Sep 10, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; General view of the helmet used by the Milwaukee Brewers before the start of the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. The trade deadline is officially in the rearview, and we’re now less than two months from the end of the regular season. The Brewers are trying to fend off a comeback in the NL Central from the Cubs while also maintaining their status with the top record in baseball, as they became the first team to 70 wins earlier this week.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 4: Luis Arraez #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on prior to the game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on August 4, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Alumni Weekend at Citizens Bank Park. The Blue Jays are in town, and a familiar face will be joining the Wall of Fame.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 06: Yohel Pozo #79 of the Baltimore Orioles hits a solo home run in the third inning during a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 6, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Friday, Camden Chatters. The weekend has arrived! Are we still scoreboard watching? If so, after the Orioles lost yesterday they fell to one game out the final Wild Card spot. And the team that has that last spot just happens to be the team the Orioles are playing this weekend. The Texas Rangers.
The Orioles and Rangers faced each other in the second series of the season. The Rangers won two out of three that time. Not ideal.
This time, if the Orioles lose two out of three, they’ll find themselves two games behind the Rangers. If they get swept, it’ll be four games behind and that, frankly, will be all she wrote. If they somehow take two of three, they will leave Texas tied with the Rangers. So it’s a pretty big series. And if they survive this one, they are off to Minnesota to face the team that is currently a half-game ahead of them in the WC race. And that’s to say nothing of the Guardians, who are also a half-game up on the Orioles.
So they’re in it, for now. But the problem, as I see it, is this: they can’t hit. They’re just so bad at hitting! If you take a glance at the team’s Baseball Reference page, there are four players on the top section with an OPS+ over 100, which is league average. They are Pete Alonso, Samuel Basallo, Adley Rutschman, and Taylor Ward. Uh…get well soon, Samuel! Also, Blaze Alexander while we’re at it.
In yesterday’s game, the Orioles were facing Ryan Johnson, a starter with an ERA over 7 and they couldn’t do anything with him. In the first five innings, they have five walks, three hits, and a HBP. But they also hit into two double plays and had a runner caught stealing. Their only runs scored came on a home run from Yohel Pozo. So good for him!
Even in their two wins over the Angels, one of the worst teams in baseball, they struggled to score runs. On Tuesday they scored just three runs in a game started by Grayson Rodriguez, and on Wednesday they were clinging to a one-run lead until an unlikely Leody Taveras home run.
Well, this turned into a downer. They should hire me to be their hitting coach so I can tell them to be better hitters.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have seven Orioles birthday buddies. That’s a lot! Gerónimo Gil is 51 years old today. Gil spent five seasons with the Orioles, 2001-05. He spent that time as a backup catcher, except in 2002 when he got into 125 games.
Also born on this day in history are former Orioles Wade LeBlanc (42), Jason Grimsley (59), Tex Nelson (b. 1936, d. 2011), Don Larsen (b. 1929, d. 2020), Art Houtteman (b. 1927, d. 2003), and Bob Alexander (b. 1922, d. 1993).
On this day in 1964, the Orioles defeated the Yankees 2-0. Steve Barber pitched 6.2 shutout innings and Harvey Haddix finished the game. Brooks Robinson had an RBI single and Jerry Adair hit a home run.
In 1998, the Orioles pounded the Twins 16-9. Brady Anderson had five hits with two doubles and two home runs. Harold Baines and Cal Ripken also homered. Starter Scott Erickson was knocked out after four innings and seven runs, but that’s ok in this instance.
In 2016, Manny Machado hit three home runs in his first three at-bats in a 10-2 Orioles win over the White Sox. He had three more chances to hit four homers, but went hitless for the rest of the game. He had seven RBI.
In 2019, in the midst of a 14-2 loss to the Yankees, Chris Davis and Brandon Hyde got into a fight in the dugout. It was the most exciting thing that happened for the Orioles in the game.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 5: David Robinson attends the game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs during Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 5, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
On Thursday, Spurs legend David Robinson turned 61. That’s also 39 years since he moved to San Antonio. Nearly four decades in The Alamo City. Robinson was originally drafted in 1987 as the first overall pick, but because of his active-duty commitment to the United States Navy, he did not suit up until the 1989-1990 season.
Over his illustrious career, The Admiral accrued many awards starting in 1990 with the NBA Rookie of the Year. He was the league’s rebounding leader (1991), blocks leader (1992), and scoring champion (1994) on his way to picking up the 1995 NBA Most Valuable Player award. He also picked up Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1992, just one of five players to all-time to receive MVP and DPOY during his career.
Robinson is one of nine players to ever score more than 70 points. His 71-point game came on April 24, 1994.
Robinson is also one of four players in recorded NBA history to capture the elusive quadruple-double, tallying 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 blocks on February 17, 1994.
The Admiral displayed the greatest humility in 1997 as he relinquished his leadership of the San Antonio Spurs to Tim Duncan. Together they brought in the Spurs first championship in 1999. Robinson continued to hand the baton until 2003, when the Spurs next generation was poised to take over.
Robinson had the rare distinction of going out on top. In 2003, he played his final NBA game. It was Game 6 of the NBA Finals, and the Spurs won their second title. The game took place on Father’s Day, June 15, and he walked off the court for the last time with a trophy by his side.
In addition to his NBA accolades, Robinson was a member of the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team” and won two gold medals, the second coming in 1996.
Since retiring, Robinson has continued to make San Antonio his home. He’s been an ambassador, a philanthropist, and a leader in educational pursuits. He can be seen dining at local restaurants, hosting events, and making appearances throughout the city. He remains a fixture at Spurs games. He’s had seats in the second row for years, but during the 2026 postseason, he moved around and sat with other former members of the Spurs as they made their first Finals run in a dozen years.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 19: David Robinson and Tim Duncan attends a game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the San Antonio Spurs during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Robinson help set the tone for Spurs Culture. He brought a grandness and composure to the team, the city, and the sport. And he is the ever present reminder that the Spurs stand tall and have class.
Happy belated birthday, Big Dave.
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DETROIT, MI - JUNE 07: Parker Meadows #22 of the Detroit Tigers holds a bag of Giants brand sunflower seeds in the dugout during the game against the Chicago Cubs at Comerica Park on June 7, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. The Cubs defeated the Tigers 6-1. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
You’ll be relieved to know that these 2026 Giants are still 4 games off the pace of the 100-loss 1985 Giants. Will that have any bearing on this weekend’s series against the Detroit Tigers aka The Team That Just Traded The Best Pitcher In The World To The Los Angeles Dodgers?
Well, if they’re swept, it will prevent them from winning their 50th game. Haha, what am I thinking? They’d have to win the series to get to that mark. That seems like a stretch!
For as much as the Tigers signaled they’re punting on 2026 with their deadline deal of Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers (2.9 fWAR) and Casey Mize (3.0) to the Padres, it’s worth pointing out that their pitching remains solid, along with their lineup. They’re now led by Framber Valdez, who’s having a rough transition to a new team this season (1.3 fWAR in 120.1 IP) but shutout the Mariners for 7 innings just last night. The Giants will miss him, but they won’t avoid the two other valuable starters: 25-year olds Keider Montero (a righty; 2.2 fWAR) and 25 Troy Melton (a lefty; 1.2).
But what you really want to pay attention to is that lineup. They’ve got a 27-year old catcher named Dillon Dingler and he seems to have stolen the crown of thumping catcher from Big Dumper Cal Raleigh by Dinglering 25 dingers so far this season. He also leads the Tigers in value (5.4 fWAR). He’s a very Giantsy player, too, with a line of .275/.339/.529 and a walk rate of just 6.1%. They’ve also got 21-year old Kevin McGonigle, who just hits and hits and hits and hits (.282/.388/.422 in 495 PA). Riley Greene (.458 slug), Spencer Torkelson (20 dinlgers), and Gleyber Torres round out a solid core that will almost certainly frustrate the Giants’ prospects in training.
The big news on Detroit’s side will be the season debut of flamethrower Jackson Jobe, who will step onto a major league mound for the first time in 14 months following Tommy John surgery. The former first rounder (#3 overall in the 2021 draft) last pitched in May. The 23-year old will almost certainly be on a pitch count.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. The Tigers are 14-16 in interleague (-4 run diff.) and 26-32 on the road (+37); but, after an awful month of May (6-22), they’ve been the fourth-best team in the sport with a record of 34-21. The Giants are 25-31 over the same span. They’re just 12-21 in interleague (-15 run diff.). They’re also 26-27 at home (-14). They’ll be throwing the best of what’s left of their rotation at the best of what’s left of the Tigers’ rotation and I think, you know, it seems like a pretty lopsided matchup.
Series Overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (48-67) vs. Detroit Tigers (56-59) Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California When: Friday at 7:15pm PT, Saturday at 4:15pm PT, Sunday at 1:05pm PT National broadcasts: Fox TV (Saturday)
Projected starters Friday: Keider Montero (RHP 8-6, 3.17 ERA) vs. TBD Saturday: Jackson Jobe (RHP season debut) vs. Landen Roupp (RHP 7-10, 4.34 ERA) Sunday: Troy Melton (LHP 7-1, 1.58 ERA) vs. Logan Webb (RHP 7-7, 3.74 ERA)
Out of all the players participating in Cleveland Browns training camp this offseason, Denzel Boston has certainly received the most excitement from both local and national media members. Between his physical tools and playmaking abilities, expectations are soaring for him going into the 2026 season. But is the conversation surrounding him warranted?
Already in camp, he has shown he excels at winning contested catches and creating mismatches against the defensive backs. Media members who have watched him every day at training camp have been astonished by how hard it has been for the defense to cover him.
A quick smattering of the hype surrounding Boston, via social media:
Friend at Browns practice today said watching Denzel Boston was a religious experience
🔸Denzel Boston 🔸Rookie WR Denzel Boston 🔸Browns’ second-round draft pick Denzel Boston 🔸No. 12 for the Browns, the wideout 🔸Boston, the kid from Washington 🔸that big rookie receiver, Boston 🔸Denzel Boston
As exciting as it is to see a young player with such promise so early on in training camp, solid reps in camp are not the same as production in an actual game. It’s important to manage expectations because his impact as a receiver will depend on how a number of factors play out during the season. The uncertainty at quarterback and with the offensive line will have a significant impact on the offense as a whole, including the level of production Boston is ultimately able to generate. For now, cautious optimism is the most reasonable approach.
Let me know what you think in the comments – Has Denzel Boston earned all the hype, or is it being exaggerated?
This article was their idea. Perhaps the best idea I’ve had during my time with The Dream Shake was to solicit the comments section for article ideas. I’ll be using a few of your suggestions.
Stros (can I call you Stros?) suggested a piece on how badly the Rockets might miss Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. This is a modified version of that idea. Why? Because this Dream Shaker doesn’t really miss Green:
But he badly misses Brooks.
Rockets (may have?) missed Brooks last year
It’s a bit difficult to make the statistical argument that the Rockets missed Brooks last year.
In 2024-25, they had a 110.3 Defensive Rating, which was fifth in the NBA. Last season, they were 112.1, which was sixth.
That’s not an entirely inconsequential differential, but it’s not a gulf either. Besides, it’s hard to make the causal link directly to Brooks. His absence was likely a variable (more on that later), but who can say for sure?
Per CleaningTheGlass, each of the Rockets’ top-5 lineups in 2024-25 featured Brooks. That could be something – except four of them featured Jalen Green as well (although, for what it’s worth, the best one did not).
Per databalllr, the Rockets were +4.2 when Brooks was on, and +7.6 when he was off. That’s no help.
Are we sure Brooks even made the Rockets better?
Brooks’ impact was intangible
Brooks is your prototypical “the stats don’t capture his impact” guy.
It’s an issue when you’re routinely tasked with guarding the other team’s best player. The numbers will say you’re not a good defender, because the league’s best players can’t be defended. If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drops 40 on Brooks, he would have dropped 48 on a lesser man on the same night, and nobody cares.
Which may explain why Amen Thompson’s Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM) dropped from 2.6 in 2024-25 to 1.0 last season. In Brooks’ absence, he was responsible for guarding star players far more often:
What, you thought Kevin Durant would do it?
When Thompson is guarding the SGAs of the world, he’s less available to play passing lanes and hunt weakside blocks. He’s at his best when he can operate as a free safety. Hopefully, the addition of Marcus Smart will lessen some of his on-ball defensive burden in 2026-27.
That’s just one way that Brooks was an adhesive for this team. After years of watching P.J. Tucker and Trevor Ariza camp out in the corner like they were waiting for Wrestlemania tickets, it was almost jarring to watch Brooks’ forray into shot creation. Yet, that multiplicity of skills was part of his value. Brooks’ ability to function as a “break in case of emergency” bucket getter had extra value when he was such a strong three-and-D wing otherwise.
Finally, there’s the “je ne sais quoi”. In 2024-25, Brooks, Ime Udoka, and Fred VanVleet were a three-headed monster. VanVleet actualized Udoka’s vision of low-risk, low-reward offense that only works (?) if you defend harder and play meaner than everyone else. Brooks actualized the defending harder and playing meaner part.
Again, there’s hope that Smart can fill that void. It should be noted that Brooks has changed since leaving Houston. During his last season with the Rockets, he averaged 14.0 points per game while shooting 39.7% from three-point land. Last year with the Suns, he hit a career-high 20.2 points per game, but the shooting slipped to 34.4%. He just signed an extension with a $24.3 million Average Annual Value (AAV), which is probably too much money for Dillon Brooks.
The Rockets miss the old Dillon Brooks, straight from the go Dillon Brooks, etc.
Unless you think he’s a viable 20-a-night guy. From this vantage point, that looks like something a team whose first-round picks it would be nice to own in 2027 and 2029. Perhaps Brooks is still helping the Rockets, along with Green.
But as a 14-point scorer, three-and-D, occasional creator, spiritual leader? Brooks was worth his weight in gold:
With most of the major free agency moves completed and with the NBA draft well in the rearview mirror, here are the USA TODY Sports NBA offseason power rankings:
The defending-champion Knicks stayed mostly pat though they did lose Mitchell Robinson, but it nonetheless remains that everyone is looking to catch them. The biggest movers here, however, are undoubtedly the Sixers, who overhauled their roster after those Knicks swept them in the conference semifinals; Jaylen Brown and LeBron James suddenly give the Sixers one of the most stacked starting lineups in the league. Now, can they stay healthy?
One interesting team in this group is the Timberwolves, who clearly understood that Anthony Edwards would need more help with shot creation and ball handling. Out are Julius Randle and Naz Reid and in comes LaMello Ball in what could be the biggest feast or famine move of the offseason. And then there’s the Lakers, who lost James and went all-in on Walker Kessler. These moves are all about building around Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, but the new pieces may need time to jell. Even then, it’s not immediately clear if Los Angeles actually improved.
While the Heat did nab the best available player and a genuine Top 5 talent in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo, this is still a roster that has some flaws; Miami should shine defensively but shooting and shot creation remain an issue. For the most part, people appear to be sleeping on the Pacers, who may have very well won the 2025 NBA Finals had star point guard Tyrese Haliburton not ruptured his Achilles tendon early in Game 7. Haliburton will be back and Ivica Zubac shores up Indiana’s presence down low.
The Jazz are another interesting team and now we can see the fruits of their tank job. Adding Darryn Peterson with the No. 2 pick and last year’s trade acquisition Jaren Jackson Jr. having an offseason to settle in makes Utah a top candidate to see the biggest win improvement next season. And the Bulls could also be quiet contenders, after adding No. 4 overall rookie Caleb Wilson and Norman Powell and hiring Tiago Splitter as head coach.
The big question here is about the Warriors and their decision to run it back. Jimmy Butler appears likely to start the season sidelined, and Golden State essentially doubled down on this build. Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg should be a nice player, but this aging, injury-prone team may once again struggle to get out of the play-in. The Wizards are another team that appears to be on the ascent, but questions remain about Trae Young and Anthony Davis and how their veteran presence will fit with this young team that just landed No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa.
ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 14: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jake Livanavage (57) in his first NHL game where the St. Louis Blues hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday April 14th, 2026, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis MO (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
PensBurgh’s 2026 edition of the Top 25 Under 25 countdown rolls on with a lottery ticket defenseman that joined the organization at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Defenseman Jake Livanavage was one of the more sought after undrafted free agents that was available late last season, and the Penguins were able to snag him after he completed his collegiate career at North Dakota. It never hurts to take fliers on talented players that may have snuck through the cracks, and Livanavage certainly has the skill and production to be a potential diamond in the rough.
The undrafted free agent path has a wide range of potential outcomes, and while it’s rare for one of these guys to become a top-line or top-pairing player, you can still find some good value if you get lucky and bring the player along correctly.
Livanavage was always a worthy gamble for the Penguins.
Not only because you can never have too many defensemen in your organization, but also because the Penguins have a serious long-term need on the left side of their defense.
When it comes to the NHL roster, their left-side remains one of the bigger weaknesses on the roster, with only Sam Girard, free agent acquisition Declan Carlile, Ilya Solovyov and veteran Ryan Graves possessing a left-handed shot. Trevor van Riemsdyk is capable of playing on the left side, but it’s his offside as a right-handed shot. It’s not exactly a deep depth chart, and that remains true when you get down into the farm system.
Owen Pickering plays on the left side, but his development has hit a bit of a plateau for the time being. Tomas Galvas possesses a left-shot, but he was just drafted this past year and has never played a game in North America. He’s probably a ways off.
What I’m trying to say here is that when Livanavage was looking for a potential pathway toward the NHL, he probably saw an opportunity here that could get him into the show a little faster.
Not only as the Penguins attempt to find younger talent anywhere they can, but also because the depth chart lines up well with a potential opportunity for a young, talented player.
He comes to the Penguins with a reputation of being a strong two-way defender that is a capable defender in his own end, while also possessing the skating and puck skills to contribute offensively. He recorded at least 25 points in each of his three full seasons at North Dakota
If there is a knock on him at this point, it’s the same problem that has existed with a lot of Penguins players, and especially defensemen, over the years — size and strength. Livanage said back at the Penguins prospect development camp that his goal this summer has been to get bigger and stronger, and that he has put on 15 pounds this offseason.
“This summer it’s just been getting bigger and stronger — being able to play against men,” Livanavage said. “Coming out and working as hard as I can, being ready for a training camp from the first day. I feel good right now. Super excited to get going.”
Shortly after signing, Livanavage had an opportunity to play one game for the Penguins, logging more than 25 minutes of ice-time in their meaningless regular season finale. He took some lumps in that game, but that was also probably to be expected given the circumstances.
While he will almost certainly have a chance to make the opening night roster, especially given the state of the depth chart on the left side, he seems destined to start the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. But that does not mean he will not be in Pittsburgh at some point, even for a limited look. Keep in mind the Penguins used 15 different defenseman a year ago, 13 the year before, and nine the year before that. They will probably be somewhere in that same range this season. People will get hurt. People will get traded. Some people will not be as good as you hope or will struggle. There are going to be opportunities.
The Penguins are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to trying to find young talent. They have made 25 draft picks over the past three years, including nine in the first two-rounds of those drafts. As of now they have 23 draft picks over the next three years, including 10 in the first two rounds. That is a lot of picks, and a lot of higher picks. They have also been trying to trade for players in their early-to-mid-20s in the hopes that they break out and take big steps in their development after getting to Pittsburgh. Those are the expected paths for finding talent. Every once in a while, though, you can find a player that contributes in the undrafted free agent ranks. Livanavage has a long way to go before he becomes one of those players, but he is certainly one of the more interesting undrafted free agent signings they have made in recent seasons.
"I still don't know," Bellinger jokingly told USA TODAY Sports last month.
While Williamsport's exact location may still escape Bellinger, the memories haven’t. Nearly two decades later, the 2026 MLB All-Star Game MVP can still vividly recall what he considers the "100%" no-questions-asked most fun summer of his life before turning pro.
To reach Williamsport, Bellinger and his team defeated Hawaii 8-1 in the championship game of the West Region Tournament in San Bernardino, California. It marked just the second time that Chandler National had sent a team to the Little League World Series.
"It was just so fun. It’s a lot of baseball to get there," Bellinger said. "... San Bernardino was cool because that was one of the nicest fields and we had a new dorm set up. That was our first time living together. I thought that was really fun. Then we got to Williamsport.
"It's just a sleepover with your boys for however long you’re there."
Cody Bellinger at the Little League World Series
The significance of reaching the Little League World Series hit Bellinger — who was coached by his dad, two-time World Series champion Clay Bellinger — almost immediately. He said it came in the first inning of Chandler’s opener against Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic representative, at Howard J. Lamade Stadium, when he paused in the outfield and had a "holy crap" realization that he made it to Williamsport, where over 10,000 fans packed the grandstands of one of baseball’s historic ballparks on top of the 30,000-plus around the berm.
"I was in center field and I looked behind me and the whole berm was filled with people. I was like, 'This is actually crazy,'" Bellinger said. "And then later that night we ended up going on the ESPN Baseball Tonight set and had a microphone on my face. The whole thing was just wild."
Bellinger hit the ground running in that opener against Maryland, as he went 4-for-5 at the plate with three runs and three RBI, two of which came on an opposite-field two-run homer.
"I was really nervous my first at-bat," Bellinger recalled. "I ended up hitting a single, which was really nice."
Chandler would finish 2-1 in Pool B play on the United States side of the bracket, with wins coming against the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Bellinger would hit .400 overall in the tournament to go along with six runs scored, two extra-base hits and three runs driven in.
The Little League World Series experience
While in Williamsport, those who compete in the tournament are the town's celebrities for their entire stay, as spectators who flock from all over to the small Western Pennsylvania town ask players for photos and autographs.
However, Bellinger said that with the tournament keeping the players "secluded" from the general public during their stay, it was what took place inside The Grove, the players' village, that made it an "unbelievable experience" for him.
Take, for example, the ping-pong games against Chinese Taipei and Canada, the latter of whom Bellinger and his teammates shared the dorms with in The Grove. And don’t forget the food in the cafeteria, a vivid memory Bellinger still has today.
"(Just) remember the food room being filled with a bunch of kids from different parts of the world," Bellinger said. "Then the playroom … there was ping pong and arcade games. And on top of all that, just being in the dorm with the whole team and watching ESPN and seeing your highlights of the game. It was just unreal."
The trip to Williamsport marked one of Bellinger’s final Little League experiences, as Chandler National split into two teams and the future MLB star moved on to club baseball the following summer.
"I was sick about it because I really thought that we would’ve went back (the next year) but they split us up,” Bellinger said. "I don’t even think I ended up playing Little League that next year just because.
"... That literally was my last Little League experience."
Bellinger said it wasn't until their loss to Georgia in the semifinals of the United States bracket that the two-time World Series champion fully understood the magnitude of the Little League World Series.
"We were devastated. (In) tears," Bellinger said. "Think just as a kid, we were just having so much fun. Baseball was just added fun."
For the 200-plus players that have advanced to Williamsport this season and will experience the LLWS in its fullest over the next few weeks, Bellinger’s advice is simple — and one that he included in a video for the Chandler National Team a few weeks back.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You're with your boys for two weeks, having a sleepover, eating together, playing together. At the end of the day, you want to win, but priority number one is enjoy (it). That's it," Bellinger said. "You might not go back, and it's such a fun experience."
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PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 11: Josh Harrison #5 of the Pittsburgh Pirates has a laugh against the Washington Nationals at PNC Park on July 11, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates will be bringing back and honoring a former Bucco All-Star, as Josh Harrison is set to officially retire as a Pirate.
Harrison was visiting PNC Park in June for the first time since he was there as a visiting player with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023. In the swirl of emotions and interactions, it was one conversation with owner and chairman Bob Nutting that sparked this reunion for Harrison. Despite not playing for the Pirates since 2018, Nutting made it a point to express his fondness of “JHay” and the time he spent in Pittsburgh.
“Throughout his career, Josh Harrison embodied what it means to be a Pittsburgh Pirate: a gritty, hardworking player, a great teammate and a kind person who was always gracious with his time. He was and remains a cherished member of our organization,” Nutting said. “Josh is incredibly deserving of this celebration, and we look forward to honoring him alongside his family and friends in front of our fans at PNC Park.”
Harrison expressed that while he never thought about it seriously, he was excited at the opportunity to retire with the team that he became a star with.
“It’s not anything I thought much about,” Harrison said. “It’s easy when someone plays for one team their whole career. I played for six. But I know when people talk about my body of work, mostly the Pirates come to mind. “I was never gonna say, ‘Let me retire a Pirate.’ But it’s always cool when it happens naturally and organically. That’s how I wanted it to be.”
JHay said his conversation with Nutting was surprising but was one that he was excited was happening.
“Bob said the Pirates wanted to bring me and my family back and have me retire as a Pirate,” Harrison said. “I was excited. I thought it was pretty cool. “I don’t know how those things work, but when Bob mentioned it, I thought, ‘Oh, yeah. We can definitely make something happen.’”
At this point in his life he Harrison also has the opportunity to bring his family back to the city where he started his major league career.
“The city means a lot to us,” Harrison said. “It’s our home away from home. I had some of my better years in Pittsburgh and grew a lot. That’s where me and my family started. For it to come full circle is really special.”
During his career as a member of the Pirates, Harrison became one of the most electrifying players in baseball. While in Pittsburgh he was named to two All-Star teams and collected 773 hits while hitting .277 with 73 home runs and 91 stolen bases. He had a breakout season in 2014 when he finished second in the NL batting title race with a career high .315 batting average. That season he had 13 home runs and snagged 18 stolen bases. In 2017 as a member of the Pirates, he also represented Team USA at the World Baseball classic when the team won Gold.
2x All-Star 2014 Heart and Hustle Award winner Beloved Bucco 𝐏𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫.
JHay will officially retire as a Pirate on Friday with a corresponding press conference, before being honored on Saturday with a pre-game ceremony, a game-time first pitch and the first 20,000 fans at PNC Park will receive a commemorative T-shirt as a part of the weekend’s celebrations.
Harrison was a key part of the Pirates’ post season run from 2013-2015 and was undoubtedly one of the most exciting Pirates of the 21st century. Very few had the talent that he had to play at five different positions at any given time, while also being one of the most elusive baserunners in baseball. He enjoyed the most success in his career in Pittsburgh and it’s only fitting that Harrison officially retires with the Pirates.
“As a player, you don’t sit there and think about your numbers or what you meant to a city,” Harrison said. “I just kind of lived in the moment.” “But it’s cool to be acknowledged that way. I was just in the right place at the right time with those guys. Pittsburgh gave me an opportunity. I’ll always be a Pirate.”
Not a ton happened in this one until the fifth inning. Altoona and Erie combined for just four hits over as many innings. Zyhir Hope turned one of those into an out with his rocket arm in the first, but it was mostly boring until the extra-base hits started flowing.
A leadoff hit for Altoona, but Zyhir Hope gets to the ball quickly and throws a strike to second base to get the out. pic.twitter.com/5FRF9Ux2GY
The Curve struck first, knocking Andrew Sears out of the game with a two-out double. Dariel Fregio took over, and things got worse fast. An RBI single, wild pitch and home run made it 4-0, setting up Sears for the loss. Fregio gave up another homer to start the sixth, pushing Erie’s deficit to five runs.
The SeaWolves got in the board in an exciting way in the bottom half of the inning, though. Hope hit his first home run following the Skubal trade, and it is some easy power. He flicked his bat out for something low and away, and took it for a ride to left-center. His pull-side homers are going to be even more impressive shows of strength.
Zyhir Hope’s first hit in the Tigers farm system is a two-run HR. No. 24 on the year.
Josue Briceno didn’t want people to forget he’s also a big power threat, so he went back-to-back with Hope, crushing a hung slider into oblivion. These are the future middle-of-the-order bats in Detroit, and those homers are two easy reasons to get excited. Briceno was on track to get to Detroit just after Max Clark, but he was slowed down by injury. Hope should be on an accelerated track to join Clark and Riley Greene in the outfield next year.
Unfortunately, the rest of the game was not as fun to watch. Marco Jimenez took over on the mound in the seventh and promptly gave up a solo homer. After an out, the next four batters reached, making it 9-3 in favor of Altoona, and a two-out single brought the Curve into double digits. Sigh. Jimenez does get a bit of a pass since he’s still figuring things out after an injury.
Trevin Michael stopped the bleeding, getting the final out of the seventh and pitching through the eighth. Erie loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth, scoring on an error, but Altoona traded a sixth run for a double play and that was that.
Tanner Kohlepp went 1-2-3 in the ninth, but Erie’s offense only offered a two-out single in the final frame.
Hope: 1-4, HR (1), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
Briceno: 1-2, HR (7), 2 R, RBI, 2 BB
Sears (L, 2-2): 4.2 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday. Altoona leads the series, 2-1.
Fort Wayne TinCaps 3, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 (box)
Fort Wayne and West Michigan combined for just six hits on the day, and the longball was the difference in this one.
The Whitecaps had just one hit. Beau Ankeney doubled in the second; it was nearly a home run but just caught the top of the wall padding to stay in the park. He ended the inning stranded on third. Only two other batters reached base—Woody Hadeen and Luke Shliger—both on walks.
Beau Ankeney rips the ball high off the wall in left – it might have been a home run, but it’s called a double. pic.twitter.com/CyLZyCeXio
It’s a shame because Lucas Elissalt was putting together a pretty nice start. His heater was up to 95 mph and hitters were late on it. His breaking ball might have been even better, drawing plenty of swing-and-miss. Elissalt finished the day with 13 whiffs, the third-most across High-A today.
Lamar King Jr. homered off Elissalt with a man on base in the fifth, giving him the loss, but it was still a good outing with no walks and six strikeouts. Joe Miller got the final three frames. His lone blemish was a solo homer in the seventh.
West Michigan had trouble putting anything together against Fort Wayne’s Carson Montgomery. He only struck out three over six innings, but he also only allowed one hit for a quality start. Carlos Medina was sharp out of the bullpen, going three perfect innings with six strikeouts.
The DSL Tigers 2 squad crushed the DSL Rockies on Thursday, outscoring their opponents 9-0 after giving up a leadoff homer in the first.
Besides the home run, Albert Ramos as sharp for five innings. He worked around three more hits and two walks, striking out three batters before turning things over to the bullpen.
The offense got Ramos the lead back right away, with Eduardo Tusen reaching on an error and Manuel Bolivar hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. That’s Bolivar’s seventh of the year, so the $2.3 million international signing bonus is working out well so far. I’d like to see him stateside sooner rather than later, though.
Tusen was another member of Detroit’s international signing class this year, so it’s good to see him producing immediately at the top of the order.
Wagnel Luna tripled in the second, bringing home Jeiker Gudino. Tusen singled in Luna and later scored on a balk. Actually, it was two balks. The DSL is wild, man.
Diego Orro knocked in Jonathan Moya in the third, and Tusen doubled in two more runs in the fifth. Bolivar made it 9-1 right after with his fourth hit of the day.
Edgar Leon closed out the final two innings. He gave up a leadoff single and two walks but got the job done just fine.
Bolivar: 4-4, HR (7), R, 3 RBI
Tusen: 2-4, 2B (16), 3 R, 4 RBI, K
Albert Ramos: 5.0 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HR
Coming Up Next: Both DSL Tigers teams are in action on Friday. The No. 1 club is on the road against the DSL Angels, and the No. 2 team is on the road agaisnt the DSL Phillies.
Basketball: NBA Finals: Boston Celtics Bill Russell (6) in action, rebound vs Los Angeles Lakers. Game 7. Boston, MA 4/18/1962 CREDIT: Walter Iooss Jr. (Photo by Walter Iooss Jr. /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X8418 )
NBA history spans 80 seasons, and as CelticsBlog readers well know, the Boston Celtics have won a league-high 18 championships. This month, we are recapping each of those title years.
If the Boston Celtics were ever going to have their championship streak broken, 1962 was the year. Playing just two playoff rounds doesn’t sound too demanding, until you look at the details.
First, you play your biggest rival, led by a 7-foot-1 behemoth who averaged a 50-piece during the regular season. Also, a brawl breaks out in Game 5. In the second series, you face a superstar duo that averages 70 points per game. One of those two stars hits you with a Finals-record scoring performance. Both series go to Game 7, and both of those are in doubt until the final buzzer.
Was it too easy to win a title back then? Doesn’t seem like it.
<p>Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics takes the hook shot over Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors. <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">(Photo by TPLP/Getty Images)</span></p> | Getty Images
The regular season
The schedule was increased from 79 to 80 games, which gave the Celtics a chance to win an extra game. So they did, compiling a 60-20 record, the best in league history to that point. They built a 23-3 record during the first two months and closed the season winning 13 of their last 15.
Bill Russell earned his second straight Most Valuable Player award and third overall, but again was second team All-NBA behind Wilt Chamberlain. The Dipper certainly had the stats, scoring an astounding 50.4 points per game and pulling down 25.7 rebounds nightly. Free-throw shooting was normally his Achilles heel, but this season he made career highs of 10.4 makes on 17.0 attempts for 61.3%. Chamberlain even averaged 48.5 minutes per game, with the extra .5 coming from overtime periods.
For the Celtics, Bill Sharman had retired but Sam Jones was more than ready to take his place. Sam’s minutes and production had increased each season, and in this fifth year of his career he averaged 18.4 points and was named an All-Star. In the postseason, Sam rose to 20.6 ppg.
Filling Sharman’s roster spot, Auerbach signed Carl Braun, a 6-foot-5 veteran guard and five-time all-star who’d been with the New York Knicks for 12 seasons and made the Finals just once. Braun played sparingly but was reliable and filled a need. This type of player acquisition was a habit for Auerbach, with good results.
Eastern playoffs
By winning the Eastern Division for the sixth consecutive season, Boston had its sixth straight first-round bye before meeting the rival Warriors. The series schedule alternated between each city, and as common back then, the home team prevailed each time. The Celtics won blowouts in Games 1 and 3 while the Warriors grabbed close wins in Games 2 and 4. The crucial Game 5 was set for Boston Garden.
The Warriors weren’t intimidated, and the result was several pushing matches, and a few punches thrown during the 48 minutes. The two main bouts were Chamberlain vs. Sam Jones and burly Celtics forward Jim Loscutoff vs. 6-foot Guy Rodgers. In both cases, the smaller man defended himself by swinging a photographer’s stool. Tommy Heinsohn ended up the only player ejected. No one was suspended. Most importantly, in the end, the Celtics won by 15.
<p>Celtics guard Sam Jones grabs a stool to ward off Warrior Wilt Chamberlain during a fourth-period skirmish in Game 5 of the Eastern finals. An iconic photo that captures the heated Boston-Philly rivalry. (Photo by Paul Connell/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)</p> | Boston Globe via Getty Images
The inevitable Game 7 was in Boston and was tense and close all the way, but the key lesson was if you’re facing a player who averages 50 points, it’s good to have Bill Russell. The MVP held Chamberlain to only 22 points for the game, while scoring 19 himself, including five straight free throws during crunch time. Both big men tallied 22 rebounds. With one second remaining, Sam Jones buried a tie-breaking jumper from the top of the key. The Celtics were back in the Finals for the sixth straight year.
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NBA Finals
For the first time since moving from woodsy Minnesota to glitzy Los Angeles, the Lakers made it to the Finals. Their 70 PPG duo was forward-guard tandem Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, still today two of the greatest the NBA has seen. The Lakers were actually in the Garden to witness the dramatic ending of the Eastern Final. They had arrived early, anticipating Finals Game 1 would happen in Boston. They had no way to know that the ending of their own series would be even more nerve-wracking.
Game 1 in Boston went to the home team when the Celtics outscored LA 66-42 in quarters two and three. The Lakers regrouped and took Game 2 by seven points, aided by a large free-throw advantage, 37 of 42 compared to Boston’s 16 of 28.
One you’d like to have back
The series shifted to Los Angeles, and the Lakers got a Hollywood ending as Jerry West lived up to his Mr. Clutch nickname.
Game 4 was a must-win for the Celtics, and they held the Lakers to their lowest total of the series, 115-103. Now tied 2-2 and going home for Game 5, the Celtics felt back in control.
They weren’t. Baylor walked into Boston Garden and delivered a superhuman 61-point Finals-record performance. He shot 22 of 46 from the floor and 17 of 19 at the line with 22 rebounds. Lakers 126, Celtics 121.
Down 3-2 and faced with a do-or-die situation on the road, Sam Jones demonstrated again that his time had come. Sam buried 17 of 27 shots for a game-high 35 points and Boston evened the series, 119-105. The Celtics had displayed grit and will honed by four championships. The Lakers had let their best chance slip away.
Game 7 was excruciatingly close – tied after the first, third and fourth quarters, and with 13 lead changes over the entire contest.
Turning point
Sam Jones scored just two points in the first half of Game 7, but he poured in 20 during the second half and five more in OT. The Celtics wouldn’t have won in 1962 without Sam’s heroics, and he became well-known for always delivering in crunch time.
It was almost over when…
Game 7, tie score, last possession of regulation, the championship on the line. In your driveway and in your dreams, the shot always goes in, but not for LA’s Frank Selvy here.
If that shot had gone in, all of NBA history would’ve been drastically changed. No eight-peat, Lakers would have the most titles now, Russell wouldn’t be 10-0 in Game 7s, and more. Instead, the Celtics survived and won in overtime.
The heroes we needed
Russell scored 30 points (including 14 of 17 free throws) and tied his own Finals record by grabbing 40 rebounds while playing all 53 minutes of Game 7.
Three Celtics had fouled out trying to stop Baylor, so in OT Red turned to little-used Gene Guarilia. The 6-foot-5 forward in his third season played only 6 minutes in the entire series, but he was just scrappy enough to force the tiring Baylor into a couple of misses. Guarilia also snagged an offensive rebound and assisted on a Russell dunk.
Playing on an injured leg, Frank Ramsey still managed to score 23 vital points, including 15 of 16 free throws. Ramsey was always known as a crafty veteran.
The final score was 110-107, with Bob Cousy tricky-dribbling and zigzagging across the court to run out the clock. Banner #5 was secured.
Notable facts and stats
The Celtics became the first NBA team to win four consecutive titles.
Russell played 338 of 341 minutes in the series. He led the Celtics in scoring at 22.9 per game, and rebounding, averaging 27.0, while adding 5.7 assists per game.
Baylor averaged 40.6 points and 17.9 rebounds across the seven games. West added 31.1 points per game.
Banner Years continues Monday with a review of the 1962-63 season and the road to winning Banner #6.
BROOKLYN, NY - FEBRUARY 24: Kyrie Irving #11 and Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on February 24, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA recently found itself arguing with a medical journal, and the league office doesn’t usually bother punching down at a sample size of nineteen unless something in the findings stings.
The paper, published late last month in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, examined nineteen NBA players who ruptured an Achilles tendon over the past decade and found that in the ten to fifteen games before the tendon gave, they were logging more minutes than their norm: twenty-nine a night against a season baseline of twenty-seven and a half. The league’s director of sports medicine answered with methodological objections and an internal review that found no such relationship. The authors, to their credit, had listed their own limitations first. Nineteen players. No control group. No causal claims. Patterns “temporally associated” with injury, and nothing more.
The detail worth keeping is quieter than the fight. The injured players’ seasons were ordinary by the measures available: career-normal playing time and career-normal distance. The clearest pattern appeared in the short window before the rupture. Which raises a possibility the paper is careful not to promise: sudden changes in work may matter differently than season-long volume.
That pattern felt uncomfortably familiar in Dallas, where February has been writing Kyrie Irving’s story since the night it delivered him here, and where the story’s fifth chapter already has a time stamp.
What the minutes can prove
Before anyone reaches for a pitchfork, the honest part has to come first. Tearing the Achilles and the ACL are two very different injuries.
In 2017, researchers examined 83 NBA players who tore an ACL across three decades. The players had logged an average of 17.1 minutes in the games in which they were injured, compared with a season average of 23.5. That comparison carries an obvious limitation: a torn ACL tends to end the night. Even so, the narrow finding is worth respecting. Three decades of NBA knees do not support the simplest fatigue story, the one in which a ligament usually gives way only after an unusually heavy night.
The tear itself resists a clean explanation. The research finds firmer ground on the other side of it, where the question becomes what shapes the player who comes back.
A 2025 study followed sixty-seven NBA players through twenty years of ACL tears. Eleven never made it back; those players skewed older and were more likely to have suffered injuries involving more than one ligament. Among the fifty-six who returned, age at the time of injury and greater minutes played before surgery were associated with a larger decline in player efficiency rating. The returners lost about three points of PER while matched healthy controls lost almost nothing, and lower post-return efficiency was associated with less favorable salary movement.
The minutes cannot convict Dallas of the tear. They still belong in the prognosis.
Dallas could not change Irving’s age. It did choose his minutes. But those minutes make sense only inside the relationship that preceded them, one in which Irving kept becoming whatever the franchise needed. By February 2025, as every other plan collapsed, Irving’s willingness to put on a cape and save the season had become a doomed campaign’s last bit of infrastructure.
February 2023: The discount
The Februarys started long before the tear. Dallas traded for Irving on February 6, 2023, sending Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and two seconds to Brooklyn, a price widely read at the time as below market for a player of his gifts. The discount was the risk. He arrived carrying everything the previous few years had attached to him, and that first partial season ended with no playoffs and a partnership still looking for its rhythm.
Sitting in the nosebleeds for Irving’s first Dallas home game, yours truly. Looking at the names in the Mavs box score for that game makes it feel like forever ago. Christian Wood; “people forget about Frank”; and two minutes of JaVale freakin’ McGee.
The incredible fourth-quarter comeback was a sight to behold. Irving spearheaded it with 24 of his team-high 36, only to see a backcourt miscommunication cost the Mavs a chance at a miracle win. The game of hot potato signified two stars, both willing to defer, and, in retrospect, may have been a sign of the great chemistry that was about to develop.
February 2024: The proof
The backcourt rhythm between Dončić and Irving began the 2023-2024 season at a solid level but kicked into high gear in February of 2024. Exactly one year after the trade became official, Irving returned to Brooklyn and scored 36. Dallas went 8-2 in the ten February games he played, with Irving averaging 27.7 points and shooting 55.4 percent from the field. That month offered the first sustained glimpse of the team that would reach the Finals.
2024 showed us how Irving has always been deployed best: as one of the finest championship-level second options the game has ever seen. The backbreaker against stretched-thin defenses. The secondary creator. The closer who entered the fourth quarter with his best fastballs saved for when the game was on the line. We saw all of it that year, and what felt like the beginning of several contending seasons became, tragically, a one-off memory sealed in amber by the inexplicable act that followed.
For the five weeks after Christmas, the carrying job was Irving’s. He missed five games of it himself in early January, first with an illness, then with what the team listed as a lumbar sprain, and returned on January 14 to the same assignment: holding the team together while the franchise player rehabbed and relief was supposedly coming. Then the first weekend of February, Nico Harrison traded the rehabbing franchise player for Anthony Davis, a thirty-one-year-old with an injury file, in a window Harrison insisted existed to win now. The reunion with his friend and backcourt mate, the one Irving had spent a month propping the season up for, never came. What arrived instead was three quarters of his replacement.
Davis debuted February 8, left late in the third quarter with what was later diagnosed as a left adductor strain, and the win-now roster was suddenly a thirty-two-year-old point guard and whatever was left standing.
Sacramento, it turns out, was present at both ends of this.
Run his final ten healthy games through the Achilles paper’s method, borrowed here as vocabulary and nothing more, with the injury game removed from his season baseline just as the paper removed it. That cohort ran about a minute and a half over its norm before rupture. Irving’s baseline was 36.6 minutes; his final ten healthy games came in at 39.3. A jump of 2.7, at 32, with fourteen NBA seasons on the odometer.
The changing job showed even more clearly on February 12. Forty minutes, roughly a third of the team’s possessions, and not a single assist, the night a point guard completed his conversion into a scoring appliance.
Davis returned March 24, three weeks after Irving’s knee gave out while giving all he could to keep the season’s pulse.
February 2026: The accidental mercy of a lost season
One year later, February delivered the opposite order.
So the franchise’s last two Februarys read as a matched set. On February 10, 2025, Dallas wrung 43 minutes and 46 seconds out of him in an overtime loss. On February 18, 2026, it announced that it would ask him for none. The man who spent him and the man he was spent for were both gone before he could possibly have suited up.
Hold the two Februarys next to each other. Desperation overclocked him. A lost season protected him. Neither posture began with the knee. Both began with what the franchise needed.
And by accident, the lost season may be the kindest thing this organization ever did for him. He had reconstruction surgery on March 26, 2025; by the time the regular season opens he will be nearly nineteen months removed from it, in his second postoperative season by the calendar. The research on NBA comebacks puts the average return at about a year, then half a season of availability, then something resembling the old self in year two. The second postoperative season is the point at which one NBA cohort’s average efficiency had recovered to its preinjury level. That is encouraging context, not a promise. His first season back will still be his first season back.
Two things about his time here can be true at once. When Dallas traded for him, the fear was what he would do to a locker room. That fear inverted so completely it became the best thing about him, and anyone who watched the 2024 Finals run knows it. It kept inverting through the lost season. Dallas Sports Journal reported watching him run footwork drills and post sessions with Cooper Flagg in practice while injured. Flagg told ESPN that Irving “stepped in as a great vet for me” during the stretches of a 26-56 rookie season that shook him. Irving’s review of the kid: “He’s chasing history.”
The more immediate answer will be written in his minutes, his back-to-backs, and how often a young offense makes him the emergency exit. For the fifth February in a row, the month will force Dallas to declare what it needs from him. Whether Ujiri and Schmitz fill the blank with a trade, a protected role, or another emergency will tell you whether the new regime learned anything from the Februarys it inherited.
Irving is the last headliner from the last Dallas team anyone fully believed in.
Orthopedists use a questionnaire built around joint awareness after ACL reconstruction. Its ideal is a knee that recedes from consciousness. The feeling of being on autopilot. An afterthought, merely part of the intended athletic motion.
All season, the league will be noticing. The minutes. The back-to-backs. The first hard plant in traffic in a January game that does not matter.
Five seasons, five Februarys
There is a reason this calendar frame feels personal.
My first long-form piece asked readers to savor the season back in 2022, no matter how it unfolded. Kyrie Irving arrived less than four months later. Four Februarys into this role, every one has become a Kyrie chapter. The fifth is already waiting on the calendar.
And, if we are honest, the redemption arc setup was likely the only door through which he could have arrived in Dallas blue. Without the Brooklyn COVID-era drama, there is no trade, certainly not at that price. Dallas has rarely been the city top-tier stars choose in July. It became the city that answered the phone that February in 2023.
I do not know whether he will be a Maverick past February 11, and anything beyond speculation would be dishonest. What I know is what this season offers: a new front office, a new coach, a young roster worth being curious about, and the possibility that basketball in Dallas may feel exploratory, riveting, and fun again. Somewhere inside it is a thirty-four-year-old guard on a rebuilt knee, approaching the fifth February of a ballad that has given this franchise everything it asked for.
Four Februarys asked something different of Kyrie Irving: arrive under suspicion, prove the wager, carry the wreckage, accept the shutdown. He answered each one.
The fifth February will give Irving and the Dallas Mavericks the chance to decide how they can best help each other…one more time.
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