LeBron James is entering the 20th season of his NBA career, but shows no signs of slowing down. Despite missing a chunk of games last season due to injury, James is expected to go full throttle in the preseason. James reportedly wants to play more in the preseason as part of his preparation for the season.
Meanwhile, Miles Bridges’ career in the league remains in jeopardy. Bridges is facing felony charges and could receive a prison sentence if found guilty. The preliminary hearing for his case was also delayed for the fourth time since the charges were filed.
Here is the latest NBA News Roundup for Oct. 1 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
James Wiseman leads Warriors to win over Wizards in Japan
James Wiseman missed all of last season while recovering from knee surgery. Wiseman sat on the bench as the Golden State Warriors won the championship. With a clean bill of health entering his third season, Wiseman looked dominant in Golden State’s preseason game in Japan.
The former No. 2 overall pick had 20 points and nine rebounds to lead the Warriors to a 96-87 win over the Washington Wizards. Wiseman was fantastic and showed how he could help the defending champs this season. The highlight of the game was Wiseman’s dunk over Kristaps Porzingis.
“I just went out there and played my game,” Wiseman said after the game. “I wasn’t trying to do something that was outside my boundaries. Just keep the game simple and be myself.”
LeBron James wants to play more preseason games
As part of his preparation for the 20th year of his NBA career, LeBron James is planning to play more in the preseason. James told the media about his plans after Friday’s practice. LA Lakers coach Darvin Ham confirmed that he wants James to get into his rhythm as soon as possible.
“We don’t want to go crazy,” Ham said. “But we also want it to be enough where we can establish a rhythm. So he can be in game mode with a good rhythm going into the regular season.”
The four-time MVP cited his diet and training regimen as keys to his longevity. At the age of 37 years old, James remains one of the best players in the league.
“Being Black and understanding how heart rate and blood-pressure things run in my family. Living a healthy lifestyle is very important,” James said. “It’s not only to myself, but it’s about showing that to the kids and people all around. If that can translate to the game, cool. But it’s more about life.”
NBA veteran joins Celtics on a 1-year deal
The Boston Celtics added veteran forward Blake Griffin to their roster for the 2022-23 season. Griffin signed a one-year deal with Boston after spending a season and a half with the Brooklyn Nets, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The Celtics are one of the favorites to win the championship next season.
The 33-year-old former All-Star posted career lows last season. He averaged just 6.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 54 games. He’s no longer the athlete he once was, but can still contribute to a contender. The Celtics will be without Robert Williams III to start the season due to knee surgery.
The six-time All-Star can provide backup minutes for Al Horford to play with Grant Williams off the bench. He has a career average of 19.8 points and 8.2 rebounds. He spent the majority of his career with the LA Clippers, but also played for the Detroit Pistons before joining the Nets.
Miles Bridges’ case delayed for the 4th time
Miles Bridges’ future in the league remains in question due to domestic violence and child abuse charges filed by his wife, Mychelle Johnson. Bridges allegedly assaulted Johnson in front of their two kids. If convicted, the Charlotte Hornets forward faces around 12 years in prison.
According to Sports Illustrated, Bridges’ preliminary hearing was delayed for the fourth time. The case was originally scheduled for Aug. 19 but was moved to Sept. 7. It was then rescheduled for the third time for Sept. 29 before getting changed again. The preliminary hearing is now scheduled for Oct. 7.
Bridges was set to receive a max contract in the offseason before the alleged assault happened. The Hornets still have control over his contract, but his future in the league remains in jeopardy. If Bridges gets acquitted, it’s possible for him to sit out the entire 2022-23 season and enter the next offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
NBA returning to Seattle for one preseason game
Seattle is the former home of an NBA team, the SuperSonics. The city has a crazy basketball fanbase and these people want to have another NBA team. The league will return to Seattle for a brief period this preseason, hosting a game.
The LA Clippers are scheduled to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at the Climate Pledge Arena. The last time Seattle hosted a preseason game was in 2018 when the Golden State Warriors faced the Sacramento Kings. The Sonics left the city in 2008 and moved to Oklahoma City.
The NBA will make its Climate Pledge Arena debut this fall for a preseason game between the Portland Trail Blazers and LA Clippers.Seattle to host NBA preseason game this fall between Trail Blazers and ClippersWhile it isn’t the Sonics — at least not yet — NBA basketball wil… https://t.co/BNs0thrmqK
With plenty of rumors regarding two future NBA expansion teams, Seattle and Las Vegas are the favorites to land new franchises. Seattle native and former player Jamal Crawford has been advocating for the return of basketball in the city. He recently hosted a pro-am game in the offseason, which was attended by LeBron James.
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