While football has rarely before had a decade like this one where two players have been streets out on their own, basketball during the same period hasn’t even had such a contest.

And now, they wait. Again. The Golden State Warriors have gotten used to going to the NBA Finals, and their win in Portland on Monday night clinched their fifth consecutive trip.

If it’s any consolation to Manchester United supporters these days, the biggest and most gloried franchise in the world’s other leading team sport is in an even greater state of dysfunction.

Although he would be lambasted after The Decision, with people in his hometown of Cleveland so scorned they’d burn his Cavaliers jersey, history has proven that LeBron James made the right call that summer of 2010 by opting to join the Miami Heat.

Garvey’s Tralee Warriors will face Keane’s SuperValu Killorglin in Sunday evening’s Premier League final after another exciting evening of qualifying games at a packed Castleisland Community Hall yesterday.

There it is. Right there on the pages of the glossy red publication.

FORGET Paschal Donohoe. There’s much more important news about Toby, says Fergus Finlay. 

Ballincollig will face Killorglin in the Hula Hoops President’s Cup Final following a magnificent win over Scott Lakers Killarney at the Neptune Stadium on Saturday.

Jordan Spieth is not your traditional game-changer, but what he’s doing may turn out to be the saviour of golf, writes Dr Ed Coughlan.

One victory left for the Golden State Warriors to claim another title. Not the one as NBA champions. The one as the best team ever.

A curse or simply not good enough? Whatever your point of view, there’s no denying Mayo’s place in the pantheon of greatest bridesmaids. John Fogarty selects a disappointing dozen of the worst performing final teams in the history of sport...

Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, arguably the best NBA player of his generation, will retire at the end of this season.

Lamar Odom didn’t last long at the glittering intersection of championship success and Hollywood celebrity.

Former NBA and reality TV star, Lamar Odom, has been hospitalised after he was found unconscious at a US brothel.

Never mind these bandwagon-jumping Johnny-come-latelys at Red Bull and New York City, true Big Apple sawker fans get behind the revived New York Cosmos and Pele’s old club have made this week’s box-office signing.

On Monday, the Boston Celtics were the surprising beneficiaries of one of the most generous systems in professional sport.

Moycullen, minus star player Patrick Lyons, managed to defeat Neptune 86-64 in a highly entertaining Men’s U20 semi final.

TODAY

TODAY 

It’s hard to think of as bad a team that’s been as compelling to follow as the current Los Angeles Lakers.

Robbie Keane posted a video to his Facebook account early this morning of him being drenched in ice water and thoroughly enjoying it.

MARGARET McLOUGHLIN was born with three things. Down syndrome; a serious untreatable heart condition; and a huge, infectious, and empathetic personality. She wasn’t expected to live. But live she did, to the fullest extent that was possible.

Annual traditions are everywhere in San Antonio.

The National Basketball Association has apologised to former player Earvin Magic Johnson after Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling called him a bad role model for contracting HIV.

Hollywood moguls, sports stars and rappers have all voiced interest in taking over the Los Angeles Clippers after the NBA urged owners to expel disgraced Donald Sterling in the wake of a racism row.

V Stiviano, the woman whom Donald Sterling was talking to when he made racist remarks, is "very saddened" by his lifetime NBA ban, and she didn’t release the recording of their conversation, her lawyer said.

These United States of America have been dealing with a doozie of a week when it comes to the long, ongoing tension between the races.

It hardly carried the glamour or gravitas of an induction into Cooperstown or Springfield, it wasn’t like there was a Larry Bird to welcome his Magic Johnson into this particular Hall of Fame, but there was something particularly pleasing about seeing Ronnie Whelan being honoured at the FAI International Awards on Sunday.

BASKETBALL IRELAND NATIONAL CUP SEMI-FINAL:

They have a phrase in American sport: “the Face of the Franchise”.

Gail Goodrich knew Miami would beat Boston the other night.

When the members of the LA Lakers team that won the 1971-72 NBA title got together last year to reminisce about the good old days, one question dominated the event: would there ever be a season like theirs?

SO I’m at the gym in West Hollywood, a place called Crunch.

There comes a time when the narrative must change.

The LA Lakers found themselves short of security guards last night, so they secured the services of a certain Will Ferrell.

There are big games, very big games and then there are mega games.

Karrueche Tran is furious about Chris Brown’s relationship with Rihanna.

Even President Barack Obama took time out of his busy re-election campaign to wade into last week’s debate-du-jour.

Tributes have been paid to three young children found dead at an English beauty spot.

Americans like their team sports to be reduced to duels, the battle of stars who are more often than not defined by recent form.

He’s now, if not fitter, richer and happier than when he played.

Until this season, the Los Angeles Kings ice hockey team were really only known for one saga: the infamous big-money acquisition of Wayne Gretzky, a move that shocked the sport and tore the heart out of a city and a country in the late 1980s.