
Three thousand fans will be allowed inside Wells Fargo Center Sunday separated by at least six feet in the stands.
‘You Can’t Replicate The Philly Fan’: Sixers To Play In Front Of Fans At Wells Fargo Center For First Time In 368 Days — CBS Philly

Three thousand fans will be allowed inside Wells Fargo Center Sunday separated by at least six feet in the stands.
‘You Can’t Replicate The Philly Fan’: Sixers To Play In Front Of Fans At Wells Fargo Center For First Time In 368 Days — CBS Philly

RAPTORS SIGN ELLENSON TO 10-DAY CONTRACT
The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have signed forward-centre Henry Ellenson to a 10-day contract. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Ellenson 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, averaged a team-high 21.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 30.6 minutes in 15 games (13 starts) with Raptors 905 in the NBA G League bubble. He shot .493 (107-217) from the field, .424 (53-125) from three-point range and .882 (30-34) at the free throw line. Ellenson scored 20+ points seven times and recorded five double-doubles.
A native of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Ellenson helped Raptors 905 (12-3) earn the top seed for the G League playoffs and reach the semifinals. In the postseason, he averaged 24.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 36.0 minutes in two games and scored a season-high 35 points in Raptors 905’s first-round victory over Team Ignite.
Ellenson played one season at Marquette (2015-16) prior to being picked 18th overall by Detroit in the 2016 NBA Draft. He is averaging 4.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 9.2 minutes in 81 career NBA games (two starts) with Detroit, New York and Brooklyn.
-RAPTORS-

Danny Ainge admitted back in January the Boston Celtics considered trading for James Harden, only to decide against it once the Houston Rockets stuck to their “really high” asking price. Fair enough. Although a new report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick suggests the Celtics president of basketball operations might be downplaying Boston’s pursuit of the […]
Celtics’ James Harden Trade Pursuit Was Very Real, Based On New Report — NESN.com

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) – The Utah Jazz revealed their new NBA Earned Edition uniforms, that the team will debut against the Houston Rockets on March 12th. Only teams that advanced to the NBA playoffs last season qualified for the Earned Edition uniforms. The 2020-21 Utah Jazz Earned Edition brings back the green color […]
Jazz to debut new uniforms to begin second half of season — ABC4 Utah

WAYNE EMBRY AMONG WINNERS OF 2020 MANNIE JACKSON – BASKETBALL’S HUMAN SPIRIT AWARD
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today Toronto Raptors Senior Basketball Advisor Wayne Embry, along with George Raveling and Bill Russell, are the winners of the 2020 Mannie Jackson – Basketball’s Human Spirit Award. Honoured for their decades-long commitment to social justice, the 2020 award recipients will be formally recognized in May 2021 during Hall of Fame Enshrinement Weekend.
“Mr. Embry sets the example by which we measure ourselves, every day,” said Raptors President Masai Ujiri. “Having him as a member of our team is an unbelievable gift. He reminds us of the privileges we have, because we are all benefiting from the work he and his colleagues did for us. And he provides us with inspiration – can we live up to his example? That is what we strive to do. Because of you, Mr. Embry.”
Established in 2007, the Mannie Jackson – Basketball’s Human Spirit Award honours individuals who have found the game of basketball to be a contributing aspect of their personal growth and accomplishment, a place to develop an understanding of others and an avenue that has helped shape his or her growth into a recognized visionary leader. Winners must reflect the values of Mannie Jackson’s life-long mission to overcome obstacles and challenge the status quo, while taking responsibility for his or her actions and seeking the highest standard of excellence.
Embry, Raveling and Russell were chosen from a large candidate pool that represents every level of basketball and is reviewed annually by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Mr. Jackson. The winner recognition process was paused in 2020 due to the global pandemic and two sets of winners are expected to be recognized in the 2021 calendar year.
Embry has been affiliated with the NBA for more than 50 years as a player and front office executive, joining the Raptors organization in 2004. While Embry enjoyed a successful 11-year career as a player, he will be forever remembered in professional sports circles for being the first African American to be general manager when he was named to the post by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1972. From 1985-92, Embry served as vice-president and general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He moved to an executive vice-president position with the club from 1992-94, and in 1994 once again made history by becoming the first African American NBA team president and chief operating officer.
A native of Springfield, Ohio, Embry has been a prominent community activist and mentor in each city where he has lived and worked. Embry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. Miami University, his alma mater, recently announced that a statue of Embry would be placed on campus, the first African American alumnus to be so honoured, for his contributions to the university, the state of Ohio and his transformative impact on the sport of basketball.
-RAPTORS-

Entering the second half of the season, the Warriors have more questions than answers. But one question supersedes all the others: Who do the Warriors want to be this season? After a first half that provided the full spectrum of performances, the Warriors currently lie firmly in the realm of mediocrity — ninth place in…
Kurtenbach: It’s referendum time for the middling Warriors — Monterey Herald

It’s worth keeping perspective.
Heat big Meyers Leonard uses anti-Semitic slur during livestream — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Defense wins championships is one of the oldest clichés in sports. It’s mostly been true, too. Now, even coaches who preached defense before look around an NBA where the pace is quicker, the shots come from deeper, and can come to only one conclusion. “It seems like offense wins,” Spurs coach […]
Offense winning in NBA, Nets want to prove it in playoffs — The China Post, Taiwan

AMALIE ARENA AND RAPTORS TO WELCOME LIMITED NUMBER OF FANS BACK TO GAMES BEGINNING MARCH 19
Vinik Sports Group and the Toronto Raptors announced Thursday that it will welcome a limited number of fans, with a capacity of 3,500, back to AMALIE Arena for games starting on March 19 when
the Raptors face the Utah Jazz. Tickets for the 18 remaining Raptors games at AMALIE Arena will go on sale to the general public on March 11 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster following pre-sale
opportunities for Raptors and Tampa Bay Lightning members on March 10.
The health and safety of fans, staff and the teams were prioritized in the process with local healthcare and government officials to determine the protocols for welcoming guests back to AMALIE
Arena. In December, Vinik Sports Group announced its ‘Play it Safe’ campaign, providing a roadmap to ensure the safety of guests and those around them.
Upon entering AMALIE Arena via mobile ticketing, fans will notice increased measures to promote physical distancing, including entry points, concessions and restrooms. Concession and retail stands will be cashless and contactless and hand sanitizing stations have been installed throughout the
facility for use. Arena staff will increase frequency of cleaning and sanitation in all areas being used with an emphasis on commonly used surfaces such as seats, handrails and bathrooms. Signage and physical distancing measures have been added to assure six-foot separation between patrons. Ultraviolet disinfectant lights have been installed at various locations including escalator handrails and the number of people allowed on elevators at one time will also be limited. Masks will be required throughout the arena concourses and seating areas when not eating or drinking.

Other GMs around the league took one key lesson away from Sam Hinkie’s “process” in Philadelphia — he got fired.
Rockets reportedly do not want to follow “the process,” will not dump veterans for picks — ProBasketballTalk | NBC Sports

Kawhi Leonard gave the closest public statement of any American male basketball player of his caliber to accepting a Tokyo Olympic roster spot if offered.
Kawhi Leonard makes his Olympic stance clear as other NBA superstars wait — OlympicTalk | NBC Sports

ATLANTA – It certainly isn’t going to be like mid-season classics of the past in the NBA, especially a year ago in Chicago. There won’t be a weekend full of events surrounding the All-Star Game, both on and off the court, and fans from around the world won’t take part in the festivities. Players who […]
Bulls guard Zach LaVine gets his shot in the All-Star Game Sunday night — WGN-TV