Luka Doncic

The 2021-22 NBA season is approaching and, with it, plenty of new storylines such as players on new teams, rookies taking the court for the first time and high-profile clashes between championship contenders.

Fans got a sneak peak of all of that Tuesday when NBA 2K22 released its new trailer.

The trailer with next-gen gameplay footage features Russell Westbrook in his new Los Angeles Lakers jersey battling former teammate and current Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant. It also includes No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham in his Detroit Pistons jersey and WNBA star Candace Parker of the Chicago Sky unleashing a variety of moves on the court.

Parker is the first woman to be on the cover of an NBA 2K game.

Fellow cover star Luka Doncic was also featured in the trailer, as are NBA stars such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Zion Williamson, LaMelo Ball, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Trae Young, Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Donovan Mitchell and Kyrie Irving.

Eagle-eyed observers will notice moments in the trailer when past generations of stars flash into the action, such as when Doncic's jumper is mixed with one from Dirk Nowitzki or when Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade make brief appearances when Mitchell is on the free-throw line.

The trailer also highlights some of the new gameplay features that will be in this year's edition to provide faster-paced games with more responsive controls.

Defensive changes include a rebuilt shot-contesting and blocking system, more focus on the steal attribute, and improved defensive rotations. Offensively, there are new dribble combinations with tighter control and additional signature moves for star players.

The new shot meter will reward high-quality shots with the league's top shooters while punishing poor-quality shots. There will also be an array of new post moves and plays for the frontcourt players.

NBA 2K22 will be released Sept. 10.

2K Sports announced the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and Seattle Storm's Breanna Stewart are among the top-rated players in the upcoming NBA 2K22 video game.

The game's publisher revealed the first wave of ratings Wednesday morning featuring both NBA and WNBA players. Here's a look at some of the NBA players showcased so far, including three members of the reigning champion Bucks:

Durant (96)

Curry (96)

Antetokounmpo (96)

Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets, 95)

Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks, 94)

Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers, 94)

Khris Middleton (Bucks, 88)

Jrue Holiday (Bucks, 85)

LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets, 84) 

And here are the top WNBA players in the game:

Stewart (95)

A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces, 94)

Jonquel Jones (Connecticut Sun, 94)

Candace Parker (Chicago Sky, 93)

Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury, 92)

More ratings will be announced throughout Wednesday.

NBA 2K22 celebrates the league's 75th anniversary with a special cover featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Durant. There are also standard and cross-gen editions of that game, which feature two different covers with Doncic.

The premium NBA 75th Anniversary Edition cover of NBA 2K22 was painted by Atlanta-based artist Charly Palmer, who is known worldwide for his one-of-a-kind technique and style. It features a trio of the NBA's most iconic big men who changed the game over the league's 75 years: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar represents the big man 'X' factor that still influences today's game, Dirk Nowitzki brings a global respect for the sport and Kevin Durant embodies a legend in the making.

Parker is also featured on one of the covers, making her the popular game's first female cover athlete:

The cover of NBA 2K is such a pivotal platform to inspire young ballers, and I wanted future WNBA stars to know that they can be cover athletes too. Representation matters, so this is a special moment of progress for the sport and the series. To be part of this historic cover is a testament to the growth and rising popularity of the women’s game, and I’m proud to be the first female cover athlete to be the face of NBA 2K.

NBA 2K22 is scheduled for a Sept. 10 worldwide release on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

The iconic Honus Wagner T206 baseball card has regained its throne as the most expensive sports trading card ever sold after going for $6.6 million in an auction Sunday night.

Darren Rovell of the Action Network reported the Wagner T206 is exceedingly rare, with only three graded by SGC and four by PSA of equal or higher quality, which is why it was able to break the record despite an otherwise mundane grade of a three out of 10.

Here's the updated top five sports trading values, via Rovell:

1. Honus Wagner (T206, $6.6 million)

T-2. Mickey Mantle (1952 Topps, $5.2 million)

T-2. LeBron James (2003-04 Upper Deck Rookie Patch Autograph; $5.2 million)

4. Luka Doncic (1:1 Logoman Autograph, $4.6 million)

5. Patrick Mahomes (2017 Rookie Auto BGS 8.5; $4.3 million)

Other Wagner T206 cards also hold the No. 7 ($3.75 million), No. 9 ($3.7 million) and No. 10 ($3.1 million) spots on the all-time list.

Author Dave Jamieson, who wrote a book on trading cards as collectibles, told ESPN's Dan Hajducky and Tisha Thompson the fact the card is nearly undisputed as the most valuable baseball card has helped it remain ultra coveted over the years.

"Something Michael Gidwitz, who sold the first million-dollar Wagner, said that made an impression on me was how, in fine art, if you ask a bunch of modern art curators, 'What's the greatest work of modern art?' they all have different opinions," Jamieson said. "There's not much discussion when it comes to baseball cards: It's the T206 Wagner."

In addition, the trading card industry has gone through a resurgent boom throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, both in terms of sports cards and other collectible cards such as Pokemon.

One of the most intriguing questions was whether the Wagner card could survive another test of its longstanding value as more people entered the hobby, and cards featuring other players from other eras like Mantle or modern-day stars like James, Tom Brady and Mahomes started to receive more interest.

The answer for the T206 featuring the eight-time NL batting champion and 1909 World Series winner with the Pittsburgh Pirates is yes.

Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic had no reservations about signing a supermax contract extension with the team.

While speaking to the media Tuesday, Doncic said: "I never had a doubt [about signing the extension]. I always wanted to sign this."

Per Spotrac, Doncic signed a five-year, $207.06 million extension with the Mavericks this week, allowing Dallas to lock up one of the most dynamic young talents in the NBA for the foreseeable future.

Just three years into his NBA career, Doncic is already one of the best players in the game. The 2018-19 NBA Rookie of the Year is a two-time All-Star, two-time first-team All-NBA selection and an MVP candidate the past two seasons. 

With Doncic leading the way, the Mavs have reached the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. Although they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round each time, Dallas clearly isn't far off, especially after pushing L.A. to seven games last postseason.

In 66 games last season, Doncic averaged 27.7 points, 8.6 assists and 8.0 rebounds per contest. That came on the heels of the 6'7" guard averaging 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists the previous season.

If Doncic's value wasn't already obvious based on what he has done in Dallas, he proved it on the international stage as well, almost single-handedly leading Slovenia into the Olympic field and to the bronze-medal game at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The Mavs took a leap of faith when they made a draft-night trade with the Atlanta Hawks for Doncic in 2018, but that move has worked out well for both teams so far.

Atlanta got Trae Young in that trade, and Young received a supermax extension this week as well after leading the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

The 22-year-old Doncic has all the tools needed to be a multitime NBA MVP and NBA champion, and the Mavericks are banking on the notion that he will realize those goals in Dallas.

While there was never any indication that Doncic would pass up a supermax extension with the Mavs, especially since no other team could offer him such a massive contract, his decision to sign is still a vote of confidence in the organization.

The Mavericks have made moves designed to put Doncic in a position to succeed since he entered the league, including acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from the New York Knicks in January 2019.

Dallas may still need one more star in order to truly enter the upper echelon and contend for a championship, but now that Doncic is locked in, the Mavs have some time to figure out that part of the equation.

One problem with coming into a nice windfall is that you're bound to encounter plenty of friends looking to cash in too.

The agent for Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic confirmed to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski the 22-year-old agreed to a five-year, $207 million extension Monday. Veteran sharpshooter JJ Redick saw the news as the perfect opportunity to settle an outstanding debt:

Over the lifetime of his new contract, Doncic would have the opportunity to pay Redick back more than 121,000 times.

Maybe he's just waiting for that first paycheck to hit direct deposit, but he may not want to wait too long, depending on what kind of interest is attached to that $1,700.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was a few million dollars short of making NBA history.

Bill Duffy, Doncic's agent, confirmed to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski the two-time All-Star agreed to a five-year, $207 million extension with Dallas on Monday. When it's official, it will be the fourth-biggest contract in the league right now, per Spotrac.

Biggest NBA Contracts Ever

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miwaukee Bucks: five years, $228,200,420

2. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors: four years, $215,353,664

3. Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers: five-years, $206,794,070

T4. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks: five years, $207,000,000*

T4. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks: five years, $207,000,000*

5. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors: five years, $205,000,002

* full details are not yet official

A supermax offer was inevitable from Dallas, especially after the Atlanta Hawks tabled the same contract to Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young, per Wojnarowski. 

The 22-year-old is averaging 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists through his first three seasons. He's also coming off a first-round postseason series in which he put up 35.7 points and 10.3 assists per game.

The only question regarding Doncic's immediate future was whether he'd sign on the dotted line. The Mavericks' exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers illustrated how far they still need to go to be a title contender, while The Athletic's Tim Cato and Sam Amick reported on some of the organization's internal turmoil.

Team governor Mark Cuban called the report "total bulls--t," but Dallas quickly saw head coach Rick Carlisle depart and fired general manager Donnie Nelson.

But turning down $207 million was probably never a realistic possibility for Doncic. 

It's still way too early to make any firm judgments about the Mavericks' outlook, especially with a new head coach (Jason Kidd) and GM (Nico Harrison) in charge. Perhaps Kidd will find a more optimal way to utilize Kristaps Porzingis as the No. 2 option alongside Doncic, and Harrison could find ways to improve the roster around the margins that collectively add up in a big way.

Adding to the squad might be a little easier with Doncic's status cemented for the next few seasons.

Luka Doncic will now be paid like one of the biggest stars in the NBA after agreeing to a five-year extension with the Dallas Mavericks worth $207 million, agent Bill Duffy told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Monday.

Doncic said in a statement, per Wojnarowski:

"Today is a dream come true. The game of basketball has given me so much and has taken me to so many amazing places. I am humbled and excited to remain in Dallas as part of the Mavericks and appreciate the support of my fans.

"Along with this new contract, I am also happy to announce that I am increasing my efforts and focusing on expanding The Luka Doncic Foundation. My foundation is an international non-profit that will give back to places that mean so much to me like my home country of Slovenia, as well as the communities in North Texas.

"I've happy to share in partnership with 2K Foundations we are unveiling two basketball courts here in Slovenia soon. We are refurbishing my childhood courts where I learned and practiced the game. The opportunity for kids to play on the same courts and pursue the same dreams I had is something I'm excited about."

According to Wojnarowski, Doncic is the "first player eligible for the designated rookie max extension upon signing because he's already twice been voted first-team All-NBA."

Doncic will officially sign the contract on Tuesday.

Doncic has only been in the NBA for three years but has already proved he is among the top players in the league. After winning Rookie of the Year in 2018-19, he elevated his game with All-Star selections over the next two years while earning MVP votes each season.

The 22-year-old finished last season averaging 27.7 points, 8.6 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game, which was actually a drop from his numbers the previous year (28.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 8.8 APG). His production in 2020-21 still put him fourth in the NBA in value over replacement player, helping the Mavericks finish fifth in a competitive Western Conference.

For the second year in a row, Doncic elevated his level of play in the playoffs with an average of 35.7 points per game in seven appearances.

It's still a small sample size, but the guard's 33.5 postseason points per game would be the most in NBA history, just ahead of Michael Jordan's 33.45 points per game.

However, Doncic's heroics have not been enough to help the Mavericks avoid a first-round defeat in each of the last two years, both at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers. The team will likely need to provide the emerging star with some more help to ensure a deeper run in the playoffs.

Dallas still checked its biggest box by keeping the Slovenian under team control for the next few years.

Despite some speculation about Doncic looking for greener pastures, he shut down any rumors when asked whether he would sign a supermax extension.

"I think you know the answer," he told reporters in June.

After earning $21.8 million over his first three years combined, per Spotrac, the 2018 No. 3 overall draft pick will get a significant raise as he takes the next step of his career with the Mavericks.

Luka Doncic wants to give his injured wrist some time to rest now that the Olympics are over. His NBA club in Dallas would likely prefer if he would just use it to sign his name next week. 

According to Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News, Mavericks governor Mark Cuban, head coach Jason Kidd, general manager Nico Harrison and front office advisor Dirk Nowitzki will fly to Doncic's hometown of Ljubljana, Slovenia, to offer the franchise star a five-year, $207 million max extension. 

It's the same deal Trae Young agreed to with the Atlanta Hawks last week as the two cornerstones of the 2018 draft continue their ascension in the league. Before Doncic gets back to dominating in Dallas, he just wants to make sure he's able to take enough time off to feel rejuvenated.

"My wrist is going to be fine," Doncic said. "I need a couple of days off from basketball. I’ve had every day basketball since the beginning of NBA season. A lot of games, so I need a couple days off."

There's no question Doncic has earned the extension through his first three seasons in Dallas. 

After averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists during his rookie season, the guard has steadily improved each year, averaging 27.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.6 assists in 2020-21. Those numbers increased considerably in the postseason, where Doncic averaged 35.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 10.3 assists in a seven-game first-round series loss to the Los Angeles Clippers this summer. 

As Kidd prepares to take over for Rick Carlisle as head coach, it makes sense the team would want to ensure Doncic is under contract for as long as possible. 

The team's core is continuing to take shape with Tim Hardaway Jr., Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith and a number of front court options led by Kristaps Porzingis. 

If Doncic signs, he'll be locked in with Dallas through the 2026-27 season and wouldn't be scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency until his age-28 season. At that point, the Slovenian should be well into the prime of his career and in line to receive another max deal if his current trajectory continues. 

Either way, the Mavs don't want to miss out on the years to come with Doncic at the helm of the offense. 

Kevin Durant (United States), Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Ricky Rubio (Spain), Patty Mills (Australia) and Rudy Gobert (France) were named as the All-Star Five of the men's basketball tournament at the 2021 Summer Olympics.

Durant spearheaded the United States' run to its fourth consecutive gold medal, scoring 29 points in a narrow 87-82 victory over France in the final. He surpassed Carmelo Anthony for the most points by a men's Team USA player during the event.

"This is one of those special journeys," Durant told reporters. "When you're a part of a team that's evolving by the second, it's amazing to see. Each game we continued to grow. I'm grateful we all committed to it, we stuck with it and we finished it off."

Doncic led Slovenia to its first Olympic Games and then had his country on the brink of a medal before falling short in the semis and bronze-medal game. His 16-point, 18-assist, 10-rebound effort in the semis was the third triple-double in men's Olympic basketball history.

Rubio flashed a scoring prowess almost never seen from him at the NBA level as he tried to single-handedly will Spain to a medal. His 38 points against the United States in the quarterfinals was the most in a single game in Spain's history.

Gobert dominated on both ends inside in helping France to a silver medal, while Patty Mills' scoring brilliance helped secure Australia bronze.