Category: Sports News

I’m not one to watch the ESPYs most years. The last thing I want to watch is a bunch of players I don’t like be honored, plays that involve my team losing being shown, and jokes being made at my team’s expense.

Last year’s edition alone featured both Tyrese Haliburton’s and Freddie Freeman’s career-defining plays, both of which happened at the expense of my Knicks and Yankees. Even slightly unrelated, Saquon Barkley and the Eagles were the talk of the show. Why would I ever want to relive that?

This year, despite things still not being so hot for anyone else I root for, it was a night of celebration for the talk of the town, the New York Knicks.

In a heavily favorable crowd in Manhattan, everyone knew the show would revolve around the NBA champions. The entire team was there and featured on the broadcast over and over again. I think I saw a Knick in every single shot of the crowd throughout the broadcast.

It felt like everyone still on the team was there (well, except Landry, who’s off getting engaged in Europe):

The first award presented to a Knick at the ESPYs was to the captain, Jalen Brunson, before the show even started. He was awarded “Best NBA Player” that afternoon on NBA Today, the first Knick to ever get that award since the show started in 1993.

But that wasn’t the only hardware he’d bring home. He picked up two awards before anyone else was able to get one on stage, as he beat out incredible performances by Team USA goaltenders Aerin Frankel and Connor Hellebuyck to win “Best Championship Performance” for his 45-point closeout in Game 5 of the NBA Finals:

The presenters for the ESPYs are always funny. Chinese Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu and Team USA striker Flo Balogun presented an award to Jalen Brunson. Hard to picture until you see it. Screw it, watch the 45-point game again. You know you want to.

As said previously, the Knicks were everywhere during this broadcast. Jokes were made about the Brunsons, Karl-Anthony Towns was featured in an Oz the Mentalist skit, and a third award was presented for “Best Play”.

We all knew who was winning this one, which is probably a shame to everyone else considering how awesome some of the nominees were.

Jack Hughes’ golden goal. Megan Keller’s golden goal for the women’s hockey team. Braylon Mullins’ 35-footer. Caleb Williams’ impossible touchdown. Hell, even the Dodgers’ heroics in the World Series somehow didn’t make it. There are few things less improbable than Miguel Rojas hitting a home run in THAT situation.

One of those things, though, is OG Anunoby, who became the first New York athlete to win “Best Play” since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2015. Watch the play again, then watch his extremely awkward (but classic OG) speech:

Cody Rhodes is presenting the award. There just so happens to be a WWE event that Brunson is already advertised for on Saturday. Will OG be there too? Who knows. If any random role player is there, my money is on Tyler.

The last individual award of the night was “Best Male Athlete”, an award that has gone to:

• Tiger Woods (five times)
• LeBron James (three times)
• Patrick Mahomes
• Tom Brady
• Michael Jordan
• Michael Phelps
• Stephen Curry
• Shohei Ohtani
• Steve Young
• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Drew Brees
• Ken Griffey Jr.
• Alex Ovechkin

And on and on. No scrub wins this award. Brunson was a nominee alongside the greatest soccer player to ever play the game, the most dynamic baseball player of all time, and the NFL MVP, and it didn’t matter. The power of the Knicks’ first championship in 53 years was too damn much. The first New York athlete to ever win this award, Jalen Brunson.

Before the team awards were handed out, KAT appeared alongside Team USA rugby star Ilona Maher to present Aja Wilson with the “Best Female Athlete” award.

The main event was the award for Best Team.

In terms of dominance all season long, this probably shouldn’t have been the Knicks.

The Seahawks were ridiculously dominant in the NFL. Indiana tore through college football. Both gold medal hockey teams were awesome. One team that didn’t get nominated because of how niche a sport it is was Penn State wrestling, which has broken every record imaginable over the last three years, but at least their best player was nominated for Best College Athlete. Oh well.

Ultimately, we all knew who this was going to. If you have any doubts, just consider that they had the best point differential in NBA playoff history. The 1996 Bulls and 2017 Warriors couldn’t even do this. Speak to the ring.

It’s as dominant of an award show performance as you can ask for. Sports’ version of Titanic at the 1997 Oscars.

Alright, back to not watching this event for a while. Wake me up when the Yankees win the World Series.

Another game, another piece of evidence for my theory that the Utah Jazz Summer League team was replaced with clones somewhere on their way from Salt Lake to Las Vegas. Every year, I forget just how sloppy Summer League basketball is played – perhaps my expectations shouldn’t be so high. Nevertheless, the players are out there playing, so I will still be sitting on my couch analyzing. The Jazz played 10 players in their loss versus the Spurs, with each demonstrating highs and lows. Who were the standouts? Who made this rough loss a bit more bearable to watch, and who contributed to the ugliness that is nearly synonymous with Summer League Basketball? Below, I will be assigning grades to each of the Jazz players who took the court against the Spurs. These grades will be more so based on process than results; some nights players make their shots, and some nights they miss, but shot selection is much more in their control and will therefore be judged with particular emphasis.

Player Grades

Jonas Aidoo: C-

The worst game I have seen Aidoo play during the Jazz 2026 Summer League campaign. Normally, you can trust him to act as a base rim-runner; grabs rebounds, block shots, finish near the rim, and set hard screens. Today, his offense simply did not cut it. 0-4 from the field, with most of his shots entirely makeable – his touch left a lot to be desired, which is often what separates a replacement level rim-runner from a key member of a rotation. His hands, which I’ve praised after previous games, were a bit clunky as well. Additionally, while his defense was much more passable and often positive, there were a few instances where I thought his drop defense (against Jakobie Gillespie, in particular) was underwhelming, biting for pump fakes or being a step late against drivers. The 9 rebounds were huge, and don’t allow me to give too low a grade, but this game dampened my Aidoo hype.

Tamar Bates: A-

Tamar was moving with a fluidity and cadence that said to me, “NBA Player”. He demonstrated a good form on his shot, combined with high elevation, and used the threat of the jumper to utilize his quick burst to attack the rim. Looking taller than his listed 6’4 and using his 6’10 wingspan, Tamar made his presence felt around the court with consistent activity that didn’t translate to the stat sheet. I wish he looked out for his teammates a bit more after he collapses the defense from his drives to the paint, but Bates was not the reason we lost tonight.

Matthew Cleveland: B-

Statistically, Cleveland probably deserves better than the grade I’m assigning him, but I found myself less-than-inspired for large portions of his playing time tonight. He was efficient as a scorer and aware while jumping passing lanes, but I found him often blending into the background on both ends of the court. Outside of the steals that led to end-to-end transition points, he was more of a reactive defender than a proactive one – he didn’t enforce his will (which should be possible given his physical tools), which led to him giving up open shots after step backs and off-ball movement, as well as missed box-outs because his man slipped behind him. This feels more able to be coached-out than some mistakes, and the positive shot-making flashes were encouraging, but I can’t fully believe in what Cleveland showed against the Spurs.

Andersson Garcia: C

While the stats weren’t impressive, I think Garcia strongly performed the connective actions necessary for an NBA team to function. His decision-making was quick and mostly well-conceived, and he seemed to have a good understanding of the offense that the coach wanted to run. Additionally, you can always count on Garcia to hustle on both ends of the court. However, hustle and smart passing and quick cuts are all well and good, but ultimately don’t mean very much when you are a complete nonfactor when it comes to putting the ball in the hoop yourself. The Spurs could completely help off of Garcia, without fear of retribution. I appreciate how Andersson can act as glue on the court, and I understand scoring isn’t the only way a player can positively impact winning, but he needs to show something more (or better maximize his current skills, a la Alex Caruso) if he wants a second chance on the Jazz regular season roster.

Hayden Gray: C+

A similar story to Garcia – I always find myself impressed by the little things that Hayden performs on the court, but at some point you also have to be able to do the big things as well. He kept his composure against pesky Spurs pressure, his passes were quick and decisive, and he took educated gambles on defense, but a lead guard needs to be able to provide some scoring pressure for all of his ancillary skills to be fully actualized into an impactful player. Gray keeps the offense flowing and can shift momentum defensively, but in order for his admittedly impressive passing and handling to help the team, he needs to show effectiveness as a scorer at any level of the court.

Blake Hinson: D

I’ve always been a big fan of Hinson, but he isn’t a pretty watch when the shot isn’t falling. He only played 7 minutes, which makes giving a consistent grade relative to his teammates a bit tricky, but those 7 minutes were ugly. Poor shot selection, horrendous tunnel vision, and a lackadaisical attitude on defense crafted one of the worst games I have yet seen Hinson play. I do appreciate his ability to relocate to open space around the perimter after he does pass the ball, which led to his one three point make.

Justin Harmon: D+

Harmon, for the first time during Summer League, was largely invisible against the Spurs. His shot wasn’t falling, and his defense was uneventful (though he did get lost off-ball a time or two). There were a couple pick-and-roll possessions with Orlando Robinson where he impressed me with his savvy, which will be necessary if this guard-sized battery wants to make it work in the league. However, this was not Harmon’s game – the flow was just never there.

Bez Mbeng: A-

Bez was one of the few Jazz players you could feel while they were out there – he never allowed himself to fade into the background. He was pulling up his shorts and clapping his hands on defense (even if he did get blown by a few times more than I would’ve liked), and constantly worked to get to the rim on offense. His movements felt economical; if he wanted to get to the rim, he didn’t pound the air out of the ball for 15 seconds first. Instead, he would move well off the ball and blitz to the basket after a successful pump fake. I still don’t quite buy him as a point guard, even after this 5 assist, 0 turnover outing – his passes, while caught, were sometimes out of his teammates ideal catch radius. However, he looked more experienced and comfortable than any other Jazzman out there against the Spurs, and impressed on both ends.

Darryn Peterson: C-

This was not an irredeemable game from Peterson. He made some fine passes, his defense was decent most of the night (outside of the first quarter, but I’ll get to that in a second), his combination of flexibility and change-of-pace still consistently led to free throws, and, like I said in my grading criteria from the opening paragraph, it’s a make-or-miss league; tonight, he missed some shots he very well could’ve made. However, I still found myself consistently disappointed in the Jazzman of the future. Floaters are one of the least efficient shots in basketball, and in Summer League, Peterson has relied on them far too often. With better spacing around him during the regular season, he’ll likely find it easier to make it all the way to the rim, but I won’t pretend that I’m not worried about his shot selection and the fact that he can’t make his way to the basket even now. Often, it feels like Peterson’s head is in “score mode” or “pass mode”, and can lead to him working his way into tricky situations without active awareness of where his teammates are around him. While his defense improved later on in the game, his first quarter was startlingly bad – he helped way too far off of good shooters in the strong-side corner, and he was caught upright while guarding the ball and got shook multiple times. Do not mistake me – I am not claiming that the sky is falling. Peterson is elite, and has proven so throughout his basketball career. However, I will not be blinded by my purple-tinted glasses; Peterson did not play a good basketball game today, even if that means next to nothing in his long term projection (I almost titled this article “Hyunjung Lee for Darryn Peterson – who says no?” but decided that I didn’t want a joke to make myself a marked man among SLC Dunk regulars).

Orlando Robinson: B

Basketball sometimes looks a bit too difficult for Orlando Robinson. It’s not easy for him to get to his shots, even if he makes some. It’s not easy for him to be in the right position defensively, even if he ends the game with 2 steals and a block. So, while I sometimes like the end result of Robinson’s playing time, it doesn’t seem that it will easily translate to the next level. Today, I appreciated the decisiveness on his drives (yes, the 7 footer drives from the perimeter – easily the most tantalizing part of his game) and passes. His field goal percentage ended up rather underwhelming – some late heaves had something to do with that – but I think he was, overall, a slightly positive offensive presence for the Jazz. Defensively, I thought he did a good job at high-pointing rebounds and using his strength against the imposing Tarris Reed, but his slow feet were obvious and detrimental when he had to guard the pick-and-roll against the slithery Gillespie. I think a better, more mobile interior defender prevents Gillespie from building up some of the momentum that he did, which could’ve dramatically shifted the tone and direction of the game. This has been the story of Robinson’s whole career – strong offensive player who’s too slow and too lumbering defensively to make an NBA translation work. This game, once again, painted that unfortunately familiar picture, even if he was a positive in this Summer League setting.

Who stood out to you tonight? Who was disappointing? Comment below!

The Washington Wizards lost their second game in as many nights on Wednesday against a Los Angeles Clippers team that also sat their top-5 pick. The Keaton Wagler-less Clippers outlasted the AJ Dybantsa-less Wizards in a 108-94 affair at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The two teams played at a frenetic pace to open the game, with both sides looking to get on the break at every opportunity. Just as the Wizards and Clippers went back and forth in transition, so did the lead. The first quarter featured 8 lead changes with neither team getting ahead by more than 6 points. Seth Trimble and Kadary Richmond each had 5 to end the opening period deadlocked at 25.

The Wiz kids tried to pull away in the second quarter with an early 10-0 run to take a 35-27 lead. Trimble led the way with 11 points in the period. His three-pointer with 1.3 seconds left would have given Washington a 1-point lead at the break if not for a rough defensive lapse in the final seconds that pushed the Clippers ahead 52-51.

The game began to unravel for Washington midway through the third quarter. After a Trimble triple knotted the game up at 56, LAC went on a 17-5 run to take the game’s first double-digit advantage.

Trimble and Chris Livingston tried to carry the Wizards’ comeback bid late, but never threatened as the Clippers cruised to a 108-94 victory.

Trimble posted a team-high 24 points on 8-for-12 shooting, while Livingston tallied 20 points and 9 rebounds. Richmond and starting center Norris Agbakoko threw a block party with 7 swats between them.

Unfortunately, the loss means that the Wizards won’t make the cut for the NBA Summer League playoffs. But the team will still have a consolation matchup to close out the Vegas slate.

OG Anunoby is a man of few words but many laughs.

The Knicks star became one of five Knicks-related ESPY Award wins on Wednesday night at Lincoln Center, as he took home Play of the Year honors for his game-winning tip-in during Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

The soft-spoken Anunoby went on stage to accept the award, but his speech quickly went from humble to hilarious.

“Uh, it’s truly such an honor to win an ESPY to cap off an amazing year and special moment for our team,” Anunoby began, before taking a pause.

The camera shot zoomed out on Anunoby, who then awkwardly spread his legs, hunched over to level with the microphone and stood in silence for several long seconds.

Jalen Brunson (who won three individual ESPYs), Mikal Bridges and the rest of the crowd gathered at New York’s Lincoln Center erupted into laughter as a smiling Anunoby tried to continue his remarks.

“To the best fans in the world, we thank you for all your love and support,” Anunoby continued while holding back his own laughter. “Winning a championship for the city is truly so special, and I want to thank God, my teammates, the entire Knicks organization and all those who supported me along the way.

“Go Knicks!”

Since being acquired from the Raptors in December 2023, Anunoby has endeared himself to teammates and fans alike, both for his two-way on-court prowess and stoic demeanor.

He went viral for not being able to end an Instagram Live after the Knicks won the Finals in San Antonio, and once again drew attention for his stone-faced appearance on “Good Morning America” days later.

Of course, none of it happens without his iconic tip-in against the Spurs at Madison Square Garden, a shot that cemented his place in New York sports lore.

The Knicks staged a dramatic comeback in Game 4, rallying from a playoff-record 29-point deficit to take the lead late in the fourth quarter — punctuated by Anunoby, who sprinted toward the basket and tipped a missed Brunson 3-pointer for the win with 1.2 seconds remaining.

In addition to Brunson and Anunoby’s wins, the Knicks came away with Best Team honors at the ESPYs, capping off an epic season and evening.

Everyone wants to know where LeBron James will sign this offseason.

Kevin Durant weighed in on the highly touted free-agent sweepstakes Wednesday.

“That’s the million-dollar question. I wish I knew. If I had to choose one, I would say Cleveland. But I think Philly got a good chance, too,” Durant said.

The latest report indicates James is likely headed to the Eastern Conference in what could be the final move of his career.

Earlier this month, six teams were on James’ list of potential destinations: the Cavaliers, Heat, 76ers, Timberwolves, Nuggets and Warriors.

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Now, nearly half of those teams are no longer considered finalists in the James sweepstakes. It’s fair to say all of the Western Conference teams are out of the running for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

Rich Paul, James’ agent, revealed the veteran is searching for complete basketball happiness at this stage of his career. But that statement directly contrasts James’ willingness to join a contender on a league-minimum contract.

Perhaps James is searching for both at 41 years old. A farewell title would be an appropriate ending for James’ storied career, but returning to the place where it all began would also be a worthy curtain call for the 23-year NBA veteran.

Philadelphia believes it can give James the best opportunity of hanging up his jersey as an NBA champion. The Cavaliers present an interesting offer as a deal would be a welcome reunion.

There is increasing belief that James will make a decision soon, but it’s evident his unique free-agency process won’t be rushed for anyone. James’ decision will have league-altering implications, thus the entire basketball world is patiently waiting for an answer.

Each year since 1993, sports programming channel ESPN has hosted an annual event honoring the top athletes and sports performances of the year in an event called the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, or ESPY Awards.

The ESPYs highlight and recognize the best male and female athletes, most influential athletes and those who have spent countless hours giving back to communities. As part of the ESPYs are the Sports Humanitarian Awards.

The Sports Humanitarian Awards recognize those who have shown an industry-wide commitment to philanthropy and public service across six major honors: Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award, Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award, Sports Philanthropist of the Year Award, Corporate Community Impact Award, the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award and Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year.

The Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry was named a recipient of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award in recognition of his community impact through the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Curry and his wife, Ayesha, in 2019.