Latest news with #BrookLopez
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
The Mind Of A Champion: Inside The NBA Sports Medicine Series
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JUNE 22: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder ... More celebrates with the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy after defeating the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) It takes a comprehensive team to bring out the best in an NBA player and organization. In addition to the team focused on maximizing the performance during the game, a team of clinicians, executives, and scientists that spans sports medicine professionals. Data analytics, physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers, nutritionists, and many more collaborate to bring out the elite performance in world-class athletes. Sometimes this work is done in silos, and best-in-class tips may not be shared effectively across a team or across a league. That is where the vision of the NBA Summer League Sports Medicine Series enters, led by Dani Lonford, Manager of Player Rehabilitation Golden State Warriors. Dani Langford The goal is to break down walls, create dialogue between NBA and non-NBA professionals, and support those helping athletes guests included NBA veteran Brook Lopez, Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs, and league executives that included Alvin Gentry, Vice President of the Sacramento Kings, and Tommy Sheppard, former General Manager of the Washington Wizards. I had the opportunity to sit down with several of them during the event to discuss the intricate ecosystem of team sports and the specialized career skills that are essential to develop in order to advance in this pathway. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 23: Head coach Alvin Gentry of the Sacramento Kings looks on in the ... More second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 23, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) The following are five key takeaways from the Sports Medicine Series that may redefine how you think about success in the arena of sports. 1. Learn the Language of the league The most effective professionals can connect their expertise with others around them. In sports, silos between athletic trainers, data scientists, and medical staff can slow down performance improvement. In business, similar gaps exist between strategy, operations, and execution. This rapid and efficient communication is critical when it comes to managing or preventing injury, maximizing team dynamics, and staying ahead of potential challenges throughout the season. Brook Lopez & Mena Mirhom NBA veteran Brook Lopez emphasized that the most trusted people on his care team are not always the ones with the most credentials. They are the ones who communicate clearly and collaborate across roles. Danielle Langford said it best: 'Creating more fluidity between levels, departments, between people, is how we grow. Getting everyone in the same room shifts the conversation.' One of the key panels of the conference highlighted the importance of this efficient, effective, and thorough communication across the organization. MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 28: Alize Johnson #27 of the Washington Wizards talks with general manager ... More Tommy Sheppard prior to the game against the Miami Heat at FTX Arena on December 28, 2021 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Tommy Sheppard, a veteran executive of the NBA for over 30 years, emphasized the importance of being great at the specific role that we have. We must all embrace how important it is to understand our roles. The professional athlete needs support in so many areas, and it is crucial that everyone embraces their role to provide support to the best of their ability. Career takeaway: Learn your craft deeply, but also learn how to speak the language of others. Progress often happens in the spaces between specialties. 2. Focus on the Players, not the Prestige Across every panel and conversation, one idea kept resurfacing. If the athlete does not feel seen, none of the work matters. There is a lot of glamour that comes with being around professional athletes. It's important to go beyond the show and focus on the humans themselves. Dani Langford puts it this way when asked about the most important career skills needed in this work: The top ones are adaptability and flexibility. Your schedule can change the night before a game. Communication and teamwork are also huge. At the Warriors, the people make the place special, so connecting with others and checking your ego at the door are important. You need to be here for the people, not the principle extends beyond sports. In leadership, entrepreneurship, and healthcare, people are more likely to thrive when they feel personally understood. Career takeaway: Beware of fandom in professional sports careers. In order to create a sustainable career, the player must be central to your work, not just the prestige of the role. 3. Translate complex data into daily insight Sports science is advancing rapidly. Metrics like heart rate variability and sleep efficiency are now standard in elite environments. But what happens when the data says one thing and the person says another? Jalen Suggs & Mena Mirhom MD Jalen Suggs offered a candid insight: 'The numbers help, but sometimes you just know your body's not there yet.' Danielle Langford added: 'You can bring positive energy, create a good environment, and contribute. But in the end, it's really about the athlete.' In complex fields, numbers provide clarity, but intuition and relationships built from experience still plays a vital role. Career takeaway: Data should inform your decisions, but it cannot replace judgment. The best professionals learn how to blend both.4. Respect the Complexity of Recovery Recovery is a major theme in professional sports. This goes beyond a specific injury but expands to the daily process that involves micro-recovery of the sleep schedule, managing difficult headlines, and maintaining an elite routine. This process is often not just physical but engages the entire team. The process involves timing, focus, and comprehensive recovery. Jalen Suggs explained it well: Trusting your body again is a whole different level of emotional and mental layer is true in professional life outside of sports as well. Reentering after burnout or disappointment requires more than just reengagement. It requires self-awareness and support. World-renowned Senior Sports Psychiatrist, Derek Suite, MD, who has over 15 years of guiding elite athletes across the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLS, explains how he trains the next generation of sports psychiatrists to approach helping players with sports injuries navigate the recovery process: Derek H. Suite, MD, senior sports psychiatrist and performance consultant with 15 years of ... More experience across the NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLS, specializing in injury recovery and return-to-play diagnostic precision- distinguishing grief over lost ability from clinical depression, because the interventions are worlds apart. Second, somatic integration-the body keeps the score of injury trauma, so we rebuild neural pathways through graded exposure, not just positive thinking. Third, ecosystem leadership, an athlete's recovery lives in the spaces between medical appointments, so we orchestrate care teams like conductors, not consultants Career takeaway: Growth and recovery are not linear. Understanding the dynamic ecosystem of a team allows you to become indispensable to an organization. 5. Understand that information is currency The balance between privacy and transparency can be a difficult one to strike. One of the most important principles in professional sports is that it must always be player-driven. I spoke with Maggie Bryant, President of Performance Health and Wellness, who often navigates this nuanced approach to keeping staff informed while fiercely guarding players' Bryant, President of Performance Health and Wellness, Los Angeles Clippers 'Information is gold. The ability to communicate at a high level and know when to share something, and who needs to know, is key. Having a clear-cut process in mind establishes trust. The more trust you can develop with players, the more effective you will be. She discussed that at this level, you can be a very skilled clinician but be entirely ineffective if players do not trust you or buy into your approach. She credits her father as well as key mentors, who walked her through foundational skills of establishing these long-term relationships with authenticity. Career takeaway: The discipline of developing trusting relationships is a career skill that is sometimes even more valuable than the technical skills of a position. Bottom Line The Sports Medicine Series was more than an event. It was a snapshot of what sustainable, fulfilling careers look like in high-performance fields of sport. Building a great career in sports is about learning across disciplines, respecting the complexity of team dynamics, and never losing sight of the people you serve.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Clippers, Chris Paul agree to deal 1-year contract in free agency
The post Clippers, Chris Paul agree to deal 1-year contract in free agency appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Clippers entered this summer of 2025 in search of a backup center and a backup point guard. To start free agency, the Clippers reached an agreement with Brook Lopez. Now, after signing Bradley Beal following his buyout with the Phoenix Suns, the Clippers are bringing Chris Paul back to LA. Paul and the Clippers agreed to a 1-year, $3.6 million minimum contract on Monday morning, allowing the future Hall of Fame point guard to finish his career with the team he spent the most time with, league sources told ClutchPoints. The veteran guard spent six seasons with the LA Clippers from 2011 to 2017, where he was named an NBA All-Star five times. Across those six seasons where played 409 regular season games, Paul averaged 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three. The 12-time NBA All-Star made the surprising decision last season to join Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, forgoing an opportunity to win a championship to earn a bit more money while helping an up-and-coming Spurs franchise. Paul played all 82 games for the Spurs in the 2024-25 season, averaging 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.3 steals in 28 minutes per game. Paul also shot 42.7 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three. Throughout the offseason, Paul had been linked to the Clippers. Even before the team agreed to a contract with Beal, the widespread expectation was that LA would reunite with the veteran point guard. By returning to Los Angeles, Paul joins forces with a couple of familiar names. James Harden spent two seasons with Paul on the Houston Rockets from 2017 to 2019. Head coach Tyronn Lue was also an assistant on the Clippers coaching staff during the 2013-14 season when Paul was the team's starting point guard. Before the agreement between Paul and the Clippers, LA was said to also hold interest in veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon to fill their backup point guard slot behind Harden. Now, the Clippers have built a strong core, headlined by Harden, Paul, Beal, Kawhi Leonard, John Collins, and Ivica Zubac. Los Angeles has put themselves at the forefront of championship conversations in the Western Conference, and Paul will hold a key role coming off the bench for the Clippers. (ClutchPoints' NBA insider Brett Siegel also contributed to this report). Related: 3 reasons Chris Paul will finally win NBA championship after joining Clippers Related: Siegel's Scoop: Latest NBA free agency, trade intel after Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, Marcus Smart deals
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
James Harden's Pay Cut Helped Clippers Land Bradley Beal And Brook Lopez
James Harden's Pay Cut Helped Clippers Land Bradley Beal And Brook Lopez originally appeared on Fadeaway World. James Harden is once again proving that winning means more to him than money. The Los Angeles Clippers' bold offseason makeover, which now includes the additions of Bradley Beal and Brook Lopez, would not have been possible without Harden's selfless decision to take a pay cut. That singular move may have quietly set the stage for the Clippers' best chance yet to chase the elusive championship they've long coveted. After declining his player option for the 2025–26 season, Harden re-signed with the Clippers on a two-year, $81.5 million deal, a figure well below his market max. The move wasn't just symbolic. According to team president Lawrence Frank: "So, without James, we can't even get Brad, because we wouldn't have use of the full MLE. So that allowed us to get Brook and Brad because of the way James structured his contract. Two, the way he's structured his contract in year two gives us flexibility that if we want to have max space, we can choose to do so." "He's been great in that sense, he's also been great in that he's very, very proactive. When word was out that Brad may get a buyout and we were allowed to talk to Brad, James was the first one, well let me call him. And willing to do anything. So, all James cares about is winning." Harden's decision gave the franchise access to the full mid-level exception and opened up financial flexibility that allowed them to sign Brook Lopez early in free agency. But the real domino came when Harden helped close the deal on three-time All-Star Bradley Beal. Beal, who reached a buyout with the Phoenix Suns after a disappointing run, agreed to join the Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal with a player option. League insiders say Harden was instrumental in Beal's recruitment, even holding a personal 30-minute conversation with him. This isn't the first time Harden has taken less money to help build a contender. He made a similar gesture in Philadelphia, hoping to free up space for Daryl Morey to add depth. That situation ended in controversy, but the principle was the same: Harden is willing to sacrifice if he believes in the team. And this time, it seems he genuinely does. Now, the Clippers have gone from a team in turmoil after a first-round exit to a squad with serious depth, experience, and firepower. Alongside Harden and Beal, Kawhi Leonard remains the franchise's defensive anchor and late-game assassin. Ivica Zubac continues to grow into one of the league's most reliable centers, and Lopez gives them a veteran big with elite rim protection and stretch shooting. John Collins brings athleticism and small-ball versatility, while guards like Kris Dunn and Bogdan Bogdanovic round out a potent rotation. It's a far cry from the injury-plagued Clippers of past years. But it all hinges on health and harmony. With Harden now taking on a leadership role both financially and in the locker room, the Clippers appear more unified than ever. This version of Harden, aged 35 but still averaging 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds last season, isn't chasing individual accolades anymore. He's chasing legacy. And if the gamble pays off, this could be the year both Harden and the Clippers finally silence the critics. Without Harden's pay cut and persuasive pitch to Beal, the Clippers' championship window may have remained shut. Instead, thanks to his sacrifice, the door is wide open and the Western Conference is on story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Stein: Deandre Ayton was Lakers' top target from start of free agency
Going into this summer's NBA free agency period, the Los Angeles Lakers had a massive hole at the center position. It was hoped they could sign one or two veterans such as Brook Lopez or Clint Capela in free agency, but it looked like their best path toward landing a legitimate starting center was through the trade market. Then, on June 29, a favorable curveball was thrown. Deandre Ayton agreed to a buyout of his contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, and instantly, speculation began that he would inevitably sign with the Lakers. That is exactly what happened, as he agreed to a two-year, $16.2 million contract with them. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Ayton was apparently the Lakers' top free agent target from the moment teams were allowed to start talking to prospective free agents on June 30. "I believe that Deandre Ayton was the Lakers' top target among centers from the first minute of free agency. I know it might have looked to some like the Lakers lost out to the Clippers on Brook Lopez and pivoted to Ayton, but that's not how it went down. Ayton and the Trail Blazers came to terms on a buyout agreement on the day before free agency officially began and the 7-foot Bahamian was instantly regarded by numerous interested teams as a virtual lock to land with the Lakers." Ayton comes with some risks, as he wasn't exactly on his best behavior over the last two seasons with the Trail Blazers. But the seven-footer has career averages of 16.4 points on 59% field-goal shooting and 10.5 rebounds a game, and at age 26, he should still have a significant amount of untapped potential. As a rim-running lob threat, Ayton appears to be the type of center Luka Doncic wants and needs to play with. If he behaves himself and even starts playing some defense, he could considerably raise L.A.'s ceiling this coming season.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Clippers may be deep, but could age be their downfall?
Yahoo Sports contributing NBA writer Tom Haberstron and NBA writer Dan Devine break down L.A.'s series of offseason signings - what has pushed the team's average age to a historic level. Hear the full conversation on 'The Big Number' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript This week's big number is 33.2. That's the average age: 33 years old of the Los Angeles Clippers roster if the players log as many minutes as they did last season. OK, so. That's really old, OK. The oldest team in NBA history, if this happens as it did last year. Wow. I looked this up. The oldest team on record, according to basketball reference age tracking is the 200, 2001 Utah Jazz with John Stockton, Brian Russell, Karl Malone. That team had an average age of 32. This Clippers team is at 33.2, Dan. So, like, way beyond what we've seen from any of the oldest teams, all the gray beards, all the old heads of your. This Clippers team is older than any of those. They got a pretty full roster now that they've added, uh, Brook Lopez and John Collins and Bradley Beal, and then Chris Paul is sort of like the finishing, although I, I think they still do have one roster spot available, so I don't know. The, the interesting thing to me is in a league, and we've talked about this, we'll probably talk about it some more moving forward. Like, it feels like we're moving younger, right? Like we just had the conversation about the Oklahoma City Thunder, we had the conversations about the Indiana Pacers, about the age of those rosters, the depth of those rosters, the style of play, all those sorts of things. And Lawrence Frank, the president of basketball operations with the Clippers, was like, listen, we're just trying to get the best players. We need to get the best players possible and who are available to us. And at this point, you know, based on who we could get, you know, we didn't think that Brook Lopez was going to be available. We didn't think we're gonna be able to get John Collins. We didn't had no idea Bradley Beal was gonna, uh, you know, reach the open market on a buyout. We had no idea Chris Paul was gonna be available in the 3rd week of free agency, the end of July. And so we're going to get the best players we can that fit with our style. They've put themselves in that position where it's really interesting. This might be the deepest roster in the league right now. But also, as you say, pretty comfortably the oldest, and those two things don't necessarily seem like they go together. Close
