UCLA hasn't had a permanent coach in months and didn't have one ready to open early signing perion, yet it avoided disaster.
Mixed results for UCLA on early signing day
After a few defections, UCLA was left with a 12-player class that general manager Khary Darlington said could grow a bit.
Phoenix's Devin Booker to be out at least a week with groin strain
Devin Booker went back to the locker room with a couple of minutes to go in the first quarter Monday night against the Lakers, and when he came back out to the bench for the second half, he was in street clothes and did not set foot on the court again.
Booker is going to be in street clothes for at least another seven days, with the team announcing he suffered a groin injury and will be re-evaluated in a week. That means he will miss games against Houston and Minnesota, but the game to circle on the calendar is Dec. 10, one week away, when the Suns take on the Thunder in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, a knockout round game with a trip to Las Vegas for the semi-finals on the line. Booker might want to return for that game, but Phoenix's medical staff will want to protect him from himself if he is not ready.
Booker has a history of nagging groin injuries that goes back a few seasons. It's not exactly clear when Booker suffered this latest injury, though postgame Suns coach Jordan Ott said he thought it happened when Booker drove into and tried to finish over Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes.
"He fell, and I don't think it was right away," Ott said after the Suns' win. "He mentioned it might have been a couple of plays after. You could obviously see him trying to stretch it. At that point, we kind of know where these things are headed."
Booker is averaging 25 points and 6.7 assists a game this season and has been at the heart of the Suns' surprising 13-9 start. Expect Grayson Allen, Collin Gillespie (who torched the Lakers with 28 points), and Jordan Goodwin to get more run with Booker out.
Penguins' GM Kyle Dubas Provides Injury Updates On Key Players
For the first time in a while, there is now some clarity on the Pittsburgh Penguins' injury situation.
On Wednesday's GM Show, Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas provided some clarity on the statuses of forwards Justin Brazeau, Noel Acciari, and Rickard Rakell. Brazeau and Acciari made the trip to Tampa Bay with the Penguins, as they play the Lightning Thursday then head to Dallas to take on the Stars Sunday.
However, that doesn't mean they'll hit the ice in the next two games. Dubas told Josh Getzoff on the GM Show that Brazeau and Acciari should be out roughly another seven to 10 days, while Rakell will still be out another three to four weeks.
Brazeau, 27, and Acciari, 34, both missed all of November with upper-body injuries. Brazeau had six goals and 12 points in 12 games prior to his injury, while Acciari had led Penguins' forwards in hits and blocked shots at the time of his injury.
Rakell, 32, was injured in an Oct. 25 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets when a shot block hit his left hand, which required surgery to repair the break. He had three goals and eight points in nine games at the time, and he was playing on the top line with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust.
Two Penguins Forwards Returned To Practice On Wednesday Two Pittsburgh Penguins forwards returned to practice on Wednesday.Since all three players went down, the Penguins had a 4-5-3 in the month of November after getting off to an 8-2-2 start. However, they have won three out of their last four games and have gotten some reinforcements in Rutger McGroarty and Boko Imama, both of whom were recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) prior to Monday's win against the Philadelphia Flyers.
After Dallas on Sunday, the Penguins return home to face the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday and begin a five-game homestand.
Takeaways: Penguins Put Forth Dominant Effort In 5-1 Win Over FlyersFor the first time in weeks, it felt like a winning result for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> was never really in doubt throughout the game.
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World Series hero Miguel Rojas agrees to return to Dodgers on one-year deal
This past postseason, Miguel Rojas announced that 2026 would be the last year of his MLB career.
On Wednesday, he and the Dodgers ensured he would go out in Los Angeles.
Barely a month removed from Rojas’ heroics in this year’s World Series, he and the Dodgers agreed to a one-year, $5.5-million contract for next season, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.
The move marks the Dodgers’ first signing of this offseason, bringing back the 12-year veteran and utility infielder in the club’s quest for a third consecutive World Series title.
Read more:Plaschke: Thanks for the ride! 13 moments that defined the Dodgers' 2025 World Series title run
After retiring at the end of next season, Rojas will also stay with the organization in a player development role.
El Extrabase first reported the signing.
Back at the beginning of his career, Rojas first broke into the majors with the Dodgers in 2014 before being traded to the Marlins. After eight seasons in Miami, Rojas was traded back to the Dodgers before the start of the 2023 season, and has become a key veteran voice in the team’s clubhouse since.
On the field, Rojas has remained a productive presence, hitting .259 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs over the last three years. He has also provided value defensively, playing second base, third base and shortstop — and becoming a finalist for the National League’s utility player Gold Glove award last season.
No contributions, of course, were more important than what Rojas did in the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
After being drawn back into the lineup for Game 6 of the series, he helped complete a game-sealing double-play by picking a throw from Kiké Hernández at second base.
Then in Game 7, he hit a season-saving, game-tying home run in the top of the ninth inning, before throwing out a potential winning Blue Jays run at home plate in the bottom half of the inning.
Read more:Shohei Ohtani to participate in World Baseball Classic, but will the Dodgers star pitch?
He did it all while playing though an injury, too, having aggravated an intercostal problem in the team’s celebration after Game 6.
Injuries have been a recurring problem for Rojas, dealing with forearm, hamstring and hernia injuries in recent years.
However, his value on and off the field made him a likely candidate to be re-signed this winter.
On Wednesday, he and the team made the reunion official.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin expected to miss rest of NHL season with a torn ACL
Dec 2, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin (91) helped off the ice by Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (24) and Dallas Stars defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (46) in the game against the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
NEW YORK — Tyler Seguin is expected to miss the rest of the NHL season with a torn ACL in his right knee, another major injury blow to the already-shorthanded Dallas Stars.
Coach Glen Gulutzan said Wednesday that Seguin would be out a significant amount of time. The 33-year-old forward was injured Tuesday night at the New York Rangers.
“It’s not just us, it’s the league, and it’s very unfortunate,” Gulutzan said. “It’s a tough day for us today with the news. Other guys now have to step in and play.”
Seguin got tangled up with Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavirkov in the first period. Seguin went down in pain, could not skate and needed help from multiple teammates and an athletic trainer to get off the ice and more assistance to get down the tunnel to the visiting locker room area at Madison Square Garden.
Gulutzan said the team did not get positive news about Seguin’s knee after it was looked at more closely.
“There’s lots of injuries piling up and lots of games, so we just got to keep moving forward,” Gulutzan said. “There’s lots of guys that their opportunity is born from some of this misfortune. We just have to take that away: It’s next guy up, next guy’s opportunity and run with it. That’s what good teams do is they just keep pushing forward with the players that they have.”
Seguin missed the vast majority of last season after undergoing hip surgery. He returned for the finale and the Stars' playoff run to the Western Conference final. He has been with Dallas since joining in a trade from Boston in 2013.
“I didn’t live it with him last year, but I did talk to our leadership group here and what I did know is just how hard he (worked) and the effort that he put in to come back last year and how diligent he was,” Gulutzan said. “He’s a great leader for us, and he’s a great pro and he’s been a guy, quite frankly, that I’ve been maybe the most impressed with - just his leadership ability when I’ve come in here.”
Nathan Bastian was expected to take Seguin's spot in the lineup Tuesday night at the New Jersey Devils. Long term, the team hopes center Matt Duchene is able to help fill the void once he returns from his injury.
That could come “sooner than later” if Duchene's current progress continues, according to Gulutzan.
“You’re going to have to have other guys step up,” Gulutzan said. “If Duchy comes back, he’s going to have to take some of that. (Mavrik Bourque is) going to get more opportunity. There’s going to be more opportunity for more guys, and then you’re going to see who takes it. So, you’re not really pigeonholing anybody. You’re just seeing who grabs it.”
Cease's $210 million deal with Blue Jays includes $64 million in deferred money payable through 2046
NEW YORK — Dylan Cease will wait until 2046 to receive the final payment from his $210 million, seven-year contract with the American League champion Toronto Blue Jays, which includes $64 million in deferred salaries.
A right-hander who turns 30 on Dec. 28, Cease gets a $23 million signing bonus payable on Jan. 15, according to contract terms obtained by The Associated Press.
Under the deal announced Tuesday, he receives salaries of $22 million next year, $30 million in 2027, $29 million in 2029, $28 million in 2029, $27 million in 2030, $26 million in 2031 and $25 million in 2032.
Toronto's deferred payments are due each Nov. 1 from 2033-46, with $10 million deferred from next year's salary and $9 million annually for the remainder of the contract. Cease gets $5 million payments in 2033 and '34 and $4.5 million each year from 2035-46.
He has a limited no-trade provision allowing him to block being sent without his consent to eight teams.
Deferred money in contracts this offseason will be discounted by 3.87% for luxury tax payrolls, up from 3.7% last offseason, and by 8% for MLB’s regular payroll calculations, down from 9% for the 2024-25 offseason. The players' association has used a 5% discount rate for its figures.
Cease went 8-12 with a 4.55 ERA in 32 starts this year for San Diego, striking out 215 and walking 71 in 168 innings. Cease spent his first five years with the Chicago White Sox, going 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA in 2022 despite leading the major leagues in walks. He finished second in AL Cy Young Award balloting.
He was traded to the Padres in March 2024 and went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA that season, pitching a no-hitter and finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting. Cease is 65-58 with a 3.88 ERA and 1,231 strikeouts in 188 starts over seven big league seasons.
Toronto won the AL East this year for the first time since 2015 and came within two outs of its first World Series title since 1993, losing Game 7 to the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 in 11 innings.
Cease joins a top-notch rotation projected to include Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and José Berríos.
Colorado Rockies hire Josh Byrnes as general manager to turn around franchise
The Colorado Rockies brought in Josh Byrnes from the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers to become their general manager and turn around a floundering franchise.
Byrnes will team again with Paul DePodesta, who was hired Nov. 7 as the Rockies' president of baseball operations. The two joined forces in Cleveland in the 1990s, before DePodesta went to the Oakland Athletics and Byrnes joined the Rockies to work with then-GM Dan O'Dowd.
"I’m incredibly excited to be able to bring Josh into our group,” DePodesta said in a statement Wednesday. “Few executives in baseball share his combination of intellectual curiosity, breadth of experience, and on-field successes. We are extremely fortunate to add him, as he immediately strengthens our entire baseball operation.”
Byrnes joins a team coming off a third straight 100-loss season. He's fresh off winning a World Series with the Dodgers for a second straight season. He also was with the Dodgers when they won in 2020.
The 55-year-old Byrnes takes over for Bill Schmidt, who stepped down after the season and following a long tenure with the team in a variety of roles.
“I’m thrilled to be returning to the Rockies organization, especially at such an exciting time for the future of the franchise,” Byrnes said. “Working alongside Paul again is an incredible opportunity and I’m eager to join him and the rest of the group as we work to bring championship caliber baseball to the Rockies.”
Byrnes knows the NL West well having also been in the front offices with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres. He broke into the business as an advanced scout in Cleveland. Byrnes was with Boston as an assistant GM when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004.
Colorado missed the playoffs for a seventh straight season. The Rockies finished 43-119 this year as they narrowly avoided becoming the team with the worst record since the 162-game schedule started in 1961.
Among the first moves by DePodesta was the promotion of Warren Schaeffer to full-time manager. Schaeffer assumed the role on an interim basis after the Rockies fired Bud Black - the winningest manager in franchise history - in May following a 7-33 start.
Colorado boasts a young nucleus that includes All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. The team also drafted Ethan Holliday with the No. 4 pick last summer. His father, Matt, is Rockies royalty after helping spark 2007's “Rocktober” run that led to the franchise’s only World Series appearance, in which they were swept by Boston.
A chunk of Colorado's payroll is tied up in the contract of often-injured slugger Kris Bryant, who’s played in only 170 big league games since signing a $182 million, seven-year deal before the 2022 season.
Report: White Sox add LHP Anthony Kay with 2-year, $12 million contract
CHICAGO — Anthony Kay is returning to the major leagues, agreeing to a $12 million, two-year contract with the Chicago White Sox.
The deal for the left-hander includes a mutual option for 2028, according to a person who confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because it was pending a physical.
The 30-year-old Kay pitched in Japan for the past two years. He last appeared in a big league game on Oct. 1, 2023, with the New York Mets.
The White Sox finished last in the AL Central this year with a 60-102 record, but that was a 19-game improvement from the previous season. They are hoping to take another step forward in 2026 behind a promising group of young players that includes Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth.
Kay joins a bullpen that had a 4.16 ERA and a major league-high 48 losses this year.
Kay was selected by the Mets in the first round of the 2016 amateur draft out of the University of Connecticut. He is 4-2 with a 5.59 ERA in 44 major league games, also playing for Toronto and the Chicago Cubs.
FanSided.com first reported Kay's contract with the White Sox.
'A lot of slices of pizza left': Where the Lakers stand after 20 games
At about the one-quarter mark of their season, the Lakers sit second in the Western Conference with a 15-5 record. The 61-win pace would be the team's best year since 2008-09, but the Lakers aren’t satisfied yet.
“There's a lot of slices of pizza left in the box that we can still get after,” coach JJ Redick said.
Here are four takeaways from the first 20 games of the season as the Lakers begin a three-game trip Thursday in Toronto:
Read more:Former Laker Elden Campbell, known for his effortless style, dies at 57
Good vibes
Of the things Redick likes most about his team, the first compliments have little to do with the on-court product.
“The guys have bought in,” Redick said. “They get along, and they root for each other, and it's not fake.”
The relationships start from the top as the budding bromance between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves has gone viral enough to warrant fascination even in Slovenia, where a reporter came from to ask Reaves whether he had plans to visit Doncic’s home country. Reaves’ and Doncic’s love-hate relationship has spread to the rest of the team, as center Deandre Ayton uses the playful trash talk from his teammates to get him going before games.
“Just letting me be me,” Ayton said of how his teammates have welcomed him since he signed with the Lakers as a major free-agent acquisition this offseason. “... They used to just talk [trash] to me before the game just to get me riled up and to where I’m riled up myself.”
Redick has preached the importance of a player-led team and empowered his players to connect and communicate with each other on and off the court. Getting to know teammates and coaches through slideshow presentations sounded like a gimmick, but then players including Reaves noted how easy it felt to connect as a group despite having so many new pieces. Redick praised his players’ ability to problem solve in real time, and it shows up in the team’s 6-0 record in games that are within five points in the final five minutes.
Bad turnovers
With the highest scoring duo in the NBA, it’s no surprise the Lakers are one of the best offenses in the league.
Doncic, who will miss Thursday's game for personal reasons, leads the league with 35.3 points per game. Reaves, who is setting himself up for a hefty pay day this offseason, is averaging a career-best 28.1 points and 6.6 assists per game. The Lakers are first in field goal percentage (51.3%) and rank eighth in offensive rating, averaging 118.3 points per 100 possessions.
The most glaring deficiency is turnovers, where the Lakers rank last in turnover percentage (16.2%).
They had 22 turnovers against the Phoenix Suns on Monday, the first game of what should be a revealing stretch of games.
The Lakers weren’t punished for their lackadaisical play during their seven-game winning streak against teams with losing records. But the Suns, who lead the league in steals, had no problem turning Doncic’s full-court prayer passes into transition buckets.
The Toronto Raptors will be an even bigger challenge. The Raptors are fifth in the NBA in defensive rating and third in deflections, ahead of the fourth-ranked Suns.
Middling defense
Players have said that when the Lakers are at their best, it’s because their defense is clicking. Those moments have come only in spurts.
The Lakers are 18th in defensive rating and 24th in opponent effective field goal percentage.
But Redick is encouraged by the team's defensive activity and 17.8 deflections per game, which rank 15th in the league. Last year, the Lakers averaged 15.2 deflections per game. The improvement is the product of key offseason additions such as former defensive player of the year Marcus Smart and the rangy 6-foot-7 Jake LaRavia, but even Doncic has stepped up his defensive game.
Always quietly skilled at getting deflections, Doncic is drawing 0.38 charges per game after averaging just 0.07 last year. The Lakers lead the league with one charge drawn per game.
Trust the process
The Lakers have jumped ahead of many of their Western Conference rivals in the standings despite being without LeBron James for most of the season. Integrating him back will almost result in a new-look team.
Read more:Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves lament their turnover-plagued play in Lakers' loss
James has only played in five games, missing the first 14 games because of sciatica and one more because of left foot injury management. He’s averaging 15.2 points and 7.2 assists, taking a passive role in the offense as he continues to build up his conditioning.
The Lakers’ Big 3 of James, Doncic and Reaves has dazzled in moments. They combined for 99 points in a blowout win over the Clippers, but have only been on the court together for 91 total minutes.
Although Redick is pleased with the team's results after 20 games, he hasn't always been content with the process it took to get there. The coach who harped on building “championship habits” said the Lakers have delivered that standard in just 16 games.
“Within those 16 games, I don't know that we've had a complete game yet,” Redick said. “So that's the North Star: is being able to do what we're supposed to do for an entire game, and we're not there yet.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Blues Recall Another Forward From Springfield
The St. Louis Blues have recalled forward Matt Luff from their Springfield of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old is the latest recall with the Blues (9-11-7), who take on the Boston Bruins (15-13-0) on Thursday, hit by a rash of injuries to their forward group, including Jimmy Snuggerud (wrist), Alexey Toropchenko (leg burns) and Nathan Walker (upper body).
Luff, who signed a one-year, two-way contract for $775,000 NHL/$400,000 AHL, last played in the NHL in 2022-23 with the Detroit Red Wings when he had two goals and two assists in 19 games; Luff has also played for the Los Angeles Kings and Nashville Predators.
Luff has played in 17 games for the Thunderbirds this season and leads them in goals (seven) and points 14. This is his second season in Springfield after appearing in 50 games last season (18 goals, 27 assists).
Luff has appeared in 106 career NHL regular-season games and has 27 points (15 goals, 12 assists). He joins Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, who will make his NHL debut with the Blues on Thursday, but Luff adds an extra layer at forward with the Blues also playing games Saturday against the Ottawa Senators and Sunday against the Montreal Canadiens.
Jordan Binnington Addresses Heated Exchange With Jim Montgomery After Being Pulled -- "Honestly, I’m not even thinking about it. It is what it is"Blues goalie reaffirms not being happy with getting pulled from 4-1 loss to Ducks on Monday, has moved on from incident and says he respects coach making decisions
Injury List Grows For Blues, Walker Joins List Of Walking WoundedNathan Walker sidelined eight weeks with upper-body injury, joining Jimmy Snuggerud, Alexey Toropchenko long-term, Pius Suter on day to day basis
Blues Make Minor Trade, Acquire Forward From KingsClub sends Nikita Alexandrov to Los Angeles in exchange for Akil Thomas in 1-for-1 deal
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Why Jalen Williams cherishes Thunder's matchups vs. Warriors, Steph Curry
Why Jalen Williams cherishes Thunder's matchups vs. Warriors, Steph Curry originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Four years into his NBA career, Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams recognizes the privilege it is to lace them up against the Warriors.
Williams, after all, claims he’s been following Golden State from afar as long as he can remember, including during his collegiate career with Santa Clara, which included a stay at the Santa Cruz Warriors’ KP Arena during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The only thing that’s crazy to me is that you grow up watching those teams,” Williams said.
“Then, years later, you look back. I’m watching them when we were stuck in Santa Cruz for Covid, and just my whole college career, you just watch them.”
After having raised the 2024-25 NBA Championship banner in October, Williams believes the Thunder, who currently boast a league-best 21-1 record, aspire to build out a dynasty like the Warriors once did.
“And now, we’re kind of emulating something that they were doing,” Williams added. “It’s really cool. It’s special. Then, we also get to play some of the players that were on that run. So, you never take it for granted.”
Then, there’s the aspect of playing against a pair of Warriors – and league – legends like Steph Curry and Draymond Green.
“Obviously, Dray and Curry — they’re not going to be playing for that much longer,” Williams concluded. “So, it’s cool to get these opportunities to play them. It’s very surreal.”
Savor the opportunities, Williams.
Struggling Clippers release NBA great Paul
The Los Angeles Clippers have released 12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul following the side's dreadful start to the season.
The Clippers, who have lost 14 of their past 16 matches, announced Paul's departure before their match against the Atlanta Hawks.
Paul, 40, is regarded as one of the best players in NBA history and is competing in his 21st and final season in the league.
"We are parting ways with Chris and he will no longer be with the team," Clippers chief Lawrence Frank told ESPN.
"Chris is a legendary Clipper who has had a historic career. I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our under-performance.
"I accept responsibility for the record we have right now. There are a lot of reasons why we've struggled. We're grateful for the impact Chris has made on the franchise."
In a post on Instagram, Paul confirmed his departure, writing "just found out I'm being sent home".
Paul and Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue had not been on speaking terms for "several weeks" before his departure, according to ESPN.
Paul spent six seasons at the Clippers from 2011 to 2017, before rejoining the franchise on a one-year deal in July.
Paul is second on the NBA all-time list for assists with 12,552, behind John Stockton's 15,806.
He is also second in steals with 2,728, trailing only Stockton's 3,265.
Paul has not won an NBA title, getting to the NBA Finals only once with the Phoenix Suns in 2021, when they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Welcome To The Month Of Sidney Crosby: Penguins Icon Chases Team Record
The month of December has just begun, but it's already shaping up to be an incredible month for one of the most incredible NHL players of all-time – Pittsburgh Penguins icon Sidney Crosby.
For one thing, Crosby is in the race for the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy as the NHL's top goal-scorer. He has 18 goals in 25 games – only four goals behind the leader, Nathan MacKinnon.
He's also keeping the Penguins in the Stanley Cup playoff race, and on Monday, he scored his 299th and 300th goals on the road against the arch-rival Philadelphia Flyers. And he's now ninth in NHL history in game-winning goals, with 102.
But wait, there's more: Crosby now is sixth in NHL history for most wins with a single franchise, tying Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe's 851 wins in the regular season and playoffs. And with 1,716 points, he's eight points shy of overtaking Mario Lemieux for the most points in Penguins franchise history and eighth-most in NHL history.
So this month, Crosby has already reached a road goal milestone and tied Gordie Howe in a stat that reflects longevity and loyalty, and he's likely going to become Pittsburgh's franchise leader in points. That's all while he leads the surprising Penguins, which are still in a playoff spot entering Wednesday's action, stays in the goal-scoring race and approaches the Olympics in Milan, Italy.
Not bad at all for a star player who is now 38. And Crosby's teammates know how astonishing he truly is.
"It shows you what kind of exceptional player and person that he is, to never be satisfied with anything," Pens winger Bryan Rust told The Associated Press regarding Crosby. "Everything he's done at a team level, at an individual level, on and off the ice. It'd be easy to kind of start to pull back the reins a little bit, but I think it's almost like it's almost fuelling him a little bit more to get more and more."
Indeed, he's not pulling back the reins at all. To the contrary.
Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby Closing In On More Penguins HistoryPittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is very close to breaking another franchise record.There's no doubt that Crosby is a shoo-in to captain Team Canada at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics. Nobody else who could be on Team Canada has the kind of success on the international stage as Crosby. All he's done is win two Olympic gold medals, a gold medal at the IIHF World Championship and gold medals at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and last year's 4 Nations Face-Off.
Crosby has always delivered above and beyond anyone's expectations, and if the next Olympics is his last hurrah on the global stage – which, to his credit, may not be the case if he prolongs his career – Crosby is going to be motivated to go out on a high note.
At this stage, he's doing all that's been asked of him and more as he tries valiantly to push the Penguins on what could be his last, best chance to win his fourth Cup – and his first since 2016-17.
As we're going to see once again this month, Crosby will be deserving of every honor he receives. When we talk about him, we're talking about a top-five NHL talent of all-time, and maybe higher. And as Crosby continues racking up the achievements, he'll underscore his special place in hockey history.
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The Clippers’ chaotic unravelling leaves Chris Paul as its most painful casualty
Pull out your Los Angeles Clippers bingo cards. Anyone have the square marked “owner and star player accused of skirting the salary cap through improper means”? Go ahead and stamp that one. How about “losing 14 of 16 after a hopeful 3-2 start”? Mark it. And yes, you can fill in “other star averaging nearly 27 a night at age 36 – including a 50-piece against the Detroit Pistons, one of the league’s best teams”. The box reading “Clippers fans tearing out their hair at alarming rates and contemplating shameful, fairweather defections” is probably safe to cross off, pending review. And after the wee-hours media cycle on Wednesday morning, everyone gets to tick the most dispiriting square of all: “beloved, decorated veteran unceremoniously kicked to the curb in his final season”.
Related: Chris Paul ‘sent home’ by reeling LA Clippers in stunning late-night move
The Clippers had posted a winning record every year since 2010-11, building a reputation as one of the NBA’s most reliable playoff fixtures. Twenty-one games into this young season, that identity has dissolved into something hazy around the edges – and unmistakably sinister.
The decorated vet in question is 40-year-old Chris Paul, who posted via an Instagram story that the Clippers were sending him home from their ongoing road trip. Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, confirmed the news in a statement to ESPN: “We are parting ways with Chris, and he will no longer be a part of the team.” Frank added of Paul, amidst bland platitudes of his status as a Clippers icon, “I want to make one thing very clear. No one is blaming Chris for our underperformance.” Clearly.
Paul joined the Clippers in 2011 and helped launch their long run of winning seasons before departing in 2017. (His eventual trade to Houston brought back seven players, a protected 2018 first-round pick and the better part of a million dollars.) In LA he averaged 18.8 points and 9.8 assists, made three All-NBA first teams and turned the franchise into Lob City with those feathered lobs to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan – finally giving a long-moribund club both identity and excitement. He stole the ball so relentlessly he mangled his own fingers, his gnarled digits earning a feature in the New York Times. People called him the “Point God”. He’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, all while standing just six feet tall. He never won a championship, making only the one NBA Finals appearance with the Phoenix Suns in 2021, but his Clippers years earned him enormous acclaim. Which is why returning in 2025 clearly meant so much – Paul accepted a reserve role for one last season, and the fans embraced the homecoming just as deeply.
The honeymoon didn’t last very long. Time dulls even the sharpest skills, however intact the instincts remain. Paul averaged just over 14 minutes and three points a game in his return. And, according to ESPN’s style-challenged scoop machine Shams Charania, he had been “vocal in holding management, coaches and players accountable, which the team felt became disruptive”, even going weeks without speaking to Tyronn Lue. Was Paul truly so irritating that exile was the only option, or is management flailing for answers amid a grisly run of results? For anyone who thought injury was the only potential snag in this feelgood reunion, consider this a reminder: losing opens every old wound. What began as a heartwarming final-season subplot has now ended abruptly and awkwardly.
It only makes the Clippers – tied with the tragic Sacramento Kings for second-last in the West (thank god for the Pelicans, somehow worse than both) – look even more dysfunctional. Tell a new NBA fan, or an alien, that this team went life and death with Nikola Jokić’s imperious Denver Nuggets in last season’s playoffs and they’d stare back in confusion. Only the 4-17 Indiana Pacers, a game away from the NBA Finals trophy six months ago, have fallen harder. At least they can blame a brutal run of injuries.
As for Paul? His career will remain broadly respected and fondly remembered, this unfortunate final chapter aside. The one lingering regret is the obvious one: the missing championship. Sentiment surely played a role in his decision to return, but so did the chance – however slim – to chase that elusive Larry O’Brien trophy with a team that looked strong last spring. He won’t be winning with the Clippers now. And unless their early-season collapse is some grand basketball mirage, they won’t be winning without him either.