Latest news with #ChrisBosh
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lakers' LeBron James gets brutally honest on shift from Big 3 era
The post Lakers' LeBron James gets brutally honest on shift from Big 3 era appeared first on ClutchPoints. Amid Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James' potential retirement rumors after 2025-26, James reflected on the NBA's proverbial switch from the Big 3 era to what we see today. Instead of clammoring to create the next star-studded Big 3 of All-Stars to guide its team to a championship, NBA franchises prioritize depth over the top-heavy rosters of yesteryear. James can attest to this as being a part of one of the most successful superteams in the Miami Heat. As one-third of the Heat's Big 3 alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, James led Miami to two championships (2012, 2013) between 2010 and 2014 before teaming up with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to form a new Big 3. James led the Cavs to the franchise's first championship in 2016 and spoke to playing in such an era before the NBA's significant shift, per Mind The Game podcast. 'I played in the era as well of the Big 3 era, but it's looking like now the game is starting to shift again to how can we create the most depth,' James said. 'But also, how can we create the most energy life? How can we have the most shelf life out on the floor to be able to sustain an injury or sustain a run throughout the course of a game, where guys can come in and it's infectious all game long.' While you can argue the champion Oklahoma City Thunder's Big 3 of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren led their team to victory, the team wasn't complied in the same manner as the ones James played for. Before, teams would make moves that brought All-Stars together, whereas the Thunder built theirs organically through trading for Gilgeous-Alexander after his rookie season before drafting Williams and Holmgren. You can say the same for the 2024 champion Boston Celtics, who drafted All-Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in back-to-back years before trading for key catalysts such as Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White. LeBron James' rumored retirement tour ahead of Lakers season After the Big 3 era, is Lakers All-Star LeBron James entering his final season? While some believe that announcement could be coming soon, NBA insider Chris Fedor relieved his take on James' potential retirement via his Wine and Gold podcast. 'I believe, based on everything that I know about LeBron James and all the conversations that I've had with people in his orbit, his general orbit, I believe that LeBron is going to make it known that he is going to retire before he retires,' said Fedor. If so, that announcement would most likely happen before the 2025-26 campaign. Related: Zach Lowe wonders if Lakers just released better option than Marcus Smart Related: Lakers bolster frontcourt with pair of two-way signings
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Asa Newell breaks down ‘professional' game at Georgia before NBA Draft
The post Asa Newell breaks down 'professional' game at Georgia before NBA Draft appeared first on ClutchPoints. Even though the NBA Finals are still in full swing, NBA teams and fans alike have one eye turned toward the NBA Draft. With the draft just weeks away, everyone is trying to figure out who is going where on draft night. Advertisement Georgia forward Asa Newell is one of the more polarizing players in the draft, with some teams tantalized by his talent, versatility and potential while other teams are scared off by the holes in his game. Before the draft, Newell spoke with college basketball reporter Andy Katz about how his game will translate to the NBA. 'My role was different at Montverde (Academy) than what it was at Georgia,' Newell said. 'Taking those two and putting it into the NBA, I feel like I can become a great basketball player.' Newell went on to compare himself to former Toronto Raptors and Miami heat star Chris Bosh due to his versatility. Newell isn't quite as tall as Bosh, but he can still impact the game in similar ways. Advertisement Newell is still relatively new to all of this after playing just one season at Georgia in 2024-25 after playing his high school ball at Montverde Academy. However, he is still learning about himself as he gets ready for the big day. 'This whole pre-draft process, I kind of found out who I was,' Newell said. 'You've gotta be a professional. Even at UGA, every single day has got to be the same consistency, and I feel like I've been up to par.' Newell played with plenty of stars during his time at Montverde, including surefire first-round picks in Cooper Flagg and Derik Queen. He also played with former UConn sharpshooter Liam McNeeley and new BYU point guard Robert Wright, so there is no question that Newell can fit into a role with any team. The 19-year old has proven that he can be a connecting player who rebounds well and impacts the game on both ends of the floor. His ability to cut and find open space makes him a target for easy baskets on offense, and he also possesses the valuable ability to guard multiple positions on defense. Advertisement Whether an NBA team sees that as a valuable enough skillset to draft in the lottery remains to be seen, but there is no question that Newell will hear his name called in the first round and draft night. Related: Stephen A. Smith's Kevin Durant-Heat fit comes with Timberwolves warning Related: Brian Windhorst reveals the Thunder-Pacers matchup that could dictate Game 4


CNET
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
How to Watch Tonight's NBA Finals Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game 1 for Free
The 2025 NBA finals kick off tonight. The Oklahoma City Thunder will play the Indiana Pacers, and the team that wins four out of seven games first will claim the championship title. It's a big moment for both teams. Tonight marks the first time the Pacers have made it to the finals in 25 years since losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. The last time the Thunder had a chance at the championship was in 2012 against the Miami Heat -- who had big names on the roster, including Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Even though both the Pacers and Thunder lost at their last finals shot, tonight kicks off their chance to take the title. Thinking about where and how you'll watch the game for free? We've got the answer, even if you don't have live TV. When are the NBA finals? Here's when and where you can expect the two teams to face off this month. All games will air exclusively on ABC. Game 1 June 5 at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT) Pacers at Thunder (Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK) Game 2 June 8 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) Pacers at Thunder (Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK) Game 3 June 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) Thunder at Pacers (Gainbridge Field House, Indianapolis, IN) Game 4 June 13 at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT) Thunder at Pacers (Gainbridge Field House, Indianapolis, IN) Game 5 June 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT) Pacers at Thunder (Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK) Game 6 June 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT) Thunder at Pacers (Gainbridge Field House, Indianapolis, IN) Game 7 June 22 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) Pacers at Thunder (Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK) How to watch the Pacers vs. Thunder Game 1 for free The Pacers vs. Thunder Game 1 will be available for free on the NBA's YouTube livestream. However, the livestream is geo-locked in India, so you'll need a virtual private network, or VPN, to bypass it. A VPN can route your Internet traffic to another location, and allow you to access content from anywhere. Our top VPN pick is ExpressVPN if you're looking for one for the NBA finals. It's a paid VPN that costs $13 a month, but ExpressVPN offers a free trial that may help youto watch tonight's game. There are free VPNs available, but oftentimes, you can't choose the server location. So it's not ideal for streaming region-locked sports games. Free VPNs also come with other downsides including less than ideal speed and no control of your privacy or data being shared. How to stream Game 1 of the NBA Finals with a VPN Sign up for a free trial of a paid VPN. See if your VPN choice has India as a location option for the game. Install the VPN on your mobile device or computer. Connect to a location server in India. Watch the game via the NBA's YouTube livestream.


Hindustan Times
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Here's what happened the last time the Oklahoma Thunder played the NBA finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder are returning to the NBA Finals for the first time in more than a decade after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Thunder will face the Indiana Pacers, who overcame a stern challenge from the New York Knicks. It will be either team's first title, and both fan bases want it. With the Thunder playing their first NBA Finals since 2012, here is a look at the last time they reached that level. The Oklahoma City Thunder last played the NBA finals in 2012. They were pitted against the Miami Heat and the Big Three. The trio of Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James was hungry for a championship after their failure in the 2011 NBA Finals. Oklahoma couldn't stand up against the trio, and the team lost in the 2012 Finals 4-1. But it was the best core of players that the franchise had ever produced. They would go on to remain top players in the Western Conference for quite some time. The Thunder's own big trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden couldn't finish the job. They won the first game in the series convincingly, raising the hopes even more. Thunder then went on to lose all of the next four games, and the series ended at game 5. This time, OKC face the Indiana Pacers, who themselves haven't won an NBA title in their history. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the NBA's MVP and Oklahoma City's best player. Tyrsee Haliburton is an Olympic gold medalist and Indiana's best player. They'll lead their teams into Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night — Indiana at Oklahoma City, the start of a series that will decide who hoists the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ira Winderman: How the Thunder came to own the NBA (and the Heat's draft future)
MIAMI — Salt meet wound. Not only will the Oklahoma City Thunder be playing in this year's NBA Finals, but so will a team holding a considerable stake of the Miami Heat's draft future. In this case, it's one and the same. Advertisement When the 2025 NBA Finals open Thursday at Paycom Center, the team in the home colors will be the team in possession of the Heat's 2025 first-round pick, the Heat's 2027 second-round pick, the Heat's 2029 second-round pick and the Heat's 2030 second-round pick. To say the tables have been turned since the Heat's Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh defeated the Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals would be an understatement, with the Thunder having supplanted the Heat as a touchstone franchise. Yes, the Heat went on to win not only those 2012 NBA Finals but also the following NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. And, yes, the Heat since have made another pair of visits since to the NBA Finals. But it's not as if the Thunder fell off the face of the playoff race in the interim, with trips to conference finals in 2014 and '16 and then all the way back up to the conference semifinals a year ago, before this 68-14 roughshod run through the regular season and then this playoff success. Advertisement And, along the way — perhaps in a lesson worth heeding by the Heat in their current state — offering a lesson that there is nothing wrong with taking a break. Prior to this OKC revival, the Thunder were 22-50 in 2020-21, 24-58 in 2021-22 and 40-42 in 2022-23, before the jump back up to 57-25 a season ago. Stepping back to step forward has never quite been a Pat Riley gait, admitting just weeks ago he had been complicit in a pair of tanks over his three-decade stewardship, otherwise pedal to the metal, even when all the gears weren't necessarily aligned. And unlike with the Thunder's trove of draft picks, the Heat consistently have instead dealt many away in the hope of something closer to instant gratification (hello, Terry Rozier). Advertisement But as much as anything is the type of move made by the Thunder that Riley arguably has never made over his 30 seasons, selling high to set up the future. Exhibit A (or, more to the point, non-Exhibit A) stands as holding on a bit too long with Jimmy Butler and realizing February's middling return. This, of course, also is where the drawing of parallels needs to be allowed to breathe, because the Thunder's franchise-altering trade was once-in-a-decade stuff, or even beyond. On July 10, 2019, days after the Heat had wrapped up their acquisition of Butler from the Philadelphia 76ers in yet another of Riley's win-now moves, the Thunder swung the deal that now again has Oklahoma City as a center of the NBA universe. On that date, the Thunder dealt Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, the 2021 first-round pick that turned into Tre Mann, the 2022 first-round pick that turned into Jalen Williams, a 2023 first-round pick that turned into Dillon Jones, the No. 15 pick in this year's draft that will come from the Heat, a pick swap this June from the Clippers (moving up from No. 30 to No. 24) and the Clippers' 2026 first-round pick. Advertisement As in 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. As in 2025 third-team All-NBA selection Jalen Williams. As in enough remaining draft capital to trade for another star, if need be. No, the Heat were not getting for 35-year-old Jimmy Butler in February what the Thunder in 2019 got for 29-year-old Paul George. And for those who believe the Heat should have acted sooner, they also weren't getting anything close to that for 34-year-old Jimmy Butler last summer, either. About as close as you can find to that in this millennium arguably was the Celtics' 2013 trade of what remained of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets for what turned into the draft selections of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Advertisement As for those future Heat picks now held by the Thunder, the selection at No. 15 in this year's draft traveled to Oklahoma City from the Butler trade in 2019; the 2027 second-rounder due came from the Heat's 2021 acquisition of Trevor Ariza from the Thunder; the 2029 second-rounder due from the Heat came from the 2023 salary dump of Victor Oladipo to the Thunder, which also cost the Heat their 2030 second-round pick. So as good as it currently stands for Oklahoma City, and for as ominous as it currently stands for the Heat, while watching the 2025 NBA Finals keep in mind ... the Heat also are funding the Thunder's future. (Or simply watch the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final instead.) ____