sports news update

Alabama football coach Nick Saban released a statement addressing the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. Alabama football coach Nick Saban released a statement on Sunday addressing the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.  Countless athletes and coaches across sports have spoken out  after Floyd was killed under police custody in Minneapolis, Minn. on Monday. In his statement, Saban said he is "shocked and angered" and called out the injustices faced by many in the country.  "We're at an important moment for our country, and now is the time for us to choose kindness, tolerance, understanding, empathy, and most importantly...it's time to love each other," Saban wrote . "Every life is precious, and we must understand we have so many more things that unite us than divide us."  Saban went on to reference Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks as figures he is "inspired and encour...

TMZ Sports posted a video on Sunday in which J.R. Smith beats a man that he alleges vandalized his car in Los Angeles during George Floyd protests. In a video published by TMZ Sports , former Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith is shown beating up a man he alleges damaged his car while in a residential area. The incident reportedly occurred in Los Angeles during the protests over the death of George Floyd. In the video, the man Smith alleges broke his car window is seen lying on the ground while Smith kicks and hits him. After people who appear to be Smith's friends intervene, the man gets up and flees. Smith later posted a video in which he explained the incident. "One of these little, motherf***ing white boys didn't know where he was going, and broke my f***ing window in my truck...I chased him down, and whooped his ass," Smith said. "This ain't no hate crime, I ain't got no problem with nobody that ain't got no problem with me. It's a p...

NBA legend Michael Jordan issued a statement Sunday on the ongoing and widespread protests across the United States. NBA legend Michael Jordan issued a statement Sunday on the ongoing and widespread protests across the United States: “I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country,” Jordan said. “We have had enough." Jordan, who has largely stayed away from any political commentary throughout his public life, issued his comments nearly a week after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man who died Monday evening after being violently apprehended by a Minneapolis police officer. Floyd was 46-years-old. Video of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd's neck went viral earlier this week and sparked ongoing protests throughout the country. On Friday, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was was seen on video kneeling on Floyd's neck, was arrested on charges of ...

SI's Michael Shapiro provides a little more context for Morey's comments about the Rockets return from the hiatus The Houston Rockets are currently ranked sixth in Western Conference standings - and Houston's general manager Daryl Morey says that the team could benefit from the long hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.  Video Transcript:  Madelyn Burke: As the NBA is one its way back Rockets GM Daryl Morey says the hiatus may be just what his team needed as Houston looks to return to the finals for the first time since 1995. So joining me now is SI NBA writer Michael Shapiro. Michael, how could this hiatus, first of all, affect the landscape of the NBA standings? Michael Shapiro: You know, this will certainly be an unprecedented playoffs, both in the location, the format, and, of course, coming off a nearly five month layoff. I think it's really hard to predict which teams will adjust well, which teams will suffer. But I think that's a really big thing,...

After Shortening the List to Just Three Schools, Five-Star DE Mattheus Carroll Has Reached a Decision Gilman School defensive end Mattheus Carroll has been a hot commodity going into 2019, and the recruitment process was, at times, difficult for Carroll, who stays positive and humble throughout his experience. After a slew of visits, calls, and meetings, Carroll came down to three universities to spend the next four years honing his skillset: Maryland, Duke, and Virginia Tech. The five-star defensive end joins Sports Illustrated to announce his commitment and reason behind his decision. Read the full transcript below: Mattheus Carrol at the University of North Carolina. Courtesy: @mc4mvp John Garcia: It is commitment day here at Sports Illustrated, and we're excited to bring you the announcement of defensive end prospect Mattheus Carroll out of Gilman in Baltimore, Maryland. 6' 5", 225 lbs, a.k.a."stretch." So obviously length, there's some explosiven...

Clippers head coach Doc Rivers issued a statement Sunday on the ongoing and widespread protests across the United States. Clippers head coach Doc Rivers issued a statement Sunday on the ongoing and widespread protests across the United States: "My father was a 30-year veteran of the Chicago police department, and if he were still with us right now, he'd be hurt and outraged by the senseless acts of racial injustice that continue to plague our country," Rivers said. "Being black in America is tough. I've personally been called more racial slurs than I can count, been pulled over many times because of the color of my skin, and even had my home burned down. "The response we are seeing across the nation, to the murder of George Floyd, is decades in the making. Too often, people rush to judge the response, instead of the actions that prompted it. We have allowed too many tragedies to pass in vain. This isn't an African-American issue. This is a human i...

Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon and Justin Anderson, who is a member of the Nets organization also joined Brown After the death of George Floyd numerous athletes have joined their communities in protests against police violence. Celtics guard Jaylen Brown along with Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon and Justin Anderson, who is a member of the Nets organization joined members of their community to peacefully march through Atlanta.  Brogdon, who spoke at the protest said this, "This is a moment. We have leverage right now," he said. "We have a moment in time. People are going to look back, our kids are going to look back at this and say, 'You were part of that.' I've got a grandfather that marched next to [Martin Luther King Jr.] in the '60s, and he was amazing. He would be proud to see us all here. We got to keep pushing forward." Video Transcript:  Celtics guard Jaylen Brown drove 15 hours to his hometown Saturday to lead a peaceful protest in Atlanta. ...

Celtics guard Jaylen Brown led a peaceful protest march through Atlanta on Saturday, doing so after traveling by car from Boston to Georgia. Celtics guard Jaylen Brown led a peaceful protest march through Atlanta on Saturday, doing so after traveling by car from Boston to Georgia. "I drove 15 hours to get to Georgia, my community," said Brown, a native of nearby Marietta. "This is a peaceful protest. Being a celebrity, being an NBA player, don't exclude me from no conversations at all. First and foremost, I'm a black man and I'm a member of this community. ... We're raising awareness for some of the injustices that we've been seeing. It's not OK. "As a young person, you've got to listen to our perspective. Our voices need to be heard. I'm 23 years old. I don't know all of the answers. But I feel how everybody else is feeling, for sure. No question." Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon and forward Justin Anderson, who is a membe...

Does Chris Paul Still Have his Place with OKC moving forward into 2020-21 Season? The Oklahoma City Thunder weren't paid much attention to after their trade for Chris Paul, and while the team won't be playoff contenders if and when the NBA season returns from hiatus, it doesn't stop speculation for the team moving into next season. InsidetheThunder reporter Erik Gee gives his analysis of what he believes would be the ideal starting five for the Thunder in the 2020-21 season.  Read the full transcript below:   Madelyn Burke:  The Oklahoma City Thunder currently sit 5th in the Western Conference as the NBA season sets pause but SI's Thunder reporter, Erik Gee, took this hiatus as an opportunity to look to the future. Erik joining me now, I want to know what your ideal starting five for the Thunder looks like next season. Erik Gee:  Well, next season, hopefully, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be your starting point guard. Then you can take Luguentz Dort, who's b...

Denver Broncos and Syracuse legend Floyd Little has been diagnosed with a "treatable but aggressive form" of cancer. Hall of Fame running back and Denver Broncos legend Floyd Little has been diagnosed with cancer, former Syracuse teammate Pat Killorin said .  According to Syracuse.com , Little is fighting a "treatable but aggressive form" of cancer. The Hall of Famer, 77, currently lives in Las Vegas with his wife, DeBorah.  “No doubt it will be the toughest fight of his life," Killorin wrote . "Although he has lived a full life admired and enjoyed by many, Floyd doesn’t believe he has yet written, with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the final play of his life.” Little first made his mark on the football world at Syracuse University from 1964-66, where he was one of the program's legendary "44's." One of the most celebrated sports figures in Syracuse history, Little was a three-time All-American and finished his college career wit...

As protests broke out in Atlanta following the death of George Floyd, damage inflicted upon the College Football Hall of Fame was captured on social media. Following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on Monday, demonstrations have broken out across the country. As many marched the streets in Atlanta, protesters broke in windows at the downtown College Football Hall of Fame, according to a report from Eric Stirgus of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Before law enforcement arrived on the scene, people were seen looting the building, per Stirgus' report. Several protesters reportedly threw trash cans and other objects through the building's exterior, and some ran inside to take items. Blayne Alexander, a reporter for NBC News, took video of the damaged building: The $68 million facility opened in 2014 after relocating from South Bend, Ind. Floyd's death has sparked many reactions from the sports world. Former NBA player Stephen J...

What are the odds that the Texas Longhorns win the Big 12 and/or the National Championship in 2020? We break it all down and tell you the best bets. After a 10-4 record and a trip to the Sugar Bowl in 2018, the Longhorns regressed to 8-5 last fall under head coach Tom Herman. A return to the Big 12 Championship Game isn’t out of the question with star quarterback Sam Ehlinger returning for his senior year. Texas finished up the 2019 campaign with a victory over the Utah Utes in the Alamo Bowl by a score of 38-10. However, following a campaign that failed to live up to the expectations of the Longhorn faithful, Herman gutted the majority of his coaching staff looking for much better results in 2020. Given that the Longhorns are returning the bulk of their starters, including Ehlinger, they have potential to make some noise in the Big 12 as well as the national landscape. According to PointsBet Sportsbook, Texas’ season win total projection stands at 9 wins, moderately juiced at...

NBA owners are expected to vote Thursday to approve commissioner Adam Silver's recommended format for the season, with a target start date of July 31. The NBA Board of Governors will hold a vote on Thursday, with team owners expected to approve commissioner Adam Silver's recommended format of re-starting the 2019-20 season in Orlando, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski . The league has set July 31 as a target date for the return of the season, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania . That plan will reportedly entail the season resuming entirely in Orlando, involving 20 to 22 teams that will receive invitations from the league. Teams would presumably be determined based on the current standings. In a league-wide survey of each general manager, 75% of responses favored a play-in tournament to determine the final playoff seeds. The other quarter of respondents voted for a World Cup style group stage . The survey showed that the NBA's top-tier teams—like ...

Damian Lillard drew a lot of backlash after saying he wouldn't play unless the Blazers had a shot at the playoffs. Damian Lillard drew a lot of backlash after saying he wouldn't play unless the Blazers had a shot at the playoffs. SI senior writer Chris Mannix details why Lillard didn't deserve the backlash he got, and how the NBA needs their star players to play when the season resumes.  Read below for full video transcript: So Damian Lillard certainly could have worded his comments better when he told Yahoo Sports that he had no interest in playing in a resumed season that didn't offer the Blazers a true opportunity to make the playoffs. But the backlash directed at Lillard has been just as goofy. Lillard has been called spoiled, entitled, and an ego maniac across the sports networks. Labels that could not be further from the truth.  Spoiled? Lillard was an underrecruited high school star who turned himself from a mid major player to a lottery pick to one of the N...

Former NBA player Stephen Jackson, who had a personal relationship with Floyd, held a press conference. Meanwhile, Colin Kaepernick's charitable arm volunteered to pay for legal fees for Minnesota protesters. The tragic death of George Floyd continues to impact the country, including the sports world . Former NBA player Stephen Jackson, who had a personal relationship with Floyd, held a press conference to give his thoughts on the loss of his friend.  While it was revealed Colin Kaepernick's charitable arm is offering to pay for legal assistance for Minneapolis protestors . This as Derek Chauvin, the former police officer seen in the horrifying Floyd video, was arrested on charges of third degree murder. Sports Illustrated's Robin Lundberg discussed the latest in this story with SI's Corey Parson. Read Full Transcript Below: Robin Lundberg:  No doubt. And I was very happy to see what Stephen Jackson was able to do today by going to Minnesota and speaking very p...

According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, league commissioner Adam Silver informed the Board of Governors that July 31st is a target date for the return of the season. It appears the NBA is headed toward resuming play. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, league commissioner Adam Silver informed the Board of Governors that July 31st is a target date for the return of the season. The exact format is still to be determined as play is likely to take place at a bubble site like Disney World in Orlando. Still, Sports Illustrated's Robin Lundberg and "The Fantasy Exec" Corey Parson discussed how it feels appropriate the NBA would lead a return to sports since the postponement of the league in many ways began the shutdown. And they are certainly excited about the news. Read full video transcript: Robin Lundberg : It looks like the NBA is on the way back with July 31st the reported target date for the season to resume. For more, I'm joined by the fantasy ...

"I’m here because they’re not gonna demean the character of George Floyd." Former NBA player Stephen Jackson led a press conference in Minneapolis regarding the death of George Floyd, a black man who died Monday evening shortly after being violently apprehended by Minneapolis police. “I’m here because they’re not gonna demean the character of George Floyd, my twin." Jackson said Friday. "A lot of times when police do things that they know that's wrong, the first thing they do is try to cover it up and bring up your background to make it seem like the bull---- that they did was worthy.  "When was murder ever worth it? But if it's a black man it's approved. You can't tell me when that man had his knee on my brother's neck, taking his life away with his hand in his pocket that his smirk on his face didn't say, 'I'm protected.'" Jackson was joined by actor Jamie Foxx and Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, among ...

The NBA's Board of Governors reportedly discussed possible return-to-play scenarios Friday. NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league office informed the Board of Governors that it is eyeing July 31 as the season's target return date, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania . During a meeting with the Board of Governors, the league discussed four competition scenarios for restarting the season. Those include 16 teams going directly to the playoffs, 20 teams participating in group/stage play or 22 teams competing to determine playoff seeding with a play-in tournament for final seeds. They also talked about holding a 72-game regular season with all 30 teams and a play-in tournament, per Charania. ESPN's Ramona Shelbourne added that among the four plans discussed one included inviting teams that are within six games of a playoff spot to compete in regular-season games and then a play-in tournament for the final postseason spots. Earlier this week, ESPN's Adr...

The Power Five Conferences in the NCAA are the ACC, SEC, Pac-12, Big 12, and Big Ten. SI's Pat Forde doesn't think they have any real reason to break off from the NCAA, and that for them to do so might even be a bad decision on their part. Read the full video transcript below:   Earlier this week, my friend Dennis Dodd from CBS Sports had an interesting column theorizing on why the power five conferences may break away from the NCAA and form their own power structure. It was an interesting read, but I don't see it happening.  There's too many things that are already going the way of the power five. They make by far the most money. They control a lot of the rules legislation. They have the run of everything basically: TV contracts, scheduling, all of that. Why then take on the added burden of being the police force, doing enforcement, having your own rules enforcement staff, which is a thankless job and very difficult. And one of the reasons the NCAA gets as much cri...

The NCAA has mulled adopting recommendations for student athletes to be paid for endorsement deals as early as 2021. Power 5 league commissioners sent a three-page letter to Congress Friday asking for a national name, image and likeness policy to be implemented, according to Stadium's Brett McMurphy . Stadium obtained a copy of the letter which supports legislation for a "single, national standard for NIL" that would preempt state laws and allow student athletes to be paid for endorsement deals from third parties. Last month, the NCAA Board of Governors announced their support for adopting recommendations from a NIL working group to allow student athletes to be paid for sponsorships and endorsement deals as early as the 2021–22 academic year. As part of the recommendations, athletes can sell autographs and memorabilia and be paid for personal appearances. Athletes must disclose financial terms of their contracts to their athletic departments, as well as their rel...

ESPN's Dan Orlovsky dubbed Blazers star Damian Lillard a "spoiled and entitled brat" for saying he didn't want to play in meaningless NBA games if his team didn't have a chance at making the playoffs. Lillard obviously did not take kindly to the remarks. Sports Illustrated's Robin Lundberg talked to SI media columnist Jimmy Traina about how sometimes a hot take can get away from you in today's edition of " Traina Thoughts ". Check out their conversation. Read the full video transcript below:  Robin Lundberg: ESPN's Dan Orlovsky disagreed with Damian Lillard, who said he didn't want to play if the Blazers didn't have a chance to make the playoffs in any resumed NBA season. But he may have taken a little too far when he called Dame an entitled spoiled brat because of it. For more, I'm joined by our Jimmy Traina. Now Jimmy, you know, as somebody who does this, I understand wanting to distinguish your takes, but I don...

Wizards guard Bradley Beal said that despite a recent trade rumor, he is focused on playing with John Wall and the Wizards. Wizards guard Bradley Beal told ESPN's Jackie MacMullan that despite a recent trade rumor, he is focused on playing with John Wall and the Wizards next season "I want to see [Wall] get back to that level where I know he can be, especially since my game has grown so much [while he's been out]," Beal said. What can we accomplish together? I'm so happy he's healthy, working his tail off." Last week, reports surfaced that the Nets had "internally discussed avenues" to acquire Beal. Shortly after, Beal's agent, Mark Bartelstein told Forbes that "there are no Beal sweepstakes" in light of the rumors.  Beal, who signed a two-year, $72 million extension last October, told ESPN that "it's not the first time I've heard this kind of talk.  "It's interesting," he added. "To me, I lo...

Blazers' Dame Lillard tears into Dan Orlovsky over bizarre attack 1 . When you get paid for the hot takes, you are going to get burned occasionally. Happens to everyone. It just happened to ESPN's Dan Orlovsky. I'm a fan of Orlovsky's work and named him "Fastest Riser" in SI's 2019 Sports Media Awards . He also appeared on the SI Media Podcast in February. However, the take he dropped on Get Up Wednesday morning was pretty cringeworthy. Orlovsky was discussing comments made by Blazers star Damian Lillard, who told Yahoo! Sports , "If we come back and I don't have an opportunity to make the playoffs, I will show up to work, I'll be at practice and I'll be with my team. I'm going to do all that and then I'm going to be sitting right on that bench during the games." For some reason, Orlovsky took great offense at Lillard's remarks and somehow thought Lillard blowing off some meaningless basketball games was something ...

Michael Jordan and Steph Curry have been mentioned for The Match but who would make better golf partner? "The Match" was the highest rated golf event in cable history. So it makes sense, Phil Mickelson wants to do more of them . And apparently, Michael Jordan and Steph Curry are among the targets for another edition. Which leads to a question, who would you rather play golf with, MJ or Curry?  I asked our Ben Pickman and "The Fantasy Exec" Corey Parson for their takes. Parson for Jordan:   I'm going to go with Jordan on this one. If I had to go out there and shoot around, it would be with Michael Jordan. First of all, for myself, it is the trash talk aspect of it. Michael Jordan is a very good trash talker. I claim to be one of the best trash talkers too, even though I don't know how to play the game of golf. It would be good to go out there and have a couple rounds with him, drink some cognac, maybe get the real story about him eating the entire pizz...

Damian Lillard says he won't participate in "meaningless" games if not given a fair chance to make the playoffs. But here is why every NBA star should suit up when the season resumes. Damian Lillard wants to play. It feels important to say that at the top, given the public backlash Lillard has faced in the aftermath of telling Yahoo Sports that he had no interest in playing in a resumed season that does not offer Portland—3 ½ games back of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, with 16 games to play when COVID-19, the coronavirus, made the sports world stand still in mid-March—a “true opportunity” to make the postseason. On ESPN, NFL analyst turned temporary NBA pundit Dan Orlovsky branded Lillard “a spoiled and entitled brat” for suggesting he wouldn’t play. On FS1, Lillard was called an egomaniac. Lillard is none of those things, of course. He is one of the NBA’s most respected stars. For eight seasons, Lillard has represented the Blazers as well as any...

In a league-wide survey of NBA general managers, 75% of GMs voted in favor of a play-in style tournament to decide the final playoff seeds over a World Cup-style group play. Though nothing has been officially announced yet, it appears the NBA is inching toward re-starting the 2019-20 season . While myriad issues remain to be sorted out, a hot topic of conversation in basketball circles is what format the league should use to complete the season. According to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor , commissioner Adam Silver revealed in a conference call Thursday the results of a league-wide general manager survey, in which 75% of general managers voted in favor of using a play-in tournament to determine the final playoff seeds. One-fourth of general managers voted for a World Cup style group stage . “There was zero commitment to any one plan,” said one general manager, according to O'Connor. “But it was a call to gather more information.” The survey also revealed that half of ge...