LeBron James brought several NBA players to Seattle over the weekend to play for Jamal Crawford’s pro-am tournament. They included Jayson Tatum, Dejounte Murray, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren. James also showed off a new bling in a very unexpected location.
Meanwhile, Michael Jordan will be a playable character in the upcoming PGA Tour 2K23 video game. This will not be Jordan’s first appearance in a game this year. He’s on the cover of NBA 2K23 Championship Edition and NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition.
On that note, here’s the latest NBA news roundup for August 23 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
Kevin Durant appears in charity softball game in Portland
Kevin Durant has been the center of attention this offseason following his trade request out of the Brooklyn Nets. Durant is still waiting to see if the Nets can find the right trade offer for him. In the meantime, he has been very busy this summer, from training in a gym in Spain to taking down trolls on Twitter.
The two-time champion was recently spotted in Portland playing a charity softball game. It was for good reason, as Durant was showing his support to former Nets teammate Mike James. Durant was in Europe to watch James play for AS Monaco Basket.
KD made a stop in Portland to play in a charity softball gameMan of the people 🙌(via capturedbymatt_/IG) https://t.co/I0ARXcj7SA
It has been a relatively quiet market for the Nets star this summer. It does not help that the Nets are demanding a lot in return. He also has four years left in his contract, and there are questions about his health. He might still be one of the best players in the world, but he’ll be turning 34 next month.
LeBron James shows off new bling in his tooth
LeBron James became a billionaire earlier this year, and he knows all about branding. James recently showed off a new bling in his teeth. It was his signature ‘LJ’ crown logo on one of his canine teeth. The LA Lakers shared it on their Twitter page.
‘The King’ has been very busy this summer. He recently played in a Crawsover pro-am tournament game in Seattle over the weekend. That came a month after he made an appearance in the Drew League. Entering his 20th season in the NBA, James still appears to be in top shape for his age.
When not busy playing in pro-am tournaments, the 37-year-old has been hyping up and supporting his kids, Bronny and Bryce. Bronny will enter his senior year in high school and will be heavily recruited. Meanwhile, Bryce has already received his first college offer despite being younger than his brother.
Ben Simmons cleared to participate in 3-on-3 activities
Ben Simmons missed the entire 2021-22 NBA season for several reasons. One of them was a back injury that required surgery this offseason. Simmons had a microdiscectomy that helped fix a herniated disc in May.
Shams Charania of The Athletic now reports that Simmons has been cleared to participate in 3-on-3 activities. The three-time All-Star appears to be on track to make a full recovery just in time for the start of the season. Charania noted that Simmons could be given the green light to play 5-on-5 in the next few weeks.
🚨 Ben Simmons is expected to be ready for Nets training camp in late September, per @ShamsCharania.Simmons has been cleared for 3-on-3 basketball activities following back surgery in May. He’s also on track to be cleared for full 5-on-5 activities in the coming weeks. https://t.co/0BVroTZrOP
Simmons’ health is a huge factor for the Brooklyn Nets next season. Kevin Durant’s trade request is still on the table, but the Nets know that they have the leverage. On paper, a team with Durant, Simmons and Kyrie Irving could win a lot of games.
Michael Jordan to be playable character in PGA Tour 2K23
Michael Jordan has been a huge fan of golf since his NBA playing days. Jordan remains an avid golfer, owning the Grove XXIII Golf Club near Hobe Sound, Florida. Fans will now have the chance to play Jordan in the upcoming PGA Tour 2K23 video game.
According to Sports Illustrated, 2K Sports is offering a ‘Michael Jordan Bonus Pack’ for those who want to pre-order the game. The pack will give access to Jordan as a playabale character. The six-time champion will also be on the cover of two NBA 2K23 editions.
Jordan will be joining Tiger Woods as a cover athlete for a 2K Sports franchise. Woods is the cover athlete for PGA Tour 2K23 and all three different editions. The legendary golfer will be back as a playable character in a video game for the first time in about ten years.
Udonis Haslem to retire at end of 2022-23 NBA season
Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat has decided to spend one more year in the NBA. Haslem will enter his 20th year in the league next season, all with the Heat. The 42-year-old veteran will be just the tenth player in NBA history to play in two decades.
Haslem joined Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Jamal Crawford and LeBron James. Haslem and James are entering their 20th season at the same time. James is expected to continue his career beyond next season.
Meanwhile, Haslem has confirmed to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald that the 2022-23 season will be his final one in the NBA. He has career averages of 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds. He also won championships in 2006, 2012 and 2013, and was named to the All-Rookie Second Team in 2004.
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