Latest news with #Lakers-Timberwolves
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Lakers Player's LeBron James Revelation Grabs Attention
Former Lakers Player's LeBron James Revelation Grabs Attention originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Former NBA journeyman Michael Beasley recently grabbed headlines after a high-profile and big-money 1-on-1 game with Lance Stephenson. There was a lot of back-and-forth between the two former NBA players before they finally settled the score on the court. It ultimately resulted in Beasley reigning supreme, 31-21, on Friday, as the 36-year-old walked away with the $100,000 prize money from the event. Advertisement Beasley has long had a reputation for being an elite 1-on-1 player. In fact, there were even rumors about the former No. 2 overall pick defeating LeBron James in a pick-up game during their time together as teammates with the Miami Heat. In a recent stream, Beasley, who linked up with James again with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, addressed the story. Beasley revealed that he, in fact, "blew out" James in a 1-on-1 game. Beasley's big reveal quickly grabbed the attention of fans on social media, and a lot of them believe that the former Kansas State star is telling the truth here. "Lebron is bagless so of course he lost to Beasley in 1vs1," a comment on X read. Advertisement "Common knowledge btw. Def not cap," said another. "Not lying," a user declared. New York Knicks forward Michael Beasley (8) before a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. © Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Others, however, were quick to dismiss Beasley's claim. "CAP," a reaction read. "we don't believe him," another said. "I'll take things that didn't happen for $500," wrote a fan. While Beasley's career accolades pale in comparison to what James has achieved in his historic 22-year NBA tenure, it's hard to deny Beasley's reputation as a 1-on-1 specialist — especially after he dominated Stephenson in their recent matchup. However, unless there is video evidence out there, Beasley beating James in a 1-on-1 game will remain an urban legend among NBA fans. Advertisement Related: LeBron James Had No Words After Savannah James' Big Personal Admission Related: Fans in Disbelief Over New Photos of Luka Doncic Amid Big Change in Physical Appearance Related: NBA Makes Historic LeBron James Announcement During Lakers-Timberwolves This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN NBA booth facing another potential shakeup with Doris Burke's spot in limbo
The 2025 NBA Finals could be the first and last for ESPN's current top broadcasting trio. The future of the booth featuring longtime play-by-play voice Mike Breen and analysts Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson is up in the air, as Burke's spot 'is not guaranteed for next season' and Jefferson is on an expiring contract, The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported Wednesday. Advertisement Jefferson has drawn interest from Amazon, the report said, ahead of its first season airing NBA games starting in the fall, though ESPN 'intends' on bringing the former Nets star back. From left: Richard Jefferson, Doris Burke and Mike Breen during a Lakers-Timberwolves playoff broadcast on April 27, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images One factor ESPN will weigh is whether Burke would be better suited as part of a two-person or three-person broadcast crew, according to The Athletic. Burke rose to ESPN's No. 1 NBA team after the network dumped Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy following the 2023 NBA Finals. From left: Richard Jefferson, Doris Burke and Mike Breen pose before a Thunder-Timberwolves playoff game on May 24, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images Doc Rivers, who had been fired by the 76ers, originally joined Burke and Breen, but he then left to become the Bucks' head coach in January 2024. Advertisement JJ Redick replaced Rivers, but his tenure was also short-lived as he took the Lakers' head coaching job last June. TNT just completed its final season broadcasting NBA games in the U.S., though the acclaimed 'Inside the NBA' will air on ESPN beginning next season through a licensing deal. Amazon has reached deals with Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan to be its top play-by-players next season, while game analysts will include Stan Van Gundy, Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash. NBC will have Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle calling games, with Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford joining them as game analysts. Michael Jordan has also joined NBC as a special contributor.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans Don't Love Insider's Bold Lakers, Warriors Take For Next Season
The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors made blockbuster trades this season. The Lakers acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks, while the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. Los Angeles was the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs and had home-court advantage against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. However, the Lakers lost the series in five games. Advertisement Meanwhile, Golden State faced the Houston Rockets in the first round and won the series in seven games before losing to Minnesota in the second round in five games. Steph Curry suffered a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Game 1 against the Timberwolves and missed the rest of the series. LeBron James shoots over Steph Curry© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images The Lakers and Warriors are rivals. They play in the same division and Curry and LeBron James have had a rivalry since meeting in four straight NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018. With that said, some fans want to know who has the brighter future between the Lakers and Warriors. Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd answered that question, saying he believes Golden State's future is brighter than Los Angeles' Cowherd got roasted for his Lakers-Warriors take, as many fans replied to The Herd's post on X, bashing the sports pundit. Advertisement "How tf is this dude allowed to have his own show," one fan said. "Not a great take Colin. Have a feeling this will be reposted on Freezing Cold Takes in about a year," a second fan wrote. "No more bball talk Colin. Freal it's cool. It's very clear you don't watch the games. You talk to Jmac to sound smart I would stick to football and baseball," a third fan wrote. James is 40 years old. He's the oldest active player in the NBA and suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in Game 5 against the Timberwolves. While Doncic is only 26, his poor conditioning and lack of defensive skills were on full display in the Lakers-Timberwolves series. Mavericks GM Nico Harrison traded Doncic because he didn't feel he could win a championship with the five-time All-Star. Advertisement Curry is 37, while Butler and Draymond Green are 35. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has won four championships and coached in six NBA Finals. Meanwhile, Lakers head coach JJ Redick just finished his first year as a coach in the NBA. "The Warriors have no future lmfao the Lakers have 26-year-old Luka," one fan said. "Colin Cowherd hasn't been on point about an NBA teams future in his long? He's not good with predictions Lakers have Luka a guy who already willed a team to 2 conference finals and a NBA championship and is only 25 or 26 Warriors have a geriatric team Let's be serious," another fan said. Advertisement We still don't know if James will be on the Lakers next season. He has a player option for next season. The leading scorer in NBA history can pick up his player option, decline it and become a free agent or retire from the NBA. Only time will tell who will be better next season between the Lakers and Warriors, but Cowherd is in Golden State's corner. Related: NBA Trade Idea Pairs Steph Curry And Jimmy Butler With 2-Time All-Star
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Magic Johnson Sends Message to Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves on 'Beating My Lakers'
The Los Angeles Lakers just didn't have it in them to come out on top on Wednesday night. The Minnesota Timberwolves came to Arena with a clear mission in mind: to end their first-round series and book their spot in the West semis. The Wolves did just that by securing an impressive 103-96 victory on the road to clinch the series, 4-1. Advertisement Lakers legend Magic Johnson took to social media after the game to share his reaction to the season-ending defeat. The five-time NBA champ sent a message to Minnesota and their superstar Anthony Edwards, who has been nothing short of amazing throughout this series. "Congratulations to my good friend Minnesota Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez, superstar Anthony Edwards and the entire Minnesota Timberwolves team for beating my Lakers and advancing to the next round," Johnson posted on X. Edwards had an off night on Wednesday, going 5-of-19 from the field for 15 points. The three-time All-Star still flirted with a triple-double, though, with 11 rebounds and eight assists, to go along with three steals and zero turnovers in 43 minutes of action. Despite his relatively subdued performance in Game 5, there's no denying that Edwards has done an incredible job in leading his team against the Lakers. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards operates with the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura Johnson-Imagn Images Johnson also went on to express his thoughts on what he believes was the main factor in L.A.'s brutal loss. Advertisement "The reason the Lakers lost was because they played awful on defense, they were too small, and the Timberwolves dominated them in the paint," Johnson stated. It's back to the drawing board for the Lakers in what should be an intriguing offseason for this team. The Timberwolves, on the other hand, await the winner of the first-round matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. The Warriors are up in that series, 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled on Friday, 9:00 p.m. ET. Related: Magic Johnson Sends 'Sick' Message After Lakers Lose Game 4 to Timberwolves Related: NBA Makes Historic LeBron James Announcement During Lakers-Timberwolves
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LeBron James Predicted To Make $105 Million Lakers Decision This Summer
Four-time MVP LeBron James has a $52.6 million player option to return to the Los Angeles Lakers next season. The 40-year-old would become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he declined his 2025-26 player option. The Lakers were projected to compete for the championship this year after acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in February. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat Los Angeles in the first round of the playoffs in five games. Advertisement James, the oldest active player in the NBA, suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in Game 5. The four-time Finals MVP told reporters after Game 5 that he didn't know what his plans were for next season. "I don't know. I don't have an answer to that," James said. "Something I'll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens." James has a few options at his disposal. He can pick up his player option and return to the Lakers, decline his player option and either sign a new deal with Los Angeles or join another team or retire from the NBA. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James© Soobum Im-Imagn Images One NBA analyst predicts that James will return to the Lakers next season. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report predicted that James will decline his 2025-26 player option and sign a new contract with Los Angeles. Advertisement "Look for James to give himself a bit of wiggle room, then, by declining his option and re-signing with the Lakers on a two-year, roughly $105 million deal with a player option on the second season," Buckley wrote. James appeared in 70 games for the Lakers this season. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks. In the Lakers-Timberwolves postseason series, James averaged 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks. It will be intriguing to see what James does this offseason. He has been with the Lakers since 2018. Related: LeBron James Doesn't Hold Back in Strong Message to Critics
