The Spurs nuns have been a presence during San Antonio’s run to the NBA Finals, and ahead of Game 1, they shared a viral moment with one of the team’s biggest stars.
The NBA’s social media account posted a video of the group of nuns appearing to pray with Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center on Wednesday.
The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama bowed his head and bent over to get close to the nuns as they prayed.
Wemby shares a moment with the Spurs Nuns ahead of Game 1!
The Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco have been supporting the Spurs for decades and went viral earlier in the playoffs after they were spotted blessing Spurs center Luke Kornet ahead of Game 4 against the Thunder in the Western Conference finals.
Their fandom dates back to the 1990s, and the group started cheering on San Antonio’s basketball team to share common interests and understand the students at St. John Bosco School.
“And, of course, Wemby,” she told the outlet, highlighting her admiration for the respect and care he shows toward his mother. “And, he’s an incredible athlete, too.”
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs talks to the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco before the game against the New York Knicks during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 2, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NBAE via Getty Images
Natal told the outlet that the nuns often pray for the Spurs.
“We keep them in prayer, and it’s not, you know, for them to win,” Natal said. “It’s about good sportsmanship, that they remember who they are. That they are role models. We pray that they play to the best of their ability. We pray that they understand their responsibility.”
NHL Valuations—Nashville Predators – Jan 2, 2026 - David Boclair
NHL VALUATIONS
$1.6B FORBES
$1.6B SPORTICO
$1.75B ROUSTAN
OWNERSHIP
BILL HASLAM
BILL HASLAM’S NET worth has grown dramatically in recent years, largely due to the sale of his family business. Berkshire Hathaway acquired Pilot Flying J truck stops from the Haslam family in three transactions, the last in 2024.
And Haslam immediately began to spend that windfall on sports. The former Governor of Tennessee (2011-19) acquired a majority share of the Predators in four purchases over three years, a process that concluded in 2025 and coincided with a dramatic increase in his personal wealth.
Now worth a reported $5.7 billion, Haslam has already pursued a WNBA franchise for Nashville. His attempt to secure a team in that league’s latest round of expansion was unsuccessful, but he has made it clear he plans to pursue future opportunities to get a women’s professional basketball team, which he intends to call the Tennessee Summitt, for Nashville.
It will take some time, though, before he acquires enough professional-sports assets to match his brother. Jimmy Haslam purchased the NFL’s Cleveland Browns in 2012 and, since then, has added the Columbus Crew in MLS and a minority share of the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA.
To date, Bill Haslam has exercised patience and restraint with the Predators. He has not made any significant changes to the business or hockey-operations departments, even though Nashville fell well short of expectations in 2024-25, its second season under coach Andrew Brunette. That places Bill in stark contrast to his brother, who had three different coaches in his first four full seasons as owner of an NFL team.
That measured approach should not be surprising. Haslam, a Republican, has maintained his connection to the political realm through a podcast he co-hosts with another former Tennessee Governor, Phil Bredesen, a Democrat. It is called You Might Be Right and is based on the idea that humility and respect for opposing viewpoints are essential to solving problems.
In other words, regardless of his enormous wealth or achievements in the business and political worlds, Haslam hasn’t shown the need to put his personal stamp on a franchise that has been to the playoffs nine times in the past 11 seasons and has developed a deep connection with the local fan base, which fills Bridgestone Arena (or comes close) for every game.
FEATURED BUSINESS EXECUTIVE
SEAN HENRY
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
IT WAS NEARLY A decade ago Sean Henry first publicly floated the idea of a dramatic transformation of Bridgestone Arena to ensure the building remained a viable part of a rapidly growing downtown.
Soon, his vision will be a reality. Earlier this year, Henry revealed the details of a $750-million project that will dramatically change the look and feel of the only building the Preds have ever called home. The plans include a near doubling of concourse size, relocation of the primary entrance, a transition from a primarily concrete exterior to glass, the addition of a 60,000-square-foot rooftop event space and more. The project is slated to begin after 2025-26 and to be completed in 2030. Henry hopes it will ensure Bridgestone Arena remains a place that connects generations of Preds fans.
ALTERNATE GOVERNORS: Tom Cigarran, Sean Henry, Michelle Kennedy, Barry Trotz
FEATURED HOCKEY EXECUTIVE
BARRY TROTZ
GENERAL MANAGER
BARRY TROTZ’S TIES TO the Predators – as the first coach in franchise history – had a lot to do with his hiring as the second GM in franchise history. It is clear, though, that his approach to his current role was shaped more by the four seasons apiece he spent as coach of the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders, which included a Stanley Cup with the Capitals.
Trotz has eschewed the patient approach that defined the 17 seasons working with his predecessor, David Poile, and has aggressively retooled the roster through trades, buyouts and free-agent spending.
To date, his approach has not had the desired impact, but it has yielded four first-round selections and three second-round picks in the past two drafts. The hope is that the resulting talent haul will pay big benefits in the not-too-distant future as a sizable part of the current roster ages out of the league.
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
WHAT SETS THE Predators apart from many other pro-sports franchises in social-media performance is the presence and activity of CEO Sean Henry on X. His account, @PREDSident, offers fans a direct connection to one of the franchise’s primary decision-makers.
Henry provides glimpses behind the scenes of the front office, a personal touch to some of the team’s business dealings, and even the occasional opportunity for lucky followers to earn last-minute tickets. On top of that, his bio includes his email address, so anyone who really wants to get in touch with him can. That accessibility has been critical to the team’s connection with a fan base that took some time to form a meaningful bond with the team, and his deft touch has kept the account from becoming simply a place for fans to air their grievances.
The focuses of the Predators’ primary social-media activities are the team’s X and Instagram accounts. Nashville ranks in the bottom third among the league’s 32 teams in X followers but provides a steady stream of content about all things related to the team on and off the ice. Particularly on game days, there is enough content (highlights, graphics, updates, etc.) to make fans feel up-to-date and informed even if they are not in the arena or tuned into the radio or television broadcasts.
There is nothing unique or cutting-edge about the approach, nor is there a sizable staff devoted to that aspect of the operation. Instead, the account showcases the efforts of others in the organization, such as team photographer John Russell, whose work from the earliest days of the franchise was greatly underappreciated but now is available to a much wider audience.
Jun 3, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) throws to first base during the third inning against the San Francisco Giants at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Pat Murphy said it perfectly on Tuesday night about Logan Webb, “I know the kid pitching tomorrow has shoved it up our (expletive) many times.”
And shove it, he did. Webb didn’t allow a baserunner until the 6th inning and didn’t allow his first hit until there was one out in the 7th inning. The Brewers offense was held completely in check. Webb went seven shutout innings, striking out five, and allowing just five hard-hit balls all night. Four of those five that were “hard-hit” (95+ MPH exit velocity) were groundouts.
That left the Brewers basically no margin for error for their pitching staff. Robert Gasser, freshly called up from Triple-A Nashville, took a big step forward from his previous outings. Gasser dealt with traffic on the bases in the 3rd and 4th innings, but was able to get out of those jams with nothing across.
However, in the 5th inning, Gasser allowed a leadoff home run to 9-hole hitter Victor Bericoto that just made it to the Giants bullpen. That was all the Giants got and it was all they needed on Wednesday night.
“He didn’t miss very many spots, at least I know during my at bats. I got like one pitch over the heart of the plate, that was about it. When you got command and movement like he does, it’s tough” Brice Turang said.
The Brewers were able to get into the Giants bullpen in the 8th and 9th innings and they had opportunities to scratch a run across. Pinch-hitter Jackson Chourio led off the 8th with a single. Then Blake Perkins pinch-hit for Sal Frelick and popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt.
“Perk didn’t get the bunt down, that’s inexcusable.” Pat Murphy said.
Luis Rengifo followed with a walk to put two runners on base. Murphy brought in Gary Sanchez to pinch-hit for David Hamilton. The Giants countered with right hander Keaton Winn. Winn got Sanchez to ground into a double play to end the inning.
Perkins is now 0-for-his-last-17 and his last hit came on May 10th. Sanchez is 4-for-his-last-36 dating back to April 29th.
Then in the 9th inning, facing Winn again with the top of the order due up, the Brewers had another great chance. Christian Yelich led off the inning with a double. Andrew Vaughn hit a ground ball to the right side to get Yelich to third base with less than two outs. Brice Turang couldn’t put the ball in the air and struck out. Then William Contreras grounded out to end the game.
It was a tough night for the Brewers offense, getting no-hit through six innings and having numerous opportunities late that they couldn’t cash in on.
Credit must also be given to Chad Patrick, who came on in relief of Gasser and threw four shutout innings to finish the game. He kept the Brewers in it and didn’t let that Giants lead grow.
Still, the Brewers fell short and need to bounce back in Thursday’s finale to secure the series win. They’ll have to do so against an old friend in Adrian Houser. Coleman Crow will start for the Crew.
The Columbus Clipper blasted off for nine runs on 11 hits and 10 walks Tuesday.Leading the charge offensively was Juan Brito, who went 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored.Bo Naylor also had a huge game, going 1-for-2 with a three-run home run, three walks and a stolen base. Angel Genao went 2-for-5 and slugged his fourth home run as well.
Cooper Ingle doubled and walked while Nolan Jones went 2-for-5 with a double, George Valera went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base and C.J. Kayfus walked three times.Daniel Espino served as the opener in this game and he was tagged for two runs on one hit and one walk with two strikeouts in 1.0 innings. Unfortunately, that one hit was a two-run home run. Rorik Maltrud followed with four runs allowed on eight hits in 4.0 innings while striking out seven and walking two.
Tommy Mace and Jack Leftwich both finished off the game with 2.0 innings apiece while both allowing one run.
Akron RubberDucks 12, Bowie Baysox 15
RubberDucks fall to 28-24
Akron’s offense did its damndest, scoring 12 runs on 14 hits, but poor pitching and defense betrayed it. Jaison Chourio had one of the best games of his career, going 3-for-5 with two home runs and five runs batted in.
And that's a multi-homer game for Jaison Chourio!
Moments after slugging his first Double-A homer, he goes yard again for the @AkronRubberDuck 🦆
Nick Mitchell reached base safely three times, going 2-for-4 with a walk while Jacob Cozart went 2-for-4 with a home run and Wuilfredo Antunez also homered. In his Double-A debut, Luke Hill went 2-for-5 with a run scored, although he committed two errors at second base. Alex Mooney also went 2-for-5. Starting pitcher Khal Stephen had a rough day, allowing eight runs (five earned) on 10 hits in 4.2 innings pitched. He struck out just one batter and didn’t walk any. Carter Rustad followed by allowing six more runs, although none of them were earned in 2.0 innings.
Lake County Captains 5, Fort Wayne TinCaps 6
Captains fall to 5-6
Nolan Schubart had a strong performance, going 2-for-4 with his 10th home run of the season.Tommy Hawke had the other multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base.
Bennet Thompson homered as well, while Dean Curley went 1-for-3 with a walk. No one else reached base safely twice or had an extra base hit.Starting pitcher Franklin Gomez allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks in 5.0 innings. Logan McGuire allowed another run in 1.1 innings while Cam Schuelke allowed one run with the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning to take the loss, although he had pitched 2.1 innings before that.
Hill City Howlers 2, Fredericksburg Nationals 3
Howlers fall to 25-27
Juneiker Caceres and Ty Howard both went 2-for-4 with a double while Johan Rodriguez went 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk. This team needs to get some of its young injured talent back in action. Gabriel Rodriguez should hopefully be back soon.
Starting pitcher Ryan DeSanto, a 12th round pick out of Penn State, had a strong performance. He allowed one run on one hit with seven strikeouts in 4.0 innings, although he did walk five.Miguel Flores added 3.2 scoreless frames with four strikeouts and Luke Fernandez unfortunately couldn’t hold the lead, allowing two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to let the Nationals walk off.
ACL Guardians 13, ACL Cubs 6
Guardians improve to 15-9
Alejandro Blasco is making one heck of a first impression. In his 2026 debut, the 19-year-old Venezuelan prospect went 2-for-2 with two doubles and a walk on May 30. On Tuesday, he went 2-for-2 with a home run, a double and a walk. His OPS through two games is a ridiculous 3.500. Not bad for someone who spent two season in the DSL already.A rehabbing Gabriel Rodriguez went 1-for-3 with two walks. A rehabbing Welbyn Francisca went 1-for-4 with two walks and a stolen base.
Gustavo Baptista went 2-for-4 with a double and two stolen bases, Angel Abreu went 3-for-5 with a double, Randy Martinez went 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base and Estivel Morillo went 2-for-5 with a double. A rehabbing Yorman Gomez tossed 2.0 shutout innings. He struck out four, walked one and allowed two hits. Evan Chrest added a perfect inning with two strikeouts.
The Nashville Predators' new general manager Chris MacFarland met the media in Nashville today for the first time.
It took the organization nearly four months to find a new GM; however, they got arguably the best one available.
MacFarland was hired as both the GM and the President of Hockey Operations, which was a step up from the role he previously had with the Colorado Avalanche.
It was a day that most Predators fans won't forget. As MacFarland talked through what is next for the organization.
First, he expressed just how happy he is to be a part of the Predators' organization.
“We can't wait to become part of the community here and dig in with my new teammates in the organization, and I’m super excited,” MacFarland said of his new opportunity. “We want to build something here…and make hockey something that's in the blood of every young Tennessee fan and build something really special.”
-
After, Predators Chairman and majority owner Bill Haslam explained how they ended up landing on MacFarland to lead the club.
“When you talk to other great general managers and presidents of hockey ops around the league, and I said, ‘If you were me, who would you go get?’ Haslam recalled. "And Chris’ name came up time and time again from the very best people in the League. And then you talk to other folks who are just associated and knew him from his time with the [Avalanche]; they all said the exact same thing. So, it took patience and took a little persistence, but I'm really thrilled to announce Chris MacFarland as our new General Manager and President of Hockey Operations for the Nashville Predators.”
“I said, ‘Mr. Haslam, is the goal here to make the playoffs, make a Wild Card, feel good about that and high five each other? Or is the goal here to build a team that can compete and try to bring a Stanley Cup to Broadway?’ MacFarland asked. “And he didn't hesitate. [He said], ‘The goal here is to try and win [a Stanley Cup].’ And that's really, quite honest, all I needed to hear.” “Obviously there's work to do here, and we're not where we want to be, but there's a lot of good pieces here, and there's a lot of draft capital,” MacFarland said. “But, ultimately the results happen on the ice, and we just want to put our players and the team in the best position to have success and make life as easy for them off the ice so that they can focus on the job at hand, which is trying to win hockey games - which is not easy to do in this League.
“We're going to look to get better. How quick that happens? The players will dictate that… [Winning] is a really hard thing to do. But I think the first step first is to build, get the foundation right, get the right people in place on the hockey side and to work with the players to help them maximize their abilities. And then, we’ll go from there.”
-
As a Predators fan, this has to sound encouraging. They waited four months and got one of the league's best GMs to lead the team back in the right direction. And, based on what he said when he met the media, MacFarland is aware it's not going to be easy, but he is prepared to build this organization the right way, and that starts with a solid foundation.
Jun 3, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Alejandro Osuna (19) slides but is unable to catch a double hit by St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Nelson Velazquez (not pictured) during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the St. Louis Cardinals scored five runs.
The bad omens just kept piling up for the Rangers tonight and it ended with them losing for the first time in nearly a week as they saw their season-best five-game winning streak snapped in the finale from St. Louis.
Bad omen No. 1: The Rangers had scored in the first inning to take a lead in three of their five wins during the winning streak. Tonight, however, they trailed after one inning as the Cardinals got a two-out RBI single that followed a glacial attempt at a potential inning-ending double play.
Bad omen No. 2: Tonight’s starter MacKenzie Gore walked two in the first inning and needed 30+ pitches to make it out of the first frame. In fact, Gore collected his fourth out overall tonight in the bottom of the second inning on pitch No. 41. Ten pitches per out is not what we’d call economical.
The left-hander had a string of solid outings to close out May but was first inefficient tonight and then, ultimately, pretty subpar as overall. Gore allowed four runs on nine hits with three walks over 4.2 innings which took him exactly 100 pitches to wade through.
Bad omen No. 3: The Cardinals kept scoring a run here and a run there throughout the night and it kept pushing Texas’ comeback chances further out of reach but the most frustrating thing was three of St. Louis’ five runs came with two outs. An extra out to squash even one of those rallies could have potentially changed Texas’ fate.
Bad omen No. 4: Despite being mired in a massive slump, former Rangers prospect Thomas Saggese collected two hits, including a triple that scored one of those two-out runs that eventually proved the difference.
All those bad markers layered throughout the game and, despite the winning streak, the Rangers still have a pretty thin margin for error on any given night. Texas got to within a couple of runs late but in the end they finally succumbed to a team from Missouri and now they’ll have to wait for another shot at returning to .500 ball.
Player of the Game: In lieu of a batter, of which no Rangers hitter had more than one hit tonight, how about 26-year old Robby Ahlstrom making his MLB debut tonight and tossing 1.1 innings of scoreless relief? The lefty struck out two Cardinals and didn’t allow a baserunner as he kept the game close after entering in the seventh.
Ahlstrom, who was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2021 but never actually suited up for any of their affiliates, was the second guy in the 2022 trade that sent Jose Trevino to New York. The Rangers have been all that Ahlstrom has known as a professional and after toiling in the Texas system for the last four seasons, he finally got the call earlier this week.
Congratulations, Robby!
Up Next: The Rangers return home to enjoy their first day off in two weeks before opening up a series at The Shed against the Cleveland Guardians beginning on Friday night.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 03: Kyle Manzardo #9 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 03, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another fun one tonight. Guardians really got to Cole (for what felt like the first time ever) and tagged him for 4 runs in 5.1 innings. Manzardo continued his hot streak with a homer in his first AB today.
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) June 4, 2026
Caballero homered in the bottom of this inning to bring the Yankees back within a run (a homer that had questionable fan interference, although a crew chief review deemed the interference insufficient to overturn the homer).
Jose, too, stayed hot with a homer in the 6th (his 2nd of 3 hits tonight).
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) June 4, 2026
A Bellinger sacrifice fly brought the Yankees back within a run, but Hoskins tacked on (another) insurance run in the top of the 8th with an RBI single. This followed after Jose singled (to the wall in right) and Manzardo doubled (a 409’ flyball to the deep part of Yankee Stadium).
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) June 4, 2026
Cade Smith was a little shaky in the 9th, but managed to close out the game. He gave up a leadoff double to Goldschmidt, who advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Bellinger sacrifice fly.
Some fun tidbits:
Jose last 10: .307/.368/.547, 8BB:8K, 3 HR, 5 SB.
Manzardo last 20: .306/.403/.629, 5 HR, 8 RBI.
Hoskins last 20: .229/.375/.500, 13BB:17K, 3 HR, 11 RBI.
The Guardians look to secure the sweep tomorrow. It’ll be Cecconi vs. Rodon.
Jun 3, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) hits a two run double against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals needed a game like they had Wednesday night at Busch Stadium to turn around their recent downturn. Andre Pallante gave the Cardinals a great start and many bats in the lineup were productive including Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker and Nelson Velázquez as St. Louis beat Texas.
The Cardinals did not waste any time getting the offense going as Masyn Winn walked to open up the Cardinals bottom of the 1st. After Ivan Herrera popped out, Jordan Walker hit into a fielder’s choice, but St. Louis managed to put together a 2-out rally anyway. Nelson Velázquez walked and then Alec Burleson turned on a 97 mph four-seam fastball and drove it into right field giving the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead.
The Texas Rangers would pull even (temporarily) in the top of the 3rd inning as Kyle Higashioka singled to center and then advanced to second on a wild pitch by Pallante. Two batters later, Josh Jung singled him in tying the game 1-1.
The Cardinals would retake the lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning after Jordan Walker singled and then Nelson Velázquez crushed a double giving St. Louis runners at second and third with no one out. Alec Burleson added his own double giving the Cardinals their lead back at 3-1. It could have been more, though, as Alec Burleson was stranded at third base after a fielder’s choice from Jose Fermin and strikeouts by Nolan Gorman and Thomas Saggese. Saggese would redeem himself just two innings later.
The Cardinals offense would put more runs on the board in both the bottom of the 5th and 6th innings. After Jose Fermin doubled in the Cardinals 5th, Thomas Saggese did him one better by cracking a triple to right giving St. Louis a 4-1 lead. In the bottom of the 6th, the Cardinals would start another two-out rally when Jordan Walker singled and then stole second. Nelson Velázquez would strike again singling to right and scoring Walker giving the Cardinals a somewhat secure 5-1 lead. Or, so they thought.
Andre Pallante had his best stuff working Wednesday night as he tossed 5 2/3 allowing only 1 earned run while striking out 5 and walking 2. He would be relieved by JoJo Romero who got the final out of the 6th inning getting out of a jam created by Andre, but would run into trouble himself in the top of the 7th inning. Pinch-hitter Justin Foscue doubled and then JoJo walked Higashioka. Joc Pederson made him regret it by driving a triple into the right-center field gap scoring both runners making it just 5-3 Cardinals. Fortunately, Ryne Stanek would come into the game and strikeout Josh Jung and get Brandon Nimmo to pop out stranding Pederson at third base. Stanek would stay in the game and pitch a solid top of the 8th inning that was refreshingly almost drama-free with just one single allowed.
Riley O’Brien came in to close out the top of the 9th inning in an effort to post a positive bounce-back from the disastrous Tuesday night effort. He unfortunately struggled with his control again walking the first batter he faced, Kyle Higashioka. The Rangers made the interesting choice to have Michael Helman lay down a sacrifice bunt to move Higashioka to second base. That brought up Joc Pedersen as the potential tying run. He made all of us hold our breath as he flew out to very deep left-center for the second out. Whew. The final Rangers hope, Josh Jung, popped out on the first pitch he saw to lock up a Cardinals victory at 5-3.
The Cardinals have a much-needed day off Thursday to rest up before starting a weekend homestand against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. Kyle Leahy is the scheduled starter Friday night with Brady Singer the expected starter for the Reds. First pitch scheduled for 7:15pm central time with the TV broadcast available on Cardinals.tv.
Dylan Harper is making his NBA Finals debut during his rookie season, as the San Antonio Spurs guard took on the New York Knicks in a rematch of the 1999 Finals. Game 1 was on Wednesday, June 3 in San Antonio.
The former Rutgers standout has been a key element of the Spurs' playoff run. He made a statement in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Harper had a standout night with 24 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and seven steals. At 20 years old, he became the youngest player to notch a prestigious 4x5 game in the NBA playoffs.
People might be wondering where he gets his skills, and it turns out he has good genes.
Is Dylan Harper related to Ron Harper?
Yes, Dylan Harper is related to Ron Harper. The Spurs rookie is the son of the five-time NBA champion. Ron played 15 years in the NBA. He was teammates with Michael Jordan and won three titles with the Chicago Bulls from 1996-1998. He also played with Kobe Bryant and finished his career winning back-to-back championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000 and 2001.
Both Dylan and Ron were named to the All-Rookie team for their impressive accomplishments in their first professional seasons.
Dylan's older brother, Ron Harper Jr., plays in the NBA as well. He was the first brother to play at Rutgers and has spent time with the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons, and he is currently on the Boston Celtics.
Ron's ex-wife and the mother of his two sons is Maria Harper. She has basketball in her blood, too, and played at the University of New Orleans.
This time, Gregg Popovich didn’t have to worry about the x’s and o’s needed to beat the Knicks.
The legendary Spurs coach attended Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs on Wednesday night in San Antonio in a rematch of the championship series from 1999 that earned him his first Larry O’Brien trophy and ignited the Spurs’ dynastic era.
The ABC broadcast captured the 77-year-old Popovich, who serves as San Antonio’s president of basketball operations, sitting in a suite at Frost Bank Center.
Gregg Popovich in the building supporting his Spurs
For Popovich, this series offers an enjoyable trip down memory lane since he won the first of his five championships 27 years ago when the Spurs beat the Knicks in five games.
San Antonio also won championships under the Hall of Famer’s tutelage in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.
Popovich coached some of these Spurs last year before he stepped away from his position after just five games following a health scare.
He posted a 1,390-824 record in his 29 season leading the franchise.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich talks with Victor Wembanyama on the bench during the first half of their game against the Rockets March 5, 2024, in Houston. AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Popovich still stays close to the team, especially with phenom Victor Wembanyama, and helped the team upset the defending champion Thunder in the semifinals.
The former coach gave the team an earful after its Game 3 home loss to Oklahoma City, and the Spurs responded with a resounding 103-82 Game 4 win to even the series at 2-2.
The Spurs ultimately triumped in seven games to earn their first Finals bid in 12 years.
“We lost Game 3 … but that was the first time he walked into the locker room and was like, ‘Nah, that’s BS. That’s not how we play basketball,’ and obviously he had some choice words for us,” Spurs star guard De’Aaron Fox told NBC after the May 24 victory. “That was the first time all season that he came into the locker room right after a game and told us how he felt.”
The Spurs are hoping this postseason run can begin a similar dynastic era to the one Popovich oversaw, with the new core of Wembanyama and young guards Dylan Harper and Stefon Castle leading the way.
After 50 2/3 innings, Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez finally surrendered a run in Wednesday’s 3-2 win.
Sanchez, 8 1/3 innings away from Orel Hershiser’s MLB record of 59 scoreless frames set, gave up a two-out, seventh-inning single to the Padres’ Jackson Merrill, which brought home Ty France.
Cristopher Sánchez, after giving up his first run since April 30th AP Photo/Matt Slocum
When the run crossed home, the Philly faithful gave their hurler a standing ovation.
Sanchez kept his composure and completed the inning, ending his night.
Sanchez’s scoreless streak began in the second inning of the April 30 matchup with the Giants, a span of five starts.
Jackson Merrill ends Cristopher Sánchez's consecutive scoreless innings streak at 50.2 IP pic.twitter.com/7jAfb0NuCo
The crazy run is the longest ever by a left-handed pitcher and the fourth longest of all time, behind Hershiser (1988), Don Drysdale (58 innings, 1968), Walter Johnson (55 2/3 inning, 1913) and Jack Coombs (53 innings, 1910).
Christopher Sanchez pitching on Wednesday night. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“It was incredible,” Sánchez said after breaking Grove’s record. “It’s really special what we have here as a group, as an organization as a whole — the players, the staff, the medical staff. So it’s just really special to share things like this with this tremendous group that we have here.”
The streak has coincided with the Phillies’ resurgence from last place in the NL East. Since that April 30 start, the Phillies have gone 21-11 and sit in second place after Wednesday’s win.
They will look for the series sweep of San Diego on Thursday as they try to claw back into the playoff picture.
May 6, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson (24) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
It is a the second coming of Simeon Woods Richardson. You will likely remember that the Jays picked him (along with Anthony Kay) up from the Mets for Marcus Stroman back in 2019. I remember it mostly because I was in Toronto at the time and was at a game with Matt W and we discussed the trade (my memory says were were fairly pleased with the return).
Then we trade SWR to the Twins (with Austin Martin) for José Berríos. Woods Richardson never did pitch for us.
After getting in a game in each of 2022 and 2023, for the Twins, he made 50 starts (and one relief appearance) over 2024 and 2025 with a 12-9 record and a 4.11 record. This year hasn’t go so well, he pitched in 12 games with a 7.74 ERA in 47.2 innings. Batters hit .330/.409/.543 against him. And so the Twin DFAed him.
The Jays are sending cash back.
I’m thinking Richardson has been picked up to start instead of us doing two bullpen days every five games. SWR might not be great, but he can go more than 3 innings (I hope) and might allow us to save some bullpen arms.
I’m thinking that, when some of our injured starters are ready to come back, Woods Richardson will either move into our bullpen or get DFAed again, depending on how he does.
Welcome back, Simeon. Just a tip, if you want a win, don’t give up more than a run.
For the first time since his return, Gerrit Cole looked human. For the first time since completing his comeback from Tommy John surgery, Cole surrendered a run — four of them — and was hurt by the long ball.
And against an Aaron Judge-less lineup, that was more than enough for the Guardians.
Access the Yankees beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.
The Yankees lost to Cleveland 5-4 on Wednesday for their second consecutive defeat with Judge sidelined as they awaited a final diagnosis on the bone bruise near his right rib. Cole, after opening his 2026 ledger with 12 ²/₃ shutout innings, allowed the four runs across 5 ¹/₃ frames, with Cleveland’s three home runs accounting for most of the damage.
He still flashed his vintage, pre-surgery form, an encouraging sign for a banged-up Yankees team clinging to its remaining healthy stars.
But their offense managed just five hits — two of those solo homers — and didn’t come close to cobbling together nearly enough production with Judge’s status looming.
“I thought he threw the ball well,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I thought located pretty well. They pressured him. They were aggressive with him, put the ball in play on him. … But obviously, the long ball was the difference tonight.”
Even after eight innings of inconsistency, the Yankees had a chance in the ninth while trailing by two. Paul Goldschmidt doubled to lead off the inning and scored on Cody Bellinger’s deep sacrifice fly to pull them within a run. Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out and José Caballero flew out, though, to end the comeback attempt.
Cole breezed through the first inning with just eight pitches, but Kyle Manzardo sent a ball over the right-field fence on what Boone and Cole both described as an “impressive swing” on a knuckle curve to lead off the second — giving the Guardians a 1-0 lead.
Gerrit Cole grabs the rosin bag after giving up a two-run homer to Rhys Hoskins in the fourth inning of the Yankees’ 5-4 loss to the Guardians on June 3, 2026 at the Stadium. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Rhys Hoskins crushed a slider over the left-field fence two frames later, giving Cleveland the advantage back after Chisholm evened the game with a solo homer of his own. And to lead off the fifth, José Ramírez added the Guardians’ third homer of the night.
The pitch to Hoskins was a mechanical mistake, Cole said, and outside of those swings, he mostly gave the Yankees a chance to win. He kept them within striking distance. He only struck out two batters after recording 10 in his last outing, but he was still mostly efficient.
Gerrit Cole, who had the worst outing of his young season, wears a perplexed expression during the sixth inning of the Yankees’ loss to the Guardians. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Yankees Merch Shop
WinCraft insulated can coolers
Team Effort driver head cover
47 Brand adjustable cap
Customizable jersey
Logo fleece blanket
14-ounce sculpted relief coffee mug
New York Post receives revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a purchase.
Cole’s offense left him little margin for error, though. As the Yankees braced for the final diagnosis on Judge, a process dragging from imaging Monday all the way into Thursday, they issued a reminder of just how much they need their superstar. Chisholm’s homer was a promising sign from the infielder who has struggled during a contract year, and Caballero — starting in right field in place of Judge — kept making a case to remain in the Yankees lineup with a solo homer off Gavin Williams and a single in the second.
Jazz Chisholm watches his solo home run leave the yard in the second inning of the Yankees’ loss to the Guardians. Robert Sabo for New York Post
But only Ben Rice and Goldschmidt managed extra-base hits outside of that. There were harmless grounders and fly outs that strung together. The Guardians added a run in the eighth inning when Hoskins drove in a run with a single off Paul Blackburn, who inherited a pair of runners as Tim Hill’s struggles continued.
And when the Yankees needed a response in the eighth, Anthony Volpe, Trent Grisham and Rice all flew out against Hunter Gaddis.
If the Yankees needed another reminder of just how much they needed Judge, and just how much they might struggle without him, that captured it perfectly.
“It sucks not to have him here,” Chisholm said, “but at the same time, we’re still a team. I feel like we have really great players on this team, you know what I mean. Judge is great and everything, but he couldn’t do it by himself.”
MILWAUKEE — Everything, down to the littlest detail, was working in the Giants’ favor.
Even the jug of orange Gatorade in the dugout.
“Sometimes they mix it too strong or too weak,” remarked Ron Washington, who’s been in the game long enough to be a connoisseur of the sports drink. “Today, it’s just right.”
You could say it was perfect. And you could say the same about Logan Webb. Almost. Getty Images
In a 1-0 over the Brewers, the Giants ace didn’t allow a base runner until issuing a walk to start the sixth inning and took a no-hitter into the seventh, when a flare off the bat Brice Turang snuck inches over the glove of a diving Matt Chapman, who extended as far to his left as he could.
“Around the fifth inning, there were a lot of voices going on in my head,” Webb said. “It was like, ‘You have a no-hitter, you have a no-hitter.’ I know there’s like a jinx thing, but I was already saying that anyway.
“But I’m going to blame [manager Tony Vitello] because he did call down right before I gave up the hit and said have someone ready, so I’m going to blame him for that.”
Webb had to settle for one of the most sterling showings of his career — by far his best of the season — and a much-needed performance to flip the Giants’ fortunes after dropping seven of their past eight to enter the game with the worst record in the majors.
“I think even by his incredibly high standards, it was just a tremendous outing,” Vitello said. “Just the one [walk] probably got away from just because of fatigue, but he was relentless in the zone.”
It didn’t end without drama: Christian Yelich doubled to lead off the bottom of the ninth and reached third with one out, but Keaton Winn got Turang to swing through a fastball above the letters for the second out and stranded the tying run 90 feet away with a groundout of William Contreras to preserve the spectacular effort by Webb.
He finished seven shutout innings, surrendering just the one walk and one hit while striking out four and using his sinker to induce a dozen mostly soft ground-ball outs.
Webb had to settle for one of the most sterling showings of his career — by far his best of the season. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The no-hit bid risked overshadowing another feel-good moment that ended up being just as decisive in determining the outcome.
Up until the seventh, the only activity in the Giants’ bullpen came when they were at the plate in the top of the fifth, as rookie outfielder Victor Bericoto’s first home run landed among the group of relievers and bounced into the stands, providing the only run San Francisco would need.
Bericoto became the first Giants player to have his first home run be the difference-maker in a 1-0 win since Darren Lewis in 1991.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
Webb’s season, like the Giants as a whole, has been a frustrating one to this point. His 4.82 ERA is the highest since he established himself in the majors in 2021. The Giants were just 2-7 behind him in his first nine starts, and a knee issue forced him to the IL for the first time.
Turns out, the time off was a good thing. Really good. Just what Webb needed. Almost perfect.
Webb’s season, like the Giants as a whole, has been a frustrating one to this point. Getty Images
Who’s hot
Webb, perhaps, was extra motivated by watching his close friend and former teammate, Kyle Harrison, dominate the Giants the previous night. Or maybe he looked at the 4.94 ERA the Giants’ rotation took into the game and decided something needed to be done about it.
He could just like facing the Brewers.
In seven previous starts against them, Webb was 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA. The only team he’s had more success against in as many starts is the Reds, who happened to be the victims of the Giants’ last no-hitter, thrown by Blake Snell at Great American Ballpark in 2023.
Who’s not
Webb was back to normal form in his second start back from the first stint on the injured list of his career. Unfortunately for the Giants, so was their lineup.
Robert Gasser, a left-hander called up from Triple-A before the game, matched zeros in the run column — if not the hit column — for the first four innings, and the Giants weren’t able to provide any insurance following Bericoto’s home run in the fifth.
They were held to three or fewer runs for the sixth time in their past nine games, stranding at least eight men on base for the fourth time during that stretch.
Up next
Adrian Houser will look to build on Webb’s effort in the series finale as the Giants try to salvage a split in the four-game series against the NL Central leaders before finishing their road trip with three games against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
MESA, AZ - MARCH 21: Kaleb Wing #51 of the Chicago Cubs pitches during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Aryanna Frank/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Right-hander Erian Rodriguez was promoted to Double-A Knoxville from the rookie ball ACL Cubs
Right-hander Sam Mettert was promoted to Low-A Myrtle Beach from the ACL Cubs.
Javier Assad started this game and pitched just one inning. He retired the side in order, striking out one. He threw just six pitches and all six of them were strikes.
Zac Leigh came on to pitch the second inning and got the loss after he gave up a solo home run in the third inning. Leigh allowed one run on one hit over two innings. He walked two and struck out one.
Gavin Hollowell, whom I was touting for a major league look, came on to pitch the eighth inning, faced six batters and retired none of them. Hollowell allowed three hits and walked three. Five of those six baserunners came around to score.
The I-Cubs avoided a shutout when left fielder Chas McCormick hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth. It was his sixth home run of the year. McCormick was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Matt Shaw played the entire game at DH and was 2 for 4.
Grant Kipp gave the Smokies four good innings, but not good enough to not take the loss. Kipp allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits over the four innings. One of the four hits was a solo home run Kipp struck out four and walked three.
Tyler Ras had three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit. Ras struck out three and walked no one.
The Smokies managed just five hits, which is actually the same number they allowed. Second baseman Hayden Cantrelle went 2 for 3.
Left fielder Carter Trice was 1 for 4 with a triple.
Kevin Valdez pitched the first five innings and had a solid start by allowing just one run on six hits. The one run came on a solo home run in the fourth. He struck out five and walked one.
Grayson Moore pitched the ninth inning and got the save. He walked a batter with one out, but otherwise gave up nothing. Moore struck out two.
South Bend scored all four runs in the first inning and hung on the rest of the way.
Left fielder Jose Escobar hit a two-run single in the first. He was 1 for 4.
Center fielder Josiah Hartshorn went 1 for 3 with a walk. He scored once.
Good start for Kaleb Wing, who went 3.1 innings and allowed one run on three hits. He still got the loss. Wing struck out six and walked just one.
Sam Mettert’s Pelicans debut didn’t go as well. Mettert gave up three runs, two earned, on one hit and three walks over 1.2 innings.
The Pelicans scored all five runs in the top of the eighth inning. The big blow was a three-run double by third baseman Yahil Melendez. Melendez was 1 for 5.
Catcher Logan Poteet got the Birds on the board with an RBI double earlier in the fifth. Poteet went 2 for 4 with a walk and a double. He scored on Melendez’s double.
pic.twitter.com/zJWZhsVdjD
