Back like he never left:

Joe Mazzulla says Jayson Tatum will start tonight.

Trae Young’s Wizards debut brought a spark to Capital One Arena — for the home team Young was a major part of making the Hawks matter. He has a similar challenge in Washington.

There was a buzz in Capital One Arena Thursday-an energy rarely in the building for the home team. Trae Young created that, in what the Wizards hope can be repeated, raising the floor of their young core and the hopes of their fanbase. In
@theathletic.com:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/709...

You may think I’m being cynical. I’m not. Just observant. It’s been a LONG time since there’s been this many Wizards fans in this building, by the team’s entranceway to the court, 45 minutes before tipoff. #TraeYoungEffect

A handful of ex-ABA players hope for a last-second financial long shot from the NBA More than 20 surviving former ABA players are seeking to receive financial compensation in the form of "recognition benefits" from the NBA.

Four years after the NBA issued “recognition payments” to former ABA players, many of whom had fallen on hard times, a handful of other aging ex-ABAers the NBA said didn’t qualify for the payments still hopes to change the league’s mind. In
@theathletic.com:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/700...

Josh always gets the goods:

Trae Young makes it official: he will make his Wizards debut Thursday at Capital One Arena against the Utah Jazz.

The Hawks are honoring Magic City. It's not as bizarre as it may seem

With all that’s going on right now, getting outraged by the Hawks’ upcoming “Magic City Monday” promotion for the local Magic City strip club, which has been a legit part of the city’s music scene for decades, really isn’t worth your energy. In @theathletic.com:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/707...

One hell of a game in Detroit. Pistons win w/o Cade Cunningham down the stretch of regulation/overtime; Cavs more than acquit themselves well without James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. And great to see the league truly allow “all access” from its teams/Secaucus. A pet peeve of mine when I did TV.

Great escape for Miami (OH), but the RedHawks get to 29-0.

Hawks to bring ‘Magic City’ strip club vibe to home game, but without the dancers (Gift Article) The Hawks plan to honor Atlanta's "iconic cultural institution" in a March 16 home game against the Magic at State Farm Arena.

The Hawks announced that they’ll honor the local institution Magic City at a March home game- a strip club that has been open 40 years, w/a storied history with rappers, athletes & much of the city. With my guy
@lawmurraythenu.bsky.social , in @theathletic.com :

www.nytimes.com/athletic/707...

The Athletic Welcomes New Colleagues | The New York Times Company We’re excited to announce the hiring of several Washington Post journalists as The Athletic expands its coverage of the Commanders, launches a new Nationals beat and adds to its growing roster of…

Delighted that we can platform so many outstanding journalists, and bolster our coverage of D.C. sports, joining @nickijhabvala.bsky.social, @joshrobbins.bsky.social and myself.
Being able to cover D.C. teams more is why I joined @theathletic.com in 2018. Welcome!:

www.nytco.com/press/the-at...

Payton P out here cooking folks.

The NBA's video call with GMs got tense once the topic of tanking came up.

Adam Silver's tone and demeanor shifted, according to three executives. “He sounded more like [David] Stern,” one of them said.

But the message was sent loud and clear: Changes are coming.

Watching the end of Dreamgirls, and remembering when my mom took us up to New York to see the original Broadway production in 1982. And I’m thinking about Jennifer Holliday, and my mom, and I’m overjoyed and tearing up at the same time.

I’m no puck expert, but that was a pretty great day watching Olympic quarterfinal hockey…

Not getting the butter/toast analogy the NBC guy is using in this Olympic big air event, but, not meant for me!

If the NBA is serious about looking at everything to end tanking … it’s about time The lottery and draft are corporate welfare for sports teams. How should the NBA go about correcting tanking in efforts to win the lottery?

Adam Silver said everything was on the table when it comes to stopping the rise in tanking in the NBA. Taking a real look at whether the lottery and draft need to be shelved should be part of the conversation. In @theathletic.com:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/704...

These first two game could not have gone better for the NBA. Two last-second wins, one in OT.

Look. I’m on record as saying the All-Star Game has outlived its usefulness. But that was good. OT, Blocked shots, close outs, a ticked off Wemby! That’s all people want; for the players to care enough to put some effort into what we all get is an exhibition.
Now, quiet: the GOAT is performing:

That was a pretty good intro by NBC and in-arena (always good to have John Tesh doing Roundball Rock live). Graphics at Intuit are on point. Definitely has a different feel introducing U.S. and World teams. We’ll see how the games measure up.

LeBron James, on what he feels playing All-Star in L.A. this year, albeit at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome in Inglewood: “this is a road game.”

Love. The. Snark.

Dame Time is immortal.

Dame Time is immortal.

It begins:

Alex Sarr film study: ‘You’ve got to be a little bit different to be great’ As the NBA has transformed into a game of pace and space, the Wizards' second-year big man is learning how to use his precocious skills.

Terrific work here from @joshrobbins.bsky.social:
in-depth film study with the Wizards’ second-year center Alex Sarr and assistant coach Adam Caporn. They break down multiple plays on offense and defense that display Sarr's growth in year two. In @theathletic.com:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

The Seahawks are Super Bowl champions because they blocked out the BS The Seahawks were on a mission, brushing aside anything that could distract from their goal. And now? Mission accomplished.

Honored to have teammates like Michael-Shawn Dugar, who know their teams and their cities so completely, and their history, and thus can write gems like this about the Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Local journalism for a national audience. In @theathletic.com:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/703...

Boom.

a man wearing glasses and a scarf is looking at something . ALT: a man wearing glasses and a scarf is looking at something .

Me, taking about 11 seconds before I start feeling Bad Bunny…