by Jazz Ray
Tuesday, Nov 11, 2025They’ve kept themselves in superb shape, they’ve earned big contract after big contract, they remain fan draws and they have earned the right to have their voices heard in their respective franchises. But it may be time for LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry to exit the NBA stage, albeit figuratively.
Yes, they can still dominate, but in games, not complete seasons. They will need substantial rest in the regular season in order to be major factors come playoff time. The end is not here, but it appears near.
Durant, owner of four scoring titles, one regular season MVP award and two NBA Finals MVP trophies, could not even get the Phoenix Suns into the playoffs last season. The Rockets are his fifth team, and are built around young legs. It is no longer a guarantee that he will get the final shot in close games.
The Warriors’ Steph Curry has maintained his scoring pace, but he’ll be 38 years old (the oldest player on an old team) when the season ends, and a cold knocked him out of the lineup for three games. How he holds up for the next five months is anyone’s guess, and Golden State might have to settle for a Play-In spot.
Speaking of anyone’s guess, what gives with LeBron James? He may be hurt, he may be in a snit because the Lakers declined to pick up the option on his contract, or it may be a bit of both. One thing is sure, though – LA is counting the days until it can move on without him, almost certainly at the end of this season, and continue the build with Luka Doncic as the centerpiece.
Curry, James and Durant will soon be joined by other fading superstars – Joel Embiid, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard among them – and replaced by the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama. Tides go out, tides come in.
***Prop bets, which were at the heart of the federal case against Terry Rozier, got juiced even more when Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted on charges that they were involved in manipulating pitches.
Clase and Ortiz reportedly guaranteed prop winners on certain pitches being either called a ball or being below posted speeds. Rozier reportedly pulled himself out of games by faking injuries, guaranteeing wins for under players on prop wagers.
Major League Baseball has moved quickly to at least make it appear that it is taking this seriously. It has reached agreements with several betting sites to limit to $200 the amount that can be wagered on certain types of bets.
***Is there a bigger surprise player than Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey? The PG is averaging more than 33 points a game for a Sixers team that has gotten only a fraction of what it needs from former MVP Joel Embiid, and is still more than keeping its head above water. Philadelphia is a league-best 8-1-1 ATS and also has been a solid cash for Over players (7-3).
***On the other end of the spectrum are the aging Clippers, who are riding an 8-game ATS losing streak; the only time they covered the spread this season was way back on Oct. 24. Looks like a tough road ahead for LA’s Other Team, especially with the Lakers showing early signs of life despite James’s absence from the lineup.
***Portland’s Damian Lillard, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Halliburton – all out for at least most of this season with Achilles tendon tears. Portland and Boston are hanging around at .500, while the Pacers are circling the drain and headed for a rough season.
Yes, they can still dominate, but in games, not complete seasons. They will need substantial rest in the regular season in order to be major factors come playoff time. The end is not here, but it appears near.
Durant, owner of four scoring titles, one regular season MVP award and two NBA Finals MVP trophies, could not even get the Phoenix Suns into the playoffs last season. The Rockets are his fifth team, and are built around young legs. It is no longer a guarantee that he will get the final shot in close games.
The Warriors’ Steph Curry has maintained his scoring pace, but he’ll be 38 years old (the oldest player on an old team) when the season ends, and a cold knocked him out of the lineup for three games. How he holds up for the next five months is anyone’s guess, and Golden State might have to settle for a Play-In spot.
Speaking of anyone’s guess, what gives with LeBron James? He may be hurt, he may be in a snit because the Lakers declined to pick up the option on his contract, or it may be a bit of both. One thing is sure, though – LA is counting the days until it can move on without him, almost certainly at the end of this season, and continue the build with Luka Doncic as the centerpiece.
Curry, James and Durant will soon be joined by other fading superstars – Joel Embiid, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard among them – and replaced by the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama. Tides go out, tides come in.
***Prop bets, which were at the heart of the federal case against Terry Rozier, got juiced even more when Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted on charges that they were involved in manipulating pitches.
Clase and Ortiz reportedly guaranteed prop winners on certain pitches being either called a ball or being below posted speeds. Rozier reportedly pulled himself out of games by faking injuries, guaranteeing wins for under players on prop wagers.
Major League Baseball has moved quickly to at least make it appear that it is taking this seriously. It has reached agreements with several betting sites to limit to $200 the amount that can be wagered on certain types of bets.
***Is there a bigger surprise player than Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey? The PG is averaging more than 33 points a game for a Sixers team that has gotten only a fraction of what it needs from former MVP Joel Embiid, and is still more than keeping its head above water. Philadelphia is a league-best 8-1-1 ATS and also has been a solid cash for Over players (7-3).
***On the other end of the spectrum are the aging Clippers, who are riding an 8-game ATS losing streak; the only time they covered the spread this season was way back on Oct. 24. Looks like a tough road ahead for LA’s Other Team, especially with the Lakers showing early signs of life despite James’s absence from the lineup.
***Portland’s Damian Lillard, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Halliburton – all out for at least most of this season with Achilles tendon tears. Portland and Boston are hanging around at .500, while the Pacers are circling the drain and headed for a rough season.
