sports news update

In a two-page letter sent Tuesday to Adam Silver, Sen. Marsha Blackburn expressed “concern” over the NBA’s dealings with a country governed by a Communist regime. A U.S. Senator is demanding answers from NBA commissioner Adam Silver on his league’s relationship with China. In a letter sent Tuesday to Silver, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) expressed “concern” over the NBA’s dealings with a country governed by a Communist regime that has abused human rights, squashed pro-democracy protests and hidden details on the coronavirus outbreak. Sports Illustrated obtained a copy of the two-page letter. Blackburn is giving Silver a July 21 deadline to respond to three questions she poses at the letter’s end regarding China Central Television’s ban on NBA games, the league’s relationship with Chinese state-owned enterprise Alibaba and the league’s training center in the controversial region of Xinjiang. The relationship between China and the United States is at a “pivotal moment,” she writes...

Kaitlin O'Toole is joined by AllTarHeels Quierra Luck for more on Five Star Recruit Tony Grimes. Five Star Recruit Tony Grimes is going to be a Tar Heel! The No. 1 cornerback in the class of 2021 just announced his verbal commitment to UNC. North Carolina head coach Mack Brown has been going after Grimes since February of last year so this commitment is a big win for the team. UNC has not had a recruiting class in the top ten since 2007 but the 2021 class is currently ranked fourth in the nation. Kaitlin O'Toole is joined by AllTarHeels Quierra Luck for more on this.

Legendary NBA play-by-play broadcaster Marv Albert won't participate on-site in TNT's coverage of the league's restart in Orlando next month. Legendary NBA play-by-play broadcaster Marv Albert won't participate on-site in TNT's coverage of the league's restart in Orlando next month, Albert told the New York Post 's Andrew Marchand. Albert, 79, is the lead play-by-play voice for TNT and was initially excited about the prospect of participating on-site, per Marchand. However, a recent surge in positive COVID-19 tests played a role in Albert's eventual decision. Albert told the  Post that Jeff Zucker, the chairman of WarnerMedia News, who oversees Turner Sports, and he talked about the move. "He said to me, 'Maybe this is something you should skip in my age bracket,'" Albert said before displaying some of his signature humor. "I'd like to point out to you that 79 is the new 78." According to the Post , ESPN's Hub...

Colleges have asked student athletes to sign waivers that protect schools from lawsuits if a player contracts the coronavirus. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation Tuesday to prohibit colleges from forcing athletes to sign coronavirus liability waivers as they return to campus. CBS Sports reported Monday that Blumenthal and Booker drafted the bill after sending a letter to NCAA president Mark Emmert last week expressing "grave concern" for athletes being forced "to sign away their right to hold their school accountable." Colleges across the country have asked student athletes to sign these waivers that protect schools from lawsuits if a player contracts the coronavirus. The waivers emerged shortly after college football programs first began welcoming athletes back for voluntary workouts. Ohio State, SMU, Indiana, Iowa and others have asked players to sign waivers or "pledges" in order to begin workouts. S...

"Certainly, if we have a lot of cases, we’re going to stop." The NBA is scheduled to relaunch its season in Orlando next month, with 22 teams tentatively set to travel to the state beginning on July 7. But as Florida nears 150,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told TIME that completing the season isn't a guarantee. “[It’s] never ‘full steam no matter what,'” Silver told TIME . “One thing we’re learning about this virus is that much is unpredictable.”   Last week, the NBA announced that 16 of its players had tested positive for coronavirus, though Silver said none were seriously ill. On Friday, he said that it would take a " significant spread " within the league's Orlando campus for play to be stopped.  "Certainly, if we have a lot of cases, we’re going to stop,” Silver told TIME. He believes that the NBA's Disney World campus is safer than off-campus play due to the close proximity of staff scientists, doctor...

The NBA is inching towards less than a month away from returning. SI Gambling insider Corey Parson previews the early opening lines for the return of the NBA season. Today, he’s zoning in on the Lakers vs. Clippers. NBA opening betting lines for the resumed season were announced on Friday. Now that the NBA opening betting lines have been released for the league’s restart, over the next few weeks, we are going to begin breaking down these initial matchups. This is a good exercise to see how the sharp money and pubic money will ultimately change these odds. When the season first came to a pause, we were sitting at 85-75 on the year. A lot of that success came from following the money. In today’s breakdown, we’re taking a look at the battle for Los Angeles… in Orlando. The Lakers and Clippers will top in the second game of the seeding round of the restart NBA season. This will not be the high-intensity game many think it will be, there could be a lot of star players playing limited ...

The Denver Nuggets have closed their practice facility following positive COVID-19 tests. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski , the practice facility will be closed after members of the team's traveling party tested positive for the coronavirus. Wojnarowski reports the practice facility was locked to players and staff starting on Saturday and it could potentially re-open later this week. The 2019-20 NBA season is set to resume on July 30 in Orlando, where teams will be contained in the league's bubble. With positive tests results coming back on multiple players across the league, it raises many concerns about the NBA’s plan to resume games amid the coronavirus pandemic. For more NBA coverage: Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard Announced as NBA 2K21 Cover Star NBA Bubble Tip-Off Opening Lines: Jazz vs. Pelicans Report: Lakers Expected to Sign J.R. Smith Ahead of NBA Restart

The top two teams in the Western Conference will battle when the NBA resumes their season at the end of July. Two of the NBA’s biggest superstars in LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard will open the NBA Bubble season when the league returns on July 30th. The Lakers and Clippers tip off for one of the first games of the revived season and it carries major playoff implications. The Lakers are up 5.5 games on the Clippers for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Sports Illustrated’s gambling analyst Corey Parson and AllLakers editor Melissa Rohlin discuss the battle of the two teams from Los Angeles. MORE FROM SI GAMBLING Gambling 101: What is a Betting Underdog? Oregon Betting Preview Lakers Odds to win title Melvin Gordon Rushing Yards Prop Bet Penn State Betting Preview How Many Rushing Yards Will Josh Jacobs Have in 2020? How Many Rushing Yards Will Dalvin Cook Have in 2020? How Many Rushing Yards Will Ezekiel Elliott Have in 2020? How Many Receiving Yards Will DeAndre H...

Ten years later it is hard argue against 'The Decision' LeBron James made. Let’s be honest, no one was mad about "The Decision" until LeBron James didn’t say what they wanted him to . Not one, not two, not three, not any of y’all were that upset going in. I didn’t talk to a single person before the show aired on ESPN who was angered by the idea. In fact, everyone I had a conversation with was excited to see where he would go and if it would be their team. Sorry Knicks fans.  And as it turns out, the whole thing was a fan's idea  in the first place. Look, I’m not even saying I wasn’t a little agitated for a minute too after it aired, though I certainly didn't burn any jerseys. But I believe that's more a testament to what we all knew LeBron could do. And the idea of him playing with prime Dwyane Wade (and Chris Bosh) seemed more unfair than it actually was—which is why the pep rally I referenced was what really may have rubbed the most people the w...

The schedule for the NBA's restart from Orlando is out and it features a lot of games. All day, every day in fact. But which matchups are the most tantalizing. Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg talked with SI's Ben Pickman and "The Fantasy Exec" Corey Parson to get their takes on which games are most appointment worthy when it comes to the upcoming NBA slate. The Lakers, Rockets, Heat and Pacers make the cut in this case. For more NBA coverage: Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard Announced as NBA 2K21 Cover StarNBA Bubble Tip-Off Opening Lines: Jazz vs. PelicansReport: Lakers Expected to Sign J.R. Smith Ahead of NBA Restart

Will other D-II schools, or even D-I, follow in the footsteps of Morehouse football and forgo the 2020 season? David Thomas isn’t your normal academic. President of one of the nation’s most esteemed Black colleges, Thomas once played center and linebacker on the football field and, as a foreign-exchange student, competed overseas in basketball. He realizes the cultural significance of sports and understands its place in the world. That’s why his decision to cancel Morehouse College’s 2020 football season is so jarring. While hundreds of NCAA universities feverishly debate contingency plans to play football around a pandemic, Thomas last week ended all discussion on the topic at his Division II school in Atlanta. More than two months before the season was scheduled to kickoff, he pulled the plug. Though unrelated, Morehouse’s announcement Friday came amid unrest in the college sports world, as well as the nation. COVID-19 cases are surging across the country, with at least five sta...

It was almost ten years ago when LeBron James' "The Decision" aired on ESPN. And recently the network aired a documentary special on the backstory for the program that spurred so much backlash and discussion. Obviously a lot has happened since that point to LeBron's time now with the Lakers . Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg takes a look back and wonders whether the reaction to James' choice to go to Miami was really as bad as it was made out to be in retrospect. For more NBA coverage: Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard Announced as NBA 2K21 Cover Star NBA Bubble Tip-Off Opening Lines: Jazz vs. Pelicans Report: Lakers Expected to Sign J.R. Smith Ahead of NBA Restart

Denver reportedly has not determined when it will re-open its practice facility. The Nuggets have closed their practice facility for several days after members of the team's traveling party tested positive for the coronavirus, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski . Wojnarowski reports the practice facility was locked to players and staff starting on Saturday and it could potentially re-open later this week. The next few days of testing will determine exactly when the Denver facility will open again.  The people that tested positive were part of the Nuggets' traveling party heading to Orlando for the NBA's restart, sources told Wojnarowski. The 2019-20 NBA season is set to resume on July 30 in Orlando, where teams will be contained in the league's bubble. News of the Nuggets' positive tests came one day after Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie and his teammate DeAndre Jordan revealed they had tested positive for COVID-19 . Jordan announced he will not play in Or...

It was one year ago today that Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets. Of course we knew KD wouldn't be playing for them in Orlando when the season resumes and that Kyrie Irving wouldn't be either. But now after he tested positive for coronavirus, DeAndre Jordan will also not be making the trip and Spencer Dinwiddie's status is in doubt for the same reason. Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg talked with SI's Ben Pickman and "The Fantasy Exec" Corey Parson about whether it is still worth it for Brooklyn to participate.  For more NBA coverage: Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard Announced as NBA 2K21 Cover Star NBA Bubble Tip-Off Opening Lines: Jazz vs. Pelicans Report: Lakers Expected to Sign J.R. Smith Ahead of NBA Restart

Six NBA games you should circle on your calendar as we await the 2019-20 season's resumption. We’re now exactly one month away from the NBA resuming play in Orlando , and barring any COVID-19 complications, we could be in store for one of the most exciting postseasons in recent memory. And the eight-game lead-in to the playoffs should add plenty of drama. Both conferences have a deep collection of teams jockeying for playoff position as we approach the restart, and seeding could prove critical. Western Conference teams will scrap to avoid the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds, while the Celtics and Raptors could face a difficult round one matchup if they fall below the No. 2 spot. Add in a dose of play-in drama, and the league has a roadmap to capturing the public’s full attention for the next two months. So which games should we circle on our calendar as we await the 2019-20 season’s resumption? The Crossover selected the six most important games before the beginning of the 2020 playoffs...

Damian Lillard is your Current Gen NBA 2K21 cover athlete as announced by the iconic video game franchise. And while the Portland Trailblazers point guard has been a star in the league for a while, it feels like only recently he has really gotten the spotlight shown on him. Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg talked with SI's Ben Pickman and "The Fantasy Exec" Corey Parson about whether it is past time Dame got his due. For more NBA coverage:  Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard Announced as NBA 2K21 Cover Star NBA Bubble Tip-Off Opening Lines: Jazz vs. Pelicans Report: Lakers Expected to Sign J.R. Smith Ahead of NBA Restart

Lillard is the cover star for the current gen systems. Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will be one of three NBA players featured on the cover of NBA 2K21 . 2K announced Tuesday that Lillard will serve as the cover star for the current-gen systems. He follows Lakers star Anthony Davis who was featured on last year's cover. "I made it," Lillard told Stadium's Shams Charania . "To be able to join the line of players that's been on the cover of 2K, it's an honor. Fans got a look at Lillard's cover when 2K released a video on Twitter teasing "Everything is Dame." Lillard is the first Blazers player to appear on the cover of a 2K game. He's in the middle of another dominant season averaging career highs in points (28.9) and assists (7.8) prior to the NBA's coronavirus-induced hiatus.

The Forde Bowl Subdivision proposal would produce a heck of an expanded postseason. You read about the Forde Bowl Subdivision realignment plan Monday on this website. Today, let’s see how it would look if it were put into action for 2020. What we would have is merely the greatest postseason* in college football history. (*This is assuming that there will be a season, of course, and a postseason thereafter. No guarantees at this point.) The best and biggest playoff ever would start with Selection Sunday, Nov. 29. A 12-team bracket would be revealed—10 automatic bids to conference champions, two at-large teams chosen by a selection committee, the whole thing seeded by said committee. That would lead to four mammoth, on-campus playoff games on December 4–5. Then four more on different campuses the next weekend. Teams from every geographic region would be involved. Fans from coast to coast would be engaged. From there, the playoff reverts to customary form: semifinals on New Year’s ...

State Farm Arena will serve as a polling station for Georgia's primary runoff election on Aug. 11. The Hawks will use State Farm Arena as a polling station for Georgia's primary runoff election on Aug. 11, according to ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz . State Farm Arena will also serve as a polling station for early voting before the general election in 2020.  "We were casually brainstorming since our whole world turned about what we can do internally as an organization," Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce told Aronvitz . "We were trying to figure out how we can take care of home first, and [Atlanta CEO Steve Koonin] pitched the idea." Pierce plans to "encourage" coaches and organizations across the NBA to consider using their arenas as polling stations ahead of the 2020 election. The second-year head coach is a member of the National Basketball Coaches Association's committee on racial injustice and reform. "The focal point tonight is what the ...

The Golden Gophers were one of college football’s feel-good stories of 2019 after starting the season 9-0. SI Gambling insider Frankie Taddeo previews the Gophers’ upcoming season win total, Big Ten odds, and reveals his best bet. The Minnesota Gophers had a very successful 11–2 season, culminated by a 31-24 upset victory over SEC power Auburn in the Outback Bowl . Head coach P.J. Fleck piloted the club to a strong 2019 season that has galvanized hefty aspirations in 2020.  On the offensive side of the ball, Minnesota’s will be led by star wideout Rashod Bateman and quarterback Tanner Morgan. The success of the 2020 season will hinge upon the shoulders of Morgan, who sees his name as a sleeper in Heisman Trophy wagering. Morgan will undoubtedly focus on getting the ball to one of the elite receivers in the country in Bateman; as he looks to build on his 60 receptions for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2019. Minnesota will have tremendous holes to fill on the defense sid...

Dinwiddie: "Given that I have experienced symptoms, including fever and chest tightness, it is unclear on whether or not I’ll be able to participate in Orlando." Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie confirmed on Monday he tested positive for COVID-19.  The positive test has cast doubt on Dinwiddie's availability for the resumption of the 2019-20 season. The season is currently slated to resume in Orlando on July 30.  "Originally, we were supposed to be one of the teams to enter into the Orlando bubble early, but training camp got switched back to New York and unfortunately I am now positive," Dinwiddie told The Athletic's Shams Charania . "Given that I have experienced symptoms, including fever and chest tightness, it is unclear on whether or not I'll be able to participate in Orlando."  Dinwiddie said he will self-quarantine for 14 days and reevaluate his status for Orlando. The Colorado product is averaging a career-high 20.6 points per game in...

The Los Angeles Clippers have signed Joakim Noah for the rest of the 2020 NBA season. The Los Angeles Clippers have signed Joakim Noah to a new contract for the remainder of the season. Noah had originally signed a 10-day contract with the team on March 9, two days before the NBA put its season on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 2014 Defensive player of the year has spent 12 years in the NBA including time with the Bulls, Knicks and Grizzlies, where Noah spent last season and averaged 7.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 42 games. Clippers reporter Farbod Esnaashari joins Madelyn Burke to discuss Noah’s new contract.

With the NBA set to re-tip on July 30th, SI Gambling insider Corey Parson takes a first look at the opening lines for the return of live basketball. Today, he’s focusing in on the Jazz vs Pelicans. NBA opening betting lines for the resumed season were announced on Friday.  Over the next few weeks, we are going to begin breaking down these game lines. This is a good exercise to see how the sharp money and pubic money will ultimately change these odds. When the season first came to a pause, we were sitting at 85-75 on the year. A lot of that success came from following the money. Odds via PointsBet Sportsbook Matchup : Utah Jazz vs New Orleans Pelicans Point Spread : Pelicans: -1.5 (-110) Jazz Moneyline : +100 Pelicans Moneyline : -121 Total : 220.5 Season Series : Utah Jazz 2-1  Jazz vs. Pelicans Preview The entire basketball universe should have known that Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans would be the first team to play when the season resumes i...

The Lakers are finalizing a deal to sign J.R. Smith for the rest of the season and post season. The Lakers are reportedly finalizing a deal to sign JR Smith for the rest of the season. Smith has been out of the NBA since July 2019, when the Cavaliers waived him. The shooting guard has familiarity with Lakers star LeBron James, as the two played together for three seasons and won a Championship together with the Cavaliers in 2016. Rosters for the NBA restart must be turned in to the league office by Wednesday.

Pelicans Take on Jazz When NBA Resumes When the NBA hit the pause button on their season back in March, the Jazz had a good grip on the fourth seed in the Western Conference. The Pelicans however were on the outside looking in for their postseason hopes. Trailing the current eighth-seeded Grizzlies by four games, New Orleans has jumped out to a hot start when the NBA resumes their season on July 30th. The Pelicans are a one-point underdog for their first game in the NBA bubble against the Jazz. Should sports gamblers look to wager on New Orleans? Sports Illustrated’s gambling analyst Corey Parson weighs in. MORE FROM SI GAMBLING Gambling 101: What is a Betting Underdog?Oregon Betting PreviewLakers Odds to win titleMelvin Gordon Rushing Yards Prop BetPenn State Betting PreviewHow Many Rushing Yards Will Josh Jacobs Have in 2020?How Many Rushing Yards Will Dalvin Cook Have in 2020?How Many Rushing Yards Will Ezekiel Elliott Have in 2020?How Many Receiving Yards Will DeAndre Hopkins H...

The Lakers reportedly have targeted Smith to replace Avery Bradley, who decided to opt-out of playing in the NBA's July restart. The Lakers are expected to finalize a deal with free-agent shooting guard J.R. Smith ahead of the NBA's resumption in Orlando next month, according to The New York Times ' Marc Stein . Stein reports the deal is expected to happen before the NBA's "transaction window" closes at 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday. Rosters for the NBA restart at Walt Disney World must be submitted to the league office Wednesday. Smith became a rumored candidate to replace Avery Bradley after he said he decided to opt-out of playing in the NBA's July restart, citing family concerns. The deal would reunite Smith with his former Cavaliers teammates LeBron James.  Smith has gone unsigned this season and played in just 11 games during the 2018-19 season. He and James played together for 3.5 seasons during James' second stint in Cleveland. During Smith's...

SI's Pat Forde shares more on Hill and his offseason activism Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill is exceptional on the football field; leading the SEC in return rushing this last season. This college football offseason there has been numerous players speaking out and joining the national conversation of racial injustice in the United States. Hill was one of those players. His speaking out against the Mississippi State flag, which featured a confederate battle flag, has led the Mississippi state senate to make a motion to change the flag. SI's Pat Forde shares more on Kylin Hill. 

The NBA schedule has been released for the league's restart at the end of July from Orlando. And there is plenty to discuss. With games all day, a battle for the final playoff spots and a focus on Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans, Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg talked with SI's Ben Pickman and "The Fantasy Exec" Corey Parson about their biggest takeaways from the newly revealed NBA slate. Latest News and Videos from Sports Illustrated MMQB: Cam Newton to New England; Team Doctors Discuss COVID-19 Spread What Is the NBA's Breaking Point If the Coronavirus Spreads Inside the Bubble? Daily Cover: America, Realigned: A Radical Reimagining of the NCAA Landscape Will the NFL Schedule See Changes Due to Coronavirus? Conor Orr: How Could the Rest of the NFL Let Bill Belichick Get Cam Newton?

With the NBA scheduled to restart the season next month, here are some things to watch for in Orlando. Although it’s a fair question whether or not any of this is a good idea in the first place, the NBA announced its slate of games for the Orlando restart on Friday. In case you haven’t been paying attention, 22 of the league’s 30 teams will play eight games apiece, beginning July 30, to establish final playoff seeding. There are 88 games scheduled over 15 days, ending in mid-August (assuming this goes down in relatively smooth fashion). Players have returned to their home markets, and it sure seems like this is happening. So with the slate of games in hand and the restart a month away, here are some of the early things to watch for. 1. One key thing to remember is that the NBA picked each team’s opponents based on their remaining schedules when the season shut down. Objectively, that was the best way to do this while maintaining a modicum of fairness, the caveat being that any clu...

As COVID-19 threatens the college football season, what if we blew up the system entirely? Welcome to the Forde Bowl Subdivision. Ten years ago this month, the last great spasm of realignment began shaking the college sports world. When it finally subsided in 2014, the landscape had changed dramatically. For the richer, but not necessarily for the better. The Big Ten wound up with 14 teams, stretching from Nebraska to New Jersey. The Southeastern Conference expanded into Texas and Missouri. The Atlantic Coast Conference wandered nearly 1,000 miles inland. The Pac-12 annexed the Rocky Mountains. The Big 12, pushed to the brink of collapse, steadied itself by adding a school 1,200 miles to the northeast of the league office. Lesser conferences followed suit, scrambling for financial viability. A decade later, it’s time to blow up what was done and start over. The COVID-19 pandemic’s effects have been profoundly felt in a realm where, for 10 years, money was no object and the map mad...