The Boston Celtics’ two best players have both undergone surgeries over the past month.
Jaylen Brown underwent a successful surgery on his right knee Wednesday and is expected to participate in 2025 training camp “without limitation,” the team announced. The Celtics described Brown’s surgery as a “right knee arthroscopic debridement procedure.”
Brown had been dealing with nagging right knee pain since March and missed six regular-season games in a 13-game span down the stretch. After an April 3 loss to the Miami Heat, Brown admitted he had consistent knee pain but planned to play through it.
“I’ve had to come to grips that every night I’m not gonna feel my normal self,” Brown said at the time, “but that doesn’t mean I still can’t make plays and things like that. So, it’s just something that we are working through.”
The 28-year-old didn’t miss a game in the postseason, and while his typical explosiveness was limited, he still averaged 22.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. After Boston’s second-round playoff loss to the New York Knicks, it was revealed that Brown had a partially torn right meniscus.
Brown’s surgery comes just over a month after Celtics co-star Jayson Tatum had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon. Tatum is expected to miss most or all of the 2025-26 season, giving Brown a golden opportunity to step up as Boston’s leader if he’s fully healthy by the fall.
The Boston Celtics’ two best players have both undergone surgeries over the past month.
Jaylen Brown underwent a successful surgery on his right knee Wednesday and is expected to participate in 2025 training camp “without limitation,” the team announced. The Celtics described Brown’s surgery as a “right knee arthroscopic debridement procedure.”
Brown had been dealing with nagging right knee pain since March and missed six regular-season games in a 13-game span down the stretch. After an April 3 loss to the Miami Heat, Brown admitted he had consistent knee pain but planned to play through it.
“I’ve had to come to grips that every night I’m not gonna feel my normal self,” Brown said at the time, “but that doesn’t mean I still can’t make plays and things like that. So, it’s just something that we are working through.”
The 28-year-old didn’t miss a game in the postseason, and while his typical explosiveness was limited, he still averaged 22.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. After Boston’s second-round playoff loss to the New York Knicks, it was revealed that Brown had a partially torn right meniscus.
Brown’s surgery comes just over a month after Celtics co-star Jayson Tatum had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon. Tatum is expected to miss most or all of the 2025-26 season, giving Brown a golden opportunity to step up as Boston’s leader if he’s fully healthy by the fall.
The Vancouver Canucks are starting to build a strong prospect pool. Whether through the draft, trade or free agency, there are quite a few prospects who could make an impact at the NHL level sooner rather than later. Here is a look at the top ten prospects in Vancouver's system heading into the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
*Note: To qualify for this list, players must be 23 or under and have played fewer than 25 combined NHL regular season and postseason games. Players are ranked based on age, position, league, and overall performance during the 2024-25 season.
Vilmer Alriksson had a tough conclusion to the 2024-25 season. The Brampton Steelheads' winger suffered a season-ending injury in early February and finished the campaign with 35 points in 43 games. With an entire off-season to train and get healthy, do not be surprised if Alriksson has a massive 2025-26 season in the OHL.
10. Josh Bloom- Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
LW, 6'2", 185 lbs- Trade With Sabres
Josh Bloom was a standout in the ECHL this season. The 22-year-old had 39 points in 43 games and was one of two players on the Kalamazoo Wings to record 20 goals. With a full year of pro hockey now under his belt, Bloom looks ready to make the jump full-time to the AHL.
9. Danila Klimovich- Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
RW, 6'2", 203 lbs- 41st Overall in 2021
This season has shown just why Danila Klimovich is such a polarizing prospect. He scored 25 goals for the Abbotsford Canucks, but has played only 10 games during the Calder Cup Playoffs. If Klimovich can find more consistency in his game, he might earn an NHL call-up before his contract expires at the end of next season.
8. Riley Patterson- Barrie Colts, OHL
C, 6'0", 192 lbs- 125th Overall in 2024
Riley Patterson followed up his strong regular season with a productive post-season run. In 16 games, he had 12 points along with 38 shots on goal. Projected to return to the Barrie Colts in 2025-26, Patterson has the potential to surpass the point-per-game mark for the first time in his OHL career.
7. Anthony Romani- Michigan State University, NCAA
C, 6'0", 185 lbs- 162nd Overall in 2024
Anthony Romani was electric during the 2025 OHL Playoffs. In 16 games, he had 24 points, which included a team-high 12 goals. The question now is, will Romani be able to keep up his high production when he moves to the NCAA next season?
6. Sawyer Mynio- Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
LD, 6'1", 173 lbs- 89th Overall in 2023
Sawyer Mynio had an impressive post-season in the WHL. He recorded six assists in 11 games and was used in all situations by the Calgary Hitmen. While Mynio can return to the WHL next year, it is very likely that he makes the jump to the pro level and plays the 2025-26 season in either Abbotsford or Kalamazoo.
Ty Young had a season to remember in the ECHL. He went 10-9-2 while posting two shutouts and a save percentage of .926. While there is a crowded crease in the Canucks system, it will not be shocking if Young spends the year in Abbotsford.
4. Ty Mueller, Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
C, 5'11", 185 lbs- 105th Overall in 2023
Ty Mueller continues to impress at the AHL level. After a successful rookie campaign, he has stepped up in the post-season, recording eight points in 18 games. A key piece of the Canucks roster during the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, Mueller should get some call-ups to the NHL next season.
3. Kirill Kudryavtsev- Abbotsford Canucks, AHL
LD, 5'11", 200 lbs- 208th Overall in 2022
Kirill Kudryavtsev is the definition of a late-round steal. The 21-year-old has thrived in the AHL this year and is currently tied for the post-season plus/minus lead at +13. While he may not get the spotlight on a nightly basis, Kudryavtsev's play is a big reason why Abbotsford is headed to the Calder Cup Final.
2. Jonathan Lekkerimäki- Abbotsford Canucks, NHL
RW, 5'11", 172 lbs- 15th Overall in 2022
While Jonathan Lekkerimäki has struggled during the post-season, he is still the Canucks best forward prospect in the system. He is a potential game-breaker and has shown in the past that he can step up on the biggest stage. Projected to play in Vancouver's middle-six next season, Lekkerimäki will need to find a way to be productive both at even strength and on the power play in 2025-26.
1. Tom Willander- Vancouver Canucks, NHL
RD, 6'1", 180 lbs- 11th Overall in 2023
The Canucks top prospect heading into the 2025 NHL Entry Draft is defenceman Tom Willander. After a strong NCAA career, Willander signed his ELC in May and is expected to compete for a spot on the NHL roster. Regardless of whether he starts next season in the NHL or AHL, Willander has the potential to be an important part of this organization for years to come.
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Amazon has just completed its first season streaming NHL games in Canada when the digital giant wasted no time in unveiling plans for 2025-26 at their annual upfronts in Toronto. Entering the final year of a two-year deal with Rogers Sports & Media, to broadcast games on Monday night, a weekly live look-in show called 'Coast-To-Coast' on Thursday and a docuseries titled 'FACEOFF: Inside The NHL', the digital giant appears poised to build off their opening year.
Ahead of the announcement, I had a chance to chat with Prime Video Canada's Mark Shopiro, to look back on Season 1 and what fans could expect in next season.
WE ARE SO BACK. 🎬
Tkachuks x 2. Flower. Sid. Season 2 of FACEOFF: Inside the NHL is coming, and it will be a movie. pic.twitter.com/sytbhUOoiZ
— Sports on Prime Canada (@SportsOnPrimeCA) May 29, 2025
Among the topics discussed:
What was learned from Season 1
Players and executives willingness to let the camera into their world after seeing Season 1
Amazon's interest in hockey (if any) beyond their deal that expires at the end of 2025-26
THN: What was your general feedback after Season 1 aired?
Shopiro: We were really happy with season one. I think what fans get to see in the broadcast and day-to-day is gameplay on the ice and storylines as they're playing out. But what they don't have as much visibility to or have been historically was what it's like to be a professional athlete, both on and off the ice. And we saw a really, really positive reception in Season 1 around those off-ice moments of getting to see what it's like to be a player in the National Hockey League. And also through the perspective of the player, but also those that are most important to them in their lives, be it their family members or good friends. And really, you know, understanding the players as people and everything that they dedicate to becoming such elite athletes was something that we had, you know, great response on in season one. And I think fans can expect to see more of in season two.
THN: Did you get more players or anyone after seeing Season 1 being like, 'Hey, I've got to be part of this, and maybe the ask to participate increased? What was that change like between Season 1 and Season 2?
Shopiro: For sure, yeah. I think with Season 1, we had never done it before. The players had never done it, obviously, in the NHL. And as we look forward to season two, people have a flavor of kind of what this was meant to be and how it showcases players. So I think that eased some of the conversations and willingness for players to participate. Obviously, everyone's different, but I think we feel good about a stacked list of players heading into Season 2 and I think that speaks to players' willingness to be involved in the series and be a part of it.
THN: Brendan Shanahan is involved. We usually don't get executives like that in terms of the list from the previous. How did that come about?
Shopiro: You know, as we think about showcasing the game holistically, the front office is a part of it. And, you know, as you think about showing the game from different angles, that was definitely, you know, a lens that we had thought about as we went into development on the series. And obviously, you know, really happy with everybody that's come forward to be a part of Season 2.
THN: Looking at all the other stuff that you're going to announce, obviously this is going to be Year 2 of the deal for Amazon and the NHL. What was the general feedback after Season 1 from the Canadian games you guys broadcast?
Shopiro: We were really happy. I think what we were most happy with was the fan reception to the broadcast. We got really good feedback on fans appreciating us going rink to rink, bringing the cities that we were broadcasting from as characters into the games that we were putting on television, bringing people closer to the action with innovations like Home Ice Access, which essentially, you know, let customers from their living room get a peek inside the arena before puck drop, which is, you know, so synonymous with going to a game and getting to experience the feels beforehand. So we feel, you know, first and foremost, really good about the product that we put on the screen. And I think fans recognize that. We're really happy with our viewership and growing with younger audiences, our members spending more time with the broadcast. If you think about entertainment and how people spend their time, sports is such a critical part of that. We view it as a great opportunity to be a part of everybody's Monday nights for three hours every Monday as we broadcast games from Canadian teams.
THN: It looked like you guys were leveraging some of the technology advantages you guys have. Like I noticed, for example, just being on the home site for Amazon, there was like a little square on top, like before you were even going So even like I guess if you were just a casual shopper on the site, you would see like a little preview of the game kind of going on. Like how much of that was important in terms of the integration of using the leverage of the company, but also just kind of being able to demonstrate what you guys can do differently.
Shopiro: Our first focus was getting the game right. And I think you'll see as the season went on last year and as we start to head into Season 2 as well, it's let's get the game right as we come to one focus. And then where can we innovate and start to bring more value into the broadcast. You mentioned things like we call it like an autoplay feature o Fire TV devices where the game will just start playing versus needing to navigate. There's other pieces of innovation that we got great quality feedback on picture quality and sound quality. So, you know, with compatible devices we filmed in 1080p HDR, I know that's a little technical, but that's a new standard for hockey in Canada and really one that hasn't even been adopted too broadly yet in the U.S. Great 5.1 surround sound, and even things like new camera angles and, you know, innovation like Rapid Recap, which essentially generates like a two-minute reel if you're joining the broadcast in progress on what's happened so far in the game, and then you transition right to live. I know that's a little bit of a laundry list, but that was some of the innovation that we were really excited about, and we feel like fans have really reacted positively to.
THN: You're in the second year of the deal, which is sublicensed from Rogers, and then Rogers renewed their deal with the NHL. Is there an appetite from Amazon to continue with the game beyond this upcoming season?
Shopiro: I'm not going to speculate on any future deals, but we are really focused right now on Season 2. And it's hard to believe we just wrapped up Season 1 six weeks ago, and we're already full steam ahead for next fall.
THN: The Coast-to-Coast broadcast that you guys did on Thursdays...What was the general feedback there? Obviously, that was new, but there was a version kind of like that in Canada. What did you like about it? What did you feel could be improved on?
Shopiro: NHL Coast to Coast was a newer format. It had been done, there were variations of the format, but really, you know, starting with the NHL and working on programming the schedule such that we have a great slate of games every Thursday. And, you know, many of the studios show was ran for, you know, five, five and a half hours. Oftentimes, I don't know how Andi Petrillo, who was our host, did it just going for that long. I think as NHL Coast to Coast progressed throughout the season, And we had a rotating analyst that came in, and I feel like that was well-received by audiences. And also just the ability to go from what we said from game to game, goal-to-goal. I hadn't really watched hockey like that before, and I feel like the format was well-received around bouncing between games and, you know, sometimes piping in the audio from the game that you're listening to, sometimes having it be voiced over by the analysts that were in the studio. Tried a bunch of different things in season one and feel like we landed in a good place. As we think about innovation and how we evolve the game in Canada, NHL Coast to Coast was a great example of a new format for which we're trying to bring to Canadians.
THN: Is there anything new that you guys are going to try that will be obvious for Season 2 that we didn't see in Season 1 of the game broadcasts?
Shopiro: Yeah, we'll see. We're looking back on Season 1 right now as we evaluate how the whole season went and where we feel we can get better. And we can absolutely be better, and we'll continue to look at that. But more to come on that front as we head into Season 2 planning.
THN: Okay, and then outside of maybe even just broadcasts for this year, are there any sort of plans for maybe expanding Amazon and hockey beyond just the broadcast? Like other integrations that could be in the works between Amazon and hockey from a business development side?
Shopiro: Yeah, unfortunately, I won't speak to anything outside of Prime Video, just given that that's my remit to oversee. I would say on the content side, obviously, we have to broadcast. And then as we've spoken about at the start, we've been heavily invested in docu-series. Not only for Faceoff, but, you know, as you think about 'Saving Sakic' or 'All Or Nothing' with the Toronto Maple Leafs, we have a long relationship with the NHL and, you know, feel good about that and the role that Prime Video can play in bringing NHL content to customers.
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The Philadelphia Flyers are still well positioned to execute a blockbuster trade for a top center this summer, but one popular potential trade target on the Anaheim Ducks isn't worth all the hype.
Ducks center Mason McTavish, a 22-year-old pending restricted free agent and former No. 3 pick, has been a popular name amongst Flyers fans looking for centers the team can potentially trade for this offseason.
The Switzerland-born center just posted 22 goals and 52 points in his third full season in the NHL while winning greater than 50% of his faceoffs for the second season in a row. To this point, word on a new contract from the Ducks has been quiet, opening the door for the Flyers to strike. But is that a good idea?
If he is to sign with another team this offseason, Evolving-Hockey projects McTavish's next contract to be a six-year pact worth $6.683 million annually.
For the sake of comparison, reports have indicated that Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi is looking for a seven-year deal worth something in the range of $7 million annually.
At 6-foot-1 and 214 pounds, McTavish is bigger and heavier than Rossi, which is the crux of his appeal to Flyers fans and, presumably, the Flyers themselves.
The 22-year-old dished out 70 hits this season and blocked 31 shots, while the smaller Rossi blocked 41 shots and made 62 hits.
Plus, Rossi has scored 45 goals and 100 points over the last two seasons, while McTavish has just 60 goals and 140 total points across his three full NHL seasons.
To be clear, both McTavish and Rossi would be upgrades on the current state of the Flyers' center depth, but preferring McTavish to Rossi for a perceived increase of physicality is just a myth.
The smaller Rossi has been just as effective and physical at effectively the same price point, and it helps that NHL teams are aware of the public struggle between the Austrian center and the Wild.
McTavish, on the other hand, may not necessarily be for sale and would cost more assets in a prospective Flyers trade on top of the salary.
Another thing to note is that the Flyers, as a rush-based team, are not the greatest fit for McTavish.
The 2021 No. 3 overall pick is one of the slowest skaters in the NHL, placing beneath the 50th percentile in top speed, 22+ MPH bursts, and 20-22 MPH bursts, according to NHL EDGE. McTavish placed in the 60th percentile in 18-20 MPH bursts.
In Philadelphia, McTavish could always be paired with players like Owen Tippett or Travis Konecny, but the differing playstyles and skillsets could supersede each other and alter the alchemy of the forward group.
Plus, adding another slow center and changing things up may take away from the chemistry Flyers captain Sean Couturier had Konecny and Matvei Michkov.
A lack of speed down the middle was already a weakness for the Flyers, and with the assets McTavish might bring in for the Ducks, Danny Briere and Co. are best suited looking elsewhere for the center of their future.
A scouting report on NBA draft prospect VJ Edgecombe:
Position: Guard
Height: 6-foot-4 (without shoes)
Weight: 193 pounds
College: Baylor
Strengths
Edgecombe has the sort of athleticism that makes you stop whatever you were doing and watch replays in amazement.
While he’s still learning how to harness it all, he’s currently got a nice feel for how to both shine in obvious ways (rapid bursts to the rim, highlight slams) and subtle ways (snagging rebounds in a pack, recovering after falling a step behind defensively). The 19-year-old had a productive all-around freshman season at Baylor, posting 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.
Edgecombe enjoys and takes pride in his defense. He doesn’t have the size of a guard-everyone stopper or the wingspan (6-foot-7.5) of a player destined to rack up steals and blocks, but his effort and explosiveness are great foundational traits.
“I feel like I’m an elite defender, but I also have a ways to go,” Edgecombe told reporters at the NBA draft combine. “I’m just willing to play defense with all my heart. I know if there’s anything I can do on the floor to impact the game, it’s guarding. That’s something I’m ready to do for sure.”
Edgecombe was a good college rebounder, ranking in the Big 12’s top 20 in rebounds per game. Rebounding is not one of his core tools, but it might lead Edgecombe’s NBA team to be a bit more comfortable using guard-heavy lineups.
Last summer, Edgecombe played with the Bahamas in the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament and showed his game already could be quite impactful against grown men. With NBA veteran teammates Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon, he was one of his country’s key players. Edgecombe averaged 16.5 points on 57.1/38.5/81.3 shooting splits, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
Weaknesses
Edgecombe’s far from a polished ball handler and isolation scorer. He doesn’t have the tight, advanced handle to suggest he’s on the verge of consistently, efficiently creating his own shots in the NBA.
He also won’t enter the league as a crafty, comfortable finisher in traffic. When faced with resistance inside, he sometimes seemed to lack a real counter, flinging the ball toward the rim or trying to power through bigger bodies.
Edgecombe’s shot is not a strength at the moment. The numbers weren’t bad in college; 34 percent from three-point range on 4.6 attempts per game, 78.2 percent at the foul line. That said, Edgecombe has a rather narrow base on his jumper, isn’t smooth off the dribble and generally doesn’t look the part of a pure shooter.
No apparent need for deep concern there, especially given Edgecombe’s willingness to let it fly, but shooting improvement would certainly enhance his odds of becoming an NBA star.
Fit
Notably, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey’s general philosophy is to take the best player available.
If the Sixers drafted Edgecombe with the third overall pick, he’d add to the team’s list of guards 6-foot-4 and under, which includes Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain. Morey has said he intends to bring back restricted free agent Quentin Grimes, too.
The idea of Edgecombe as a Sixer would sound better if he proves capable of defending wings well at times and grows as a shooter. His size alone doesn’t appear like it should be a disqualifying factor.
The future is bright for the Giants’ starting rotation, as a handful of young, exciting arms are ready to break through at the major-league level.
However, there only are so many spots up for grabs.
One of the young pitchers who currently is starting every fifth day, but soon might lose his rotation spot, is 23-year-old lefty Kyle Harrison, who started in the Giants’ 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday at Coors Field and pitched five innings, surrendering three earned runs and two walks with six strikeouts.
The outing was a mixed-bag for Harrison, who struggled in his previous start against the San Diego Padres on June 4, but it didn’t change Mike Krukow’s belief in the young southpaw, as the Giants broadcaster shared Wednesday on KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” that he offered San Francisco’s president of baseball operations Buster Posey a glowing review of Harrison.
“Buster Posey recently asked me, ‘Between Hayden Birdsong, Landen Roupp and Harrison, who do you think is the best one?’ And I think it’s Harrison,” Kurkow told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “I think Harrison because he has so many different ways to get better. Right now, he’s a 100 percent four-seam fastball guy.”
Krukow recalled a conversation he had with Harrison, where he suggested to the young lefty pitches he should consider adding to his arsenal.
“I asked him one time ‘Do you throw a two-seam?” and he goes ‘No’ and I go ‘Why not?’ He says, ‘I don’t need it.’ Well, OK, that’s a great attitude to have about a pitch, but as he goes forth, he’s going to learn there’s a difference between a four-seam and a two-seam fastball,” Krukow said.
“The two-seam fastball is better when you’re trying to get ground balls. Basically he’s a fastball/strikeout guy with a lazy breaking ball. So the change-up he’s come up with is a good one, but he’s not throwing it enough. I think as he goes forth, you’re going to see him develop more of a change up and go to it in more situations, he’s going to have another fastball to complement that four-seam fastball and I think his body is completely, with his arm release and his arm slot, is perfect for a cutter.”
While Krukow ultimately believes the sky is the limit for Harrison, he wouldn’t be surprised if the young lefty returned to a bullpen role once veteran starter Justin Verlander (right pectoral injury) returns from the injured list.
“I do think that his ceiling is off the charts,” Krukow added. “As to what happens when [Justin] Verlander comes back up, I think you’re going to see Harrison go back into the pen.”
In 2024 there were 100 WRs with more catches and 103 with more TDs than all of U-M's WRs combined. With a new scheme, that shouldn't be the case again.
But after Monday’s 6-1 debacle at the hands of the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final, Edmonton now has a tough decision to make – whether to stick with Skinner after two consecutive subpar performances or have Pickard come in and try to even up the series. Pickard replaced Skinner in the first round and went 6-0 with an .888 save percentage before suffering an injury.
That said, it’s not really a tough decision. The Oilers should be living or dying with Skinner as their guy. While Pickard has his supporters, Skinner has done enough to earn the trust of his team as they try to dig out of a 2-1 series hole.
We’re not for a minute suggesting Skinner should be free of criticism. Giving up the first goal of the game just 56 seconds into the first period is hardly the start the Oilers were looking for from Skinner. Before he got the hook in the third period, Skinner allowed five Panthers goals on just 23 shots. His .783 save percentage in Game 3 is not ideal, nor is his .860 save percentage in the Cup final.
However, Skinner has had moments where he looked terrific this post-season.
In three of Edmonton’s five games against Dallas in the Western Conference final, Skinner posted a save percentage of .966 or better. He also has three shutouts in these playoffs.
While there were serious doubts about his play early in the playoffs, he has since done enough for the Oilers to win more games than they lose.
Sure, they’d want him to be sharper in the past couple of games, but have you seen how poorly Edmonton has defended in front of him? There aren’t many goalies out there who could steal wins when their teammates are turnstiles, and Skinner isn’t a superhero who can stand on his head on every shot from the deep and strong Panthers. Pickard isn’t, either.
If the Oilers do go on to lose the Cup final, Skinner’s future with the team will be called into question. That’s fair. It doesn’t matter which team or player we’re talking about – if you can’t get the job done in two consecutive Cup finals, your job security will be in doubt.
While the 26-year-old Skinner is under contract next season at a very reasonable $2.6-million cap hit, you have to think Oilers GM Stan Bowman will be seeking out a different look between the pipes. Maybe that’s current Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson or someone else, but the status quo in net probably won’t be an option for Edmonton.
For now, though, Skinner is the best option for the Oilers. He’s battled his way through the muck for a while now, and he can still control his future in Edmonton by coming up with strong performances whenever he’s called upon. But he certainly needs a stronger effort from the players in front of him, which is why Skinner can’t be scapegoated – at least, right now.
Team featuring Jeremy Guscott and Mike Catt won Bath’s most recent title before professional era changed the game
It doesn’t take long to realise that one of England’s greatest attacking minds is still as sharp as ever. Asked what is keeping him busy at the moment, Brian Ashton, now 78, shoots back: “Staying alive.” There are many ways to emphasise how long it has been since Bath won the title but a two-word riposte from the man who led them to the league and cup double in 1995-96 does it better than most.
It is well documented that the dawn of professionalism was not kind to Bath, how it both enabled their rivals to catch up and derailed the country’s dominant side in the following years. As the former full-back Jon Callard has put it: “Bath got lost in professionalism, sometimes players forgot the value of the shirt.” In the final throes of the amateur era, however, Bath were the trailblazers.
Kagiso Rabada added his name to the Lord’s Honours Board for a second time before Australia’s world-class pace attack dismantled the South African top order as Pat Cummins’ men seized control of the World Test Championship final.
UCLA's David Greenwood dunks the ball during a game against Stanford in 1978. (Associated Press)
David Greenwood adored basketball so much in middle school that he would play for three different teams in three different parks on the same day, multiple times a week.
His brother, Al, would be in the car driving around with him between games while David traded in his sweaty uniform for a fresh one, repeating the process over and over.
“He was relentless,” Al said, “because he loved the game.”
At home, David would get tossed around in driveway games by the cement contractor father who was twice his size, only to keep getting back up for more contact. In practices, he shot blindfolded to perfect his form, his brother having to let him know when he was close to going out of bounds so that he could get his bearings.
UCLA's David Greenwood (34) shoots a basketball during a game against San Francisco at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on March 15, 1979 (Peter Read Miller / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Greenwood, the determined Compton kid who went from a star high school player at Verbum Dei to one of the top scorers in UCLA history to an NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons, died Sunday night at a Riverside hospital from cancer. He was 68.
True to the nature of someone who played through debilitating foot injuries throughout his career, Greenwood did not inform family of his illness until the end of his life.
“Everything happened so quickly,” said Bronson Greenwood, David’s nephew. “It was kind of a shock.”
One of the all-time great high school players in Southern California, Greenwood and teammate Roy Hamilton were among the final players recruited by legendary UCLA coach John Wooden. They were shocked when Wooden retired shortly after their senior season of high school and was replaced by Gene Bartow.
But they decided to stick with their commitments, lured in part by the pitch of a coach they would never play for in college.
“He told me if I went to USC or UNLV or Notre Dame, I’d be an All-American,” Greenwood once told The Times of Wooden’s proposal. “But if I went to UCLA, I’d be able to test myself against 12 other high school All-Americans every single day. ... It was kind of like, ‘Come here and test your mettle.’ ”
Greenwood’s work ethic continued to push him as a Bruin. His practices with the team were followed by an hour in another gym, his brother feeding him passes. Along the way, he never shortchanged himself or teammates.
College athletes selected in the NBA draft pose with NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien, center, at New York's Plaza Hotel on June 25, 1979. The players are, from left: Calvin Natt, Northeast Louisiana, drafted by New Jersey; Sidney Moncrief, Arkansas, drafted by Milwaukee; Bill Garthright, San Francisco, drafted by New York; O'Brien; Earvin Johnson, Michigan State, drafted by Los Angeles; Greg Kelser, Michigan State, drafted by Detroit; and David Greenwood, UCLA, drafted by Chicago. (Associated Press)
“If he said he was going to shoot 100 free throws,” Al said, “it wasn’t 50, it wasn’t 65, it was 100 — and he didn’t stop until he got to 100.”
Having been dubbed “Batman and Robin” in high school, Greenwood and Hamilton remained close at UCLA, rooming together and biking to campus from where they lived in the Fairfax District. Hamilton remembered Greenwood as a remarkable rebounder who whipped outlet passes to him to get fast breaks started.
“We would always know how to motivate each other,” Hamilton said, “and connect with each other on the floor.”
Becoming a star by his sophomore season, Greenwood averaged a double-double in points and rebounds as a junior and a senior, finishing each season as an All-American. The 6-foot-9 forward’s go-to move was starting with his back about 10 to 12 feet from the basket before faking one way and unleashing a spin-around jumper.
One of his favorite memories as a Bruin, according to his brother, was a comeback against Washington State toward the end of his career in which the Bruins wiped out a late double-digit deficit, winning on Greenwood’s putback dunk only seconds before the buzzer.
The Bulls' David Greenwood shoots over the Bullets' Elvin Hayes during a game in 1981 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Greenwood played for the Bulls from 1979-85. (Focus On Sport / Getty Images)
UCLA never recaptured the Wooden glory during Greenwood’s four seasons, reaching the Final Four his freshman year and a regional final his senior year. But Greenwood remains No. 15 on the school’s all-time scoring list, having tallied 1,721 points.
After the Lakers selected Magic Johnson with the first pick of the 1979 NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls took Greenwood second as part of their massive rebuilding efforts. (Hamilton was also a lottery pick, going 10th to the Pistons.)
“He wasn’t exciting, he was steady,” Al Greenwood said of his brother. “You knew you were going to get a double-double every night out of him regardless of what the score was.”
Greenwood started every game in his first NBA season, averaging 16.3 points and 9.4 rebounds while making the all-rookie team. The Bulls went 30-52, their loss total more than triple the 17 losses that Greenwood’s teams had absorbed in four seasons as a Bruin.
But he persevered through the losing and a series of foot injuries caused by a running style in which his heels would hit the ground before his toes. Al remembered his brother coming back to Los Angeles to play the Lakers and taking his shoes off at home, saying it felt as if they were full of broken glass.
“That was how his feet felt a lot of the time, but he just played even when he shouldn’t have,” Al said. “I always called him The Thoroughbred.”
Former UCLA standout David Greenwood talks about his career during a National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame induction event on Nov. 21, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (Colin E. Braley / Associated Press)
Greenwood would undergo one Achilles’ surgery on one foot and two on the other, never missing a full season in the process.
In October 1985, before the widespread use of cell phones, Greenwood learned he had been traded to San Antonio for future Hall of Famer George Gervin while listening to the radio. Late in his 12-year NBA career, he was a surprise playoff contributor for the Detroit Pistons when they won the 1990 NBA championship. Hamilton worked for CBS Sports as part of the production team broadcasting the Finals that year.
“Having my best friend in the world on the team and winning a title,” Hamilton said, “that was a joy for me.”
Greenwood went on to own several Blockbuster video stores and coached at his alma mater, guiding Verbum Dei to state championships in 1998 and 1999. His nephew recalled a soft side, his uncle picking him up and giving him a good tickle.
Greenwood is survived by his brother, Al; sister, Laverne; son, Jemil; and daughter, Tiffany, along with his former wife, Joyce. Services are pending.
Happy Jeff was Walk-off Jeff on Tuesday night at Citi Field.
Jeff McNeil wore a huge smile on his face as he lined a single in the 10th inning of Tuesday's game against the Nationals to drive in the winning run. It was the culmination of a great day -- and week -- at the plate for McNeil, who has had his ups and downs with the Mets since winning the batting title in 2022.
His walk-off single capped off his 2-for-4, two RBI day as the Mets defeated the Nationals, 5-4, to extend their winning streak to four games and start their homestand on a happy note.
"I was just looking for anything I could hit to the right side. Wasn't trying to do too much," McNeil said of his final at-bat. "Feel like they were trying to go hard away, so I was cheating for something out there, hooked a ball to the right side and got down."
McNeil said he's been trying to swing the bat harder instead of "guiding" his bat to the ball like he's done when he is struggling at the plate. And to him, it's really just as simple as that.
“It’s pretty hard to hit for average in this league. Pitchers are so good and so tough," McNeil said. "When you do get a good pitch to hit, you gotta do some damage on it. That’s what I’ve been trying to do lately and it’s been paying off."
Over his last seven games, McNeil is hitting .333 with a .741 slugging percentage thanks to three home runs. Going back to his last 15 games, McNeil is still hitting .286 with four home runs and 11 RBI. That sort of hitting and "damage" has allowed manager Carlos Mendoza to start McNeil just about every day to lengthen his lineup.
But Mendoza remembers how tough it was for McNeil a season ago, but also remembers the turnaround and knows he can get that out of his player this season.
"I’m going to go back to the second half last year when he turned it around. When he started driving the ball using the whole field, just dictating at-bats and putting swings with conviction," Mendoza said of McNeil's contributions. "The past week, I feel like he’s done that, where he’s putting himself in a really good position to hit and not only hit, but do damage.
"We know the bat-to-ball skills are off the charts. I feel like he gets in trouble at times when he just tries to put a ball in play on pitcher’s pitches. As opposed to getting a pitch to drive. We’ve seen that. And when he’s going that way, he’s a really good hitter."
A year ago, in his first season managing, Mendoza saw McNeil struggle mightily at the plate. In the first half, McNeil was slashing .216/.276/.314 with a .591 OPS. But adjustments, like swinging harder, paid off for the veteran infielder/outfielder. In the second half, McNeil slashed .289/.376/.547 with a .923 OPS.
"The first half of last year is not who I am. It was tough. It was frustrating. It was not very fun," McNeil said. "This game is about adjustments and I feel I'm the kind of player that can adjust on the fly, do what I need to do and get the job done."
With Tuesday's win, the Mets sit atop the National League at 43-24 and five games ahead of the Phillies in the NL East.
Kiké Hernández pitches during the sixth inning Tuesday. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
Major League Baseball does not have a mercy rule for ending games early.
On Tuesday night at Petco Park, the Dodgers could have used one.
In recent years, the club has punted on plenty of games in the interest of protecting their often injury-riddled and shorthanded pitching staffs. But in an 11-1 loss to the San Diego Padres, they took the act of de facto forfeiture to levels even they hadn’t previously pioneered.
First, they let minor league call-up Matt Sauer wear it — in every sense of the phrase — over a nine-run, 13-hit, 111-pitch outing.
Then, in the face of a nine-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth, they sent position player Kiké Hernández to the mound to pitch the rest of the game, the earliest a true position player had ever taken the mound in a contest in Dodgers franchise history.
"Very awkward,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It doesn't feel good.”
The Dodgers' decision to pack, even before the seventh-inning stretch, it in was rooted in logic.
They are currently operating with only four healthy starting pitchers. Their equally banged-up bullpen is leading the majors in innings, and was coming off five frames of work in an extra-inning win the night before. And by the time Hernández took the mound in the sixth, the game had long been lost, the Padres (38-28) teeing off on Sauer with three runs two-out runs in the third inning, single scores in the fourth and fifth, and a four-spot in the sixth.
“I know that my job is just eat as many as I can,” said Sauer, who entered the game as a bulk man in the second inning after opener Lou Trivino tossed a scoreless first. “Obviously, today, didn't have as good of stuff, but I felt like I was just out there pitching my ass off, trying to compete and trying to eat as many innings as I could for the bullpen."
On the other side, Padres ace Dylan Cease mowed down the Dodgers, giving up three hits while striking out 11 batters over seven scoreless innings.
“We had a couple chances early,” Roberts said. “But I think when the game got away, you could just see things flip.”
Thus, the Dodgers (40-28) quickly turned their attention to Wednesday’s series rubber-match, one they will have to win to maintain sole possession of first place in the National League West.
Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández were removed from the game after the top of the sixth.
And knowing Wednesday’s starter will be left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who has a 7.20 ERA in three big-league outings this year and has spent much of the campaign in triple-A, Roberts decided not to waste any of his other available relievers on the latter innings either, inserting Hernández as pitcher the moment the Padres pushed their lead past eight runs with two out in the bottom of the frame (MLB rules prevent losing teams from using position players on the mound until they face an eight-run deficit).
“You just got to look at where our ‘pen is at, and appreciating what we have the next couple days, it wasn't smart to chase and redline guys,” Roberts said. “A guy that was available tonight, [Michael] Kopech, I'm not going to pitch him down six or 7-0 in the sixth inning, to then not have him available tomorrow. As the rules are, we abided. That's kind of what you do to essentially move forward and win the ensuing games."
Still, a position player taking the mound in the sixth inning to finish off a blowout loss represented an almost unprecedented use of the tactic; one that has become so popular among MLB clubs in recent years that the league had to put in the eight-run restriction for when teams can do it.
Two years ago, the Cleveland Guardians had David Fry pitch four innings at the end of a rout against the Minnesota Twins, the first time a true position player had pitched at least three innings in a game since 1988, according to USA Today.
In 2018, the Arizona Diamondbacks used two position players for the final 4 ⅔ innings of a lopsided defeat at Coors Field to the Colorado Rockies.
Hernández’s 2 ⅓ innings (in which he gave up two runs, three hits and two walks) marked the longest pitching outing by a true position player in Dodgers history.
“Again, it’s about do you want to chase? And is it worth it versus [trying] to win tomorrow?” Roberts said. “I think those are things are part of the math … The goal was to come in here to win a series, and we got a really good chance to do that tomorrow.”
Given how Tuesday went, they better hope so. Because if not, their 10-run loss will be an embarrassment without much of a reward.
The 30th Australian Football Hall of Fame was a reminder that there’s more to the sport than the AFL. It was a reminder that the talent in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania was at various times every bit the equal of what was coming out of Victoria. Last night’s inductees included a five-time All Australian, a self-described “little fat kid from Colac”, and a man considered the best ever Tasmanian footballer never to play on the mainland. They included a man who took more marks than anyone else in the history of VFL/AFL football, a giant raconteur from South Australia who reflected that “football was simply something I did on a Saturday,” and a seven-time premiership player in the WAFL who later umpired five grand finals. A goalkicking machine from South Australia during the Depression years was also elevated to legend status.
But last night’s event did something very different to the preceding three decades – it inducted two AFLW players. Erin Phillips won two WNBA championships, a basketball world championship gold medal and represented Australia at two Olympics. But until just over a decade ago, the idea of playing Australian football professionally seemed fanciful. “I never wanted to be a boy,” she said last night, “I just wanted the opportunities they had and that was footy.” Her dad, Greg, a Hall of Famer himself, was a fine footballer for Port Adelaide and Collingwood. He had thighs like John Nicholls, the sort of legs that could prop up jetties. Last night he was a blubbering mess. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to tell your 13-year-old daughter that she can’t play the game she loves any more,” his daughter said. “Now she’s standing next to you in the Hall of Fame.”
