Former NBA champion Stephen Jackson says LeBron James' decision to join the 76ers puts him out of the conversation to be in the GOAT debate.
LeBron James has always been centered around the great “GOAT” debate in the NBA, but after his recent decision to play for the Philadelphia 76ers, does it create a stain on his resume?
Former NBA champion Stephen Jackson said on his show, “All the Smoke Pod” that he believes James’ decision to join the 76ers no longer puts him in the GOAT debate with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
“All the talk you hear about the GOATs, comparing him to Jordan and Kobe. For me, Cleveland was the only thing that made sense to keep him in that conversation,” Jackson said of James. “Going to a team that’s already championship-ready, that’s not what I would look at as the best player in the league challenging himself.”
The outlier between James, Jordan, and Bryant in the GOAT debate is centered around the movement around teams on James’ resume.
Former NBA player Stephen Jackson says LeBron James shouldn’t be considered in the GOAT debate. X/ @Baller_ReportPhiladelphia 76ers Joel Embiid in an NBA game against the New York Knicks. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
James is about to play on his fourth team in the NBA, and it’s one that currently bolsters one of the best rosters, as it features Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and V.J. Edgecomb.
ATLANTA — Tarik Skubal knows he will feel emotions when he makes his return to Detroit on Friday night to pitch against the Tigers only four weeks after he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Skubal says he hopes to focus on representing the Dodgers instead of dwelling on his memories with the Tigers at Comerica Park. He acknowledged it may not be easy to keep his emotions in check.
“We’ll see, right?” Skubal told SI.com on Wednesday. “The whole process was emotional. I have a lot of respect for those guys over there. I’m just going to go play baseball.”
Overall this season, Skubal is 8-7 with a 2.91 ERA. In four starts for the Dodgers since the Aug. 1 trade, Skubal is 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA. He is coming off his first win for the Dodgers. The left-hander had 11 strikeouts in seven innings in a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
Skubal, 29, made his major league debut with Detroit in 2020 and had played for no other team before the trade. The deal sent the two-time defending AL Cy Young winner to the two-time defending World Series champions.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he believes Skubal has the right temperament to handle the emotions which will come with his Detroit homecoming.
“I think, you know, that whole ‘be where your feet are’ adage, I think that’s just who he is,” Roberts said Wednesday. “Some people have a hard time letting go, but I think that Tarik is a guy that, wherever he’s at, he’s all in.”
Roberts said he expects Skubal “is going to try to engage guys and immerse himself with coaches, with his teammates, the best he can. That’s a good trait. Like I said, I’ve only known him a short time, but I’m really, really fortunate we got him on our club. Not even just for the pitching, just beyond.”
Skubal said he is “sure it will be emotional there just because of the history.” The emotions will be fresh because he has had less than one month to adjust to his new Los Angeles home before making his return to Detroit.
“But at the end of the day, I’ve got to go play baseball,” Skubal said. “I’ve got to compete and do what I do well, what makes me a good pitcher. I’ll probably handle the emotions after.”
The Tigers are expected to have right-hander Drew Anderson (4-5, 4.09 ERA) face Skubal in the opener of the three-game series.
Klay Thompson believes nobody will replicate his 37-point third-quarter performance against the Sacramento Kings.
It’s been 11 years since Klay Thompson put on a 37-point spectacle against the Sacramento Kings, and since then nobody has come near that kind of dominance. And maybe will never.
Thompson was asked by former NBA player Serge Ibaka about his dominance that night and told him he’s not sure if anybody will be able to replicate his performance.
“That’s a lot of points in the quarter. I don’t know if that’ll be done again, to be honest,” Thompson said. “9-for-9 from three [point range] in nine minutes, that’s hard to do. It’s hard to do for me just in the gym alone.”
Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson believes nobody will be able to replicate his 37 point performance. X/@cptdankkk
Thompson went on to say that night, there was a little bit of luck involved that allowed him to put on that kind of clinic, but he hopes to see his record-breaking night for most points scored in a quarter be broken someday.
Ibaka went on to ask Thompson what was going through his mind, to which Thompson revealed that nothing was going through it.
Klay Thompson scored 37 points in a quarter against the Sacramento Kings. Getty Images
“The only thing going through your mind is getting the ball and getting it off your fingertips,” Thompson said. “You’re hot, you’re in that flow state, and you feel like it’s just gliding off your fingers.”
That night, Thompson finished scoring a career high at the time, 52 points, where he sank 11 of 15 shots from the three-point line, while shooting 16-25 from field goal range.
The Post reported that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said that while he was lucky enough to play alongside Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, and David Robinson, but he never saw anyone do what Thompson did that night.
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But if you didn’t know any better, you would’ve thought New York was the one playing the back-to-back in Thursday’s 79-60 loss to Golden State.
The Liberty knew they were facing a tall task in the Valkyries’ league-best defense. Sabrina Ionescu even acknowledged at practice Wednesday that the game would be a major stress test for the Liberty’s offense.
And New York failed miserably as the Valkyries held the Liberty to their lowest scoring output of the season.
Rebekah Gardner blocks Veronica Burton’s shot against Veronica Burton during the Liberty’s 79-60 loss to the Valkyries on Aug. 27, 2026 at Barclays Center. Michelle Farsi for NY Post
“I feel disappointed with this one and a little bit embarrassed as well,” Rebecca Allen said after the loss. “I just don’t think that we should ever lose like that on home court.”
Coach Chris DeMarco waved the white flag with 3:13 left and New York down 17, subbing off all the starters except Pauline Astier.
The frustration with the Liberty’s poor play started to bubble to the surface in the fourth, with Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart jawing with officials.
Jones’ foul that sent Veronica Burton to the floor was reviewed for a possible upgrade, though it was upheld as a common foul.
Sabrina Ionescu drives on Gabby Williams the Liberty’s loss to the Valkyries. Michelle Farsi for NY Post
With the loss, the Liberty were swept by the Valkyries in the regular-season series. Not only is Golden State the only team New York hasn’t beaten this season, but the Valkyries are also responsible for the Liberty’s three lowest scoring games of the season.
Allen thought the Liberty played hard and “with intent” but “just didn’t find a way” on this night.
Of course, it doesn’t help that the Liberty shot a season-low 30.2 percent from the field.
Jonquel dribbles up court during the Liberty’s loss to the Valkyries. Michelle Farsi for NY Post
“It was definitely a disappointing one because I feel like today was a bit of a step backwards,” Allen said.
The Liberty moved the ball well in the first quarter and trailed by only two entering the second. Then, the offense got stagnant, and the Valkyries got hot.
Cecelia Zandalasini went 3-for-4 from deep in the second quarter to aid in the Valkyries outscoring the Liberty 21-11. New York trailed 42-30 at halftime.
Gabby Williams drives to the basket during the Liberty’s loss to the Valkyries. NBAE via Getty Images
In order to beat a team like the Valkyries, who thrive on elite defense, physicality and rebounding, a team has to beat them at their own game.
When New York’s shots weren’t falling, the Liberty needed to tighten up their defense, grab rebounds and limit second-chance points. Getting to the free-throw line would help, too.
That didn’t happen enough.
The Valkyries opened the fourth quarter with six unanswered points, building their lead to 18.
The Liberty had no answers and frustration followed.
Stewart said she thought the Liberty overall generated good looks from 3, but the shots didn’t fall. New York went 7-for-31 from deep. Sabrina Ionescu went 1-for-9 from behind the arc and Leonie Fiebich 1-for-6.
“With a team like this with the physicality and just really making it tough, after awhile that can make it really hard,” Stewart said. “And I think that we gave the effort and energy that we wanted but we got to knock down some shots, so we got to find an easier way to score.”
Jonquel Jones of the New York Liberty reacts to a lack of a foul call against teammate Rebekah Gardner during a game against the Golden State Valkyries at Barclays Center on Thursday, August 27, 2026. Michelle Farsi for NY Post
With the playoffs around the corner, Thursday’s showing didn’t instill much confidence in the Liberty’s ceiling. After all, there’s a good chance the Liberty might have to go through the Valkyries in order to reach the WNBA Finals.
Right now, it’s clear Golden State has the edge on New York.
“Progress is not a linear line,” Rebekah Gardner said. “It can sometimes go up and down and today was obviously not our best day… We definitely need to sit and watch this film and it’s good that it happened now before the playoffs so we can learn from it. Obviously, the game didn’t go how we would like it to go but if we learn from it, we’ll be better moving forward.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Cecilia Zandalasini scored 14 of her 20 points in the first half, Gabby Williams added 16 points and the Golden State Valkyries beat the New York Liberty 79-60 on Thursday night.
Golden State (28-11) improved to 3-0 against New York this season — the only team the Liberty have not beaten this season. The Valkyries held the Liberty to 70, 67 and 60 points in three games, the three lowest-scoring games of the season for New York.
New York (23-16) had scored 80-plus points in 16 straight games — the longest streak in franchise history.
Veronica Burton had a season-high 13 assists to go with eight points for Golden State, which was coming off an 89-64 victory over Connecticut on Wednesday. Tiffany Hayes had 12 points off the bench.
Jonquel Jones scored 18 points for New York, which had a six-game home winning streak halted. Breanna Stewart added 16 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
Zandalasini made four 3-pointers in the first half to help Golden State build a 42-30 lead. The Valkyries started the third quarter on an 11-6 run to go ahead by 17 points, and scored the opening six points of the fourth to go ahead 65-47.
Fernando Mendoza was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the expectation is he will begin his career as the backup to veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins.
As a result, the Las Vegas Raiders' preseason Week 3 game against the San Francisco 49ers represented a key opportunity for Mendoza to get playing time before the start of the 2026 NFL season.
Raiders coach Klint Kubiak opted to play Cousins the first two drives of the Thursday, Aug. 27, preseason clash. But after that, Mendoza played until the start of the fourth quarter, when Aidan O'Connell entered.
After a strong preseason debut and a less impressive second effort, Mendoza's outing in the Raiders' preseason finale showed off even more of his limitations at this early stage of his career. If nothing else, it showcased why Las Vegas was wise to bring in a veteran in Cousins to help bridge the gap.
How did Mendoza perform in his all-important final preseason game? Here's a full breakdown of his outing, as well as a grade for it.
Fernando Mendoza grade for Raiders vs. 49ers preseason game
Mendoza didn't have much to write home about in his final preseason outing.
Throughout two quarters – and a bit of a third – the rookie quarterback leaned heavily on checkdown passes, overthrew his targets multiple times, was late on some throws, took a couple of sacks and threw an interception. In other words, Mendoza looked the part of a rookie quarterback still adjusting to NFL game speed.
At times, the Raiders' lack of good depth on their offensive line made it hard to evaluate Mendoza. Was he taking sacks and facing pressure because he couldn't get the ball out fast, or because the line was letting guys go unblocked? Sometimes the answer was the former, sometimes the latter, occasionally both.
The No. 1 overall pick was late on his throws on multiple occasions, which led to some of the overthrows and incompletions. But there were plenty of blown blocking assignments from the line in front of him as well.
After Mendoza's interception, which he threw on his second snap of the game, it also seemed like he lost a bit of confidence in his ability to push the ball. There appeared to be an extra emphasis on progressing through his reads, and he ended up throwing to his final, checkdown option often – but in the third quarter especially. That meant fewer intermediate and deep targets as the game progressed; Mendoza hesitated to pull the trigger on his earlier reads in his progression. By the end of the night, the most net yards the Raiders got on a single Mendoza-led play was a 19-yard pass interference call that was questionable at best.
A full analysis won't be possible until we see some of the all-22 film from the matchup against the 49ers. Perhaps the 49ers were actually just really good in coverage and checkdowns were really the only available option.
For now, the main takeaway from Mendoza's showing in the Raiders' preseason finale is that he still has a ways to go before he's ready to swipe the starting job from Cousins.
A floppy haired sawed off white boy guard, eh? Intriguing…. | Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Right as the school year is about to start, Marquette men’s basketball has adjusted their roster for the 2026-27 season. On Thursday, Marquette and head coach Shaka Smart announced the signing of fifth year transfer guard Colin Porter. The 5’10”, 170 pound guard spent the last four seasons at Liberty.
“We’re thrilled to be adding the person and player that Colin is,” Smart said. “He’s a strong cultural fit who possesses excellent basketball IQ, poise and maturity. Colin’s shooting, ballhandling and passing will bolster our backcourt immediately.”
Colin Porter started every single game he played for Liberty for the past four seasons, and yes, that is all 135 games that the Flames played in that time period. He averaged at least 27 minutes a game in each of his four seasons, and capped off his time there with 11.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Porter is a career 38% three-point shooter with his senior year mark of 35.8% going in the books as his worst output. Seeing as that was also his career high in attempts per game, I’m going to guess that if he gets a little bit more choosy, he’ll go back towards the 40% from freshman year or 43% from junior year.
His assist rate trailed off this past year after three straight seasons in the top 400 in the country according to KenPom.com. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about with Porter not even making into the top 500 in 2025-26, as Zach Cleveland was a top 25 assist rate guy for Liberty last season. That’s gonna make a dent in Porter’s ability to be the guy who makes the pass that leads to the bucket, y’know? Elsewhere in Analytics Town, Porter had a slightly questionable turnover rate as a freshman, coming in at 20.4% on KenPom, but he’s been under 18% in each of the last three seasons, including just 13.1% this past year for the Flames.
One thing that’s slightly bothersome? It’s not his shooting in general. As mentioned, his three-point shooting is fine to great. Porter is a career 49.5% shooter on two-point attempts, and he was north of 50% each of the past two seasons as well. It’s his shooting in specific circumstances. In 27 career games against what KenPom.com calls Tier A+B opponents — top 100 teams, adjusted for home/road situations — Porter is shooting 39-for-94 on two-pointers. That’s just 41.5%. Last year, 15 of Marquette’s 20 Big East games were A+B games, and they played five more in non-conference play, and the Big East tournament game against Xavier counted, too. That’s 21, and we can roughly presume that the 2026-27 schedule will land somewhere in that vicinity. 3.5 two-point attempts per game is more than Porter averaged in any of his four seasons at Liberty, so he was shooting more than average in those contests and coming up with more misses than his career or season averages.
If Marquette’s offensive system is still going to be predicated on getting open layups — offensive guru Nevada Smith is the head coach at Siena now, after all — and that’s going to lead to Porter taking more shots near the rim, then maybe this is all okay. It all comes down to how he’s going to be used, and to be very clear: There is zero reason that Shaka Smart is taking a transfer under these circumstances if Porter isn’t going to play some kind of a role on the 2026-27 team.
The circumstances in question? Colin Porter is only technically legally eligible right now. He just finished four years at Liberty, and if this was a year ago, that would be that. However, the NCAA approved five years/five seasons rules over the summer, and Porter is part of a lawsuit in North Carolina that contests the NCAA’s rule that the seniors from 2025-26 don’t get the fifth year. I want to be 100% clear about this: I think Porter should be eligible, because I am shocked that the NCAA was stupid enough to not anticipate the mountain of lawsuits like this that they are facing and thus just grandfather the Class of 2026 in for a fifth year. However, the lawsuits on this topic are far from being completely settled. As such, there remains a chance that Colin Porter will never suit up for Marquette. Early indications from all the courts involved seem to point towards the players seeking a fifth year will end up victorious, but Billable Hours remains undefeated, so who can say for certain?
I can say for certain that we didn’t see Nash Walker at all when Marquette went on their Canadian trip as he continues to rehab from shoulder surgery in the spring. I can also say that Colton Crowdis played a total of 2:34 in the entire three game trip, and that was also the final 2:34 of a 102-65 victory. There’s a need for a point guard option behind Nigel James on this roster. Porter being available means that maybe Nolan Minessale doesn’t have to slide over to point guard duties here and there, and maybe that means that Shaka Smart is 1) making sure he has point guard options and/or 2) sending a message to everyone on the roster that playing time is precious. If he’d rather bring Porter in during August when that could mean Minessale absorbing minutes that maybe we thought would go to Damarius Owens or Michael Porter? You see the message being sent here.
There’s another slightly more interesting message here. Shaka Smart has gone from “nah, we’ll just improve the guys we have here” to “well, this has gone poorly” to “I have added two of the best transfer fits in the country” to “hey, I can make my roster better in November thanks to legal goofiness that has opened a loophole? Cool, let’s do it.” I know what I said about Smart’s future as the Marquette head coach back in mid-March, and I stand by it. The fact of the matter is that Smart has acted like he believes it ever since then. We’ll have to wait to see what the results look like, but the process, the path taken? These are the actions of a coach who is driven to not just win, but put the horrors of last season very far in the rear view mirror.
Let’s get you a brand new scholarship chart and get out of here, eh?
Los Angeles Rams' Myles Garrett plans to honor Kobe Bryant with his play.
As great as Myles Garret is, even he has idols he looks up to.
Garrett appeared as a guest on “Boardroom Talks,” and listed former Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant as someone he constantly studies.
“You get to see the duality of it,” Garrett said. “You have [Lawrence Taylor], you have Kobe, you have [Michael Jordan], who have a killer instinct. It exudes from them. They want to kill you, want to take you out the game.”
Los Angeles Rams’ edge rusher Myles Garrett during a training camp practice. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Being inspired by Bryant is not a bad choice when it comes to wanting to emulate your game after someone who can take it over in a matter of minutes.
Bryant was well known for his “Mamba Mentality,” which was centered around his hard work, dedication, and inability to show weakness.
“Just playing the game as freely as you can, trying to combine the two,” Garrett said. “That’s how I feel like I walk on the field. I walk on the field and I plan to destroy the game, but I plan to have fun doing it the whole time.”
Infamously, his dedication to the game of basketball was shown on full display in 2013, when he stepped to the free-throw line and sank two free throws on two torn Achilles.
Bryant spent the entirety of his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he led them to five NBA Titles, while picking up two MVPs along the way [2009 and 2010], he was the league’s scoring champion twice in 2006 and 2007, and was also an 18-time NBA All-Star.
Kobe Bryant during an NBA game with the Los Angeles Lakers. Getty Images
Aside from idolizing Bryant, Garrett admitted that he grew up “attached” to Muhammad Ali, because opponents would trash talk him, and he wouldn’t respond.
“Once you start playing those mental games and doing that mental gymnastics, you’re already defeated,” Garrett said. “Then he’s got you right where he wants you.”
Garret, 30, is still in the prime of his career and is about to usher in a new beginning with the Los Angeles Rams, after being traded to them over the offseason.
Shaquille O'Neal details what went into him signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
When Shaquille O’Neal went to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996, he knew he was about to become the NBA’s highest-paid player, but didn’t know what would come after.
O’Neal appeared as a guest on “Full Send Podcast,” where he detailed the events that resulted in him signing with the Lakers, while meeting with Hall of Fame general manager Jerry West.
“Jerry West met me in a hotel. He said, ‘I got some good news and some bad news,” O’Neal said. “I said, ‘What’s the bad news?’ He said, ‘I can’t get you the $150 [million] you asked for, but I can get you $120 million, and I got some movie deals signed up for you that’ll come up to $180 million.”
Shaquille O’Neal details what made him sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. X/@cptdankkkShaquille O’Neal in an NBA game for the Lakers. New York Post
O’Neal said that after he heard the number, he told West, “S—t let me see that contract,” and couldn’t believe seeing the figure on the paper.
Once the ink dried on the paper, O’Neal was about to begin an eight-year stretch on one of the most dominant eras of basketball.
“And as I’m signing, he puts his hand on my shoulder. He said, ‘Let me tell you something, I just got this kid; in two or three years, you and him are going to win a lot of championships,” O’Neal said. “I’m like, yeah, okay, because I’m trying to sign. He was talking about Kobe.”
O’Neal and Bryant went on to become one of the greatest duos to grace the game of basketball as the two went on to three-peat NBA championships from 2000-2002.
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal as teammates on the Lakers. REUTERS
O’Neal was the Finals MVP in all three of those series and was also the league MVP in 2000, when he averaged 28.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.8 blocks per game.
The chemistry between O’Neal and Bryant was simple. O’Neal did the dirty work, while Bryant showed the flash.
In the playoffs, teams struggled to contain the two as Bryant would average 22.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game while playing alongside O’Neal.
The marriage of Bryant and O’Neal eventually ended in divorce when O’Neal left the Lakers and joined the Miami Heat in 2004.
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The Yankees go all-out with a 'Seinfeld' theme for 'Summer of George' night.
The “Summer of George” has again returned to Yankee Stadium — and this time it’s more comprehensive than ever.
The Yankees hosted their third annual “Seinfeld” bobblehead giveaway during their game against the Astros on Thursday.
The first 18,000 fans received a bobblehead of George Costanza holding a calzone, inspired by the “Seinfeld” episode “The Calzone,” where Costanza goes on a pursuit of the food.
The George Costanza bobblehead that the first 18,000 fans received at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 27, 2026. X/ @jweis04
In addition to the bobblehead this year, the Yankees are offering an eggplant calzone for the game, along with a “Hovering Angel” chocolate eclair sundae, referencing Costanza defending eating the dessert from the trash during the episode “The Gymnast” by saying it was “hovering like an angel.”
As expected, this season’s Costanza bobblehead drew enormous lines outside Yankee Stadium, even with the game delayed due to storms in the area.
Videos show hundreds of spectators lined up with umbrellas and ponchos in their attempts to dodge the raindrops while waiting outside for the bobblehead.
Fans could also get a calzone in the spirit of “Seinfeld.” X / @YankeesAn eclair was also available at Yankee Stadium. X / @Yankees
“We come up with the idea on our end,” Craig Cartmell, the Yankees’ senior associate director of marketing, promotions, stadium events and broadcast marketing, told Newsday, “and then we work with the vendor, and the vendor goes to Warner Brothers to get their approval.
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“Part of that process is Warner Brothers reaches out to Jason Alexander to make sure he’s fine with it.”
Speedy Claxton takes pride in every aspect of the job.
The Hofstra men’s head basketball coach was one of hundreds of athletic department workers and student-athletes helping to move the university’s new students into their dorms Thursday.
“The families, they thank us so much, and they even try to tip us,” Claxton told The Post.
Speedy Claxton helps at Hofstra’s move-in. Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics and Alexis FriedmanSpeedy Claxton helps at Hofstra’s move-in. Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics and Alexis Friedman
“We get our hands dirty. We go, load our carts,” added the coach who brought Hofstra to its first March Madness game in a quarter century.
The warm-welcome tradition that the players and coaches get into works as a two-way street. Claxton said newcomers gladly return the favor by showing up in the stands later in the year.
“Once they come to one or two games, I think they’ll like it,” Claxton said.
Speedy Claxton helps at Hofstra’s move-in. Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics and Alexis Friedman
“And they’ll keep coming.”
‘Pretty’ big day
No neigh-sayers here.
Bethpage Polo at the Park is gearing up for its most lavish match of the year Sunday — Pretty Women Day, where fans have been dressing as Julia Roberts from the 1990s classic rom-com for more than a decade.
“It’s probably the most popular Sunday of the year. Everybody dresses to the nines. A lot of them wear the brown polka-dot dress she wore,” player George Fox told The Post.
“Even one of our umpires wears polka-dots.”
You’ll hear plenty of diehards imitating Roberts character, Vivian, by doing a “woot woot woot!” at 3 p.m. inside Bethpage State Park.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois men’s basketball team is adding a new face to the fold, as transfer guard Quentin McCoy joins the roster as a late addition.
McCoy’s an in-state add, as he grew up in Chicago and played his high school basketball at Lindblom Math and Science Academy.
The latest in Illinois head coach Brad Underwood’s group of “Everyday Guys,” McCoy spent his first two seasons of college hoops with the Arizona State Sun Devils, yet only played in nine total games for the team.
In his college career, the young guard only attempted one shot, so he’s coming to Champaign as a bit of a fresh canvas.
As for his measurables, he comes in at 6’3” and 175 pounds according to Illinois men’s basketball’s announcement.
McCoy joins a pretty stacked group of guards on the Illini’s roster, including Andrej Stojakovic, Quentin Coleman, Stefan Vaaks, Lincoln Williams, Blake Fagbemi, Lucas Morillo and Ethan Brown.
Based on the social media graphic put out by the team, it appears as though McCoy will wear No. 5, last worn by guard AJ Redd last season.
More than a month after former Cowboys quarterback and CBS broadcaster Tony Romo was arrested for suspicion of operating while intoxicated in Milwaukee, the authorities have filed three new citations against him.
Via TMZ, the district attorney has charged Romo with first-offense operating while intoxicated, unsafe passing on the right side, and possessing open intoxicants in his vehicle.
Romo was placed on leave by CBS eight days after the arrest, which created multiple bodycam videos that created a general bad look for Romo. CBS has elevated J.J. Watt to replace Romo on the network's top broadcast team, and it seems to be a move that will cover the entire season.
Romo has four years left on his CBS contract, at a total payout of $72 million. CBS could try to terminate the deal for cause, owing him nothing. Romo would surely fight such a move. A settlement for something less than the full amount is always possible.
American musician Dolly Parton peforms on the Oprah Winfrey television show, Chicago, Illinois, February 11, 1992. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
GIANTS
Lars Nootbaar – DH
Drew Gilbert – RF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Rafael Devers – 1B
Gabriel Moreno – C
Bryce Eldridge – DH
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Jonah Cox – CF
Max Kepler – LF
Turner Hill – LF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Shay Whitcomb – 3B
Tim Tawa – 1B
Drew Cavanaugh – C
Ildemaro Vargas – 2B
Christian Koss – SS
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Nate Furman – 2B
Jose Cabrera – RHP
Landen Roupp – RHP
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 39.
Recalled from Triple-A Reno: RHP José Cabrera
Optioned to Triple-A Reno following yesterday’s game: RHP Drey Jameson
The first of an expected flurry of moves for this series, what with the sudden double-header on Saturday, and the need for further starting pitchers. First up is Cabrera, who made four starts for Arizona leading up to the All-Star break. They were… just about okay, I suppose. A 5.60 ERA, but that was suppressed by throwing five shutout innings in his major-league debut. Once word got around, the three which followed were considerably less effective, allowing 11 ER over 12.2 innings. A big factor was a K:BB there of just 9:7, as major-league hitters simply laid off his pitches. Doing a better job there will be key tonight in San Francisco.
The series with the Cubs is in the books, and it went well for the D-backs in their wild-card race, combined with results elsewhere. Both the Phillies and Padres lost their series to teams below them in the standings, while Arizona beat a team above them. That closed the gaps to three and one games respectively, and also put a significant dent in the strength of schedule remaining. Now, the Phillies have far and away the toughest stretch run: ranked #3 with a .525 average opponent’s record. The Padres are about even, #16 at .499. But with the Cubs now crossed off, the D-backs have dropped to 24th, at just .485.
Of Arizona’s 28 remaining games, only 9 are against teams above them in the standings (series against the Yankees, Phillies and Padres). They also face the Marlins, who are above .500, at 68-66. But the remaining sixteen games are against sides with losing records. Those start with the four-game series here against San Francisco, while they won’t get to start Eduardo Rodriguez, I’d love for Arizona to take three of the four contests. Meanwhile, the Phillies have today off, before starting a series on the road against the Angeles tomorrow. And the Padres are similarly traveling, but face a tough set against the AL best Rays in Tampa. It’s a good chance for the D-backs to close ground there.
[Dollywood Day #3, for as long as the D-backs keep winning. Dolly Parton peforms on the Oprah Winfrey television show, Chicago, Illinois, February 11, 1992.]
Mar 14, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; The ACC championship game logo is seen on a basketball prior to the men's ACC Conference Tournament Championship between the Virginia Cavaliers and the Duke Blue Devils at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After the Big Ten, the SEC, and the Big 12 acted earlier this week, the ACC has joined the movement to ban pro athletes from returning to college.
In the ACC’s case, this applies to the NFL, the NBA, and the WNBA. The Big Ten applied its rule strictly to the NFL, while the SEC moved to ban people from the NBA, WNBA, and NFL, and the Big 12 just banned it all. You professional rowers who thought you were coming back to Oklahoma State? You can suck it!
It would probably be good if the Power 4 coordinated and got the same rule across the board, but at least everyone is mostly on the same page: there is a difference between professional and collegiate athletics.
Here’s what Duke football coach Manny Diaz had to say about Thursday’s move by the ACC:
“I don’t blame the players. I don’t blame the individual schools because no one’s breaking a rule. But if something doesn’t pass the smell test, then why don’t the grown-ups in the room be the grown-ups in the room and let’s just say that’s not something that we stand for.
“They’re kicking somebody off who has gone through summer conditioning and an offseason program, and I think there’s morale issues. There’s real-life consequence. This is not pro sports where we check the waiver wire and we just cut a dude and bring a dude in. I’d be curious to see what’s actually happening at all these schools. Not just the NFL guys, all the other eligibility cases. Did that take somebody’s spot or not?”
Well put. Now we sit back and await the next wave of lawsuits.
Update – the Big East will monitor the situation, but has not followed the Power Four and moved against pro athletes returning to college competition.
