Category: Basketball

All Yaxel Lendeborg does is win championships.

Three months after his Michigan Wolverines won the NCAA Tournament, Lendeborg led the Golden State Warriors to their first NBA Summer League championship since 2013 with a 94-90 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, bringing the Warriors back from a 12-point deficit in the 4th quarter thanks to a personal 7-0 run.

Yaxel SPLASH and Dubs take the lead ‼️

📺 @NBCSAuthenticpic.twitter.com/BTCF9pYVm7

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) July 20, 2026

Beyond his scoring prowess, Lendeborg was the key player on a Warriors defense that held No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer and the Grizzlies to just 14 4th-quarter points. That performance made him the only choice for Summer League Championship Game MVP, following in the footsteps of 2013 SLCGMVP Ian Clark.

Congrats, @Yaxel_Lendeborg!

2026 NBA Summer League Championship Game MVP 🏆 https://t.co/Gzm6r2qFfdpic.twitter.com/qdDp5UH1RL

— NBA (@NBA) July 20, 2026

The win was a clear team effort, but it wouldn’t have happened without an outstanding performance off the bench from Deivon Smith, who shot 9-for-14 and scored 21 points, adding nine rebounds and keeping the team in the game in the first quarter by scoring nine straight points.

Deivon Smith with 9 straight points in the 1st quarter, as he keeps blowing by defenders, including a nice coast-to-coast And-1 finish (with replays) pic.twitter.com/1b9I2ocD2f

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 20, 2026

Smith saved the best for last in Las Vegas, putting up 21 big points after scoring just four in the Warriors’ previous games. The Warriors also got 15 points, six assists and four three-pointers from LJ Cryer, who finished with the second-most threes in Summer League, trailing only Chaz Lanier of the Detroit Pistons. Cryer iced the game at the end of the 4th by eluding the Grizzlies attempts to foul him, then splitting his two free throws for the final four-point margin.

LJ Cryer gets away from Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who fails to foul him right away, as Cryer takes 6 seconds off the clock.
Cryer splits the free throws and the Golden State Warriors are the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League champions! pic.twitter.com/WYUQWUHDtA

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 20, 2026

The game came down to the Warriors’ tough defense down the stretch, overcoming Boozer’s 19 points, 19 points and 5-for-5 three-point shooting from All-Rookie first-teamer Cedric Coward, and 16 points from rookie Carson Cooper, who Draymond Green would probably have voted for Championship Game MVP, since Cooper went to Michigan State.

Officially, this was Golden State’s second Summer League title, but the 2012 team went 5-0 and won by an average of 16 points per game. That team contained most of the young foundation of the later championship teams, with Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, and Green. The next year’s team was led by Green, 2017 champion Clark, and fan favorite/Under Armour legend Kent Bazemore, who should all retroactively get championship rings from Joe Lacob, like all Summer champs since 2022.

Summer League games may be exhibitions, but the competitiveness is real. What Lendeborg, Cryer, Smith, Will Richard, Graham Ike, Malevy Leons, Lachlan Olbrich, Lajae Jones, and Chance McMillian pulled off shows they can deliver in big moments, even if they had some brain farts down the stretch. That is going to pay off next season, even if that mostly happens in Santa Cruz.

I was convinced they could win it all after their first game due to their talent, but they won on Sunday relying on their toughness and grit. Spain may have taken home the World Cup in New Jersey earlier in the day, but for my money, it doesn’t get any better than a Summer League crown.

At least in July. Winning the Finals is still a lot better.

The Golden State Warriors earned the 2026 NBA Summer League championship on Sunday, July 19.

Yaxel Lendeborg led the Warriors in the 94-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. He scored 21 and had 10 rebounds for the Warriors in 32 minutes of play.

Lendeborg, the Warriors’ 11th overall pick in the 2026 draft, hit a jumper that helped provide a 91-87 lead for the Warriors with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter and put the game out of reach for the Grizzlies.

Lendeborg was named the Summer League championship game MVP.

Deivon Smith also added 21 points and nine rebounds in 23 minutes of play for Golden State. He shot 9-for-14 from the field.

Cameron Boozer, the No. 3 overall pick in 2026, served as one of the leading scorers for the Grizzlies. He nearly produced a double-double with 19 points and eight rebounds.

Cedric Coward scored 19 points and collected six rebounds in 27 minutes of play.

Warriors vs. Grizzlies NBA Summer League highlights

NBA Summer League champions

• 2026: Golden State Warriors
• 2025: Charlotte Hornets
• 2024: Miami Heat
• 2023: Cleveland Cavaliers
• 2022: Portland Trail Blazers
• 2021: Sacramento Kings
• 2020: Cancelled due to COVID-19
• 2019: Memphis Grizzlies
• 2018: Portland Trail Blazers
• 2017: Los Angeles Lakers
• 2016: Chicago Bulls
• 2015: San Antonio Spurs
• 2014: Sacramento Kings
• 2013: Golden State Warriors

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 Summer League: Golden State Warriors hold off Grizzlies for title

In our latest Jazz Reacts survey, I asked who Jazz fans think will have the best career between Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Wilson, and Cam Boozer. Here’s how Jazz fans feel.

Probably not a surprise that Jazz fans believe that the Jazz prospect will have the best career. But it’s not a stretch to think this is a relatively easy choice. Darryn Peterson was considered the consensus #1 pick before last college season started. He’ll join a Jazz organization that has been a playoff team when it’s had high-level talent. With Darryn Peterson joining a team of high-level, complementary talent, it’s easy to see how his career is going to jump-start into contention right away. He’ll also be joining a coach who orchestrated an offense that led the Boston Celtics to the finals a few years ago. The Jazz have also shown a willingness to make tough decisions that will keep them financially stable and maintain assets that should put them in a contention window for as long as Peterson is on the Jazz. It’s a great choice by Jazz fans, and there’s no question Peterson has the best possible chance to have the best career. FanDuel agrees because they have him with the biggest odds to win the Rookie of the Year award this season.

Dillon Brooks didn’t hesitate to call out Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Steph Curry.

Brooks, who plays for the Suns, was asked who are the top-five complainers in basketball and listed Doncic, James and Curry on that list as well as Jaren Jackson and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“First one that comes to mind for me? Obviously, Luka. Luka’s obviously a big-ass complainer,” Brooks said. “Curry is one, I actually gave him a shot. I gave him a shot in his chest on a contest.”

Doncic has admitted that he believes Brooks is the NBA’s biggest trash talker and said he loves to play against him.

Doncic and Brooks used to tangle when Doncic played for the Mavericks and Brooks suited up for the Rockets.

In his career, Doncic has thrived against him, averaging 29.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game.

Curry has enjoyed playing against Brooks in his historic career and considers him a friendly on-court rival. During a December game last season, Brooks earned a Flagrant 1 foul for striking Curry on a play. Curry later jokingly called the play “bush league.”

Brooks went on to think about who else he considers a complainer and quickly remembered James, saying “LeBron, for sure.”

Since the 2023 NBA playoffs, Brooks and James have had one of the NBA’s most heated feuds. They had an infamous staredown during pregame warmups.

Dillon Brooks is actually psychotic

I love it pic.twitter.com/s4vpyCPBdw

— 𝓝𝔂𝔁 (@NyxRockets) November 9, 2023

Since then, the two have always battled against one another.

During the Western Conference semifinals, Brooks was spotted sitting courtside during Game 4 of the Lakers-Thunder matchup.

Brooks was seen laughing at James after he missed a free throw.

dillon brooks hate watch hater funeral /// reaction meme pic.twitter.com/AX87ZybBcX

— bbreact reaction videos (@burnerbwoireact) May 12, 2026

Next season, the Brooks-James rivalry will enter a new chapter because James is a free agent for the first time in eight years and will not return to the Lakers.

According to Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks are fielding offers for Daniel Gafford.

Stein goes on to say:

Is Daniel Gafford going to be on this team by season’s end? It’s not an answerable question at this point. We know he’s available.

This is the perfect type of move for the Utah Jazz. Gafford isn’t a star center but is a league-average player across the board and is a net positive on the defensive end. Dunks and Threes has his block percentage (4.9) in the 92nd percentile. He’s also in the 91st percentile in offensive rebounding. That type of rim pressure on both ends of the floor is a great way to replace what was lost in the Walker Kessler trade.

We also know that Gafford played a big role in the Mavericks’ run to the Finals just a few years ago, both as a reserve and sometimes as a starter. That type of competence and experience would be a nice addition to a young Jazz team that hasn’t had a lot of experience in the playoffs.

A trade like this, with the Jazz acquiring Gafford and giving up two of their young prospects, might interest Dallas, looking for more young talent to surround Cooper Flagg.

For Utah, they gain a strong backup center who gives them solid center depth behind Jusuf Nurkic and can give them time to find another long-term option at center later, possibly in future drafts.

In a surprising move, the Dallas Mavericks have shipped guard Ryan Nembhard to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade. The Oklahoma City Thunder traded wing Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for three second-round picks to Oklahoma City, and Atlanta sent forward Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

Nembhard joins fellow Zag wing Corey Kispert in Atlanta, as well as his two Canadian teammates in Dort and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Welcome to the 🅰️, Ryan! pic.twitter.com/gYkqKkpfVZ

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 19, 2026

In his rookie season, Nembhard averaged 6.6 points on a shooting split of 41.5 field goal percentage/35.6 three-point percentage/80.6 free throw percentage, 5.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes across 60 appearances. He set an NBA rookie record with 23 assists in Dallas’ 2025-26 season finale against the Chicago Bulls.

The undrafted lead guard averaged 8.0 points, 8.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks over two games with the Mavericks in the NBA Summer League, before dealing with an illness that kept him out for the final three games.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

The Brooklyn Nets’ final Summer League game — two leagues in two states, eight total games over 16 days — wasn’t much of a contest as Brooklyn kept all of its eight contract players on the bench in street clothes vs. the winless Oklahoma City Thunder. The remaining eight players, several destined for the Long Island Nets, were enough to defeat OKC, 108-90 Sunday afternoon.

The win, which was up against the FIFA World Cup on local TV in New York, mean the Nets would finish the Las Vegas Summer League with a 3-2 record and their two leagues with five wins and three losses. The Nets played three games in the California Classic in Sacramento, winning two of them.

While Brooklyn did not get any bling in either league, the Nets experience had to have been an overall positive for the organization. Both last year’s lottery pick, Egor Demin, the No. 8 pick, and this year’s Mikel Brown Jr., the No. 6, played well and gave fans a first, if limited, limited look at the two. Their play, both individually, and strong personalities won them the nickname, “Aura Bros.”

Egor Demin has torn up the summer league

Nets have a young star budding right before their eyes 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aXAmpze7ZL

— Center Street Media (@CenterStMedia) July 19, 2026

In addition to the lottery picks, three other first rounders from last year — Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf — sat, as did the two two-ways already signed, Chaney Johnson and Tyler Bilodeau, plus the Nets other first rounder from June, Joshua Jefferson. Grant Nelson, who played for Long Island and Brooklyn last season, was a DNP as well. Although on the Summer League roster, the 7-footer was never scheduled to play in either league, recovering from a procedure to treat his jumper’s knee issue. He was seated with the team in both.

All that gave a number of young players, some with promises of Exhibit 10s and/or a job in Long Island, a chance and the Thunder were no match, with the Nets getting out in front, 37-22, at the end of the first quarter. OKC was the only winless team in Las Vegas at 0-5. Very few of their youngsters made the trip.

For Brooklyn, the big story was that Dion Brown, a 6’4” combo guard out of St. Louis, finished with a triple-double: 16 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to go along with two steals and shooting splits of 42/67/100.

Dion Brown grabs the rebound to give him a triple-double, and the entire Nets staff and players get up on their feet and start cheering https://t.co/eULLO7pJS3pic.twitter.com/HZHdEqnQgy

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 19, 2026

Brown, reportedly is in line for an Exhibit 1o signing. That could include an invite to Brooklyn’s training camp and preseason come October. But it basically ensures that Brown will wind up on the Long Island roster, assuming he doesn’t get other, more lucrative offers. Brown spoke post-game, saying the accomplishment is helping the transition from college shooting guard to NBA (and/or G League) point…

Brown was one of seven young Nets who wound up in double figures by game’s end. John Ukumadu , a 6’7” wing, finished with 23 points, having scored 12 early in the Nets first quarter blowout.

Also putting up numbers were former St. John’s wing Aaron Scott with 15, starting center Dain Dainja with 14 points, nine boards, three steals and three blocks. Duke Brennan, out of Villanova had 12 points as did combo guard Hunter Sallis. Dwight Murray completed the list with 10. According to reports, at least two of the group will get to sign Exhibit 10 deals: Brennan and Sallis. Don’t be surprised if Dainja with his 260-pound frame and 7’7” wingspan, winds up at Nassau Coliseum as well. Only PF Ben Humrichous didn’t reach double digits. He had six.

John Ukomadu today vs. OKC:

• 23 PTS
• 9 REB
• 3 3 FGM pic.twitter.com/kVNQoqWowG

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) July 19, 2026

Dain Dainja drives and slams it home 💥

He's got 12 PTS as the Nets lead the Thunder in NBA Summer League action on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/JxjC8utjJk

— NBA (@NBA) July 19, 2026

Teams can sign up to six Exhibit 10 deals but can only designate four players for assignment to Long Island. In the past, the Nets have signed players to Exhibit 10s, then waived them near immediately,

The high scorer for Brooklyn in the two leagues was Demin, who averaged 23.0 points in two California Classic games and 21.0 in Vegas. He finished second in the Classic and 12th in Vegas. The big difference between last year’s summer performance and this was that the 6’9.5” guard-forward was healthy and that he used his newfound muscle to drive the paint … and finish.

The next time players wearing the Nets’ black-and-white colors will take the court will be in early October for the NBA preseason. So far, only one date has been publicized: October 14 vs. the Heat in Miami.

• Box Score: Brooklyn Nets 108, Oklahoma City Thunder 90 – NBA
• Game Highlights: Brooklyn Nets 108, Oklahoma City Thunder 90 (Video) – NBA

The Lakers will look a lot different when they take the floor for the 2026-27 season.

Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Walker Kessler are Lakers. Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura and LeBron James are no longer part of the franchise.

Though much has changed, one thing the Lakers can still rely on is Austin Reaves. He remains with the Lakers and is now unequivocally the No. 2 option.

Throughout his career, whether he’s coming off the bench, starting, scoring in bunches, or doing the grunt work like taking charges, Reaves has demonstrated that he’ll do what it takes to impact winning.

In a Dave McMenamin article for ESPN, Reaves discussed the dramatic changes to the Lakers and his commitment to making any sacrifices necessary for the team’s success.

“Everybody knows it’s a completely different team,” Reaves said. “There’s going to be different things asked of different people, and if that’s what JJ [Redick] and the staff asks of me, I’ll do it to the best of my ability.”

Reaves will likely remain a high-usage player and should be in a great position for a career year. LA is compensating him as a top player, and he needs to do everything that comes with that level of pay on and off the court.

However, it’s great that he is open to any scenario now, just like he’s been before.

With so many new players, this is a different era of Lakers basketball. Reaves was around when the top guys were LeBron and Anthony Davis, survived the transition to Luka Dončić and now he is a key part of LA’s future.

Later in the story, Reaves elaborated on how pumped he is about the upcoming year.

“The pieces that are coming in, I’m very excited about and I’m happy to get started today and see where it goes,” Reaves said.

So far, Reaves’ career has been steady improvement year after year. This season, he’ll have high expectations, and every Lakers fan desires an All-Star campaign from Reaves.

Based on how well he’s done so far, that’s a very realistic goal. But beyond that, Lakers head coach JJ Redick can continue to expect him to give the full effort he’s known for.

So yes, Reaves will put up some gaudy numbers and have iconic shots. But he’ll also put his body on the line as a screener. Reaves will dive on the floor fighting for a loose ball. And he’ll speak up, rally his team when the pep in their step is missing.

Reaves is a fierce competitor and will do whatever it takes to win. He’s already demonstrated this recently by taking less money so the Lakers can have some flexibility in the future to add other players.

Whether Reaves helps raise a championship banner for the Lakers remains to be seen, but if he falls short, it won’t be due to a lack of effort.

That’s something Reaves has always been willing to do, and that’s unlikely to change just because his checks have gotten bigger.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Cameron Carr has yet to play in a regular-season game for the Lakers and is already making a name for himself.

Isaiah Thomas, a former Lakers guard, raved about Carr’s NBA summer league performance.

“We’ve been giving a lot of praise to the top four or five picks this week, but Cam Carr has been someone I’ve seen since the [NBA draft combine],” Thomas said. “He probably had the best showing at the combine, and as you see him now, in the summer league, he’s a hooper’s hooper.”

"He's gonna have a real big impact on the Lakers." @IsaiahThomas praises No. 24 overall pick Cameron Carr for his performance at NBA Summer League. pic.twitter.com/b7fJ8xZ62D

— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 16, 2026

Carr played in four games during the NBA summer league and averaged 18 points, 2.3 rebounds and one assist.

During the Lakers’ summer league opener against the Heat on July 5, Carr had an incredible debut, scoring 26 points and making four 3-pointers.

“I think he’s gonna have a real big impact on the Lakers just cause he can space the floor, he can catch and shoot, and he can put the ball on the ground and make a play for others,” Thomas said. “That’s always good when you’re a young guard coming into this league.”

“So, he’s impressed me the most out of you know, not the top guys, but still somebody in there where everybody respects this guy and his game.”

Before Carr was drafted by the Lakers with the 24th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, he played college basketball for three years at Tennessee and Baylor.

In his lone season at Baylor, Carr led the team in scoring, averaging 18.9 points per game.

Year of the Rat-line: You are optimistic, gullible, and prone to make poor decisions with money. You’re most compatible with the Diamondbacks and the Cardinals; avoid the Lakers and the Spurs.

38.5? Seems low. A little too low. The brains at FanDuel must have blown a gasket when it comes to the Phoenix Suns’ win projection.  Or maybe they tried to replace their brains with AI, and it hallucinated a team that didn’t just move Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale (and a first-round pick) for Miles Bridges and Luke Kennard.  Maybe they didn’t see Khaman go a cold 40% from three-point range in the Summer League. Maybe they missed the Brightside press releases during free agency, when Gregory sealed his key free agents like envelopes. First Collin, then Goodie, then Mark. 

Suns fans are going to start this season screaming 50 wins. I’ll be right there with them. How do the Suns not hit this over? Maybe people aren’t paying close enough attention to what the Suns are doing? 

Or maybe Suns fans are so deep into the nuances of the team they aren’t seeing the full picture? Maybe the FanDuel algorithm doesn’t factor in the value of the Gillespie, Goodwin, and Williams contracts? I’m guessing it power ranks teams then estimates the win total off of where the teams fall in their conference.

And where does FanDuel think the Suns fall in projected standings in the West?

9th. Not many 50-win teams come in 9th. There’s quite a disconnect between fan expectations and odds maker projections. You’d expect some. Not an 11-win difference. Someone is right, someone is wrong. Fans and Suns content creators are sure it’s the oddsmakers that will be on the wrong side of history.

When the first line hit Twitter, with @bet365_us coming in at 41.5 wins, the knee-jerk reaction in the Suns sphere was disbelief, and to some (me included) the line seemed a little disrespectful to what we’ve all been watching these Suns build since the KD trade. It was just last year that basically this same Suns team smashed the 30.5 line that Vegas set.

Flex in Jersey had this to say.

And then when the 38.5 FanDuel line hit, he followed up with this.

The PHNX Suns Podcast posted a video with the byline: Got Worse? Phoenix Suns disrespected by absurd win total projection.

But don’t transfer your mortgage money into your FanDuel account just yet. Enter the Rat-line. Some might also refer to it as a trap line. When you can’t think of a single reason anyone would bet on the other side of a line, that’s a reason in itself to reconsider your assumptions.

Let me give you a couple of examples from my personal fandom.

In 2017, the Nebraska Cornhuskers were hosting the Northwestern Wildcats. The Nerds from Northwestern came into Lincoln as 1.5-point dogs. On the road against a Husker team that on paper would have had a clear talent advantage. The Husker fans reacted to the line like the Suns fans are reacting to the FanDuel line. Northwestern beat the Huskers in OT.

The very next year the Huskers, with a shiny new coach, hosted 1-3 Purdue, which came into Lincoln as a 3-point dog. Husker fans couldn’t believe Vegas could make so much money yet be so stupid. The Purdon’t QB David Blough went buckwild, and the Huskers lost 42-28.

The chatter going into these games was the same as the chatter on Twitter about the Suns’ line.

“But Tom, this is different because Vegas was way off on the Suns’ win projection last year. It’s just more of the same this year.”

It’s true the Suns greatly exceeded their projections last year, and I would bet the oddsmakers are factoring that in, but maybe in the opposite way as Suns fans. Suns fans think we upgraded a 45-win team this offseason. I think the oddsmakers think we upgraded a 30-win team that won 45 games. Considering last year’s projected win total, the people at FanDuel think the team got better, 8 games better.

This isn’t financial advice. I’m a horrible gambler, and I almost never win. But I’ve lost enough to speak confidently about the dangers of these types of WTF lines. Yes, an operation like Fanduel has been tracking all the positive steps the Suns have made this offseason, but they are also considering the positive moves other teams have made. If you think the Suns belong further up the list, who do you move down?

Last year the Suns would have needed 50 wins to make the top six in the West. The Timberwolves ended up in the sixth spot with 49 wins.

The Thunder have moved pieces, including Lu Dort. The Spurs have a real conundrum with Fox standing in the way of a surging Harper and no real answers off the bench when Wemby goes down. Neither of these teams, outside of major injury issues, is falling below the Suns.

The Lakers and the Wolves made significant changes to their rosters but not any that would signal stepping back in the standings. Both of them seem to be thinking win now.

Houston has grabbed the Suns’ cape of continuity and is running with it. They won 52 games in a disappointing season last year. Should Suns fans expect them to take a step back? I wouldn’t.

If the Suns are going to move up into the top six of the conference, they are going to play like they upgraded a 45-win team. Even then, the fan bar of a top six finish might be a tough ask in the West. Even if the top teams take a step back, teams like the Trailblazers, who beat the Suns in the first Play-In game and added Ja, Golden State, who had worse injury luck than the Suns last year, and the Jazz, fresh off a successful tank, will all be improved and looking to push the Suns further down in the standings.

The Suns have some real questions about how the pieces fit. The effort is there, but that only takes you so far in a hotly contested Western Conference, and this year the element of surprise will be gone. Teams will know what to expect when they play the Suns this year.

Do I think the Suns can push for a top six seed this year? I do. I was pretty confident they would.

Until I saw that FanDuel line. Now I’m not so sure.  I know a rat-line when I see one.

Just moments before the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina was set to kick off, a Lakers champion revealed he is at the game.

Pau Gasol posted a photo of himself and his wife, Catherine McDonnell, at the game during pregame festivities.

Gasol, a native of Spain, is one of the many celebrities and former top athletes of the world watching the biggest soccer match of the year between Spain and Argentina.

Gasol is an avid soccer fan and has been a huge FC Barcelona fan. He has long admired Lionel Messi and has called him a “special player.”

Throughout this year’s tournament, Gasol has been active in watching it and has raved about watching Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Recently, Gasol made a major investment in soccer by investing 55 millionEuros ($62.7 million) into FC Barcelona’s top-flight women’s soccer competition, the Liga F.

Outside of his love for soccer, Gasol began his professional basketball career in Spain when he played for FC Barcelona’s basketball team from 1998 to 2001.

In 2001, Gasol was drafted by the Grizzlies with the 27th pick of the NBA draft and was later traded by the Grizzlies to the Lakers in 2008.

During his time with the Lakers, he helped Kobe Bryant win back-to-back NBA championships. In 2023, the Lakers made Gasol the 12th player in franchise history to have his number retired as his No.16 now sits alongside Bryant’s, hanging from the rafters in Crypto.com Arena.

“I feel like we got something else to go win”. That was Karl-Anthony Towns’ response when Mark Grigsby, the studio head of Infinity Ward, asked him how it felt to be a champion. At a recent Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 event that took place in a private section of the Flatiron restaurant, Aqua Roma, Towns, who’s long been known to be a Call of Duty player, was a special guest.

Towns spoke glowingly about the franchise and how he grew up playing the games all the time. Towns also revealed that he used to play a lot with his close friend, Devin Booker, and also shouted out former teammate Anthony Edwards, with whom he also used to play often.

When Tyler Bahl, the chief marketing officer at Activision, asked the big man who’s between him and the guys he mentioned were better, he answered, “Right now, D-Book,” before jokingly adding, “We were busy trying to win a championship,” to which the crowd applauded.

Towns was then asked about who plays on the Knicks. “I would say JB (Jalen Brunson), Ariel Hukporti, JC (Jordan Clarkson) here and there,” Towns said. Bahl also asked him if there was any trash talking following their gaming sessions. Surprisingly, there apparently isn’t much. He did say that they’re all just “goofy as hell”.

This is when Gigsby, who actually got his start as an animator at Infinity Ward and served as the voice actor in Call of Duty 4, asked the now champion about how it’s all felt. Towns spoke passionately about growing up as a Knicks fan and understanding just how much pain and suffering the fanbase had experienced.

“Honestly, so surreal. I grew up a Knicks fan, and I know how it is to see grief and misery in the fans’ eyes. So to give them something to cheer for, myself, as a Knicks fan, it’s kind of crazy.” Towns said, “I honestly feel as a player, I actually haven’t won a championship yet. We got something else to go win. I’m already locked in.”

The conversation then transitioned to the Knicks’ 29-point comeback. Town was asked by Bahl if any of the Knicks had heard about or known about Wu Tang Clang foreshadowing the comeback via their Knicks in five proclamation at the end of their halftime performance. He got laughs out of the crowd when he started off his reply with an honest, “I ain’t hear [expletive] about that,”. Towns did open up about what the feel of the locker room was like before the historic comeback, though.

“I just went straight to the back and started talking to everybody about how we got the experience. We knew we could win the game. I never had a doubt that we would win the game” Towns said. “We just had to start in the third quarter fast. We had to make sure we got right to work.”

One of the guests then asked the Knick if there was a song or anything that they used to get them hyped. Towns kept it a buck. “I ain’t gonna lie to you. I don’t think no music was played. I was just talking at halftime. Jose Alvarado spoke up. Mike [Brown] came into the room and was like, ‘Hey, I guess we swing for the fences.’”

He went on to elaborate that he felt like there was no way the Knicks would lose two straight at home. Towns admitted that he and the rest of the team felt like they couldn’t let the fans down and cited last year’s Celtics series as to why he was so confident.

After the Q&A, I was able to speak to Towns one-on-one for a quick conversation. I asked him how the off-season was going, how his body was feeling after the physical postseason, and how he felt about the team going forward in light of the offseason moves. Towns, as expected, still feels very good about where the team is, and as previously mentioned, was already looking ahead to what needs to be done to make it back-to-back championships.

The big man, though, did joke that it had only been four weeks given, which feels odd given the quick turnaround. He cited Brunson’s surgery, Hart’s finger, his own lingering injuries, as well as other guys’ ailments as a major reason why the guys had taken their time, which, to be fair, is very deserved. Towns then finished off our conversation joking about how he wants to go on a trip with his fiancée, Jordyn Woods, but has yet to find the time to do so. “I hope maybe next week,” he said, but also added that he doesn’t even know what he’s doing tomorrow, so it’s been difficult for him to plan the offseason.

This was all a part of an incredible evening put together by the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 team that was in the city for Fanatic Fest, which took place this weekend. The gaming franchise has now amassed 500 million copies sold and has generated over $35 billion to date. They were one of the pioneers in connecting the gaming world to the sports world when they featured Kobe Bryant in a live-action trailer for Black Ops back in 2010. Since then, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant have become playable characters in games, while championship teams like the Thunderand these Knicks have credited the games as a way to enhance chemistry and communication.

Modern Warfare’s story mode is centered around North and South Korea, as can be seen in its exciting reveal trailer. And their highly anticipated multiplayer map “Kill Block”, which was inspired by Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium’s retractable pitch, results in dynamic battlefields that change between rounds, giving players over 500 different configurations.

At Fanatic Fest, they once again represented why they are considered the bridge between sports, gaming, and even Hollywood. Inde Navarette, the actress who has blown up after her performance in the horror movie Obsession, director Peter Berg, and Durant, participated in a panel moderated by Katie Nolan, Bahl, and Grigsby. And earlier in the day, Towns was named the champion of the first-ever Call of Duty Battle of New York when he beat Josh Hart, who subbed in for Brunson, who is recovering from surgery.

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