LeBron highest-paid NBA player; Curry, Durant next
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is the NBA’s highest-paid player for the fifth consecutive year with $88.7 million in earnings — including $53 million off the court, according to a Forbes list published Tuesday.
Warriors teammates Stephen Curry ($79.5 million) and Kevin Durant ($65 million) ranked second and third, with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook ($53.7 million) and Houston Rockets guard James Harden ($47.4 million) rounding out the top five.
James’ non-salary income includes lucrative endorsement deals with Nike, Coca-Cola and Beats By Dre, plus revenue from his Hollywood production company, SpringHill Entertainment, and his investment in the Blaze Pizza company.
Forbes estimated James’ net worth at $450 million.
The NBA’s top 10 earners will make an estimated $540 million in 2019 from salaries, endorsements, appearances, royalties and media deals.
LAKERS’ MAGIC CLEARED OF TAMPERING >> The NBA has determined there were no tampering violations committed by Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson regarding potentially speaking with Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons.
“We have concluded that Magic Johnson’s statements regarding Ben Simmons do not constitute a tampering violation,” the league’s statement began. “The Philadelphia 76ers initiated the contact with the Los Angeles Lakers by requesting a meeting between Johnson and Simmons.”
The Lakers have been fined twice by the NBA for tampering since Johnson has been in charge. And although there has been no talk of the Lakers pursuing Simmons — he doesn’t become a restricted free agent until 2020 — eyes could be raised if he and Johnson got together.
THOMAS SET FOR NUGGETS’ DEBUT >> Isaiah Thomas could make his Denver Nuggets debut today against the Sacramento Kings, 10 ½ months after undergoing surgery on his right hip for the second time.
Thomas was upgraded to questionable and a decision will be made early today based on how the 30-year-old feels after going through his most extensive practice of the season on Tuesday.
“I’m feeling really good. I’m feeling the best I felt,” Thomas told reporters.
Thomas was a star guard for the Boston Celtics when he injured the hip for the first time during the 2017 playoffs. He averaged 28.9 points per game in the regular season that campaign. BIG WIN FOR CELTICS >> Gordon Hayward scored 26 points off the bench to lead the visiting Boston Celtics past the Philadelphia 76ers 112-109 in a game full of playoff atmosphere. Al Horford scored 23 points while Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Celtics snapped a twogame
losing streak. All-Star guard Kyrie Irving sat out with an injured knee.
Joel Embiid had 23 points and 14 rebounds for his league-leading 47th double-double for the Sixers, and Jimmy Butler added 22 points and nine rebounds.
HAWKS WITHSTAND LEBRON’S BIG NIGHT >> John Collins and Trae Young each scored 22 points and helped the Atlanta Hawks end their three-game losing streak with a 117-113 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers. That offset a triple-double from LeBron James, who had 28 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists.
Atlanta defeated Los Angeles for the first time since March 4, 2016.
College basketball
LSU SHOCKS KENTUCKY AT THE BUZZER >> Kavell BigbyWilliams tipped in a missed layup by Skylar Mays at the buzzer, and Naz Reid shook off foul trouble to score five of his 12 points in the final 3:50 to lift No. 19 LSU to a 73-71 upset victory over No. 5 Kentucky at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
LSU (20-4, 10-1 SEC) recorded its 13th victory in the plast 14 games has won all six of its conference road games. Kentucky (20-4, 9-2) had its 10-game winning streak snapped.
LAST PLACE PENN STATE STUNS MICHIGAN >> Lamar Stevens racked up 26 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks as Penn State (9-15, 2-11 Big Ten), the Big Ten’s last-place team, stunned No. 6 Michigan 7569 at home.
Charles Matthews led Michigan (22-3, 11-3) with 24 points and six rebounds. DUKE RALLIES PAST LOUISVILLE >> Cam Reddish made two free throws with 14.9 seconds to play as No. 2 Duke completed a comeback from a 23-point second-half deficit to defeat No. 16 Louisville 71-69.
Zion Williamson scored 27 points as grabbed the clinching rebound in the final
seconds as Duke posted the biggest second-half comeback in Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career.
Christen Cunningham’s 15-foot jumper fell away with a chance to tie for Louisville.
Football
STEELERS’ BROWN WANTS OUT >> Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown said it’s “time to move on” in a tweet and also officially requested a trade from the team, ESPN reported.
“Thank you SteelerNation for a big 9 years ... time to move on and forward,” Brown tweeted with the hashtag #NewDemands, along with a highlight video from his time in Pittsburgh.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Brown officially informed the team he wants to be traded.
The tweet and request came on the same day Brown was found guilty of reckless driving, multiple Pittsburgh media outlets reported.
Colleges
DONS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR HEADING TO NITTANY LIONS >> USF athletic director Scott Sidwell is leaving after the basketball season for Penn State to serve as its deputy director of athletics for external units and functions. Sidwell, who has been at USF since 2011, will work under Sandy Barbour, the former Cal athletic director now in the same job at Penn State.
Awards
AWARD LEAVES VITALE ‘SPEECHLESS’ >> Dick Vitale, ESPN’s exuberant voice of college basketball for the last four decades, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 40th Annual Sports Emmy Awards on May 20 in New York City.
Ironically, the 79-year-old analyst known for his colorful catchphrases and enthusiastic calls was at a loss for words when the honor was announced.
“To have my name listed among the giants in sports broadcasting and to receive this prestigious award leaves me speechless, and you probably know that doesn’t happen to me often,” Vitale said in a statement.
Vitale called ESPN’s first major NCAA basketball game — Wisconsin at DePaul — on Dec. 5, 1979.
Golf
WOODS PICKS CAPTAIN’S ASSISTANTS >> United States captain Tiger Woods has appointed Fred Couples, Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker as three of his captain’s assistants for this year’s Presidents Cup, Dec. 12-15 in Australia, the PGA Tour announced.
Football
CHIEFS HALL OF FAMER RETIRES >> Kansas City defensive backs coach Emmitt Thomas, who also enjoyed a Hall of Fame playing career with the team, retired Tuesday after 51 years of involvement in the NFL. Thomas, 75, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1986. TEXANS RELEASE WR THOMAS >> Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was released by Houston, the team announced.
Thomas, 31, is recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon suffered Dec. 23 and is unlikely to be cleared for football activity until July or August.
DRAFT PROSPECT SIMMONS EYES SURGERY >> Projected first-round draft pick Jeffery Simmons confirmed that he tore his left ACL in training and will undergo surgery next week.
Simmons, a defensive lineman from Mississippi State, has been considered a potential top-15 draft pick, but a torn ACL likely would impact his draft slot. CARDINALS PUSH OFF MURRAY TALK >> Arizona is deflecting chatter that they might take Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 pick in the draft as coach Kliff Kingsbury and team president Michael Bidwill made comments in support of the status quo.
Kingsbury stated that Josh Rosen is the club’s quarterback, while Bidwill said the Cardinals are committed to building “around the foundation that we have.”
Track and field
PREFONTAINE CLASSIC COMING TO STANFORD >> The Prefontaine Classic, North America’s only Diamond League meeting, will be held at Stanford this year as work continues on a new world championship stadium at the traditional site in Eugene, Oregon, officials announced.
Stanford’s Cobb Track was deemed the best choice for the June 30 meet after an extensive search on the U.S. West Coast, meet director Tom Jordan said in a statement.
The 100-year-old Hayward Field in Eugene has been razed and construction is underway to prepare for the 2021 world championships, the first to be held in the United States.