He is expected to be recovered and ready for next season.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer covered Walker's Hornets career, and he joined the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast to talk about what Celtics fans can expect from the veteran point guard when the 2020 NBA playoffs begin.
Cam Newton reportedly is joining the Patriots on a one-year contract, and the move has been met with positive reviews from many corners of the football world. Ex-Patriot Deion Branch is the latest person with a bold prediction for Newton's 2020 season.
It's unlikely that Antonio Brown would shift the balance of power in the NFC West.
Newton has been in the league long enough that he can come in and pick up the system. However, getting the ball to his WRs has proven to be an issue.
The new Washington head coach looked to move on when asked about the controversy in a radio interview.
Draymond Green and the Warriors will be watching the 2020 NBA playoffs from home.
This is Lillard's first time on the cover.
The Denver Nuggets say they’ve closed their facilities after two members of the team’s traveling party tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend. All three are asymptomatic, the Nuggets said Tuesday in confirming a report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Also Tuesday, Pelicans general manager David Griffin said three New Orleans players have tested positive for COVID-19 and will be in self-isolation until testing shows they can return to team activities without infecting others.
In a two-page letter sent Tuesday to Adam Silver, Sen. Marsha Blackburn expressed “concern” over the NBA’s dealings with a country governed by a Communist regime.
A U.S. Senator is demanding answers from NBA commissioner Adam Silver on his league’s relationship with China.
In a letter sent Tuesday to Silver, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) expressed “concern” over the NBA’s dealings with a country governed by a Communist regime that has abused human rights, squashed pro-democracy protests and hidden details on the coronavirus outbreak. Sports Illustrated obtained a copy of the two-page letter.
Blackburn is giving Silver a July 21 deadline to respond to three questions she poses at the letter’s end regarding China Central Television’s ban on NBA games, the league’s relationship with Chinese state-owned enterprise Alibaba and the league’s training center in the controversial region of Xinjiang. The relationship between China and the United States is at a “pivotal moment,” she writes, and it could eventually lead to a new Cold War.
While commending Silver’s prudent decision in March to suspend the NBA season, Blackburn believes that details on its relationship with China are “imperative” as the league reconvenes. “While the NBA has worked hard to raise awareness of social issues at home, there is concern that the league has turned a blind eye to human rights abuses committed abroad—even bowing down to pressure last year,” the letter says. “The actions of the NBA and some players have created an appearance that your league prioritizes profit over principle.”
The NBA and China have a deep and long history, dating back to the 1980s, when former commissioner David Stern began forging a relationship with China Central Television (CCTV) to broadcast the league’s games. In the early 2000s, the NBA’s presence in the country boomed during the playing days of native son Yao Ming. Since 2007, the NBA has held preseason games in the country each year except one.
The relationship is worth millions each year, according to most estimates. But it hit a snag last fall, when Rockets general manager Daryl Morey created a stir by tweeting a message encouraging his followers to “stand with Hong Kong,” an independent region that for more than a year now has entered into pro-democratic protests against Beijing. The tweet, though quickly deleted, caused a now months-long divide between the league and China. CCTV has stopped all broadcasts of NBA games since the tweet in October, and Silver said earlier this year that the issue has cost the league a “substantial” amount that he described as “probably less than $400 million.”
In a statement, the league called the tweet “regrettable,” and its biggest star, LeBron James, described the message as “misinformed.” Lawmakers on Capitol Hill chided the NBA for its response, cowering to a communist government instead of supporting the democratic rights of the Hong Kong people. In her letter, Blackburn calls the fallout of Morey’s tweet “stunning” and urges the league to give “careful thought” in reassessing its relationship with the country.
Many in Washington view the NBA as a key entity in future government relations with China, a sort of leverage point that America may hold against the communist regime. Recent actions from China, detailed in the letter, have raised concerns with those on Capitol Hill. Chinese officials withheld knowledge of the coronavirus for months, hoarded personal protective equipment, destroyed test samples and arrested doctors who were warning the public.
China recently passed a national security law that calls for harsher sentences against Hong Kong residents who support secession, further eroding the region’s freedoms and eradicating its democratic identity, the letter states. Furthermore, Blackburn writes, China continues to violate the religious freedom and autonomy of the Tibetan people, while inhumanely treating the Uyghurs, a predominately Muslim ethnic group located in a region, Xinjiang, that reportedly houses an NBA training center.
The letter closes with these three questions/requests:
1. What are the anticipated financial consequences of China Central Television’s (CCTV) continued ban on the airing of NBA games?
2. Please outline the scope of the NBA’s relationship with Chinese state-owned enterprise Alibaba.
3. The NBA reportedly continues to operate a training center Xinjiang, one of the world’s worst humanitarian zones. What steps is the NBA taking to shutter this location?
Hall of Fame cornerback Rod Woodson has spent some time in the NFL as an assistant coach, including two stints with the Raiders. But it never really stuck for him. And Woodson has a theory for that. He thinks NFL head coaches don't want Hall of Fame players on their staffs. "They want one alpha [more]
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports defensive tackle Chris Jones believes he's a $20M-per-year player. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
NFL Network's Cynthia Frelund highlights three players who deserve new contracts. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
NFL Network's Mike Robinson, Brian Baldinger and Mike Garafolo discuss if quarterback Cam Newton makes the New England Patriots favorites in the AFC East. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
Pro Football Focus assesses the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl chances in 2020. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
July 15 - Deadline for any club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multiyear contract or extension.
NFL Network's Willie McGinest, LaDainian Tomlinson and Shaun O'Hara debate where New York Jets safety Jamal Adams should play in 2020. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
Cam Newton needed just one word and an emoji to show his appreciation for New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman's latest Instagram post.
NFL Network's Jane Slater breaks down how the New Orleans Saints bolstered their 2020 roster. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and Mike Robinson discuss if teams with unproven quarterbacks will regret not signing Cam Newton. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
He played in 34 games for Atlanta last season.
Adams went undrafted in 2018 after playing college ball for the St. Bonaventure Bonnies. He earned co-Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year honors as a senior in 2018...
The NBA is planning to paint “Black Lives Matter” on all three courts that will be used when play resumes next month at Walt Disney World.
State Farm Arena will serve as a polling station for Georgia's primary runoff election on Aug. 11.
The Hawks will use State Farm Arena as a polling station for Georgia's primary runoff election on Aug. 11, according to ESPN's
Kevin Arnovitz.State Farm Arena will also serve as a polling station for early voting before the general election in 2020.
"We were casually brainstorming since our whole world turned about what we can do internally as an organization," Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce told Aronvitz. "We were trying to figure out how we can take care of home first, and [Atlanta CEO Steve Koonin] pitched the idea."
Pierce plans to "encourage" coaches and organizations across the NBA to consider using their arenas as polling stations ahead of the 2020 election. The second-year head coach is a member of the National Basketball Coaches Association's committee on racial injustice and reform.
"The focal point tonight is what the coaches can do in Orlando to keep this conversation alive and use our voice and our platform in unity," Pierce said. "But being able to address the group and show them this initiative was really not hard to process. We reached out to the county and they were on board. The next thing you know, we're the first city to have an arena host a voting site. So I really want to encourage all the other 28 other coaches."
Pierce and Hawks point guard Trae Young are among numerous NBA players and coaches to join protests and rallies after George Floyd was killed on May 25. Floyd was stopped by Minnesota PD officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd can be heard saying "I can't breathe," numerous times on video before his death.
Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder. Three other officers have been charged with aiding and abetting murder for their roles in Floyd's death.
The NBA is working to support social justice initiatives in Orlando when the 2019-20 season resumes on July 30. Players will be allowed to replace the last name on their jerseys with a message about social justice, and all three courts in Orlando will reportedly have "Black Lives Matter" written on the sidelines.
Kyler Murray joined a list of NFL QBs shunning NFLPA guidance and got called out by his own team.
The 2020 NFL Draft was supposed to feature one of the best wide receiver classes ever.
Former NFL player Ryan Russell, MLB VP Billy Bean and NFL Network's Jeffri Chadiha discuss the perceptions of being a gay athlete in professional sports. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
Find out which teams have collected the most consecutive wins of the Super Bowl era.
All three areas that will host broadcast games will have "Black Lives Matter" on the court.
The WNBA supports Black and LGBTQ causes. Kelly Loeffler, Georgia Senator and Atlanta Dream co-owner, doesn't seem to believe in either.
The NBA will paint 'Black Lives Matter' on the courts during the league's Orlando restart.
Does 2011 offer a hint about Bill Belichick's interest in Cam Newton? Plus, notes on the QB market, the Patriots' latest penalties, Colin Kaepernick's Netflix doc and Johnny Manziel's comments.
Camp opens for most teams a month from yesterday. Or at least it’s supposed to. Here’s what we’ve got for you this afternoon. …
• Someone who has worked in New England made a pretty interesting point to me about
the Cam Newton signing, as it relates to Bill Belichick’s brand of logic. He told me that in 2011, Belichick told everyone that the one thing that would kill the team early on, post-lockout, was being out of shape, and giving up big plays as a result of it. This guy then said, regarding Newton, “So what better way to pressure on a tired defense than have Cam back there?” And then there’s this—if the Patriots feel like they needed to be a little simpler to play fast on offense, Newton can facilitate that in allowing New England to build more off its run game. Now, I think the primary reason to sign here is giving yourself multiple shots at getting the quarterback position right, post-Tom Brady, and the signing absolutely fits Belichick’s pattern of buying low on prodigious talents (Randy Moss, Corey Dillon, Chad Ochocinco, Albert Haynesworth, etc., etc.) But the stuff specific to 2011 sure is a nice side benefit.• I also think the contract terms Newton agreed to say more about this offseason than anything else. Spending is always craziest over the first wave of free agency. After that, there were a pretty high number of high-profile quarterbacks available—Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco and Jameis Winston among them—who were waiting for a market out that never heated back up for them. Guys like Teddy Bridgewater, Nick Foles and even Chase Daniel benefitted from coming off the market early on, while the market was hot. After that, the reality became clear, and that’s that for the first time in forever quarterback supply overwhelmed quarterback demand.
• One addendum to my MMQB take on the Patriots’ penalties for their media crew videotaping the Bengals’ sideline—that third-round pick they lost is significant, and because of more than just the blown draft capital. New England was cooperative and apologetic about the violation, but had hoped it would be assessed as a non-football misstep. The inclusion of the draft-pick penalty is the NFL implicitly holding Patriots football ops accountable.
• With the NFL football ops tweeting out July 28 as the start date for training camp, it’s worth noting that the Chiefs and Texans open earlier—the rule under the new CBA is teams can start 47 days before their opener. Since Houston and Kansas City are playing in the kickoff game, both will start camp on July 25. The Texans are welcoming in their rookies on July 18, and have the quarterbacks coming in on July 20. Chiefs QBs and rookies report on the 22nd.
• I’d love more from Colin Kaepernick on 2015-17 in his new Netflix doc, but it doesn’t sound like that’s going to be a part of it. He’s got an executive producer credit in the announcement, which means if he wants to keep that stuff out of there, that stuff will be kept out of there.
• Johnny Manziel told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that, for him, he views football as “in the past.” And that’s too bad. It’s been lost in the mess his life became, but Manziel was electric as a player and competitor, and he’s still just 27 years old. Because he was such a unique player, I always thought Doug Flutie was a good comp for him. It’s a shame we never really saw what he might’ve become over time.
• Bucs LB Shaq Barrett told SiriusXM radio Monday that he plans to sign his franchise tender if he doesn’t get a long-term deal by the July 15 deadline, and that raised an interesting X-factor for the others tagged but still unsigned—Bengals WR A.J. Green, Chiefs DT Chris Jones, Jaguars DE Yannick Ngaukoe and Broncos S Justin Simmons. Given all of the COVID-related issues, would it make sense for those guys to stay away until Week 1 to avoid getting infected, or being around those who come in with the virus? I think it’s a sort of interesting question, given the likelihood that some teams will have a significant number of cases through training.
• While we’re there, I thought Eagles OT Lane Johnson explained what players will be facing next month well: “Ultimately, it’s a risk that we’re all willing to take to go outside your house or whatever you’re doing, going shopping. I’ve been doing a pretty good job of staying in the house, doing my social distancing protocols. Yeah, with everybody it’s going to be a risk that we’re going to have to take and see what happens.” Really, it’s not unlike what many in America are facing (without the risk of having to physically run into your co-workers over and over again, of course).
• Just to update something we’ve been keeping an eye on, five of the NFL’s 32 first-round picks have signed. Last year at this juncture, 26 had signed. And there are veterans who still haven’t actually signed their deals either, because they can’t take physicals yet. Which, as you might imagine, has led some to be very careful about how they’re working out ahead of camp.
• All the best to long-time agent Paul Sheehy and his family. Per long-time Broncos beat man Mike Klis, Sheehy is battling COVID-19 and has been on a ventilator on Friday, which is another reminder of the seriousness of the virus, and the fact that we’re not nearly out of the woods with it yet as a country.
• Question or comment? Email us.
Some people are flabbergasted that a 31-year-old former MVP had to settle for a minimum contract with the Patriots. Compared to other QBs, it does seem ridiculous.
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard joins "NFL Total Access" to talk about the importance of him speaking up about what happened to him and his family at Chipotle, his team's offseason additions, quarterback Cam Newton signing with the New England Patriots and more. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
We've got a scorcher on our hands.
The Patriots have turned to the former Panthers quarterback to replace Tom Brady, who defected to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after 19 years, six Super Bowls and three NFL MVP awards. Newton gets his fresh start in New England after nine seasons in Carolina, where his own MVP-winning career had stalled because of injuries. ''Bill always says the goal for any good team is to have as many good players as possible,'' Jason McCourty said on the podcast he hosts with his twin brother and fellow Patriots defensive back, Devin.
Six Super Bowl wins helps secure the benefit of the doubt for a head coach, as to pretty much any decision he makes. And Bill Belichick has taken full advantage of the ability to make moves for which he'll be praised if they work, and not criticized if they don't. Quarterback Cam Newton isn't the [more]
Some teams could end up regretting not taking a shot on the former MVP for backup money.
Cam Newton posted a video Monday bidding farewell to Carolina and greeting to his new fans in New England.
NFL Network's WIllie McGinest believes New England Patriots Cam Newton will be exciting in Josh McDaniels' system. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
The NFL has reportedly punished the New England Patriots for filming the Bengals' sideline last season.
Cam Newton really, really, really wanted to play for Bill Belichick and the Patriots. How do we know? The quarterback agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $7.5 million, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. That isn't his base salary. That's the maximum value of the deal. So if Newton makes the full value [more]
One possible suitor for Colin Kaepernick is off the board.
The NFL finally has handed the Patriots their punishment for illegally videotaping the Bengals' sideline, and it's pretty severe.
Normally, this kind of news comes out late on a Friday afternoon. Instead, the Patriots have been busted for violating league rules late on a Sunday night, right after word came out they were signing former league MVP Cam Newton. According to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, the Patriots have been fined $1.1 million and lost [more]
The videographer responsible for the Patriots video has also been banned from the NFL indefinitely.
* 2015 MVP signs one-year pact with six-time Super Bowl champs * Newton, 31, will compete with Jarrett Stidham for starting role Free-agent quarterback Cam Newton has agreed to a one-year contract with the New England Patriots, ESPN reported on Sunday night citing league sources.The 2015 NFL MVP will join the six-time Super Bowl champions on an incentive-laden deal to challenge fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham and journeyman Brian Hoyer for the starting job vacated by Tom Brady, who left to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency.The NFL Network reported the contract is worth up to $7.5m, citing an informed source.Newton, a former No 1 overall draft pick who turned 31 in May, had spent his entire nine-year professional career with the Carolina Panthers until he was released by the team in March after they signed Teddy Bridgewater to a three-year, $63 million pact.The Auburn product, who passed for 45 touchdowns and led Carolina to the Super Bowl during a scintillating 2015 campaign, has struggled with injuries in the years since, missing 14 games last season with a foot woe and playing the final two games of 2018 with a shoulder ailment that also required surgery.
The final domino of the 2020 free agency quarterback class has fallen.
Raheem Mostert keeps his ultimate motivation close by at all times.
If you can't beat him, sign him. The Patriots have agreed to terms with quarterback Cam Newton, PFT has confirmed. The story was first reported by ESPN. Newton has a 2-0 record against the Patriots during his time with the Panthers. The first overall pick in the 2011 draft. It's a low salary, one-year deal [more]
In a Sunday stunner, former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is heading to the Patriots on an incentive-laden one-year deal, according to an ESPN report.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Los Angeles Clippers have signed free agent Joakim Noah to a new contract for the rest of the season, three months after he first signed a 10-day deal with the team.
