Jason Quick

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Jason Quick

DENVER - George Karl hopped on his electric bicycle, put it in second gear and set off to ride away his blues. Last summer, the Hall of Fame basketball coach logged more than 1,300 miles on his bike. He finds the rides therapeutic. Being in the sun energizes him, and exercise helps clear his airway and makes him feel like an athlete again.

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Jason Quick

When the wine first pours at the table of Gregg Popovich, nobody takes a sip until the San Antonio Spurs coach raises his glass and makes a toast. No matter the occasion, no matter the company, the toast is always the same. "We will sit down, he'll pour the wine, and he'll say it ... every time," said Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who played for and coached with Popovich.

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Jason Quick

PORTLAND, Ore. - When Damian Lillard was carried off the court Sunday night with a season-ending Achilles injury, it sent shock waves through more than just the NBA playoff bracket. More than 2,000 miles west of Milwaukee, the tremors of Lillard's injury rocked Portland at its core. When students arrived at HB Lee Middle School on Monday morning, seventh-grade teacher Sunil Schauffler said there was a palpable pall over his students. He was expecting the down mood, because he, too, was in a funk.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Jason Quick

PORTLAND, Ore. - Probably no 30-something-win team celebrated itself more than the Portland Trail Blazers did last week. Contract extension for general manager Joe Cronin. Contract extension for coach Chauncey Billups. Back pats all around. But after three years of ugly and often nameless basketball, the Blazers were respectable, if not downright intriguing, this season. Portland (36-46) won 15 more games than the previous season. Deni Avdija broke out as an impact player.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Jason Quick

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has agreed to a multiyear contract extension, he confirmed to The Athletic on Sunday. Billups, 48, has led the team since June 2021. He has a 116-211 record. Though Portland hasn't made the postseason during Billups' tenure, the Trail Blazers' 35-46 record with one game remaining in the 2024-25 regular season is their best since finishing 42-30 during the 2020-21 campaign. Portland hosts the Los Angeles Lakers at 3:30 p.m. ET to close out this season.