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It’s not just about the rings. It’s about the rings other superstar NBA players didn’t win because of the Bulls’ reign over the league. Several stars from the first two Dream Teams do not have championships, and their legacies might have been different with that ring. Whose legacy was impacted most? That’s an interesting question. Sporting News looks at the six players whose legacies might be different had they been able to take down Jordan in either the Eastern Conference playoffs or NBA Finals to find the answer....

After Durant took to Instagram to fire back on Barkley’s “Inside the NBA” comments calling the Nets’ star a “bus rider,” Barkley doubled down on Tuesday on his previous assessment of Durant, saying that Durant’s comments didn’t bother him at all before calling him, “sensitive Cindy.” “You think they put that play-bin banner up already? I could put up stuff about him and Russell [Westbrook] and James [Harden] and Serge Ibaka,” Barkley said....

“That’s what’s happening with the Celtics,” he said. “That’s what’s happening with them.” MORE: Brad Stevens says Celtics taking “too many shortcuts” Indeed, Barkley had told me before about what went wrong with the Suns back in 1994, the year after Phoenix made an appearance in the NBA Finals. There were injuries. There was discontent with contracts. There was Richard Dumas’ drug issue. There were young players — Cedric Ceballos, for one — who wanted bigger roles....

Discussing their fortunes on Inside the NBA, Barkley slammed the Nets, saying they “ain’t even close” to winning a championship and that their title window is “almost over.” “This team’s been together for four years. When they went there four years ago, we were like ‘They’re going to win a couple championships.’ They ain’t even close,” Barkley said on Inside the NBA. “When you have a good team, you have to take advantage of it....

TMZ caught up with Barkley at the airport and asked his thoughts on LSU’s Ben Simmons, a player who has taken quite a beating in the media in recent weeks for everything from his grades to media over-exposure. MORE: Why Simmons’ Wooden Award snub is a sham Barkley was candid, as always, telling the paparazzi: “If you can’t get to March Madness, there should be a rule you’re not allowed in the NBA....

Considering the fights that happened late in the 2014 season, there were some great stories and jokes Thursday at The Palms. MORE: Earnhardt wins big award | Stewart on latest surgery | Junior losing crewmen | Gibbs crew chief changes Brad Keselowski, the target of many of the flying fists this year, was distracted at one point when he said his girlfriend had sent him a text. “I’m on my phone with my girlfriend, who sent me a picture of her in her bra,’’ Keselowski said....

Taunt him all you want, throw at him all you want — he’ll just keep on trollin'. MORE: Ranking baseball’s dumbest unwritten rules The Dodgers second baseman had quite the night Saturday at Citi Field in New York, clubbing two home runs — including a grand slam that put the Dodgers in front 6-0 en route to a 9-1 win — despite a steady chorus of boos and insults from the Mets faithful every time he came to bat....

Former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is having an estate sale at his former Weston, Mass., property on Friday. While I’m sure many people can relate to wanting to declutter (although I’m not sure most people have a Fenway-themed basement to store their junk in), some of the items for sale are definitely a little strange. MORE: Ortiz calls Mike Fiers a “snitch,” defends Rob Manfred Does he have some interesting items that fans would love to see, like old jerseys, signed photos, and other miscellaneous memorabilia?...

Next season, they could be donning some new threads. According to SportsLogos.net , “Atlanta Hawks, LP” filed to trademark a new logo Friday. MORE: Kyrie Irving will sit out Game 2 vs. Hawks | Rapper Lil B says he won’t curse Hawks | DeMarre Carroll’s health is Hawks’ good news The Hawks will go back to their iconic Pac-man-themed symbol, first instituted in 1980, as their primary logo, beginning in 2015-2016, according to the report....

The Chelsea megastore had been shut since March under the terms of UK government sanctions against outgoing owner Roman Abramovich over his alleged close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Chelsea had operated under a special government licence until the sale of the club to a consortium led by American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital went through at the end of May. The £4.25 billion ($5....

WATCH: Mourinho mocks Wenger over lost titles Tierney has been named the Professional Footballers’ Association Scotland Young Player of the Year for the second season in a row and is rumoured to be a target for several English clubs. Chelsea are reported to have joined the chase for the defender alongside Arsenal and Tottenham, while there has been speculation Tierney would rather join Manchester United. But after collecting his Young Player of the Year award Tierney brushed off the rumours about his future and insisted he is focused on playing for Celtic....

Chelsea head into the first leg of their last-16 showdown against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night on the back of an inconsistent Premier League season which has left them 19 points behind leaders Manchester City. Their domestic plight is mirrored by Madrid, who lag 17 points behind Barcelona in La Liga, but beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at home in the first leg of their Champions League tie last week....

Mourinho targets Willian reunion Encouraging fans to use the hashtag #JohnTerryStand on social media, the Change.org petition needed less than a day to reach its goal of 2,500 signatures. “Captain. Leader. Legend. There is no one on the planet who’s more Chelsea, than John Terry,” the petition says. “He’s lifted every trophy in the game, having been at Chelsea since the start of his career. “The man is an icon for not just Chelsea fans, but lovers of football all around the world....

Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. Everton will spend the night in the top four thanks to a 2-0 win over Norwich and Tottenham also boosted its chances of finishing in the Champions League spots by earning a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace, which slipped to last place....

“Just some friendly wrestling,” Toews told Lazerus after the skate had ended. He did not offer any further insight to what may have set the longtime teammates against each other. “That’s the whole point of a morning skate, to get you ready for the game,” he added. “We’re ready now.” Lazerus, who described the tussle as somewhere between an all-out brawl and a friendly shoving match, reported that Toews had Keith pinned down on the ice and most of his jersey off before Chicago assistant coach Sheldon Brookbank broke up the fight....

Bradley and Klinsmann at odds over position Marquez, 37, headed in the winning goal in El Tri’s 2-1 triumph over the United States on Friday and likely will be back on the field for the national team when it takes on Panama in the second match of the window Tuesday. For Chicharito, Marquez is in rarefied air for Mexican players, along with another Mexican who had success in European domestic leagues....

Kansas City’s plan also called for getting rid of the coin flip after regulation. The team that wins the toss before the game would have the option to kick or receive in OT. In addition, overtime in the preseason would be eliminated. The league’s OT rules came under criticism again after the Patriots took the opening kickoff and drove for a game-ending touchdown to beat the Chiefs in the AFC championship game....

Kansas City had a third-and-10 at the Denver 40-yard line with the game tied 3-3 with 10:51 left in the second quarter. At first glance, it looked as if Patrick Mahomes had once again failed to connect with Tyreek Hill on a big-play opportunity as Hill bobbled the ball in the end zone. The pass was ruled incomplete, but upon further review, it appears the ball never hit the ground and instead landed on Hill’s chest....

Bailey and the Chiefs agreed to a four-year contract extension on Saturday, according to The Kansas City Star. While the team didn’t release salary numbers, Pro Football Talk pegged them at $25 million, including a $10 million signing bonus. A 2011 third-round pick, Bailey became a starter this season, aided by work to add bulk. He has four sacks and has become a three-down player who is stout against the run, The Star reports....

Zhengzhou, capital and largest city of Henan province, announced the measures late on November 23, on the day China’s national health authority posted a record-high 31,444 new infections. Only one virus-related death was reported in the 24-hour period, and serious and critical cases remained rare. The new restrictions, collectively known as “mobility management” to avoid the negative connotations associated with a lockdown, are set to affect more than 6 million of the city’s 10 million residents....