Amid a busy offseason full of signings, trades and departures, the Los Angeles Lakers’ most notable addition was center Walker Kessler, whom they acquired via sign-and-trade from the Utah Jazz. Ideally, Kessler will serve as the long-term answer at center during the Luka Dončić era, a position which has eluded the Lakers since trading away Anthony Davis to acquire Dončić in February 2025.
Luka Doncic, when asked about why/how he identified Walker Kessler as a player he wanted on the Lakers, says Walker was always tough to play against. Added that Walker will be an "amazing fit for us" and "he’s going to help us a lot.”
Between his generational passing and defensive inconsistencies, Dončić has long paired well with defensive-minded, play-finishing centers, so his desire to land Kessler is no surprise. When the Dallas Mavericks made the 2024 NBA Finals, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford played some of the best basketball of their careers alongside Dončić. Last season, Deandre Ayton’s true shooting percentage was 5.4 points higher (69.6 vs. 64.2) with Dončić on the floor, according to Databallr.
Since entering the league, Kessler’s converted 74.7% (716-of-959) of his shots around the rim and posted a block rate no lower than the 95th percentile (excluding last year’s five-game sample), per Cleaning the Glass. He is both a reliable interior scorer and high-level rim protector who will benefit from Dončić‘s offensive splendor while helping cover for his struggles defending in space.
Most interestingly is the lengths to which head coach JJ Redick deploys Kessler as a screening and playmaking hub. He’s developed in both areas over the past four years and could be a short-roll outlet when Dončić is doubled or help create easier scoring chances for Dončić and Austin Reaves off the ball. The finishing and interior defense are bankable. It’s the scope of his offensive capabilities that could further validate Dončić‘s belief Kessler is “an amazing fit.”
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 17: The sneakers worn by T.J. Bickerstaff #49 of the Detroit Pistons during the game against the Miami Heat during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 17, 2025 at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, right, celebrates with teammates after the team clinched their fifth consecutive National League West title on Sept. 17 in Cincinnati. (Tanner Pearson / AP Photo)
It seems like a simple equation: $338 million produces 100.
That’s the Dodgers season-ending payroll and victory total. But to assume a franchise can merely buy a playoff berth is a stretch.
The New York Mets sit at home — or more likely at lavish vacation destinations, given their perch at the top of baseball’s payrolls at $345.8 million. They finished last in the National League East with a 74-88 record.
The Cleveland Guardians also sit at home, but are quite pleased about it. They earned a first-round bye and berth in the American League Division Series this weekend despite a payroll of only $74.2 million — baseball’s lowest and barely one-fifth that of the Mets.
Twelve of the 30 MLB teams qualified for the postseason, with four best-of-three Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday. Eight of the dozen have payrolls in the top 10, with the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays joining the Mets as supreme underachievers given their No. 5-ranked payroll of $275.4 million.
Yet three playoff teams — the Tampa Bay Rays ($98.3 million) and Chicago White Sox ($98 million), in addition to the Guardians — rank among the six lowest payrolls, according to MLB Labor Relations Department’s (LRD) present-day salary calculations obtained by USA Today.
The combined LRD payrolls of those three overachievers don’t come close to the Mets or Dodgers, highlighting the enormous disparity between the haves and have-nots that team owners point to while demanding a salary cap during ongoing collective bargaining negotiations.
Oddly, only one playoff qualifier is among the 14 mid-range payrolls of roughly $100 million to $200 million — the Milwaukee Brewers, who achieved baseball’s best record at 103-59 while paying its roster $143.5 million. The Angels are also among that group, ranking No. 15 at $179.8, not enough to keep them from losing 100 games for the first time in franchise history.
The LRD payroll tracks a team’s real-time salary commitments for the current season, accounting for the 26-man MLB roster’s base salaries plus a prorated portion of signing bonuses. LRD differs from luxury tax payrolls, which are based on the average annual value of every player contract on the 40-man roster.
Luxury tax payrolls determine whether a team exceeds the league’s luxury tax threshold and owes financial penalties. MLB is using luxury tax payrolls in the CBA negotiations over a hard salary cap and floor, proposing a $245.3 million ceiling and $171.2 million floor for 2027.
Luxury tax penalties from clubs that exceed the thresholds funnel back to low-revenue clubs through revenue sharing. A record $402,637,907 was paid in luxury tax penalties last season, with the Dodgers paying the most at a record $169.4 million. This year the Dodgers’ luxury tax is projected at $180 million — higher than the LRD payroll of 16 teams.
The Dodgers also have the highest luxury tax payroll at $430 million, dwarfing the Mets’ $363 million number. Reasons? The Dodgers pay more in penalties because they have exceeded the luxury tax six years in a row, they have more players with massive average annual values and they took on additional penalties by acquiring starter Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline.
BRIGHTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 15: Paul George #13 of the Boston Celtics speaks to the media during a press conference on September 15, 2026 at The Auerbach Center in Brighton, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
BOSTON — As he embarks on his Year 17 NBA season, Paul George has heard it all.
He knows he’s been counted out by most of the basketball world after several injury-riddled campaigns that saw him perform well below his previous All-Star levels. He knows how his four-year, $211.58 million maximum contract, signed two summers ago, is widely perceived (spoiler alert: it hasn’t been viewed as a steal).
But on Celtics Media Day, George made clear that he’s confident that he has plenty left in the tank. He might not be in his physical prime — he might not be Indiana Pacers Paul George, or Oklahoma City MVP candidate Paul George — but he’s still really darn good.
(For reference, George averaged 17.4 points per game while shooting 48.9% from the field in 7 playoff games against the Celtics last Spring, and taking turns guarding Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum).
On Monday afternoon, donning a Celtics jersey for the first time, George attributed some of his more underwhelming stretches in recent years to injuries that he tried to persevere through. And this year, fresh off his first fully-healthy offseason in years, he’s ready to show the world what he’s capable of.
“I think the most frustrating thing about it is when a player is not healthy — but he tries everything to put it all on the line, tries to be available for his team, knowing that he’s not fully 100%, and then people are saying ‘Oh, he’s not this, he’s not that,’” he said. “Like, the fact of the matter was I wasn’t healthy; I was trying to play through injuries and be available and give everything that I had to the team, when I maybe — I probably — should have took a little more time off to let my body fully heal. And so, to hear that he’s not capable of this or he’s ‘washed’, it’s frustrating just because it’s like, I’m still capable of doing those things when healthy and I feel like my body is is back healthy. I feel I’m capable of doing those things again.’”
Asked Paul George how motivated he is to show people what he’s capable of when healthy:
“I think the most frustrating thing about it is when a player is not healthy, but he tries everything to put it all on the line, tries to be available for his team, knowing that he's not… pic.twitter.com/KEO4imykBz
For his career, George averaged 20.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. From 2015 to 2024, he never averaged below 21 points per game. But in his last two seasons in Philadelphia, his numbers declined across the board; he averaged 16.2 in 2024-2025 and 17.3 points in 2025-2026 while playing 78 games across both seasons.
When he was formally introduced earlier in September, George said he felt reborn.
“This summer really was a chance to continue to work: strengthen my body, strengthen my knee,” he said. “It’s almost like a kind of rebirth, or reborn again — to be in a system, to be in a winning culture, a winning environment, and to feel good. To be able to work, to be able to train again in the summers — my summers the last couple of years were dedicated to rehab.”
Still, his biggest motivation won’t be motivating the naysayers and critics, it’s showing himself what he’s capable of.
It’s reminding himself that the physical limitations he faced over the past couple of years were a result of injuries and surgeries that have since healed.
“It’s more so from a personal standpoint,” George said. “It’s not about going out and trying to drop 30 every night. I think it’s more so about being available, being efficient, being consistent, and I think, again, for myself, just proving that, when healthy, I’m able to do what I’ve done in my career, and I don’t judge it off of what I’ve done while being injured. It’s two different tales, I think, and so I’m erring on the side of what can I do when I’m healthy.’”
Paul George looks forward to excelling alongside Jayson Tatum
George’s mindset on Media Day was consistent with what he expressed in his introductory press conference two weeks ago: he’s not trying to turn back the clock to his prime, when he was often his teams’ leading scorer. But he does want to excel in a complementary role to Jayson Tatum.
“I’m here to help JT. He’s the guy,” George said then. “I’ve played alongside another superstar wing, and we coexisted beautifully. I see this with myself, with JT, being able to play off him.”
Fittingly, George walked into his Media Day press conference as Tatum was mid-answer to a question about George’s impact on him as a young basketball player.
“I’m around that generation of kids that kind of grew up watching him play, especially when I was in middle school and high school,” Tatum said.
Jayson Tatum was talking about how growing up he looked up to Paul George, without realizing PG was in the back of the room waiting for his media availability
Manchester City have come out fighting against the guilty verdict but the Premier League faces questions of its own
Nothing is over, nothing is done. Or at least not judging by the bravura, balls-out confidence of Manchester City’s chair, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, who remains convinced the past three days of whiplash are simply the drumroll before the big reveal, prelude to some clinching piece of evidence that will swish away the initial finding of guilt on the Premier League’s 100-plus charges.
This appears to be the official City position right now. Rope‑a‑dope litigation. Scooby‑Doo justice. A verdict that is simply exposition, buildup to that moment where we finally get to rip off the zombie mask and reveal the cranky old amusement park owner underneath, with his bulging ring‑binder full of irrefutable evidence of City’s innocence.
As we await the Cubs playing starting tomorrow in a Wild Card series against the Padres, let’s take a look back at the team’s long Modern Era postseason history. That history dates to 1906, when the team lost the World Series to the White Sox after winning a record 116 games during the regular season — a mark that still stands (though tied by the Mariners in 2001).
You know, of course, of the 108-year drought between World Series wins in 1908 and 2016, and the rest of the team’s post-1908 postseason history is, shall we say, not really very good.
Entering this year, the Cubs had participated in 22 postseasons with an overall record of 51-79-1. That’s a .392 winning percentage, equivalent to a 64-98 regular season. Yikes. Although, that is an improvement over last year at this time, when the winning percentage was .385. Baby steps.
The tie happened in the pre-lights era 1907 World Series, when Game 1 went 12 innings at West Side Grounds in a 3-3 tie and then was called for darkness. The Cubs won the next four games and the World Series, becoming the first team to win the championship series without losing a game.
Here are the Cubs’ records for each of the 22 postseasons in which they have participated before this year. Prior to 1984, all games are World Series games.
Obviously none of those records is very good, and it includes nine straight losses from 2003 through 2008 before the Wild Card Game win against the Pirates in 2015.
Now, if you’ll indulge me a bit, I present to you my personal records of attending Cubs postseason games. The Cubs have played 78 postseason games in my lifetime (the games from 1984 to now). Two of those games, the wild-card series vs. the Marlins in 2020, were during the pandemic season and not open to fans.
Of the 76 Cubs postseason games open to fans since 1984, I have attended 56 — all 37 played at Wrigley Field plus 19 road games, as follows: two in San Diego (1984), three in San Francisco (1989), three in Miami (2003), two in Arizona (2007), one in Pittsburgh (2015), two in St. Louis (2015), two in San Francisco (2016), three in Los Angeles (2016) and one in Milwaukee (2025).
Personal W/L record in all postseason games attended:
LeBron James has spent over two decades rewriting the NBA record books. James holds over 40 different major official records, including the league’s all-time leading scorer.
Now, in what he has called his “last decision” of his legendary career, he has one final opportunity to add a few more chapters to the record books, as well as extend many of those major records he already holds.
“I didn’t leave my family to lose in the second round,” James said during Sixers Media Day on Tuesday.
James with his new 76er teammates Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. AP Photo/Chris Szagola
At 41 years old, the numbers say he’s already the most accomplished statistical player in history. The scary part? He’s not finished yet.
The moment James steps onto the floor for Philadelphia in the season opener, he’ll extend his own record by appearing in his 24th NBA season. It’s a record that feels increasingly more untouchable in an era defined by load management and shorter careers.
James will also extend his records for all-time points and regular season minutes, pushing him further beyond Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in both categories. If he’s able to average at least 20 points per game with Philadelphia, something he’s done every season of his career since he entered the league in 2003, he’ll stretch that unprecedented record to 24 consecutive seasons.
Even the records that sound almost routine for James have become monuments to his longevity. James already owns the most 30-point games in NBA history, having passed Michael Jordan a long time ago. He also owns the record for the oldest player to ever score 40 points in a game, record a triple-double, and many other milestones that prove he’s winning the annual battle against Father Time.
LeBron James making his debut in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform at the team’s media day in Camden, NJ on Sept. 28, 2026. AP Photo/Chris Szagola
But the Sixers didn’t court James to chase records, they brought him to the City of Brotherly Love to chase rings.
Philadelphia currently has a 43-year championship drought with their last title coming in 1983 over James’ former team, the Los Angeles Lakers. If James can help end that drought and lift the Larry O’Brien trophy for a fifth time, he would become the first player in NBA history to win a championship with four different franchises. If he wins Finals MVP, he’d stand alone as the only player in NBA history to capture Finals MVP with four different teams. He’d also become the oldest player to ever win Finals MVP.
Here’s 10 NBA records LeBron James can either break or extend in this upcoming season with the Philadelphia 76ers:
Most seasons played (24th) — His 23rd season last year already broke Vince Carter’s record of 22. No active player is within five seasons of him.
Most regular-season minutes (57,000+) — He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career mark of 57,446 in December 2024 and keeps climbing.
LeBron James. Instagram/@sixers
Most seasons averaging 20+ points (23) — He has never averaged under 20 in a season, rookie year to age 40. A 20-point average in Philadelphia stretches it to 24 straight, alone at the top.
Most 30-point games (672) — Ahead of Michael Jordan (671) and Wilt Chamberlain (557). Every 30-point game widens the gap.
Oldest player to score 40 in a game (40 years, 38 days) — He took it from Michael Jordan (40 years, 4 days) with a 42-point night in February 2025. They are the only two players to score 40 after turning 40.
Oldest player to record a triple-double (41 years, 44 days) — He broke Karl Malone’s 22-year-old record (40 years, 127 days) in February 2026 with a 28-12-10 against Dallas.
Most missed field goals (14,482) — The quirky one. He passed Kobe Bryant’s 14,481 in October 2024, the cost of scoring more points than anyone in league history.
Records within reach if Philadelphia wins the NBA Championship:
First player to win a title with four different franchises — No one has done it. James, Robert Horry, John Salley and Danny Green are tied at three. A Sixers title also ends Philadelphia’s championship drought dating back to Moses Malone and Julius Erving in 1983.
First player to win Finals MVP with four franchises — He is already the only player to win it with three (Miami, Cleveland, LA).
Oldest Finals MVP in history — Kareem set it at 38 years, 54 days in 1985. James would be 42.
LeBron James of the Philadelphia 76ers. Instagram/@sixers
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DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 25: Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers poses for a photo with his wife Kate Upton and his daughter Genevieve Upton Verlander while holding Bellamy Verlander during Career Celebration Ceremony prior to playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park on September 25, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was an emotional weekend to be a Tigers fan. First, the team ended their season in September instead of making a repeat trip to the postseason, which was certainly a bummer after the year got off to a strong start. But 2026 was not meant to be the Year of the Tiger. This weekend also saw the return of Justin Verlander to the mound at Comerica Park, just in time to make his final MLB start ever. Verlander, who had announced earlier in the year he would retire at the end of the season, missed most of the year due to injuries. It was poetic to see him back in action just in time to take his final bow.
Friday saw a tear-jerker of a retirement ceremony before the game, including a charming first pitch from Verlander’s daughter Genevieve. Then Saturday he took the mound one last time, had a strong final outing, before AJ Hinch brought Genevieve in once more to go get the ball from her father. It was one of those baseball moments that proves how wrong Tom Hanks was in A League of Their Own when he insisted, “There’s no crying in baseball!”
There is, Tom, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house on Saturday.
There was a lot going on this weekend, so we’ve collected some of the social highlights in case you missed anything.
The Clippers announced Monday, Sept. 28 at the team’s media day that Ingram was dealing with a partially torn left Achilles tendon, which was revealed during a May surgery to repair an issue with his heel. Clippers interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden disclosed the injury to reporters assembled on site.
The recovery for a partially torn Achilles is not as intensive as one for a full tear and should be around six months.
That timeline puts Ingram being available potentially around late October or November, should he not suffer any setbacks. Ingram will be reevaluated then and the team will make a determination at that time.
Ingram, 29, played 77 regular-season games last year for the Raptors, averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists. But Ingram’s heel injury prevented him from being fully available during Toronto’s first round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ingram played only 11:22 during Game 5 and then missed Games 6 and 7, when Cleveland clinched the series.
Although the trade for Ingram had been agreed to June 30, the investigation into Leonard and the Clippers about salary cap circumvention had not been finalized. The trade remained on hold for more than a month and was eventually executed Sept. 14.
The Clippers open their season Oct. 21 at home against the Sacramento Kings.
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced their opening-night roster for the 2026-27 season on Monday.
They will carry 22 players on the roster: 13 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goaltenders. Here's the full roster:
Forwards
Sidney Crosby
Evgeni Malkin
Egor Chinakhov
Connor Dewar
David Gustafsson
Filip Hallander
Ville Koivunen
Hendrix Lapierre
Tommy Novak
Rutger McGroarty
Rickard Rakell
Nick Robertson
Elmer Soderblom
Defensemen
Erik Karlsson
Kris Letang
Sam Girard
Declan Carlile
Kaedan Korczak
Trevor van Riemsdyk
Ilya Solovyov
Goaltenders
Arturs Silovs
Sergei Murashov
In addition, Justin Brazeau, Ben Kindel, Blake Lizotte, and Bryan Rust have been placed on injured reserve. Defenseman Ryan Graves is also on injured reserve and will be out indefinitely.
Forwards Tristan Broz, Melvin Fernstrom, and Oliver Okuliar, along with goaltender Gabriel D'Aigle, have been designated as injured non-roster.
Forward Andrei Kuzmenko has been designated as non-roster.
The Penguins will open the 2026-27 NHL season on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. Puck drop from Philadelphia will be at 7 p.m. ET on TNT and truTV.
The Penguins' home opener will be against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Marcus Semien had a poor first season with the Mets as he continued to regress offensively, struggled defensively at second base, and missed time due to a hip injury.
While his offensive issues continued to worsen as he finished with a career-low .620 OPS, even more alarming was Semien's falloff at second base.
Following a 2025 campaign where Semien won the AL Gold Glove for the Rangers after ranking in the 92nd percentile in OAA, he was in the fourth percentile in 2026 -- near the very bottom of the league.
Semien has two years remaining on his contract, counting for $24 million toward the luxury tax payroll each of the next two seasons. That could obviously complicate things if he continues to struggle near the level he did this past season, and president of baseball operations David Stearns is making no promises about Semien's playing time going forward.
Asked on Monday during his end-of-season news conference at Citi Field whether he was ready to declare Semien the Mets' starting second baseman in 2027, Stearns was non-committal.
Stearns also talked upBrett Baty as a second base option. Baty, whom Stearns mentioned as a first base option as well, closed the season on a hot streak at the plate, but still finished with an uninspiring .681 OPS.
"I think we're gonna have options there next year," Stearns noted. "Marcus didn't have the type of year offensively that he wanted, that we would expect. Again, I think Brett showed us for the last four-to-six weeks of the season what his ceiling looks like. And as I said, we need him to get to that ceiling more consistently.
"And then we have a host of really good minor league infielders who are knocking on the doorstep. And so sitting here right now, I'm not gonna commit to what second base looks like next year. But I do think we've got some really good players -- both at the major league level and prospects that are coming -- that can make that a productive position for us."
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect /
The minor leaguers Stearns is likely referring to are Jefferson Rojas, Mitch Voit, and Émilien Pitre.
After being acquired by New York, Rojas excelled, posting a .929 OPS in 29 games for Double-A Binghamton and homering in his first three games for Triple-A Syracuse following a late-season promotion.
Rojas might profile best at third base, but can also handle second.
Voit, 21, had a breakout season in 2026, slashing .347/.430/.517 for Binghamton after being promoted following a 76-game stint in the pitcher's haven of A-level Brooklyn. In 105 games across the two levels, Voit stole 45 bases and scored 80 runs.
Then there's the 23-year-old Pitre, a contact-first hitter the Mets acquired from the Rays in the Freddy Peralta trade.
Pitre hit .375 for Binghamton in 10 games after the trade, and hit .260 with a .357 OBP in 20 games following a promotion to Syracuse.
It remains possible that Semien rebounds following his down year. In the event he doesn't, the Mets could have a handful of in-house options ready to take over. And after listening to Stearns, it seems the ascension of someone like Rojas could come even sooner than initially expected.
Josh Samanski was sent down to the AHL this morning, while Owen Michaels is still here in the NHL. So, did Michaels take Samanski's spot?
Samanski, like much of us, probably thought Matt Savoie's injury gave him a decent chance of sticking around. After all, the Edmonton Oilers were down several forwards when camp started, and Samanski was on the roster last season.
There wasn't anything particularly wrong with his camp either. He never really gave Edmonton a reason to be disappointed with what he was doing. His camp was just okay.
Just ok isn't always enough when roster spots disappear quickly, and another player keeps giving the coaching staff reasons to leave his name off the cut list. Michaels has done exactly that throughout camp, and Babcock has been pretty open about the fact that nobody expected him to still be here.
“Well, he's played well,” Babcock said. “He really can skate, and if you look back at his career, he wasn't a big scorer, so he didn't hang his hat on that. So he had to be a two-way, very effective player. He won a national championship, so he knows how to win, and he's in all the good clips.”
Babcock has talked quite a bit about Michael's film over the past few days. Saying things like he keeps ending up where he's supposed to be, he can skate and, his game doesn't depend on outscoring what he isn't doing, like being a reliable defensive forward.
“So it wasn't like we had this plan that he was going here, he wasn't supposed to be here, but that's the great thing about plans — you get to change them,” Babcock said.
The plan has certainly changed for Michaels. He came to Edmonton without much expectation of being around for opening night and is still practising with Edmonton after Samanski was sent to Bakersfield.
“Get down there and get to work,” Babcock said of Samanski. “So, the simple thing is you've got to figure out who you're going to be in the National Hockey League, and then when you go down to the AHL, they put you in a totally different role.
“You have to become an elite face-off guy, elite penalty killer, a great two-way defensive center to play here because that's going to be your job,” Babcock said. “In the American League, they want him to be on the power play, play on the first line, do all that. So sometimes it gets in the way, but as a player, you got to learn that.”
That's what Edmonton sees for Samanski. He needs to win draws, kill penalties and become somebody the Oilers can trust down the middle. He needs to be defensively reliable.
Babcock also made it clear that Samanski is at the point where those details need to become part of his game.
“He's old enough now to understand that's what he's got to do to get back,” Babcock said.
It is worth noting that Babcock is very much one to reward a player today for what they did yesterday. It's why Kasperi Kapanan took Isaac Howards place on the second line against Calgary the other night, and it could be why the Oilers choose to keep Micheals around for another day while sending Samanski down.
Savoie's injury seemed to create an opening for somebody when camp started, and Samanski had every reason to believe he could be one of the players who benefited from it. Meanwhile, Michaels may have thought the same thing.
Now Samanski is heading back to Bakersfield with a list of things Edmonton wants him working on, and Michaels is still here after Babcock admitted he wasn't supposed to make it this far.
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The four-time NBA champion, four-time MVP and man of many nicknames settled in Monday morning for his opening Sixers press conference. He picked up the customary name card at the podium and removed it.
“You guys know who I am, right?” LeBron James asked with a smile.
Indeed, no one in the room had any confusion about James’ identity and illustrious résumé.
The more interesting matter was his new reality as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. James signed a minimum-salary deal this summer because he believes the Sixers can contend for a title.
“We all want to put the work in,” he said. “That’s the most important. Guys can go around talking and saying these things should happen, but nothing will happen unless you actually put the work in. We’re all speaking the same language. It’s going to start every single day, just getting one percent better every single day starting tomorrow (at training camp). Everyone’s excited to be here and that’s exciting to be a part of.”
Even for Tyrese Maxey, who’s worked out with James for years, grown close with the 22-time All-Star and pitched the Sixers in free agency, the shock hasn’t fully dissipated.
“I think now it’s just really, really weird,” Maxey said. “I see him in the summertime every year, but to see him here in Camden, New Jersey at the facility with a Sixers jersey on, it’s cool. It’s a cool experience.”
Tongue in cheek, Joel Embiid downplayed his role in James’ decision.
“As far as Bron, I didn’t talk to him. I didn’t recruit him,” Embiid said.
He eventually cracked and let out a laugh.
James described Embiid as “one of the most talented guys that we have in the world.” There’s no doubt he sees plenty of championship ingredients in Philadelphia.
He also has no expectation that wins will appear with a snap of the fingers. James was the first of many Sixers to stress sacrifice.
“Sometimes in sports, people hear ‘sacrifice’ and automatically, people start thinking (negatively) about it,” he said. “It’s not a negative thing. You can sacrifice one or two more shots that gives you one or two more bursts of energy in the fourth quarter to slide over and take a charge. Or it gives you one or two more bursts of energy to get an offensive rebound. … Or an extra two bursts of energy to run back on defense and get a chase-down block. Some things that don’t show up in the box scores. So it’s not a negative when people say, ‘OK, you have to make a sacrifice or your role may change.’
“If we’re trying to do something special, which I believe we are, then it’s a positive. So many guys that have been in our league over the course of my career have never made a sacrifice … and they average 20 points, 22 points a game. And they’ve had one or two postseason appearances and zero postseason wins. If that’s the way you want your career to be, then that’s fine. Everyone has different goals. But I don’t think anybody in the locker room has that feeling and wants their career to be like that, or we wouldn’t be here.”
To James, big names alone are insufficient.
“I think the best way to expedite it is obviously the floor, the practice court,” he said. “That helps. The film sessions help. The bus rides, the plane rides, the camaraderie, those things help. It’s going to take time. I think people, sometimes they don’t really want to work and everyone wants instant oatmeal. You just put the oatmeal in the bowl, you put the water in, you throw it in the microwave, and in a minute and a half, you’ve got something to eat. You’re ready to go.
“If you want to do something special, it takes time and it takes every single day doing things that you may not want to do. It’s the same thing over and over and over. … You have to fall in love with doing things that are uncomfortable. And if we can do that, then we can be a great team.
“If we don’t do that, then we’ll be like, ‘Oh man, that was a great team on paper and we had a lot of great talent … and we lost in the second round.’ I don’t want to do that. I didn’t leave my family to lose in the second round. I know that for sure. So work needs to be done and I’m ready to put the work in.”
It's been a rough summer for the Clippers and their fans, and unfortunately, the start of training camp didn't mean a reprieve from bad news.
Brandon Ingram has undergone surgery to repair a partially torn Achilles in his foot and will miss the start of the season, Clippers interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden announced at the team's media day, via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. Redden added that surgery on Ingram's heel in May also addressed this issue, which is a partial tear, and the recovery time is about six months shorter than a more complete Achilles tear.
Still, Ingram is out for the start of the season and will be reevaluated around that time.
Ingram has battled injuries throughout his career but is coming off a mostly healthy season in which he was an All-Star with the Raptors, averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Ingram, along with Darius Garland at the point, are seen as floor raisers for this team.
Because it's the Clippers, there was other injury news as well. Bradley Beal has recovered from his hip surgery but is now dealing with knee inflammation and won't be ready for the first part of training camp. Big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser is progressing from a foot injury but will not be ready for the start of the season. That is on top of the previously announced surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff for Jordan Miller, which will sideline him until around the All-Star break.
On a positive note, Darius Garland said he was fully healthy and had recovered from injuries that had limited him for a couple of seasons (including to 45 games played last season).
The results are in, 39 of our reporters and editors voted on a wide-array of questions related to the upcoming NHL season, including whowill win the Stanley Cupand other major individual awards.
Some other fun questions like which coach will be fired first, who will experience buyer's remorse and which city will be awarded the next franchise — and more!
With the season fast approaching and the Minnesota Wild playing its first game on Thursday, it is time to see where the Wild slotted in predictions.
Minnesota ranked first in the Presidents Trophy ranking along with the defending Stanley Cup Champions Carolina Hurricanes.
Out of the 39 writers, the Wild and Hurricanes totaled 16 votes (8 each) for a tie of first place. They were followed by Colorado, Florida, Edmonton, Dallas and Tampa Bay.
The Wild finished third in the Central Divison behind Dallas and Colorado last season and finished seventh in the NHL with a 46-24-12 (104Pts) record. The Avalanche won the Presidents Trophy last year with a 55-16-11 (121Pts) record.
I'm guessing a full season of Quinn Hughes and the breakouts of Matt Boldy, Brock Faber and Jesper Wallstedt played a big reason in everyones prediction.
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