced he was putting his health and family first and calling it a day.
Aldridge had only joined the Nets as a free agent in March and averaged 12.8 points in five games after agreeing a contract buyout with the Spurs.
He was signed by the Spurs ahead of the 2015-16 season, helping San Antonio reach the Western Conference Finals in 2017 where they were swept by the Golden State Warriors.
"LaMarcus Aldridge enjoyed a wonderful NBA career. He was a consummate professional with a unique skill set and a deep respect for the game," Popovich said in a Spurs statement.
"We're grateful for his contributions, both on and off the court, during his time here in San Antonio.
"I'm proud of him for making this difficult decision and we wish him and his family all of the best in the future."
Selected second overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2006 draft, Aldridge spent the majority of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers, scoring 12,562 points to sit third on the franchise's all-time list.
Aldridge played in 1,029 NBA games and finishes up averaging 19.4 points and 8.2 rebounds.
Steph Curry aims to bring "joy and a competitive fire" to a developing Golden State Warriors unit, after he netted 30 points for a career-best ninth straight game.
Curry was instrumental as the Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-101 on Thursday to make it four wins from four – the team's strongest streak this season.
The 33-year-old scored 33 points, registered five assists and four rebounds, completing four of 13 attempted three-pointers, while Curry is the first Warrior since Rick Barry in 1966-67 to score 30-plus points in nine consecutive games.
Golden State's run has taken them onto the verge of the playoff positions in the Western Conference, and Curry is delighted with how the team is coming together.
"I just try to bring the team joy and a competitive fire," Curry said, as reported by ESPN.
"We've got a way to go, but developing different ways to win games is a good thing."
"He's been incredible lately, even by Steph standards," Warriors coach Steve Kerr added of Curry's superb individual display.
"It's the result of a lifetime of training and hard work, but he just does it night after night. We're in a very good place right now. The guys feel good about themselves."
Curry was ably supported by Andrew Wiggins (23 points), Juan Toscano-Anderson (20) and Draymond Green, whose tally of five points was boosted by 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Indeed, Green's partnership with Curry received particular praise from Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who said: "Steph and Draymond are so good and with their experience, they're just deadly, and the other guys play their role to a T."
One negative for Golden State is the news of a season-ending knee injury for rookie James Wiseman, the number two overall draft pick.
"It's tough because he was headed in the right direction, but I told him he needs to think big picture," Curry said.
"He can use this to try and turn a negative into a positive."
Stephen Curry posted more than 30 points for a career-best ninth consecutive game as the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-101.
Curry starred for the Warriors on Thursday, scoring 33 points to lead the visitors past the Cavaliers in Cleveland and to their fourth successive win.
The two-time MVP – who is averaging 38.2 points amid his streak – became the first Warriors player to have at least 30 points in nine straight games since Rick Barry in 1966-67.
Andrew Wiggins added 23 points for the Warriors, while Juan Toscano-Anderson had his first career 20-point game with 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
The Cavaliers were led by Collin Sexton's 30 points and Jarrett Allen's double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Brown goes off against Lakers
The Boston Celtics took down injury-hit defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers 121-113 at Staples Center. Without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers were punished by Jaylen Brown, who fuelled the Celtics with 40 points on 17-for-20 shooting, making three of his five three-point attempts to go with nine rebounds and three assists. He became the first player in franchise history to score 40-plus points with a field-goal percentage of 85 per cent or better.
Deandre Ayton (26 points and 11 rebounds), Devin Booker (23 points) and Chris Paul (13 points and 11 assists) combined as the red-hot Phoenix Suns topped the Sacramento Kings 122-114. Phoenix won their 10th consecutive home game as they reached 40 victories for the first time since 2014.
Brook Lopez was efficient with 19 points and 12 rebounds on seven-for-10 shooting, while he was three-of-six from three-point range as two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a six-game injury lay-off in the Milwaukee Bucks' 120-109 success against the Atlanta Hawks.
Matthews and Caldwell-Pope struggle
It was not a memorable outing for Lakers pair Wesley Matthews (three points) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (two points), who were both one-for-seven shooting in 23 minutes as starters. Matthews made one of his six attempts from beyond the arc, while Caldwell-Pope missed all three of his efforts.
Kevin Love – an NBA champion with the Cavaliers – finished two-for-10 shooting against the Warriors. The veteran (five points) only nailed one of his seven three-point attempts on a rough day.
Tricky Tatum
Jayson Tatum had five assists against the Lakers, including a behind-the-back dime to tee up Celtics team-mate Tristan Thompson.
Thursday's results
Milwaukee Bucks 120-109 Atlanta Hawks
Golden State Warriors 119-101 Cleveland Cavaliers
Phoenix Suns 122-114 Sacramento Kings
Boston Celtics 121-113 Los Angeles Lakers
Clippers at 76ers
A blockbuster clash will see the in-form Los Angeles Clippers (39-18) visit the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers (38-17) on Friday. The Clippers have won seven straight, while the 76ers are in the midst of a three-game winning run.
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis has been cleared to resume full on-court activities and could return for the upcoming series against the NBA-leading Utah Jazz.
Davis has been sidelined since exiting the NBA champions' game against the Denver Nuggets on February 14 as he recovers from tendinosis and a calf strain in his right leg.
The Lakers have also been without superstar LeBron James due to an ankle injury, but head coach Frank Vogel said the team are close to welcoming back Davis.
Davis missed Thursday's clash with the Boston Celtics, but Vogel did not rule out the eight-time All-Star from potentially returning in the Utah series across April 17 and April 19.
The Lakers are more hopeful Davis will be ready to face the Dallas Mavericks on April 22.
"Good news. He was evaluated again upon the return of this trip," Vogel told reporters on Thursday.
"He has been cleared for full on-court activity. Full practice, anything we want to do with him to begin his real ramp-up to begin his return to play.
"All the court work he's been doing until this point has been to get him to be fully cleared to participate in full practice.
"Obviously he's not playing tonight [Thursday]. It's unlikely he plays in the two Utah games, but not out of the question. Hopefully he is available after that."
Davis, who will return on a minutes restriction, was averaging 22.5 points per game this season before the injury – his lowest since his second year in the league with the New Orleans Pelicans (20.8).
The 28-year-old's average of 8.4 rebounds in 2020-21 is the lowest since his rookie season (8.2) in 2012-13.
Vogel's Lakers (34-21) are fifth in the Western Conference, seven games adrift of the high-flying Jazz (41-14).
James Wiseman's rookie season in the NBA has come to a premature end after the Golden State Warriors center underwent knee surgery on Thursday.
Wiseman had a procedure in Los Angeles to repair a right meniscal tear, the NBA team announced.
The 20-year-old is expected to be healthy for the start of the 2021-22 season.
Wiseman was the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft but had trouble staying in the line-up in his first season with Golden State, starting 27 of his 39 games and averaging 21.4 minutes along with 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
He ranks third among rookies in rebounding, fifth in scoring, fourth in field-goal percentage and fifth in blocks (0.92 per game).
Golden State's Wiseman missed much of February with a wrist injury before returning in a bench role for several weeks.
Wiseman re-joined the starting line-up on March 23 and his play was inconsistent before a strong showing in what turned out to be his final full game of the season.
He made nine of 11 field goals and scored 18 points against the Washington Wizards on April 9, but left the following day's game against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter after landing awkwardly on a dunk attempt.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters earlier in the week that Wiseman was taking the injury news as well as he could.
"He's just been through an awful lot this season," Kerr said. "And he has a really good way about him and he's at minimum putting up a good front, but I know he's really crushed, but he's hanging in there."
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