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A14 sports
Saturday 18 June 2022
Warriors cap title run, NBA flips the page to 2022-23 season

By TIM REYNOLDS Kawhi Leonard back next
AP Basketball Writer season. Phoenix, Miami,
A parade awaits in San Philadelphia, Memphis and
Francisco to celebrate Dallas round out the top 10
the champion Golden in the odds posted by Fan-
State Warriors. The NBA Duel.
draft is a few days away, Of course, take any predic-
with presumed top-three tion right now with a grain
picks Jabari Smith, Chet of salt.
Holmgren and Paolo Ban- When last season ended
chero set to take their first Brooklyn was the runaway
steps toward realizing their favorite to win the 2022
enormous potential. Free NBA title. The Nets didn't
agency starts in less than win a playoff game, get-
two weeks. ting swept by the Celtics in
The 2021-22 NBA season is Round 1.
over. The second choice by
The 2022-23 NBA season sportsbooks after last sea-
seems like it's already here. son was the Los Angeles
The Warriors are back on Lakers. They didn't even
the NBA mountaintop. make the playoffs and
Their win over the Boston struggled by almost all pos-
Celtics in this season's fi- sible measures.
nals capped the league's For the record, the Warriors
75th anniversary celebra- Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, holds up the Bill Russell Trophy for most valu- had top-five odds of win-
able player after the Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 6 to win basketball's NBA Finals
tion and ushered in an off- championship, Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Boston. ning this year's title by most
season that will, as always, Associated Press oddsmakers when last sea-
start with tons of attention son ended at around 12-1.
on player movement — or, ie-contract paydays: Mem- the class of unrestricted 2023-24 and 2024-25 sea- The Celtics were in the mid-
in some cases, players not phis' Ja Morant, Miami's free agents. Kyrie Irving, sons. dle of the pack, at around
moving. Tyler Herro, New York's R.J. James Harden, Russell "When we get to that point, 40-1.
Two-time reigning MVP Barrett and Cleveland's Westbrook and Bradley we'll see," James said when SUMMER LEAGUE
Nikola Jokic is eligible to Darius Garland are just Beal all have player options the Lakers' season ended. All 30 teams will be in Las
receive a $260 million su- some of the names in that for next season, all of them That point isn't here yet. But Vegas from July 7-17 for
permax extension from the group. worth between $34 million it's coming. the NBA Summer League,
Denver Nuggets; it's basi- So, too, is New Orleans' Zion and $43 million. THE FAVORITES which — before the pan-
cally a sure thing that it'll Williamson, which will be an And then there's LeBron According to FanDuel demic slowed momentum
be offered and accepted. interesting case since he James, about to enter his Sportsbook, the Warriors — was routinely drawing
Phoenix's Devin Booker and has been healthy enough 20th season — likely the are the favorites to win the big crowds, and the belief
Minnesota's Karl-Anthony to play in only 85 games one where he'll catch Ka- 2023 title — just ahead of is it'll get back to that again
Towns are in line for $210 over his first three pro sea- reem Abdul-Jabbar and the Celtics. this summer.
million extensions, neither sons and is constantly ques- become the NBA's all-time Brooklyn is the third choice There are two other smaller
of which will be surprises ei- tioned about his condition- scoring leader — and soon in odds posted immediate- events, hosted by the War-
ther. ing. to be eligible for a two-year ly after Game 6 of this year's riors and the Utah Jazz, be-
Then there's the class of Zach LaVine, who is ex- extension with the Los An- finals ended, followed by fore the Vegas league.
younger players in line to pected to remain with the geles Lakers that'll be worth Milwaukee and the Los An- RULE CHANGE
secure their first post-rook- Chicago Bulls, headlines nearly $100 million for the geles Clippers — who get Farewell, take foul.q

AP source: Commanders fined for excessive practice contact

A person with knowledge he stopped practice to for a stadium bill, and a
of the decision said the lecture his team. Safety Jer- lawyer for Dan Snyder told
NFL has fined the Washing- emy Reaves made signifi- Congress the team's owner
ton Commanders $100,000 cant contact with second- would not testify at a hear-
and stripped the team of year receiver Dyami Brown ing next week.
two offseason workouts during practice without Dallas coach Mike Mc-
next year because of ex- pads June 8. Carthy was fined $100,000
cessive contact in practice "We just got to be careful and the club was stripped
among players. and work with each other," of one offseason practice
The person spoke to The As- Rivera said afterward. "The next year because of prac-
sociated Press on Friday on last thing we want is some- tices deemed too physi-
condition of anonymity be- body to be hurt." cal by the NFL, owner Jerry
cause the league did not The fine and loss of 2023 Jones confirmed.
announce the disciplinary OTA practice time is the lat- It's the second consecu-
move. est off-field development tive year the Cowboys
Washington Commanders cornerbacks Benjamin St-Juste, right,
and Josh Drayden (38) practice during an NFL football practice The fine, which was first re- for the Commanders after were punished for offsea-
at Inova Sports Performance Center in Ashburn, Va., Wednes- ported by ESPN, applies assistant Jack Del Rio was son practice violations. Last
day, June 8, 2022. to coach Ron Rivera, who fined $100,000 for down- year, McCarthy was fined
Associated Press was incensed by one par- playing the insurrection at $50,000 and the team was
ticular hit during organized the U.S. Capitol. Virginia docked $100,000 and one
By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer team activities to the point lawmakers tabled plans 2022 workout.q