NBA

You know how you can tell that Team USA coach Steve Kerr is serious about the Americans getting their act together – like, together – before it's too late in their all-or-nothing pursuit of Olympic gold?

The lead-up to the Summer Olympics reminds Gonzaga basketball coach Mark Few, an assistant with Team USA, of the day or two before the NCAA Tournament. Arrive at the host city, check out game and practice venues, take care of media obligations and prepare for upcoming games – except all this is taking place in France, where the opening ceremonies will be held Friday.

Former Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard, who came up big in Indiana’s surprising postseason run to the Eastern Conference finals, is getting a big reward.

About the Globe Trotter series: The Spokesman-Review is planning to connect periodically with Gonzaga coach Mark Few to highlight his on- and off-court experience as an assistant coach with the U.S. Olympic basketball team.

Gonzaga and UCLA will resume their interesting non-conference rivalry in December each of the next two seasons. The West Coast powers agreed to a two-game series back in May. The dates are now set for the matchups: Dec. 28th at the new Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and Dec. 13, 2025, at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, according to a Gonzaga release.

Team USA and assistant coach Mark Few should have a pretty good idea how the Americans stack up against some of the best competition in the world before traveling to France later this month for the Summer Olympics.

The reported finalizing of the NBA's national media-rights contracts worth $76 billion over 11 years with ESPN, Amazon and NBC has cleared the league's final stated obstacle before announcing an expansion process that should revive the Sonics anew. 

LeBron James called Stephen Curry last fall with a simple proposition: Let’s go to France together.

The numbers are staggering: 952 games, over 25,000 minutes, four NBA championships, five trips to the NBA All-Star Game.

LAS VEGAS – Before Cooper Flagg emerged as the world’s leading teenage basketball prodigy, he spent childhood winters in Maine ice fishing with his father and two brothers.

LAS VEGAS – Twenty years ago, the shape of the NBA offseason changed forever.

ORLANDO, Fla. – If you watched the presidential debate last week, then you know immigration has become a major issue in American politics.

In the end, Klay Thompson wanted to be in control again. It’s hard to blame him. He had been forced to play defense for the past five years, recovering from major injuries, adjusting to a repaired body and a revised team, dealing with regression and drama and uncertainty.

Draymond Green desperately wants Klay Thompson to rediscover his joy of basketball, even if that means shedding a “tear or two” over losing him as a Warriors teammate and fellow cog of their four-championship dynasty.

LOS ANGELES – Klay Thompson was born in Los Angeles.

The billion-dollar gold rush that typically accompanies the opening of NBA free agency didn’t materialize Sunday, the first day that teams and free agents were able to strike agreements. Instead, the first few hours were spent in relative silence until the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to sign Paul George early Monday morning, thereby dissolving the nine-time All-Star forward’s partnership with Kawhi Leonard after five injury-plagued seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers.

The friction between Klay Thompson and the Warriors didn’t just start this summer when negotiations got tough. It couldn’t have.

The Dallas Mavericks, fresh off an NBA Finals loss to Boston, have reportedly upgraded their outside shooting with a sign-and-trade deal with Golden State for Klay Thompson. The deal was not final as of Monday night.

If this is, in fact, how Klay Thompson’s time in the Bay Area ends, it’ll be peculiar and inexplicable.