Latest news with #AdamSilver
Yahoo
8 hours ago
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ESPN analyst says Ace Bailey was hoping to avoid Utah at all costs: "This was not one of his preferred destinations"
ESPN analyst says Ace Bailey was hoping to avoid Utah at all costs: "This was not one of his preferred destinations" originally appeared on Basketball Network. The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft is officially behind us. Cooper Flagg went No. 1 to Dallas, as everyone expected. There weren't any major shakeups at the top, no last-second trades or blockbuster picks to derail the board, at least not until we got to No. 5. Advertisement That's when things got interesting, to say the least. Ace Bailey, the ultra-talented Rutgers wing who'd spent the past year projected as a sure-shot top-three pick and, at one point, even made a serious case for going No. 2, unexpectedly slid down the draft board. It wasn't just about his game, at least not for the most part. The buzz leading up to draft night was that Bailey's camp had discouraged or outright declined workouts with several teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3. That move sparked speculation that Bailey had been given some sort of assurance that he is going to one of his preferred destinations, namely the Washington Wizards. Bailey's reaction spoke more than a thousand words When NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the Utah Jazz were selecting Bailey with the fifth pick, the room didn't exactly explode with celebration. In fact, the broadcast cameras quickly caught Bailey's face and let's just say he didn't look thrilled to be heading to Salt Lake City. Advertisement ESPN's Jonathan Givony didn't sugarcoat the moment either. Shortly after the pick was made, he gave a straightforward explanation of the situation. "This was not one of his preferred destinations… Utah… He was hoping to get to either Washington, New Orleans or Brooklyn," the ESPN analyst said with a touch of surprise. It was clear as day: this wasn't what Bailey or his team had envisioned. And yet, the Jazz front office didn't flinch. They still went ahead and drafted him anyway. That's just how this business works sometimes, especially when a front office believes it has a star in its hands, regardless of how excited that player may be to join the program. "The Utah Jazz selected Ace Bailey knowing that. This is a bit of a stunner. But if you think about it, this is an outstanding place for Ace Bailey. They have a wide open wing situation, they have a huge need for a star at this moment. I think Ace Bailey is going to recover from this really quickly," Givony added. Advertisement The Jazz clearly see something worth betting on. A raw but high-upside talent who hasn't even come close to scratching the surface of his potential. And while Bailey might not be thrilled right now, this could easily be the kind of low-pressure environment he needs to evolve into a legitimate two-way threat. Related: Tracy McGrady believes he was never put in the situation to win a ring: "Replace me with Kobe with Shaq... You don't think I can carry the Lakers to a championship?" Trader Danny has the vision Let's be clear: Utah's not exactly a free-agent destination, and they're a long way off from contending in the Western Conference. But they do have pieces. With Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, and Walker Kessler already in place and Lauri Markkanen still in his prime, the Jazz have quietly assembled a roster that might surprise some people sooner than later. Advertisement At the top of it all sits Danny Ainge, the man they call "Trader Danny" for a reason. Ainge built his front office rep during his Boston Celtics days, where he pulled off one of the most lopsided trades in league history and drafted future cornerstones. Now, he is looking to do the same in Utah. He's got a vision, and he clearly believes Bailey fits it. Bailey might not feel like a Jazzer right now, and honestly, it showed. But if history has taught us anything, it's that Ainge doesn't make moves without thinking three steps ahead. Whether Ace believes it at this moment or not, Utah could end up being the best thing for his career. We will just have to wait and see what the future holds for this promising talent. Related: "I don't think there has ever been someone that played this hard as him all the time" - Cooper Flagg reveals the one thing he admires most about Larry Bird This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
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Adam Silver plans to use Artificial Intelligence after the NBA's injury surge: "Ingest all video of every game a player's played in to see if we can detect some pattern"
Adam Silver plans to use Artificial Intelligence after the NBA's injury surge: "Ingest all video of every game a player's played in to see if we can detect some pattern" originally appeared on Basketball Network. Damian Lillard. Jayson Tatum. And most recently, Tyrese Haliburton. Three All-Stars, three different teams, three different playoff moments, all with the same devastating result: a torn Achilles. Advertisement The 2025 NBA Playoffs were supposed to be a celebration of star power, and for the newly crowned champion Oklahoma City Thunder, they absolutely were. But the sour taste left behind by a wave of devastating Achilles injuries made it hard for the rest of the league to fully enjoy the show. Cuts and bruises aren't new to the league, but the sudden surge of this specific problem this season has everyone — from fans and analysts to coaches and executives — asking the same question: What's going on? The repeating injury trend This specific injury, hitting multiple franchise players in the same postseason, has sparked something deeper. And with his top stars dropping one by one, NBA commissioner Adam Silver is refusing to sit with his hands crossed, not trying to dig deeper. He's bringing every resource to the table, including Artificial Intelligence, to try and get ahead of a problem that's becoming far too familiar. Advertisement "We are looking at it. And, in fact, We've already convened a panel of experts before Tyrese's (Haliburton) Achilles rupture. We had seven this year, and we had zero last year, under the exact same circumstances," Silver said, ready to tackle the issue head-on. "The purpose of convening those experts is to try to figure out what's going on." Around the league, the speculation came quickly. Some pointed to sneaker trends, especially the decline of high-top shoes in favor of low-cuts. Others circled back to the NBA's long, physically demanding season, a 100-plus game marathon for the league's best players, many of whom go all-out every night. However, while those theories might offer partial explanations, Silver isn't convinced that volume is the root cause of the problem. "It is interesting, when we look back at the last 10 years, the majority of Achilles injuries happened before the All-Star break, so it's not clear it's the number of games," NBA Commish said. Advertisement Related: Dwyane Wade believes Westbrook is still the OKC GOAT despite Shai's historic season: "We are talking about a player who went and did something, and people said it will never be done again" Can AI help the NBA with this problem? This isn't just some random injury wave the league can brush off, not when the faces of the NBA are the ones going down one by one. Silver knows that if the NBA wants to keep its top talent on the floor, it has to get smarter and has to do it fast. So now, he's turning to tech. Silver believes AI may be the key to uncovering the invisible wear and tear that builds up before an Achilles gives out. The league is already working with data teams to feed full game footage into machine learning systems, hoping to detect some kind of patterns that human eyes may have missed for years. Advertisement "I'm hopeful, by looking at more data, by looking at patterns… This is one area where AI is going to transform so many eras. The ability with AI to ingest all video of every game a player's played in to see if we can detect some pattern that we didn't realize leads to Achilles injuries… We are taking it very seriously," Silver concluded. The NBA's injury problem doesn't have a simple fix. But for the commissioner, that's not an excuse to keep doing things the same way. Silver's willingness to tap into technology shows a league that isn't afraid to evolve — especially when its best players' futures are on the line. With a little help from the "almighty" Computers, maybe the Association can put an end to this ugly trend. Related: ESPN analyst says Ace Bailey was hoping to avoid Utah at all costs: "This was not one of his preferred destinations" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
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Timberwolves Rookie Joan Beringer Speaks About Learning From Rudy Gobert
Timberwolves Rookie Joan Beringer Speaks About Learning From Rudy Gobert originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Joan Beringer became the Minnesota Timberwolves' first-round pick at the 2025 NBA Draft, bringing a French center who it's believed could replace the team's current center, Rudy Gobert. Beringer is still unpolished and needs development, but he'll have a great mentor in Gobert. Advertisement Beringer, 18, was one of many centers drafted in the first round, and continued a recent trend of selecting French players. This past season, he played for Slovenia's Cedevita Olimpij, where he averaged 4.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. His team was the Slovenian League champion and Cup winner. In addition, Beringer was the 2025 ABA league leader in blocked shots. Joan Beringer stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 17th pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2025 NBA Penner-Imagn Images Soon after the 6-foot-11 big man donned a Timberwolves cap and shook hands with Commissioner Adam Silver on stage, he shared his thoughts about his role with the team. "My first feeling it's just to give the energy to help the team to be better to improve. This is really important for me," he said in the team's X video. Advertisement Beringer was then asked what he can learn from his new teammate, Rudy Gobert. "First, because you know I'm a defender like him, I'm like just to have a chance to play with him, to learn from him everyday. Just, you know I'm very happy. I want to immediately start to practice with him and to learn from him," the eager rookie said. Gobert was drafted at No. 27 in the 2014 Draft at age 21. The French center has since excelled in the league, becoming an imposing defender who is a three-time NBA All-Star and four-team NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Beringer is likely looking to accomplish similar success, and learning from Gobert can definitely help with that quite a bit. Advertisement There's also belief that should Gobert leave the team through a trade or free agency, they'll have a capable replacement moving forward. The rookie will likely take some time to develop, but Minnesota seems to have some time on their side. With the roster they currently have, they should still be able to compete in the Western Conference while their future roster members learn and improve. Related: Timberwolves Fans React to Joan Beringer as No. 17 Pick in NBA Draft Related: Rudy Gobert Reacts to Timberwolves Drafting His Potential Replacement This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
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Trail Blazers see 7-2 Chinese center Yang Hansen as a unique and versatile talent
Hansen Yang greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected 16th by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) Portland Trail Blazers' Yang Hansen, of China, center, poses for a photo with general manager Joe Cronin, left, and head coach Chauncey Billups during an NBA basketball press conference, Friday, June 27, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) Hansen Yang greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected 16th by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) Portland Trail Blazers' Yang Hansen, of China, center, poses for a photo with general manager Joe Cronin, left, and head coach Chauncey Billups during an NBA basketball press conference, Friday, June 27, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Yang Hansen is going to fit into American culture just fine. The Trail Blazers' 7-foot-1 Chinese center was introduced to Portland on Friday, and was asked about his interests. Turns out, he's already a gamer. Advertisement 'Sometimes I sleep. All the time, sleep. I like to play PS5. And I like to eat,' Yang said, laughing. Yang was the 16th pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday. While some were surprised that he went as early as he did, the Blazers had been scouting him for two years. Yang averaged 16.6 points and 10.5 rebounds last season for the Qingdao Eagles. He has played for the team in China's top pro league for the past two seasons. 'You can just tell he's been taught the right way. So a lot of things as a coach that I have to teach with young guys, I don't have to teach this kid,' Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. 'He's been taught the right way, so I'm really excited about him, and it's going to be a lot of fun.' Advertisement Portland had the 11th pick in the draft but traded the draft rights to guard Cedric Coward to the Memphis Grizzlies for Yang's draft rights, a 2028 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. Blazers general manager Joe Cronin saw value in the deal and didn't want to risk dropping any lower for fear Yang would not be available. "This is a very, very unique talent, in our opinion. He obviously has great size at 7-2, young, just turns 20 tomorrow. High, high-end skillset, his ability to pass, his basketball IQ, his functionality in the post. His ability to step out. We think he'll be a good free-throw shooter, we think he'll make perimeter jump shots as well,' Cronin said. 'Defensively, he's a really smart player that can be pretty versatile in the post with his size and IQ." Yang, who was seated in the stands at the draft and had to make his way down to the stage when his name was called, said the comparisons he's heard to Nikola Jokic and fellow countryman Yao Ming are flattering. Advertisement 'I think the Baby Joker or being compared to Yao are a big honor,' Yang said through an interpreter. "I just try to learn from everyone, every good player, and try to improve myself every day.' ___ AP NBA:
Washington Post
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Cooper Flagg looks comfortable in new home as No. 1 pick gets introduced in Dallas
DALLAS — Cooper Flagg didn't wait for Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison to break the silence with an opening statement as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft was introduced to a packed Dallas news conference. 'Hello,' Flagg said about the time the clock struck noon Friday. The 18-year-old former Duke star only grew more comfortable from there, two days after walking across the stage in Brooklyn to be greeted by Commissioner Adam Silver.
