The biggest advantage of being the son of an NBA legend is that you already know how to build a career. Duke star Cameron Boozer is keeping that in mind as he prepares for the 2026 NBA Draft.

Unlike most top prospects, Boozer claims he doesn’t care when he hears his name called in the draft. The 18-year-old said he only cares about fitting in with the right team to give himself the best chance of building a meaningful career.

“For me, whether I move up one spot or move up to 15th, it’s more about getting fit,” Boozer said, via ‘The Athletic.’ “I just want a long career. Where I start doesn’t really determine where I end up or where I end up. So obviously, I look at what people say, I look at anything, but 10 years from now it won’t matter. For me it’s just about stacking up the days. Being the best version of me. And yes, everything will be okay.”

Boozer’s father, Carlos Boozer, enjoyed a 13-year NBA career after spending three years at Duke. Carlos Boozer began his career as a second-round pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers before spending most of his time with the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls.

Although he hasn’t made it official yet, Cameron Boozer is apparently preparing to enter the 2026 NBA Draft. In addition to a national championship, Boozer will accomplish almost everything possible in one season at Duke after officially receiving the 2026 Wooden Award.

Boozer, a consensus top-three recruit in the class of 2025, held a similar stance ahead of the draft. Some projections have him as high as third overall, with everyone expecting his name to be among the first five announced in June.

Houston Rockets All-Star forward Kevin Durant is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, but he has never recorded a 60-point game. His career-high score is 55, but his pace and legacy are far more important for the 19-year-old veteran. Only Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James can match Durant’s longevity and dominance as Kevin approaches his second decade in the association.

According to Michael Lee of The Ringer, Durant explained why he was never interested in scoring 60 points in a game.

“I’m in this for the long term, man,” Durant said. “I just want to win the game and go home. I know it’s been a talking point for me: ‘You don’t have 60, 70.’ You can’t just look at a 60-point game and say, ‘That’s what KD is all about.’ You have to look at my entire career and analyze what I actually did to understand the type of player I am. I like it that way.

“It’s like a story that way. I didn’t want to be a flash in the pan. I just wanted to be consistently great. I don’t have a 60, but that’s a lot of stats I’ve made up on my own.”

Durant is the only player in NBA history to finish a season with 56.0/40.4/91.9 percent shooting splits, a feat he accomplished in 2022-23. Kevin says it’s a testament to the sacrifices he’s made to pursue his career, abandoning friends, partying and having fun. However, in order to persist, he realized that he had left nothing behind.

Kevin Durant on his NBA scoring legacy

Rockets All-Star Kevin Durant was double-teamed by the Lakers in Monday’s 100-92 loss. That’s the kind of treatment you get when you’re one of the game’s elite scorers. Durant finished with 18 points on 8-for-16 shooting.

Aside from Lakers All-Star LeBron James, Durant is the only NBA player to average 25+ points for such a long period of time, which is indicative of his consistent approach.

As Lee said, “He and LeBron are the only players to average at least 25 points for more than 12 seasons.” “Durant has never played a game in which he made more than 19 field goals and averaged fewer than 19 shots per game in his career. On the night he scored a career-high 55 points, he took only 28 shots. On the night he scored a career-high 55 points, he took only 28 shots.

He reached 32,000 points in fewer games than any player other than Jordan. To which Durant asked, “What’s more important to some people – that or 60 points?” Durant remains the youngest NBA scoring champion and the youngest player to win three consecutive scoring titles.

Durant has always played the long game.

Crystal Palace defender JD Canavut has insisted he does not think about his €23m price tag, or the expectations it brings.

19 year old talking to ft mercato About life with Crystal Palace Joining them in September.

He is slowly establishing himself in Oliver Glasner’s team and has started their last three Premier League matches. The defender is seen at the club as a long-term replacement for Marc Guhi, who ultimately left in January and joined Manchester City.

This opened the door for Canavot to gain playing time and eventually begin his career with Crystal Palace. Considering his transfer fee, expectations are high. But the youth are refusing to focus on that.

“No, honestly, I don’t care. I haven’t thought about it,” He said.

“I do my job on the pitch; the financial and administrative side is not my responsibility. Yes, this transfer represents a lot of money, but it’s just football today, everything moves fast. But I don’t think about it when I sleep.”

What surprises Canavot about the Premier League?

Canavot had to wait for his chance after Guhi’s unsuccessful move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window.

This led to him suffering a slow start to the season and spending the first six Premier League matches on the bench. He has been on and off the bench since then, with 13 of his 25 call-ups to the Crystal Palace squad this season.

However, the young player did not take it as an insult. Instead, they used the time to observe and learn about their new surroundings.

“I studied players who played in my position as centre-back,” he explained

“I also watched the opposition players, I analyzed their movements, and I also saw how focused you had to be from the first minute to the last minute. Then there’s the intensity of a Premier League match. I think that’s what impressed me the most.”

Why is Crystal Palace taking Europe seriously?

The focus now is on continuing his solid start to life in the first team. With Guhi’s departure the door has opened and Canvot has passed through it.

He has started and finished Crystal Palace’s last three matches, including an impressive performance in a 3–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

He also played 90 minutes in a 2–0 win over Zrinjski Mostar in the Europa Conference League last month. The focus now turns to this week’s clash with AEK Larnaca. And Canvote says they’re in the running to win it.

“Definitely, I think we have everything we need to win it,” He concluded.

“Everyone in the group feels like we have what it takes. We’re playing in the conference to win it, and we’ve made it our competition. We’re going out there to win a title.

“I wasn’t here last season, but they had the best year in the club’s history, won two trophies, so I would like to win my first one too. And why not this season?”

Trust, Adaptation and Growing Conviction

There is no point in relaxing or waiting for the future for Canvote. Crystal Palace’s recent success has raised expectations inside the dressing room as well as outside it and he has accepted that responsibility.

With growing confidence and the trophy firmly in mind, he is clear about the mentality that is driving him: This is a team that expects to compete, and he intends to move forward with it.

On Tuesday evening, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo etched his name in the history books with an 83-point outburst against the Washington Wizards. This spectacular performance passed the late Kobe Bryant for the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain, who had 100.

After the Phoenix Suns’ win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, Suns guard Collin Gillespie was asked about the historic night for Adebayo, and his answer raised eyebrows.

“I don’t really care,” Gillespie, formerly of X, said on Twitter, according to SunsWorldwide.

On Wednesday, Gillespie posted a tweet apologizing, writing, “No disrespect meant… It had nothing to do with our game or our team… It’s still a historic and great accomplishment for him.”

However, Gillespie has since deleted the post.

Heat fans have been quick to berate anyone attempting to provide context to Adebayo’s historic night on Tuesday, which included more than 40 free throw attempts, and the team kept the star well into garbage time in the game in pursuit of the record.

The final minutes of the game included a bizarre scene in which the Wizards were intentionally lining up Adebayo’s teammates to prevent him from scoring, while the Heat’s players were intentionally missing free throws to force Adebayo to foul on a rebounding action.

Whether this qualifies as a “moral” 83 points is certainly debatable, but Adebayo is now in the record books for his historic performance, which also led the Heat to their sixth consecutive win.

Miami is now in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, and essentially tied with the Toronto Raptors for fifth place, which is potentially as high as they could realistically be before the season ends.

In any case, Adebayo’s night will be long remembered.

Despite the veteran guard’s recent apology, Denver Nuggets head coach David Edelman is not discounting the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Lou Dort for his flagrant 2 fouls on All-Star Nikola Jokic. After the Nuggets’ 127-121 loss in overtime on Friday, Jokic called Dort’s dirty play an unnecessary move. Dortch spoke about the incident for the first time Tuesday.

The Thunder guard said he shouldn’t have made such a dangerous play on Jokic. However, Edelman did not care about Dort’s recent comments when a reporter asked the Nuggets head coach if Lu Apology means nothing to himhe said, according to Troy Renk of the Denver Post.

“No,” Edelman replied. “No,” as he repeated his terse response.

Dort acknowledged that his foul on Jokic was out of bounds. #nuggets‘ feedback? don’t care.

Coach Edelman:

As a footnote, there is going to be a playoff-physical cage match on Monday night in OKC pic.twitter.com/o3OwGWQ1DR

– Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) 4 March 2026

Speaking to the media in the visitors’ locker room after Tuesday’s 116-108 win against the Chicago Bulls, Dort reflected on the play that caused him to miss Friday’s game, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic.

“It was a physical game the whole game,” Dortch said. “Obviously, there was unnecessary contact that I shouldn’t have made. Getting kicked out of the game hurt me the worst. But yes, it was a high-level game. I’m a competitor, so I compete.”

David Edelman and the Nuggets will face the Thunder in a rematch next Monday at Paycom Center.

Nikola Jokic speaks out after altercation with Thunder’s Lu Dort

Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic slammed Lou Dort for his flagrant-2 foul in Friday’s overtime loss to the Thunder. Ready to leave the loss behind, Jokic believes adversity will make the Nuggets better in the long run. Perhaps there is a plan to avenge the defeat from the current champion.

According to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, he said, by no means, that Jokic did not hold back from criticizing Dort’s actions.

“Unnecessary move, and a necessary reaction,” Jokic said. “There’s no such thing – I think things like that shouldn’t happen on a basketball floor. So it was just an unnecessary step and a necessary reaction by me.”

The Nuggets returned to the win column with a 128-125 win against the Jazz on Monday.

The deficit is mounting while Ja Morant watches from the sidelines. Sure, the team’s 2026 NBA Draft Lottery odds are improving, but it would be easy for FedEx Forum’s most loyal fans to mentally check out for the rest of the season. They shouldn’t do it, for the same reasons Tuomas Isalo can’t. The Memphis Grizzlies have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently, but there is still a lot at stake heading into the last few weeks of the season.

Although the expectations of the NBA playoffs have almost faded, this round is certainly the most important evaluation period of the Zack Kleiman era. The front office needs answers before committing significant financial capital to its young core, and the court is currently loaded with players auditioning for their NBA future.

GG Jackson is getting paid

GG Jackson has been one of the most compelling players in the league, let alone the roster. After all he is still one of the youngest players in the NBA. Now operating without Jaren Jackson Jr., the former South Carolina standout is averaging 17.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals/blocks while shooting 47.8% from beyond the arc. The 21-year-old has been one of the few bright spots of February, essentially starring in a new version of the Desmond Bain-Jarren Jackson Jr. role.

Heavy usage, varied shot creation and increased defensive responsibility are expected for the remainder of the season. Jackson will not replace Ja Morant; No one can do that in Memphis, but the Grizzlies really need to determine what that will be. The front office is facing an important financial decision regarding Jackson’s second contract.

Their current performance suggests a valuation north of $10 million annually, which moves them out of the mid-tier exception zone and into a long-term commitment. These final games are an audition for a big payday.

pin a point

Putting the Ja Morant trade drama aside, Tuomas Isalo also needs clarity at the backup point guard spot. Neither Cam Spencer nor Scottie Pippen Jr. made this an easy decision; Jevon Smalls and Walter Clayton Jr. still need developmental reps. Ty Jerome seems more suited to an off-ball role. The Grizzlies are effectively sitting at six point guard options and absolutely zero certainty.

Pippen Jr. brings toughness, fight and an obvious appreciation for the city. He’s exactly the kind of player a rebuilding team wants in the locker room. The problem is one of uniformity. He just hasn’t demonstrated it enough yet. Economics also make the decision feel urgent. Only $350,000 of Pippen Jr.’s $2.4 million contract for next season is guaranteed. That leverage clearly puts Memphis out there, but it also means these final weeks are effectively an effort.

Spencer has shown that he can be one of the best shooters on the planet, although he continues to struggle defensively and handle actual point guard duties for extended stretches. If he can’t run the show, maintain elite shooting efficiency, and become a little more solid as an offensive guard, Spencer’s minutes will dry up once the roster is healthy. Putting in some work won’t be enough to demand a second contract next summer, especially if Darius Acuff or Kingston Flemings is drafted by Memphis.

Ty Jerome is struggling with emotions

Ty Jerome didn’t sign up for a full-scale rebuild. The wily 28-year-old veteran took a deal expecting a competitive team around him, and instead, he’s headed to a season that has lost most of its expected key pieces. Jerome suffered most of the season due to an off-season injury, but nobody got the better of him. No buyer’s remorse yet, but the Grizzlies and the rest of the NBA need something before the summer arrives.

Hopefully Isalo will provide a lot of opportunities. Maximizing the value of Jerome’s expiring $9.2 million deal before the NBA Draft would help everyone going into blank-slate situations. A strong finish alleviates those lingering injury concerns and potentially turns a lousy contract into a long-term asset over time.

tough times for taylor hendricks

The Grizzlies have had their big men hit for too long, and the problems continue. Even incomplete minutes could help the front office determine whether Hendricks fits in with the oft-injured Zach Eddy. Unfortunately, according to Isalo, the Grizzlies did not find the right circumstances to make the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade piece a profitable situation.

“I mean, with every player, whether it’s a steady situation, most of the time for a player like Taylor, it’s going to come down to the puck. It’s getting ahead of your own man, then making good decisions, and developing the skill set of finishing at the rim or finding those open shooters. He was in a tough situation (against the Golden State Warriors). Kyle Anderson started late for the game, and Taylor was a starter after being with the team for a very short time. “Got into the new situation. I thought he did a great job there without even practicing it. Obviously, that’s the big situation (with Jack Eddy).”

expandable evaluation

The Grizzlies are considering a series of roster decisions that will define the franchise’s financial outlook. Hendricks, Jackson and Jaylen Wells are all extension-eligible, meaning their future roles need to align with the salary cap investment. This creates a natural hierarchy with Ty Jerome and Cedric Coward slotting into the wing/off-ball rotation.

Kleiman’s front office can’t afford to enter into extension talks by guessing. Memphis needs data. Players need representatives. They need to know who will fit in with who when the core finally returns.

Losses may dominate the box score, but the evaluation season is not meaningless. For the Grizzlies, the next few weeks will decide everything from the backup point guard job to future contracts. The future of the franchise is essentially being decided on stage every night. For fans who care about what happens next, there’s a lot to see.

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic hit back at his critics over his level of commitment to basketball.

Jokic is playing the 11th season of his NBA career with the Nuggets. He earned his place as one of the best players in the entire league, often making it look easy with his elite skill set.

How simple it seems has left critics debating whether the veteran superstar has cared enough about the game over the past few seasons. Jokic finally addressed those things during an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, and dismissed the idea that he doesn’t care.

“There are a lot of people who say, ‘Well how much does he care?'” Andrews asked.

Joc responded, “I care a lot. …I think if you don’t care about winning you shouldn’t be in this game.”

“There are a lot of people who say, ‘Well, how much does he care?'”—@malika_andrews

“I care a lot. …I think if you don’t care about winning you shouldn’t be in this game.” -Nikola Jokic 🏀 pic.twitter.com/oASUyjZSCf

– NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) 18 February 2026

What’s next for Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets?

It’s clear that Nikola Jokic has proven himself to be a dedicated winner in the NBA for a long time. That was especially the case throughout his tenure with the Nuggets, leading them to the mountaintop with a 2023 championship.

Jokic continues to be remarkable throughout the 2025-26 season. He averaged 28.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 10.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 39 games. He is shooting 59% from the field, including 42% from beyond the arc and 84% from the free-throw line.

Denver compiled a 35–20 record on the season and finished third in the Western Conference standings. They are one game up on the Houston Rockets and 1.5 games up on the Los Angeles Lakers. However, they trail the San Antonio Spurs by 3.5 games and the Oklahoma City Thunder by 6.5 games.

With the All-Star break over, the Nuggets will resume action with a three-game road trip. They will face the Los Angeles Clippers on February 19 at 10:30 PM ET, the Portland Trail Blazers on February 20 at 10 PM ET, and the Golden State Warriors on February 22 at 3:30 PM ET.

The NBA All-Star Game took place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California on Sunday evening. Also attending the festivities was Lakers star LeBron James, who has long been known as one of the game’s most entertaining players.

While the celebration is taking place in Southern California, James recently explained why he doesn’t see it as a celebration for the Lakers.

“LeBron James said it doesn’t make sense for him to play the All-Star Game in LA because ‘It’s not our building. It’s a road game,'” Athlon Sports’ Joshua Valdez, formerly of the Ax, reported on Twitter.

In fact, the Lakers’ home Crypto.com Arena is a few miles away in Downtown Los Angeles, while the Intuit Dome is to the south in Inglewood.

This is the second year the Clippers have played in the arena, having previously shared a home at Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as Staples Center.

Meanwhile, James was recently declared ineligible for an All-NBA nomination this year after sitting out more than the maximum allowed 17 games due to injury. However, he is still clearly playing at an All-Star level when healthy, guiding the Lakers to a solid record so far, and a potential chance at a top-four seed in the coveted Western Conference playoff picture.

There has been much speculation that this could be the final year of James’ career, as well as questions about what he might do if Los Angeles misses its star in the playoffs once again this year, as they did against the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2025.

Some have noted that the signings of both James and Luka Doncic to large contracts have made it difficult for the Lakers to field a balanced roster.

In any case, the Lakers will next take the field against the Clippers on Friday evening, coincidentally.