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Team USA jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in their friendly against a Luka Doncic-less Slovenia on Saturday and never looked back. They led by double-digits for the majority of the afternoon en route to a 92-62 victory in the second of five tune-up games ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

For the second consecutive game, Anthony Edwards led the way in the scoring department with 15 points, while Jalen Brunson (11 points, four rebounds and eight assists), Tyrese Haliburton (10 points, four rebounds and six assists) and Austin Reaves (10 points, five rebounds and four assists) all had solid all-around performances. It was a true team effort, as nine players had at least seven points and everyone on the roster scored.

About the only negative aspect of this outing for Team USA was that their poor 3-point shooting continued. After shooting just 6-of-27 from downtown against Puerto Rico earlier this week, the Americans went 9-of-33 versus Slovenia. It’s worth noting that Brunson is the only player on the roster who finished in the top 30 in 3-point shooting in the NBA last season, and Cameron Johnson, Haliburton, Reaves and Bridges were the only other players in even the top 75. They create so many good looks that you would expect the shooting to improve, but this could be an Achilles heel for this group.

Next up for the Americans is Spain on Sunday, which will conclude their short trip to Malaga. That game figures to be their first real test of the summer after two comfortable wins. After departing Spain, they will travel to the United Arab Emirates for their final two tune-up games against Greece and Germany in Abu Dhabi.

Then, it will be time for the real games to begin. Team USA has been drawn into Group C in the World Cup along with Greece, Jordan and New Zealand, with all of those games taking place in Manila, Philippines. Those games will run from Aug. 26-30, and they must finish in the top two to advance to the second round of the tournament.

There is always immense pressure on the Americans in any major tournament, but even more so this year after they stumbled to a seventh-place finish in the 2019 World Cup. Team USA last won the World Cup in 2014, and has five gold medals overall — tied with Yugoslavia for the most all-time.

PHILADELPHIA — There’s a noticeable difference with Jordan Davis throughout training camp. The 2022 first-round pick still has the same, bulky frame from his rookie season (although he does look a bit leaner than when he first got to Philadelphia).

The body isn’t a noticeable change regarding Davis, now an entrenched starter at defensive tackle. There’s a different approach to his game, with no fear in his response.

“Confidence. I say confidence,” Davis said. “A year ago I was kind of doubting myself. I did make it this far for a reason, but it’s one of those things where you keep second-guessing yourself. Especially after the injury, I was always second-guessing myself.”

A foot injury in Week 8 caused that self-doubt for Davis, who went from starting five consecutive games and playing 30 to 40 percent of the snaps to returning from injury and barely playing. The Eagles signed Ndamukong Suh and Linval Joseph when Davis was out to improve the run defense, and the veterans took up a significant amount of playing time.

The snap-count percentage decreased to 10 to 25 percent when Davis returned to the field, part of a defensive tackle rotation with Suh, Joseph, Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox. Davis did play over 30 percent of the snaps in two postseason games, but the Eagles were up big in the second half in both those contests. He played just 10 defensive snaps in Super Bowl LVII.

“I’m going into this role now, more of a leadership role,” Davis said. “I’m starting to gain more confidence for me, myself, and everyone else. Everything we do now is to go in there 100% and know I can do it, we can do it together.”

Confidence is the biggest key to success in the NFL, something Davis learned throughout his trying rookie season. Davis started doubting his ability to play football, the same ability that made him a first-round pick in the first place.

“You’re coming up on the biggest stage of your life,” Davis said. “It’s the grandest stage in football. So obviously, people have, not only myself, have imposter syndrome. Just knowing that you’re here for a reason, they picked you for a reason, you’re here to stay. Just do whatever you can do get better. You just prepare your best and let everything take care of the rest.”

Davis worked on improving and conditioning throughout the spring in order to succeed at the highest level. Those results are paying off.

“You can see it on the tape,” Davis said. “When I watch practice, I’m more sure. I’m not really hesitant off the ball. I’m taking that first step, I’m taking my gather step.

“It’s just little things like that. It could be seconds or milliseconds difference but in this game, those milliseconds add up.”

The Eagles drafted Davis in the first round for a reason. The franchise is banking on him to take the next step in Year 2, especially with Javon Hargrave gone and Fletcher Cox in his mid-30s.

Confidence has been the biggest difference in Davis’ game. The results just have to translate to the field.

The Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Wings announced a historic partnership Sunday afternoon that would make the Mavericks the jersey sponsor for the Wings. The deal makes the Wings the first team in the WNBA to agree to a jersey sponsorship with an NBA team.

The jersey patch will feature the Mavericks logo, as well as the “Girls Empowered by Mavericks” or GEM logo, which is a program created by the NBA team. The program was created to “inspire and empower young females through the use of physical activity as a backdrop to their development and success,” per the team’s joint statement.

“The Mavericks have worked hard to build the best youth-focused programming in the NBA,” Wings President & CEO Greg Bibb said in the team’s statement. “We are incredibly proud to partner with their organization to extend and expand the GEM program’s reach throughout North Texas. We are grateful to Cynt Marshall, Mark Cuban and the Mavericks leadership for their commitment to this innovative sponsorship and we look forward to working with them to empower girls through the sport of basketball.”

The logo will begin to appear on the Wings jerseys as early as the team’s Sunday afternoon game against the Chicago Sky.

“The Dallas Mavericks are proud to work alongside our local WNBA team, the Dallas Wings, to further the empowerment of young girls in North Texas,” Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall said. “We see GEM participants as the talent pool to represent future women in sports, business and other careers, and we are emboldened to move the needle towards female representation and equality.”

In addition to the jersey sponsorship, players and coaches on the Wings will also take part in GEM programs which includes basketball camps to help girls across North Texas.

With the Wings becoming the first team in the W to receive a jersey sponsorship from an NBA team, it could open the door for more partnerships like this in the future.

Kawhi Leonard is on pace to be ready for the start of training camp, Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue told the media on Sunday during a conversation with reporters in Las Vegas, where he’s working with Team USA ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup later this month.

After two spectacular performances in Games 1 and 2 against the Phoenix Suns in the team’s first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns last season, Leonard was ruled out with a knee injury that was later revealed to be a torn meniscus. He did not play in the final three games of the series, and the Clippers lost all three en route to a five-game defeat.

In June, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank announced that Leonard had undergone a procedure on his knee.

“Just a cleanup, went terrific,” Frank said after the 2023 NBA Draft. “Very quick procedure. He feels great. Eight-week recovery from time of surgery where you are back on the court playing like it was a game. We are very fortunate that it was just a quick little cleanup.”

That timeline suggested that Leonard would be ready for the start of the season, and now Lue has confirmed that not only will his star forward be ready for opening night, he’ll be in action for training camp. That is terrific news for a Clippers team that has been besieged by injuries in recent seasons.

Since Leonard signed with the Clippers in free agency in 2019, he has played in 161 of a possible 308 regular season games and suffered season-ending injuries in both the 2021 and 2023 playoffs. Meanwhile, Paul George, who also joined in 2019, has played just 189 regular season games in that time.

As a result, the Clippers’ performances have fallen well short of expectations. They made the Western Conference finals in 2021, but have won just three total playoff series with that duo and also blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the second round in 2020 when both of them were actually healthy.

Both Leonard and George possess player options for the 2024-25 season, and could opt out to become free agents next summer. There’s a real possibility that this is the last go-around for this group, which makes it imperative that they remain healthy. Leonard and George both being ready for training camp will be a good start on that front, but whether they can both make it through an entire playoff run is the key question.

Golden State Warriors forward Klay Thompson is the latest player to sit down with Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George on his podcast, “Podcast P.” During his appearance, Thompson admitted that he regrets taunting Devin Booker during a loss to the Phoenix Suns last season.

The Oct. 25 match-up was just the fourth game of the season for both clubs, but it had a playoff-like atmosphere. In the third quarter, Thompson started jawing with Booker, repeatedly reminding him that he had four championships to his name. The two eventually came face-to-face, which resulted in double technicals. A few minutes later, Thompson received another technical for shoving Mikal Bridges, which earned him the first ejection of his career.

While the game was close when Thompson was ejected, the Suns later pulled away for a 134-105 win. Thompson finished with two points on 1-of-8 from the field, and was soundly outplayed by Booker, who finished with 34 points and seven assists.

“Yeah, I was in my feelings though and Book was busting my ass that day,” Thompson told George. “I was not where I needed to be. God. You know stuff doesn’t age well and that didn’t age well for me. I don’t need to be flexing four rings, bro, like everybody know that. That’s on Wikipedia. My game wasn’t where it was at and we all get insecure at times.

“I’m man enough to admit that we all have our moments of weakness. I’m not really proud of that one. Cause I see Devin Booker and I should be like, man, I should be proud of this young man. The work he’s put in. He survived a tough regime in Phoenix where everyone getting traded, he’s playing for a new coach every year but now he’s a franchise player cause he just kept working. So, I admire the guys who have work ethic like that, you know?”

Good chance you won’t see Klay flexing his 4 rings to opponents again 😂 pic.twitter.com/xOXLGZqfW6

— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) August 7, 2023
The respect is mutual. After that game, Booker said that the exchange didn’t change his attitude towards Thompson.

“I love Klay Thompson,” Booker said. “I have from the beginning. From the draft, coming out, I said I wanted to be Klay Thompson. That doesn’t excuse us from competing against each other and talking a little mess with each other. I had fun with it. Big fan of his and his competitive nature, and that’s that.”

As Booker’s quote from the moment shows, this incident wasn’t a big deal. Still, it was pretty cool to see Thompson being this candid in an interview and admit that he wasn’t proud of how he handled that moment. We usually don’t see that from players, especially while they’re still active.

Scoot Henderson ended up falling to No. 3 in the 2023 NBA Draft earlier this summer, and he’s determined to make the two teams that passed on him regret their decision. During a video for Playmaker released on Monday, Henderson guaranteed that he will win Rookie of the Year and said he eventually wants to be the “best point guard to ever play in the game.”

The Portland Trail Blazers’ new point guard has been on the NBA radar since 2021, when he joined G League Ignite out of high school, and his success on the professional level as a teenager has only increased his confidence.

“My goal, obviously, is to win Rookie of the Year, and I will win Rookie of the Year,” Henderson said.

Later in the video he explained his approach to the game and why he has so much self-belief.

“That’s just a mindset, a manifestation that I kind of grew,” Henderson said. “Never doubted myself, you know, making sure I’m always putting good energy in the air, making sure I’m telling myself ‘I’m gonna have a great rookie season.’ I’m not saying I want to have a great rookie season, I’m gonna have a great rookie season. I’m gonna have a great career. I will have a great career and making sure that’s always in just past tense because it happened.”

“I will win rookie of the year”

Portland Trailblazers’ Scoot Henderson (@thereal013) didn’t take the traditional pathway to the NBA that most players do. As the youngest professional EVER in the G League he was able to not only figure himself out, but his game as well.

Watch… pic.twitter.com/HkMObZ6m4H

— Playmaker (@playmaker) August 7, 2023
Henderson currently has the third-best odds to win Rookie of the Year, behind No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama and No. 2 pick from the 2022 draft, Chet Holmgren, who missed all of last season with a broken foot. Here’s a look at the lastest odds, per

Wembanyama is the favorite for obvious reasons; he’s one of the best prospects to ever enter the league and has the ability to make an immediate impact on both sides of the ball. Holmgren has a similiar build and skillset to Wembanyama, and also has the benefit of spending a year learning on the bench.

Henderson will likely have the ball in his hands more often than either of them, though, assuming the Trail Blazers trade Damian Lillard before the start of the season. He also has fewer injury concerns, which could come into play given the new rule that requires players to have appeared in 65 games to be eligible for major awards.

If you were just making a pick for the honor, you would go with Wembanyama. From a betting perspective, though, Henderson is probably the best value based on the current board.

Stephen Curry appears to be enjoying himself this offseason. On Monday, the Golden State Warriors star hopped on stage and sang Paramore’s “Misery Business” during the band’s concert at the Chase Center.

Curry clearly was having the time of his life as he sang and danced to the band’s hit song on stage at the Warriors’ home arena.

When you come to a Chase Center concert, you never know who might show up on stage

Paramore’s surprise guest is none other than @StephenCurry30 pic.twitter.com/1XykIDOirQ

— Chase Center (@ChaseCenter) August 8, 2023
This certainly isn’t Curry’s first experience when it comes to Paramore. Curry’s wife, Ayesha, surprised the two-time NBA MVP with Paramore performing at his 30th birthday party in March 2018. In fact, Curry’s party was so crazy that the Warriors ended up cancelling the team’s practice the following day.

Earlier this summer, Curry won the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament and became just the second NBA player ever to achieve the feat. He did so in dramatic fashion by sinking an eagles on the 18th hole to clinch the tournament victory.

The four-time NBA champion is clearly having fun before he begins to prepare for his 15th season in the league. The Warriors will be looking to make another run at an NBA title after being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

We’ve reached the slowest point on the NBA calendar, where news has come to a near standstill and everyone is counting down the days until training camp begins in September. However, with two major trade demands still hanging over the league and some unsigned free agents still on the market, there is still something to talk about.

Both James Harden and Damian Lillard remain unmoved after both requested trades from their current teams earlier this summer. And while nothing appears to be imminent, that hasn’t stopped the rumors from circulating. Here’s the latest on both stars situations, as well as another potential trade involving the Toronto Raptors.

Clippers, 76ers to reengage in Harden trade talks
Harden’s been intent on getting out of Philadelphia and landing on his hometown Los Angeles Clippers team. The feeling is mutual for the Clippers, but the Sixers have been in no rush to trade their All-Star guard if the price isn’t right. After talks cooled off over the last month, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that the two sides are expected to begin trade talks again involving the former league MVP. It’s unclear what Philadelphia could get in return for Harden, but when the two sides talked earlier about a trade package the Clippers were unwilling to give up younger players like Terance Mann or serious draft capital for the aging guard.

If the Clippers don’t want to give up too much for Harden, there’s the potential that this deal would need to include a third team to get the Sixers what they want in return for him. Multi-team deals are tricky, but if L.A. is really enamored with the idea of bringing Harden in, then it’s something that could happen.

Raptors turned down Hawks trade offer for Pascal Siakam
Toronto has been in the midst of this will-they-won’t-they saga involving a rebuild for quite some time. They lost Fred VanVleet for nothing this summer, signaling that they could look to trade other core players like Siakam, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. However, we’re a little over a month from training camp and the Raptors have done nothing to suggest they’re going down the full fire sale path. But that doesn’t mean they’re not keeping their options open.

The Atlanta Hawks reportedly offered a trade package involving De’Andre Hunter, AJ Griffin and draft compensation to Toronto for Siakam, per Charania, but the Raptors keep increasing the asking price for the All-Star forward. Siakam enters the last year of his contract, and is extension eligible. But it’s been reported that he won’t sign an extension with any team that trades for him, and would instead become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Charania reports that talks between the Raptors and Hawks have been put on pause, and that despite Atlanta’s interest, Siakam could very well remain in Toronto through this season.

Trail Blazers no closer to trading Lillard
Lillard is still adamant that he wants to play for the Miami Heat and no one else. The Blazers still don’t like what Miami has to offer, so for right now the two sides haven’t gotten any closer to a trade, per Charania. That could change as we get closer to training camp, because certainly no one wants to deal with the awkwardness of a trade demand, but for right now, Lillard is still a member of the Blazers. Perhaps the Heat can manage to get a third team involved to get the deal done, because it’s been clear that the Blazers have little interest in a package centered around Tyler Herro for their franchise centerpiece of over a decade.

We’re still over a month away from the FIBA World Cup tipping off on August 25th, but it’s never too early to take a look at the roster that will be representing the United States in the tournament. USA Basketball is hoping to have a better showing than the one they put forth in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in which they finished in seventh place, and the team they’ve put together has a great shot at improving upon that standing.

The roster was finalized in early July and it includes seven All-NBA players and four All-Stars. Nine of the 12 players have USA Basketball experience at various levels, while the other three will be making their debut for the national team. The head coach for Team USA is Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, while Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue and Gonzaga head coach Mark Few will serve as assistants.

The three players who are making their Team USA debut are Reaves, Hart and Johnson, while Haliburton was on the U19 USA Basketball team that won gold at the FIBA World Cup in 2019. The roster is certainly young, but that’s to be expected for a World Cup roster for USA Basketball. That aside, this collection of players gives you everything from former No. 1 overall picks in Edwards and Banchero to undrafted players like Reaves. And there’s surely no shortage of talent on this roster, it’s just a matter of how well they can all gel together in the tournament.

Last month, Paul Pierce tried to argue once again that his NBA career was better than Dwyane Wade’s — a debate he has been trying to have since at least 2019. However, Wade said he is perfectly content with all the attention he is getting.

“Listen, rent is expensive in America, and I’m living rent free right now,” Wade said in an episode of the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. “So let him keep—I like living rent free.”

“Rent is expensive and I’m living rent free…it’s documented, I don’t need to say anything…I went and got my Avengers…”

• @DwyaneWade finally responds to Paul Pierce’s comments on who in fact had the better career. 😂 #HeatCulture

📺 https://t.co/UYp07snQ73
🎙️… pic.twitter.com/RPBRaP5gv3

— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) August 8, 2023
Pierce, inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021, won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008 and was named the Finals MVP. The 10-time All-Star had a great career, but many feel that him saying he was better than Wade is quite the stretch.

Wade, who is set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Aug. 12, said he doesn’t feel the need to defend himself. He was a 13-time All-Star and won three NBA championships with the Miami Heat, but now he sees no point in arguing when he is not even playing anymore.

“It’s documented,” Wade said. “I don’t need to say anything. Everything is documented. So, I’ll let you guys go ahead and talk about all that stuff. It sounds better coming from y’all than me.”

“I’m done playing the game of basketball. I’m not comparing myself to someone who’s not playing the game, or who is playing the game.”

Pierce had made the argument that he could’ve had more achievements if he had had better teammates, such as the ones Wade had.

“Put Shaq (O’Neal) on my team. Put LeBron (James) and (Chris) Bosh with me. I’m not gonna win one?” Pierce said last month on an episode of Cam’Ron’s talkshow, It Is What It Is. “Put me, LeBron and Bosh… we not gonna win a couple?”

Wade said people were mad he was was able to get with his “Avengers” but pointed out that it’s not always easy to play with different stars because of their different styles of play. At the end of the day, he wouldn’t change anything and doesn’t care what others think.

“I’m happy with my career. I don’t know who’s not happy with theirs, but I’m sorry if you’re not. But I’m happy with the way mine went,” Wade said.