LeBron James is uncertain if he will get the chance to play on the same team as fellow great Stephen Curry before one of the duo retires.

Curry and James teamed up for the first time to help Team USA win gold at the Paris Olympics this summer.

But with 39-year-old James and 36-year-old Curry in the twilight of their careers, the chances of them teaming up at another Olympics are slim.

Indeed, with James committed to the Los Angeles Lakers and Curry to the Golden State Warriors, the best fans can likely hope for is a joint All-Star appearance. 

"I have no idea," James said ahead of the Lakers facing the Warriors in preseason.

James and Curry formed a thrilling NBA Finals rivalry between 2015 and 2018, facing off against each other 22 times.

"It was everything and more," James said of teaming up with Curry at the Olympics.

"I was super excited to be able to finally team up with him in a win-or-die type atmosphere. That's what it was, being a part of the Olympics.

"It was everything that I dreamed of and aspired to want to be a part of that team, along with Steph. Great memories. Something that I'll remember from my basketball career for the rest of my life, for sure.

"I understand what Steph has done for this game. I understand what he's done for his organisation, what he's done for the community, people all over the world.

"Just by his approach to the game and how he is as a man. How he is as a family man. How he is as a husband, a dad, a son, all that stuff.

"So when you have that type of respect for somebody and then you get to be around them every day and you see the way they work and how they treat their craft, it's a pretty cool thing. You're able to just respect that and not take it for granted."

Breanna Stewart believes she showed resilience in bouncing back from New York Liberty's defeat in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, praising her team-mates for their support.

The Liberty avenged their shock defeat to the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday, this time holding off their comeback to win 80-66 in Game 2 on Sunday.

Stewart scored 21 points, adding eight rebounds and five assists, also setting a WNBA Finals single-game record with seven steals.

The two-time league MVP was disappointed with the performance in the opener but was much more upbeat after helping to level the series at 1-1.

"The moment the game ended Thursday, I was looking forward to Sunday," Stewart said.

"I can't strive to be the best, to be great, but then be afraid to fail. This is what happens when you put yourself in high-stress, important situations.

"You face possible failure. Yeah, I was upset because we could have won [Thursday's] game. But I'm happy I took the shots. Throughout this entire process, my team has my back every step of the way."

Having played the first two games at home, the Liberty now have two games at the Target Arena to look forward to.

"We embrace it; we like it when it's loud, when it's difficult," Stewart added of their trip to Minnesota. "Hopefully it's going to be an incredible atmosphere for both of those games.

"[It's about] not getting too high or too low; things are going to seem bigger than they are because they are playing at home. I'm sure Minny said the same thing when they're playing here."

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who struggled with knee injuries in the regular season, was also on top form, going 4 of 6 from 3-point range and finishing with 20 points for New York.

Having knocked down the 3-pointer to give the Liberty the lead ahead of their final surge, Laney-Hamilton is hopeful she will be able to build on this performance going forward.

"I think it gives me a little bit of momentum as we continue to go through the series," she said.

"It felt really good because I know I've been struggling, physically, mentally as I've been going through everything."

Game 3 takes place on Wednesday in Minnesota.

Breeanna Stewart scored 21 points and the New York Liberty pulled away late for Sunday's crucial 80-66 Game 2 win over the Minnesota Lynx that evened the WNBA Finals at 1-1.

The top-seeded Liberty closed the game on a 12-0 run to avenge Thursday's stunning home loss to the Lynx, in which second-seeded Minnesota overcame a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to rally for a 95-93 overtime win to open the championship series.

Minnesota put forth another late comeback try in Game 2, as it cut a 10-point third-quarter deficit down to two when Napheesa Collier's turnaround jumper with 6:46 remaining brought the Lynx within 64-62.

It remained a two-point game until New York's Betnijah Laney-Hamilton knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:21 left to give the Liberty a 71-66 lead and start the game-sealing final surge.

Laney-Hamilton went 4 of 6 from 3-point range and finished with 20 points for New York, which made good on 11 of 24 shots from beyond the arc (45.8 per cent) compared to 6 of 20 (30 per cent) for Minnesota.

Stewart added eight rebounds and five assists while setting a WNBA Finals single-game record with seven steals. Fellow All-Star Sabrina Ionescu chipped in 15 points and five assists to help the Liberty avoid a dreaded 0-2 deficit in the best-of-five series. 

Collier led the Lynx with 16 points and eight rebounds, while team-mate Courtney Williams recorded 15 points and eight assists and Alanna Smith had 14 points for Minnesota.

The Lynx will host the next two games of the series, with Game 3 to take place Wednesday in Minneapolis.

Ionescu scored 12 points in the first quarter as the Liberty took a 31-21 lead into the second, and New York shot 51.4 per cent in the first half to enter the break with a 49-39 advantage.

Minnesota trailed 64-55 early in the fourth quarter before closing the gap with a 7-0 run capped by Collier's jumper, which followed a 3-pointer from Kayla McBride.

Klay Thompson admitted to getting butterflies ahead of making his Dallas Mavericks debut on Thursday, before predicting his stint with the team will be "special".

Thompson was at the centre of the Golden State Warriors' dynasty before leaving the franchise in July, winning four NBA championships in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. 

Having been drafted 11th overall in 2011, Thompson left the Warriors as the player with the fourth-most games played in team history (793) and the sixth-most points (15,531).

He penned a three-year, $50million deal with the Mavs ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, and his first preseason appearance for the team came in a 107-102 loss to the Utah Jazz.

Thompson scored 10 points in 18 first-half minutes at American Airlines Center, before revealing his pre-game nerves were the worst he had experienced since his first trip to the NBA Finals.

"I haven't been that nervous, I don't think, since the 2015 Finals Game 1," Thompson said after the game.

"It felt so good just to go out there and play and work those jitters out. 

"It was a new experience, and it's a natural feeling when you've been somewhere so long and to be somewhere new in a new environment. 

"To finally put the uniform on, it felt amazing. I'm just excited to experience a new chapter. It's going to be special. I just know it."

Dallas' next preseason game sees them face the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, before they take on the Milwaukee Bucks in their final run-out before the new campaign.

When the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty played for the Commissioner’s Cup Championship in June, it seemed a foregone conclusion the teams would meet further down the road with much more at stake.

That time has come, as the Liberty will host the Lynx in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday in a matchup of teams that posted the top two records during the regular season.

New York went 5-0 in Commissioner’s Cup play while Minnesota posted a 4-1 record en route to a meeting on June 25 in the championship game of the in-season competition that started in 2021.

The Liberty entered as the defending champions of the Commissioner's Cup and with a 15-3 overall record, while the Lynx came in with a 13-3 mark.

Minnesota went on to win its first Commissioner's Cup championship with a 94-89 victory at New York.

The Lynx also took two of three meetings in the regular season, but the Liberty (32-8) managed to finish two games ahead of Minnesota (30-10) in the final standings.

“I think the regular season doesn’t mean anything, they are an amazing team,” Minnesota forward Napheesa Collier said.

“It’s going to be a great series, great basketball. Two teams with great players competing.”

Collier was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and was runner-up to Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson for the WNBA MVP award.

Collier finished in the top five in the league in scoring (20.4 points per game), rebounds (9.7), steals (1.9), double-doubles (18) and player efficiency (25.7), but she’s been even more dominant in the play-offs.

The sixth overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft is averaging a league-high 27.1 points and tops all post-season players with a 32.9 efficiency rating to go along with 9.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.0 blocks per game.

“She’s improved every season. She’s just been incredible,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said.

“Every game, it’s more than scoring how she helps our team. When she plays like the MVP, we're tough to beat.”

The Lynx booked their ticket to the WNBA Finals with an 88-77 win over the Connecticut Sun in the decisive Game 5 of the semifinals on Tuesday.

New York has been idle since eliminating the two-time defending champion Aces in Game 4 of the semis on Sunday.

“Talk about the schedule, who cares. Nobody’s going to feel bad for us,” Reeve said.

“Got to go hooping right away and we’ll do that.”

The Liberty exacted a measure of revenge on Las Vegas after losing to the Aces in four games in last season’s WNBA Finals, but star point guard Sabrina Ionescu said New York needs to remain focused.

“We haven’t done anything yet, I think we all understand that,” Ionescu said. “We want to come out and continue to be the best team like we have been all year.

“We’re three wins away, and that’s really important to understand. We’ve got to come out and we’ve got to punch because nothing has been given to us yet.”

Ionescu and forward Breanna Stewart form an imposing 1-2 punch for the Liberty.

Stewart averaged 20.4 points (fourth in the league) during the regular season and Ionescu added 18.2 per game. Ionescu ranked fifth in the WNBA in both assists per game (6.2) and 3-pointers made (107).

In the play-offs, Ionescu is averaging 20.7 points and Stewart is pouring in 20.0 per game.

Minnesota is playing in its record seventh WNBA Finals and looking to break a tie with the Houston Comets and Seattle Storm for the most titles in WNBA history with its fifth championship.

New York, meanwhile, has lost in each of its previous five WNBA Finals appearances.

“We're going to the Finals and we're hosting Game 1 and Game 2,” Stewart said.

“We're ready to go. Just the feeling of not (being) satisfied."

Game 2 is Sunday before the series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3, and if necessary, Game 4. A winner-take-all Game 5 would be in New York on October 20.

Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve says she is "overwhelmingly proud" of her team after reaching the WNBA Finals for the first time in seven years.

The Lynx capitalised on a strong start, claiming an 88-77 win over Connecticut Sun in Game 5 of the semi-finals.

It will be Minnesota's seventh WNBA Finals, a record for a team in the league. They have previously won four titles, the joint-most in the competition's history, and a win over the New York Liberty would move them outright top of the list.

Reeve, who has led the Lynx to all four of those previous titles, was full of praise for how the team saw out the win.

"I'm so proud. I can't tell you how badly our staff wanted it for them," she told reporters.

"It's a really special group. The number of people who have reached out to tell me how much they enjoy watching them play and that they're rooting for them is incredible.

"I feel overwhelmingly proud. We played Lynx basketball, and it was good to get back to it."

Napheesa Collier led the team, tallying 27 points and 11 rebounds, with Courtney Williams also contributing 24 points to help them to the win.

Reeve was impressed by both players, but in particular by the work that Collier has put in this season.

"What makes [Collier] special is her consistency and the way she shows up every single day," Reeve added.

"She's always the same, her work ethic, her demeanour, her passion for improving. She's just been incredible.

"It's more than scoring how she helps this team. When she plays like the MVP, our team is where it needs to be."

The Lynx, who finished second in the league and two games behind the Liberty during the regular season, have won three of four matchups with New York this year. That includes the WNBA Commissioner's Cup on June 25 to take the in-season tournament title.

The Finals begin with Game 1 on October 10.

Napheesa Collier tallied 27 points and 11 rebounds and Courtney Williams contributed 24 points and both-ends-of-the-court energy to lead the Minnesota Lynx past the Connecticut Sun 88-77 and into the WNBA Finals for the first time in seven years on Tuesday night.

Kayla McBride fueled a strong start with 10 of her 19 points in the first quarter for the Lynx, who advanced to face the top-seeded New York Liberty in Game 1 on Thursday night.

The Lynx, who finished second in the league and two games behind the Liberty during the regular season, have won three of four matchups with New York this year. That includes the WNBA Commissioner's Cup on June 25 to take the in-season tournament title.

DiJonai Carrington had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Brionna Jones added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Sun, who shot 38.5% from the field (25 for 65) and were forced into 19 turnovers that the Lynx converted into 22 points.

DeWanna Bonner had 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting for the Sun, who were ousted in the semifinals for the fourth time in six years. They lost in the finals in those other two seasons, 2019 and 2022, when Williams was part of the core that still hasn't cleared that last hurdle to the franchise's first title.

The Connecticut Sun must dig deep to claim a place in the WNBA Finals when they face the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of their semifinal matchup, says coach Stephanie White.

The Sun pulled out a dramatic 92-82 win in Game 4 on Sunday and tee up a decider for Tuesday, evening up the series at 2-2.

Alyssa Thomas led Connecticut with 18 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in Game 4, keeping the Sun's hopes of a fifth finals appearance – and a second in three years – alive.

White expects both teams to step things up a gear for the decider, warning the Sun have no margin for error if they are to advance.

"Both of these franchises have been here," White said. "We have a lot of players on our roster that have been here that understand certainly what it takes and that effort is not going to be good enough.

"We expect them to make adjustments. We'll make some tweaks and adjustments as well. ... It's about players making plays.

"It's about the extra efforts, the hustle plays. It's about not being denied and finding something deep inside of you that just allows you to come out on top."

Napheesa Collier carried Minnesota in Game 4, finishing with 29 points and 13 boards, and she believes having home advantage at Target Center could be crucial on Tuesday.

"You work so hard in the regular season because you want this advantage," Collier said.

"Obviously you want to go home for that game and since we are, it's really nice to have that homecourt advantage." 

LeBron James said sharing the court with his son Bronny was one of the greatest things a father could wish for after the pair teamed up for the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

On his 20th birthday, Bronny – the 55th overall pick in this year's NFL Draft – appeared alongside his father in the second quarter of the Lakers' preseason game against the Phoenix Suns.

They became the first father-son duo to ever play in any NBA game as the Lakers were beaten 118-114.

LeBron finished with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, five rebounds and four assists in 16 minutes in the Lakers' 118-114 loss, while Bronny missed his only shot attempt in 13 score-less minutes and had two boards with four turnovers.

"For a father, it means everything," LeBron James said after the game in Palm Desert, California.

"For someone who didn't have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have an influence on your son...

"Be able to have moments with your son, and ultimately, to be able to work with your son... I think that's one of the greatest things that a father can ever hope for or wish for."

LeBron almost delivered an assist for Bronny, who narrowly missed a 3-pointer off a dribble handoff from his father.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said: "I was really hoping that wing 3 on the little side had gone in. That would have been a cool moment, but they'll have a lot of moments together, I'm sure.

"I just wanted to get them a chance to play together in preseason, within the flow of the game," Redick said. "I'm thrilled that I get to be a part of this. I really am. 

"It's cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to LeBron's longevity, but also his competitive stamina that he's able to still be doing this in Year 22. 

"It speaks to the work that Bronny has put in to get to this point and really just the fatherly care and love, and certainly the motherly care from Savannah as well. Bronny's such a great kid and he's a pleasure to be around."

Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest while a freshman at USC last July, and he feels that experience helped him shut out the noise on his historic outing.

"It's just taking everything that has happened to me during this year, getting up and continuing to work every day," he said. 

"It's just about finding fuel every day to get up and start working. JJ has really emphasised the defensive end and being a pest on defense. So that's what I've been trying to focus on when stepping on the floor."

It will be a birthday to remember for Bronny James - and for his father, as well.

LeBron James and Bronny made NBA history, becoming the first father and son to play in an NBA game at the same time in the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday in Palm Desert, California.

Not only did they become the first father-son duo to play in any NBA game, they played as team-mates.

Bronny entered the game as a substitute at the beginning of the second quarter to join his dad on the court.

The memorable moment also came on Bronny's 20th birthday.

The older James will turn 40 in December, but is still at the top of his game. He's set to begin his record-tying 22nd season in the NBA after averaging 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 71 games for the Lakers in 2023-24.

Bronny, who was selected with the 55th pick in this year's draft, is expected to spend much of this season in the G League, but will almost certainly have an opportunity to play alongside his father with the Lakers at some point in the 2024-25 season.

There will be no three-peat in the WNBA this season after the New York Liberty eliminated the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces with a 76-62 victory in Game 4 of the semi-finals on Sunday.

Sabrina Ionescu paced four players in double figures with 22 points for the Liberty, who won the first two games of the best-of-five series before the Aces took Game 3 to avoid being swept.

A’ja Wilson led the way for Las Vegas with 19 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots after winning her record-tying third WNBA MVP Award last month.

New York will next meet the Minnesota Lynx or Connecticut Sun as it tries to win its first NBA title after losing each of its previous five trips to the WNBA Finals.

The Sun pulled out a 92-82 win over the Lynx later Sunday to stave off elimination and even up their semi-final series at two games apiece. Game 5 will be on Tuesday.

Alyssa Thomas led Connecticut with 18 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, while Napheesa Collier carried Minnesota, finishing with 29 points and 13 boards.

Kawhi Leonard says he is feeling "good and getting stronger" as the Los Angeles Clippers small forward continues his recovery from a knee injury.

The two-time NBA champion missed the final eight games of the 2023-24 regular season after suffering inflammation in his right knee, as well as most of the Clippers' first-round series defeat to the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs.

Leonard has since undergone surgery and heavily focused on strengthening his knee during the Clippers' training camp in Hawaii.

However, the 33-year-old knows he must not rush his return to competitive action, or playing in successive games.

"I feel good. [I have] just been taking my time, getting stronger and getting ready," he said during the Clippers' 91-90 pre-season defeat to the Golden State Warriors, in which he did not feature.

"We're just taking it slow, day by day, and just trying to get me back on the floor. Once those conversations come, we'll see what they're talking about [on the best approach for back-to-backs]."

Leonard played 68 regular-season games last term, his most in a single campaign since 2016-17.

And while he wants to feature as regularly as possible this season, he is focused on maintaining his fitness for the crunch stages of the campaign.

"This is what I work for," he added. "I strive to get a championship, and I'm not out there to try to [solely] play 82 games.

"I'm trying to win, even though [playing as much as I can] that's obligated for me. I try to. But it hasn't worked out [the last two post-seasons], so we'll see."

Julius Randle says he is happy to be at the Minnesota Timberwolves where he "feels wanted" but admitted feeling shocked by the New York Knicks trade.

He was part of a blockbuster trade, joining the Timberwolves with Donte DiVincenzo, as Karl-Anthony Towns headed the other way in a deal that was completed earlier this week.

Randle was a three-time All-Star with the Knicks as their starting power forward, a Most Improved Player winner and a two-time All-NBA selection.

Last season, he averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, though he did not play in the playoffs after dislocating his shoulder on January 27 and opted to undergo surgery in April after two months of rehab.

Although he had initially been looking forward to another shot at the playoffs with the Knicks, he is now invigorated about joining another championship contender.

"It was a lot of emotion," Randle said. "You spend a lot of time living in one place, you know, New York, going there five years ago... A lot of blood, sweat, and tears put into that organization and uniform. Initially, it's always going to be a shock.

"You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. I feel wanted here. At this point in my career, I've accomplished a lot of great things on an individual level, but I want to win a championship. This is a perfect opportunity to do that.

"[The trade] was a breath of fresh air. I'm excited to bring everything I've learned here over the past five years and help these guys out. My only thing here is I just want to help.

"I want to help [Anthony Edwards]. I want to help Rudy [Gobert], Naz [Reid] - all those guys. I want to help win a championship, and that's the only thing that matters."

The Timberwolves start their season against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 22, with their preseason beginning against the same opponent on Friday.

Caitlin Clark lived up to the lofty expectations as one of the most highly touted rookies in WNBA history, and has been rewarded.

The WNBA announced Thursday that the Indiana Fever star was chosen as the league's Rookie of the Year.

Clark received 66 of 67 votes, with the other vote going to Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky.

After a phenomenal collegiate career, Clark was the first pick of this year's draft and made an immediate impact on the court and also by helping the WNBA gain popularity worldwide.

She broke the league's single-season assist mark with 337 - including a WNBA-record 19 in one game - and averaged 8.4 per game to become the first rookie to lead the league in that stat.

Her 122 3-pointers also led all players and she scored the most points ever by a rookie with an average of 19.2 per game to rank seventh in the WNBA.

With averages of 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals, she started all 40 games for the Fever to help the franchise reach the play-offs for the first time since 2016.

Joining Clark on the 2024 WNBA All-Rookie Team is Reese and Kamilla Cardoso of the Sky, New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich and Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson.

Caitlin Clark lived up to the lofty expectations as one of the most highly touted rookies in WNBA history, and has been rewarded.

The WNBA announced Thursday that the Indiana Fever star was chosen as the league's Rookie of the Year.

Clark received 66 of 67 votes, with the other vote going to Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky.

After a phenomenal collegiate career, Clark was the first pick of this year's draft and made an immediate impact on the court and also by helping the WNBA gain popularity worldwide.

She broke the league's single-season assist mark with 337 - including a WNBA-record 19 in one game - and averaged 8.4 per game to become the first rookie to lead the league in that stat.

Her 122 3-pointers also led all players and she scored the most points ever by a rookie with an average of 19.2 per game to rank seventh in the WNBA.

With averages of 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals, she started all 40 games for the Fever to help the franchise reach the play-offs for the first time since 2016.

Joining Clark on the 2024 WNBA All-Rookie Team is Reese and Kamilla Cardoso of the Sky, New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich and Los Angeles Sparks forward Rickea Jackson.