Ace Dybantsa: “I tell parents, never be afraid to punish the kid,” he said. “Because I can’t whoop his ass. I live in America. There’s something called child abuse. My dad whooped my ass when I was young, but I was in the Congo; they didn’t care. So, take something that he loves the most — basketball and his cell phone. It worked. I just don’t play. I’m about tough love.”

Ace’s methods were, and are, well-known.

“I mean, you’ve heard the stories,” said AJ, and yes, you have.

The most infamous one: When AJ got a C-minus in a class, Ace called his son’s AAU coach, and told him they’d be driving from Brockton to the AAU team’s next tournament that weekend, in the Philadelphia area — except that AJ was not, under any circumstances, allowed to play. It’s a six-hour drive from Brockton to Philly. Ace and AJ made the drive. Went to the gym. AJ warmed up with his teammates. But when the game began, he sat. And he cried in the back seat on the six-hour drive home.

“I turn around and say, ‘You get the picture?’” Ace recalled.Ace got AJ and his sisters up early to train. They couldn’t lie to their dad if they skipped parts of the workouts when he wasn’t there, because he had cameras installed in the kitchen, which overlooked the yard.

“When I was 13, 12, he’s knocking on my door. ‘Yo, we better go work out,'” AJ said. “And, you know, ‘Everybody go to the weight room.’ But after I got on a routine, you know, I started to realize, like, hard work is what it takes.”

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7649979/2026/10/15/aj-dybantsa-wizards-path-byu-brockton/?unlocked_article_code=1.I1E.7AQQ.qV8Lvki_ny34&source=user_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share

​

The Los Angeles Lakers have officially released their players’ physical measurements for this year’s training camp.

As shared by Lakers reporter and insider Jovan Buha, some players have gained or lost weight entering the team’s training camp.

Luka Doncic records slight decrease in weight entering 2026-27 season

Luka Doncic weighed 242 pounds (109.8 kg) as he entered the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2026 training camp.

The Slovenian superstar recorded a slight decrease from last year, when he weighed 244 pounds (110.7 kg) at the Lakers’ training camp.

Source: https://basketnews.com/news-257290-luka-doncic-new-weight-for-lakers-revealed-ahead-of-new-nba-season.html

https://www.local10.com/news/local/2026/10/14/former-nba-star-amare-stoudemire-is-now-a-south-florida-cop/

PG — Shai (67%)
SG — Ant (73%)
SF — Luka (37%)
PF — Giannis (70%)
C — Jokic (63%)

via NBA.com

Brunson got 20% of the vote at point guard, Tatum got 33% of the vote at small forward, and Wemby got 37% of the vote at center.

The Knicks are waiving Tony Bradley and Ochai Agbaji along with Eubanks, sources said.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania

https://imgur.com/a/33ED34V

The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers are both actively exploring trades involving former first-round picks as they work through final roster decisions ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.

According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Knicks have discussed moving Pacome Dadiet, while the Lakers have been exploring the market for Dalton Knecht.

For New York, moving Dadiet could help solve its final roster dilemma. After waiving Drew Eubanks, Tony Bradley, and Ochai Agbaji, the Knicks have narrowed their competition down to James Wiseman and Bruce Brown.

New York currently has enough room below the second apron to keep only one of them. Trading a guaranteed player such as Dadiet could create a pathway to retain both.

Dadiet is due roughly $3 million this season and has a team option for 2027-28.

The 21-year-old, who was selected by New York with the No. 25 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, appeared in 29 games last season and averaged 1.7 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.4 assists.

The Lakers face their own roster crunch, as Knecht has been viewed for weeks as the player most likely to be moved before opening night.

Los Angeles entered training camp with 16 players competing for 15 standard roster spots, with Knecht and Jaden Hardy among the players whose futures have been closely watched.

ClutchPoints previously reported that the Lakers had explored consolidation trades and had been trying to move Knecht for some time.

Knecht, the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, saw his role decline significantly last season. He averaged 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in 54 games after posting 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds as a rookie.

The 25-year-old is earning approximately $4.2 million this season, while the Lakers face a decision on his $6.45 million team option for 2027-28.

Source: https://basketnews.com/news-257425-lakers-knicks-actively-shopping-former-first-round-picks-before-season.html

Former NBA guard Jeremy Lin is one of the latest athletes to try his hand at broadcasting. ESPN announced on Thursday that Lin has been hired as a contributor to NBA Today and a game analyst for the 2026-27 NBA season. In addition to Lin's arrival, ESPN also hired former floor general and head coach Jason Kidd, who was fired by the Dallas Mavericks earlier this offseason. The Hall of Famer will be a member of the new NBA Countdown lineup, and he will serve as a game analyst throughout the year.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25510512-jeremy-lin-jason-kidd-join-espn-nba-analysts-ahead-2026-season

On Wednesday, former American-Israeli NBA All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire graduated the police academy as to serve the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department.

Since retirement, he stayed busy, playing overseas in Israel and winning championships in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He is now a cop in South Florida.

https://www.tmz.com/2026/10/15/retired-knicks-star-amare-stoudemire-graduates-police-academy-cop/

Per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, one anonymous NBA executive identified the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers as the two teams with the clearest path to pursuing Towns if he ultimately reaches the open market.

"Only a few possible suitors stand out to me right now in terms of cap space teams and fit," the executive told Bondy. "Chicago and the Clippers have the cleanest path."

The executive also mentioned the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, and Dallas Mavericks as teams that could potentially create enough space, although each situation comes with complications.

"The Nets can get there with the money, but that's not a good fit," the executive added. "Golden State and Dallas could get around [$50 million] in space with more tinkering."

Source: https://basketnews.com/news-257410-two-teams-emerge-as-potential-karl-anthony-towns-landing-spots.html

Knicks center Drew Eubanks sustained a torn pectoral muscle and will be sidelined for an extended period of time, sources tell ESPN. New York will waive Eubanks, who was competing for a reserve center spot in training camp.

Knicks center Drew Eubanks sustained a torn pectoral muscle and will be sidelined for an extended period of time, sources tell ESPN. New York will waive Eubanks, who was competing for a reserve center spot in training camp.

https://imgur.com/a/HmNBkeY