AROUND the NBA:

[HoosierDaddyKid]

LeBron James will make more money from his Polymarket partnership than from playing for the 76ers, Front Office Sports has learned. The prediction-market platform is paying James $15 million a year under the recently announced partnership, sources tell FOS. James is not an investor in Polymarket, just an endorser, one source says. The length of his agreement with Polymarket was not clear, although one source says it’s an “ongoing engagement” with multiple “deliverables,” such as social media posts and other content. Under the deal, James will focus on promoting football, not basketball.

Front Office Sports

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Sad news here. Former Knicks first round pick Michael Sweetney has died, according to Yeshiva University’s basketball coach (Sweetney previously worked as an assistant coach at the school)

x.com

[SkenfromLMF]

Sort of weird, I am still confused by Kidd as I was when he was hired.   I did not like the hire.   I thought early on he proved me wrong.   His team played hard.  He seemed to treat the players like professionals and never embarrassed them.   He gave the players freedom.   Players seemed to like him.  But then, we had years were he really seemed disengaged.    When extreme measures had to be taken, he almost seemed like it was not his responsibility.    Then when players left Dallas it always felt cold and impersonal.   You will always have hurt feelings when you move on but it felt particularly cold by Dallas.   

Then after the Luka trade you had all these weird or hidden comments by him.  It was just exhausting.    

Whether he is/was a good coach is debatable.   What is not debatable is how bad things would have gotten if Kidd weaseled his way into a front office position.

THIS...
The one thing I missed from Rick was OOB and timeout sets. Rick is the master technician in those scenarios.
Kidd brought something else that I underestimated, and that was his ability to get early offense in transition.
However, once the game became half-court against an opponent capable of stopping secondary breaks into pick and roll offense Kidd's team struggled offensively.
You have to think Kidd saw an opportunity when the Luka trade happened/was brought to his attention. He had to know Nico wasn't going to survive the fallout, but he also had to stay diplomatic regarding Dumont's role in the process.

I am not sure I take the LeBron comments seriously at all. If I heard those comments from my star player, I let them go, fain agreement, and then talk about how certain star players have lost touch with reality - or at least the ability to be objective regarding their own reality.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

The Golden State Warriors will honor Hall of Fame head coach Don Nelson with “Nellie Night” when the team hosts the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on October 6 in the Warriors’ first home preseason game of the 2026-27 season. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. The evening will celebrate Nelson’s legacy with former Warriors players and members of Nelson’s family in attendance, special in-game tributes and in-arena offerings, including: All fans in attendance will receive a commemorative “Nellie” pin upon entry. Souvenir “Nellie Night” beer koozies for 24-ounce cans, featuring logos from Warriors teams coached by Nelson, will be available for purchase at select locations in limited quantities. In a nod to Nelson’s 1,335 career coaching victories, select eateries at Chase Center will offer the “Nellie Ball Three-Pointer” for $13.35, featuring three Italian-style beef meatballs with roasted tomato sauce, whipped ricotta, Parmesan, garlic breadcrumbs and warm garlic bread. As previously announced, the Warriors will wear a “Nellie” memorial band on the team’s uniforms during “Nellie Night” and throughout the 2026-27 season. Nelson, who spent 11 seasons as head coach of the Warriors, passed away on August 9 at the age of 86.

NBA.com

[david75090]

A nice sentiment, but in the American tradition, a way to monetize Nellie's death.