The Yankees (58-45) beat the Philadelphia Phillies (56-48) in their road series opener on Friday night, 1-0, the final score.
Here are the takeaways....
-- Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt opened the scoring with an opposite-field line drive solo homer, recording the team's first hit of the game in the fourth inning against Phillies southpaw Jesús Luzardo.
-- Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler also allowed his first hit in the fourth inning, a double by Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber with one out. Schlittler battled back to retire the next two batters and strand the runner in scoring position.
-- Goldschmidt came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, but he softly grounded out and the score remained 1-0 Yanks.
-- Luzardo tossed seven innings, holding the Yankees to just one run, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out nine batters.
-- Not to be outdone by his counterpart, Schlittler was utterly dominant on the hill. He struck out every member of the Phillies batting order apart from Schwarber, racking up 12 strikeouts in the process. He finally slipped up with one man out in the eighth inning, allowing a single to J.T. Realmuto before promptly hitting Gabriel Rincones Jr. with a pitch. Schlittler was pulled having completed 7.1 innings, allowing three hits, walking zero batters, and throwing 99 pitches. Stalwart lefty Brent Headrick emerged from the bullpen to relieve the Yankee starter.
-- Edmundo Sosa roped a single into right field to load the bases on Headrick. After a lengthy battle, Trea Turner lined out to left field, but not deep enough to score Realmuto on a sacrifice. With two outs, Schwarber worked the count to 3-2, but Headrick got out of the jam with a groundout and held New York's one-run lead entering the ninth inning.
-- Lefty reliever José Alvarado plunked Ryan McMahon (who was pinch-hitting for Amed Rosario), but recovered by forcing Cody Bellinger into a groundout double play, holding the Yankees scoreless in the top half of the final frame.
-- David Bednar entered the 1-0 ballgame to face the heart of Philadelphia's order. Bednar struck out Bryce Harper swinging, got some assistance from Bellinger's leaping catch near the left-field wall for the second out, and got Alec Bohm to ground out to end the game. Bednar earned his 19th save of the season, and Schlittler earned his 10th win.
Game MVP: Cam Schlittler
Among all American League pitchers who have accumulated at least 75 IP, Schlittler's 2026 ERA (2.07) is tops, and he's second-best in WHIP (0.93) behind Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.
James is expected to sign a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers and play alongside Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in an effort to win the 76ers' first NBA championship since 1983, when the roster included Moses Malone, Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks.
The 76ers swept Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers in four straight games that year.
Here's what we know about James' first potential press conference in Philadelphia:
It remains unclear if LeBron James will have an official introductory press conference with the 76ers.
James did not have an introductory press conference with the Lakers when he joined the team in 2018. He did not speak to the media in Los Angeles until media day.
The four-time MVP has not participated in an introductory press conference since deciding to join Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade as a member of the Miami Heat in 2010.
“There’s not going to be an introductory press conference,” said ESPN’s Brian Windhorst during the July 23 episode of “First Take.” “You don’t have to get it ready. After ‘not 5, not 6, not 7’ LeBron is done with introductory press conferences. … If he does one, it’ll be on his platforms and not an open thing that you’re gonna have.”
Miami’s social media team accidentally published a scheduled YouTube livestream titled "LeBron James Introductory Press Conference." It was later deleted from the platform.
Juan Soto of the New York Mets looks on prior to the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Friday, July 24, 2026
The Mets may have another Juan Soto injury concern on their hands.
Soto left Friday’s 4-2 loss to the Dodgers midway through the sixth inning due to what the Mets described as “left calf soreness.” It’s just the latest injury scare for Soto, who has been sidelined in each of the past three months for at least some period of time.
“He just had a recurrence of symptoms in the left calf,” interim manager Andy Green said after Kyle Tucker’s two-run homer in the eighth inning helped close the game out for Los Angeles. “Certainly hoped we were behind it, done talking about this, but he felt it pushing off on second base there when he was on the bases. At this point, we’ll likely get an image [Saturday] and try to see where he’s at.
New York Mets designated hitter Juan Soto challenges a call during the third inning on July 24, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“This is nagging him for a week now, so I know it’s frustrating for him, frustrating for us.”
Before leaving in the middle of a 1-1 game at Citi Field, Soto had walked twice. Jorge Polanco ultimately replaced him in the lineup and struck out twice.
The Mets’ $765 million dollar man has not been able to catch a break this season on the injury front.
In April, Soto missed 15 games after he was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right calf issue.
He later experienced back soreness in June that forced him to exit a game against the Cubs and kept him out of the subsequent one. At the time, Soto’s back locked up on him and he was classified as day to day.
The 27-year-old also left a game against the Phillies earlier this month due to mild left calf cramping/soreness.
The Mets have had to manage their star player’s workload for a majority of this lost 2026 season. Prior to this season, however, Soto had not been on the injured list since 2021.
Juan Soto of the New York Mets looks on prior to the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Friday, July 24, 2026 MLB Photos via Getty Images
As recently as earlier this week in the series finale against the Brewers, Soto sat out to rest a minor lingering issue with his left calf.
Green said he wanted to give Soto 48 hours “to get the calf thing completely behind him.”
Evidently, the calf injury is still nagging Soto. The Mets will have to wait and see just how serious it is.
“I think any time you get an image, you’re concerned,” Green said. “Concerned enough to go do it. We’ll wait until [Saturday] and figure out what we’re dealing with.”
Anthony Volpe isn't concerned about the Yankees' uncertainty at shortstop.
PHILADELPHIA — Anthony Volpe was back in the lineup at shortstop for the Yankees on Friday against the Phillies, but there’s just as much interest in the starting shortstop at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
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And with the Yankees without an everyday starting shortstop, questions will continue about the spot.
Asked Friday about the uncertainty surrounding the position — both with battling for time with José Caballero and knowing Lombard is on the team’s radar — Volpe said, “It’s not my job to be concerned with that. I’m here to help the team win. I’m ready to go every day to help the team.”
That includes, Volpe said, staying in touch with Lombard, who he played with at SWB while Volpe was rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery and again when he was optioned to Triple-A once it ended.
Anthony Volpe fields a ground ball during the Yankees’ July 24 game against the Phillies. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
“He’s doing well,” Volpe said. “I’ve talked to him a little bit, like I would with anyone else.”
Lombard, though, is not just somebody else.
Since coming back from an IL stint because of sprained fingers, Lombard has played well.
Entering Friday, in four games with SWB since his injury, Lombard was 9-for-17 with four extra-base hits.
Interestingly, Aaron Boone has not shied away from addressing Lombard in recent weeks as the 21-year-old plays his way into the conversation for a spot on the major league roster.
Before the Yankees opened a series against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, the manager noted that in addition to the superb defense Lombard has displayed since being drafted by the organization, he’s more recently developed physically and at the plate.
Anthony Volpe is pictured during the Yankees’ July 24 game against the Phillies. AP Photo
“He’s improved a lot offensively,’’ Boone said.
After pointing out how Lombard controls the strike zone and has “some power,” Boone spoke twice about his “hit-abilty.”
A National League scout who’s seen Lombard since his return from the IL agreed.
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“He’s smarter up there and knows his strengths,’’ the scout said. “It’s what you want to see from a player with that much skill and that good of a work ethic.”
“He’s playing really well now,” Boone said. “Especially coming off the injury… He’s come back and it seems like he hasn’t missed a beat. His performance has been excellent. He brings a lot of things to the table.’’
The next question, which only the Yankees can answer, is if he’s ready to contribute to their playoff push this season.
He began this year at Double-A Somerset, having played two full minor league seasons out of high school.
George Lombard Jr. swings during a Double-A Somerset game April 17. Charles Wenzelberg
And Lombard has played just 48 games at the Triple-A level.
As Boone said, he’s put “himself in the conversation.”
Asked what else the organization would need to see before calling him up, Boone said, “I don’t know. He’s done a great job. We’ll see.”
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 26: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball against Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards in the first half at Capital One Arena on April 26, 2021 in Washington, DC. 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. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The LeBron James sweepstakes have concluded. On Friday morning, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader and 22-time All-Star announced that his next — and almost certainly last — chapter will take place on the East Coast, where he’ll team with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, V.J. Edgecombe, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
It’s no secret that the Golden State Warriors were holding out hope that James would join his close friend (Draymond Green), a superstar he reveres (Steph Curry), and a coach he deeply respects (Steve Kerr). It never seemed like a very likely option, but it was one worth chasing. In the end, however, he chose elsewhere, leaving the Warriors scrambling to fill out their roster.
In the time between James announcing his plans to leave the Los Angeles Lakers and choosing a new team, the vast majority of the league’s free agents signed elsewhere, leaving limited options for the Dubs. They have to add at least one more player (in addition to re-signing Green, who opted out to provide the team extra fiscal flexibility as they chased James).
So who might that be? Here are some of the best options.
DeMar DeRozan
My guess is that, with James off the board, DeRozan has moved to the top of the board for the Warriors. On the one hand, he’s not a great fit with Golden State: he doesn’t shoot threes, he’s not exactly known for his ball movement, he’s not the biggest fan of defense, and he’s firmly and loudly on the opposite side as Curry in the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef (DeRozan, I should add, is on the right side).
On the other hand, he might be just what the Warriors need, especially with Jimmy Butler III out. DeRozan is still a certified bucket getter. Even in a down year last season, he still averaged 18.4 points per game and shot nearly 50% from the field. He’s exactly what the Warriors need when Curry is on the bench or taking a night off: the type of player you can give the ball to, clear out, and ask him to go get a bucket. He has the aggressive mentality that has helped Butler shine on the Warriors, and draws free throws at a high rate.
For all their flaws last year, the Warriors biggest issue was simply that they didn’t have enough people who can get a bucket. DeRozan, who will be affordable after being bought out by the Sacramento Kings, can help fix that.
Bradley Beal
As a pure basketball player, Beal fits better than DeRozan. While also an isolation scorer, his style is catered to what the Warriors do more than DDR’s. He’s a career 37.6% shooter from deep, including 40.7% in his last two healthy seasons. But he’s a worse fit on the Warriors for the simple reason that he’s even less interested in defense than DeRozan, and has played 202 games over the last five seasons, compared to 383 for DeRozan. If the Warriors are going to stick with older veterans, they’d be smart to go for durable ones, and DeRozan is a remarkably durable player. But if he’s off the board, Beal has a lot of skills that would fit.
Lonzo Ball
The Warriors were tied to Ball at the buyout deadline last year, before ultimately going in a different direction. I’ll say this much: they can’t just get Ball. He’s one of the most injury-prone players in the NBA: he played 35 games last year, 35 games the year before, and 35 games three years prior, with two missed seasons in between. 105 games over five years is not what an aging and injure Warriors team needs.
They can’t rely on Ball, but they sure can take a flyer on him. Ball’s favorite things are moving the rock quickly, and playing defense. And despite the ugly aesthetics of it, his three-point shot is fairly reliable. Is it any surprise that Kerr wants him on his team?
Chris Boucher
Reunion, anyone? Boucher began his career on the Warriors, logging exactly one minute in the 2017-18 championship season. He then went on to have a very successful career with the Toronto Raptors, which included beating the Warriors in the NBA Finals the next year.
Things changed this year, as he signed with the Boston Celtics, struggled with performance and injuries, played just nine games, was traded to the Utah Jazz, and was waived. But just two years ago he averaged 21.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per 36 minutes, and he plays solid defense. He’s the type of big man who could play alongside any of Golden State’s frontcourt players.
Amir Coffey
Want a flyer? Here’s your guy. Coffey has been pretty darn bad for a few years, but he’s a career 38.2% shooter from deep with good size and athleticism. The Warriors could use more large wings while they await the return of Butler and Moses Moody. Here’s one … he just needs work.
Kevin Love
Sorry, are Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis not filling your need for aging, often-injured, floor-stretching bigs? Then how about Love? Somehow he’s still playing, and somehow he’s also still playing well. He shot 37.3% on threes last year and grabbed 12.6 rebounds per 36 minutes. He can still throw a mean outlet pass, and is a great playmaker from the elbow, which the Warriors really utilized when Andrew Bogut was around. Plus, between he and Horford, it’s basically like having one healthy, reliable player!
Bennedict Mathurin
Mathurin doesn’t have the resumé or consistency of DeRozan or Beal, but the dude can get on a heater and score. He’s not the best shooter, but he can get to the rim, he draws free throws, and he’s a reliable 15 points every night. The Warriors need that in some form and fashion, especially until Butler returns. Golden State would be a great landing spot for Mathurin, where he could rebuild his value a little bit before entering free agency again next year.
Gary Payton II
Look, getting the entire band back together isn’t the best idea, but Payton does fit well in the Warriors system. He’s an elite perimeter defender, can bother forwards, rebounds like someone a foot taller than he is, and is a tremendous off-ball cutter. The Warriors need to make some improvements, but Payton is better than a lot of the players on this list.
Mario Hezonja
The Dubs have been tied to Hezonja, who hasn’t played in the NBA since 2019-20. He’s been playing overseas since then, and has been phenomenal for Real Madrid, with a whole lot of hardware being handed out in his direction. How will that translate back to the NBA? We may soon find out.
Throughout the San Jose Sharks' three-and-a-half decades of existence, only a single player has ever worn the number 69: Andrew Desjardins.
Desjardins, an undrafted player out of the Ontario Hockey League's Soo Greyhounds, joined the Sharks organization for the 2008-09 season as he signed with their AHL affiliate at the time, the Worcester Sharks.
He then quickly made his way to the NHL, debuting during the 2010-11 season. During the following campaign, he established himself as a full-time NHLer for the Sharks until he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2014-15 season. He then went on to immediately win his only career Stanley Cup during his first season in Chicago. After two more seasons with the Blackhawks, he departed the NHL and signed overseas for the remainder of his career.
Desjardins spent a number of years with Adler Mannheim of the German DEL before closing his career out with a couple of seasons in the Austrian ICEHL with Villacher SV. After the 2023-24 season, he officially hung up his skates and served as an assistant coach with the OHL's Sudbury Wolves during the 2024-25 season.
The 33-year-old Caldwell-Pope has won NBA championships on the 2019-20 Lakers (with James) and on the 2022-23 Nuggets. He’s a 6-foot-5 shooting guard with a longstanding 3-and-D reputation who averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds for Memphis last year in 21.3 minutes per game. Caldwell-Pope’s 31.6 percent mark from three-point range was his worst since the 2015-16 season.
He underwent season-ending surgery in February to address a right pinkie finger injury. The Grizzlies said at the time that Caldwell-Pope was expected to fully recover and be available for the start of the 2026-27 season.
James and Jaylen Brown have been the Sixers’ summer headliners, but president of basketball operations Mike Gansey has also picked up a variety of role players like forward Dean Wade, combo guard Anfernee Simons and center Ariel Hukporti. The latest is reportedly a familiar face for James.
Jul 24, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
After Thursday night’s thrilling come-from-behind win to open the four-game series against the Royals, the tension was high all night as the Tigers, behind terrific pitching and just enough offence, squeaked-out a 2-1 victory on Friday night to ensure at least a series tie.
Tarik Skubal made his fifteenth start of the season; his previous one was a sensational, seven-inning spanking of the Angels in which he scattered five harmless hits, struck out nine and walked nary a soul. Now, there have been plenty of contrasting rumours about the future of Skubal with the Tigers, but can we please, please just focus on the actual baseball game in which he pitched? Thank you in advance.
Righty Beck Way — no relation to Beck, as far as I can tell — opened for Noah Cameron, a sturdy lefty who’s in his second season in the Major Leagues. Last year went well for him: 24 starts, an ERA a hair below 3, a WHIP right around 1.1, and fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting. This year’s been more of a struggle: his ERA coming into tonight’s game was over 5, his WHIP is north of 1.4, and a few of his recent starts have been drastically shortened by a plethora of walks. Perhaps the Royals’ brass thought an opener might just be what Cameron needed, and they may be onto something.
The Tigers put their first three batters on base with a pair of singles and a Dillon Dingler plunking. Riley Greene put one over the left-field fence but Isaac Collins stole the grand slam, reducing it to a simple sacrifice fly.
Hao-Yu Lee then poked a single up the middle to score Gleyber Torres to make it a 2-0 game. As it turns out, that’d be all the scoring they’d do… and it’d be enough.
In the top of the third the Royals got runners to second and third with a double and a walk, and a sacrifice bunt to skooch the runners up a base. Skubal said, “Relax, everyone, I’ve got this,” and struck out the next two batters to keep the Royals off the board… until the next inning, in which Salvador Perez led off with a double, riding home on Nick Loftin’s double to narrow the gap to 2-1.
Both pitchers settled in for a while, with Skubal being particularly efficient; after six innings Skubal had thrown a meagre 68 pitches, so if AJ Hinch was to try to take him out of the game at that point, fists might’ve gone flying in the dugout. Cameron was no slouch either, only allowing a handful of baserunners on a couple of hits and a couple of walks.
In the bottom of the sixth, Lee punched a double off the right-centrefield wall with two out. Alas, Zack McKinstry lined out to left for the third out to keep the score at 2-1.
Indeed, Skubal came back out for the seventh, in which he notched his season-high 12th strikeout, giving him 999 for his major league career. The Royals then put runners on second and third with two out, but Skubal induced a short, harmless fly ball to centre for the third out. After that he got a fist-bump from Hinch, so it looked like Skubal would start the eighth…
…which he did! He got the first out quickly, which was all Hinch wanted out of him, and his final line was sensational: 7 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 12 K, 68 strikes out of 91 pitches (74.7%), 25 swings-and-misses. (That’s great.) Brenan Hanifee took over, got a pair of groundouts, and that was as deliciously uneventful as you’d ever want a relief appearance.
In the bottom of the eighth Gleyber Torres walked to lead off, and after a Dingler strikeout Greene hit a ground ball that was turned into an inning-ending double play. So, with a one-run lead, to whom would the Tigers turn for the final three outs?
As you might have expected it was Kenley Jansen, whose previous outing was an escape-job that would’ve made Houdini jealous. On the other hand, Jensen hasn’t allowed a run in July and has seemed a bit more in command of the cutter. How’d it go? Jac Caglianone flew out meekly to centre, Vinnie Pasquantino struck out swinging, and Nick Lotin popped up to Lee at second. Never a doubt.
But, alright, if you want to go ahead and speculate if this was Skubal’s final start in Detroit wearing a home uniform, I guess I can’t stop you. I’ve always found those endeavours were mere “micturation into the wind,” myself.
Before his three-run home run on Thursday night, James Outman wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire with his bat. Coming into that game, he was 10-for-78 with an OPS of exactly .500.
However, consider this: of his previous three home runs for the Tigers, two of them had been three-run homers. What did he hit on Thursday night? A three-run dinger, natch.
The run in the top of the fourth by the Royals was the first they’d scored in 20 2/3 innings against Tarik Skubal.
Pretty interesting visual essay/mini-documentary on The Foul Ball Epidemic. The more you think about it, the more sense it makes about why it’s such a big deal.
On this day in 1983, George Brett hit a home run for the Kansas City Royals. That wasn’t terribly unusual — he hit 317 in his career, all with KC — but this one featured pine tar on his bat farther up than the allowed 18 inches from the end. Opposing manager Billy Martin of the Yankees was well aware of this, but waited for the most opportune time to call this to the umpires’ attention. The reaction of an enraged Brett tearing out of the dugout, looking to do great bodily harm to the collection of umpires, is priceless.
Jul 24, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Noah Cameron (65) pitches in the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The Royals dropped yet another one-run game to the Tigers, their fifth in a row. But at least they didn’t give fans any real hope in this one as the Tigers won 2-1.
Here are two things that, had I said them two days ago, would not have made sense. The Tigers scored both of their runs in the first inning and Noah Cameron pitched seven scoreless innings. The Royals chose to use Beck Way as an opener in this one, but he loaded the bases before recording his first out. He almost gave up a grand slam to Riley Greene, but Isaac Collins managed to bring it back for a sacrifice fly. After a ground out, he allowed an RBI single to Hao-Yu Lee.
Noah Cameron looked as good as he ever has as the bulk reliever. He struck out 8 while allowing 2 hits and 3 walks in seven innings. I don’t know if using an opener for him will become the new norm or why it would have such a huge effect on him, but boy it worked tonight. One thing that stands out when looking at his pitch usage and stuff rates is that he really dialed back the four-seam fastball use in this one. For the season he has used it the most of any pitch at 27.2% despite it not being a particularly good pitch. Tonight he only used it 16.5% of the time, less than his cutter and changeup. He usually won’t use his cutter against lefties, but he was all too happy to do so tonight. That’s actually one of the changes I recommended on Royals Rundown earlier this week, so that was pretty gratifying.
Unfortunately, he was in a hole before he took the mound, and Tarik Skubal was on the other side.
In what may have been Skubal’s last start as a Tiger, he struck out 12 Royals – giving him 999 for his career. He also allowed four hits, all doubles. The Royals’ run came in the top of the fourth when Salvador Perez led off with a double and Nick Loftin came through with his own after two outs. The Royals’ other best opportunity came in the third inning when Isaac Collins led off with a double and Michael Massey walked. Tyler Tolbert put down a sacrifice bunt – in the third inning! And the Royals got what they deserved for such tactics when Carter Jensen and Lane Thomas struck out.
If you’re keeping track at home, that’s 7 scoreless for Cameron and 7.1 innings allowing 1 run for Skubal. I say Cameron outdueled him, but honestly it was just terrific pitching by both teams once Beck Way got past his first three batters. But those three counted, and the Royals lost.
In what might be considered a second bright spot, Jac Caglianone was feeling well enough to pinch hit for Starling Marte in the ninth and didn’t show any discomfort while flying out to shallow center.
The Royals will need to win tomorrow afternoon to have a shot at a series split. Michael Wacha (3.66 ERA, 4.37 SIERA) will face off against Casey Mize (2.79, 3.62). The game will be played at 12:10 PM Central.
Of the final four suitors in the free agent sweepstakes, Cleveland and Miami seemed like the most probable landing spots for James. But the NBA’s all-time leading scorer shocked just about everyone with his two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers.
Several former and current NBA stars reacted to the biggest NBA news of the summer.
Chris Bosh, a former championship teammate, was just as shocked as everyone else to learn of James’ final decision.
“I didn’t see this one coming.”
Chris Bosh, who is LeBron James former Miami Heat teammate, reacts to LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers and says the 76ers are the instant title favorites.
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) July 24, 2026
“Man, I didn’t see this one coming,” Bosh said in a video posted to his Instagram.
“I didn’t think he was gonna go to Philly, the weather and being cold. I was joking around that the old folks go to Miami and stuff like that. I guess not. The old guys still compete for championships, that’s what it’s about.
“This team is loaded. It was already pretty loaded. Now, I think this takes the Sixers overtop, not only as the favorites to win the NBA championship for next year but maybe for the next couple of years.”
On the Cousins podcast, Vince Carter didn’t mince words about James going to Philadelphia.
“That’s cheating,” Carter said jokingly, “because he doesn’t have to do much and still be him. Now your fifth starter has to guard one of those guys.”
Former Lakers teammate Danny Green was also stunned to hear James chose to sign a deal with the 76ers.
“I was like this can’t be real news, Shams is somebody hacking you, this can’t be real news, you know what I’m saying? Two-years, $8 million to Philly none of that was in the cards for me. So, yeah it was shocking, just as shocking as the Jaylen Brown news probably for me.”
There was also an unnamed former Lakers teammate of the 41-year-old, who told The Athletic he recalled James discussing how seriously he considered signing with the 76ers in 2018 before joining the Lakers.
NBA legend Charles Barkley has been vocal about his opinion on LeBron James. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Even Charles Barkley didn’t hold back in his reaction to James’ decision, going as far to say the four-time NBA champion stacks his team.
“The number one knock on LeBron for older guys like myself has always been, yo, man, you always stacking your team. He stacked it in Miami. He stacked it in Cleveland. He stacked it in LA. Now he’s stacking it in Philly. So that to me, I’m going to still have the same criticism I’ve always had,” Barkley said on The Stephen A. Smith Show.
Charles Barkley says LeBron James always stacks his team after going to Philly:
“The number one knock on LeBron for older guys like myself has always been, “Yo, man, you always stacking your team.” He stacked in Miami. He stacked in Cleveland. He stacked in LA. Now he’s stacking… pic.twitter.com/GCdBamMEdl
Other athletes also weighed in on James heading east, especially those playing in Philadelphia.
Eagles star Saquon Barkley welcomed the NBA superstar via social media: “Welcome to the city? Let me know when you tryna tee it up @KingJames. “
Phillies star Bryce Harper, who made a free agency pitch to James last week, heaped high praise for the city and the imminent arrival of James.
“It’s obviously a great city to come play in, fanbase-wise, sports-wise. Feel like the city is in a really good spot with all the teams right now. Just a really good spot to be in,” Harper said.
Bryce Harper on LeBron James
The Phillies star says he’s not surprised LeBron James picked Philly and Sixers pic.twitter.com/yd0ZR3QfID
Despite being the oldest active player in the NBA, James’ influence evidently spreads far and wide. Now, he’ll take his talents to the City of Brotherly Love.
Former San Jose Sharks forward Justin Bailey has signed a one-year deal with Kazakh club Barys Astana of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League.
Bailey, who was drafted by his hometown Buffalo Sabres in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft, joined the Sharks organization during the 2023-24 season. Initially, he signed just an American Hockey League level deal with the San Jose Barracuda, but after a month or so, he earned an NHL deal and was called back up to the NHL for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
Bailey appeared in 59 games for the Sharks in his return to the NHL, playing bottom-six minutes on a struggling team. He scored five goals, having last scored during the 2017-18 season while still a member of the Sabres organization, and 14 points. At the end of the season, he was named the Sharks' nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, but the award ended up going to Connor Ingram of the Arizona Coyotes.
At 31 years of age, Bailey is heading overseas for the first time in his career. Since departing the Sharks organization, he had been a mainstay in the AHL for the San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks' affiliate.
The Utah Mammoth caused quite the stir during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Before Game 3 against the Vegas Golden Knights, Mammoth owner Ryan Smith celebrated his team clinching the postseason for the first time by offering fans a unique opportunity— a jersey swap.
“For any Golden Knights fans still left in Utah, come swap your VGK jersey for a new Utah Mammoth jersey on Friday at noon at the Delta Center,” Smith wrote in a post on X / Twitter.
For any Golden Knights fans still left in Utah, come swap your VGK jersey for a new @UtahMammoth jersey on Friday at noon at the Delta Center. Utah shows up! #TusksUp
The initiative was wildly popular with Mammoth and Golden Knights fans alike. People showed up in droves to wait in a line that wrapped well around the side of the Delta Center. The jersey exchange began at 12 p.m. MST; by 12:48, the team announced that they’d exchanged all available jerseys.
“Vegas hockey was on TV here,” said Mammoth owner Ryan Smith later that day. “And I think you could see that with the jersey exchange today. Everyone thinks I’m just trolling them, but no— I mean, it’s 50% trolling. But like, I think it’s way more out of respect for how [the Golden Knights have] grown. And I think that’s part of the responsibility, to slide over and let the new group come in, similar to how someone slid over for them to come in.”
If you’re wondering what happened to all those Golden Knights jerseys that fans traded in, we now have an answer.
Ryan Smith and the Utah Mammoth could have profited from the jersey swap, or even furthered the bit by destroying exchanged jerseys. Instead, they gave the Golden Knights jerseys to charity in a way that almost repaid Golden Knights fans for being good sports. The Mammoth donated the jerseys to the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, an organization that serves as the primary charitable link between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Las Vegas community.
“The collected Golden Knights jerseys were donated by the Utah Mammoth to the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation,” wrote HELP of Southern Nevada in a Facebook post. “The Vegas Golden Knights Foundation then shared them with local nonprofits throughout Southern Nevada, including HELP of Southern Nevada.”
The four-time NBA champion and league's all-time leading scorer was reportedly deciding between Philadelphia, joining Stephen Curry on the Golden State Warriors, a return to the Miami Heat or a comeback to his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Fans also had fun imagining James on a favorite Philadelphia-based sitcom and comparing him to another beloved figure from the city.
Here's the best pop culture reactions to James signing with the 76ers:
Philadelphia music artists are hyped LeBron James is a Sixer
While Philadelphia might be overshadowed by Los Angeles or New York in the music scene, it still has a strong stable of influential artists. Questlove posted a series of Instagram stories welcoming LeBron James. Meek Mill, Tierra Whack and Lil Dicky were also among those who celebrated the 22-time All-Star's announcement that he was going to play in their city.
James Poyser of The Roots had maybe the best response of the day when he made a Threads post saying, "LeJawn James!!!!"
The people want LeBron James on 'Abbott Elementary'
Quinta Brunson's sitcom "Abbott Elementary" is set in Philadelphia and has become part of the city's pop culture DNA. The award-winning show has seen cameos from Bradley Cooper, the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty and Philadelphia Eagles stars Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce and Brandon Graham. Fans want LeBron to be next.
Brunson herself showed excitement at the NBA's all-time leading scorer joining her hometown team. She posted a series of Instagram stories with James' famous "Can't believe this my life" meme, a picture of them together with the caption "My goat" and a sly emoji in response to a fan who asked if the basketball superstar would appear on the show.
Quinta Brunson is hyped for LeBron to be in Philly.
In Akron, Ohio born and raised, on the playground is where he spent most of his days.
Several people on social media pointed out that LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers is a "reverse fresh prince." In opposite order of Will Smith's popular '90s comedy, the NBA superstar went from Los Angeles to Philadelphia.
X user bobcattheUNC posted the final scene of the show where the Philadelphia-bred actor stands alone in the Bel Air living room after the Banks Family moved to the East Coast and suggested James is doing a similar move to his son Bronny. James was influential in getting the Los Angeles Lakers to draft his son.
Crazy Fresh Prince reboot -- dad abandons his son to pursue his hoops dreams, in Philadelphia, leaving son behind with his family in Bel-Air https://t.co/tLwf2qTw19
🎵 IIIIIIIn South Philadelphia, bought and paid, At Xfinity arena spent most of my days, Aging out, maxin, relaxin all cool And all shootin some bball like a damn fool When a couple of kids who were up to no good Said “Dad why’d ya leave us in Hollywood” 🎵 https://t.co/Ce6HIyuSJT
By the power vested in me as the Governor of the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a die-hard Sixers fan... I hereby proclaim today to be LEBRON JAMES DAY.
Clay Holmes is on the cusp of returning to the mound, but the chances of it being for the Mets seem slim.
That fact is not lost on Holmes, who addressed the looming Aug. 3 trade deadline on Friday after his first minor league rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse.
“It’s different, for sure,” he said before the Mets opened a 10-game homestand against the Dodgers. “It’s just a unique scenario. I think the timing of just this injury, just the unforeseen kind of circumstances are with the team. I think all that together has just put together a very unique, weird scenario here. Sometimes it’s easy to let your mind wander, and there’s a lot of things out there that you can’t really control. You do know that there’ll be some impact on your future, but I think just as an athlete, especially me right now, I want to be pitching my best, whether that’s here or somewhere else these last two months.
“I just need to really be locked in on just the things I can do, things I can do on the mound, and hopefully the other things take care of themselves.”
Clay Holmes has been recovering from a fractured fibula. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Asked if extension talks between the Mets and his agent ever went anywhere, Holmes said he didn’t think “there was a ton there.”
The 33-year-old has a $12 million player option for 2027 and is widely expected to decline in order to enter free agency this upcoming winter. Considering Holmes is one of the few bright spots on the team, the Mets certainly recognize him as one of their top trade chips.
Holmes posted a 2.39 ERA over nine starts and 52 ²/₃ innings before getting struck by a comebacker on May 15.
“I don’t know. We’ll see how this week goes,” Holmes said when asked what the next steps in his rehab are. “We haven’t really had a ton of discussion about it yet, but there’s always that part of you that is like, ‘Man, I can pitch in a game. And feel like I can pitch in the big leagues.’ I think some of that’s just kind of how you’re wired as an athlete. So we’ll just see where we’re at, seek everybody’s opinion. Feel good, feel ready to compete, feel like I can compete anywhere. We just see how this week goes to see what’s next.”
Clay Holmes was one of the few positives for the Mets this season before his injury. Robert Sabo for NY Post
In his rehab start on Thursday against the RailRiders, Holmes gave up two runs on three hits, walked two batters and struck out two over 2 ¹/₃ innings.
He threw 28 strikes over his 51 total pitches.
According to Holmes, the recovery process was pretty seamless.
He said he met all the timelines that were set before him and felt like there were “no huge roadblocks” at any point.
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“I think in this timeline of being back, around or before August 1, was definitely ambitious,” Holmes said. “And you know, here we are looking at it. I think just the plan that the training staff has put in place has been great. We’ve executed it really well, and the ankle’s responded really well. It can be a tricky thing when you deal with a non-throwing arm injury because there’s just a balance of being able to keep the arm ready and keeping, in my case, the ankle in a good place and making sure you just don’t really … ankle may be good, but you still can’t over-push the rest of the body.
“I think just the balance we’ve kept with that has been really good. So I’m really happy where I’m at and how I feel. Very thankful for that.”
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) July 24, 2026
New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after he flies out in the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field, Sunday, July 12, 2026, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Chris Bosh/IG) 
