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Beginning Thursday, fans of the NBA and cool memorabilia will have a new collection to pick from.

Pop culture collectible company Funko is releasing new NBA trading cards, along with a new NBA SLAM Magazine collection.

Funko is partnering with Panini, the NBA’s exclusive trading card partner, to release new exclusive Pop! trading cards of Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry and Zion Williamson.

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New Funko vinyl figurines are also being released modeled after SLAM Magazine’s covers of Allen Iverson (March 1999), Shaquille O’Neal (June 1999) and Vince Carter (August 1999).

There’s also cover art inside the packaging that matches the original SLAM Cover.

The world of sports memorabilia — everything from trading cards to NFTs — has boomed since the beginning of the COVID pandemic in 2020. From 2019 to 2020, eBay saw a 142% increase in sales. Goldin Auctions, which has emerged as the largest auction house in memorabilia, pulled in $100 million in 2020 — and doubled that amount in 2021.

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After Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid battled for the right to be named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player all last season, it appears this year’s chase for the award could once again come down to the two All-Star big men.

Embiid, after coming in second to Jokic in last year’s voting, holds a 35-point lead over the Denver Nuggets‘ reigning MVP in the second edition of ESPN’s NBA MVP Straw Poll for the 2021-22 season. Embiid’s razor-thin edge is the closest the top two spots have been over the nine iterations of this poll over the past six seasons.

The Philadelphia 76ers center, who had 45 first-place votes and finished with 789 total points, was the only player selected to all 100 ballots submitted. Jokic, meanwhile, finished with 43 first-place votes and had 754 points — while being left off of five ballots completely.

Had Jokic simply been in second place on each of those five ballots, the two superstar centers would’ve been in a tie.

To gauge where the race stands with less than two months remaining in the regular season, ESPN asked 100 media members to participate in an informal poll that mimics the postseason awards voting. To make the balloting as realistic as possible, there were at least two voters from each of the league’s 28 markets, as well as a cross-section of national and international reporters. Votes were collected between Sunday and Tuesday.

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As with the NBA’s official vote at the end of season, voters were asked to submit a five-player ballot, and results were tabulated using the league’s scoring system: 10 points for each first-place vote, followed by seven points for second, five points for third, three points for fourth and one point for fifth.

Embiid and Jokic were followed by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (512 points, nine first-place votes) in third, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (one first-place vote, 211 points) in fourth and Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (two first-place votes, 157 points) in fifth.

Others receiving votes: Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (sixth); Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (seventh); Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (eighth); Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic (ninth); and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, who tied for 10th with a single fifth-place vote each.

The most striking difference between the first edition of the straw poll in December and this one is the reversal in fortunes for both Embiid and Curry. After missing a chunk of games because of COVID-19, and Philadelphia being in the middle of a tumble down the standings as a result, Embiid received a single fifth-place vote in that first round of voting.

Curry, meanwhile, set a record for the most first-place votes, and the highest point total, in any iteration of the poll thus far, collecting 94 first-place votes and 978 out of a possible 1,000 points.

So what changed?

For Embiid, he has missed only two games since and has been one of the league’s most dominant players. He’s second — just behind Antetokounmpo — in scoring with 29.3 points per game, putting him within striking distance of being the first center to lead the league in scoring since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000, the year the Hall of Famer won his only MVP award.

Embiid has also kept Philadelphia firmly in the mix for home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs despite the tumult caused by the ongoing drama surrounding Ben Simmons, which ended with the blockbuster trade that brought James Harden to the 76ers just before last week’s trade deadline.

Will 2022 see another MVP battle between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic? Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Curry, on the other hand, has slipped since his blazing-hot start to the season. After Golden State raced out to the NBA’s best record, the Warriors have been surpassed by the Suns, slumping in recent weeks with Draymond Green sidelined by back and calf issues. Curry went into a dismal slump in January, shooting 38.5% from the field and 32.9% from 3-point range.

Jokic — like Embiid — has kept Denver’s season afloat with Jamal Murray recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season, and Michael Porter Jr. playing in only nine games before undergoing back surgery. All Jokic has done without them is post the highest player efficiency rating — 32.63 entering Wednesday night’s action — in NBA history to this point in the season. He has averaged 26.0 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game while shooting 57.0% from the field and 37.2% from 3-point range.

While both Embiid and Jokic could get significant reinforcements in the coming weeks — Embiid in the form of Harden debuting for the Sixers, with Jokic potentially getting Murray and/or Porter back on the court — something else that could play a role is their respective strengths of schedule down the stretch. Philadelphia, per ESPN’s Stats & Information research, has the league’s seventh-toughest schedule in March, including high-profile showdowns with Phoenix, Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Chicago and Denver.

Friday, Feb. 25
Heat at Knicks, 7:45 p.m.
Clippers at Lakers, 10:05 p.m.

All times Eastern

By contrast, Denver is projected to have the league’s easiest schedule in March, allowing the Nuggets an opportunity to rack up wins and potentially move up the Western Conference standings.

Antetokounmpo, who posted a monster 50-point game after straw poll voting had closed Tuesday night, is having another statistical season in line with his MVP-winning campaigns in 2019 and 2020, averaging a league-leading 29.4 points per game to go along with 11.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

For the second straight poll, it was notable that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James failed to receive a single vote. Prior to being left off the ballot completely in the first round of voting in December, James had appeared on each of the nine iterations of the poll, something now only Antetokounmpo can claim.

Someone who likely will be a mainstay on the ballot for years to come, however, is Morant, who jumped into sixth place after not receiving a vote in December. Morant, who will start in Sunday’s All-Star Game — his first appearance in the NBA’s annual midseason showcase — is the face of the league’s most exciting young team, one that has reeled off a 32-9 record since beginning the season 9-10.

The other significant change from the first version of the poll is Durant dropping from second to eighth place, as the MCL sprain that has kept him out of action for the past month has likely ended his candidacy.

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CHICAGO — Chicago Bulls All-Star forward DeMar Derozan stayed on a roll offensively heading into the All-Star break and set an NBA record in Wednesday’s 125-118 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

DeRozan scored 38 points on 16-for-27 (59%) shooting on Wednesday, making him the first player in NBA history to score 35 points while shooting better than 50% from the field in seven consecutive games. DeRozan surpassed a mark set by Wilt Chamberlain, who put together two such streaks of six games in a row, the last of which came in 1963.

“Just to be in the record books along with staples of basketball history — [I’m] speechless,” DeRozan said following Wednesday’s game. “As a kid, as a fan of the history of the game, being in the league as long as I’ve been in the league, things like that continue to make me even more humble.

“It’s something I’ll never take for granted. And the crazy thing is, I feel like I missed eight easy shots I normally would have made. I felt like I had a bad shooting night, honestly.”

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During his streak, perhaps going 16-for-27 is what qualifies as a bad shooting night for DeRozan. He is averaging 38.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists on 60.7% shooting in his past seven games.

DeRozan has also scored at least 30 points in eight consecutive games, the longest streak by a Bulls player since Michael Jordan in 1996. DeRozan is tied with Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid for the longest streak of 30 or more points by a player this season.

Asked to describe his current scoring run and how locked in he feels, DeRozan replied: “I can’t.”

“I’ll be honest with you, I can’t. I can’t describe it,” he said. “It’s one of those things where I’m completely locked in as soon as I come to work. Understanding, I want to be able to leave work with a win by any means necessary.”

DeRozan’s heroics have helped carry the Bulls to five consecutive wins, despite fellow All-Star Zach LaVine missing the past three games to go see a specialist in Los Angeles about his left knee injury.

With a win on Wednesday, the Bulls will enter the All-Star break, at least, tied with the Miami Heat for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

“I’m hopeful that we can get whole at some point, I think I’d like to see what this group can do whole,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “I am very, very grateful and appreciative, up until this point in the All-Star break – we’ve had some really good moments and some not so great moments, which is typical – the way these guys have continued to fight, regardless if it’s been a win or a loss.”

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The Pacers will waive Tristan Thompson on Thursday, and the veteran big man will sign a deal with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said Wednesday night.

In a surprising moment, Carlisle announced the news following the Pacers’ 113-108 win against the Washington Wizards.

Thompson had joined the Pacers last week as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings.

He appeared in four games total for Indiana, with his 17 points against the Wizards on Wednesday night his most since the trade.

“We thanked him for what he’s brought for the last six or seven days,” Carlisle said. “He brought a high level of professionalism and he’s done a really good job.

“I don’t mind announcing it because it’s going to happen and what the heck. There’s nothing wrong with speaking the truth. It’s the rare instance where you get to thank a guy in the presence of his teammates. And these guys have an awful lot of respect for who he is and what he’s accomplished in the league.”

The 30-year-old Thompson appeared in 30 games with the Kings before the deal, averaging four points and four rebounds in 15 minutes.

Bulls coach Billy Donovan did not comment on Thompson’s addition following the team’s 125-118 victory against the Kings on Wednesday night, saying he hadn’t seen Carlisle’s comments.

However, Chicago has been searching for help in the frontcourt behind Nikola Vucevic since the start of the season. It will need to clear a roster spot before adding Thompson.

“Known Tristan for years. Great dude,” Bulls All-Star DeMar DeRozan said following Wednesday’s game. “Championship experience. Good friend of mine. Got the utmost respect for him off the court. Obviously, we all know what he brings on the court. So, I think this will be a great addition for us. What he’s able to bring, veteran leadership, understanding what it takes to win a championship.”

Information from ESPN’s Jamal Collier was used in this report.

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CHICAGO — Chicago Bulls All-Star guard Zach LaVine’s visit with a knee specialist in Los Angeles this week went “very well,” according to coach Billy Donovan, who said LaVine is cleared to resume play for the team after the All-Star break.

LaVine had some fluid drained to relieve the swelling in his left knee and he will stay away from activity for 48 hours. Then, he will be cleared to participate in the All-Star Game this weekend and should return for the Bulls next week.

“Right now the doctors feel totally fine with him resuming playing,” Donovan said prior to Wednesday’s game against the Sacramento Kings. “Zach felt very, very good about the meeting … He’s probably going to be about 48 hours before he can do any activity really, but he should be able to resume any activity after that.”

LaVine is also scheduled to participate in the 3-Point Contest on Saturday night before Sunday’s All-Star Game, where Donovan expects he will be on some sort of minutes restriction. He was selected to his second consecutive All-Star Game after averaging 24.6 points, 49 rebounds and 4.5 assists this season.

The Bulls host the Atlanta Hawks next Thursday in their first game following the All-Star break, and Donovan acknowledged the team could manage LaVine’s workload on back-to-backs at first.

“Certainly it’s a great honor for him to be able to do that [play in the All-Star Game] the second year. He is healthy to play,” Donovan said. “The doctors don’t feel like he’s in any harms way in continuing to play.”

LaVine has been feeling discomfort in his knee for several weeks, but an MRI in January showed no structural damage. He labored through a Bulls victory last Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, then missed the team’s last three games entering the break.

“I spoke to him late morning, early afternoon — he was in really good spirits,” Donovan said. “Felt like it was a really good visit and feels in a good place mentally. He’ll be ready to go.”

Bulls guard Alex Caruso has also continued to show improvement following wrist surgery last month and he could be cleared to resume shooting and dribbling in the next 7-10 days, according to Donovan.

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The 2022 NFL offseason figures to bring monumental changes to the Chicago Bears and the NFC North Division as both the Bears and Vikings have a new general manager and head coach. The Green Bay Packers also might need a new starting quarterback.

The offseason of change has begun in the NFC North with both the Vikings and Bears. After each team had a disappointing 2021 regular season, they have opted for new regimes.

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NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the New York City vaccination mandate that is preventing Nets guard Kyrie Irving from playing in home games “doesn’t quite make sense to me,” speaking during an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up on Wednesday morning.

As a player unvaccinated against COVID-19, Irving may not play at the Barclays Center because of the mandate. However, a player from a different market who is unvaccinated may play in New York City.

“This law in New York, the oddity of it to me is that it only applies to home players,” Silver said. “I think if ultimately that rule is about protecting people who are in the arena, it just doesn’t quite make sense to me that an away player who is unvaccinated can play in Barclays but the home player can’t. To me, that’s a reason they should take a look at that ordinance.”

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Silver said that the league wanted to make vaccinations a requirement for players but that the NBPA pushed back. Still, he mentioned having 97% to 98% of players vaccinated and a “vast majority” boosted.

With the NBA offices in New York City, Silver has seen firsthand some of the masking restrictions being lifted, and he mentioned that there’s a “feel” in the city and that more people are out and about.

“So while, again, my personal view is people should get vaccinated and boosted, I can imagine a scenario where Brooklyn, as part of New York City, with a new mayor now who wasn’t in place, Eric Adams, when that original ordinance was put into place, I could see him deciding to change along the way and say it’s no longer necessary to have a mandatory vaccination requirement, as I said, particularly one that only affects home players,” Silver said.

This past Saturday, while talking to reporters in Miami, Irving expressed hope that the mandate would get overturned allowing him to play in home games.

“There’s no guilt that I feel,” Irving said. “I’m the only player that has to deal with this in New York City because I play there. If I was anywhere else in another city, then it probably wouldn’t be the same circumstances. But because I’m there, we have Eric Adams, we have the New York mandate, we have things going on that are real-life circumstances that are not just affecting me, bro. So you ask me these questions, I don’t feel guilt.

“I’m just living my life as best I can, just like everybody else that missed these last two years. I didn’t have a plan in place while all this was going on, didn’t know. The NBA and the NBPA made it very clear that there would be things that I would be able to do to work around this. And that’s off the table. So you tell me if I’m just alone out here or do I have support from everybody else that’s dealing with the same thing?”

Irving’s comments came two days after the blockbuster trade that sent James Harden from the Nets to Philadelphia and brought Ben Simmons to Brooklyn in a trade that played out publicly in terms of trade demands.

Silver said he hopes situations like this don’t play out in public that way but recognized that situations like this will occur.

“Ideally, when players want to get traded or teams are preparing to make moves, those are conversations they have confidentially with players, they have confidentially with other teams,” Silver said. “Obviously, in this case, it not only played out publicly but it’s been playing out since the season even began, particularly with Philly.”

When asked about what the data showed on the impact superstar movement has had on NBA fans, Silver said viewpoints have changed over the years.

“I remember David Stern’s sort of standard mantra was he would say Larry and you’d say Boston, you’d say Magic, you’d say Michael and you’d say Bulls, but that was a different time,” Silver said. “Now, what we’re seeing in the league, first of all, shorter contracts, which I don’t think is a bad idea because one of the things we tried to do working with our Players Association back beginning around ten years ago was tie performance to pay in a closer way, and I think that’s what you see with shorter contracts.”

And while shorter contracts were something the league was good with, there is one thing Silver doesn’t want to see.

“So, the data shows that superstars moving isn’t necessarily a bad thing because it allows bad situations to, in an orderly way, to change,” Silver said. “It gives teams that may not be in a competitive position hope that they can sign one of those players, but shorter contracts to me is something very different, and free agents moving at the end of contracts is different, than what we just saw where you have players actively seeking to move while they’re under contract. The data is clear on that. That’s not good for the league.”

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CLEVELAND — Some of the players who gave the NBA its global bounce will be in attendance when the league celebrates its 75th anniversary team during a special halftime ceremony at Sunday’s All-Star Game.

Members of the diamond anniversary team will be inside Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for the ceremony as the league honors its best players and the cornerstone moments since the NBA was founded.

The official list of players has not yet been announced. There are 61 living members among the players selected to the 75th team.

In 1997, the league hosted the 50th Anniversary Team during All-Star Weekend in Cleveland and 47 members were on hand.

R&B performer Usher, director Spike Lee and actors Tiffany Haddish and Anthony Anderson will narrate the ceremony, which will conclude with Grammy Award-winning group Earth, Wind & Fire performing their hit “Shining Star.”

Before the game, Cleveland native Machine Gun Kelly and producer DJ D-Nice will introduce the 2022 NBA All-Stars. Four-time Grammy winner Macy Gray, another Ohio native, will sing the national anthem and Toronto native Ryland James will perform “O Canada.”

The All-Star Saturday Night activities will include performances by Mary J. Blige, who was part of last week’s Super Bowl halftime show, along with Lil Wayne, Gunna, Migos, Lil Baby and DJ Khaled.

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