The NBA will allow players to share their voice amid ongoing systemic racism protests by letting them replace their last name on their back with a message of social justice. Boston Celtics’ Semi Ojeleye will take part in it. The 25-year-old forward revealed he will wear “Love Us” on the back of his jersey, rather than…
Celtics’ Semi Ojeleye Will Wear Powerful Message On Jersey Upon NBA Return — NESN.com
76ers rookie Matisse Thybulle will encourage fans to vote as part of his social message during the NBA season restart this month.
Ja Morant calls out those complaining about the food in the NBA bubble — The Rookie Wire
Kopech last pitched in 2018, missing all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Michael Kopech has opted out of the 2020 season — HardballTalk | NBC Sports
Posey and his wife recently adopted twins who were born prematurely and who are in the NICU.
Buster Posey has opted out of the 2020 season — HardballTalk | NBC Sports
Greg Moore’s summation of Hudson Elynuik as it pertained to hockey was rather uncomplicated. Read More
LEAFS PIPELINE: Elynuik looking ahead after overall improvement with Marlies — Toronto Sun
He averaged 15.4 points and 10.6 rebounds a game in the G League this season.
Nets reportedly sign Donta Hall for restart games in Orlando — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports
By Kurt HelinJul 9, 2020, 11:00 PM EDTLeave a comment
Donta Hall went undrafted out of Alabama last June, then made the most of the opportunities he was given. The 6’9″ big man tore up the G League for the Grand Rapids Drive, averaging 15.4 points a game on 66.9% shooting, plus gabbing 10.6 rebounds a night. It was good enough to get him a call up to the Pistons and getting in four games for them.
Now he’s going to play in the NBA restart for the Brooklyn Nets, a story broken by Marc Stein of the New York Times.
The Nets are signing Donta Hall to a rest-of-the-season, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 9, 2020
The shorthanded Nets are without big men DeAndre Jordan, Taurean Prince, and Nicolas Claxton (Jarrett Allen was the only center on the roster). Donta Hall will get the chance to impress the Nets — and other teams — and try to earn a contract for next season (he will be a free agent when the Nets are eliminated).
Hall is a tremendous athlete, he’s bouncy and long (7’5″ wingspan). If his skills develop, he has a role in the NBA.
The Nets were hit hard by injuries and had to make substitute signings such as Jamal Crawford and Michael Beasley. Here is what the final Nets roster looks like in Orlando.
Brooklyn Nets in Orlando (final):
Guards:
• Caris LeVert
• Jamal Crawford
• Joe Harris
• Garrett Temple
• Chris Chiozza
• Tyler Johnson
• Jeremiah Martin
• Dzanan MusaBigs:
• Jarrett Allen
• TLC
• Rodions Kurucs
• Michael Beasley
• Justin Anderson
• Donta Hall— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) July 9, 2020
Houston Rockets superstars James Harden and Russell Westbrook were not on the team’s Thursday flight to Orlando for the restart of the 2019-20 season, as first reported by The Athletic‘s Shams Charania.
No reason was given for the absence of the All-Star backcourt, and both former MVPs are expected to join the team “in the near future.”
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reported that in addition to Harden and Westbrook, newcomer Luc Mbah a Moute and player development coach John Lucas were also not on the flight.
Harden and Westbrook were not made available in recent team media sessions, which began in July once individual workouts (for healthy players) became mandatory at Toyota Center. Robert Covington, Austin Rivers, and Eric Gordon were the only players to speak on the Zoom calls.
Can confirm that James Harden and Russell Westbrook were not on the flight to Orlando, per source. Luc Mbah a Moute and player development coach John Lucas also did not fly with the team. https://t.co/mzgSnLL894
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 9, 2020
Rockets forward Thabo Sefolosha, who opted out of playing in Florida, said last weekend that some of his teammates had tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). However, he did not identify who, how many, or how recently. For medical privacy reasons, NBA teams are not required to report any individual player’s COVID-19 diagnosis.
If those positive tests were recent, that could be a potential explanation for any player who isn’t initially with his team in Orlando, since the NBA required players to test negative in the days just prior to travel. Cases of COVID-19 have surged around Houston in recent weeks.
There could also be many other reasons for not being on the team flight. The Los Angeles Clippers, for example, are reportedly allowing superstar Kawhi Leonard to arrive a few days late while dealing with a family matter. Any player who does not fly on the charter must test negative three times for COVID-19 before traveling later to Orlando.
The players and coaches on the Rockets who did make Thursday’s flight to Florida will have their first team practice on Saturday. Harden, Westbrook, and Mbah a Moute will join at a later date.
All still have sufficient time to get there before Houston’s 2019-20 regular season resumes on Friday, July 31 vs. Dallas.
Sources: The NBA has informed teams that a player will not be allowed to travel with team to Orlando if he misses coronavirus test on one of two days before travel date (July 7-9). Player would then have to register three consecutive negative tests before traveling.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2020
SAN FRANCISCO — With exactly two weeks until the Giants are scheduled to open the 2020 season at Dodger Stadium, Buster Posey was absent for a second day and missed a practice for the third time since the club began summer workouts at Oracle Park. Manager Gabe Kapler said Posey is dealing with a personal…
SF Giants: Posey still weighing decision to play, Hamilton, García placed on injured list for ‘medical reasons’ — Times-Standard
matter away from the field and still weighing the option of sitting out the season due to concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
“He’s dealing with a personal decision and a personal issue right now and I just really want that to be his time to work on that,” Kapler said.
Kapler has reiterated the Giants are in no rush for Posey or any other players potentially considering sitting out the season to come to a final decision.
It seems Enes Kanter is not the only person to wear a Boston Celtics uniform to be underwhelmed by the accommodations at the NBA campus of the so-called Disney ‘bubble,’ though he certainly took it better than ex-Celtic floor general Rajon Rondo.
NBA players are staying in Disney-owned hotels within a short distance of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex where the scrimmages, regular season and Playoffs will be held over the next few months.
The now- Los Angeles Laker point guard arrived with his current team a day later than the franchise he played for from 2006 until 2014, and took to social media to decry his short-term home on Instagram in a tweet relayed by Legion Hoops.
We’ll always leave the light on for him. 😉
— Motel 6 (@motel6) July 9, 2020
The Kentucky product compared his digs to a Motel 6 room — an economy chain popular with budget travelers — while mentioning the NBA, presumably to relay his displeasure.
In a humorous response, the social media account for Motel 6 left a comment in response to the tweet shared by Legion Hoops, noting that they’d “always leave the light on for him” anyways.
The view from left field 