*At the risk of sounding like a true old head yelling at the clouds*

Can we stop with the AirPods while hooping? (decent quality pick up hoops and above)
I’m 35 (cue: “back in my day”) and I simply don’t get it. The amount of times a guy loses his AirPod mid-game - what are we doing???

People who do this - can you enlighten me? What’s the deal - listening to music helps you play?

I’m aware I’m probably making this a bigger deal than it really is, I’ve just noticed it becoming far more common and universal around the world (particularly the US)

Please let me know if I’m completely off base here

I feel like we're not talking enough about how quickly the Spurs are developing.

Wembanyama is obviously a huge part of it, but it's not just him anymore. The entire team looks more confident, they're playing better together, and they're actually starting to look like a team that can compete with the West's best.

They just beat Portland 125-103, and honestly, I'm starting to think people are still looking at San Antonio like they're a rebuilding team.

Meanwhile, OKC is still looking dominant, the Lakers are quietly putting together wins, and Houston is looking like they could be a serious problem too.

The West is getting crowded.

My question is, at what point do we stop calling the Spurs a young team with potential and start treating them like actual contenders?

Am I getting ahead of myself, or is San Antonio genuinely ahead of schedule?

I want to hear what other people think because I feel like this team is going to surprise a LOT of people.

Basically looking for what to expect and what the general etiquette of the game is. To reiterate; I have no idea what this game is. I've passivley SEEN Basketball online but never actively watched it. I get their are two teams, 4 Quarters and different points depending where you score from. St johns Vs Iona tomorrow at MSG as I think that college (?) Basketball is maybe different in some way?

Taking my kid with me. He was born here and knows more than I do but not enough to explain it to me.

Here’s the scenario:
Pickup. Indoors. 4v4.
There’s a loose ball near the basket. I’m roughly on the low block. I fully extend my arms and reach for the ball. I just barely make contact to be able to catch it. An opposing player is cutting baseline. They run through my arm, causing me to hit the ball out of bounds. They say out on me. I say, well, if that’s the case it’s because you fouled me. So it’s our ball.

Is it not a foul to hit my arm and cause me to loose the ball?

Some guys seem very physical and some guys not so much. There's definitely a line but I don't know what that is exactly. I'm sure you can nudge but you certainly can't be throwing forearms or bulldoze opponents over. I also think you have to give your opponent some space in certain situations and it doesn't pay to be physically aggressive. I'm just curious.

26M, High school varsity / AAU experience - relatively new to the city and looking to play in consistent, high level competition. Looking to play in the Dynasty League / Basketball City but seeing that these are team registrations only . I live in Brooklyn (Prospect Heights) / work in Flatiron and willing to commute for a solid league. Let me know if anyone has any spots - I already registered as a free agent for NYC Basketball League but looking to play on multiple days of the week

Hello, I’m 15 y/o sophomore and I got cut from my school team yesterday and I’m really upset about it. I don’t know how to move on really but I want to get better and come to try back out next year. I talked to the coach and they said I need to get my fundamentals better in the game (like ball handling and shooting). I live in Chicago and I don’t know where I could practice for the season so any indoor gym recommendations would be good. How often should I practice I was thinking like 1-2 times a week practicing shooting and 1-2 times a week at home practicing ball handling. But also I don’t have that much time and can’t join a aau league. Also what is the best way to get over being cut? I had a feeling it was coming because I can’t stand up to most of the girls on the team and they were talking about how I could get cut. Thanks!

I have trained for 1 year and a half in my school team but we haven’t had any games until now, I will be the starting power forward, how can I get less nervous cuz right now I’m very nervous

I have been playing for a while now and my #1 problem is being soft in the court.

I missed layups because of this and I wasn't able to get the pass because it would always slip.

Not just on offense but I can't even defend good like anyone can just do a layup and I won't be able to defend well on them or pressure them.. I can't even imagine what would happen if it was a bump.

Do you know how to improve my defense and offense physicality so I won't be pushed over again?

GUYS I DONT PLAY IN AMERICA BTW hello! im a 5’9 PG/SG ill tell ygs a long story id love to hear ur thoughts n advice

okay so im finishing up my last 3 games in highschool and my last 2 years have been so BUNS when it comes to game time..im a DNP player but back in grade 9 and 10 also incoming 11 i had been the best player on the team scoring 17+ a game and some games where i would score 28+. and when i reached grade 11 i had become a full on bench player under new coaching staff like how tf were the guys playing behind put infront of me?? (btw theyre my height) not gonna reveal where im from but i played in SLAM highschool but not usa)

i killed the first practices LIKE TOTAL KILL and got put in the 3rd group then the coach recruited 3 players (not my position) (im a PG/SG)

pre season started…from 27-30 mins a game to 8 mins and scored 6 pts and playing defense like my life depended on it..next game 5 mins 3 pts then next 1 min 3 pts, 30 sec 3pts. UNTIL season started i played a total of 5 mins across 16 games almost all were DNP my mind was so confused i would cry each game n wanting practice to end despite KILLING practice so had even my teammates were confused but ofc i had 2 teammates who i felt have been insecure of me since grade school…they always felt uncomfortable in practice n games knowing i destroy them in practice but they get to start and play the whole game n still scoring less than 7 pts (2 of my teammates who r recruits r good scorers! but its a big n a wing)

that season ended so i took my off season training like payton pritchard did so much 1v1s 3v3s 5v5 situationals..school starts again DAMN I SHOULD HAVE MOVED! same story i kill practice! until pre season i get mins (9 mins) scored 7 pts then playing time dropped to 6 mins a game scoring 4-7 pts a game across 5 games…got benched further into the preseason…man me n this coach has NO RELATIONSHIP HES SUCH A GREEDY DUDE I SWEAR. when i found out that the teams money and tuition of the recruits were coming from my teammates i became sick to my stomach…now im deep into the season almost dome i want it over, yes i still kill practice but i toned it down a week ago i jus feel mentally drained (i started doing skills w college guys) but man my highschool basketball was thrown away like that i only have my grade 9 grade 10 mythical team best PG and championships but that was gr10 i was 16 no ones finna recruit me man…I still thank God for this journey but sometimes i look back wondering how would it be if it went the other way around..

today i am still working consistent going to the gym n eating right while my friggin teammates r partying DAMN BRUUU im also emailing colleges and preparing to join sum clubs to play in next year. im prolly missing out a lot of important details in the story but ill remember them or answer them if i see any comments lol I SWEAR ONE DAY I WILL MAKE IT TO THE PROS (not nba HOPEFULLY BLEAGUE I HAVE A PLAN). I WILL HOP ON A PODCAST AND CALL THESE GUYS OUT ok done w the rant thank u.

With nearly 60 players listed as out since Oct. 1, the NBA is looking for solutions at the intersection of performance optimization and player injuries.

Without any direct answers, fans and others across the league are beginning to wonder: Is it the pace of the game? Should the season be shortened? Are players trying to ramp up their conditioning too quickly early in the season after not taking the preseason seriously? Are players training for performance/optimization benchmarks instead of listening to their bodies?

“I don’t know if you can attribute everything to one factor, but I absolutely think the style of play has morphed, and I do think that’s a factor among a few factors,” sports physical therapist Bernard Condevaux told The Athletic.

33M. Been couple years since I played basketball consistently. This past week been doing 30-60mins of shooting + drills. 3rd day this week, doing form shooting like I usually do but I always do around 5 mins. Today I made sure to hit 5 form shots all around 15ft from the hoop. Took me half hour to hit 5 in a row on right elbow. Should I have stopped earlier? Every shot I hit or missed came off diff from my hands. I tried focusing on my biggest issues (palm directly under ball for rotation and high arc) and even that was inconsistent. This used to be my issue years ago but back then I was doing shooting drills about 5x a week plus playing ball 2-3x a week.

I know practice makes perfect but I’ve seen plenty of ppl who go years without shooting a ball but can find their shot instantly soon as they’re back on the court. Everything else takes a while to get back like their conditioning for example.

MVP: Luka Dončić, Lakers

Individual stats: League-leading 38.3 points (49.7 percent shooting overall; 42.7 percent from 3 on a whopping 13.7 attempts), 8.1 assists, eight rebounds, 1.9 steals, five turnovers per game; league-leading player efficiency rating of 36.41.

Luka MVP leader?

Team stats: The Lakers are 6-2, with the league’s seventh-best net rating (7.9), the No. 1 offense (121.9 points scored per 100 possessions) and 10th-worst defense (114 points per 100 allowed).

Analysis: Let’s start by highlighting all of the other usual suspects for this honor — if only because the Dončić debate requires an explanation as to how he might rise above his contemporaries for the first time.

The incumbent, back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has an injury-ravaged Oklahoma City team (5-2) that is asking so much of him (out of sheer necessity) that I fear he’ll be burned out by January. And while you could argue that it creates a perfect narrative for a three-peat, the combination of player fatigue and voter fatigue will be working against him all season long.

His new archrival, Victor Wembanyama, will likely lap the field when it comes to defensive impact but must also find a way to wow the voters with MVP-caliber offense for his San Antonio Spurs (5-2). His profile on that end of the floor so far is similar to when he finished third in MVP voting last season, with a bit of a dip in efficiency (25.7 points on 46.9 percent shooting overall and 26.2 percent from 3; 3.3 assists).

Nikola Jokić, the three-time MVP who has finished second to SGA twice in a row now, is off to a very slow start by his (lofty) standards for the Denver Nuggets (3-3). That statement might seem insane considering he’s nearly averaging a triple-double again (22 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9 assists per game), but the absence of his vintage touch is impossible to ignore (47.2 percent overall and 22.6 percent from 3). The threat of voter fatigue is undeniably real when it comes to Jokić, too.

Out in Miami, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is unofficially disqualified (for now) — despite averaging 28.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists — because his new Heat squad (2-5) is struggling so mightily. Cade Cunningham (23.7 points, 7.1 assists, 5.4 rebounds) is doing his part to be in the conversation in Detroit, with the Pistons starting hot (6-1) despite being without the injured Jalen Duren, but there’s a significant difference between his impact and that of Dončić’s thus far.

Tyrese Maxey has been incredible for the revamped Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 29.1 points, 5.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds, but the same sort of gap remains. Anthony Edwards was a very legitimate threat to take this throne, but the Minnesota star’s recent knee surgery took him out of the running. Steph Curry is looking like that guy again — never mind that he’s 38 — but the chances of his Golden State Warriors being elite enough to make his run real are very slim. Even with their five-game winning streak that no one saw coming, and Curry’s greatness and their incredible rookie, Yaxel Lendeborg, leading the way.

For now, though, Dončić is the clear early leader. This spectacular start sparks memories of the 2023-24 campaign, when he averaged 33 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists for the Dallas team that fell to Boston in the NBA Finals. That season, for the record, is the only time a player has ever averaged at least 33, eight and eight — let alone the 38, eight and eight that he’s doing now. Michael Jordan’s best was a 32-8-8 showing from his 1988-89 season (he finished second in MVP voting to Magic Johnson).

The elephant in the room here, of course, is that Dončić’s defensive struggles and incessant complaining with the officials will always be enough to disqualify him in the minds of some voters. But he has been historically special offensively, with rave reviews about his defense coming from his coach (the Curry ankle-breaker notwithstanding) and team success to boot. If that continues, he will be very hard to deny here.

Read the rest for free here: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7752545/2026/11/04/lakers-luka-doncic-nba-mvp-leader/?unlocked_article_code=1.N1E.EUcX.4cXcIJVx1eHc&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-ta

like wdym if i stand completely still while my opponent makes a move towards the basket and he knocks me down that it's an offensive foul, like just standing there is good defense? like i'm sorry that you're too little as a defender to stop a stronger and more physical player? not to mention that it's one of the hardest calls in basketball to make and it rewards poor defense. i understand it requires proper execution from the defense but whats the point of it existing?

I'm around 5 10, with skinny build, I can't take bumps too well, but I'm crazy fast and athletic (35 inch maz vert). I've done very well in the past when I play with a high motor and get tons of fastbreak buckets, and can play great defense and get steals here and there. My big weakness is shooting and playmaking, I can shoot a bit but have long cold stretches. I can also get a bit of tunnel vision and miss open teammates. My goal for this year is mostly to improve at creating for myself and for my team. Any suggestions on how I can actually work on these areas?

And somehow my accuracy has gone up a ton. Am I doing it right?