Russell Westbrook isn’t interested in revisiting his Los Angeles Lakers days — at least not with a Sharpie in hand.
At the Kings’ preseason matchup against the Lakers, Westbrook greeted a line of young fans holding jerseys from all the teams he played with across his NBA career. He signed two Oklahoma City Thunder jerseys, skipped over two Lakers ones, and then autographed a Houston Rockets jersey.
“I don’t know about signing that jersey,” Westbrook said. “I’ll sign something else for you, though.”
Westbrook’s journey to Sacramento has been a long and winding one. When he joined the Lakers in 2021, expectations were sky-high, but the fit quickly soured. Westbrook’s ball-dominant style clashed withLeBron Jamesand Anthony Davis, and his shooting inconsistencies became a lightning rod for criticism throughout the 2021-22 NBA season.
By February 2023, the Lakers dealt Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade — ending his turbulent stint in purple and gold. Utah bought out his contract within days, clearing the way for him to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.
In the summer of 2024, the Clippers traded Westbrook to Utah once again in a sign-and-trade, and he promptly was waived. He then signed with the Denver Nuggets, where he continued to add to his historic résumé — becoming the first player in NBA history to record 200 career triple-doubles and later surpassing 26,000 career points.
Now 36, Westbrook joins Sacramento as one of the NBA’s most experienced and accomplished guards — and, judging by his reaction to those Lakers jerseys, a man ready to fully embrace his next chapter.
Parity reigns in college football, as evidenced by ASU's high-wire win over Texas Tech. This is now a year-to-year, week-to-week enterprise and nothing in American sports is delivering more drama for a wider array of teams and fan bases.
Up until Saturday's game against the Winnipeg Jets, the Nashville Predators didn't have a lot of issues when it came to starting off games.
In four of their first five games of the season, if Nashville wasn't scoring in the first period, it was scoring the first goal of the game. The 7-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs was the only game out of the first five where the Predators didn't have a first-period goal or score the first of the match.
Facing off against the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners, the Winnipeg Jets, following that trend would've been critical for the Predators to keep pace with Winnipeg. That did not happen.
Steven Stamkos took a hooking penalty a minute into the game, allowing the third-best power play in the NHL to go to work and take a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.
Halfway through the period, Nino Niederreiter snuck past the defense and scored on a breakaway to make it 2-0 Winnipeg. Six minutes after that, Brady Skjei was called for hooking.
A disastrous first period put the Predators in a hole that they were unable to dig themselves out of, falling to Winnipeg, 4-1.
"We didn't start on time," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "We took a bad penalty right away against a really good power play and made a mental mistake on the second goal. It was a lot of things we've haven't done this year so far that crept into the game a little bit."
The Predators struggled to get the offense going in the first period as well, getting outshot 11-5 before registering 10 more shots in the second period. To Nashville's credit, outside of a bad fight by Michael McCarron and a slashing peanlty by Roman Josi that led to a Jets goal in third period, the Predators evened out the game.
Throughout this four-game road trip, where the Predators posted a 1-2-1 record, Nashville has shown flashes that they can be a good team and play complete periods.
"You see the images of when we play a certain way and it's a good picture," Brunette said. "For us, going forward, we need to be a little more consistent with that from the puck drop. For the most part, through this trip, we have been."
The biggest thing the Predators need to avoid is bad habits from last season. The power play needs to improve as it is sitting at a low 8.7% efficiency. Its offense needs to start scoring more, as its 15 goals for in six games is tied for the 10th lowest in the league.
Then there's the penalty minutes. The Predators are smack dab in the middle of the league with 49 penalty minutes in six games, but it's about the type of penalties that are taken and when.
McCarron, who was one of the league leaders in penalties and led the Predators in fights last season with nine, squared off against Logan Stanley when the Predators were down 2-0 in the second period.
While McCarron was likely trying to "fire up" the Predators, Nashville was playing predominantly better already than in the first period. It outshot Winnipeg 15-4 and went to the power play three times.
Returning to Nashville with a balanced 2-2-2 record, the Predators have a five-game home stand to take advantage of and potentially turn things around halfway through the first month of play.
Before its game against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Minnesota Wild sent forward Liam Ohgren down to the AHL and recalled forward Tyler Pitlick.
Pitlick, 33, has played in 420 NHL games before his Wild debut on Saturday. The native of Minnesota has 56 goals, 53 assists and 109 points in his NHL career. He also has 54 goals, 86 assists and 140 points in 280 career AHL games.
But for Ohgren this is a chance to actually play top minutes and get more puck touches. Wild head coach John Hynes that was the big reason why Ohgren was sent back down and even Ohgren himself agreed.
The Wild's 19th overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft was given a chance in training camp to take the Wild's second line left wing spot with the absence of injured forward Mats Zuccarello. Ohgren did not play the best in preseason and opened the season on the fourth line.
"It's a situation where we've given him different opportunities in different situations and when you look at it, he hasn't taken one," Hynes said on Ohgren.
A team starving for even-strength offense and goal scoring, kept Ohgren on the fourth line and played him only 9:10 a night. He was a minus-four, had four shots and zero points in five games.
"At the same time, we are looking at where he's playing and what he's doing. It's only his second year over here in North America. Let him go down, play and find his game," Hynes said on the decision. "The big thing for us is puck touches. Without the puck, he has been responsible and his details were certainly growing but now, with a faster game and less time and space, it's just the puck touches and establishing himself more offensively."
Ohgren, 21, had 19 goals, 18 assists and 37 points in 41 AHL games last year. He was sent down to get more puck touches because despite the lack of scoring and being a young prospect who's top ability is scoring, the Wild felt the need to continue to play him on the fourth line.
Last year the Wild recalled Ohgren in January. He played in the top-six for four games and had two assists. He played on a line with Marco Rossi and Matt Boldy and fit in. He had a goal and two assists in seven games during that run.
After, the Wild dropped him down in the lineup and later sent him back down to the AHL were he tore it up.
When Marcus Johansson missed a game against the Seattle Kraken in March, the Wild recalled Ohgren again and stuck him on a line with Freddy Gaudreau and Gustav Nyquist. Ohgren scored in a 4-0 win and was sent back down with Johansson coming back the next game.
He finished the season with two goals and three assists in 24 NHL games. When he was in the top-six getting 15 minutes a night, Ohgren produced and looked good offensively. The defensive side was a work in progress but that is expected for a 20-year-old at the time.
But nine minutes a night on the fourth line this year is not the best thing to do when it comes to developing a scorer. So Ohgren was sent down to the AHL to play top minutes in all situations.
"I think with more ice time and with opportunities to get his confidence us is something we felt was important and he agreed," Hynes said.
So of course in his first game with Iowa, Ohgren scored.
Point being, you can see Ohgren is an offensive player. He has one heck of a shot. But playing in a fourth line role in the NHL is not going to suit his game. Giving him more time in the AHL is the right decision.
If there is a time this year that he is recalled, Ohgren has to be in a top-six role or there isn't a point in calling him up. Hence why the Wild recalled Pitlick to replace him on the fourth line.
Confidence is a big thing, especially for a young kid. Ruining that is not what you want to do. Hopefully this gives Ohgren confidence that he can one day score in the NHL and be a impactful top-six forward. That time is not now for Minnesota. Despite the lack of 5-on-5 scoring. But that is okay. His time will come and the Wild still believe in the youngster.
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The New York Yankees announced Sunday that former top prospect Jesús Montero has died at the age of 35 years old.
“The Yankees are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jesús Montero,” read a post on the team’s official X account. “We send our sincerest condolences to his family & loved ones.”
The Yankees are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jesús Montero. We send our sincerest condolences to his family & loved ones. pic.twitter.com/jlfUpPmgMt
The former catcher’s motorcycle reportedly crashed into a truck on Oct. 4 and he had been hospitalized ever since in critical condition. He was unable to recover from multiple injuries, authorities said.
“We join the baseball community in mourning the passing of former Major League player Jesús Montero,” Major League Baseball posted on social media Sunday.
We join the baseball community in mourning the passing of former Major League player Jesús Montero.
As a Minor League prospect, Montero appeared in the All-Star Futures game twice before debuting for the New York Yankees in September 2011. He posted a .996 OPS with 4 home runs… pic.twitter.com/AO6Yrxb5mo
The Venezuela native, a power-hitting catcher in the minors, was ranked one of the sport’s top-10 prospects by Baseball America for three consecutive years from 2010 to 2012.
Montero was the No. 1 prospect in the Yankees’ organization when he made his major-league debut in 2011 at 21-years-old. He played in 18 games for the Yankees that season, hitting .328 with four homers and 12 RBIs.
The following January, Montero was traded to the Seattle Mariners in a package for starting pitcher Michael Pineda. In his first season with the Mariners, he hit .260 with 15 home runs and 62 RBIs in 135 games. Over the next three seasons, he played in a combined 73 games, making his final MLB appearance in 2015.
He was waived by the Mariners the following offseason and spent stints in the minor league systems of the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles.
In the Venezuelan Winter League, he played six seasons with the Navegantes del Magallanes, Cardenales de Lara, and Águilas del Zulia. He retired at age 31 after the 2020-2021 season.
“Venezuelan baseball sadly bids farewell to Jesús Montero … leaving behind a legacy of effort and passion for the game,” the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League said in a statement posted Sunday on X. “Today, baseball mourns his passing. But it also remembers him with gratitude: for every home run that thrilled the fans, for every day in which he proudly defended his country’s colors, and for every young person who saw in him an example that dreams can be achieved.”
There was a lot to get to on this week’s episode of The Hockey Show.
Co-hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork were joined by a couple of guests this week to help get into the bevy of hockey news and happenings going on.
They first welcomed Shayne Goldman, NHL writer for The Athletic, who did not hold back when discussing the Vegas Golden Knights signing former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart to a PTO.
Hart and four other Hockey Canada players were indicted but found not guilty in a sexual assault case stemming from when each were teenagers and celebrating their World Junior Championship victory in 2018.
Also discussed with Shayna were the issues surrounding the New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers, an exciting early race for the Calder Trophy and who the next player to get a big contract will be.
The Hockey Show also welcomed actor, comedian and former MLB prospect Gerard Michaels to the show to discuss his career, but perhaps more importantly, his being a huge Rangers fan yet absolutely despising their biggest star, Artemi Panarin.
He also has experience working with THS producer Rose Arias, which was another interesting topic to dive into, especially for Roy.
This week’s wins and fails included some revenge in Colorado for a former Avs player, an incredible defensive effort from one of the best offensive players in the league, David Pastrnak, and the NHL once again falling over themselves to give some fake recognition to Sidney Crosby.
You can check out the show and full interviews in the videos below:
The 2025-26 NBA season will be new Kings guard Russell Westbrook’s first campaign in Sacramento and the star’s 18th overall in the league.
So, given that the Kings are Westbrook’s seventh different team and “The Brodie” is 36 years old, it’s fair to wonder if the coming season will be his last.
Westbrook was asked if that’d be the case on Sunday at Kings practice, and he bluntly shut it down.
“Yeah, right,” the former NBA MVP told reporters when asked if he’d retire upon the season’s end.
The idea of calling it quits isn’t in Westbrook’s DNA.
Instead, the 6-foot-4 guard, with career averages of 21.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists, intends to keep playing for the foreseeable future.
Westbrook followed his frank response by sharing what keeps him going.
“Family,” he said. “My family. My supporters. The ability to be grateful and blessed to be able to wake up and have limbs and things that work, and be able to use them. Using this platform to build other parts of my life and business.
“You know, just the overall fun I have while playing and enjoying the game; I think it’s something I never ever take for granted, and I’m thankful to be able to do that again.”
But the Kings are betting on the veteran to remain a productive player after he averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists over a promising 75 games a season ago.
And it appears Westbrook is betting on the Kings to help him have fun, as he avoids talk of retirement.
SAN FRANCISCO – Moses Moody officially is out for the Warriors’ regular season opener Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers while still rehabbing a strained calf, coach Steve Kerr announced Sunday.
Moody did not practice Sunday. He went through individual work on the court and in the weight room, but has not scrimmaged since missing the Warriors’ final three preseason games.
Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga, both coming back from ankle issues, scrimmaged Sunday and everything went well for them physically. The two forwards will be listed as questionable for the season opener with the expectation being they’ll be able to play.
Losing Moody for at least the first game of the season already throws a wrench in Kerr’s plans for his starting lineup and how he’ll use different combinations. Moody started both preseason games he played in and averaged 14.5 points on 52.4 percent shooting and was 7 of 12 (58.3 percent) on 3-pointers. The Jimmy Butler trade last season cemented Moody into a role of being a go-to on-ball defender who can hit open threes.
Moody’s versatility as someone who can play up as a forward in smaller lineups or down as a shooting guard in bigger lineups proved key down the stretch last season. And it also has Kerr trying to fill a missing piece.
“I honestly have not decided yet who’s going to start on Tuesday,” Kerr said.
Which prompted the question: Do you know who will start on Tuesday?
Sprinkling in some sarcasm, Kerr rattled off the obvious choices of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Butler, assuming he’s healthy enough. He then made it clear who at least the fourth person will be.
“With Moses out, that’s kind of the question,” Kerr said. “[Brandin Podziemski] will be out there. BP will be out there.”
Kerr mentioned veteran center Al Horford as an option, as well as Kuminga, but he could go a number of ways. The Warriors don’t want to play Horford, 39 years old, more than 20 to 25 minutes per game, making it tricky to decide if he’s better served as a starter or coming off the bench. If he starts and the Warriors want to close games, that means long lulls on the bench in between.
“What we have to think about is, what does that do to the rotation and what does that mean coming off the bench,” Kerr said. “Honestly, we have not decided yet and we’ve got to talk to guys as well.”
The player who will be most affected by the fifth spot is Green. Starting Horford would slot Green into his more natural position of power forward. But if Kerr opts to go smaller and start Kuminga, Green would continue rising above as a small-ball center.
None of this is new to Green, who joked that if he has to play the five “I’m going to ask for a trade.” The 6-foot-6 defensive genius has probably played more center than Kerr would have liked over the years, but he’s also a main piece of the modern NBA’s revolution. The deciding factor going into Green’s 14th season is the same that it’s always been for someone so decorated.
What’s best for the team? What is going to help the Warriors win? And what will put them on the path to contending for another championship?
“I’ve teetered with it my whole career. Sometimes at the five, sometimes at the four,” Green said. “I think you all know me. Whatever helps this team, whatever puts us in the best position to win, that’s what I’m going to do. I train to prepare myself for whatever’s to come. Playing the five isn’t always about the size, it’s about the size of the heart and I think my heart is as big – if not bigger – than anyone’s in the league. I always trust in that.
“I think my brain helps me get by quite a bit. I can outthink some guys. I just use the tools that I have. But I’m not putting no huge emphasis on whether I play the four or the five. In life we all have ideally what we would like. I have ideally what I think it would look like. But I also know that I play a team sport and in playing a team sport, what may be best for you personally or what you think is best, if that’s not best for the team then you’re being selfish. And I take pride in not being selfish.
“So whatever that looks like, wherever I can help … if that’s like, ‘Oh man, you sliding to the five is going to help this lineup, that’s going to help this rotation,’ then great. If it’s sliding to the four, great. Ultimately, Steve proved in Year 1 that he knows how to do these things, so I’m not going to be the idiot to sit here and question him. I’ll move on in my life and get ready for whatever’s ahead.”
Lakers head coach JJ Redick is expected to use Gabe Vincent, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton as his starting five against the Warriors. LeBron James remains out because of sciatica.
Who Kerr slots in next to Curry, Podziemski, Butler and Green is to be determined, and always, Draymond is ready for however the cards are shuffled.
The Winnipeg Jets announced Saturday before their 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators, that they have recalled forward Brad Lambert from their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
The 21‑year‑old Finland‑born forward has played in two games with the Moose so far this season, following a 35‑point campaign (seven goals, 28 assists) in 61 games during the 2024‑25 AHL season. Over his career with the Moose, Lambert has 93 points (30 goals, 63 assists) in 139 career AHL contests.
Born in Lahti, Finland, Lambert has steadily progressed through the Jets organization and has drawn attention for his playmaking ability and polish at the AHL level. Earlier in his career, he broke out as a rookie, posting 55 points (21 G, 34 A) in 64 games, earning All‑Rookie Team honors.
This recall comes as Lambert has already appeared in six NHL games for the Jets, picking up two assists. He was originally selected by Winnipeg in the first round, 30th overall, in the 2022 NHL Draft.
It's unclear as to what his role on the team will be just yet with the team experimenting with their lineup, playing rookies in Nikita Chibrikov and Parker Ford in a number of roles with nothing sticking as impactful. Hopefully, Lambert will get an opportunity to show what he has to offer with his game in likely their next contest on Monday in a road game versus the Calgary Flames.
The first Florida Panthers player to incur a fine from the NHL Department of Player Safety this season is Brad Marchand.
Well, this regular season.
Marchand was fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for “unsportsmanlike conduct.”
This stems from an incident that occurred during Saturday’s game between the Panthers and Sabres in Buffalo.
During the second period, Dahlin came up behind Marchand and cross-checked him in the lower back.
Marchand responded as many would expect, going after Dahlin and trying to fight him, eventually skating away from the scrum he created with Dahlin’s helmet in his hands.
As he got to the Panthers penalty box, Marchand began ripping the straps off of the helmet before tossing the damaged bucket back on the ice.
Photo caption: Oct 18, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) looks to pass during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)
NHL player safety has fined Florida Panthers left winger Brad Marchand $5,000 for his unsportsmanlike conduct and his actions against the Buffalo Sabres during Saturday’s game.
The $5,000 fine is the maximum fine allowable under the CBA.
Florida’s Brad Marchand has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for unsportsmanlike conduct for his actions during yesterday’s game against Buffalo.
In the middle of the second frame between the Panthers and the Sabres on Saturday, Marchand flew off the hinges, following a cross-check from Buffalo’s defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
Dahlin cross-checked Marchand in the back, with the puck away from the two of them. Marchand went down as a result of the cross-check, but there was no call on the play.
Not long after, Marchand followed Dahlin to the other side of the blueline, stepping into the Sabres' D-man, taking him to the ground.
From that point, Marchand jumped on Dahlin and began whaling punches on him. Buffalo center Tage Thompson stepped in to pull Marchand away from the team’s captain.
In the aftermath, Marchand was called for interference and roughing on Dahlin, and Thompson was sent to the box for roughing Marchand.
That wasn’t the end of the theatrics from the Panthers veteran. As Marchand headed for the penalty box, he was carrying Dahlin’s helmet. When he was stepping into the sin bin, Marchand began ripping the straps off Dahlin’s helmet and tossing it away.
The Sabres capitalized on Marchand’s penalties. Right winger Josh Doan scored his second power-play goal of the game to make it 2-0 for Buffalo.
Buffalo went on to defeat Florida 3-0 with goaltender Alex Lyon earning the shutout.
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An epic facial expression, a bit of trolling with a reporter in a back-and-forth exchange and laughter filled the Kings’ practice facility on Sunday morning.
“It feels great, truly,” Westbrook said when asked how it feels to be a member of the Kings. “I’m blessed to be able to have an opportunity to play and enjoy a place that wanted me to come here. So I’m grateful for that.”
“I don’t know how it all came together so quickly, but obviously I have a lot of friends and guys I’ve played with on this team before,” Westbrook said. “Not just that, but also an organization that [my agent] had been in contact with, trying to figure out ways to make it happen. With salary cap and all these different rules that I’ve come to learn, things you can and can’t do, and things just kind of meshed together that way. And I’m here now.”
Westbrook, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, widely is regarded as one of the most fiery players and personalities in the league.
You love him … or you don’t. Regardless, Westbrook won’t ever change who he is.
Now entering Year 18, symbolized by the No. 18 he’ll wear with the Kings, Westbrook is used to the criticism.
“To be honest, it’s really been like this my whole career,” he said. “It’s nothing new, unfortunately. I’m grateful and blessed for the doubt, the ‘if I can and will play.’ I know what I’m capable of when given the opportunity. So when the season starts, I’m going to do what I’ve always done and compete. There’s going to be people who love it. There’s going to be people who hate it. That’s life for me. I didn’t make it 18 years on accident.
“I’m grateful. The chip has always been on my shoulder, and it won’t go nowhere until I’m done playing.”
But Westbrook isn’t just motivated by the chip on his shoulder, as the external doubt and criticism of the Kings’ roster as a whole also lights a fire under him.
“The doubt that everybody has against us,” Westbrook said when asked what intrigues him about the team.
The triple-double king spent the last season with the Denver Nuggets, where in 75 games (36 starts), he averaged 13.3 points on 44.9 percent shooting from the field, with 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists 1.4 steals in 27.9 minutes.
He remains in great shape among point guards across the league, while doing the things coach Doug Christie is looking for, such as rebounding, play-making, providing high energy and getting after it defensively.
His high momentum and contagious energy are fitting for the arena he’ll now call home.
Westbrook can’t wait to finally be on the home side of the “loud” Golden 1 Center crowd after fans have “talked a lot of mess to me when I was here” as an opponent over the course of his career.
“Very excited. I think fans are one of the reasons why I love to play the game,” he said. “It’s one of the reasons why I continue to go out and give everything I have. Being on the road side, I know how great this fanbase can be. I’m grateful and excited to be able to get out there and have them on my side and feed off their energy.
“And yes, ultimately light the beam.”
Westbrook is a nine-time NBA All-Star, nine-time All-NBA member, former league MVP, two-time scoring champion and likely a future Hall of Famer.
Nearly two decades into this, accolades have become less and less important to him as much as being healthy and able to even step foot onto the hardwood. While he acknowledged winning a championship would be a great addition to his already illustrious NBA resume, he’s more focused on having a lasting impact on the things he does and the people he comes across.
That includes on and off the basketball court.
“I think since I’ve been in this league, leadership is not just something that you guys see on the floor,” he said. “My job, and I think one of my traits as a leader, is to be able to learn about guys’ journeys off the floor, how they got to this point, what inspires them, what pushes them. Being able to do that allows me to be a better teammate [and] a better brother to my teammates.
“To me, that’s what I look forward to most. Being able to impact and inspire someone daily is always my goal to run into somebody and maybe I can inspire them to do something they didn’t think they could do.”
It appears Christie and Westbrook already are on the same page when it comes to what the Kings are expecting out of the star point guard in his first season with the team.
“I want Russ to be Russ,” Christie said last week.
It sounds cliche. It sounds like propaganda. Even a great public relations answer. But Russell Westbrook might literally be incapable of being anyone other than himself.
And he hopes Kings fans can enjoy that player, and more importantly, the person in Sacramento.
