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There’s a beautiful kind of joy that comes from watching a fanbase feel invincible for exactly one quarter.
Rewind to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers are up 22. Donovan Mitchell’s cooking, the crowd at the Garden is booing its own team, and somewhere in Cleveland, ten years of championship famine is doing that thing where it lets itself believe again. You know the feeling. Warriors fans have watched enough other fanbases live inside it to recognize the exact shape of the mirage.
Then the fourth quarter happened, and it happened fast. Up 22 with eight minutes left, the Cavs scored 15 the rest of regulation and folded on the other end while the Knicks picked Kenny Atkinson’s decision to stick with James Harden apart in real time, Harden finishing with more turnovers than made shots for the sixth time that postseason. Cleveland blew the 22, went to overtime tied, scored three points in the extra period, and lost — a franchise-level gut check, live, on national television, in a series they were supposed to at least make competitive. They never did make it competitive after that. New York finished the sweep with a 130-93 blowout, the first time Cleveland had been swept in a playoff series since 2018, when the team doing the sweeping wore blue and gold and had a guy named Curry running the show. Ten years after 3-1 became scripture in that city, Cleveland’s been victimized again by the power of the broom.
But the sweep wasn’t the gut punch. The sweep was just the appetizer, because what came after is the part that actually stayed with me. Here’s where I have to own something. I had zero inside information, no sourcing, nothing but vibes and a decade of watching this league, and I was certain LeBron was landing in Cleveland this summer. It just felt inevitable, the prodigal son, the second act, the fairy tale writing its own ending. Rich Paul was reportedly fielding voice-note pitches from half the league on LeBron’s behalf, with Cleveland on that list alongside Golden State, Miami, and Minnesota, and this wasn’t some distant, theoretical Cleveland pitch either.
Team president Koby Altman and assistant GM Brandon Weems reportedly sat down with Cavs ownership and LeBron’s camp in Akron in early July, his hometown, the actual place where the whole story started, while everyone else in the league was stuck relaying pitches through Rich Paul secondhand. Cleveland got the meeting nobody else got, and they cared enough about landing him that they reportedly held off finalizing James Harden’s new contract until they knew which way LeBron was leaning, betting the structure of their entire offseason on getting a yes.
That’s a team that genuinely thought it had the inside track. He called this one his “last decision,” took real time with it, genuinely weighed retirement, and picked Philadelphia anyway, over the hometown meeting, over the sentimental bookend to eleven seasons and two stints, the most he’s ever spent with one franchise, in favor of a team that had missed the playoffs the year before now built around LeBron, Joel Embiid, and a return trade for Jaylen Brown, chasing a championship window that has absolutely nothing to do with sentiment and everything to do with Mike Gansey deciding high-risk, high-reward was the only lane left. It worked out well for the Sixers. It’s a brutal thing for a franchise to get him in the room in Akron and still watch him walk out of it.
The second gut punch stings more than the first, honestly, because it wasn’t bad luck, it was inertia. While Cleveland waited on LeBron’s decision, they lost Dean Wade and Keon Ellis, their on-ball defense, gone, with nothing lined up to replace it, and there was no pivot to trade Evan Mobley for Giannis while that was reportedly on the table, no pivot to trade Donovan Mitchell for a stack of picks and start over. Instead they extended Mitchell on a deal that already looks shaky, kept an aging Harden who’s now a year further past his prime, and did it all in a conference that got harder while they stood still. One national outlet handed them a D grade for the summer and said it plainly: nobody had a worse offseason than Cleveland, and it wasn’t one bad move that got them there, it was the absence of any move at all.
So here’s where the Cavs actually are. Swept by the team that went on to win it all, thinner than the team that just ran them out of their own building in Game 4. The image that sticks is Akron in early July, Koby Altman and Brandon Weems in a room with LeBron James’s camp and Cavs ownership, the closest thing to a homecoming this franchise has gotten since 2014, everybody in that room aware of what 2016 meant and what it could mean again. And it still wasn’t enough. Cleveland got the one meeting nobody else in the league even got, and the greatest player in franchise history walked out of it and picked somewhere else anyway.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
It’s been a full week since LeBron James announced his decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers instead of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
That doesn’t leave much time for fans to gather their feelings. Still, we asked you earlier this week if James’ decision has negatively changed how you feel about him.
Cavs fans made themselves clear. This one hurt.
Nearly three-fourths of voters answered that James has negatively altered his connection to Cleveland with his decision to join the 76ers. The fans who participated in our poll said that they feel more negative about James now than before.
That’s understandable. No one wants to feel like a second or third option. Cleveland’s been through this feeling before, and it’s never fun.
Most of the fan base had likely made peace with James potentially ending his career in Los Angeles. But it was hard not to feel hopeful that a homecoming was on the table once James announced he was leaving the Lakers. The results of this decision were always going to be disappointing if the answer wasn’t Cleveland.
That said, I’d hope that no one is taking this too far.
James already fulfilled his promise to Cleveland. He’s done so while remaining true to Northeast Ohio through his various donations and community-building events. This isn’t someone who has abandoned his hometown. He just doesn’t want to end his career here.
It’s okay to feel disappointed by that. And it’s okay to feel like this relationship was more one-sided than you thought. Cavs fans were ready to welcome him with open arms, and instead, he’s leaving them hanging once again.
I’d be interested to see how this poll might change in a year. Feelings are as intense as they’ll ever be coming off the heels of the decision. Perhaps time will heal all wounds.
The Cavs certainly aren’t as screwed as they were the last time James burned them with a decision. Cleveland is still 10th in championship odds according to FanDuel and has the advantage of continuity that some other teams in the mix won’t be afforded next season.
Michael Porter Jr. had a career year and he’s due for a big payday. The one-time champion and near All-Star this past season put up a career-high 24.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
As training camp approaches, General Manager Sean Marks faces his most critical financial decision of the offseason: What is the right price tag for a Michael Porter Jr. contract extension?
Entering the final year of his current deal at $40.8 million, Mark Bartelstein and the Nets front office are still figuring things out, and it sounds like he wants to be back. But Brooklyn boasts ample cap flexibility and locking up the high-volume scorer long-term directly impacts future max cap space.
All said: Nets fans want MPJ kept in Brooklyn, but only at the right price.
Is it realistic? Maybe not. He’s already making more than this…
Nets fans voted this past week and offered their thoughts in the comment section.
Thanks to everybody who voted and/or participated.
This is a sponsored post. Check out the latest lines, futures, and player props by visiting FanDuel.
Ohtani.
Freeman.
Mookie.
Yamamoto.
…Kiké?
Legends all. And the Red Sox will be facing the best team in baseball for a weekend. Just over a month ago this was a dreaded series. The Dodgers were going to crush the last place Red Sox like an egg. Until the Sox caught fire. As essentially the hottest team in the game, will the series go differently?
The Dodgers are 69-40 vs the Sox 57-51. There’s a bit of a gap. They’ve scored 562 runs and allowed 402. The Sox, with their elite pitching and defense, have scored 454 and allowed 404. So, you know, they’re hanging around. This will be the biggest challenge for the Sox so far. As it is for essentially the other 29 teams that aren’t the Dodgers.
Ranger Suarez is back for his second start off the IL. The last time back he looked just about as sharp as expected. He was only out for 4.0 innings so expect maybe 5.0 or 6.0 in start number 2. Edgardo Henriquez gets the start as an opener. A righty, he’s actually finished 6 games and started none until Friday. So it’s his first career start. He’s striking out about a batter per inning and has a large platoon split: .348 OPS against righties and .770 against lefties. With Wilyer Abreu’s reverse splits, this could be a fun first inning.
Payton Tolle is entering some uncharted territory in innings these days and might start to have a little bit of a leash to keep that total down a tad. Will it finally be the piggyback with Brayan Bello we keep hearing about? He’s facing one of the best pitchers on the planet in Yamamoto. The Dodgers ace was hit hard a few weeks ago against the Diamondbacks (6 runs, 6.0 innings) but followed that up with a complete game against the Yankees. He’s never faced the Red Sox.
Jake Bennett last pitched in a minor league park with a few thousand fans and now faces the juggernaut Dodgers in a packed house for Sunday Night Baseball. There hasn’t been a challenge he didn’t face well this season. Emmet Sheehan is a Boston College product out of Connecticut. He strikes out out at a good clip (26.3%) but has been hit hard. Opposing batters are slashing .245/.311/.462 against the righty.
The ageless Freddie Freeman leads the league in doubles with 27 and is slashing .301/.379/.485.
Ohtani “only” has 23 home runs this year and has stolen just 6 bases. He’s dealing with some knee soreness so this may be the best weekend to face him.
Mookie is struggling this season and in July. He had a good June but in July has a .584 OPS.
Kyle Tucker looks like a bust so far. Glad the Sox dodged that bullet!
Max Muncy is chugging along at .253/.347/.497 with 21 homers.
Coming off a 3-1 series against the Athletics helps Boston avoid a really bad road trip but this is an elite team and we’ll see how the race to the deadline goes.
Friday, July 31: Ranger Suarez (3.02 ERA / 2.50 FIP) vs. Edgardo Henriquez (2.79 ERA / 3.05 FIP)
Saturday, August 1: Payton Tolle (3,32 ERA / 3.39 is FIP) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.72 ERA / 3.31 FIP)
Sunday, August 2: Jake Bennett (2.74 ERA / 3.28 FIP) vs. Emmet Sheehan (4.95 ERA / 4.41 FIP)
Friday, July 31: 10:10 PM ET on NESN
Saturday, August 1: 9:10 PM ET on NESN
Sunday, August 2: 7:20 PM ET on NBC/Peacock
The Cincinnati Reds will look to keep the good vibes rolling after yesterday’s walk-of win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of this weekend’s four game series in Great American Ball Park.
On paper, the pitching matchup is about as delicious as one can be. Pirates ace Paul Skenes will start for Pittsburgh while Cincinnati will lean on Hunter Greene, who’s seen his name pop up in a litany of trade rumors so far with Monday’s deadline right around the corner.
(For the record, the most recent ‘rumor’ is that the Reds are planning to hold on to him, but who knows if a) that’s credible or b) if that’s merely a bargaining tactic.)
Ke’Bryan Hayes remains on the bench to start, thankfully, as does TJ Friedl. However, that means that Noelvi Marte is still in the lineup despite his struggles, so you get to pick your poison these days when it comes to the banged-up Reds offense.
First pitch is set for an early 6:10 PM ET start. Here’s how both clubs will line up for first pitch:
Let’s cut right to it. Trimming down decades of Knicks basketball to four shooting guards is an agonizing task.
Carving out the floor general Mt. Rushmore incited a few fierce debates. But the 2-guard spot is a whole different bag of beans. In many cases, the shooting guard position is the soul of the franchise. It has never just been about scoring. We are not simply looking at players who plumped up their stat sheets. New York’s history at 2-guard includes a mixture of confidence, erratic shot-making, and gritty defense that carried the emotional weight of the fan base.
Getting the list down to four faces meant leaving some legends off the rock. Even though their careers are worth the praise, they too are left in the viewing area, glancing up at the Knicks’ true shooting guard elite.
Before we get into the mountain, let’s show a little love to the ones that just missed the cut. The basketball historians are going to be furious with me, but neither Richie Guerin nor Carl Braun made our Rushmore.
Leaving Guerin off of the mountain really stings. The franchise’s first true backcourt superstar, he made the All-Star team six straight times and was the first Knick ever to score 50 points in a game. We all remember that 57-point outing in 1959, right? That single-game point total served as the franchise record until Bernard King finally broke it in 1984. The premier scorer of New York’s early days, Braun led the team to three straight finals appearances in the 1950s and earned five All-Star appearances himself.
So why are they both off the mountain?
When you really sit down and look at what makes a modern Knicks legend, it is not just about strong, consistent numbers in an eight-team league. It is all about lasting impact and the iconic playoff moments that define a generation. Most importantly, it is about banners. Guerin and Braun laid the foundation, but the four players on our Mt. Rushmore built the house.
When the Knicks traded for Earl Monroe in 1971, the basketball world was skeptical about the fit. The narrative was that he could not coexist in a backcourt with Walt Frazier. Both possessing an overwhelming amount of flair, they were rivals who both needed the ball in their hands to be effective. Legitimate questions surrounded how two alpha players could both thrive in Red Holzman’s team-first system.
Instead of clashing, the two stars adapted perfectly. They formed the “Rolls Royce Backcourt,” which remains one of the greatest duos in NBA history. Sacrificing a chunk of his individual scoring numbers, Monroe brought a playground style of basketball that completely shifted New York’s dynamic. His elite spin moves and hesitation dribbles haunted defenders and effortlessly opened up the floor for his teammates.
Together with Frazier, Monroe figured the backcourt out and won the 1973 NBA Championship. A two-time All-Star in a Knicks uniform, Monroe is a Hall of Famer whose #15 hangs in the rafters of Madison Square Garden. Without a doubt, “The Pearl” is the undisputed first face on our mountain.
If we are discussing the purest, most visually pleasing jump shots in basketball history, Allan Houston makes the short list with his flawless mechanics. The Knicks’ primary offensive anchor in the late 90s and early 2000s, he consistently carried the scoring load in an era where points were hard to come by.
Sitting fourth all-time in franchise scoring with 11,165 points, Houston only trails Patrick Ewing, Frazier, and Willis Reed. Using that aforementioned silky smooth shot, he is also second in franchise history in made three-pointers. A two-time All-Star with the Knicks, Houston’s consistent effectiveness continued even as the roster around him shifted.
Though his stats are worthy of recognition, they are not what puts Houston’s face on the mountain.
Obviously, it’s the runner in Game 5 against the Heat in 1999. If you were alive at the time, you know exactly where you were when it happened. Even though I was just 10 years old, I can still remember sitting on my living room loveseat, the only person paying attention, and jumping up and down as Houston ran down the court, punching the air in celebration. You know exactly how it felt watching that ball float in the air, bounce off the front of the rim, hit the backboard, and finally fall through the net with 0.8 seconds left.
Without question, it is one of the top three most important shots in Knicks history. It sparked an unfathomable run to the finals and secured Houston’s spot on Rushmore.
This is where we ditch pure stats and lean into culture and unfiltered passion. John Starks does not have the numbers of a Guerin or Bruan. But if this mountain is based on what it actually means to be a Knick (FYI, it is), Starks might be the most important face carved up there.
The origin story itself is legendary. We all know about his bagging groceries, playing in the minor leagues, and going completely undrafted. Literally fighting his way onto the roster, he famously attempted to dunk on Patrick Ewing in practice and injured his knee, keeping the team from cutting him. From that moment on, he transformed into New York’s emotional engine. Consistently playing with a chip on his shoulder, Starks feared no one. Whether it was Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, or anyone else stepping onto the Garden floor, he was up to the challenge.
Of course, we will always have “The Dunk.” It is the ultimate highlight and a play that still gives so many people chills every time it is shown.
Of course, because we are Knicks fans, we must acknowledge the pain. Starks cannot be brought up without mentioning the 2-for-18 shooting performance in Game 7 of the ’94 Finals against Houston. It still stings (maybe not as much after this season). Starks was both deeply flawed and incredibly erratic, but he gave his absolute heart and soul to New York. He lived and died with every possession, just like fans do both in the stands and at home. You cannot write the history of the Knicks franchise without John Starks.
The final spot is where we bring the hammer down on anyone clamoring for us to include the 1950s guys. Dick Barnett possesses the ultimate “ace in the hole” in this debate for one simple reason: rings.
When people reminisce on the golden era of New York basketball, Frazier, Reed and Monroe generally receive most of the historical glory. However, Dick Barnett was a ruthless and high-scoring contributor who served as a crucial piece of both the 1970 and 1973 championship teams.
Averaging close to 16 points per game over his nine seasons with the Knicks, his signature Fall Back Baby” Jumper was close to unguardable. A bizarre mechanical masterpiece, the shot devasted defenses for years. When Reed went down in the 1970s Finals, players like Barnett stepped up and kept the offense going. We simply cannot construct a Knicks shooting guard Mt. Rushmore and leave off a two-time champion whose jersey is retired—the hardware and legacy matter. The debate ends right there.
So, there it is.
We have “The Pearl,” Houston, Starks, and Barnett. It is a Mount Rushmore built on elegance, grit, and hardware.
Now it’s your turn. Who am I disrespecting? Are the historians right to demand Guerin over Starks? Does Barnett really deserve the nod over Braun just because he won two rings? Did I totally miss someone obvious? Let me know where I went wrong below.
While the Golden State Warriors have re-signed Draymond Green as they fill out their roster after losing the LeBron James sweepstakes, Dubs free agent Gary Payton II remains on the market. However, according to a report by Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Payton remains “in consideration for a minimum deal from the Warriors” as the front office is working to fill out the roster, which has three spots remaining. Per Siegel, Payton “shares a level of mutual interest in returning to the Warriors.”
A basketball journeyman for most of his twenties, Payton found his place as a high-energy role player who has the ability to lockdown players on the perimeter. Payton has played with the Warriors for each of the past six seasons (although he did also have a short stint with the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2022-23 season). Despite his long injury history, Payton has been quietly one of the Dubs healthiest role players over the past two seasons.
In 2025-26, Payton averaged 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.9 steals in 15.6 minutes per game across 73 appearances on 58.3%/29.1%/65.0% shooting. For his career, the 33-year-old Payton has averaged 5.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steal in 15.1 minutes per game on 56.4%/32.8%/63.0% shooting.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are back in action against the Cincinnati Reds for the second game of their four-game weekend set at Great American Ball Park.
This game marks the 23rd start of the season for Pirates ace Paul Skenes. He is coming off a tough matchup in his last start on July 25 against the Chicago Cubs. He pitched 5.1 innings, giving up six hits and five earned runs in an 11-0 loss at home. The silver lining from his start is that he struck out 11 batters, so he hopes to bring that same swing-and-miss stuff against the Reds.
This marks Skenes’ third start this season against the Reds. He picked up a win on April 1 on the road when he pitched five innings, giving up three hits and one earned run, but got the no decision on June 26 at home when he pitched five innings, giving up six hits and four earned runs.
Hunter Greene is making his fifth start of the season after missing most of the year with an injury. He lost his last start on July 25 on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals, giving up eight hits and six earned runs in 5.1 innings.
Location: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Paul Skenes (9-9, 3.65 ERA) vs. Hunter Greene (2-2, 7.06 ERA)
BD community, this is your gameday thread for today. Chime off in the comments section below.
Super League: Leigh 8-20 Wigan
Wigan move up to second within two points of Leeds
Wigan once again showed why they should be considered favourites to be crowned Super League champions after emerging from a captivating local derby with Leigh to keep pace with Leeds at the summit.
The National Rugby League is understood to be ready to submit its bid to invest and ultimately take control of Super League in the coming days. If it was watching here, it would have seen a game and a competition with plenty to offer. Just seven miles separate these two clubs, and they produced a spectacle any potential investor would have been engrossed by.
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The Yankees entered this game with 48-percent of their runs scored via the home run, which is third-highest in the majors. The Cubs entered this game with 51-percent of their runs surrendered coming via the home run, which is the highest in the majors. Those two facts plus the soft-tossing lefty Shota Imanaga combined to wake the Yankees bats up just enough, Amed Rosario and Spencer Jones crushing a pair of solo home runs to account for all the scoring in this contest. Will Warren rebounded from his worst start of the season to post his best start of the season en route to a 2-0 win in the opener over the Cubs.
The Yankees struck out ten times in six innings against White Sox starter Sean Burke on Thursday and that swing-and-miss followed them from the South Side to Wrigley. Ben Rice and Rosario struck out in the first, Jasson Domínguez and Anthony Volpe in the second, and Jones in the third as Imanaga retired the first 11 batters he faced. Fortunately, Warren picked a good day for a bounce-back start and was largely able to match Imanaga whiff for whiff. He struck out Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner to end the third, and then punched out Micheal Conforto, Dansby Swanson, and Pete Crow-Armstrong in the third to navigate around a Miguel Amaya double.
Imanaga made it two outs into the fourth before throwing his first mistake, and boy did it travel a long distance. Rosario pounced on a get-me-over 1-0 sweeper and launched it 450 feet just left of center for the game’s opening run. Initially brought back to platoon with Ryan McMahon at third, Rosario has actually been way worse against lefties (75 wRC+) than against righties (133 wRC+), so it was nice to see him finally put a charge into a mistake from a southpaw.
Imanaga made his second mistake in the fifth and that too was sent a long way.
Spencer Jones was handed a rare start against a lefty with Jazz Chisholm Jr. out of the lineup after departing Thursday’s game in the 11th with cramps, which opened a spot in right as José Caballero filled in at second. The 2022 first-round pick repaid that trust by crushing a middle-middle 0-1 sinker from Imanaga on a frozen rope into the seats in right, the ball leaving his bat at 109 mph and traveling 418 feet. It’s his second homer in his last three games and his first in The Show off a lefty.
Jones looks way more like he belongs at this level since his second call-up on June 5th and now has an OPS above .800 in this 27-game stretch.
Warren entered cruise control in the middle innings, retiring 12 consecutive batters, starting with the PCA punchout to end the third. He encountered his first spot of bother in the seventh, yielding back-to-back two-out singles to Alex Bregman and Happ. Despite his pitch count sitting at just 88, it was refreshing to see the urgency from Aaron Boone being proactive and retrieving his starter rather than risk the inning spiraling as is frequently the case when multiple runners reach against Warren. Paul Blackburn came on for the final out and induced a routine grounder from Hoerner that Volpe still almost turned into disaster, his nonchalance on the simple flip to second sailing high and pulling Caballero off the bag.
Umpires initially ruled Happ safe at second to load the bases, but the Yankees’ challenge fortunately overturned the call in a jiffy, ending the inning since Caballero got his foot down just in time.
Warren entered today’s outing with a 6.57 ERA in his previous eight starts with the bulk of his struggles coming when facing lefties, pitching out of the stretch, and facing the lineup for a third time. You worried that with five lefties in the lineup and the second best OBP (.340) in the majors, the Cubs would pose a particular threat for Warren, but he completely switched up his pitch mix today to excellent effect.
Entering today, Warren threw his four-seamer 38.1-percent of the time, sinker 27.6-percent of the time, changeup 10.8-percent of the time, and curveball a measly four-percent of the time. That got turned on its head today, Warren throwing 27-percent changeups, 26-percent four-seamers, 16-percent curveballs, and just eight-percent sinkers. Most encouraging was the uptick in changeups and curveballs, those two pitches the two most platoon-neutral offerings in his arsenal and therefore seemingly the obvious solutions to his struggles against lefties. Imanaga made it two outs into the seventh with just the two runs allowed, more than qualifying for a quality start, but Warren was simply the superior pitcher on the day, departing after 6.2 scoreless innings allowing four hits and no walks with seven strikeouts on 88 pitches.
The Yankees created one final scoring opportunity in the eighth, Jones and pinch-hitter Austin Wells drawing a pair of walks to open the frame. However, Caballero bunted into a force out and Paul Goldschmidt and Rice struck out to strand them in place. Blackburn stayed in for the bottom of the eighth and struck out the side, all on absolutely filthy changeups, while David Bednar navigated around a Pedro Ramírez single to lock down the save and win, 2-0, in the ninth.
Once again, the pitching carried the day for the Yankees, the offense managing just four hits. Nonetheless, it’s just the start the Yankees needed in the final series of the road trip. Max Fried will look to keep the momentum rolling tomorrow night against David Peterson in a battle of southpaws. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 pm ET with the broadcast moving to FOX.
It appears as though the NHL career of former Detroit Red Wings forward Tomas Nosek, who began his professional journey with the franchise, has come to a close.
Nosek has signed with HC Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga. He'll now play in the same city where he was born in 1992 and for the same organization where he began his playing career.
Tomáš Nosek se vrací domů! 🏡
— HC DYNAMO PARDUBICE (@HCPCE) July 31, 2026
Zkušený útočník odešel z Pardubic do NHL v roce 2014. Od té doby nasbíral v nejlepší hokejové lize světa přes 500 startů. V roce 2025 získal Stanley Cup. Nyní se vrací tam, kde to všechno začalo. pic.twitter.com/dDwixfVJ07
Nosek, who was never drafted into the NHL, signed an entry-level contract with the Red Wings in 2014 and began play with the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins.
He would tally 11 goals with 23 assists in 55 games in his first season in Grand Rapids, later adding another two goals and five assists in 12 Calder Cup Playoff games.
He then appeared in 70 games for Grand Rapids the following season, along with getting his first six games of NHL experience with the Red Wings. In 2016-17, he skated in 11 NHL contests, scoring one goal while adding 15 goals and 26 assists in 51 games for the Griffins.
Left unprotected by the Red Wings in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, he was claimed by the Vegas Golden Knights, and would score the very first home goal in regular season history for the franchise against the Arizona Coyotes in October 2017.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Nosek scored four goals with two assists in 17 postseason games that spring, helping Vegas reach the Stanley Cup Final in their inagural season.
Since then, he's played for the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, and Florida Panthers. While with Florida, he won his first career Stanley Cup ring in 2025, registering three assists in 16 postseason games.
Multiple 2025-26 Red Wings Players Remain Without NHL DealsJames van Riemsdyk, Travis Hamonic, and Cam Talbot, all of whom both played for the Detroit Red Wings last season, are still awaiting their next NHL contracts. This past season, injuries limited him to just 21 games.
Nosek has skated in 514 career NHL games, and has tallied 47 goals with 73 assists. He's also added six goals and 11 assists in 68 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
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Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:
For the Orioles:
Let’s talk about it.
Which NBA team Steve Kerr nearly coached instead of Warriors, per Rick Carlisle originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
From the moment he took over as coach in 2014, the Warriors have found nothing but success with Steve Kerr at the helm.
The Warriors won the NBA Finals in three of his first four NBA seasons and made it to the Finals in each of his first five seasons. They instantly became one of the sport’s most important dynasties, but as revealed by Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, there was almost a world where Kerr wasn’t the Warriors’ coach.
When appearing on “The Draymond Green Show,” Carlisle shared that he advised Kerr to consider the Golden State job seriously rather than signing on with the New York Knicks.
“I said, ‘What’s going on with the Knicks? I keep hearing you’re going to take the job, but it hasn’t happened yet,'” Carlisle told Green of his conversation with Kerr. “He said, ‘Well, they don’t — they don’t want to do the fourth year.’ Now, this was when it was this was a different regime, and they were they were were quabbling over the fourth year.
“And I said, ‘Steve, do you have any idea how much money that the Madison Square Garden operation has with Cable Vision and all that?’ … He goes, ‘Well, there’s — I don’t know — some reasons.’ I said, ‘I’ve heard your name with Golden State a little bit. … That is a conference finals team, like right now. If you want to go to a team ready to win, that’s the place you should go if you can.'”
While Kerr might have just wanted a listening ear, Carlisle’s pep talk motivated him to head to Golden State, with the Pacers coach revealing that he took the Warriors job two days later.
As for the Knicks, they ended up going through head coaches seemingly every other year after hiring Derek Fisher that same cycle. They ended up going through three head coaches from 2014-19 before finally finding some stability with Tom Thibodeau.
We will never know if Kerr would have been the steady hand for the Knicks had they not balked on the fourth year, but Warriors fans certainly will be grateful for New York’s negotiating blunder.
New York Giants fans won't be seeing as much of running back Cam Skattebo's acrobatics this year – at least in training camp.
Skattebo told reporters at Giants training camp on Friday, July 31 that he's going to stop attempting backflips off of the field for now. His signature celebration became a hot topic earlier in July after a video of a failed backflip attempt – just months removed from a severe ankle injury – went viral.
"Obviously, I do some dumb things here and there," Skattebo said. "But I learn from it. My coach talked to me, told me how he felt, and I learned from it. Will I go do that backflip again? Probably not. We live and we learn, and we move on."