https://www.scmp.com/rss/517933/feed The latest stories and features on basketball player James Harden, including NBA news and updates. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The change of mood around Inter Miami’s visit to Hong Kong was nothing if not swift. Greeted as heroes when Lionel Messi and his teammates landed on the first Friday of February after weeks of hype, the US football club by the Monday departed as villains. A switch had been flicked when the Argentinian, his sport’s greatest player, watched from the sidelines rather than taking part in a match in the city that had sold out on the promise of him playing, unless ill or injured. His aloofness... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3253845/after-chinas-messi-divorce-football-counts-cost-own-goal-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3253845/after-chinas-messi-divorce-football-counts-cost-own-goal-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Mar 2024 10:02:53 +0000 The Los Angeles Clippers have finalised a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers to acquire James Harden, four months after the star guard had requested a trade. Several news outlets reported on Tuesday that the deal to acquire Harden was almost complete. The 76ers were expected to get Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, Kenyon Martin Jnr and draft picks. PJ Tucker and Filip Petrušev are also part of the deal and will go to LA, with Philadelphia reportedly waiving Danny Green to free up a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3239797/james-harden-trade-deal-finalised-guard-set-move-philadelphia-76ers-los-angeles-clippers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3239797/james-harden-trade-deal-finalised-guard-set-move-philadelphia-76ers-los-angeles-clippers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:31:40 +0000 James Harden has still yet to play for the Philadelphia 76ers in the new NBA season after sitting out his third consecutive game. Harden’s absence against Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday was no surprise after the 10-time All-Star had missed his team’s previous outings in the wake of his off-season trade demand. Officially, the Sixers say Harden needs to “ramp up” his conditioning before he can return to play. Harden has continued to practise with the Sixers and took part in Sunday’s film... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3239657/nba-will-james-harden-return-philadelphia-76ers-after-his-daryl-morey-liar-comments-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3239657/nba-will-james-harden-return-philadelphia-76ers-after-his-daryl-morey-liar-comments-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2023 06:17:35 +0000 Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse said he could not explain James Harden’s absence from practice on Wednesday, but was planning for the disgruntled guard to play in the last preseason game. Harden has yet to play in the preseason, although he did attend training camp and continued to practise with the 76ers in the wake of his off season trade demand. The point guard said last week his fractured relationship with team president Daryl Morey could not be repaired and said over the summer that he... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3238474/76ers-point-guard-james-harden-skips-practice-amid-ongoing-trade-negotiations-leaving-head-coach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3238474/76ers-point-guard-james-harden-skips-practice-amid-ongoing-trade-negotiations-leaving-head-coach?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Oct 2023 07:30:20 +0000 Chinese basketball fans flocked to Xiamen airport on Sunday to catch a glimpse of the NBA’s Kyrie Irving on his first trip to China since 2017. The Dallas Mavericks guard flew into the Fujian province for a promotional tour with sports apparel brand Anta, one of whose head corporate offices is based in the city. A video circulating on Chinese social media showed Irving fighting his way through a packed mob chanting his name. The 31-year-old has begun a six-day promotional tour for his new shoe... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3234945/kyrie-irving-mobbed-chinese-fans-xiamen-airport-nba-icon-arrives-anta-promotional-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3234945/kyrie-irving-mobbed-chinese-fans-xiamen-airport-nba-icon-arrives-anta-promotional-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2023 11:15:10 +0000 A Richard Mille Co. watch is a powerful symbol of wealth for anyone who’s in-the-know enough to recognise its familiar contours. The French company produces only about 5,300 a year, which cost an average of US$250,000. Designed to withstand high gravitational forces, they’re worn by athletes at Formula One races, golf tournaments and yachting regattas. They also grace the wrists of musicians, including Pharrell Williams and Ice-T. It’s easy to spot a Richard Mille in the wild. Many of them take... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3232949/why-richard-mille-watches-are-billionaires-handshake-swiss-luxury-timepiece-brand-has-become-symbol?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3232949/why-richard-mille-watches-are-billionaires-handshake-swiss-luxury-timepiece-brand-has-become-symbol?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Aug 2023 11:00:11 +0000 James Harden did not hold back in besmirching the Philadelphia 76ers, and now it is going to cost him. The NBA has fined Harden US$100,000 for comments he made about his status with the 76ers. While Harden famously called 76ers team president Daryl Morey “a liar”, the league is punishing the 2017-18 NBA MVP for publicly saying he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless he was traded. The league confirmed with Harden that he berated Morey because he believed the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231973/nbas-james-harden-fined-us100000-threat-not-play-76ers-after-his-daryl-morey-liar-comments-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231973/nbas-james-harden-fined-us100000-threat-not-play-76ers-after-his-daryl-morey-liar-comments-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Aug 2023 02:20:32 +0000 The NBA has opened an inquiry into Philadelphia 76ers star guard James Harden’s public criticism of Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, ESPN reported on Saturday. The move, sources confirmed to ESPN, came after Harden, who has pushed for a trade to no avail, called Morey a “liar” on Monday in China and said Thursday in Houston he considers his relationship with the 76ers beyond repair. Harden said in China regarding Morey he would “never be a part of an organisation that he’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231679/nba-launches-inquiry-james-harden-calling-daryl-morey-liar-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231679/nba-launches-inquiry-james-harden-calling-daryl-morey-liar-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Aug 2023 03:53:07 +0000 We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. MacArthur ‘genius’ biochemist Kunliang Guan leaves US for new role in China After working in the United States for more than 30 years, MacArthur biochemist Kunliang Guan is back in China with a full-time chair professor position at... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3231380/genius-biochemist-leaves-us-nba-harden-woos-china-wine-drinkers-scmps-7-highlights-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3231380/genius-biochemist-leaves-us-nba-harden-woos-china-wine-drinkers-scmps-7-highlights-week?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Aug 2023 04:00:09 +0000 James Harden has suggested he could be tempted to play a season in China near the end of his career – but the NBA superstar has been advised that it might be better to cash in now while he is still in his prime, just as football superstar Lionel Messi has done with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. The 33-year-old former MVP has been at loggerheads with his Philadelphia 76ers team president Daryl Morey, calling him in a “liar” on a recent promotional trip to China. His words brought applause... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231474/james-harden-should-pull-lionel-messi-move-and-play-china-says-nba-analyst-sometimes-you-have-got?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231474/james-harden-should-pull-lionel-messi-move-and-play-china-says-nba-analyst-sometimes-you-have-got?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Aug 2023 02:58:13 +0000 James Harden has been warned he could be “out of the NBA soon” if he continues his stand-off with the Philadelphia 76ers – which could help facilitate his desire to play in China, though several hurdles would have to be overcome. The 33-year-old former MVP continued to make waves with his promotional trip to China, after calling 76ers president Daryl Morey a “liar” and insisting he will not play again for the franchise. His comments drew applause from gathered media in Beijing – and the NBA... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231389/james-harden-expresses-desire-play-china-receives-warning-he-could-be-out-nba-soon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231389/james-harden-expresses-desire-play-china-receives-warning-he-could-be-out-nba-soon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Aug 2023 06:50:36 +0000 James Harden was shocked after his Chinese fans bought 10,000 bottles of his personal brand of wine in just 10 seconds, as fellow NBA superstar Andre Iguadola praised him for a “great move” criticising Daryl Morey during a promotional tour of the country. The 33-year-old American Harden recently joined a live stream on social media with local influencer Xiao Yang, who wanted to show the Philadelphia 76ers guard how quickly they could sell out his new product. Harden launched his own “J-Harden... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231241/nbas-james-harden-stunned-chinese-fans-buy-10000-bottles-his-wine-10-seconds-after-great-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231241/nbas-james-harden-stunned-chinese-fans-buy-10000-bottles-his-wine-10-seconds-after-great-move?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Aug 2023 05:16:28 +0000 East Asia Super League (EASL) franchise the Bay Area Dragons announced on Tuesday they have signed five new players for the new season, while eight members from the team’s inaugural campaign have been retained. Among the additions, all from mainland China and Hong Kong, Oliver Xu will be the one name local basketball fans are most familiar with. Xu – the younger brother of Hong Kong Eastern co-captain Adam Xu – has joined the Dragons as a free agent after his contract at Eastern expired after... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231152/basketball-bay-area-dragons-back-blood-east-asia-super-league-revenge-season-five-new-faces-coming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231152/basketball-bay-area-dragons-back-blood-east-asia-super-league-revenge-season-five-new-faces-coming?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Aug 2023 09:16:08 +0000 Chinese fans have showed their support for Philadelphia 76ers superstar James Harden after he told local media the team’s president Daryl Morey was “a liar”. The 10-time NBA All-Star was in Beijing for an Adidas-sponsored event, as part of a promotional tour of the country that also took in a stop in Shanghai where he hosted a fan event and launched his personal brand of wine in the country. In a video that went viral on China’s Twitter-like social media platform Weibo, Harden said he would... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231119/chinese-fans-back-james-harden-after-nba-star-calls-76ers-president-daryl-morey-liar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231119/chinese-fans-back-james-harden-after-nba-star-calls-76ers-president-daryl-morey-liar?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Aug 2023 05:52:28 +0000 NBA superstar James Harden was mobbed by fans after arriving in China on Thursday, four years on from his last visit, which was mired in controversy. The 33-year-old Philadelphia 76ers star was given a raucous reception in Shanghai, and shared a short video of himself at the airport with legions of fans screaming his name as they waited for him in the car park. Afraid of the chaos that was about to ensue, staff were seen turning him around and taking him to another exit. He went on to host a fan... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3230648/nba-superstar-james-harden-back-china-four-years-hong-kong-controversy-i-missed-you-guys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3230648/nba-superstar-james-harden-back-china-four-years-hong-kong-controversy-i-missed-you-guys?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Aug 2023 09:54:30 +0000 Born into a family of stars and world-famous entertainers, Solange’s son Daniel Julez J. Smith Jr has been in the limelight ever since he was born. While he keeps most of his private life under wraps, the 18-year-old has grazed the headlines and been popping up on social media more often lately, due to his family’s musical background – and a couple of controversies. Here are a few things to know about the teenager who has bloodlines with Beyoncé Knowles – and his aspirations that surprisingly... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3197625/who-beyonces-low-key-nephew-daniel-julez-j-smith-jr-solange-knowles-18-year-old-son-parties-his-aunt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3197625/who-beyonces-low-key-nephew-daniel-julez-j-smith-jr-solange-knowles-18-year-old-son-parties-his-aunt?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Oct 2022 16:05:08 +0000 After all those thrilling NBA Finals battles of last decade, Stephen Curry and LeBron James can still put on a spectacular show in their mid-30s. Opening night between these two all-time greats certainly lived up to the bill. Curry began the season with 33 points, seven assists and six rebounds despite a slow start, and the Golden State Warriors beat James and the Los Angeles Lakers 123-109 on Tuesday night after receiving their championship rings in a pregame ceremony. “I’m thrilled with the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3196441/nba-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-shine-celtics-down-sixers-season-opener?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3196441/nba-jayson-tatum-jaylen-brown-shine-celtics-down-sixers-season-opener?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Oct 2022 02:57:25 +0000 NBA champions the Golden State Warriors have snagged the additional title of China’s most popular NBA team on social media in 2022, with their star player Stephen Curry named the most popular player on leading platform Weibo. The Warriors ranked No 1 across all platforms in terms of engagement and posts, with the Los Angeles Lakers coming in a close second and the Brooklyn Nets in third. The latest edition of the Red Card Report, from mainland media group Mailman, showed that while the Warriors’... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3196088/stephen-curry-and-golden-state-warriors-lead-nbas-popularity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3196088/stephen-curry-and-golden-state-warriors-lead-nbas-popularity?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Oct 2022 09:17:16 +0000 As LeBron James’ history-making, US$97.1 million two-year contract extension at the LA Lakers just proved, NBA contracts keep getting bigger and bigger. And bigger. Just take a look at these 15 top-paid, still-active players whose earnings have all topped US$200 million so far – and counting. How did LeBron James become the first active NBA player billionaire? 15. Kyle Lowry – US$217 million Age: 36 Team: Miami Heat Awards: 6x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Career stats: 14.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.3... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3189473/15-highest-paid-nba-stars-playing-today-lebron-james?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3189473/15-highest-paid-nba-stars-playing-today-lebron-james?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Aug 2022 11:00:19 +0000 Clothes blanket Jewell Loyd’s king-size hotel bed. Black trousers, charcoal trousers, striped shorts, a long white jacket that looks like a high-fashion lab coat next to a light grey zip-up. A white, short-sleeved button down top decorated with red poppy flowers screams in the centre. “What are we feeling?” stylist Sydney Bordonaro asks Loyd, a professional basketball player. On any given day, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players can offer a wide array of answers to the simple... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3185232/wnba-players-are-next-big-fashion-icons-styled-dior-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3185232/wnba-players-are-next-big-fashion-icons-styled-dior-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Jul 2022 10:15:22 +0000 The NBA generated more basketball-related income than ever this past season, the total number coming up just short of US$9 billion. Business is good. The first night of free agency underscored how good. Nikola Jokic agreed to the biggest contract in NBA history, Bradley Beal agreed to a deal worth a quarter-billion dollars, and the money just kept flowing. Soon after midnight Friday in the Eastern time zone, three more players – Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker and Ja Morant – also agreed to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3183773/5-players-us11-billion-nba-free-agency-starts-bang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3183773/5-players-us11-billion-nba-free-agency-starts-bang?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jul 2022 06:30:23 +0000 China Central Television is to stream its first NBA game for nearly two years on Wednesday, showing the LA Clippers taking on Utah Jazz. The move comes after Clippers coach Tyronn Lue ripped Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey over his notorious Hong Kong tweet, as the pair’s war of words rumbled on. The two have had a back-and-forth over the past several days with Lue taking a swipe on Monday night at Morey’s tweet from October 2019, as the Houston Rockets general... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3172332/nba-china-first-game-state-broadcaster-2-years-move-comes-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3172332/nba-china-first-game-state-broadcaster-2-years-move-comes-after?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Mar 2022 01:48:41 +0000 On February 10, 2012, an undrafted 23-year-old Taiwanese -American NBA rookie had the whole world on the edge of their seats as he dominated Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers. Filling in for a struggling New York Knicks, Jeremy Lin would proceed to go on a legendary two-week tear of the postseason finals in what will forever go down as the “Linsanity” era, a phenomenon that transcended sports. Still a largely unknown point guard, Lin had announced himself six days earlier after dropping 25... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3166548/jeremy-lin-reflects-hostile-relationship-linsanity-and-making?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3166548/jeremy-lin-reflects-hostile-relationship-linsanity-and-making?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Feb 2022 12:15:20 +0000 Two-time league MVP Stephen Curry now holds the record for most three-pointers in the NBA, breaking Ray Allen’s all-time NBA record of 2,973 against the New York Knicks inside Madison Square Garden. Curry needed just four minutes into the opening quarter to soar past Allen’s record, drawing instant praise from across the sporting world. With history in the books, we thought it was worth taking a look at the numbers behind what is likely to be a Hall of Fame career. 2,974 The historic number of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3159681/steph-curry-numbers-golden-state-warriors-point-guard-has-been?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3159681/steph-curry-numbers-golden-state-warriors-point-guard-has-been?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Dec 2021 00:15:16 +0000 The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will feature some of the best athletes in the world competing against each other in sport’s greatest show on earth. However, a number of elite names will be missing from the showpiece. Like in past Games, some fan favourites will be absent for a variety of reasons – injury, failing to qualify, suspended or they simply don’t feel like competing. Sports such as tennis and basketball often suffer the most because many of their competitors place more importance on their... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3141059/tokyo-olympics-10-big-names-who-will-not-be-2020-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3141059/tokyo-olympics-10-big-names-who-will-not-be-2020-games?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jul 2021 00:30:18 +0000 Coming off a near-flawless senior national team debut at the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in June, Filipino basketball prodigy Kai Sotto is ready to make an even bigger name for himself. At just 19, the towering centre has long been considered Asia’s next big NBA hope. Sotto simultaneously carries the dreams of 108 million Filipino people waiting for their first full-blooded basketball player in the world’s top league. Though his last two years have been heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3139842/kai-sotto-biography-height-father-nba-draft-nbl-move-and-filipino?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3139842/kai-sotto-biography-height-father-nba-draft-nbl-move-and-filipino?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jul 2021 06:40:52 +0000 The US men’s basketball roster is set for Tokyo 2020, and as expected it is a star-studded squad that would roll over any NBA team in a hot minute. However once again, a number of marquee players opted out of heading to Japan this summer and into the Olympic bubble, enough that a secondary team of players who passed would most likely be even more favoured. So who is in and who is out? Who’s in? Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant leads the squad, but he is surrounded by a number of legitimate stars... https://www.scmp.com/tokyo-2020-olympic-games/article/3138763/us-olympic-basketball-kevin-durant-leads-star-studded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tokyo-2020-olympic-games/article/3138763/us-olympic-basketball-kevin-durant-leads-star-studded?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jun 2021 08:25:07 +0000 NBA free agent Jeremy Lin has returned to New York City, where he played for the Knicks during his breakout “Linsanity” period in 2012. But sadly for Knicks fans it is not to return to Madison Square Garden but as part of a huge advertising campaign for The Asian-American Foundation- supported “See Us Unite” campaign. Lin joined other high profile Asian Americans such as world No 2 tennis player Naomi Osaka on electronic billboards in Times Square over the weekend ahead of Friday’s See Us Unite... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3133894/jeremy-lin-back-new-york-joins-naomi-osaka-times-square-ad-asian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3133894/jeremy-lin-back-new-york-joins-naomi-osaka-times-square-ad-asian?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 May 2021 08:19:32 +0000 When Steve Nash was announced as the new coach of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, a collective ‘huh?’ went through the league. Nash had no previous head coaching experience, nor even as an assistant, and would be taking on a franchise in need of a legitimate leader. While Nash is respected as one of the game’s greats, and a sure-fire Hall of Famer, the idea of players becoming coaches, in any professional league, has always been a prickly one. The 2019-20 season, ravaged by the global pandemic, was a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3132048/steve-nash-nbas-coach-year-he-balances-stars-through-injury-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3132048/steve-nash-nbas-coach-year-he-balances-stars-through-injury-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 May 2021 12:00:17 +0000 Houston Rockets CEO Tad Brown will step down at the end of the NBA season, he announced on Friday, after 19 years at the team who were long China’s No 1. The Rockets, who had made the play-offs for a team record eight straight seasons, will not play this postseason and Brown will leave. They made the play-offs 13 seasons during Brown’s time in Houston. Brown, who started with the organisation as Vice-President of Corporate Development in 2002 before moving to CEO in 2006, was asked for his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3130914/retiring-houston-rockets-ceo-tad-brown-calls-yao-ming-career?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3130914/retiring-houston-rockets-ceo-tad-brown-calls-yao-ming-career?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Apr 2021 03:40:44 +0000 Former Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden will join the likes of Yao Ming, Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon in having his number 13 jersey retired. Harden, 31, who was traded to the Brooklyn Nets after a messy break-up in January, will be returning to Houston’s familiar Toyota Centre for the first time on Thursday where the announcement is expected to be made before he faces his former team. In his nine seasons with Houston, “The Beard” earned nine NBA All-Star appearances, the 2018... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3123903/houston-rockets-retire-james-hardens-jersey-number-joins-yao-ming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3123903/houston-rockets-retire-james-hardens-jersey-number-joins-yao-ming?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Mar 2021 13:00:18 +0000 As Irish mixed martial arts phenom Conor “Notorious” McGregor (24-4) gets set to make his return to the Octagon for the first time in just over a year, we look at some of the more interesting facets of his life. The 32-year-old last fought Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246 in January of 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe. McGregor, who demolished Cerrone in 40 seconds, earning a US$30 million payday in the process, reignited mainstream interest in the UFC once... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3118308/conor-mcgregor-bio-net-worth-fighting-style?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3118308/conor-mcgregor-bio-net-worth-fighting-style?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jan 2021 01:22:38 +0000 The Houston Rockets made a losing start to life without former franchise star James Harden, falling 103-91 to the San Antonio Spurs, but centre Christian Wood matched a Yao Ming record. Wood, who was signed by the Rockets in the close season, scored 24 points and had 18 rebounds, along with three assists and three blocks. He is averaging 23.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game as a Rocket, significantly up on his stats last season with the Detroit Pistons. That was Wood’s sixth game with at least... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3118058/nba-christian-wood-matches-yao-ming-record-houston-rockets-begin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3118058/nba-christian-wood-matches-yao-ming-record-houston-rockets-begin?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Jan 2021 04:17:12 +0000 No points and two rebounds. There have certainly been more illustrious introductions to the NBA than Yao Ming’s debut, which came against the Indiana Pacers on October 30, 2002. “I learned that I still have a lot to learn, and I’m just a rookie,’’ Yao said through an interpreter after the game. “It’s a very long road and it’s difficult.’’ His first basket came days later in game two as the Houston Rockets beat the Nuggets 83-74 in Denver’s home opener. Yao had already made history when he became... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3107617/nba-when-china-fell-love-yao-mings-houston-rockets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3107617/nba-when-china-fell-love-yao-mings-houston-rockets?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Oct 2020 03:00:23 +0000 There is one major question that remains unresolved with the relationship between the NBA and China after the league returned to Chinese state television for the NBA Finals. When will the Houston Rockets return? The chances of that happening have taken a dramatic upturn with the departure of their general manager Daryl Morey. It was Morey who tweeted his support for Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters last October to send the relationship between the NBA and China spinning off its... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3106831/nba-china-jeremy-lin-can-guide-houston-rockets-back-chinese-hearts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3106831/nba-china-jeremy-lin-can-guide-houston-rockets-back-chinese-hearts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Oct 2020 01:00:10 +0000 Former Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey, the man whose tweet supporting Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters last year soured relations between the NBA and China, has thanked his former team in a full-page advertisement in the Houston Chronicle newspaper. Morey, who spent 13 seasons at the Texas side, took out the ad in Sunday’s edition. NBA’s China row explainer: what is at stake and how did we get here? He paid special praise to the team’s star player James Harden: “James Harden changed my... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3106067/nba-china-ex-houston-rockets-gm-daryl-morey-says-james-harden-changed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3106067/nba-china-ex-houston-rockets-gm-daryl-morey-says-james-harden-changed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Oct 2020 04:01:48 +0000 The NBA’s China crisis appears to be finally drawing to a conclusion after a damaging year out in the cold. Some reports suggest the fallout from Daryl Morey’s tweet in support of Hong Kong protesters at the beginning of October last year has cost the NBA some US$400 million. Relations between the basketball giant and the government of its biggest earner appeared to have thawed in recent months, and that was confirmed when China’s state broadcaster CCTV made a surprise announcement that it would... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3105847/does-daryl-moreys-rockets-resignation-mean-saga-ended-timeline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3105847/does-daryl-moreys-rockets-resignation-mean-saga-ended-timeline?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2020 09:40:18 +0000 Filipino basketball sensation Kai Sotto is used to pressure. The towering 18-year-old is forever accompanied by his proud, basketball-obsessed homeland, taking note of his every move as he edges closer to becoming the first full-blooded Filipino to play in the NBA. Sotto is days away from one of several historic moves as he travels to California to meet his new NBA G-League Select Team teammates. The hotly tipped centre, who stands at 2.18m (7’2”), rather unconventionally opted for the G-League... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3098053/i-want-be-best-asia-filipino-basketball-prodigy-kai-sotto-begins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3098053/i-want-be-best-asia-filipino-basketball-prodigy-kai-sotto-begins?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2020 02:00:17 +0000 The Houston Rockets making the play-offs was a headache the NBA could have done without. Once the most popular in China, the Rockets are now the team who cannot be named and broadcaster Tencent still refuses to show their games. Will that change if the Rockets go deep? There are surely people who would rather not find out. The easy option is that the Oklahoma City Thunder win their series, which tips off on Tuesday in the US. But there are bigger issues ahead for the NBA with China. Last July,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3097639/tencent-houston-rockets-blackout-least-nbas-china-worries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3097639/tencent-houston-rockets-blackout-least-nbas-china-worries?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2020 12:00:06 +0000 There’s no bench. The courtside broadcasters will not be courtside. And the stat crew will be doing their work inside what loosely can be described as an oversized hockey penalty box. The NBA comes back on Wednesday with a very different look. The league’s marketing motto for the restart of the season at Walt Disney World is “Whole New Game,” and in many respects, that’s very true. The arenas that will be used for the exhibitions, the seeding games that start on July 30 and then the play-offs... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3094215/nba-return-orlando-features-court-black-lives-matter-logo-and-no?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3094215/nba-return-orlando-features-court-black-lives-matter-logo-and-no?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jul 2020 06:47:59 +0000 James Harden’s quarantine beard is, well, his normal beard. The Houston Rockets guard, one of the NBA’s toughest defensive assignments and the league’s best scorer, had just finished with his first practice with the Rockets on Thursday after a late arrival to the Disney World campus when a hint of excitement crept through the forest of hair that grows on his face. The Rockets are scheduled for three scrimmages and eight seeding games, but for Harden and most of the teams in Orlando, Florida, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3093647/james-harden-returns-full-beard-nba-tries-recreate-home-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3093647/james-harden-returns-full-beard-nba-tries-recreate-home-advantage?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Jul 2020 08:54:49 +0000 As NBA players settle into bubble life at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, fishing, golfing, playing video games and gearing up for the season’s restart on July 30, a festering question remains concerning the league’s biggest international audience. Before the coronavirus engulfed the planet’s sporting landscape – pausing the NBA season on March 11 – the NBA was at odds with the Chinese Communist Party for one incredibly impactful social media post. On October 4, Houston Rockets... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3092980/nbas-china-crisis-lingers-houston-rockets-banned-tencent-and-cctv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3092980/nbas-china-crisis-lingers-houston-rockets-banned-tencent-and-cctv?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jul 2020 12:00:12 +0000 The coronavirus pandemic has put a timeout on basketball. It has also put a timeout on the battle between China and the NBA. Now, ahead of the NBA’s mooted restart, the war of words has been reignited and hostilities resumed. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has set its stall out, doubling down on its commitment to not show NBA games even if the season resumes. CCTV posted a statement on its Weibo on Monday “reiterating its consistent stance on national sovereignty” in an effort to shoot down... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3084208/nba-china-daryl-morey-feud-back-coronavirus-timeout-just-time-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3084208/nba-china-daryl-morey-feud-back-coronavirus-timeout-just-time-league?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2020 08:22:33 +0000 As Jeremy Lin tears up the Chinese Basketball Association this season for the Beijing Ducks, he’s returned to form in many ways. One of the most notable – aesthetically speaking – is his haircut. With shaved sides and a short, straight top, his Beijing styling looks somewhat similar to his hair during the “Linsanity” craze, in which the Taiwanese-American first shot to fame in the NBA in 2011. Lin has long been a style icon off the court, setting trends with his fashion sense, and in large part,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3044308/jeremy-lins-hairstyles-over-years-linsanitys-most-memorable-looks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3044308/jeremy-lins-hairstyles-over-years-linsanitys-most-memorable-looks?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2020 00:00:08 +0000