This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.
After Carlos Beltrán, who will be the next player to enter the Hall of Fame in a Mets cap?
Bryce Harper calls surprising offseason remark ‘wild' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Bryce Harper isn’t searching for motivation.
But when he spoke Sunday in Clearwater for the first time publicly since Dave Dombrowski’s end-of-season comments about his “elite” status, it was clear the tone of that conversation still stuck with him.
“For me, it was wild, the whole situation of that happening,” Harper said.
Part of Harper’s reaction comes from the standard he felt was set when he started negotiating with the club in 2019.
“When we first met with this organization, it was, hey, you know, we’re always going to keep things in-house, and we expect you to do the same thing,” Harper said. “And so, when that didn’t happen, it kind of took me for a run a little bit.”
The dynamics have shifted since then. Dombrowski wasn’t overseeing baseball operations when Harper joined the team. He was with the Red Sox at the time.
Harper’s 13-year deal has hardly been a disappointment and overall does not deserve a whole lot of criticism. Since coming to Philadelphia, Harper owns a .912 regular-season OPS and a 1.010 postseason OPS, along with three Silver Sluggers and an MVP.
The frustration is also rooted in what 2025 looked like. Harper didn’t dodge Dombrowski’s evaluation.
“Obviously, I didn’t have the year that I wanted,” he said. “Obviously, I didn’t have the postseason I wanted. My numbers weren’t where they needed to be. I know that.”
If there’s a single place the season stung, it’s October. In the NLDS against the Dodgers, Harper went 3-for-15 with one extra-base hit, good for a .600 OPS. It was the fewest extra-base hits he’s had in any postseason run with at least 10 at-bats and his toughest five-game-or-more series since his 19-year-old season in 2012.
And it wasn’t just Harper. Between Harper, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber, the trio slashed .208/.309/.375 in the series for a .684 OPS.
Harper’s focus now is less about statements and more about adjustment. Some of it is approach, some of it is what he’s being given.
“Yeah, I think there’s a lot of things that, you know, chasing pitches or chasing stuff out of the zone… not missing pitches over the plate,” Harper said. “I’ll hopefully see a couple more pitches in the zone this year.”
Harper’s chase rate backed up the point. His outside-the-zone swing percentage was 36 percent, his highest since 2022 (37.2). He saw 42.9 percent of pitches in the zone, about in line with last year, and he hasn’t seen 44-plus percent since 2022.
The 2022 and 2025 profiles weren’t identical, but they carry similarities. Harper tore his UCL in 2022 and still slashed .286/.364/.514. The .877 OPS that year and the way he was pitched in 2025 fit into a familiar theme: if pitchers don’t have to challenge him, they won’t.
That’s where the lineup protection conversation comes back, especially with the cleanup spot still unsettled.
“I think it’s a huge impact in the four spot,” Harper said. “I think the numbers in the four spot weren’t very good last year either for our whole team. So… whoever is in that spot is going to have a big job to do.”
Whether it’s Schwarber, Alec Bohm, or Adolis García, that spot affects how teams choose to pitch Harper. And if he’s seeing fewer hittable pitches again, the Phillies will need to create offense through other avenues.
Before the regular season even begins, Harper will have another stage. He’s set to play in the World Baseball Classic, something he spoke about with obvious excitement.
“I can’t wait to represent your country. There’s nothing better… the feeling of putting USA on your chest and playing for something so much bigger than yourself,” Harper said. “And having Aaron Judge hit behind me is going to be a lot of fun as well.”
It also changes his calendar. Harper ramped up earlier than usual this offseason with the WBC ahead, and he noted an offseason regimen that included Extracorporeal Blood Oxygenation and Ozonation (EBOO).
He described on Instagram in December that the process is where a portion of blood is drawn, filtered, and exposed to ozone before being returned to the bloodstream.
The goal is simple: stay on the field all year. Harper hasn’t played 150 games in a season since his first year with the Phillies, and disruptions can impact one’s readiness for the postseason.
That’s the part hovering over everything in Clearwater. Harper can post strong regular-season numbers again. The Phillies can win 90-plus games again. But if the stars fade when the games tighten, the ending stays the same.
Harper knows that. He doesn’t need to be pushed. He’s looking for the version of the Phillies that shows up when it matters most.st.
TESERO, Italy (AP) — Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has won a ninth gold medal in cross-country skiing, setting a Winter Games record, at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The 29‑year‑old anchored Sunday’s 4 x 7.5-kilometer relay in the men’s competition for his fourth gold at the 2026 Games.
He had shared the record with three retired Norwegian athletes, Marit Bjoergen and Bjoern Daehlie in cross-country skiing and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in the biathlon.
He now stands alone at the top.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Once again this year, Quebec City will host its International Pee Wee Tournament from February 11 to 22, and as always, there will be a team representing the Montreal Canadiens. This time around, it’s the Lions du Lac St-Louis that have earned the privilege of wearing the Sainte-Flanelle for the tournament, and on Friday, they got a visitor at practice.
While plenty of NHL players have used the Olympic break as an opportunity to head to sunny destinations, Mike Matheson stayed around, spent some time in Brossard skating with his little boy, and on Friday, he surprised the Lions at practice.
Canadiens: Slafkovsky’s Irresistible Assault on Slovakia’s Olympic Goal Scoring Record
Canadiens’ Suzuki Moved Back To Center in Canada’s Win
Canadiens: Laine Trade Rumours Swirling Around As Finn Forward Looks Like Casualty Of Habs’ Improvement
Judging by the picture published by the Canadiens’ social media account, the kids were over the moon to see Matheson, who had his jersey retired by the Lions back in September, turn up. They hadn’t started their tournament yet, with their first game being scheduled on Valentine’s Day against the Long Island Stars.
Matheson, who will turn 32 toward the end of the month, signed a five-year extension with the Canadiens at the end of November and is not going anywhere anytime soon. The veteran defenseman managed to get a three-year full no-movement clause out of Kent Hughes, a rare feat. Then, in the last two years of his deal, he has a modified no-trade clause, which provides that he can submit a list of 14 teams he doesn’t want to be traded to in 2029-30 and a five-team list for the 2030-31 season.
Right now, there would be no reason for the Canadiens to want to trade the blueliner in any case; he’s an absolute workhorse on their defence corps, averaging nearly 25 minutes of ice time per game. Despite not being on the power play anymore, he’s managed to rack up 28 points in 54 games, just three points below his total from last season, which he’ll no doubt surpass.
But : Fils de Mike Matheson.
— DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) February 13, 2026
Mentions d'aide : Ivan Demidov et Kirby Dach 😂🥰 pic.twitter.com/rSNGe5ZAux
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The Philadelphia Flyers, as an organization, appear to be finally getting healthy and kicking some injuries at the right time.
Forward Tyson Foerster appears to be on the mend, defense prospect Spencer Gill just played in his first games since October, and now another young stud is getting back on the ice, too.
On Saturday night, top forward prospect Alex Bump made his return from a lengthy injury absence that eliminated all but one game over the last two months.
Bump, 22, entered the Lehigh Valley Phantoms' lineup for the first time since Jan. 3 on Saturday night, and before that, the highly-skilled winger hadn't played since Dec. 19.
Bump, Gill, and defenseman Oliver Bonk have all missed several months due to their respective injuries this season, and all are now healthy at the same time for the first time this season.
Flyers AHL Affiliates Sign 6-foot-3 DefensemanThe Flyers have identified an injury replacement for one of their rising prospects.In his return to the lineup, Bump recorded three shots on goal, took one penalty, and had a -2 rating.
Former Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov (33/35, .943) and the Cleveland Monsters took a 5-2 decision, knocking off Bump and the Phantoms and making them losers of four straight.
In each of their last four losses, the Phantoms have allowed no fewer than five goals while being out-scored 22-10.
The Phantoms now sit at a mediocre 21-21-4 in fifth place in the AHL's Atlantic Division, but now that Bump is back and healthy, maybe they have a chance to turn the tides a bit.
As for Bump's NHL prospects, his injury came at an unfortunate time, and it would take something unprecedented (or another injury at the NHL level at the winger position) for the 22-year-old to get ice time in the big leagues.
Flyers Will Get Good Look at Top NHL Draft Prospect in OlympicsThe Flyers should be paying close attention to the only NHL draft prospect featuring in the Winter Olympics this year.For now, teammate and fellow Flyers prospect Denver Barkey has leapfrogged him on the organizational depth chart, nailing down a middle-six role on the Flyers as currently constructed.
DRaysBay works best as a place for community and conversation. Accordingly, in the lead up to the new season, we are posting “Daily Questions” in the month of February. I look forward to seeing you in the comment section!
On the one hand, a pitching duel — particularly with a pitch clock — is a high intensity, efficient affair. Breezy and compelling for those of us near a screen.
A slugfest, on the otherhand, begs the question, “are you not entertained?” And is that not why we watch?
Preseason All-Star baseball team for the Southland.
PITCHER: Striker Pence, Corona Santiago, So.; Throws legitimate 101-mph fastballs for strikes.
PITCHER: Jared Grindlinger, Huntington Beach, Jr.; Whether pitching or hitting, Grindlinger stands at the top of 2027 class.
UTILITY: Jack Champlin, St. John Bosco, Sr.; UC Irvine commit was phenomenal during playoffs last season as a closer.
CATCHER: Carson Scheffer, Oaks Christian, Sr.; Oklahoma State commit has electric arm and power at the plate.
INFIELDER: Brody Schumaker, Santa Margarita, Sr.; TCU commit has speed, instincts and can bunt with the best.
INFIELDER: Dylan Seward, Norco, Jr.; Tennessee commit can hit and field with work ethic that is off the charts.
INFIELDER: Trey Ebel, Corona, Sr.; Texas A&M commit gets to move from second base to shortstop to show off his arm.
INFIELDER: James Clark, St. John Bosco, Sr.; Showed off his impressive skills for USA 18U national team.
INFIELDER: James Tronstein, Harvard-Westlake, Sr.; Vanderbilt commit moves to shortstop and hit above .500 in winter ball.
OUTFIELDER: Blake Bowen, JSerra, Sr.; Oregon State commit might be best pro prospect in Southern California.
OUTFIELDER: Jordan Ayala, Norco, So.; Throws fastballs in the 90s and also hits bombs.
OUTFIELDER: Anthony Murphy, Corona, Sr.; LSU commit is center fielder who chases down flyballs, hits home runs and can run.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hello, friends.
There are now 39 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day. It’s only one day more until all position players are required to report to camp, and on Friday, the Grapefruit League schedule will begin for the O’s. We have made it to the week that has something resembling Major League Baseball, even if the real thing must wait a while longer.
The main thing I don’t like about spring training is that nothing good can happen. There can pretty much only be bad news. It doesn’t matter how good such-and-such guy looks or who is looking forward to doing what. The only thing that matters is that nobody important gets hurt between now and March 26. But all the guys are down in Sarasota and all of the beat writers are down there too, so assorted daily narratives come along anyway, like yesterday with Trevor Rogers looking good in simulated game throwing:
Sometimes guys look good in spring training and it doesn’t mean anything in the regular season. Sometimes guys look bad in spring training and it doesn’t mean anything in the regular season. Depending on how things go, sometimes it does feel like it means something, but on the outside, we have no way of knowing what really could connect to what will happen in 39 days and what won’t.
Still, for this kind of thing, my philosophy is that it’s better to have things that don’t matter where you need to remind yourself to pump the brakes on excitement rather than have it be where you have to make excuses for why it will be better when it matters. So, Rogers? Looking great. And since position players aren’t even required to have reported yet, we will just not worry about how hitters looked on Valentine’s Day.
In fringe of the roster news, the Orioles yesterday sent cash considerations to the Twins to acquire reliever Jackson Kowar. The 29-year-old Kowar had been in “DFA limbo” after the Twins cast him off; Kowar had already been waived by the Mariners early this offseason. He is out of minor league options after a 2025 season where he posted a 4.24 ERA in 15 games. Over four major league seasons, he’s appeared in 54 games and has an 8.21 ERA. He might just stink enough to be an O’s bullpen candidate.
The team transferred Colin Selby to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster. Selby was reported to have shoulder inflammation, so the team must think he’ll be out for a while for him to go on the 60-day.
Chris Bassitt just missed out on a title in Toronto. He wants to win it in Baltimore. (The Baltimore Banner)
One thing can always pierce right through my jaded defenses: Guys showing up and immediately talking about wanting to win a World Series here. I still remember Brett Phillips arriving and doing that. Why do I even remember that Brett Phillips existed, let alone that he was an Oriole for a short time? It’s a sickness. Anyway, let’s hope this goes better for Bassitt than with Tomoyuki Sugano saying similar stuff (minus the just missing out on a title) last spring.
Bassitt says Alonso ‘one of the big reasons why I came here’ (The Baltimore Sun)
I dream of the day when top-end starting pitchers are saying things like this as they sign with the Orioles. This offseason was not the one.
Albernaz says Bassitt will ‘fit in right away’ with Orioles (Baltimore Baseball)
The manager has not, as yet, tipped his hand about his plans for the starting rotation. Which he doesn’t really need to divulge for a month anyway until he sees if someone gets hurt between now and then.
New Orioles closer Helsley standing out with stuff, work ethic early in camp (Orioles.com)
This is another example of a story that only gets written because there’s nothing real to say. But hopefully it ends up meaning good things in the season!
Today in 2018, the Orioles announced the signing of free agent starting pitcher Andrew Cashner to a two-year contract. Cashner, who wasn’t even the latest-signing Orioles starting pitcher that year (with Alex Cobb to come later in camp,) put up a 5.28 ERA in 28 starts that season. Let’s hope the recently-announced Chris Bassitt signing goes much better.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 1997 reliever Brian Williams, 1991-93 outfielder Luis Mercedes, and 1960-64 pitcher Chuck Estrada. Today is Estrada’s 88th birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you as well! Your birthday buddies for today include: astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564), philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748), jeweler Charles Tiffany (1812), women’s suffrage activist Susan B. Anthony (1820), Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton (1874), The Simpsons creator Matt Groening (1954), comedian/actor Chris Farley (1964), and rapper Megan Thee Stallion (1995).
In 1493, while on his return journey to Europe, Christopher Columbus wrote an open letter of his discoveries on his voyage to the New World that was widely distributed after he returned to Portugal the following month.
In 1898, the USS Maine suffered an explosion while in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. The explosion and sinking of the ship, which killed 274 of the ship’s 354 crew, was almost certainly an accident, but some American officials and newspapers instead chose to blame Spain and the incident sparked the Spanish-American War.
In 1945, the third and final night of the fire-bombing of the city of Dresden took place. This combined effort by the Royal Air Force and US Army Air Force destroyed much of the city center and killed around 25,000 people.
I received a little book of Orioles trivia for Christmas. I’ll post a question each time it’s my turn in this space until I either run out of questions or forget. The book has multiple choice answers, but I’m not giving you those because it would be too easy. Here’s today’s question:
Whose 68 career triples put him atop the Orioles franchise leaderboard?
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on February 15. Have a safe Sunday.
Well, that didn’t take long.
On to the links.
Phillies news:
MLB news:
We’re back with another daily question on this unseasonably warm Sunday!
We asked a few weeks ago which prospect you’re most looking forward to seeing this spring, and on Friday, Dave covered a few dark horse roster candidates, which got me thinking: Which non-roster invite has the best chance of making the Brewers?
There are a whole lot of non-roster options this spring — 18 to be exact — but as Dave said on Friday, there’s always a surprise or two. I won’t cover all 18, and I won’t look at any of the three Dave mentioned, but I will at least bring up a few.
While there are several prospects and players you probably haven’t heard of in that group of 18, one a lot of people will remember is pitcher Peter Strzelecki. Strzelecki, who was added on a minor league deal with a spring invite earlier this week, pitched for the Crew in 2022 and 2023 before being sent to the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline. He made just one appearance with Arizona that year before making 10 appearances with Cleveland in 2024. He spent 2025 at Triple-A Indianapolis and Durham, the affiliates of Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay, respectively, though with little success (9.41 ERA over 22 innings). We’ll see if he can turn it around in his return to the Crew.
Catcher Reese McGuire is another name to watch, though with this week’s addition of Gary Sánchez, his spot on the major league roster has become less clear. New addition Jett Williams is one of those prospects to watch, and he could compete for an infield/outfield depth spot, while outfielder Greg Jones has a slim path to the majors, as Milwaukee has several names ahead of him on the depth chart.
Who do you think has the best shot at making the team out of spring training?
Weigh in in the comments, and join us throughout the month as we keep these conversations rolling into spring training. Have a question you’d like to ask in a future BCB Daily Question? Drop one in the comments and we may use it later this month.
The journey keeps rolling, and if I am being honest, this pyramid has taken over more mental space than I ever expected. I keep circling back to names, revisiting tiers, and replaying arguments in my head. Every conversation I have with Suns fans adds another wrinkle that makes me second-guess a decision I felt good about an hour earlier. There is a real fear of getting it wrong, of missing something obvious, of overlooking a moment that mattered to someone else.
At the same time, I know what this is. It is fluid. It is subjective. It has to be viewed through my lens, guided by my standards, my memory, and my sense of what impact actually means. That is the only honest way to do it.
My memory. God help us.
I think one of the biggest challenges with this whole exercise is the scope of it. I am staring down 58 years of Phoenix Suns basketball, and I have only lived through about 38 of them with my own eyes. That leaves a full two decades of history that I did not experience in real time, years I have to reconstruct through box scores, old clips, yellowed stories, and whatever context I can mine after the fact.
There is a difference between knowing something happened and feeling it happen. There are players whose impact lives in numbers and paragraphs for me, not memories. I can build a case. I can understand the logic. But I did not live the nights. I did not feel the temperature of the building or the way a guy changed the mood of a season.
And that is also what makes this fun.
This community is layered. There are fans here who have been around since 1968. They saw it all unfold in real time. They know where the stories exaggerate and where the stats undersell the truth. They can tell me where I am right. They can tell me where I am dead wrong. And they should.
This pyramid is not meant to be the final word. It is a conversation starter. A framework. A way to connect eras, memories, and arguments across generations of Suns basketball. And the best part is letting those generations talk to each other.
So without further ado, let’s reveal the Tier 5 of the Phoenix Suns All-Time Pyramid.
Now this is one area where there actually is a clear line of demarcation, because everyone on this list is a multi-time All-Star as a member of the Phoenix Suns. These are players who earned the right to represent the franchise on a national stage more than once. These are not one off seasons or brief flashes. These are guys who showed up, produced, and carried the identity of the team with them when the lights were brightest, and they earned that recognition through sustained impact and credibility in a Suns uniform.
Let’s get into it.
He is one of those true legends of the sport, a point guard who feels like part of a fading species. I’m writing this now, with his retirement fresh and real, which adds weight to where he sits in the long annals of basketball history.
Chris Paul spent 21 years in the league, and three of those seasons came in Phoenix, totaling 194 regular-season games, and those games carried enormous significance for the franchise. He left Phoenix ranked third all-time in assists per game at 9.5, led the league in assists during the 2020-021 season at 10.8 per night, and served as the engine of a team that reached the NBA Finals.
His time in Phoenix included two All-Star selections and two All-NBA honors. He also ranks second all-time in Suns history in assist percentage at 41.4% and fifth in free throw percentage at 86.7%.
Remembering Chris Paul also means acknowledging how his body broke down in the postseason, something that followed him late into his career as he played through ages 34 to 37. That reality does not erase the impact. He arrived at an organization that had gone a decade without touching the postseason, and everything shifted. The Suns mattered again. They competed again.
His influence on Devin Booker, a player who will sit much higher on this pyramid, defies clean measurement. The Point God did not fix everything, but he pulled the franchise out of stagnation, and that alone secures his place in Suns history.
There is only one ‘Original Sun’, and that designation belongs to Dick Van Arsdale. The Flying Dutchman.
As a 6’5” shooting guard out of Indiana, Van Arsdale arrived in Phoenix through the 1968 expansion draft after coming over from the New York Knicks. He stayed until he retired in 1977, logging nine full seasons with the organization and anchoring its earliest identity.
The resume holds up. He ranks fifth all-time in games played, sixth all-time in points, and third all-time in offensive win shares, which still jumps off the page when you put it in historical context. He was a core member of the team that reached the first NBA Finals in franchise history in 1976, and he earned three consecutive All-Star selections, starting with the very first season of Suns basketball in 1968-69.
Statistically, his best year came in the 1970-71 season, when he averaged 20.2 points per game and carried a heavy load for a young franchise finding its footing.
So why Tier 5 instead of Tier 6? Because every organization has a starting point, and for the Phoenix Suns, Dick Van Arsdale was that point. The 1968-69 team that finished 16-66 also featured another All-Star in Gail Goodrich, but Goodrich was traded in 1970. Van Arsdale stayed. He became the constant through the early years, the player who embodied what the Suns were before there was any real definition of success.
Being the foundation is relevant. Dick Van Arsdale was not only productive, he was present, steady, and representative of the franchise from its first breath.
Some of my earliest Suns memories live in an offense that ran straight through Tom Chambers. Yes, Kevin Johnson was running the show, setting the table, and pushing the pace, but when it came time to finish the play, it was Chambers rising up and cashing it in, over and over again, with a consistency that defined that era of basketball in Phoenix.
Chambers spent five seasons with the Suns, arriving in 1988 as the first unrestricted free agent in NBA history, a decision that mattered then and still matters now. He chose Phoenix, and in doing so, he became the centerpiece of some of the best Suns teams that rarely get talked about anymore.
Everyone remembers 1992 -93 when Charles Barkley showed up and changed the national conversation, but the groundwork was already there long before that. Those teams were good. In some seasons, they were great.
In Chambers’ first year, the Suns went 55-27 and reached the Western Conference Finals. The next season, 54-28, same result. In 1990-91, they finished 55-27 again and bowed out in the first round. Then came 1991-92, a 53-29 season that ended in the conference semifinals. Over that four-year stretch, the Suns went 217-111.
It was a sustained run of winning basketball that positioned the franchise to take the final swing that eventually brought Barkley to town. The team could not quite get over the hump, but Tom Chambers was a massive reason they were knocking on the door year after year.
Individually, his production still towers over franchise history. His 27.2 points per game in the 1989-90 season remains the gold standard for scoring in Phoenix. He holds the top two single-season scoring totals in Suns history, with 2,201 points in 1989-90 and 2,085 points the year before. He made three All-Star teams as a Sun, earned two All-NBA selections, and his 20.6 points per game average in Phoenix ranks eighth all-time.
Tom Chambers feels like one of the forgotten greats of the NBA. No player has scored more career points without reaching the Hall of Fame, and it is still baffling. That 27.2 point season was fourth in the league in scoring that year, trailing only Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, and Patrick Ewing, while finishing ahead of Dominique Wilkins, Charles Barkley, Chris Mullin, Reggie Miller, Hakeem Olajuwon, and David Robinson. Every one of those names is enshrined. Chambers is not.
He should be.
And within the context of Phoenix Suns history, his place is clear. Tom Chambers belongs in Tier 5 of the Suns All Time Pyramid, without hesitation, without apology, and without revision.
Connie Hawkins arrived in Phoenix and immediately gave the Suns a sense of legitimacy, a player who lived above the rim and played the game with a style and confidence that felt ahead of its time. He was electric, graceful, and undeniably great, the kind of presence that changed how a young franchise was perceived the moment he stepped on the floor.
For those unfamiliar with his backstory, Hawkins carried a complicated history into the league. Early in his career, he was swept up in a point-shaving scandal and banned from the NBA, a decision that later came to be viewed as deeply unfair and damaging. By the time he reached Phoenix, he was playing with both talent and something to prove, and the Suns benefited from all of it, a gifted player reclaiming his place and leaving a meaningful imprint on the franchise in the process.
As Dave King wrote in 2017, following the passing of The Hawk:
I know you didn’t watch The Hawk when he played for the Suns back in the late 60s. He joined the expansion Phoenix Suns in 1968 when he was 25 years old after stints with the ABL, Globetrotters and ABA. He won MVP awards in both leagues, and was Dr. J before Dr. J.
Unfortunately, Hawkins had eight of his best years ripped from him for being wrongly implicated in a point shaving scandal in 1961. Despite obvious evidence to the contrary, his name wasn’t cleared by the athletic world until 1969, during which time he was blackballed by colleges and the NBA.
As it turned out, Hawkins never even knew about the point-shaving. He just had the misfortune of knowing some of those who did, and borrowing a couple hundred bucks at one point from the attorney at the center of the scandal so he could pay some school expenses. That $200 was even repaid back to the attorney before the scandal even broke. Hawkins, a freshman in college who wasn’t even ALLOWED to play for the varsity team when the point shaving was supposed to have occurred, still got blackballed by both the NCAA and the NBA even though he was never arrested or indicted.
The Suns were assigned the 25-year old Hawkins after he was finally cleared to play, and after winning a $1.3 million judgment in a lawsuit he filed years before against the NBA for wrongful banning. During his 8-year exile from traditional basketball settings, Hawkins spent a few years traveling with the Harlem Globetrotters and winning MVP awards with both the ABL and ABA.
He spent four and a half seasons in Phoenix, and that first year alone announced exactly who he was. In 81 games, Connie Hawkins averaged 24.6 points, made the All-Star team, earned All-NBA First Team honors, and finished fifth in MVP voting, which tells you how loud his arrival was and how quickly the league took notice. He would go on to make three more All-Star teams as a Sun, four total, and his 20.5 points per game still rank tenth in franchise history.
The way he played jumps off the page even now. He averaged the third-most free throw attempts per game in Suns history at 7.4 and logged the fourth-most minutes per game at 37.8. In the 1969-70 season alone he attempted 741 free throws, the second-most ever in a single Suns’ season. Hawkins played through contact, invited it, and lived at the line because defenders had no clean answers for him.
This is one of those players I never got to see with my own eyes, and that part stings a little. Sitting on my desk is a 1971 Topps Connie Hawkins card, and every time I look at it, I feel like he would have been my guy if I had been around then.
He was built different. He played with force, attitude, and a physical edge that felt personal. The numbers tell the story, but the feeling of his game is what really lingers. At least so I’m told.
Alright, Suns fans, this is where it really starts to get fun, because Jason Kidd was an absolute stud during his time in Phoenix, and I remember that arrival vividly.
He came over in December of 1996 in a trade that sent Sam Cassell, Michael Finley, and A C Green out the door, and that move landed right after one of the most directionless seasons I can remember. The 1995-96 Sans Barkley Suns finished 41-41, their worst record since the late eighties, and the whole thing felt stale, like a team stuck pacing in place. Trading Michael Finley hurt, because he was one of my guys, but what Phoenix got back was a young All-Star point guard who had already shared Rookie of the Year honors with Grant Hill, and that felt like a real reset.
Kidd’s arrival was significant because it signaled that the Suns were ready to compete again, and they did compete, even if the results never quite broke through the ceiling. Over four and a half seasons, Phoenix never made it past the second round, but the nightly product felt serious again, organized, and intentional in a way it had not before.
Statistically, Kidd’s Suns run was loaded. He sits first all-time in franchise history in assists per game at 9.7, sixth in total assists with 3,011, eighth in steals with 655, third in minutes per game at 38.9, and second in steals per game at 2.1, trailing only Ron Lee. He also owns the top spot in triple-doubles in Suns history with 25, nearly double Kevin Johnson’s total of 13.
There is a very real case for him landing in Tier 4. He was a three-time All-Star in Phoenix, a three-time All-NBA selection, and a three-time All-Defensive player while wearing a Suns uniform, and there are not many players in franchise history who stacked that much hardware during their time here. That alone carries weight.
Where this lands for me is more personal and more subjective, and that is unavoidable in a project like this. The teams during his tenure never reached the heights you hope for when a player of that caliber is running the show, and those years between Barkley and Nash often feel defined by Kidd and Marbury filling space rather than delivering sustained success.
On a stylistic level, his limitations always stood out to me. He shot 33.1% from three in Phoenix, averaged 14.4 points per game, and while he elevated everyone around him and rebounded at an impressive 6.4 per night, it often felt like something was missing offensively. And then there is the way it ended, the allegations, the off-court issues that became an ugly and unavoidable chapter in his story, something that will always color how that era is remembered.
For all of that, Jason Kidd still belongs firmly on this pyramid, and for me, tier five is where he lands. Not as a dismissal of his greatness, but as an acknowledgment of the total picture, the brilliance, the gaps, and the complicated legacy he left behind in Phoenix.
The pyramid is starting to take shape. What do you agree with? Where did I get it wrong?
Tonight marks the 75th NBA All-Star Game. Victor Wembanyama, rapidly taking his position as the “face of the modern day NBA,” is the first French player to be a starter in the NBA All-Star Game.
Going back to the 1976 NBA/ABA merger, the Spurs have a long history of players participating in the All-Star Game.
George Gervin
Going back to the ABA, The Iceman participated in eleven straight All-Star Games. From the 1974-75 season until the 1984-85 season. Gervin was the Spurs superstar. In 1977, the first All-Star after the merger, Gervin was the lone representative of the Silver & Black. But in 1978 and again in 21979, he was joined by Larry Kenon.
In 1983, Gervin was accompanied by Artis Gilmore. Gilmore played for the Spurs from 1982-1987. He made the All-Star Game again in 1986, this time paired with Alvin Robertson.
Alvin Robertson
For three straight seasons, Alvin Robertson appeared in the All-Star competition. His first, with Gilmore in 1986, and then the following two years as the lone Spurs member. His last was 1988, and the Spurs went without an All-Star for the first time in 1989.
David Robinson
For nearly a decade, The Admiral made an annual trek to the All-Star Game. He missed in 1997 after only playing in six games due to injury, and of course there was no All-Star Game in 1999 due to the shortened lockout season. He was joined in 1993 by Sean Elliot and again in 1996 when the festivities were held in San Antonio.
The season Robinson spent injured opened the door for the Spurs to draft Tim Duncan, who would carry the Spurs into the next generation of All-Star competition.
Tim Duncan
Duncan made his first All-Star appearance in 1998 with David Robinson. The two participated again in 2000 and 2001. The Big Fundamental made a franchise 15 All-Stars over his nineteen years in the NBA. Over the years he was joined by Manu Ginobili in 2005 and 2011 and Tony Parker on four different occasions.
Parker also made two trips to the All-Star Game in 2012 and 2014 as the lone attendee.
Interesting fact: The Spurs Big 3 made twenty-three combined All-Star Games but never one featured all three of them together.
Passing the baton
In 2016, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard represented the Spurs in the All-Star Game. Leonard returned the following season. Aldridge flew solo at the All-Star Games in 2018 and 2019.
After two decades of All-Star representation, the Spurs did not have a player invited in 2020 or 2021.
In 2022, Dejounte Murray was selected to replace Draymond Green.
The Spurs went dry in 2023, and 2024.
Last year Victor Wembanyama made his All-Star debut. Tonight, he is starting for Team World.
De’Aaron Fox was added to this year’s competition as a replacement for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Fox will play for USA Stripes.
Gregg Popovich
In addition to player representation, Spurs legendary head coach Gregg Popovich was at the helm on four occasions. In 2005, 2011, 2013 and a final time in 2016 through the “Riley Rule.”*
*The head coach of the team with the best record is chosen to lead their respective conference with a prohibition against consecutive appearances
This year, Mitch Johnson will serve as head coach, also a result of the “Riley Rule.” He will coach USA Stripes which features his All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox..
Round Robin competition begins at 4PM CST tomorrow and continues over a three-hour period featuring four games.
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The Red Sox, at last, have a young versatile infielder who gets on base at at least a replacement level … and they acquired Caleb Durbin! Kidding, kidding. But, another newcomer in the deal that sent David Hamilton, Shane Drohan and Kyle Harrison to Milwaukee is Andruw Monasterio. This is a deal that took some bloat in the pitching depth and turned it into a slight infield bloat, but perhaps some that was needed given last year’s eventual lack of infield depth and the repeated questions that plagued a lot of the positive moves from this offseason.
Monasterio, 28, a righty from Venazuela, made his debut in 2023 and, since then, has been a viable platoon option for a Brewers squad that has emerged as a competitor. He’s played games at all four infield positions as well as left field, though he primarily spends time at second and third.
He’s exactly okay. Which is fine! It’s a big plus that the Red Sox brought in Caleb Durbin and have the services of a healthy Marcelo Mayer, as well as a recently signed Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, to start 2026. That’s not even counting some other options joining the roster like old friend Mickey Gasper, Quad-A locker room guy Vinny Capra, a returning Nick Sogard, Taiwanese WBC representative Tsung-Che Cheng, Brendan Rodgers, and…. oh yeah! Kristian Campbell. After the monstrosity that was the infield’s defensive performance last year, a lot of these transactions signal a desire for guys who don’t commit many errors. Monasterio committed just 1 error last year in 68 games, affirming the Red Sox’s commitment to better defensive stability. But his paltry power does little to boost him into a lineup that has some shortcomings in the home runs department in 2026. Further, his WAR has yet to rise above 1, and he also simply doesn’t draw walks at an acceptable level (8.6% in his career.) That’s simply not going to cut it for a regular job on a Major League roster — but Monasterio is still relatively young and 2025 also marked the first time his WrC+ was over 100 (at 111.) His OPS also topped out at .756. So there’s promise yet!
68 G, 4 HR, 9 2B, 16 RBI, 32 K, 7 BB .270/.319/.437, 1 E
He has ups!
Warming up in the Wild Card series. Monasterio actually was on a postseason roster in 2025! He didn’t actually play in any games, but he did play in one postseason game back in 2023.
There’s a reason David Hamilton was dealt the other way in this move for Caleb Durbin — the Brewers saw David Hamilton as a more viable option in the infield than Monasterio while also getting two rotation pieces that may have breakout years a la Quinn Priester. Still, Monasterio, who has options remaining, likely looks to spend the majority of the start of the season at Polar Park in Worcester. Again, that is fine! Last year’s woes with Marcelo Mayer getting injured were joined by calls that Mikey Romero was not far along enough in his development to be a key piece in Boston. He still may not be; the likes of Monasterio, Sogard, etc. make it so that the former first round pick is not rushed. Either way, it’s better to have guys with Major League experience at this level anyway for the best possible development for these prospects. It’s not the flashy portion of the Durbin deal, nor was the deal itself flashy, but this is the good type of depth to acquire.
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The group stage of the Winter Olympics ice hockey tournament comes to a close today, but before the play-off and quarterfinal brackets can be set, there are still games to be played. Things got started early with Czech Republic vs. Switzerland, but now it’s time for Canada to take on France for the Group A finale.
Team Canada enters today’s matchup with a 2-0 record in round robin games and a guaranteed play-off round bye into the quarterfinals no matter the result of today’s game thanks to a goal differential of +9.
Connor McDavid had another three point game in Friday’s 5-1 victory over Switzerland, opening the scoring early before setting up two more goals for Nathan MacKinnon and Thomas Harley.
With an 0-2 record, France has already punched its ticket for the play-off qualification round on Feb. 17 no matter the outcome of today’s game.
Canada vs. France is scheduled to start at 10:40 a.m. ET today, Feb. 15.
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream Olympic hockey for free.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching TV live for free — it has a five-day free trial and there are a ton of options for plans that include CNBC (and every other channel you’ll need for the Olympics), starting at $39.99/month.
You can also catch every minute of the Olympics with a subscription to Peacock, which starts at $10.99/month.
Below, check out the rosters for Team Canada and France, along with each player’s NHL team.
CanadaThe 2026 Winter Olympics end with the closing ceremony on Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
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With the trade deadline well behind us, a recent poll conducted by SB Nation for its NBA readers asked two simple questions: Which team made the biggest improvement at the deadline? Which player moved before the deadline will have the biggest impact.
Per the poll that aimed to answer the first question above, SB Nation readers seem to think that the Cleveland Cavaliers made the biggest improvement of the deadline.
In turn, the answer to the second question — that is, which player moved before the deadline readers think will make the biggest impact — was none other than the Cavaliers’ signature deadline acquisition: James Harden.
To refresh everyone’s memory, Harden was acquired by the Cavaliers in exchange for sending Darius Garland and a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Cavaliers — who sport a 34-21 record heading into the All-Star Break — are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference. Do you think they have what it takes to surprise people with a deep playoff run? Head on over to https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba to test your confidence.