Latest news with #NBAFinals'
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA Exec Says LeBron James Made a Mistake Not Returning To Cavaliers
NBA Exec Says LeBron James Made a Mistake Not Returning To Cavaliers originally appeared on Fadeaway World. One anonymous NBA executive believes LeBron James blew his chance at a perfect ending. According to Hoops Wire, the unnamed exec said James should have opted out of his $50 million deal with the Lakers this summer and returned home to Cleveland, where he could have joined forces with Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley. In the exec's eyes, that lineup would have 'walked to the NBA Finals' and set up a legendary third act for James in a Cavaliers jersey. "I'm not gonna sit here and tell someone to say no to over $50 million, but LeBron is a billionaire, man,' the NBA exec told Hoops Wire. 'He has enough money and makes enough off the court. If I were in his camp, I would have told him to decline his player option with the Lakers and sign with the Cavs. That would have been the smart play." James, 40, has been a Laker since 2018, but he had the opportunity this summer to chart a different course. As it stands, it looks like James will be heading back to the Lakers to finish his career, but not everyone agrees that it's the best place to maximize his title odds. 'Do you know how dangerous Cleveland would have been? LeBron starting next to Donovan [Mitchell], Evan [Mobley], Jarrett [Allen], and Darius [Garland]? They would have walked to the NBA Finals, and it would have been a storybook ending for LeBron to finish his career in Cleveland," said the exec. "I think he made a mistake.' James (career averages of 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game) has a long and complicated history with the Cavaliers. First of all, he was born in Akron, Ohio, which is not far from Cleveland. Growing up a Cavs fan, his story went full circle when he was drafted by the franchise with the No. 1 overall pick in 2003. He rose to stardom right away and was a hero in the city until his dramatic exit in 2010. He spent four years with the Heat, which was met with resentment and vitriol from the fans. Eventually, he returned to the Cavs and helped them win a title in 2016 before he left once again to sign with the Lakers. A return to Cleveland at this stage would've been the ultimate storybook ending—one that also positioned him to chase another ring with Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. While the Cavs are in the second apron, James likely could have forced his way back there this summer if he really wanted, especially in a buyout scenario. Instead, LeBron missed his chance, and he may come to regret it later. Instead, LeBron may have let the perfect ending slip away, and the regret could come later. For now, LeBron James remains in Los Angeles, still competing at an elite level as he enters his 22nd NBA season. But as the end of his career draws near, the idea of a final chapter in Cleveland—where it all began—will always linger in the minds of fans and execs alike. Whether or not James regrets staying in L.A., one thing is clear: the storybook ending was right there waiting for story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Rick Carlisle to blame for Tyrese Haliburton's achilles injury? Dramatic reactions from NBA Finals Game 7
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle faced a lot of flak on social media after the team's star point guard Tyrese Haliburton was removed from the NBA Finals' Game 7 vs the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. The 25-year-old suffered a torn Achilles in the first quarter, and the Pacers just lost their momentum. Head coach Rick Carlisle of the Indiana Pacers reacts during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder (Getty Images via AFP) Haliburton was already nursing a serious calf injury and had to miss minutes in the playoffs. However, he was vocally adamant about playing the finals. On Sunday, his season ended on a low when he tumbled to the court in a heap. The 25-year-old, visibly frustrated, began punching the floor and needed to be helped to the locker room. Read More: Tyrese Haliburton risking his career by playing NBA Finals Game 7 with injury? Alarming update surfaces John Haliburton, Tyrese's father, told ABC it was an Achilles tendon injury. The Pacers ruled out their playoff star for the rest of the game. 'It's a heartbreak, man,' Pacers center Myles Turner told ABC. 'It's unfortunate ... but we've got his back.' Pacers coach Carlisle was slammed on social media for letting Haliburton play with an injury. 'Im single handedly blaming Rick Carlisle for Haliburton's Achilles & I'm going to destroy Carlisle if Indiana loses,' one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. Read More: NBA finals game 7: How much prize money will winning team receive as stage set for Pacers vs Thunder battle 'Two games away from delivering your franchise its first championship and Tyrese played through a calf strain that led to an achilles rupture. You can blame medical staff but I will forever respect him for the rest of his career,' another person added. Ahead of Game 6, Haliburton had admitted that he wants to play. 'I think I have to be as smart as I want to be. Have to understand the risks, ask the right questions. I'm a competitor. I want to play. I'm going to do everything in my power to play. That's just what it is.'
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Tyrese Haliburton's father bursts into tears after Pacers star tears Achilles in Game 7
Jun 23, 2025 06:18 AM IST Tyrese Haliburton's father, John, couldn't hold back. He burst into tears looking at his son being taken off the court after the Indiana Pacers star suffered an apparent achilies injury in NBA Finals' Game 7 vs the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. Tyrese Haliburton suffered an injury in NBA Finals Game 7(X)
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stresses ‘need' to improve despite Game 4 win
The post Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stresses 'need' to improve despite Game 4 win appeared first on ClutchPoints. OKLAHOMA CITY — After Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 fourth-quarter points to salvage Game 4 and his team's chances to win the NBA Finals, the MVP reminded reporters that it was not by design. Heading into a pivotal Game 5 at the Paycom Center, Gilgeous-Alexander stressed the notion that his team needs to play better if they wish to push the Pacers to the brink of elimination. Advertisement Gilgeous-Alexander addressed the thin margin of error in the NBA Finals and how the Thunder's approach to Game 4 isn't ideal. 'Whatever it takes to win has always been our mindset. It's all that really matters with us,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'Now, it's harder to win the way we played last game, over the course of time, and we have to correct that if we want to come out on top. So, we're grateful and thankful we did enough to get a win, but we're not trying to rely on the way we played last game. We need to be better, and we're going to be better.' In Game 4, the Thunder outscored the Pacers in the fourth quarter for the first time in the NBA Finals' best-of-7 series. Erasing a nine-point deficit in the final frame, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 of the Thunder's final 16 points to close out Indiana. He finished with 35 points on 12-of-24 shooting, three rebounds, and three steals. Oklahoma City outscored its opponent 31-27 in the fourth quarter. Taking away the home-court advantage, Oklahoma City returns to the Paycom Center with an opportunity to take a 3-2 lead in Game 5 on Monday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says Thunder still 'has much work' Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knows the Pacers aren't done and that one loss, which could happen in Game 5, would completely change the complexion of the NBA Finals. With the best-of-7 series tied, 2-2, Gilgeous-Alexander knows the Thunder are still miles away from winning an NBA title. It's a marathon to the Larry O'Brien trophy, not a sprint in their race with the Pacers. Advertisement Despite their gutsy win in Game 4, Gilgeous-Alexander says the job's far from finished. 'Not so much relief. Personally, I much rather win than lose,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'I still feel like we have so much work to do. We're halfway there, obviously, but still so far from the finish line. I'm so focused on the next opportunity, and try to take advantage of that.' The Thunder will host the Pacers in Game 5 on Monday. Related: How Thunder's Jalen Williams 'declared himself' as a future star during rookie season Related: Why Thunder's Mark Daigneault is treating Game 4 'like a loss' ahead of Game 5
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says Thunder still has ‘much work' to do vs. Pacers
The post Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says Thunder still has 'much work' to do vs. Pacers appeared first on ClutchPoints. INDIANAPOLIS — With his team's back against the ropes in an uphill battle, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the team on his back and crossed the finish line of a gritty Game 4 win against the Indiana Pacers. Gilgeous-Alexander's clutch performance led the Thunder to even the NBA Finals' best-of-7 series, 2-2. Erasing a 10-point deficit, the Thunder pulled ahead in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, when Shai went to work. Advertisement With the pressure of heading back to Oklahoma City for Game 5, potentially trailing the Pacers, 3-1, Gilgeous-Alexander kept the Thunder's season alive, scoring 15 of his 35 points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City beat Indiana 111-104. The Thunder are two wins away from a title, heading back to the Paycom Center. Still, Gilgeous-Alexander knows the job is far from finished, despite being this close, and heading home for Game 5. 'Not so much relief. Personally, I much rather win than lose,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'I still feel like we have so much work to do. We're halfway there, obviously, but still so far from the finish line. I'm so focused on the next opportunity, and try to take advantage of that.' Gilgeous-Alexander also finished with three rebounds, three steals, and one block. The Thunder Mark Daigneault praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Thunder win Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was impressed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who nearly outscored the Pacers single-handedly in the fourth quarter (17-15) as his 15 points pushed his team to even the NBA Finals, 2-2. Advertisement After the win, Daigneault reacted to the significance of Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder's approach down the stretch in the final frame. 'He's unreal, obviously. Really closed that thing offensively. He and Dub did a great job there, just execution-wise. The shot-making. He was outstanding,' Daigneault said. 'That was an uphill game against a great team. This is one of the best teams in the league in the last couple of months, since the All-Star break, and they're a hard team to beat here. They're a hard team to beat, period, obviously. I just thought we gutted it out on a night where we really didn't have a lot going, especially offensively.' After Thunder veteran Alex Caruso, who finished with five steals, Lu Dort, and Jalen Williams made defensive stops that led to timely buckets, it set the stage for Gilgeous-Alexander to go off on a game-winning run to close out a must-win Game 4. Advertisement Related: Pacers vs. Thunder Game 5 Results According to NBA 2K25 Related: DeMar DeRozan reveals Thunder's secret to success
