Just asked Victor Wembanyama if he’d ever consider promoting a sports betting company.

“Absolutely not. I will never do that. Honestly, I think it's very sad to see some players promote it. .. Everybody does whatever they want, but without me.”

Source: https://bsky.app/profile/mikefinger.bsky.social

Just asked Victor Wembanyama if he’d ever consider promoting a sports betting company.

“Absolutely not. I will never do that. Honestly, I think it's very sad to see some players promote it. .. Everybody does whatever they want, but without me.”

Orlando Magic to Provide New Affordability Options for Home Games

ORLANDO – As part of the Orlando Magic’s commitment to accessibility the team has announced several new affordability options for all home games.

The team will offer options on tickets, merchandise and concessions bringing the live game experience closer to all fans.

“Making Magic games accessible to every fan has always been a priority for our organization, and this season we worked closely with the DeVos family to build on that commitment,” said Magic President of Business Operations Charlie Freeman. “From affordable ticket and concession options to retail merchandise deals, we want to make sure a Magic game remains within reach for families across our community. The DeVos family ownership has been clear that growth on the court should go hand-in-hand with keeping this experience affordable for the fans who support us every night.”

Variety of Ticket Options

The Magic will offer several ticket options to all Magic home games including group tickets and the Monthly Steals Program.

The program will provide $20 ticket options for every game with offers launched on the first of each month.

Group ticket programs include complimentary tickets through the Jr. Magic and Honor Roll programs with discounted tickets offered to OCPS school staff and through OneBlood donations.

For more information fans can visit https://orlandomagic.com/monthlysteals or call 407-89-MAGIC.

Expanded Retail Options

To make the game experience complete, fans will also find a variety of Magic merchandise options.

The retail item of the game and Eighty9 Collection will be available at every game. The item of the game includes merchandise starting at $15. Weekly deals can also be found in the Magic Authentics team shop at Kia Center that features a $15 hat or T-shirt. The affordable private-label option, Eighty9 Collection, will also be available at each game in the team shop.

Concession Choices

Additionally, there will be concession options in Slam Dunk section 115 and Flavors of Orlando section 218.

Those will include the Fan Favorites Value Menu featuring select food and beverage items priced between $2 and $7. Value menu items include hot dogs, pretzel bites, popcorn, nachos, cookies, chips, bottled water, soda and beer.

Get to the Game

The Magic will also continue to work with SunRail to ensure trains are running on weeknights postgame providing fans a free ride with a game ticket. SunRail stations exist in 17 locations around Central Florida including areas in DeLand and DeBary all offering a convenient drop off right by Kia Center.

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Source: https://www.nba.com/magic/news/orlando-magic-to-provide-new-affordability-options-for-home-games-kia-center-20260930

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_all-time_NBA_win%E2%80%93loss_records

The Timberwolves and Nets have been moving in opposite directions of late, and the Wolves finally have the chance to free themselves of an obscure dubious distinction. Last season, the Timberwolves finished with 49 wins, while the Nets had 20.

The Timberwolves will play seven games in October, while the Nets will play just 5.

https://www.nba.com/timberwolves/schedule

https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/bkn/seasontype/2

The soonest that the Timberwolves could overtake the Nets is October 25th, after which point both teams will have played three games.

If the Timberwolves win their first three and the Nets lose their first three, a solid possibility, the Timberwolves will have won 42.14% of their games all-time (1,248 out of 2,961), and the Nets will have won 42.13% (1,700/4,035).

This is counting only NBA records, as the Nets had very successful years in another league, the ABA, with Dr. J.

If you're wondering why the Timberwolves took over the worst record a decade ago and have had it ever since despite being good for half of the time in between, the answer is the Clippers.

That franchise, around since 1970, had been by far the worst in league history for years, before pulling themselves up by their boostraps and improving through fair and honorable means. They might now be another one to watch on this list long-term currently at 42.8%.

After the 2014-2015 season, the Clippers held a 38.9% winning percentage, and the Timberwolves were at 39.3%.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=timberwolves+all-time+record+1970-2015

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=clippers+all-time+record+1970-2015

I didn't pinpoint the exact date (probably the thing to do next), but the Clippers surpassed them the next season in early 2016, and never lost their advantage again.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=clippers+all-time+record+1970-2016

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=timberwolves+all-time+record+1970-2016

The Minnesota Timberwolves are named after wolves, so naturally I wanted to know whether they actually get better when the moon is full.

I took every Timberwolves regular-season game and classified it as a full-moon game if it was played within 1.5 days of a full moon.

The result is that:

Timberwolves near a full moon

154-160: 49.0% win rate

Timberwolves the rest of the time

41.2% win rate

I also controlled for season.

The full-moon effect barely changed:

+7.75 percentage points, p=.0065

So historically, Minnesota has been significantly more likely to win when the moon is full.

Furthermore, when you look at the Wolves's best player, at least according to many(Some advanced stats have Lamelo as better)

Ant near a full moon:

71.7% win rate

Otherwise:

52.3%

Difference: +19.4 percentage points

The franchise-wide sample is fairly large: 314 games near a full moon, and the season-adjusted association still comes out at p=.0065.

tl;dr: The Timberwolves have won 49.0% of games near a full moon versus 41.2% otherwise. After controlling for season, the difference is still +7.75 percentage points (p=.0065). Anthony Edwards is at 71.7% vs 52.3% himself. He got that dawg in him.

Btw the wolves next full moon game is on October 26 vs Cavs: https://www.nba.com/timberwolves/schedule

Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead has agreed to a three-year, $24 million contract extension with the franchise, his agent KJ Smith tells ESPN. The new deal keeps Shead under contract through the 2029-30 season.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/8458358f19219

Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell has signed a new multiyear contract extension with Adidas – a deal that will take him through a 10th signature shoe with the same brand, becoming the seventh active NBA player to accomplish the feat.

It will also deliver Adidas' further resources for his high school, Greenwich Country Day, to provide students from underserved communities with access to educational resources.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/4cc95c10e3a3d

The New York Knicks are hoping that Karl-Anthony Towns is willing to leave around $75 million on the table.

New York would be “far more” interested in giving Towns a new contract of four years and $200 million, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported on Tuesday. That is notably much less than Towns’ full max figure of four years and $276 million.

Towns, who turns 31 in November, is currently in a contract standoff with the Knicks. We learned earlier this week that New York has been asking Towns to take a pay cut and that Towns was now seen as unlikely to agree to a new extension before the season as a result.

Can the Knicks Break the 8-Year No-Repeat Streak? The former No. 1 overall pick Towns has been a stellar player for the Knicks ever since arriving in a 2024 trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Towns has been an All-Star and a 20-ppg scorer in each of his first two seasons with New York and also played a major role in the Knicks’ 2026 NBA championship victory.

But even at a figure of $50 million per year, Towns would still be taking a discount, relative to both his max number and his current contract. For reference, Towns is currently signed for $57.1 million next season and also has a $61 million player option for 2027-28.

The Knicks are trying to avoid the second apron of the luxury tax at all costs and also have to position themselves for No. 1 option Jalen Brunson’s expected mammoth extension next summer. As a result, Towns is being asked to take a haircut, which may only be adding to his reported frustrations with the team.

Source: https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/knicks_desired_pay_cut_for_karl_anthony_towns_has_been_revealed/s1_127_44366295

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/whats-next-for-jalen-duren-and-the-pistons-here-are-4-sign-and-trade-possibilities-150527643.html

Pistons/Bucks

Bucks get: Jalen Duren
Pistons get: Myles Turner, Jaime Jaquez 

Pistons/Hawks

Hawks get: Jalen Duren
Pistons get: Onyeka Okongwu, Aaron Wiggins, Corey Kispert

Pistons/Kings

Kings get: Jalen Duren, Ron Holland, Paul Reed, Chaz Lanier
Pistons get: Domantas Sabonis, Maxime Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell

Pistons/Wizards

Wizards get: Jalen Duren, Duncan Robinson, Ron Holland, Chaz Lanier
Pistons get: Anthony Davis

So every year, over the summer and into the fall, NBA fans are flooded with posts about

• Luka being tan, in shape, and motivated
• Ben Simmons in the lab working on his 3PT shot
• Zion losing weight and being ripped
• AD being healthy

And so on, until midseason (or earlier) when all of those narratives fall flat and these players revert back to who that have mostly always been.

BUT - is there a good example (or two) of a player that has actually managed to successfully change the negative aura/narrative about themselves?

Article link: https://www.cp24.com/news/sports/2026/10/01/nba-closes-sole-training-academy-in-africa-in-blow-to-young-players/

DAKAR - The NBA has closed its only elite training academy in Africa, current and former officials told Reuters, less than a decade after it was launched in Senegal to prepare promising young African players for professional leagues in the US and elsewhere.

The decision to close NBA Academy Africa, the league’s first such facility in Africa, was a blow to students and young players across the continent, two former employees said.

Michel Chikwanine, who had been the academy’s performance and lifestyle advisor, said the news discouraged African players just beginning to build confidence.

“From the moment we told them, their confidence waned, their confidence dropped,” he said.

Michael Abbott, former head of academic planning at the academy, said it showed a lack of commitment to the students.

“They weren’t invested in them as kids as much as they were invested in the business model,” he said.

In response to questions from Reuters, the NBA said the decision reflected a shift in global basketball development strategy. It has previously closed academies in Mexico and Australia. All training will be run out of a new global academy to open soon in the United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi, it said.

In its statement, the NBA added that it is continuing to invest in African talent through other programs and that closing the academy does not signal a diminished commitment to the continent.

It cited examples such as the creation of a Basketball Africa League which has concluded six seasons and Basketball Without Borders, which organizes elite training camps for youths worldwide including in Africa.

Success and then closure

NBA Academy Africa has trained around 110 students since launching in Senegal in 2018, Abbott said, with many moving on to elite schools and universities in the U.S.. The most successful students were drafted to the NBA.

Graduate Ulrich Kamka Chomche of Cameroon became the first player to be drafted into the NBA in 2024 and played for the Toronto Raptors. Former academy student Khaman Maluach of South Sudan plays for the Phoenix Suns.

Chikwanine, the performance adviser, said closing the academy will limit opportunities for African players, who often come from challenging backgrounds and need specific support. All African prospects will have to compete globally for spots in the UAE.

He said the NBA’s decision reinforced a message felt by many Africans that big companies come to the continent claiming to want to invest in people, but in reality, just want to make money.

“They come in with an extraction mindset,” he said. “That has always been a reality on the continent of Africa… there is a huge mistrust that has been built.”

The NBA denied that closing the academy would limit opportunities for young African players. It said hosting all young players at a single location would give them greater exposure to professional coaches and scouts worldwide.

“We’re incredibly proud of the impact that NBA Academy Africa has had and remain committed to developing the next generation of African players,” Troy Justice, NBA senior vice president, said in a statement, adding that several other youth development initiatives still operate on the continent.

Source: https://www.tsn.ca/nba/article/raptors-poeltl-hopes-to-put-back-injury-behind-him/

After last season became a lost season for Jakob Poeltl, any discussion about the veteran centre turns into an indictment of his contract. There are at least three years and more than $80 million of guaranteed salary left on an extension he signed in the summer of 2025. Neither the player nor the deal have aged well.

A nagging back injury limited the 30-year-old to 46 games last season. It’s an ailment he’s been dealing with for a year and may have to manage, to some degree or another, for the rest of his career.

Coming off a disappointing campaign, it’s easy to forget that the version of Poeltl the Raptors drafted in 2016, traded for Leonard in 2018, re-acquired and re-signed in 2023, and then extended in 2025 was a quality starting NBA centre. The numbers don’t do him justice, though 12.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks on 64 per cent shooting in two and a half years with Toronto prior to last season are nothing to scoff at.

For what it’s worth, Poeltl isn’t lacking for motivation either. He spent most of the off-season in his native Austria, where he hired and worked with a strength and conditioning coach that specializes in helping athletes bounce back from injury. In consultation with the Raptors’ medical staff, they made some changes to Poeltl’s training routine and crafted a program specifically designed to manage his reoccurring back pain.

Previously, Poeltl would warm up before his basketball workouts and do a standard lift routine afterwards. With the new regimen, he’s doing a full activation and targeted lift session before picking up a ball. There’s an emphasis on mobility, trying to take some pressure off his back by making him more mobile in areas where his range of motion was lacking. In the weight room, the focus is on improving his core strength, as well as targeting his glutes and hamstrings, to make sure he has as much protection as possible.

So far so good. He’s feeling better and, by all accounts, he’s moving better, but he knows the real test is weeks and months away. Keeping up with the new routine and maintaining his health and conditioning over the course of a full season will get monotonous, without any guarantee that it will work – back injuries are famously unpredictable and don’t tend to age well in seven-footers over 30.

Host:

"In a lot of sports and, you know, even some here, throw in casinos everywhere, just trying to make as much money as they can. Why is it... why do you... why are you so intent on giving up so much revenue for the fan experience?"

Matt Ishbia:

"Yeah, so listen. I always look at it as like, I don't own the team, it's the city of Phoenix's team. And my job is to make it so everyone loves it and can cheer on the team, and how do I do that? First off, you can't be a fan of a team you can't watch. So making the TV for free, yeah, I know it costs money, and I make that decision, but I've got money.

And it's not about making every dollar. I'm not a guy that's 'How do I maximize return on investment on every single thing I do?' How do I do the right thing? Do the right thing by the fans, right thing by the players, right thing by the community. And you know what happens in my life? Money always follows success. Do the right things.

And so we always do the right thing by the fans. I focus like a maniac on the fan experience because I would love us to win 82 games and they love every single one of those games, but it's not... we can't win every single game. So how do we make sure the fan experience is great, costs down, do the right thing? And that's what we're about. And I'm really proud that I can deliver that.

And I'm hoping, the last comment on that is, other owners follow. Like the free TV, now 12 teams or 13 teams have it. So they're following us as a leader in Phoenix. The $2 menu, 3 or 4 teams now bought into something like that. We're going to lead in Phoenix. I'm going to continue to lead, sometimes it's popular, sometimes not popular. We're going to do what's right by the fans, continue to lead, and hopefully others will follow."

“It only hurt me as a father to hear people saying stuff that was negative, that wasn’t true, to bring him down. But in the end, it all paid up. Jimmy ain’t got no championship. Karl bypassed him.”

“I’m just happy that those back-to-back Rookies of the Year in Minnesota grew into the men that people asked us to be, which was world champions,” Towns said of himself and Wiggins. “And we found a way to get it done in our own ways.”

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7618092/2026/09/30/karl-anthony-towns-nba-championship-work-ethic/?unlocked_article_code=1.FFE.i2mv.JECpWPgva7jn&source=emp_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share