Latest In Sport
Basketball
James unsure about White House visits under Trump
LEBRON James said he was undecided about whether he would return to a White House reception hosted by President Donald Trump.
Sting in this Tiger’s tale
PLENTY has been said about Andrew Gaze’s return to coach against Melbourne on Saturday night — Sydney’s new coach talks us through the big game.
‘I went through a lot of s**t in my day’
LONG before Sydney Kings import Josh Powell starred on the NBA stage alongside icons like Kobe Bryant, life was vastly different as a teenage runaway.
Tough ask for Lightning against Perth’s pros
PERTH Lynx rightly are being held up as the blueprint for a women’s professional team with the main roster now all fulltime WNBL players.
Big deficit to make up for 36ers, Lightning
ADELAIDE’s elite level basketball teams have 66 points to make up against their respective NBL and WNBL opponents Saturday.
LeBron and FLOTUS nail Mannequin Challenge
IT’S been a horrible week for the Democrats, so it’s great to see First Lady Michelle Obama having fun when LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers popped by the White House.
Snakes slide in to outscore Breakers
IT will be a direct contrast of basketball styles on Friday evening at Vector Arena in Auckland.
Battling Bullets upset Kings
BULLETS coach Andrej Lemanis says his side showed fight, focus and finesse to claim a drama-charged 86-73 upset victory over league-leading Sydney on Thursday night.
Trice can’t take trick with hip
TRAVIS Trice’s return date for the Cairns Taipans is up in the air with the import point guard doubtful to play next Friday night in Melbourne.
Hawks back Norton in key clash with 36ers
ILLAWARRA Hawks coach Rob Beveridge rates playmaker Mitch Norton as good as any NBL defender he’s coached and a key man ahead of facing Adelaide’s Jerome Randle on Saturday.
‘I was skinny, gawky and uncoordinated’
WHEN Sydney uni Flames import Asia Taylor started playing basketball she was so uncoordinated she used to trip over her own feet. Now she’s a star of the WNBL.
Video: Lakers coach takes on players
LAKERS coach Luke Walton joined his team’s training session, and only one of his players was able to score on him.
WNBL round 6 numbers game
THE WNBL heads into the sixth round this weekend with some great clashes on the road and at home. We take a look at the numbers game.
United hunting wins amid tough times
BOTTOM of the NBL ladder, star Boomer injured, import sacked. Not much is going right for Melbourne United. But centre David Andersen is looking on the bright side.
What? John Wall was fined for this?
THE NBA fined Washington Wizards star John Wall for a very dubious action. Should this have even been a technical foul?
Australia to be home for new NBA academy
NBA and Basketball Australia announced that the league will launch the NBA Global Academy elite training centre at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
Stephen Curry’s Michael Jordan secret
STEPHEN Curry continues to produce ridiculous NBA feats and it turns out one of Michael Jordan’s most closely-guarded secrets is partly to thank.
Taipans front beefed up Breakers
AS the New Zealand Breakers add a new import point guard, the Taipans are on Friday night set to be without their American floor general.
Blake, Whittington lighting up NBL
SYDNEY assistant Lanard Copeland says Steve Blake, Greg Whittington, Josh Powell and naturalised guard Kevin Lisch have brought American professionalism to the Kings.
Bullets coach seeks NBL please explain
BRISBANE Bullets coach Andrej Lemanis has spoken to the NBL referees boss this week after his team was on the wrong side of the foul count in losses to Sydney and New Zealand.
Jackson released by Melbourne United
FORMER NBL MVP Cedric Jackson has become the first casualty in Melbourne United’s poor start to the season after being released by the club.
In-form Randle backs 36ers after road loss
JEROME Randle produced a scoring clinic against the Wildcats in Perth, the type of solo effort you can go years without seeing in the NBL.
Sami the ‘whammy’ for Lightning in main event
SAMI Whitcomb destroyed Adelaide two weeks ago when Lightning went into the Lynx’s WNBL stronghold in Perth.
Around the NBL with Boti Nagy
THE NBL could not have asked for a better round of high quality basketball but its Game Review Panel and internal decisions again have left it resembling Mickey Mouse.
WNBL round 5: Five minute wrap
SUZY Batkovic pulled off a miracle shot to help Townsville to their overtime win at home against the Sydney Uni Flames. SWOOP’S WNBL five minute wrap,
Fearne furious at league leniency
CAIRNS Taipans refused to be drawn on Jason Cadee’s slap on the wrist from Monday night’s melee against the Sydney Kings despite coach Aaron Fearne’s obvious frustration during and after the game.
George fined $15K for kicking ball
INDIANA Pacers forward Paul George has been fined $US15,000 ($A19,300) for kicking the ball into the stands that hit a fan in the face.
For US athletes voting isn’t made easy
WITH the busy lifestyle of professional US athletes, it isn’t made particularly easy for your favourite sportspeople to cast their vote in their federal election.
Wildcats back Wroe to fill Martin void
PERTH will back Corban Wroe to fill the void left by injured skipper Damian Martin after opting against pursuing a short-term replacement point guard.
The day you thought Magic was going to die
IN the iconic, earth-shattering moment NBA legend Magic Johnson told the world he had HIV, he made some predictions that came true despite all expectation.
NBL Round 5 Wrap: Lisch, biffo and more
CONTROVERSIAL calls, overtime, a matchwinning shot and even a smattering of pretend biffo — the NBL’s fifth round had a bit of everything, says Boti Nagy.
Clutch King exacts revenge on Taipans
JUST two days after falling to Cairns, the Sydney Kings exacted revenge after skipper Kevin Lisch drained a clutch jump shot to bury the Taipans.
Cooper stout in review of faltering NBL referees
FORMER NBL referees chief Mal Cooper says a lack of officiating accountability led to the heinous incorrect charge call against Jerome Randle which cost Adelaide its match in Perth.
Kings have Gaze on energy levels
SYDNEY coach Andrew Gaze has demanded more energy from his players in a bid to stop the Taipans from claiming a fourth straight scalp on Monday night.
Fearne tipping higher scores
BOTH coaches expect more of a free-flowing and high-scoring contest in Monday night’s Taipans and Kings Round 5 rematch at Qudos Bank Arena.
Brave Flames edged out in overtime by Fire
THE Sydney Uni Flames have fallen just short of a rare defeat of defending WNBL champions Townsville at home, falling 85-83 in an overtime thriller.
Sixers ‘robbed’ by highly offensive call
SCREWED. There’s no other word to describe the blatantly incorrect charge assessed against 36ers superstar Jerome Randle, 11 seconds from the end of Saturday’s match with Perth.
Lightning draws main event status
ADELAIDE Basketball has turned a potential problem into a huge home double-header positive by programming its Lightning WNBL game as the main event on Saturday.
Wayward Bullets misfire in Auckland
BRISBANE Bullets shot themselves in the foot in Auckland, going down to New Zealand 86-70 after hitting just 23 shots from 70 attempts.
United’s season goes from bad to worse
MELBOURNE United’s NBL season is heading south after Dean Demopoulos’ men lost their fourth successive game - falling to cellar dwellers Illawarra.
Watch ‘Auba’ redeem himself with 4 in 48 minutes
EUROBEAT: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scores four goals in 48 minutes, Atletico Madrid suffer a title setback, and Radamel Falcao hits a brace for Monaco.
Super Sami leading the way for Lynx
IT’S no coincidence the Perth Lynx’s rise to WNBL title favouritism has come amid Sami Whitcomb’s surge towards MVP favouritism.
Wildcats survive red-hot Randle
THE Perth Wildcats survived a late Adelaide fightback and a red-hot Jerome Randle to record a 106-103 win at Perth Arena on Saturday night.
Taipans snap Kings’ NBL winning streak
CAIRNS Taipans have handed the Sydney Kings their second loss of the season after the Snakes grinded the visitors down in the lowest scoring game of the season.
Kings insist: We play by the rules
SYDNEY’S star-studded roster has raised concerns over a lack of parity in the NBL but the Kings insist they are just abiding by the rules in place.
Taipans topple Kings in Cairns
THE Cairns Taipans overcame a lethargic start to continue their stranglehold of their home court against the top of the table Sydney Kings on Saturday night in Cairns.
‘He will show he’s the best big man in the NBL’
AUSSIE basketball great Shane Heal calls Bullets big man Cameron Bairstow ‘pretty unique’ and says he ‘has all the tools to dominate in the NBL’.
Paying a King’s ransom
The ladder leading Sydney Kings stack up as NBL’s best talent with Taipans heading into a “David v Goliath” battle when they hit the court tonight.
United suffer third loss in row
MELBOURNE United has suffered its third straight loss after failing to overcome a scrappy but defiant New Zealand Breakers.
No air and graces for Kings star Blake
FLYING in economy is common for most athletes but not when you’re an NBA superstar. Just ask Steve Blake.
NBL spending still in the ‘too hard’ basket
THE NBL is soaring, on court. But off court the dangers of over-spending and reckless decision-making again threaten to see history repeat.
Wildcats skipper to return against 36ers
DAMIAN Martin will complete another remarkable comeback from injury when he suits up for Perth against Adelaide on Saturday night.
Wright tips Martin to fire up Wildcats
SIXERS coach Joey Wright is bracing himself for a Wildcats team emotionally lifted by the return of star Damian Martin when Adelaide takes on the defending NBL champion in Perth.
Russ may have trolled KD before epic matchup
THE subtlest troll jobs are the very best. Just ask Russell Westbrook, who pulled off this apparent masterpiece before his Thunder took on Kevin Durant and the Warriors.
Win gives Taipans extra zip
IT’S no secret that a win on the road for us has been a long time coming.
Snakes can strike even without Trice
THE Cairns Taipans are confident they will be able to fill the sizeable void Travis Trice would leave if he is ruled out of tomorrow night’s home game against Sydney.
Goulding to miss United’s big weekend
A FIERY week on the practice court has Melbourne United gunning to bounce back against New Zealand Breakers but Chris Goulding has been ruled out.
Ferguson to keep cool when heat is on
SIXER Terrance Ferguson already knew he had a figurative bullseye on him and now he knows NBL life is about to become even more challenging. But the import has learnt his lesson and is ready to rebound.
Trice has MRI on hip
IMPORT guard Travis Trice had an MRI on his hip on today in a bid to play on Saturday night against the Sydney Kings.
Flames fire up for Townsville test
FLAMES coach Cheryl Chambers says defending champions Townsville are under enormous pressure to impress at home this weekend.
Why you must not miss Warriors v Thunder
THE simmering tension between Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant is about to boil over on the basketball court, with the former teammates set to go head-to-head for the first time.
Bullets import’s tasty form just a starter
AFTER coming off the bench for Cairns the past two seasons, red-hot Brisbane Bullets import Torrey Craig is relishing his licence to thrill as a starter.
Top ’cat aims to return against 36ers
WILDCATS captain Damian Martin is hopeful he will be back to lead the defending NBL champion against the 36ers at Perth Arena on Saturday.
Around the NBL with Boti Nagy
THE NBA’s greatest three-point shooter, dual-champion Ray Allen, retired today ... and you have to believe the Perth Wildcats are wringing their hands, says Boti Nagy.
‘Who wants to sex Mutombo?’
DIKEMBE Mutombo has just had his jersey number retired by the Denver Nuggets, but his hilarious pick up lines are among the reasons he is a favourite among NBA fans.
Ray Allen announces retirement
RAY Allen won titles in Boston and Miami, made one of the most memorable shots in Finals history and has more 3-pointers than anyone who ever played in the NBA. He’s now decided to hang ‘em up.
What caused the NBA’s biggest feud?
WHEN Kevin Durant ditched the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors he broke up the most dynamic duo in the league. Here’s why he did it.
NBA’s all-time greatest superteams ranked
KEVIN Durant’s Warriors may be the latest but are far from the greatest. We rank the top 10 superteams formed after unrestricted free agency hit the NBA.
Creek trick just for kicks
WATCH THE VIDEO: Mitch Creek may be nursing a foot fracture back to health, but the Adelaide 36ers captain still has another foot - which he put to use with a stunning trick kick at training.
Tough ask for Lightning with Hodges out
ADELAIDE has less than two weeks to turn around Sunday’s 32-point WNBL road loss to Perth when the Lynx hit town, the Lightning also to be minus Laura Hodges.
Benchie Boag making impact for Flames
IT’S hard to make an impression when surrounded by WNBA players and Opals playmakers but somehow impact player Carly Boag is managing to do it for the Sydney Uni Flames.
Gobert lands $102m in new Jazz deal: reports
FRENCH centre Rudy Gobert has agreed to a $102 million, four-year contract with the Utah Jazz, US media reported.
Kings star Khazzouh eyes return to court
SYDNEY Kings star Julian Khazzouh is set to ramp up his rehab process ahead of a highly anticipated return to the court after injuring himself in December last year.
Drmic needs shot doctor as rookie’s struggles continue
ADELAIDE 36ers coach Joey Wright admits he is concerned over the form of rookie recruit Anthony Drmic who has struggled through the Sixers’ first six NBL games.
Boti Nagy’s NBL Round 4 Wrap
SYDNEY unquestionably is everyone’s white-hot favourite now for the NBL title after winning its fifth straight game, reversing its opening round loss to Brisbane.
Wright fumes at officials after NZ defeat
ADELAIDE 36ers coach Joey Wright was irate at how his Sixers gave up 119 points in New Zealand on Saturday, firing a shot at the officials.
Costly Lightning errors gift win to Lynx
FOR the second week in succession Adelaide committed turnover suicide, this time in Perth where the Lynx inflicted a 95-63 wound on the team’s psyche.
Bullets pay for losing their way
BRISBANE were left to lament another quarter-long lapse as NBL ladder leaders Sydney claimed an 87-78 victory at Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday.
Blake’s strong start as Kings beat Bullets
FORMER Los Angeles Laker Steve Blake brought a touch of showtime to Sydney as the Kings cemented themselves as NBL title favourites with a win over Brisbane.
Nuggets retire Dikembe Mutombo’s jersey
THE Denver Nuggets retired the No. 55 jersey of finger-wagging, shot-blocker extraordinaire Dikembe Mutombo in a halftime ceremony
Tesch creating waves off the water
SHE’S the basketballer who made a big splash in world sailing. And Liesl Tesch continues to make waves off the water.
Ranked: Every NBA team’s greatest player ever
THE 2016-17 NBA season is already shaping up to be a great one. But, you know what else is great? Ranking the best players from every franchise’s history in the league.
Blake boosts our bid to gun down Bullets
IT’S been a busy week at the Sydney Kings with the club picking up NBA veteran Steve Blake who will be key factor in avenging the first-round loss to the Bullets, writes Andrew Gaze.
Breakers light up to dismantle 36ers
ADELAIDE’s NBL team travelled across the Tasman to last night become the blatant victims of identity theft as New Zealand’s Breakers made a mockery of their vaunted defensive persona.
Kings expecting fully loaded Bullets
SYDNEY Kings coach Andrew Gaze says the NBL leaders are expecting the best version of the Brisbane Bullets on Sunday.
Drmic, Deng need to step up for 36ers
ADELAIDE coach Joey Wright and injured captain Mitch Creek are in agreement one of the keys to their NBL chances in Auckland are how Anthony Drmic and Majok Deng perform
Melbourne United deny rampant ‘import sack’ rumour
MELBOURNE United general manager Vince Crivelli has “categorically denied” struggling NBL import Devin Williams has been cut by the club.
High-flying Sobey still keeps feet on the ground
NATHAN Sobey was so in love with basketball, his mother Kerrie had to write the local association seeking special permission for him to play in the Warrnambool under-10 competition.
Fan’s fury: ‘Sit down f****** fat boy’
AN emotional fan sitting courtside at Thursday’s NBA game told star Russell Westbrook exactly how he feels about him — by flipping him the bird — now we know why.
Jawai helps Taipans to first win of NBL season
THAT is why Cairns is the hardest place in the NBL to get a win. The Snakes broke their three-game winless streak to start the new season last night in a stirring triumph over championship fancies Melbourne United in front of a vocal crowd, 83-76. The Cairns Taipans now boast an incredible 16-year home winning streak in their season openers.
Wildcats recall axed import amid injury crisis
JARON Johnson will make a sensational return to the Perth Wildcats on Friday night, a week after being axed for failing to fit the team balance.
Kings recruit Blake just happy to fit in
HE may have played 13 years in the NBA, but Sydney Kings recruit Steve Blake says he’s happy to come off the bench for his new team.
Lightning zeros in on Lynx ace Sami
SAMI Whitcomb looms as the wildcard Adelaide Lightning must trump as it heads to the west for Sunday’s WNBL clash with Perth Lynx.
Question that sparked the Sydney Uni Flames
IT’S the question coach Cheryl Chambers asked which ended up sparking one of the biggest turnarounds in the WNBL so far this season.
Bogut, Delly fall on debut for new teams
AUSSIES Matthew Dellavedova and Andrew Bogut had unhappy starts to life in their new NBA homes, both Milwaukee and Dallas falling on opening night. RELIVE THE LIVE BLOG
Bullets net Shanghai Sharks stars
SHANGHAI Sharks forwards Wang Tong and Yan Peng have joined Brisbane as development players as part of the developing ties between the NBL and Chinese basketball.
Kobe’s King for Sydney’s star import
STEVE Blake has played with the likes of Steph Curry, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony. Now, he’s bringing his talents to Sydney.
‘They’re capable of kicking your a--’
MELBOURNE United coach Dean Demopoulos has warned his charges not to be complacent against winless Cairns tomorrow night, saying the NBL is “even-steven”.
