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The Boston Celtics were two wins away from winning the 2022 NBA championship. The Celtics have improved their roster this offseason and are the favorites to win the East again. However, their owner has called the team overrated.
Meanwhile, Chris Paul has joined LeBron James in expressing interest in owning an NBA team after retirement. Paul will be entering his 18th season and only has a few years left.
Here is the latest NBA news roundup for Sept. 17 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
NBA Players Union executive wants lifetime ban for Robert Sarver
The backlash from the NBA's "soft" punishment for Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver continues. In an interview with ESPN, NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio has called on the league to ban Sarver for life. An investigation has found that Sarver made racist and misogynistic remarks in the workplace.
"We are absolutely calling for that," Tremaglio said. "We do not want him to be in a position where he is managing and engaging with individuals or our players. We are absolutely clear from the findings in the report that we do not want him to be in that position."
LeBron James and Chris Paul have already called for the removal of Sarver as an owner. Suns minority owner Jahm Najafi also wants Sarver to resign from his position. Team sponsor PayPal has also confirmed that they won't continue their partnership if Sarver returns from his one-year suspension.
Celtics owner thinks they have an overrated roster
The Boston Celtics are the favorites to win the Eastern Conference this season. The Celtics are also the defending Eastern Conference champions. They came up short in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
However, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck does not want to pressure his team. Grousbeck told The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach that the Celtics' current roster is overrated but are a quality team.
"I loved being right there with them," Grousbeck said. "It was thrilling. The other side of the coin is I think that we've now been overrated. I think that performance was a bit overrated in the public mind, or my own mind, because I'm the one saying it."
"We're not a hands-down team to repeat as Eastern Conference champions. I think we're a quality team."
The Celtics' core has remained intact this offseason. They also added Malcolm Brogdon via trade and Danilo Gallinari in free agency. However, Gallinari suffered a torn ACL while on international duty with Italy. He's out for the entire 2022-23 season.
Damian Lillard wants to spend the rest of his career in Portland
Damian Lillard affirmed his loyalty to the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason by signing a two-year extension. Lillard has a contract until the 2026-27 season, with a player option in the final year.
The Blazers retooled their roster around Lillard starting at last season's trade deadline. They traded CJ McCollum, Robert Covington and Norman Powell. They signed Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons to new contracts while adding Gary Payton II from free agency and Jerami Grant via trade.
During a recent " The Dave Pasch Podcast," Lillard revealed that he wants to finish his career in Portland. He explained that trying his best to win a championship with the Blazers is much better than joining another team.
"I'm the type of person that I'm never going to be marching to the beat of nobody else's drum," Lillard said. "I'm going to always do what I feel like is in my best interest and that I really feel in my heart. I want to win. I want to win in Portland. It would mean something to me to do it here. "
Chris Paul wants to own an NBA team after retiring
Chris Paul will be 37 years old, entering his 18th season in the NBA. Paul knows that he only has a few years left in his career. The Phoenix Suns guard wants to own an NBA team when his playing days are over.
In a sit-down interview at the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit, Paul revealed that he would like to be a team owner. It is possible if he becomes part of an ownership group, per Ngozi Nwanji of AfroTech.
"I would like to be a part of an ownership group after I’m done playing," Paul said.
There are a few former players who own teams. Michael Jordan is the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, while Grant Hill is part of the Atlanta Hawks ownership group. Dwyane Wade bought an ownership stake of the Utah Jazz last year.
One of Paul's best friends, LeBron James, also expressed his desire to own an NBA team once his career is over. James specifically wants to bring a team to Las Vegas.
France to face Spain in EuroBasket Final
Bitter rivals France and Spain are set to battle it out for EuroBasket supremacy. France dominated Poland from start to finish to earn their spot in the final. Meanwhile, Spain edged out Germany in a close game to book their ticket against France.
Guerschon Yabusele led France with 22 points and four rebounds in their 95-54 win. Rudy Gobert had six points, six rebounds and three blocks in 18 minutes of action. Elie Okobo and Evan Fournier both had 10 points and four rebounds.
Lorenzo Brown scored 29 points for Spain, going toe-to-toe with Germany's Dennis Schroder, who had 30 points. Willy Hernangomez had 16 points, four rebounds and two steals, while his brother, Juancho, added 13 points and three rebounds.
The EuroBasket final is scheduled for Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.
