ARLINGTON, TX - JULY 16: Jose Ramirez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians takes the field during introductions prior to the 94th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Globe Life Field on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Guardians took game 2 from the Yankees last night after the Guards offense got Garrit Cole for 3 home runs, the only home runs Cole has allowed this season. Nick has the recap.
After taking the series from the Yankees in the Bronx, it is the perfect time to remind everyone to VOTE GUARDS. Yes, All-Star Voting is already here with the Midsummer Classic fast approaching. The Guardians are 9 games above .500 and there are multiple Guardians that are more than deserving to go. You can vote 5 times a day, per email here.
Luke Hill, who was recently promoted to AA Akron RubberDucks, was named the Guardians hottest hitting prospect by MLB. In his short time with the RubberDucks, Hill hit a double for his first AA RBI.
— Akron RubberDucks (@AkronRubberDuck) June 3, 2026
Around the League
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, Christopher Sánchez had his historic streak come to a close last night. After pitching 50 and 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, the lefty gave up a game tying hit to the Padres. Sánchez takes the honor of the fifth-longest single-season streak since 1893.
The Angels gave up a home run on just about the closest thing to a double doink you can see in baseball.
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 2: Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred speaks with Richard L. Monfort, Owner/Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Rockies on the field ahead of the National League Wild Card game between the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between MLB and the Major League Player’s Association (MLBPA) that governs the business of the league as a whole is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2026 season. As always, this means that both sides have started angling to increase their slice of the pie that is the overall profits of the sport.
Both sides have exchanged their initial proposals for changes, the first official public steps towards hammering out what the next CBA will include. Most, if not all, of these proposed changes will not make it through negotiations to the final agreement in their current form.
They do, however, give us a sense of the types of changes that each side is seeking. This affords an opportunity to assess how those types of proposals would potentially impact the Rockies if a watered-down version of them does make it to the final agreement.
Creating a hard salary cap of $245.3 million per team.
Creating a hard salary floor of $171.2 million per team.
Committing to the idea that the exact value of the salary cap and floor will encompass a 50-50 split of league baseball revenue between players and ownership as that changes over time. Notably, MLB’s exact definition of “baseball revenue” is vague.
If this hard cap and floor were in place in 2026, nine teams would be forced to shed payroll to get under the cap. From the NL West, this would include the San Diego Padres ($9 million) and the Los Angeles Dodgers ($163 million). On the flip side, twelve teams would need to increase player payroll to get over the floor including the Rockies, who would need to increase their payroll by roughly $31 million.
While player payroll is not the Dodgers only advantage, the sheer amount that they would need to cut would unavoidably reduce their ability to paper over mistakes or build roster redundancy at the level they currently can. There would still be a gulf between them and the Rockies in terms of player development, talent evaluation, and attractiveness to free agents, but it would be foolhardy to say that a salary cap and floor wouldn’t somewhat reduce the differences between the two organizations.
Team revenues
Creating a centralized fund for all local media revenue to be distributed evenly between all teams.
This essentially means that teams would share money that comes in from TV and radio deals. Depending on the specifics of what exactly qualifies for this, it could be a massive overhaul to the overall revenue structures for all teams. Smaller market clubs would suddenly get a huge influx of money that they did not previously have access to.
Under this proposal, the factors that would differentiate spending capacity between clubs would be ticket sales, merchandise, and whatever other commercial interests they have (such as ballpark-adjacent real estate like the Rockies have with McGregor Square).
The Rockies, who have had historically good attendance despite comparatively non-valuable media rights, would theoretically see some of the largest benefits from this change of any team in the league.
The MLBPA's proposal maintains the game's current financial structure with significant changes. The revenue-sharing proposal aims to increase money given to lower-revenue teams but forces them to direct that money to the major league team. Many more dollars going to players, too.
If we pool the clauses with similar goals in mind together, we can think through the potential impact on the Rockies specifically.
Team salaries
Raising the existing Competitive Balance Tax threshold from $244 million up to $300 million.
Removing all existing non-financial penalties (such as draft pick forfeiture) for surpassing the CBT threshold.
Creating a Competitive Integrity Tax that would penalize teams that did not spend at least $150 million on player payroll.
This likely would not change the status quo for the Rockies as a franchise. In seven of the past nine seasons, their payroll would have fit between these two bands as far as the league calculates taxable payroll. It’s a similar story for every other non-Dodgers team in the division. It is possible that teams like the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks would spend a bit more if the tax threshold were increased, but not enough to fundamentally change the competitive dynamics of the division.
Minimum player salaries
Increasing the minimum player salary (currently $775,000) in installments starting at $1.5 million in 2027 and up to $2.2 million in 2031.
On paper, this seems like it would impact teams in the middle of a rebuild more than others (because they lean on pre-arbitration and marginal free agents). But looking through the payroll breakdowns of the NL West this season, that doesn’t appear to actually be true.
So far in 2026, the Rockies have nine players slated to make less than this proposed new minimum salary. If this were in effect, they’d be on the hook for something north of $6 million more in payroll this season without any further promotions or signings. As it turns out, that’s a smaller increase than every other team in the division other than the Diamondbacks, who currently have five such players.
This would be a big deal for the individual players, but does not seem to have specific competitive implications for the Rockies.
The Draft
Increasing the size of the draft lottery to include the first eight picks instead of just the top six.
This would marginally increase the chance that the Rockies would end up in the draft lottery in back-to-back years and thus be forced to pick outside the top ten regardless of their record the following season, as has happened for this coming draft. It could have some small effect on the front office’s attempts to plan their next competitive window but only marginally.
Pre-Arbitration
Expanding the Prospect Promotion Incentive. Currently, draft picks after the first round are awarded to teams that have eligible players who either win the Rookie of the Year or finish top 3 in Cy Young or MVP voting. In the expanded proposal, picks after rounds two and three of the draft would also be awarded to teams with eligible players that earned lower finishes in any of those three awards voting.
Increasing the pre-arbitration bonus pool from $50 million to $180 million to be awarded to the top 125 pre-arbitration players that have not signed long-term extensions.
Introducing automatic annual increases to the pre-arbitration bonus pool.
All MLB teams contribute equally to the pre-arbitration bonus pool, and thus the players are not paid directly by the team they play for. This would have no effect on the Rockies other than more of their good young players getting financially rewarded for their performance.
The expansion of the Prospect Promotion Incentive, however, could directly impact a team like the Rockies that will be looking to begin building a new core in the coming years via graduates from their farm system. Decreasing the awards voting bar required for a team to earn additional draft picks from rookie performances would incentivize more aggressive callups for teams looking to inject even more talent into their minor leagues.
Arbitration
Making player salaries from arbitration guaranteed. This would mean teams could no longer get out of paying a salary for a player that they lost the arbitration case for just by releasing him.
Introducing a minimum arbitration tender of $3 million.
Doubling the pool of “Super 2” arbitration players from 22% of those with more than two but less than three years of service time up to 44%.
Providing a one-time increase of 20% to pre-existing arbitration salaries (with a maximum of $2 million).
Similar to the minimum salary increase, this would have relatively large implications for overall league payroll, but the distribution of that increase per team is not heavily connected to their market size or competitive window.
For example, comparing the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates, one would assume the bigger-market team that always fields a winning roster would rely less on arbitration-eligible players. In fact, however, the 2026 Yankees have 11 players that were arbitration eligible this past offseason whereas the Pirates only have four.
This isn’t likely to impact the Rockies more or less than any other team.
Free Agency
Granting free agency to players that are at least age thirty once they reach five years of service time instead of the standard six.
Eliminating the qualifying offer. Teams would still receive draft picks upon losing a free agent but would no longer forfeit draft picks when signing players.
Creating a system in which teams that receive revenue sharing would be awarded draft picks for signing players at high salaries.
This section is one that could specifically benefit the Rockies, who are a revenue sharing recipient but historically have been able to spend more than most of the other teams with that designation. This combination means that the Rockies would be one of the very best-positioned teams to take advantage of a system in which spending on an occasional high-priced free agent could also net them a draft pick.
The elimination of the qualifying offer would further increase the Rockies ability to spend on free agents as they would not need to worry about losing draft picks that are especially valuable to small and mid-market teams. That being said, the same would be the case for all other teams and would not specifically benefit the Rockies much more than others.
Conclusions
It is worth reiterating that these initial proposals will not be agreed to. The league and the union will continue negotiating, making counter proposals, and publicly vying for support throughout the season and offseason. We likely will not know what portions of these proposals the sides really care about until the threat of potentially losing games in 2027 comes near. Once the two sides reach an eventual agreement, we’ll need to assess it on its own merits.
That being said, even looking through these drastic initial proposals, the thing that stuck out to me most is just how little they would practically affect an individual team like the Rockies in terms of their competitive aspirations or the fan viewing experience. The Rockies biggest problems have always been of their own making and not a factor of institutional disadvantages.
Whether the next CBA favors the players or the owners more, the Rockies fate will largely come down to how well they identify and develop talent (just like always) with potentially a small boost from the new ecosystem… assuming they are astute enough to navigate it well.
This was a wild one that went in to the tenth inning and saw the two teams combining for 28 hits, 14 walks, seven stolen bases, and five home runs.
The largest contributors to those totals on the Isotopes side were Adael Amador who was on base four times, Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) and Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) who both had two hits including driving in the go ahead and insurance runs, and Nic Kent who had three hits including a home run. Even more impressive, however, was Andrew Knizner who had a monster game in which he collected four hits, two of which were home runs. All told, it was a good night if you like offense.
On the flipside, defense was the difference in this one. Four separate Yard Goats committed an error leading to three unearned runs, without which the game would have been tied heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Each of Connor Capel, Aidan Longwell, and GJ Hill hit home runs which provided the bulk of the offense for Hartford. On the mound Connor Staine started and went four innings in which the only runs he gave up were accounted for amongst the unearned total. Davison Palermo relieved Staine and had the only clearly poor pitching performance of the night in the form of four earned runs in just a single inning pitched.
A relatively low scoring affair that was won when the Hops scored their third run in the top of the fourth, it just took a few more innings for anyone to know it. Bryson Hammer was the starter and allowed those three runs on the back of six hits and four walks but was otherwise solid through five innings. Justin Loer took over for him in the sixth and pitched three scoreless innings.
The lineup, with their nine hits and a walk, had plenty of baserunners but failed to drive them in leaving nine stranded. Both Tommy Hopfe and Jack O’Dowd had two hits, and Robert Calaz (No. 6 PuRP) hit a triple, but Max Belyeu (No. 15 PuRP) had the best offensive performance of the night in the form of three hits including two doubles.
It’s no secret that Kyle Karros has struggled at the plate to start his major league career. Thomas Harding talks to Karros and Warren Schaeffer about his early struggles and how he’s starting to see results. Between Karros’ insistence in this piece that his problems stemmed from not relaxing enough and his pre-season plan of maintaining the approach that he’d had success with in the minors, a picture of Karros as both confident and a bit stubborn may be beginning to emerge.
In comparison, Kevin Henry’s recent piece detailing Ezequiel Tovar’s struggles to start the season show a different response to failure. In the piece Tovar goes into the frustration with his performance and the constant process of making adjustments to identified issues regardless of how the results are playing out on the field.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 3: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs guards Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks during the game during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3, 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
The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 on the road, stealing home-court advantage from the Wemboys.
In yet another Burner Classic, Jalen Brunson’s clutch chops pushed the Knicks to victory on Wednesday, while Josh Hart’s Energizer Bunny tendencies and an inspired Karl-Anthony Towns did the rest to give the Knicks faithfulness what they deserved and waited for a damn 27 years.
The Spurs still had Victor Wembanyama, who finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks, but could only shoot 6-for-21 while committing six turnovers in a day to forget for the French.
For anyone monitoring the Finals from the betting side, FanDuel flipped the favorite to win the chip after New York’s Game 1 win, and is now listing the Knicks at -134 and the Spurs at +114 odds.
With one game in the books, here’s our ranking of every player eligible to play in the 2026 NBA Finals.
1. Victor Wembanyama, C, Spurs
Wembanyama remains the best player in the series, even after a Game 1 that looked more human than alien. The size alone is all he needs to be the best at a sport in which taller usually means better…
2. Jalen Brunson, PG, Knicks
…unless your surname is Brunson. JB is the reason this Knicks era stopped being a perennial exercise in nostalgia and turned New York into a Finals contender. Brunson needed 31 shots to get to his 30-point outing, but he still gave the Knicks enough to pull off another late-game comeback.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Knicks
Towns gives the Knicks size, spacing and secondary playmaking in a way we had not seen before CJ McCollum inspired him. KAT’s 18 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in Game 1 showed the full package.
4. OG Anunoby, F, Knicks
Anunoby is New York’s most important defensive wing and a supremely underrated offensive player. His 17 points and three made threes in Game 1 reinforced his two-way value.
5. Stephon Castle, G, Spurs
Castle has become San Antonio’s most important player outside of “veteran” De’Aaron Fox, while probably already more talented than the latter. His 17 points and eight rebounds in Game 1 fit his larger playoff rise in his first postseason run.
6. Mikal Bridges, F, Knicks
Bridges gives the Knicks durability, defense and secondary scoring. He does not need a huge box score to matter.
7. De’Aaron Fox, PG, Spurs
Fox gives San Antonio speed and a grown voice with creative chops—when healthy. His seven-point Game 1 was not enough, but his ceiling keeps him high in the list as long as he can stay on the court.
8. Devin Vassell, G/F, Spurs
Vassell is vital because San Antonio needs his spacing and wing defense. The Spurs need more than his 1-for-6 Game 1 shooting from deep.
9. Josh Hart, G/F, Knicks
I guess it’s easier to describe what Hart isn’t than what Hart is, isn’t it? Corny description: Hart is the Heart of the Knicks and its chaos engine. He had one of his greatest games—even scoring just three points—in Game 1, getting 15 rebounds, six assists and four steals.
10. Dylan Harper, G, Spurs
Harper already looks like a trusted bench scorer and he’s barely getting started in the L. His 16 points and eight rebounds in Game 1 made him San Antonio’s best reserve.
11. Miles McBride, G, Knicks
McBride gives the Knicks defense, shooting and low-mistake guard minutes on the best bargain deal you could imagine. His four assists and zero turnovers in Game 1 helped the effort.
12. Julian Champagnie, F, Spurs
Champagnie has become one of San Antonio’s steadiest role players and a maddening one for opponents because he can unload a flurry of three the minute you give him a millimeter. His 16 points, 10 rebounds, and five threes in Game 1 proved the point.
13. Mitchell Robinson, C, Knicks
Robinson gives New York rebounding, size and rim pressure behind Towns. His free throws remain terrifying, but his physicality matters and it looks like his hand isn’t impacting his play that much. Here’s hoping!
14. Landry Shamet, G, Knicks
Shamet has become a trusted shooting piece for New York and has enjoyed quite a renaissance this postseason. His 13 points and three threes in Game 1 were badly needed.
15. Keldon Johnson, F, Spurs
Johnson gives San Antonio bench scoring and strength and it’s not for nothing that he just got named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. The Spurs need more from him after a quiet Game 1 cameo.
16. Luke Kornet, C, Spurs
Kornet’s job is surviving non-Wembanyama minutes, and, while limited, he’s hellaciously tall to get close to doing it. His size and screening can still help in short stretches, but not much more than that.
17. Harrison Barnes, F, Spurs
Washed Barnes gives San Antonio some veteran composure and past Finals experience off the pine. His role is smaller now, but not meaningless, and sometimes it can even hurt you.
18. Jose Alvarado, PG, Knicks
GTA! Alvarado brings steady pressure, unlimited energy and saucy irritation to the Knicks and opposition in equal parts. His seven points in 11 minutes in Game 1 showed he can swing a short stint, which is how he’s usually used.
19. Jordan Clarkson, G, Knicks
Clarkson has had quite the rollercoaster season, but he can still score even though his role has narrowed. If the jumper is not falling, New York has cleaner options because his game goes in the negative quickly.
20. Carter Bryant, F, Spurs
Bryant has size, defensive tools, and long-term value. His current Finals role remains limited.
21. Ariel Hukporti, C, Knicks
Hukporti gives New York extra size if foul trouble hits. That matters more against Wembanyama, and given Robinson’s hand injury.
22. Mohamed Diawara, F, Knicks
Diawara is more future piece than Finals factor. The rotation is too tight for developmental minutes.
23. Kelly Olynyk, C, Spurs
Olynyk has playoff experience and offensive skill, but his current Spurs role is small.
24. Jordan McLaughlin, PG, Spurs
McLaughlin can lead possessions in an emergency, but San Antonio’s guard depth should keep him buried.
25. Jeremy Sochan, F, Knicks
Sochan’s role has been minimal since joining New York. The Finals are not the place to invent one, even less knowing he’s already bagged a ring no matter what.
26. Lindy Waters III, G, Spurs
Waters can shoot, but minutes are scarce. San Antonio’s perimeter rotation has simply left him out.
27. Tyler Kolek, PG, Knicks
Kolek did something in the regular season but has now turned into no more than an emergency ball handler.
28. Pacome Dadiet, G/F, Knicks
Dadiet remains a young developmental wing, and New York is surely not running a prospect showcase in the Finals.
29. Mason Plumlee, C, Spurs
Plumlee gives San Antonio emergency veteran size, that’s probably it.
30. Bismack Biyombo, C, Spurs
Biyombo brings depth, some interior insurance, and is the perfect Hack-a-Mitch partner.
Do the Spurs have the best player? Yes. Do the Knicks have the early win, the best team, and the best leader when it matters? You bet.
LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent after coming off an expiring contract. NBAE via Getty Images
Add in Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes and the Lakers have several unrestricted free agents who’ll draw interest from other teams.
That’s before getting to Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart, both of whom have player options for next season.
The Lakers have made it clear they aren’t satisfied with how the 2025-26 season went after falling short of their ultimate goal of competing for an NBA title. And they need roster upgrades to achieve the championship roster they’re looking to surround superstar guard Luka Doncic with going into the 2026-27 season.
Unrestricted free agency is one of the many tools to make those upgrades.
Top teams have signed unrestricted free agents in their quest for a championship — from role players such as Spurs big man Luke Kornet during the 2025 offseason to stars such as Knicks guard Jalen Brunson during the 2022 offseason.
Besides James and Reaves, there won’t be any realistic star-level players available for the Lakers to potentially land.
But there are impactful ones.
Which unrestricted free agents who weren’t already on their roster should the Lakers target this summer?
One of the Lakers’ biggest offseason priorities should be acquiring a center — or multiple big men — who better fit alongside Doncic.
A rim runner and lob threat who’s efficient with finishing at the basket.
A shot blocker and rim protector.
Someone who can make an impact on the offensive and defensive boards.
A center who’ll still make an impact with their energy and effort even if they’re not consistently getting touches offensively.
Williams checks many of these boxes as an ideal big man target for the Lakers.
The biggest concern is his availability after several injury-riddled seasons, primarily to his knees.
Williams’ 59 regular-season games played for the Trail Blazers last season are his most since 2021-22 and the second most of his career (behind the 61 he played as a full-time starter for the Celtics in 2021-22) since being the No. 27 pick in the 2018 draft.
And he’s averaged just 17.4 minutes in 85 games (four starts) over the last three regular seasons with the Trail Blazers — far from a workload expected of a starting center.
But in a limited role and for the right salary, Williams could make an impact for the Lakers in the ways they need.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has had some durability issues. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Similar to Williams, Robinson comes with his own durability concerns.
His 60 regular-season games played are his most since 2021-22, when he played a career-high 72 games including 62 starts.
He also played 59 games (58 starts) in 2022-23 before back-to-back injury-truncated seasons in 2023-24 (31 games played) and 2024-25 (17 games played).
But Robinson is a rebounding machine on both ends of the floor, a reliable rim protector and a strong finisher who remains a vertical threat near the basket.
And he has more experience with a higher workload compared to Williams, averaging 24.5 minutes from 2019-24 before coming off the bench regularly the last two seasons (19 minutes per game).
Robinson, the Knicks’ second-round pick in 2018, may be difficult to pry from New York after his contributions to its postseason success over the last few years, including this dominant run to the NBA Finals against the Spurs.
The Lakers know as well as any team the kind of impact Goodwin provides.
He was a key part of the Lakers’ rotation to close the 2024-25 season, showcasing his offensive rebounding talent, disruptive perimeter defense and improved 3-point shooting.
But the Lakers waived Goodwin last summer to make financial room to sign Smart, with Goodwin showing the improvements he made last season were here to stay.
Goodwin’s in line to receive a more lucrative contract this offseason after making $2.3 million in 2025-26.
Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis is one of the better young 3-and-D guards in the league. NBAE via Getty Images
It wasn't hard to spot the pair of viral Spurs fans, who've made their presence known at Frost Bank Center throughout San Antonio's playoff run, at Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
The female fans, who made waves online when they were seen on the broadcast for Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference finals, stood out once again when they were spotted behind the Spurs’ bench.
One wore a bright body-con dress, and the other had on a plunging top and white capri pants while standing in a crowd of San Antonio fans, all wearing the same bright yellow shirt.
The team gave away shirts to fans in the arena — but the two women opted not to wear them.
“Can someone tell those chicks to wear their shirts! You know who you are,” one fan wrote on X.
The pair of viral Spurs fans returned to Frost Bank Center for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 3, 2026. X/@MarGOSFFL
“He said he takes back what he said about San Antonio women,” @bluebeari3 shared in an X post, referring to the Barkley’s remarks when he said that San Antonio is the home of “some big ol’ women” while on-air in 2014, along with other digs at San Antonio women over the years.
The ladies first captured the public’s attention when the were spotted sitting behind the Spurs bench during the Western Conference finals against the Thunder.
The pair of viral Spurs fans, (L) @juliejswan and (R) @bluebeari3, at Game 1 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio on June 3, 2026. Instagram/juliejswanThe pair of viral Spurs fans, (L) @bluebeari3 and (R) @juliejswan at Game 1 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio on June 3, 2026. TikTok/juliejswan
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 2: Mason Plumlee #45 of the San Antonio Spurs passes the ball during 2026 NBA Finals Practice and Media Availability on June 2, 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, New York basically out-toughed San Antonio late in the game to pull out a 105-95 win.
As we’ve seen during the rest of the playoffs, former Blue Devil Mason Plumlee rarely gets off the bench, and Wednesday was no exception, as he got another DNP.
In general, you could argue that this game was a great example of the value of experience.
The average age of the Knicks starters is about 29. The average age of San Antonio’s are closer to 22. The overall average age of the Knicks is 27.2; for the Spurs, it’s 25.2.
The Spurs, and particularly Victor Wembanyama, are the future of the league, but it may not happen this year. Wembanyama, for example, shot just 6-21 Wednesday night, and said bluntly that he had a bad game.
Game 2 is on Friday, and is again in San Antonio. If the Spurs lose twice at home, they’ll have a major problem.
He had just finished playing his first career NBA Finals game – an achievement that, when realized just four days prior, had brought him to tears – and he sat at the podium and calmly took questions.
The Spurs had lost, 105-95 Wednesday, June 3, and it wasn’t emotion Wembanyama was showing. This time, it was poise.
"Nothing," Wembanyama said after the game when asked if he was kicking himself over anything. "We’ve been down in a series before. Never in the Finals, obviously, but I'm not kicking myself about anything, really. I'm not worried in the slightest."
It was, by basically any significant metric, a flop.
The Spurs blew an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter, lost by 10 and ceded homecourt advantage. Historically, teams that lose Game 1 of the Finals have gone on to lose the series 69.6% of the time (24-55).
Wembanyama finished with 26 points, but he shot just 6-of-21 from the field. He committed six turnovers and forced shots down the stretch when Knicks centers Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson clamped him up on defense.
"I was bad tonight," Wembanyama said. "It's not more complicated than that."
Perhaps Wembanyama’s calm and measured approach is merely posturing. Perhaps he understands that the rest of the Spurs take his lead.
The more likely scenario is that Wembanyama, who has proven time and again this season to own competitive maturity well beyond his 22 years, understands that the Spurs can still win these NBA Finals.
How Wembanyama and his teammates respond to this Game 1 loss will merely be another opportunity for him to express his greatness.
Because that’s one of the indelible marks of the all-time greats, the ability to adjust and bounce back from defeats. The reality is Wembanyama is still learning, and how he comes responds in Game 2 will be indicative whether the Spurs can legitimately threaten the Knicks, who have won 12 consecutive playoff games in historic fashion.
Wembanyama did try to set the tone early; he was heavily involved in San Antonio’s actions in the first minutes of the game and appeared intent on establishing urgency. But the Knicks responded with physicality, using the extra heft that Towns and Robinson wield, to put their hands on him and body him every time he tried to establish position in the paint.
Wembanyama started to back out of the paint and settle for outside shots; he’d convert just four field goals in the paint. He never appeared comfortable, and some of his shots late in the game, as New York carried a lead midway through the fourth, were wild and off-target.
Victor Wembanyama hits the side of the backboard on the driving attempt, and shortly after, hits the top of the backboard on the corner 3 attempt pic.twitter.com/beBasVXUgo
Step one for Wembanyama in Game 2 should be to aggressively attack Towns, who is prone to falling into foul trouble, at the rim.
"It felt like he missed a few shots early," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game. "We got to get him moving in space and toward the rim, whether that’s on rolls or running in transition. But we need the pressure on the rim and the force in the paint. They did a good job of obviously being physical and showing crowds. We need to do a better job of establishing that early on, for sure."
San Antonio’s response to New York’s physicality manifested itself in other ways, too. The Knicks were able to scoop up timely offensive rebounds that led to debilitating second-chance points, a statistic the Knicks led, 23-14.
The Spurs, inside the final minute of the game, committed a pair of turnovers.
It’s why Wembanyama said, of Game 1, that he thought the Spurs "let that one go."
It’s also why, as Wembanyama has said previously this postseason following defeats, it’s all about adhering San Antonio’s system and identity.
"It’s almost not like I have anything to figure out," Wembanyama said. "It’s almost like I have to play normal – not even good. It’s, like, just doing the right things is enough. When we play bad, when I play bad, is when we shoot ourselves in the foot. This is why I’m not worried. We’re going to be so much better. I’m going to be so much better."
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 15: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees throws to first for an out in the third inning during the game between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Friday, May 15, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Evan Yu/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The month of May has only added more intrigue when it comes to the Yankees. With two full pages of the calendar behind us, the Bombers are still fighting to reclaim first place, with the Rays playing some good baseball to wrap up the spring.
Regardless of any team success or struggle, another month in the book means a new slate of defensive highlights to look back on. New York ranks as a roughly league-average defensive unit up to this point based on Outs Above Average, but that doesn’t mean they can’t flash the leather now and then. Here’s a look at May’s best.
In a tied game in the third inning, the Orioles began to threaten when Taylor Ward slashed a ball towards the wall in right field. With the ball tailing and carrying all the way to the wall, Aaron Judge raced back and used every bit of his 6-foot-7 frame to reach and snag the ball. His jump took him into the wall fairly hard, but he held onto the ball, and secured the second out of the inning.
Despite his flaws, which can grow tiring, Ryan McMahon’s calling card has always been his glove. Since his arrival, almost every edition of this series has featured some spectacular play by the Yankees’ third baseman, and May of ‘26 was no different. Later in the O’s series, with the Yankees leading in the seventh, Tim Hill induced a chopper down the line, which McMahon was fairly far from. This didn’t stop him from stabbing the grounder in a fully-extended dive toward foul territory planting his feet and firing a laser over to first base.
In the very first at-bat in a game against the Rangers, Brandon Nimmo swatted a ball deep into left-center, destined for extra-bases. That was before Jasson Domínguez charged all the way back to the wall, and snagged the fly ball just a beat before crashing into the fence. It was a spectacular play to kick off the game, but certainly came at a cost, as he has not seen the field since then, with a fairly significant sprain of his AC joint on this play.
This is a bit of a two-for-one from the mid-May Subway Series. First, with one out in the third inning, Cam Schlittler took a low liner off the shoe, before Anthony Volpe redirected to collect the ball and make a slick play to record the out at first. An inning later, Schlittler showed his athleticism, when he pounced off the mound to barehand a soft chopper before making a terrific fadeaway throw over to first for the out. It was an eventful few innings for the righty, but was certainly a defensive highlight of the month.
May 20th: Bellinger uses every inch of the leather
Later in the month, in a 0-0 ballgame with a the Blue Jays, the Yankees once again benefitted from some fancy glovework. With Schlittler on the mound once again, the righty induced a slicing fly ball toward the left field wall off the bat of a lefty. Cody Bellinger got a good jump and was immediately headed toward the wall, and was forced to used all of his lengthy wingspan to bring in the second out of the inning. Like some of his teammates, a month of Yankees baseball is not complete without a highlight from Bellinger.
Nepal’s cricket association has apologised for going against the spirit of the game after its women’s team successfully appealed for a timed out wicket against Bhutan.
Barring something unforeseen, the Philadelphia Flyers should be entering the next season fully healthy and recovered from a long year.
The Flyers came out of their 2026 Stanley Cup playoff run with bumps, bruises, and broken bones... and internal bleeding, if you're Owen Tippett.
Tippett, 27, was held out of the entire second round of the playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes due to that bleeding issue, though he had also been playing through a sports hernia long before that arose.
At his exit interview last month, the speedy Flyers forward was unsure about needing, and hopeful he wouldn't need, a surgery to address the hernia, though that has since taken place and been completed successfully.
According to Adam Kimelman of NHL.com, Flyers GM Danny Briere shared at the NHL scouting combine in Buffalo, New York, that Tippett had the surgery about two weeks ago.
As for the internal bleeding, "Everything's cleared on that front. Everything is going well there. Nobody was worried about it affecting his training or affecting next season," Briere told Kimelman.
Playing through the hernia, Tippett scored a goal, an assist, and two points in six playoff games in Round 1 against the rival Pittsburgh Penguins.
In the regular season, Tippett put together one of his most productive and complete campaigns to date, matching his career-high 28 goals, adding 23 assists, and putting together 51 total points in 81 games.
The former No. 10 overall pick also developed as a two-way player, scoring the first three short-handed goals of his NHL career, taking up penalty killing while Tyson Foerster missed swathes of time due to injuries of his own.
The obvious good news for the Flyers is that Tippett, who has scored no fewer than 20 goals in each of his last four seasons in Philadelphia, will still be able to train this offseason while being ready for the 2026-27 regular season.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr shares a moment with Steph Curry (30) and Draymond Green (center) after Golden State bowed out of the play-in tournament against the Suns. NBAE via Getty Images
Those words struck a chord with Kerr, who signed a two-year contract extension with Golden State last month. Over the last decade, there’s so much that stands out about the league’s modern-day dynasty.
There are the four championships in eight years. Steph Curry’s unconscious scoring sprees. The Splash Brothers. Draymond Green’s lockdown defense. Shimmies. The “Night Night” celebrations. The joy.
But above all else, what makes the Warriors unique is their loyalty.
Kerr has coached Curry and Green for 12 years. Curry and Green have played together for 14 years. Before Klay Thompson left the Warriors in free agency in 2024, he, Curry and Green were the longest-tenured trio in the league.
It’s remarkable when you think about it.
In a league with constant turnover — where players don’t hesitate to undercut organizations by requesting trades and franchises deal personnel as though they were used furniture — the Warriors stand out.
It’s obvious that when Kerr was pondering whether he wanted to remain on the treadmill of marathon NBA seasons, under the scrutiny that accompanies fading dynasties, there were two beacons of light that guided him toward the more difficult option: Curry and Green.
The three of them are family.
They’ve been atop the league. They’ve been in its cellar. They’ve fought against each other. They’ve fought for one another.
Through it all, something was deeply understood: There’s a lot of love there.
Kerr and Curry have shown up at Green’s house and talked to him for hours when he has struggled. Green has put his body on the line for them. They’ve spent more time together than with their own families, including 152 postseason games since 2015, which is the equivalent of nearly two extra NBA seasons.
Green (23), Curry and Kerr have been in 152 postseason games together since 2015. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Kerr talks about Curry with awe. He describes Green as the best defender he has seen. When Kerr was unsure about his future, Green said he hoped he’d return. Curry added that all he wants is for him to be happy.
“He knows how I feel about him,” Curry told reporters in April. “That shouldn’t even need to be said.”
Green’s relationship with Kerr is more nuanced.
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They’ve had public outbursts. They’ve had screaming matches behind closed doors. The Warriors’ success was inextricably tied to Green’s fire and sometimes it raged, clashing with Kerr’s infamous intensity.
“There’s things he’s done that I could never forgive him for,” Green said of Kerr on his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show.” “And yet I will do anything for him.”
As for Curry and Green, they basically grew up together. They became winners together. They watched each other become fathers. Green’s job was to ignite passion, while Curry’s was to remain effortlessly unbothered. They became each other’s ultimate complements on the court.
Nowadays, it’s wild for a coach and players to have that kind of staying power together.
There are only two NBA coaches who have held their jobs for at least five years, Kerr and the Heat’s Erik Spoelstra.
As for Curry and Green, they’re the NBA’s longest-tenured active duo. They’ve played together longer than many of the most famous duos in NBA history, such as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen (11 years) and Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (10 years).
Kerr recently signed a two-year contract extension to stay with the Warriors. NBAE via Getty Images
Things are now greatly shifting for the Warriors.
For the first time in Green’s career, he was involved in trade rumors in February. He’s 36. Curry is 38. Since winning their last championship in 2022, they haven’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs.
But this much is sure: The bond between Kerr, Curry and Green runs deep. That was never more palpable than when they feared their days together were coming to an end.
After their season was derailed by Jimmy Butler suffering a torn ACL in January and Curry missing 27 straight games because of an ailing knee, their playoff hopes came down to a pair of play-in games.
In their do-or-die contest against the Clippers, Curry and Green showed their championship DNA, stunningly clawing their way back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit in a 126-121 win.
Curry had 35 points on 7-for-12 shooting from beyond the arc, including making a step-back 3-pointer with 50.4 seconds left and the score knotted at 117.
Curry had 35 points on 7-for-12 shooting from beyond the arc, including making a step-back 3-pointer with 50.4 seconds left and the score knotted at 117. NBAE via Getty Images
Green held Kawhi Leonard to 1-for-2 shooting in the fourth quarter, leaving the two-time NBA champion completely flummoxed. “It was hard to even get shots up,” Leonard said.
After a slog of a season, Kerr overflowed with pride at something that had been reawakened in some of the greatest competitors on the planet.
“For one night, we’re us,” he said. “We’re champions again.”
The magic was gone in the Warriors’ next play-in game, as their season flatlined in a 111-96 loss to the Suns.
After the final buzzer, Kerr put his arms around Curry and Green. He said a few words. And then the three men who had been through nearly a decade and a half of battles together shared a hug.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I don’t know what’s going to happen next,” Kerr told them. “But I love you guys to death.”
Weeks of uncertainty followed. Did Kerr want to return? Did the Warriors’ long-term goals clash with his win-now approach? Did we just witness the official end of one of the greatest dynasties in sports history?
But ultimately, Kerr decided to return for his 13th season with Curry and Green.
The Warriors haven’t been contenders for four years. Their goal post has shifted from championship or bust to trying to see how far they can take things together. If they’re all healthy, they believe no one would want to face them.
And they’re not wrong.
It’s hard to walk away from that. It’s difficult to close the door on such a stunning chapter.
But as Kerr pondered his options, his wife reminded him of the ultimate reason he decided not to walk away.
He wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Curry and Green.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 16: Darius Garland #10 of the Los Angeles Clippers dribbles past Victor Wembanyama #1 and De'aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs during the second half of a game at Intuit Dome on March 16, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Did you know that before De’Aaron Fox was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, Rich Paul had planned to push a trade to San Antonio involving Darius Garland? Neither did I. But even before Fox was interested in leaving Sacramento, the famed agent saw the need for a ball-handler in the Alamo City.
Rich Paul reveals he had Darius Garland lined up for a trade to the Spurs prior to the Fox trade, and that Fox had no problem with being the #2 behind Wemby:
"I remember a trade getting ready to take place and De'Aaron and I were talking about it, and we were talking about… pic.twitter.com/FbSTIaqQ1J
Rich Paul reveals Darius Garland was frustrated with Cleveland. Paul had been working up a trade to the Spurs. At the time, Fox had not been interested in leaving Sacramento.
Paul shared,
“I remember a trade getting ready to take place and De’Aaron and I were talking about it, and we were talking about different options where he could go etc, and obviously I had the Spurs kinda teed up.. At first it wasn’t De’Aaron, it was another guard that I represent that I was envisioning going there, because De’Aaron wasn’t wanting to be traded yet.. It was Darius Garland. He was flustered, he was frustrated and he wanted to get out.. and the Spurs before they got the 2nd pick, they needed a point guard. And I thought next to Wemby, with shooting and all that. And then things changed and he was fine. And then so now Mike Brown got fired.. and so in De’Aaron’s case when he finally got to the point to where ‘you know what it’s probably time’, and we’re having a conversation, one of the things we talked about was: OK if you get to the Spurs, are you OK being number 2? And (Fox) didn’t even flinch. ‘Absolutely, absolutely.'”
First of all, isn’t it amazing what goes on behind the scenes. An agent, looking out for his client, is wheeling and dealing to get him into the best position to succeed. Blows my mind, the chess that goes into putting together a formidable team. I also loved that Fox never had a problem playing just outside of Wemby’s spotlight. He’s said it publicly, but knowing that’s how he truly feels solidified that the trade worked out well for Fox and the Spurs.
What do you think, Pounders? Could Garland have made the same impact that Fox has made? There are similarities between the two for certain. But as we’ve seen, the dynamic of the team factors heavily into the success of the Spurs. As it stands, they have developed into a cohesive unit. Could Garland have blended seamlessly into this incarnation of the Spurs?
We’re in the NBA Finals with De’Aaron Fox, but have some fun with with the hypothetical.
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MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 05: Chris Bassitt #40 of the Baltimore Orioles sits in the dugout during the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on May 05, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello, friends.
The short-lived winning streak is over. The Orioles have a remarkable talent this year of really putting up a crushing loss right after putting something positive together for a few days. They’ve yet to win more than three games in a row this season. That will continue to be the case for at best several days more. The latest three-gamer came to an end with last night’s 8-1 loss to the Red Sox. Check out Alex Church’s recap of the game for more of the not-so-lovely totals.
The game was a return to some of the rougher parts of this season. Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt labored through three innings; there was clear concern about something to do with his health. After the game, manager Craig Albernaz indicated that Bassitt was dealing with lower back tightness. I’m sure trying to pitch through that was tough. There have also been plenty of games this year where Bassitt pitched badly and there was no indication of any kind of injury.
There was no immediate sign from the team whether that might be an ongoing concern for Bassitt. If they think he needs the injured list, they’ll probably pull the trigger on that immediately, so they can get an extra reliever for the next few days and bring up somebody who might be within the window where they can’t come back to MLB except if replacing an injured player.
Another unfortunately familiar thing about last night’s game was the downsides of playing the infielder Blaze Alexander in center field. There was at least one supremely botched play from Alexander that led to further Red Sox offense within an inning. Stop putting infielders in the outfield! It shouldn’t be hard. But the apparent fanatical devotion to trying to press the platoon advantage has continuing downsides. At least Alexander is hitting a little better lately, so he’s not a total lost cause out there, only most of one.
All of this came while the offense was facing a left-handed starting pitcher in young Red Sox starter Payton Tolle. The Orioles broke the winless curse against lefty starters a while ago, but they haven’t gotten themselves back to a good place just yet. It doesn’t feel a whole lot better with the knowledge that, unlike many of the lefties who’ve worked the O’s over this year, Tolle has actually been good. He has a 2.28 ERA following last night’s outing. Must be nice to just draft a guy like that in the second round and have him turn into a solid major leaguer within two years.
After last night’s loss, the team is 7-14 when facing a lefty starter. This is another enduring challenge for the team, represented most dramatically in the person of Tyler O’Neill. The right-handed batting O’Neill is hitting .106 against lefties this year. It’s unreal. He sits at -1.1 bWAR through 92 games as an Oriole.
As with any other loss, last night’s setback was just one game. The Orioles have a chance to make us feel better as soon as today if they can play a better game. Taking a road series by winning today in Boston would ease the sting of what happened on Wednesday. The problem with hoping for this outcome is Trevor Rogers, who has spent the 2026 season getting punished for every bit of good fortune he had in 2025. Or, more likely, he just hasn’t been pitching well. The recent improvement from much of the starting rotation has left him behind.
Don’t show up at 7 o’clock for the game. It’s a 1:35 start time in the getaway day. As of this writing, there’s no listed Red Sox starting pitcher. They may use an opener or something. I don’t know. I try not to spend unnecessary time thinking about the Red Sox.
Next step for the Orioles: Play better on the road (Steve on Baseball) The Orioles are 19-15 at home, and after last night, are 10-18. If they were .500 on the road, they’d be 33-29 instead. Things would probably feel better if they’d managed four more road wins.
In their 62nd game last year, the Orioles lost to the Athletics, 5-4, leaving their record at 25-37 for the season. Dean Kremer gave up five runs in 5.1 innings, which meant home runs by Dylan Carlson and Jackson Holliday weren’t enough. The 2026 Orioles are currently 29-33. They continue to remain four wins better than last year’s team. They’re going to need more improvement eventually or this thing will end up at 79 wins.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2009-10 pitcher Cla Meredith, 2012 pitcher J.C. Romero, 1986 infielder Ricky Jones, and 1954 infielder Billy Hunter. Hunter passed away in Lutherville last year at age 97.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: revolutionary war loser George III (1738), actor Keith David (1956), and actress Angelina Jolie (1975).
On this day in history…
In 1411, French king Charles IV granted a monopoly to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon for the process of ripening cheese in nearby caves. The legally distinct Roquefort cheese continues to exist in European Union law today.
In 1745, Prussian monarch Frederick II led his forces to victory over the Austrians in the Battle of Hohenfriedberg, part of the War of the Austrian Succession. This decisive victory was one of those that led to Frederick getting “the Great” appended to his name.
In 1919, Congress approved the Nineteenth Amendment, which would guarantee suffrage to women. The amendment was then sent to the states for approval.
In 1942, Japanese carriers began to attack an American base at Midway Island, the start of a four-day battle where the American navy sunk all four Japanese carriers.
In 1989, protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square were violently suppressed by the Chinese army, leaving as many as 10,000 dead.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on June 4. Have a safe Thursday. Go O’s!
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 03: Michael Massey #19 of the Kansas City Royals watches his single during the second inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on June 03, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nick Loftin chose a really good time to hit his first home run on the season.
The Royals found their resilience to go with a few desperately needed bullpen answers Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park.
Nick Loftin belted his first home run of the season in a three-run ninth as the Royals claimed the rubber game of the three-game series with a 5-2 win over the Reds.
It was just the sixth series-finale win in 20 tries this season for the Royals, who won their first road series since sweeping the Mariners in Seattle from May 1-3.
Loftin’s home run came after Michael Massey’s 10-pitch at-bat that ended with a tiebreaking single to right, scoring pinch-runner Tyler Tolbert – who was attempting to steal third on the pitch – to make it 3-2. All three runs in the ninth came off Cincinnati fill-in closer Tony Santillan (1-3), who took the loss.
Lucas Erceg is finally being moved out of the 9th inning… somewhat
As a result, Royals skipper Matt Quatraro announced before the series finale Wednesday that he will be making a change to the closer’s role.
“I think there’s two separate answers to that. In the short term, we’re going to match up, just based on who’s available that night and where we think the best avenue for us to get the win is,” Quatraro said. “But in the long term, I do think Erceg is a guy that we’re going to use in the ninth.”
Quatraro was careful to frame Wednesday’s announcement, making it clear that he won’t hesitate using the right-hander in higher-leverage situations. It just likely won’t be in the ninth if he feels he can use him earlier in the game. Erceg is 3-3 with a 6.45 ERA and a 1.97 WHIP in 24 appearances covering 22 1/3 innings this season.
Yandel Ricardo is tearing it up in Columbia currently.
It’s telling when a player goes 1-for-23 over a seven-game stretch and still has undeniably an impressive month. That’s what happened for Ricardo with Single-A Columbia, where he ran hot from May 2-13 (.325/.372/.675) and picked up a full head of steam of late (.455/.520/.864, two homers in eight games since May 24). The switch-hitting shortstop has already doubled his career home run high with four through 45 games for the Fireflies and is gaining plenty of momentum in his age-19 season.
Also in Columbia, Kendry Chourio continues to dominate as well.
The Royals’ No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 77 overall, Chourio turned in 5 1/3 scoreless innings on Tuesday in a 3-1 win over Fayetteville at Segra Stadium. The stellar outing lowered his season ERA to 1.46.
It’s well known the Royals need to change it up in the bullpen, Kevin O’Brien of Royals Keep spoke on it.
Luinder Avila had his best MLB start on Monday, O’Brien also talked about how he may be vital for KC
The Royals got outfielder Matthew Lugo, Caleb Moody of Kings of Kauffman talked about the acquisition.
MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand talked about the Royals trade deadline intentions after the slow start
Jun 3, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
What else is there to say about Cristopher Sánchez at this point? The streak may have ended at 50.2 innings, but he’s still the record holder for the longest streak as a left handed pitcher and is one of five pitchers ever to have a scoreless streak of at least 50 innings. We will likely never see something like this again in our lifetimes.
You know who you are,” one fan wrote on X.
(@bluebeari3) 
