Baxter Holmes

LA-based (and James Beard Award-winning) Senior NBA Writer for @espn. ex-@latimes, @bostonglobe. Oklahoman. Signal: baxterholmes.01 [email protected]

[Baxter Holmes @Baxter]

“If the commissioner comes in and investigates to see what the f--- is going on in Phoenix, [he]
would be appalled.”

Based on interviews w/ 70+ current & former employees throughout his 17-year tenure as owner, my story on Robert Sarver’s Phoenix Suns: https://t.co/PMvMyBdr2N

[Baxter Holmes @Baxter]

Judge Stephen V Wilson called Sanberg's fraud "among the worst I've ever seen." He added that Sanberg "hurt a lot of people" and "became greedy, brazen, callous" and "entangled in a web of lies" that continued for years. More from federal court in LA:
https://t.co/egIyP3Symk

[Baxter Holmes @Baxter]

Breaking: Joseph Sanberg, co-founder of green-banking company Aspiration and charged with defrauding investors out of $248M, was just sentenced to 14 years in prison. Aspiration is at the center of an NBA investigation into the Clippers for salary cap circumvention. Story coming.

[Baxter Holmes @Baxter]

Breaking: Joseph Sanberg, co-founder of green-banking company Aspiration and charged with defrauding investors out of $248M, was just sentenced to 14 years in prison. Aspiration is at the center of an NBA investigation into the Clippers for salary cap circumvention. Story coming.

[Michael C. Wright @mikecwright]

How De'Aaron Fox became the Spurs' closer - via @ESPN App

Fun times talking with De’Aaron and his wife, Recee, for this one. https://t.co/L79b6MgHpz

[Baxter Holmes @Baxter]

NEW: In the age of analytics, one area has long remained especially elusive.

"How do you measure fear?" one Western Conference analytics staffer asks.

Enter Victor Wembanyama.

Says another analytics staffer: "What he does best is hard to quantify."

https://t.co/dssOgqAwxJ

[Ramona Shelburne @ramonashelburne]

It took months to track down the Shaolin Warrior monk, Master Yan’an, who trained Victor Wembanyama last summer, but we finally spoke on the night the San Antonio Spurs superstar turned in a legendary performance in Game 1 of the WCF. https://t.co/gSbtWQmdHp

[Anthony Slater @anthonyVslater]

Wright Thompson spent a ton of time around Steve Kerr this season and dropped this story today. Gives plenty of insight into Kerr’s choice to return to the Warriors after agonizing over the decision for months.

https://t.co/TKPHwRW41N

[Dave McMenamin @mcten]

New story: LeBron and the Lakers both might need each other more than either side would care to admit https://t.co/gGVOxnahck

[Ramona Shelburne @ramonashelburne]

Austin Reaves did everything he could to rush back from a torn oblique muscle and help the Lakers in the playoffs. But in this series against the Thunder— a team he called, “basically perfect,” there might be nothing he or the Lakers can do. 

https://t.co/7eXUIHnoCz

[Tim MacMahon @BannedMacMahon]

The discourse about the defending champions is often dominated by discussion about officiating. None of which merits much more than a shrug from the Thunder. SGA: “I really don’t care at all.”

ESPN story with @anthonyVslater: https://t.co/ZO86nljfD7

[Malika Andrews @malika_andrews]

Duncan Robinson’s love of basketball started with his big brother, Eli. But when Eli got older, he began to struggle.

It takes incredible strength to share a story like this. Thank you, Duncan, for your vulnerability. Well done @mcten. I know this hit close to home.

[Dave McMenamin @mcten]

New story: After covering LeBron James for more than a decade, often he can predict my questions and I can predict his answers. Coming into this season I pitched him on asking 23 questions I never asked before. Here is that year-long 1-on-1 conversation: https://t.co/axL1orHq3y

[Michael C. Wright @mikecwright]

Keldon Johnson's move to the bench kick-started San Antonio's resurgence - via @ESPN App https://t.co/XYqlGmjGRE

[Awful Announcing @awfulannouncing]

Baxter Holmes on turning his https://t.co/50K6EcwZx4 story into E60’s ‘The Oklahoma Standard’ https://t.co/bZAhhLJ6B4

[Baxter Holmes @Baxter]

@E60 On OKC's 2025 title:

Kevin Durant: "I have a sense of pride, man, like I really, really am grateful to be an alumni of the Thunder."

Russell Westbrook: "I was extremely, extremely happy for them, for the fans. They deserve it because they are truly the best fans in sports."

[Baxter Holmes @Baxter]

Our @e60 documentary "The Oklahoma Standard," which features sit-down interviews with Thunder players, Sam Presti, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and those directly impacted by the April 19, 1995 OKC bombing, is now available to stream on the ESPN App: https://t.co/cOrGk1EasA

[E60 @E60]

“Life has never been the same since the Thunder arrived.”

After coming over from Seattle in 2008, the @okcthunder had an immediate impact for the city both on and off the court.

📺 Watch "The Oklahoma Standard” Sunday at 11 AM ET on @espn and the ESPN App.

[The Morning Animals @MorningAnimals]

Awesome interview with Oklahoma’s own Baxter Holmes this morning. Baxter is the narrator in the ESPN documentary coming out this Sunday at 10a on ESPN called ‘The Oklahoma Standard.’ https://t.co/cZVKt64kxX

[E60 @E60]

“Life has never been the same since the Thunder arrived.”

After coming over from Seattle in 2008, the @okcthunder had an immediate impact for the city both on and off the court.

📺 Watch "The Oklahoma Standard” Sunday at 11 AM ET on @espn and the ESPN App.

[Baxter Holmes @Baxter]

NEW: In 2007, in one of Sam Presti's very first moves as a GM, he executed a sign and trade of Rashard Lewis. Nearly two decades later, the domino effects of that transaction are still paying off for the Thunder today: https://t.co/2jjU1ALwTo

[Steve Ballmer @Steven_Ballmer]

Five years ago, I invested in Aspiration, a company focused on environmental sustainability, a cause deeply important to me and my family. I also bought carbon credits and trees through the company to reduce the carbon footprint of the Clippers, Intuit Dome, the Kia Forum and all our fans and patrons. Aspiration’s founder, Joe Sanberg, engaged in fraud that injured many, and eventually, took the company down. I was duped and feel silly about that. Everyone who believed in Aspiration, including employees, customers and investors, was also duped. Everyone is still tallying the losses. Here is the letter I submitted to Judge Wilson ahead of Monday’s scheduled sentencing of Joe Sanberg.

https://t.co/HDKIOcXQnH

[Baxter Holmes @Baxter]

NEWS: Attorneys representing Steve Ballmer say Aspiration co-founder Joe Sanberg's actions have caused him “immeasurable" reputational harm, while Sanberg's attorneys are asking for a lighter sentence. Sanberg has cooperated w/ the NBA's investigation. https://t.co/DPfYo7Z6mr