Bill Russell passed away peacefully on Sunday. He was 88 years old.

Russell won 11 NBA Titles as a player, with the last two coming as a player-coach.

Russell won countless individual awards throughout his career, including 5 MVPs.

In 2009, the league renamed the NBA Finals MVP to the "Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award."

Russell was inducted into the Hall of Fame both as a player and a coach. 

Russell also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. 

Charles Barkley ended contract talks with LIV Golf to stay at Turner "for the rest of my TV career," he told Andrew Marchand of the New York Post on Friday.

“I want to thank Greg Norman and LIV for their interest in me,” Barkley told the Post. “I wish those guys great success and nothing but the best. But, in my best interest, and being fair to Turner — because Turner and basketball have given me every single thing in my life. It is best for me to move on and I’m staying with Turner for the rest of my TV career.” 

LIV Golf has yet to pick up a TV deal in the United States.

Barkley currently has 3 years and $30 million left on his Turner deal, while also revealing that he makes an additional $10 million yearly in endorsements.

Turner has not attempted to renegotiate Barkley's current deal or offer an extension. Barkley's contract ends at the same time as Turner's contract with the NBA.

Barkley has said in the past that he wants to retire at the end of his current contract. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder hired executive Vince Rozman from the Philadelphia 76ers, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Rozman will work in a scouting role as the VP of Identification and Intelligence. 

The NBA will not have a vaccine mandate in place for next season, according to a memo obtained by Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo! Sports.

The league will strongly suggest that players remain up-to-date with their vaccinations.

The league could also allow periodic testing of unvaccinated players based on discussions with the NBPA. 

The Washington Wizards are hiring James Posey as an assistant on Wes Unseld Jr.'s staff, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Posey was an assistant with the University of Virginia women's basketball program last season. 

Darvin Ham is attempting to get Russell Westbrook to embrace a supporting role with the Los Angeles Lakers, which is something the team was unsuccessful in persuading him to do last season. The Lakers want Westbrook to play more as a screener and to give more effort defensively. 

"I was talking to somebody who was with the Lakers last season and they were saying that if there's a person in the organization that Russ could listen to, they tried to talk to him," said Brian Windhorst. 

"From what I'm told, just everybody there who Russ would allow an audience for [talked to him]," added Windhorst.

The Lakers parted ways with Frank Vogel this offseason and hired Ham as his replacement. 

The Atlanta Hawks are close to hiring Kyle Korver in their front office, sources told Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Korver was a player development coach with the Nets last season. 

Korver played for the Hawks from 2012-2017 and made the All-Star team in 2015. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers unveiled three new uniforms for next season, including the Association (white), Icon (wine) and Statement (black) colors.

The Statement jersey features a Jordan logo and is inspired by the team's title run in 2016. 

The new uniforms are part of a larger overall brand refresh.

“We wanted to put our players in a uniform that would make them feel strong, confident and proud to represent this new chapter of Cavaliers basketball,” said creative director Daniel Arsham. “It’s a very clean, reductive, modern design that pays homage to all of the players and fans that have been a part of our team’s remarkable journey in becoming who we are today.”

The upcoming jerseys will also include Cleveland-Cliffs as a new patch partner.

Russell Westbrook parted ways with his agent Thad Foucher because of "irreconcilable difference," reported Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Foucher released a statement to ESPN, citing that the two are no longer aligned on how Westbrook should handle next season with the Lakers. 

Foucher believes that the best option for Westbrook next season is "to stay with the Lakers, embrace the starting role and support that Darvin Ham publicly offered" while adding that a potential trade and subsequent buyout would "diminish Russell's value."

Foucher has represented Westbrook since 2008, when the point guard left UCLA and entered the draft.

Since 2016 when Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder to sign with the Golden State Warriors, star players who change team have rarely stayed on their new team for an extended period. 

The median tenure for a star with his new team is two seasons. Seven star players last just one season with their new teams.

LeBron James and LaMarcus Aldridge are the only two players who have stayed with their new team for four or more seasons, though Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are each entering their fourth seasons with their respective clubs and widely expected to remain in place.

Jimmy Butler spent 17 months with the Minnesota Timberwolves and then 67 games with the Philadelphia 76ers before going to the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade. Butler is on an extension and expected to remain with the Heat long-term as he enters Year 4.

Russell Westbrook has lasted just one season in each destination since he was traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019, and is widely expected to leave the Los Angeles Lakers at some point before the trade deadline.