JULIUS ERVING

Stephen Curry scored 30 points in his return to Golden State’s starting lineup and the Warriors beat Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets 102-98 on Wednesday night to end the first-round series in five games.

Kevin Durant scored 18 of his 25 points in Brooklyn’s dominating first half in the Nets’ 129-100 blowout victory over the 76ers on Thursday night in Ben Simmons’ much-hyped return to Philadelphia.

The NBA celebrated its diamond anniversary with a sparkling tribute to honor 75 years on the hardwood floor.

Steph Curry nearly upstaged LeBron James’ homecoming weekend by scoring 50 points with a mind-boggling shooting display to lead Team LeBron to a 163-160- win over Team Durant in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night.

Karl-Anthony Towns gave big men everywhere something to shoot for.

The NBA is honoring its 75th anniversary team during the All-Star Game, but the league won’t be able to duplicate the magic from 25 years ago in its return to Cleveland.

Joel Embiid had 26 points and nine rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 105-87.

Dominique Wilkins was born in Paris.

(AP Photo, File) (Uncredited)(EDITOR’S NOTE: Hall of Famer Julius Erving, an NBA and ABA champion, is considered one of the greatest basketball players ever and one of the sport's finest ambassadors. As part of an Associated Press series on the NBA at 75, the player known as “Dr. Those of us who played in the NBA in the 1980s definitely played a role in what the league has become today. The public service ads and the public service involvement led to the commercial endorsements because people realized that the same guys, those same people doing public service ads could be good pitchmen, good spokesmen. A couple months ago I did a program at the Salvation Army, a fundraising program.

J" shares some of the experiences that helped make him who he is, and provided him with the foundation to help him lead the transformation the NBA during the 1980s.) Those of us who played in the NBA in the 1980s definitely played a role in what the league has become today. I was a Salvation Army kid. The public service ads and the public service involvement led to the commercial endorsements because people realized that the same guys, those same people doing public service ads could be good pitchmen, good spokesmen. A couple months ago I did a program at the Salvation Army, a fundraising program.

(AP Photo, File) (Uncredited)(EDITOR’S NOTE: Hall of Famer Julius Erving, an NBA and ABA champion, is considered one of the greatest basketball players ever and one the greatest ambassadors of the game off the court. Those of us who played in the NBA in the 1980s definitely played a role in what the league has become today. I was a Salvation Army kid. The public service ads and the public service involvement led to the commercial endorsements because people realized that the same guys, those same people doing public service ads could be good pitchmen, good spokesmen. A couple months ago I did a program at the Salvation Army, a fundraising program.

Hall of Famer Julius Erving says the commercial success he and other NBA players enjoyed in the 1980s didn't just happen.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird headline the 1980s all-decade team for the NBA, as voted on by AP Sports staffers directly engaged with the NBA At 75 season-long series.

The 1980s became a transformative decade for the NBA, which is celebrating its 75th season. Stern was an executive vice president for the NBA in the early 1980s when a landmark revenue-sharing agreement was struck, one where players would get 53% of the gross. “David Stern is the reason why the league is in the position that it is in today,” said Wilkins, named one of the Top 75 players in NBA history. We were the first team, the Atlanta Hawks, we were the first NBA team to play international basketball. That all was David Stern, really introducing the NBA game worldwide.”It was a meteoric turnaround.

When the 1980's began, the NBA “was in trouble.”.

Dave Hickey, a prominent American critic whose essays covered topics ranging from Liberace to Norman Rockwell, has died.

For the NBA’s 75th anniversary team, 75 players weren’t enough.

Trae Young scored 39 points and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 109-106 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Joel Embiid scored 27 points and the Philadelphia 76ers rode a dominant third quarter to a 127-111 win over the Atlanta Hawks and a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Joel Embiid had 40 points and 13 rebounds and Shake Milton buried a 32-footer and scored 14 points in an electrifying stretch off the bench to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past the Atlanta Hawks 118-102.

FILE - In this Feb. 19, 2021, file photo, Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid reacts after making a basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Philadelphia. “The fans are always there for me when I play,” Embiid said. Ad“It’s nice to have a big guy in the MVP talk,” Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal told The Associated Press. AdHe is trying to become the first Sixer to win NBA MVP — the fans call it an MVBiid campaign — since Iverson in 2001. Nobody can guard you.’ I think that’s a big reason he’s having the season he’s having.”Morey, though, is fine with Embiid shooting from deep.

After boosting his stock with an outstanding junior season that got cut short, Garza heads the list of star seniors gearing up for the 2020-21 campaign. The 6-10 forward averaged 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds, up from 7.9 points and 5.6 rebounds as a sophomore. KANSAS G MARCUS GARRETTGarrett averaged 9.2 points last season, but his biggest contributions come on the other end of the floor. VILLANOVA G COLLIN GILLESPIEThis 6-3 guard averaged 15.1 points, 4.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals last season. GONZAGA F COREY KISPERTThe 6-foot-7 Kispert earned preseason AP All-America honors as he begins his final season with the top-ranked Bulldogs.