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MarJon Beauchamp was back in Seattle, preparing to spend the holidays with his family, when the 76ers delivered him an early Christmas gift. The Delaware Blue Coats swingman received a call stating that the Sixers would sign him to a two-way contract and that he’d spend the holidays on an NBA road trip. So Beauchamp packed his luggage and flew to the Windy City on Christmas Day to meet the team. The Sixers announced his signing Friday morning. “This is just a blessing,” Beauchamp said before Friday morning’s shootaround at the United Center. “I’m just here to seize that opportunity. I feel like I can help. I’m ready, and I belong. “So it’s just coming in with confidence and trying to learn the system and help the team.”
Iman Shumpert: If the NBA could expand to one more city, is Seattle a better pick than Vegas? Nate Robinson: All in for sure. Yes. We have better fans. Vegas are all tourists. That's it. That's all it is. Seattle will be sold out every single night. No, hear me out. Shumpert: Again, if you live in Vegas, born and raised. I don't know why that man is talking like that. Robinson: Listen, because I'm from Seattle for one, and I'm a little biased. I know that if they open up the floodgates and say we have a team, we'll be sold out for years to come. We got fans that will put up the money.
Nick DePaula: Paolo Banchero debuted the Air Jordan 4028 tonight at MSG — in a PE colorway inspired by his childhood team in Seattle. “This color is a shout to the AAU club that I grew up playing with, Seattle Rotary,” he told me of his series of PEs.
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Seattle Storm: We are deeply saddened by the passing of Seattle basketball legend Lenny Wilkens. His legacy and impact, both on the court and throughout our community, will continue to inspire for generations. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and loved ones at this time 💚💛
Lenny Wilkens, one of five people inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach, and an ambassador of Seattle basketball for more than 50 years, died at his home Sunday, those close to him said. The 88-year-old Wilkens grew up in Brooklyn, played in St. Louis, Cleveland and Portland as part of his career on the court, and coached six different franchises during 32 seasons on the sidelines.
And the Grizzlies, frankly, need to sell those tickets. While expansion is the NBA’s preferred method to get teams in Seattle and Las Vegas, relocation has been discussed, as NBA commissioner Adam Silver told SI last month. And while no league official would come within 100 miles of publicly naming relocation candidates, the Grizzlies and Pelicans—small-market teams with arena deals that expire before the end of the decade—are often whispered as the most likely targets.
If the Sonics return, Crawford will be at Climate Pledge Arena on opening night — hopefully, he says, broadcasting the game. “They don’t have to pay me for that one. I’m flying up here and calling that one myself.”
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Bill Simmons: I look at a situation like New Orleans. I don't know what that team is worth in its current state. I don't know what it's worth with that. Like playing in the Smoothie King, playing in a market that clearly has not responded to basketball in the same way these other markets. And it's like if somebody bought them and just moved them to Seattle and paid everybody relocation fees and then you didn't have to split your media rights, that seems like where this is headed. And I think there’s… I'm just gonna say it: I think there's some buzz starting that way that this New Orleans thing maybe is the situation.
Multiple senior team officials and people with knowledge of at least some owners’ thoughts have told The Athletic in recent days that while Seattle remains a top candidate for a new or potentially relocated team among owners, there is not overwhelming momentum among governors to immediately expand past the current 30 teams.
Olden Polynice: "It's a preseason game at Michigan State against the Pistons. I'm in Seattle. So, I just made a basket. As he takes the ball out of bounds he pops me. I was like, "Oh, what?" (…) As he hits me, I just walk up and ‘Pow!’ him with the shoulder, cracked him dead in the face. All you see is blood splatter everywhere. He goes down. My shoulder. I threw that. I didn't throw a punch. I threw the shoulder right at him. I just got close, ‘Pow!’ Cracked it. You could hear it and everything. Throw me out of the game. The league ended up rescinding the fine because the referee thought I threw a punch. They never saw a punch, so it looked accidental. He goes down, blood everywhere. I'm like, ‘Ha!’ The mask was because of me.
Eddie Johnson: “Vegas, and obviously Seattle is another team. What are some cities that might be trying to vie for [a NBA team] over those two?” Mark Cuban: “A lot, right? A lot. I'm not in the mix anymore, but I mean, I've heard Nashville, Louisville, Cincinnati, anybody who's got a professional team in another big four sport feels like they deserve a NBA team if they don't have one. But I think, you know Adam hasn't come out and said it, but I think Vegas and Seattle are the front runners. When they do it? I don't know.”
