| PROCONTRACTS | Offers to play in the NBA, e.g. |
| VOLUNTEERS | Offers to play lovers' tune (10) |
| LOTTERYPICK | Top draft selection in the NBA, e.g. |
| DIVS | Atlantic and Pacific in the NBA, e.g. |
| REPRESENT | Once again offer to play a part (9) |
| VINCECARTER | Atlanta Hawks forward who recently became the first to play in the NBA in four different decades: 2 wds. |
| ATLANTA | NBA team that qualified to play in the NBA playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons between 2008-17 (7) |
| HAWKS | NBA team that qualified to play in the NBA playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons between 2008-17 (5) |
| BUTCHLEE | Basketball player who was the first Puerto Rican national to play in the NBA |
| NAT | ___ "Sweetwater" Clifton, one of the first Black players to play in the NBA |
| OMRI | ___ Casspi (first Israeli to play in the NBA) |
| SERB | Nikola Jokic of the NBA, e.g. |
| SERBS | Jokic and Jovic of the NBA, e.g. |
| ALHORFORD | The 36-year-old from the Dominican Republic who joined the NBA in 2007 but didn't get a chance to play in the finals till 2022. (2,7) |
| MANTOMANDEFENSE | What they play in the NBA |
| MAGIC | Orlando ___ , basketball team from Florida that plays in the NBA (5) |
| IVEY | Niele ___, Notre Dame women's basketball head coach whose son, Jaden, plays in the NBA |
| CATCH | Game to play in the yard with the kids |
| CHOLERA | The companion had a role to play in the sickness (7) |
| LEEELDER | Golfer who was the first African-American to play in the Masters |
