When is LeBron James’ Philadelphia 76ers debut? Date, TV/stream info for Sixers vs Knicks Opening Night
LeBron James is expected to make his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, October 20, at Madison Square Garden, where the Sixers will face the defending champion New York Knicks on the opening night of the 2026 NBA season.
The four-time NBA champion announced his decision to go to Philadelphia in July, signing a two-year, $8 million deal.
"This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win, and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship," James said in a thread on X on July 24.
"I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team, and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time."
The 2026 NBA season tips off with a tripleheader on NBC and Peacock, featuring a star-studded lineup. First at 3:00 PM ET, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics face Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons. Then at 7:00 PM, Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks receive their championship rings before hosting James, Jaylen Brown, and the 76ers at the Garden. At 9:30 PM, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder go head-to-head with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in a rematch of the 2026 Western Conference Finals.
See below for additional information on how to watch the 2026 NBA season on NBC and Peacock.
Also, Boston is at Detroit, and Oklahoma City opens the season in San Antonio.
Kurt HelinWhen is NBA Opening Night?
The 2026 NBA season tips off on Tuesday, October 20.
2026 NBA Opening Night Schedule:
- Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons - 3:00 PM ET on NBC and Peacock
- Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks - 7:00 PM ET on NBC and Peacock
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs - 9:30 PM ET on NBC and Peacock
LeBron had said a chance to win one more ring was his top priority, and he joins Embiid, Maxey and Brown to chase it.
How do I watch NBA Basketball games on Peacock?
NBA basketball games will be available on Peacock throughout the 2026-2027 season. Sign up here.
What devices does Peacock support?
You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs headline NBA international games in 2026-27
With the rollout of the 2026-27 NBA schedule, the league will again take its game overseas with a two games in Europe and one in Mexico, all of which were previously announced in May.
The NBA will showcase San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, the Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-NBA selection, as he returns to his home country, with the Spurs playing two games against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The first game is set Jan. 14, 2027 at Accor Arena in Paris, in what should be a boisterous homecoming for Wembanyama. The rematch will take place at Co-op Live in Manchester, England, on Jan. 17. The last time the NBA played a regular-season game in Paris was in January 2025 when the Spurs and the Indiana Pacers split their two-game series.
The NBA is also returning to Mexico for a regular-season contest that will pit three-time league MVP Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets against two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers on Nov. 7 at Mexico City Arena in Mexico City. It will be the 16th regular-season contest played in the country.
The league will return to Paris and Berlin for regular-season games in the 2027-28 season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs headline NBA international games in 2026-27
A list of the closest NBA comparisons for Illinois returners
We’re deep in the offseason. A summer of hype around new recruits and NBA Draft anticipation has now become quiet. To pass time, let’s take a look at the Illini’s returning core and their closest NBA comparisons.
David Mirkovic: Julius Randle
Mirkovic and Randle are almost identical when it comes to their body frames, with Mirk sitting at 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds and Randle at 6-foot-8 and 250. The similarities are also seen in what they do with their bodies: they both love to play bully-ball. With both of them lacking elite verticals above the rim, they instead utilize their frames to fight through contact, dominate the glass and get buckets at the rim.
Julius Randle combines the bully-ball aspect of his game with his ability to knock down shots from the perimeter, making 33% of his 3-point shots throughout his career. David Mirkovic does the same, stretching defenses out to the arc to contest his triples when it isn’t working for him in the paint. Mirk shot 37.5% from long-range last season, attempting around four per game. Randle also attempted around four per game last season. Obviously, neither is a spot-up shooter, but they both pose a scoring threat from the paint and the perimeter.
Both of them are primarily power forwards, but they both can act as point forwards. Randle occasionally initiates the offense from the perimeter and is able to grab a defensive rebound and push coast-to-coast. Mirkovic’s background as a point guard gives him similar traits, and they both possess high IQ and passing vision as power forwards.
Additionally, they both use their physicality to excel at grabbing rebounds. Julius Randle career rebounds per game sit at 8.9, and Mirkovic snagged 8 per game in his freshman season.
Zvonimir Ivisic: Mo Bamba
Frame-wise, Z and Mo are both freakishly lengthy. Zvonimir sits at 7-foot-2 and around 245-250 pounds, and Bamba at 7-foot and 230. But that’s not where the swatting abilities come from. Zvonimir Ivisic’s wingspan is speculated to be around 7-foot-5 or greater, and Mo Bamba’s 7-foot-10 wingspan is one of the largest ever recorded at the NBA Draft combine.
As basketball players, they both primarily thrive at one thing: protecting the rim. They excel with their timing, reflexes and length to reject shots around the cylinder. Bamba has swatted roughly 6.5% of two-point attempts while on the floor throughout his NBA career, and Z’s 12.6% block rate ranked No. 4 nationally last season.
Beyond rim protection, they both carry themselves as stretch 5s on offense, spacing the floor by offering a 3-point threat from the wing and forcing bigs to leave the paint. Bamba’s career 3-point percentage sits at 35%, while Zvonimir has made 33.6% of his triples so far throughout his NCAA career.
Neither of them are seen posting-up in the paint often, but they still score in the interior by catching lobs, running the floor in transition and crashing the boards for putback dunks.
Tomislav Ivisic: Nikola Vucevic
Tomislav Ivisic and Nikola Vucevic’s styles of play are practically the same. The one thing setting them apart is the height difference: Tomislav’s 7-foot-1 frame towers over Vuc’s 6-foot-9 frame.
Still, they score in the same ways. They both love a good pick-and-pop at the top of the key to offer a shot option and make space for guards in the lane. And when they’re given the ball there, they’ll knock down most of their triples from the top of the key. Vucevic has made 35% of his career triple attempts, and Tomislav 32% in his Illini career. Last season, Tomislav attempted 4.7 3-pointers per game while Vucevic attempted 4.2 per game.
If the long-range shots aren’t going down, the pick-and-pop can turn into a pick-and-roll, but with a short roll. They both like to open themselves up to the free throw line for a floater instead of fighting through contact in the paint.
Even though they don’t usually invite contact, they both possess shifty skills in the post for interior scoring and rely on their footwork, fakes, hook shots and creativity.
Beyond scoring, these two centers love to playmake from the elbow and utilize their vision to find cutters.
Andrej Stojakovic: DeMar DeRozan
DeMar and Andrej are both 6-foot-6, though DeMar’s 220 pounds is a little heavier than Stojakovic’s 205.
One thing they’re both unusually skilled at is relieving pressure late in the shot clock. They like to demand the ball at the perimeter, then use their isolation skills and explosive athleticism to bail their team out for a layup or midrange.
That same explosive athleticism helps them soar in the air vertically. DeMar recorded a 38.5-inch vertical at the 2009 NBA Draft combine, while Andrej recorded a 41.5-inch vertical in this year’s combine. That bounce gives both of them the ability to finish violently and posterize players in the paint, as Stojakovic did multiple times last season and DeMar did frequently in his Raptor years.
Their body control allows them to finish off a lot of tough buckets in the mid-paint. Both take, and make, tough layups, floaters and short pull-ups while adjusting their bodies midair.
Most of their scoring comes from these types of buckets, along with midrange shots closer to the arc and free throws from fouls drawn. Stojakovic was more comfortable knocking down the triple in his first two collegiate years than his first season as an Illini. At Stanford and Cal, he averaged 3.8 3-point attempts per game and made 32.2% of them. Last season, he only took 2.4 3-pointers per game and made just 24.4% of them.
DeRozan on the other hand, attempted just 1.7 3-pointers per game and shot 28.8% from behind the arc during his nine seasons as a Toronto Raptor. As a Chicago Bull and Sacramento King, DeRozan attempted 2.4 3-pointers per game and made 33% of them.
They both have the capability to knock down the triple, but cannot always find the rhythm.
Jake Davis: Shane Battier
Battier has two inches and 10 pounds on Jake Davis, but they play almost identically. Both glue guys use their high basketball IQ and positioning to slide into help defense, take charges and close out on shots on one side of the court, and cut backdoor and make the extra pass on the other.
Beyond their intelligence on the court, their hustle and grit don’t always show up on the box score. They both box out, crash the glass and fight for loose balls relentlessly through toughness.
Lastly, but certainly not least, they’re both primarily known for one thing: knocking down the catch-and-shoot corner triple and being absolutely elite at it. Davis shot 40.6% from behind the arc last season, knocking down 54 out of his 133 attempts. In the 2012-13 season with the Miami Heat, Shane Battier shot 43% from 3-point range, nailing 103 of his 276 attempts.
TCR readers, do you agree or disagree with these comparisons? Offer your own in the comments below!
How to watch 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: Schedule, TV/stream info, 2026 class preview
Nine of basketball's legends will have their legacies etched in history as the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame welcomes its newest class of inductees in 2026 this weekend. This year's class represents a diverse lineup of players, coaches and contributors who have left a lasting mark on the game.
See below for everything you need to know about how to watch the enshrinement ceremony, including notes on those being inducted and the weekend's festivities.
How to watch 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame Ceremony
When: Saturday, August 15
Where: Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA
Time: 7:00 PM ET
TV Channel: NBA TV
Streaming: NBA App
2026 Basketball Hall of Fame Schedule
Enshrinement Weekend officially begins Friday, August 14 at 11:00 AM ET with a Class of 2026 Autograph Session presented by Panini at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Class of 2026 and many of the sport's icons will take to the red carpet outside Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts on Saturday at 6:00 PM ET leading into the ceremony.
Click here for the full schedule of events.
Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony history
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame was founded in 1959, serving as an epicenter honoring the game's legends, milestones, and worldwide impact. The original Basketball Hall of Fame opened on the campus of Springfield College in 1968, with a second, larger hall opening in 1985. This year also marked the first time women were inducted. Now, home to nearly 300 inductees and 40,000 square feet of exhibits, the Hall of Fame continues to operate as the ultimate destination for basketball history.
Who is part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026?
The nine inductees include Joey Crawford, Mark Few, Doc Rivers, Amar'e Stoudemire, the 1996 USA Basketball Women's National Team, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker, and Mike D'Antoni.
Amar’e Stoudemire is the sole NBA player to be inducted into this year’s class. A six-time All-Star and 2003 Rookie of the Year, Stoudemire played a pivotal role in Phoenix’s “Seven Seconds or Less” era, spending eight seasons with the Suns before signing with the New York Knicks. He finished his 14-year NBA career averaging 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds.
Doc Rivers stands as one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, amassing more than 1,180 wins in 27 seasons with five organizations. He led the Boston Celtics to a pair of NBA Finals appearances, including a championship in 2008. He sits sixth on the NBA's all-time coaching wins list and fourth all-time in playoff victories. On the court, Rivers played 13 years in the NBA, earning an All-Star nod in 1987.
There aren't many more accomplished players in WNBA history than Candace Parker. A three-time WNBA champion and two-time league MVP, she is the only player in history to be named Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. She was the youngest member of the 2008 USA Basketball Women's National Team, earning two gold medals in Beijing and London.
Click here for additional information on each inductee.
Why is the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts?
Springfield, Massachusetts became the birthplace of basketball when James Naismith invented the sport in 1891, writing and developing the game's original 13 rules.
When does the 2026 NBA season begin?
The 2026-27 NBA season officially tips off Tuesday, October 20, on NBC and Peacock, headlined by the New York Knicks raising their championship banner against LeBron James and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers.
Also, Boston is at Detroit, and Oklahoma City opens the season in San Antonio.
Djed Spence nears Tottenham exit with Inter in talks over £25.6m move
England defender keen on move to Italian champions
Udogie and Porro set to be Spurs’ first-choice full-backs
Tottenham are prepared to allow Djed Spence to join Inter, with the England defender expected to cost around €30m (£25.6m).
Spence – who started four games for England at the World Cup, including the semi-final against Argentina – has fallen further down the pecking order at Spurs after the arrival of Andy Robertson from Liverpool. He signed a new four-year contract in north London at the start of last season but is believed to be keen on joining the Italian champions, with Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro expected to be Roberto De Zerbi’s preferred full-backs this season.
Continue reading...Its Not About How Much But How Long For Cale Makar's Contract Extension
As the dog days of the NHL offseason loom over, the Colorado Avalanche sit pretty well in their seat this summer. A majority of their offseason signings and roster moves were made right before and after free agency kicked off, and the roster seems pretty much set in stone for opening day, though one cloud looms over the horizon, and that's the Cale Makar extension.
During the end-of-season press conference, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, Joe Sakic, said that he's confident "Cale is going to finish his career here". While there is still time for that deal to take place, everyone has been theorizing what his asking price is. Will he reset the defensemen market? Will he take the maximum amount possible?
Though there is one question that not many are asking enough, and it's a sign that is showing this summer in terms of contract extensions and signings: how long will Makar sign for?
Insider Questions: Length And Timing Of Looming Extension
NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman was on NHL Tonight on August 7th, and when asked about Makar’s extension and its current status—how much he's looking for and for how long—this is what he had to say.
Elliotte Friedman: Re Cale Makar negotiations/Avalanche: Does Makar really want eight years? I don't know that he's gonna want to do eight years - NHL Tonight (8/7)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) August 10, 2026
With one season remaining on his original six-year, $54 million contract, which carries a $9 million AAV, it's obviously a top priority to get a deal done now before the season rolls on and Makar continues to do what he does best. Another season in which he ends up as a potential Norris Trophy candidate and is the team's top scorer certainly helps his case for what he's asking for.
With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) taking effect Sept. 16, the maximum length of a contract when extending their own players will now be seven years, not eight, which the Avalanche want to capitalize on to ensure Makar is locked up for as long as possible.
Not only is AAV an issue, but the term is also becoming a major factor, making the Sept. 16 deadline even more important for the Avalanche to get this deal done beforehand. When will it be done, and are there any updates on its progress? Here is what Friedman had to say;
"The Avalanche said that we are gonna get this done [with Makar]; I think one of the big questions about him is going to be term," Friedman said on the previously referenced NHL Tonight appearance.
Time is ticking for the Avalanche, but if you were in Makar’s shoes, obviously being with a Stanley Cup-contending team like the Avalanche is important, staying in a place that drafted you and won a Stanley Cup is ideal for any player while being able to secure the amount of money he is about to be paid.
Though he is going to be 28 this year, and if you look around the NHL and how business is being dealt, is an eight-year contract really what Makar wants?
The New State Of NHL Contracts Beginning To Bloom
We're at a time where the NHL is more profitable than ever, and with the salary cap blowing up every summer, it not only opens doors for more players to earn more money but also helps teams operate differently and get out of sticky cap situations, but it mainly shows how this new generation of players is going to be paid.
Look back years ago when star players in the league were signing their first major contract extension coming out of their ELC, and teams wanted to lock them up for the future. Major eight-year, double-digit contracts that set new standards for the league and what it's like to be a franchise/face-of-the-league player, and compare it to this summer.
The next generation of players, like Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Leo Carlsson, are making over 15 to 18 million a year. Yes, you can argue they absolutely earned that money with their play on the ice and the circumstances of the rise of the salary cap and how their teams are positioned to pay them, but the one thing you should notice is the term.
Comparing Macklin Celebrini's Contract With Sharks To Connor Bedard's With BlackhawksSan Jose Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini signed a monster deal, and it's comparable to Connor Bedard's new deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. All of them signed a five-year deal (unlike Carlsson, who was offer-sheeted and signed a five-year deal), not the eight-year deal they could've signed for. Why? They left tens of millions of dollars on the table. It's because all of these guys will be in their mid-twenties when their deals expire and will probably be able to sign a contract worth over $20 million easily if they maintain their level of play and the team starts to get better.
Look at the position Makar is in: if he signs an eight-year deal, it would have him finish it in his mid-to-late 30s, likely closing in on maybe one more shorter contract before he retires. Though if he takes a shorter four-to-five-year contract, that would have him finish in his early-to-mid-30s and open the door to another longer contract after that.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Makar wants to remain an Avalanche for the rest of his career, but I think what's happening right now is that management wants to lock Makar into the last-chance eight-year deal while Makar is debating either signing that long deal or playing out two-to-three shorter-term contracts and seeing if management is willing to go that route.
The Avalanche Could Have A $4 Million Breakout On Their HandsAfter making an immediate impact in Colorado, Nicolas Roy has a chance to earn a new contract with the Avalanche by proving he can become a reliable middle-six force in 2026-27.
2026-27 NBA Schedule: Everything we know including Opening Night, Christmas Games, key matchups and more
The NBA schedule is rolling out this week — the start of the season is just 70 days away — and while the full schedule doesn't drop until Thursday, some of the marquee days and biggest games have already been announced. Here is what we know.
Opening night
The NBA season tips off on NBC on Oct. 20 with a triple-header:
• Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons (3 p.m. ET)
• Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks (7 p.m. ET)
• Oklahoma City vs. San Antonio Spurs (9:30 p.m. ET)
Victor Wembanyama called for the alley-oop, but ended up being IMPRESSED with Stephon Castle’s poster.
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 11, 2026
Opening night October 20th on NBC and Peacock:
Celtics vs Pistons 3PM ET
Sixers vs Knicks 6:30PM ET
Thunder vs Spurs 9:30PM ET pic.twitter.com/WCzZBxF7z5
This will be the first time that a network has ever broadcast three NBA Tip-Off games, and all of them are intense matchups and all of them can be seen on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
The day starts with Jayson Tatum vs. Cade Cunningham in a showdown of the top two seeds in the East from last season. It's also a clash of styles between the 3-point-launching Celtics and the dominant-in-the-paint Pistons.
Then comes ring night in Madison Square Garden, the first time in 53 years a championship banner will be raised to the rafters in New York. Adam Silver will be on hand to give Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of the Knicks their rings — then LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the rest of the new-look 76ers will try to spoil the party. This is the marquee matchup of the night.
Although the finale might match it — Game 8 of last year's Western Conference Finals, the Thunder vs. the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Two juggernauts meeting on opening night.
Christmas Day
The NBA returns with its traditional five-game Christmas Day lineup, and it's a banger. All the games will be broadcast on both ABC and ESPN.
• San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks (12 p.m.m. ET). An NBA Finals rematch with Victor Wembanyama making his one appearance this season in Madison Square Garden.
• Miami Heat at Boston Celtics (2:30 p.m. ET). Giannis Antetokounmpo and the new-look Miami Heat spend the holiday in Boston taking on Jayson Tatum and the Celtics.
• Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers (5 p.m. ET). LeBron James makes his return to Los Angeles with Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid and his new teammates along for the ride, taking on Luka Doncic and a reworked Lakers roster. This is the showcase game of the day, with LeBron — who brought a title to Los Angeles — getting welcomed back by the fans.
• Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves (8 p.m. ET). A star-studded event with two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and the Thunder heading north for a white Christmas in Minnesota to take on Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and the Timberwolves.
• Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors (10:30 p.m. ET). The Christmas Day nightcap features Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets heading to the Bay Area to face Stephen Curry and the Warriors in another star-studded game. This is also two former champions in the West looking to show they belong back in the top tier of the West.
Opening Week Games
We also know a few more opening week games.
October 21
• Minnesota Timberwolves at Miami Heat (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). ESPN's NBA coverage starts with a showdown between two teams that radically changed who they are this offseason: The Timberwolves, now with LaMelo Ball and a wildly entertaining offense, against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Heat.
• Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET, ESPN). A classic star-studded West Coast showdown to open the season for both teams, with Stephen Curry and the Warriors heading down the coast to take on Luka Doncic and the Lakers.
October 22
• Cleveland Cavaliers at Philadelphia 76ers (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). Donovan Mitchell and Cleveland will look to prove this season that last season's trip to the Eastern Conference Finals was not a one-off fluke, taking on a 76ers team that added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown and is looking to supplant Cleveland in that spot.
• Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). If Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets want to prove they belong back on top in the West and are a threat, the Thunder are the bar. Any game with Jokic and Chet Holmgren is going to be fun.
October 23
NBA on Prime | Absolute cinema
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) August 11, 2026
Watch Knicks vs. Celtics and Rockets vs. Spurs on Friday, October 23rd on @primevideopic.twitter.com/GubR6E4319
• New York Knicks at Boston Celtics (7 p.m. ET, Prime Video). Prime is going to broadcast double-headers on Friday night throughout the NBA season, which starts with an impressive first night, tipped off by two of the last three NBA champions facing off in Boston. Jalen Brown vs. Jayson Tatum is always a show, and these should be two of the top regular season teams in the East.
• Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs (9:30 p.m., Prime Video). Kevin Durant and the Rockets want to prove last season (fifth in the West, unceremonious first-round playoff exit) was a one-off and they are much better than that. The return of point guard Fred VanVleet to orchestrate the offense will help a lot with that. However, their first test is against the defending Western Conference Champions and in-state rivals, the Spurs, with Victor Wembanyama. That's a good early measuring stick for Houston.
NBA gifts LeBron to LA with Lakers-76ers showdown on Christmas Day
Season's greetings from the NBA, who gifted us all with future cheer as LeBron James will make his return to the West Coast for a game against Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day.
James spent eight seasons with the Lakers before departing during the offseason as a free agent.
After 24 days, he committed to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, July 24, over teams such as the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.
James signed a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option for the 2027-28 season.
James and the Sixers head west amid a packed NBA Christmas Day schedule. It will be LeBron's 21st Christmas game and comes as the perfect headline for the holiday.
It will be nestled just after the Heat take on the Celtics and will be followed by the Thunder taking on the Timberwolves. Here is the day's slate of games. All times Eastern.
- San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks, 12 p.m.
- Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics, 2:30 p.m.
- Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 5 p.m.
- Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 8 p.m.
- Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors, 10:30 p.m.
LeBron James's final Lakers game
James produced a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds in 40 minutes of play during his last appearance for the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on May 11 in a 115-110 Game 4 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Luka Doncic did not play in the game due to injury.
After the Western Conference semifinal series, James stated that he needed to think about his future and was unsure of his plan.
“I thought I was done when the season ended,” James shared on his social media accounts on July 24. “I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game.
“I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA gifts LeBron to LA with Lakers-76ers showdown on Christmas Day
Yankees Birthday of the Day: Melky Cabrera
As someone who was perhaps the perfect age for the Yankees’ 2009 World Series win, it’s difficult to come up with many players more fondly remembered from those days than Melky Cabrera. A fleet-footed outfielder who had plenty of great moments in New York, and later broke out in his post-Yankee days, Cabrera was an energetic and downright fun player.
While his reputation certainly took a hit from a PED suspension a few years after he left the Bronx, “The Melk Man” was a fan favorite, who was a very good player for stretches, and did enough to stick in the big leagues for 15 years.
Melky Cabrera
Born: August 11, 1984 (Santo Domingo, DR)
Yankees Tenure: 2005-09
Born in the Dominican Republic in 1984, Melky Cabrera originally signed with the Yankees as a 17-year-old in the fall of 2001. After a three-year stretch climbing the minor league ranks, the switch-hitter rather quickly ascended to the Majors, making his debut on July 7th in the 2005 season, at the age of 20.
Melky had just a cup of coffee in that ‘05 campaign (making an ugly misplay at Fenway in his last appearance), but he’d quickly earn himself a near full-time role in New York. After an impressive spring training and some timely injuries on the Yankees’ roster, Cabrera earned another call-up in May of that season. He’d go on to play in 130 in that season, and while he at least posted a 95 OPS+ with 35 extra-base hits—including a walk-off homer against Seattle on July 18th—the defense was the calling card in earning his way to 3.0 bWAR. It was a defensive profile that provided a top-notch highlight in June of that year, snatching a potential game-tying homer away from Manny Ramírez in a Yankees/Red Sox classic.
For the 2007 season, Cabrera still had to battle for a full-time role with the Yankees, but his defense and mostly palatable bat kept his role fairly significant. He appeared in 150 games, hitting eight homers with an 88 OPS+, and while it was perhaps a step back, he did enough to get plenty of run in the outfield. The same did not quite ring true during the ‘08 season, however, as he took a significant step back with the bat, slashing just .249/.301/.341, eventually resulting in a brief demotion to Triple-A in August.
Melky wouldn’t stay away for long, however, as he returned for the 2009 campaign in what would be a much-needed bounce-back. Initially competing with Brett Gardner for the center fielder job, Cabrera took hold of the job relatively early on, thanks to a season filled with some big-time moments. On April 22nd, Cabrera belted the first walk-off homer at the new Yankee Stadium, the first of many in a thrilling season filled with them.
Later on in the season, Melky hit for the cycle in Chicago, the first Yankee to do so since Tony Fernandez in 1995; he remains the last Yankee to achieve the feat, 17 years later.
It was an exciting year for the switch-hitter, as Melky had fully established himself as a fun player out in the outfield, with a knack for the big moment now and then. Ultimately, 2009 was a nice rebound for the then 24-year-old, who set career-highs with 13 home runs and a .416 slugging percentage. He was up-and-down during the postseason, but was a major contributor during the ALCS, recording nine hits and four RBIs in the pennant win. Of course, he would capture a World Series ring during that season.
After a nice run in pinstripes and plenty of memorable moments, Melky Cabrera’s time with the Yankees would come to a close with a trade to the Braves in December 2009. Although he was popular, he was expendable given the presence of the ascendant Gardner, and more relevantly, their recent trade for All-Star Curtis Granderson. As a highlight-reel defender, and no stranger to fun moments on both sides of the ball, he had certainly made his mark.
Cabrera was awful for Atlanta in 2010—beyond modest reliever Boone Logan, the deal didn’t really work out for either side, given Javier Vázquez‘s Yankees struggles—but broke out in a big way with the Royals a year later. In 155 games, Cabrera hit 18 homers with a 121 OPS+ that was a significant high-water mark, while hitting over .300 for the first time in his career. In 2012, now with the Giants, Cabrera picked up right where he left off, hitting on a pace even more impressive than his breakout the year prior. He was batting .373 through the end of May and earned a starting spot with the National League All-Stars, eventually winning himself All-Star Game MVP honors.
Hitting .346 with a whopping 157 OPS+, Cabrera’s season and ascension in the league hit a screeching halt, when he was handed a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. The story only got stranger with controversy over his side creating a fake website. He would miss out on a chance to win a batting title (recusing himself to pave way for teammate and Buster Posey), and of course, celebrate another World Series when the Giants swept the Tigers that October—though the team did grant him a ring.
With a reputation certainly a bit tarnished, Cabrera would stick around in the bigs for some time. He played until the 2019 season, spending time with Toronto, the White Sox, Kansas City again, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. Although he never came close to the pre-suspension heights, he still enjoyed some nice seasons, including a 3.5 bWAR season in ‘16 with Toronto, part of a four-year stretch with at least a dozen homers in each.
Melky Cabrera played his final game in 2019 with the Pirates, putting a cap on a nice 15-year-career in the Major Leagues. Having registered 383 doubles, 45 triples, and 144 homers in addition to a World Series win with the Yankees and an All-Star Game MVP with the Giants, he certainly had some impressive highs across that decade-and-a-half. Melky continued to play in the Dominican Winter League but finally hung up the spikes in January 2023.
Here’s to a happy 42nd for the Melk Man!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Are the Orioles going to get another good season from Gunnar Henderson?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Orioles fans and fans across the country.
Of all of the things that cause angst about the 2026 Orioles, the struggle of Gunnar Henderson is the one that hits me the hardest. He was just so good two years ago, a legitimate MVP contender, and even as his power production took a dive last year, he was still a great player. Not much is going right this year and things seem to be getting worse as the season goes along.
The Orioles need him to be a good player. There’s no backup plan for what if he’s not. Manager Craig Albernaz said this directly in pregame remarks yesterday: “For us to get where we need to go, Gunnar Henderson has to be Gunnar Henderson.” It’s a statement that looks silly written out, because of course Gunnar Henderson is always Gunnar Henderson.
We can take his meaning easily. Henderson needs to be a real positive difference-maker for the Orioles. He’s making a difference this year, but not in a good way. You could argue reasonably that the gap between Henderson’s 2025 and 2026 is what got Adley Rutschman traded, or at least a substantial percentage of it if not the whole reason.
Lately, Henderson is stuck in a downward spiral and it seems neither he nor anyone else is able to find a way to bring him out of it. For this week’s poll question, I’m wondering simply: Do you think he will ever be good for the Orioles again? Vote below, and let us know what you’re thinking in the comments. Results will be shared on Friday or Saturday.
You can define “good” however that is meaningful for you. I would put the line at, will he ever have at least a 4+ bWAR season for the Orioles. That’s a good player. It’s not as great as he once showed us that he can be. Still, if he can rebound to that point, that will have mean that he’s fixed some things and gotten on a better trajectory. Maybe you think he’s cooked entirely, maybe you think the fixes won’t happen under current Orioles philosophies. Is he going to get better here? That’s the question for the week.
Editor-in-chief mailbag: MSG for the opener, Tinseltown for Christmas
Ahead of the full 2026-27 NBA schedule release Thursday, we now know a few of the marquee games for the Sixers this season.
The Sixers begin the season at MSG against the defending champion New York Knicks. They’ll also take on two of LeBron James’ former teams — the home opener is against the Cleveland Cavaliers while the Sixers will be in Los Angeles for Christmas in a primetime matchup with the Lakers.
It’s a little surprising we didn’t see a matchup with the Boston Celtics, especially when Jaylen Brown returns to TD Garden for the first time as a Sixer. That almost felt like a lock for Christmas Day. Alas, we’ll have to wait to find out when Brown gets his first crack at a revenge game.
Any thoughts on these games or any other Sixers questions? Drop them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer as many as possible!
Can Detroit's Overhauled Offense Finally End Their Decade-Long Playoff Drought?
After a tough finish to the regular season, in which the Detroit Red Wings went 9-15-5 over their final 29 games and posted the third-worst offense in the league during that stretch, the team is looking to make major changes heading into season 101 for the franchise.
With certain pieces failing to generate offense and injuries slowing momentum down the stretch, the Red Wings are returning with a distinctly different look, and it'll be a very different-looking offense on opening night.
For starters, contract years are expected to play a major role for a pair of key veterans. Defenceman Justin Faulk and centre Andrew Copp will both be looking to bring their best as they play for new deals.
Faulk enters the season with a full off-season under his belt to get accustomed to life in Detroit after arriving via trade at last season's deadline, while Copp, who battled injuries a year ago that derailed what was shaping up to be a career campaign, will look to have his best season yet in the Winged Wheel and potentially reach new heights, including a possible first 50-point season.
The newcomers are also expected to bring a very different look to Detroit's attack. Viktor Arvidsson signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings on July 1 after posting 54 points on 25 goals and 29 assists in 69 games with the Boston Bruins last season, a bounce-back effort after being limited to 27 points in 67 games with the Edmonton Oilers the year before.
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Arvidsson is projected to step into Detroit's second line alongside Alex DeBrincat and Andrew Copp, effectively taking over the spot vacated by Patrick Kane, who returned to the Chicago Blackhawks this past month.
For added grit and impact in the bottom six, Detroit also acquired Keegan Kolesar in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1. The 29-year-old provides stability in the bottom six and has shown some scoring touch, having recorded 12 goals for Vegas in 2024-25.
Kolesar spent his entire seven-season NHL career in Vegas, helping the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023 and reach the Stanley Cup Final again last season. He racked up 270 hits last season, seventh-most in the NHL, and has piled up 1,416 hits since the start of 2020-21, fourth-most in the league over that span.
He may not offer the same offensive punch as some of Detroit's other additions, but his physical, hard-forechecking edge gives the Red Wings exactly the kind of bottom-six impact they were missing.
Rounding out the offensive makeover, Detroit is also banking on continued development from its young forwards, with Nate Danielson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard expected to push for full-time roles on the roster.
Danielson, the former ninth overall pick back in the 2023 NHL Draft, posted seven points in 28 games as a rookie before a season-ending lower-body injury in February, and will look for a steadier role in his second full crack at the NHL. Brandsegg-Nygard, the 15th overall pick in 2024, made his NHL debut last season with one assist in 14 games and will look to build on that this year.
Taken together, it amounts to a substantially retooled offense for a team desperate to snap the longest active playoff drought in the NHL. Detroit's offense averaged just 2.91 goals per game last season, 22nd in the league, and with all the changes, the Red Wings are hoping this new-look attack can be the difference-maker in finally getting Hockeytown back into the postseason.
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Tarik Skubal struggles with control but bounces back and has ‘a ton of fun’ in Dodgers home debut
LOS ANGELES — Although Tarik Skubal didn’t meet his own high standards for execution in his first home start for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was proud that he fought to keep his team in a game it eventually managed to win after he left.
Skubal still intends to be much better than he was while allowing three runs on four hits over five innings in the Dodgers’ 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
“I thought I competed well and gave our team a chance to win, and our offense picked me up big-time, defense picked me up big-time, and the bullpen was outstanding tonight,” Skubal said. “So all in all, a good team win, especially when I don’t feel like I performed up to my standard.”
Skubal left trailing 3-2 in the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner’s decent, if unspectacular, first start in the home whites. His fastball command decidedly was lacking, and he was unable to get ahead early in most counts during an outing in which he managed just one 1-2-3 inning. The fireworks came instead from the Dodgers’ slumbering offense, which awoke with Max Muncy’s three-run double and Freddie Freeman’s RBI single after Skubal departed.
Although he struck out six, Skubal didn’t live up to manager Dave Roberts’ pregame prediction of “an electric night” for the vaunted left-hander and his slumping club, which had lost eight of nine heading into this homestand.
“I thought he fought well,” Roberts said. “Tarik didn’t have his best stuff, but he didn’t relent. He kept going, and he gave us what he had for tonight."
Even after everything he accomplished while becoming one of the majors’ top starters with the Tigers, Skubal particularly was amped up for this debut in front of 51,799 fans eager to cheer their team’s biggest trade-deadline addition in its bid to win three straight World Series titles. When Skubal was announced in the starting lineup for the first time, Dodgers fans responded with loud cheers and a serenade of “Skuuuuuu!”
“This one was special to me, so the nerves run a little bit higher,” Skubal said. “But it just means you care, so I think that’s all positive stuff. I was excited to go out there and pitch in front of the Dodger fans. It was a ton of fun to play the game today.”
Skubal threw 95 pitches against the Royals, and Jac Caglianone tagged two of them for a two-run homer and an RBI single. Skubal also issued two walks and hit a batter with a pitch in just his second career appearance at Dodger Stadium, taking the mound nine days after the defending champions acquired him from Detroit in the biggest trade of the deadline.
Los Angeles gave up three promising prospects for what might be a short-term rental of the 29-year-old Skubal, who likely will reap the benefits of free agency this winter.
Skubal made his Dodgers debut at Wrigley Field, pitching six innings of two-run, four-hit ball with six strikeouts in his new team’s 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
The back-to-back champions had the farm talent and the impetus to go out and get the AL’s best pitcher over the past two seasons — and Skubal’s reception at Chavez Ravine showed their fans still don’t take their deep-pocketed team’s winning mentality for granted.
But after that warm pregame reception, Skubal yielded two soft singles and a run to Kansas City’s first three batters, with Bobby Witt Jr. stealing second and scoring on Caglianone’s dribbler up the middle.
Nick Loftin then doubled in the third before Caglianone hit his 21st homer of the season to right, smashing a hanging slider for a 410-foot shot that induced grumbles from the stands.
Skubal retired six straight Royals after Caglianone’s shot, but he got into trouble again in the fifth, hitting Loftin with a pitch and walking Witt with two outs. Skubal dug in and struck out Caglianone to end the inning, getting him with his signature changeup on his final pitch.
“Tarik Skubal — it’s nice to have him on our mound,” said a grinning Freeman, who drove in Shohei Ohtani with the go-ahead run. “I’m sure he wants to go deeper than five innings, but I like that every five, six days that he’s going to be on the mound for us.”
Los Angeles probably hoped for a more dominant beginning to Skubal’s tenure, but it cares most about the games he’ll pitch in October, when the champs expect to make their 14th consecutive playoff appearance.
Roberts uncommonly is impressed by Skubal after just more than a week together.
“This guy, he’s as different as anyone I’ve ever been around in this short period of time,” Roberts said. “He’s special in every way. ... He’s just built differently. The mind, the body, the focus, the humility, the willingness to serve, to help. He puts himself out there. He’s different than any player I’ve ever been around, really. Again, it’s a small sample, but I’ve dug in on him. I’ve got a pretty good gut. This guy is something like I’ve never seen.”
Mets Minor League Players of the Week: Week Twenty
Mitch Voit
Week: 5 G, 18 AB, .611/.682/.778, 11 H, 3 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 BB, 3 K, 3/4 SB (Double-A)
2026 Season: 76 G, 293 AB, .242/.349/.396, 71 H, 12 2B, 0 3B, 11 HR, 37 BB, 70 K, 36/44 SB, .278 BABIP (High-A) / 11 G, 40 AB, .550/.633/.850, 22 H, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 9 BB, 6 K, 6/7 SB, .636 BABIP (Double-A)
This week was a hard week to crown a hitter of the week. It wasn’t that there were no players who really stood out, as is the case occasionally, but rather, there were too many impressive performances. Mitch Voit hit .611/.682/.778 with 3 doubles, 3 stolen bases, and drew 4 walks to 3 strikeouts, all good for a 295 wRC+. Vidal Brujan hit .500/.650/.786 with 4 doubles, 2 stolen bases, and drew 5 walks without striking out once in the week, good for a 263 wRC+. Billy Amick hit .294/.400/1.000 with 4 home runs, a stolen base, and drew 3 walks to 9 strikeouts, good for a 240 wRC+. Nick Lorusso hit .389/.450/.889 with 3 home runs and drew 2 walks to 4 strikeouts, good for a 228 wRC+. Julio Zayas hit .381/.458/.857 with a double, 3 home runs, and drew 3 walks to 2 strikeouts, good for a 224 wRC+. Royner Bravo hit .524/.583/.762 with a doubles, 2 triples, and a stolen base, with 3 walks to 3 strikeouts, good for a 224 wRC+ as well. Frank Moreno hit .467/.556/.667 with a double, a triple, a stolen base, and drew 2 walks to 1 strikeout, good for a 200 wRC+. Yonatan Henriquez hit .389/.476/.667 with 2 doubles, a home run, 2 stolen bases, and drew 2 walks to 4 strikeouts, good for a 196 wRC+. Elian Pena hit .400/.455/.550 with 3 doubles, a stolen base, and drew 2 walks to 6 strikeouts, good for a 158 wrC+. Ronny Mauricio hit .300/.348/.600 with 3 doubles, a home run, a stolen base, and drew 2 walks to 6 strikeouts, good for a 128 wRC+.
In total, among hitters who had at least 12 at-bats this past week, eleven players had an OPS over 1.000. In the end, what Mitch Voit did, with his combination of logging double-digit hits, hitting for power while doing so, stealing bases, and working counts, gave him the edge over the many other deserving hitter of the week candidates.
Normally, I’d write some kind of observation or something like that about the player, something that they changed or something that they’re doing, but in this case, Voit’s crazy numbers actually make it hard for me to say anything about his week. Besides for the fact that the odds of Voit hitting .550/.633/.850 over the next two months are extremely low, the way that he has hit .550/.633/.850 has unsustainable, with extreme outlier metrics, and as such, it’s hard to say anything about what he’s been doing to spark this streak.
Noah Hall
Week: 1 G (1 GS), 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K (Double-A)
2026 Season: 19 G (16 GS), 88.1 IP, 78 H, 49 R, 45 ER (4.58 ERA), 60 BB, 96 K, .308 BABIP (High-A) / 2 G (2 GS), 11.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, (3.27 ERA), 5 BB, 16 K, .273 BABIP (Double-A)
Noah Hall was promoted to Double-A Binghamton at the end of July and has made two starts there so far this season. In his first, against the Reading Fightin’ Phils, he got smacked around a bit, giving up 4 runs in 5.0 innings, allowing 6 hits, walking 2, and striking out 6. In his last start, the right-hander threw six scoreless innings and matched a career-high ten strikeouts, posting a season-high 75 GameScore for the start.
In the first, Hall struck out centerfielder GJ Hill and third baseman Andy Perez. Hill went down swinging on a 92 MPH fastball middle-away and Perez was called out on a curveball middle-away. In the second, he struck out DH Mike Antico and catcher Cole Messina. Antico struck out swinging on an elevated fastball, while Messina was called out on strikes on a fastball in the same location. In the third, he struck out right fielder Zach Kokoska swinging on a changeup down below the zone. In the fifth, he struck out first baseman Jack O’Dowd, Mike Antico a second time, and left fielder Skyler Messinger. O’Down went down swinging on a changeup down and away outside of the zone, Antico went down swinging on a curveball down under the zone that Kevin Parada blocked and threw to first for the put out, and Messinger struck out swinging on a fastball middle-away. In the sixth, he struck out shortstop Dylan Jorge and second baseman Roc Riggio, both infielders going down swinging in low-90 fastballs middle-in.
Players of the Week 2026