Bob Iger, left, and Joshua Kushner jumped at the chance to acquire the Los Angeles Lakers. (Getty Images)
Mark Walter said he loved owning the Lakers but decided recently it was time to sell.
Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner wanted to own an NBA franchise and had the money for a big purchase.
The framework for a deal was consummated in a matter of days, Iger said, although the sale needs to be approved by the NBA Board of Governors.
Iger and Kushner paid $12.5 billion for the Lakers. Walter’s flipping of the franchise netted him a $2.5-billion profit after only 14 months of ownership. It is the highest-ever price paid for a sports team and comes as Walter’s business is facing a federal probe.
Kushner, whose older brother Jared is President Trump’s son-in-law, founded the Thrive Capital firm in 2009 and has amassed a net worth estimated by Forbes at more than $5 billion.
One of Thrive’s subsidiaries, Thrive Eternal, focuses on sports acquisitions, purchasing and selling a stake in the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies before acquiring stakes in the Miami Heat and the MLB’s San Francisco Giants , among others.
Kushner and Iger were also championing a potential NBA expansion team in Las Vegas through Thrive Eternal until the opportunity to simply pay cash for the league’s most iconic franchise presented itself.
Mark Walter (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Iger befriended the Lakers’ current head coach JJ Redick when Redick played for the L.A. Clippers from 2013 to 2017. Iger has long been a Clippers fan, telling Redick on a podcast in 2021 that he grew up a New York Knicks fan and their rivalry with the Lakers made rooting for the purple and gold when he moved to L.A. in 2000 “not in my DNA.”
Why would he, without hesitation, become keen on the Lakers?
The Lakers are the “epitome of an eternal asset,” Iger told Bloomberg this week.
A spokesperson for Iger and Kushner said neither were available to speak to The Times until the sale of the Lakers is completed.
In April, Kushner wrote on social media that Iger “leads with boldness and conviction because he knows what he is building and why.” Their mutual admiration began in 2018 when their wives — former models who went on to have successful business careers — became friends.
Iger joined Thrive for a short time in 2022 after resigning from the Walt Disney Co., and returned to Kushner’s firm in March after serving a second stretch as Disney’s chief executive from late 2022 to earlier this year.
Iger is a close friend of NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who introduced Iger to his wife, Willow Bay, in the 1990s when she hosted the television show “NBA Inside Stuff.” Bay is now dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Iger and Bay married in 1995 and moved from New York to Los Angeles in 2000. Soon, he was regularly attending Clippers home games. Owning the Lakers may never have crossed his mind until a week or so ago. Now he’s all in.
“Grateful, appreciative, excited to own something that’s as iconic as the L.A. Lakers,” Iger told the California Post. “Josh and I are avid NBA fans. And [to] have an opportunity to own not just any NBA team, but the L.A. Lakers is extraordinary from a life experience perspective and business perspective. It’s still sinking in. We’re very excited.”
Bob Iger and Willow Bay married in 1995 and moved to Los Angeles in 2000. (Ashley Landis / Invision / AP)
Iger acknowledged it is too soon to articulate a strategic plan.
“We are fans,” Iger told the outlet. “We respect the value that’s been created, both on the court and off. Our intention is to build this great franchise from a position of strength in many respects as an organization.
“It’s just premature to speculate at all about what we plan to do, because frankly, we haven’t made any plans yet. Again, we go into this with an appreciation of who the Lakers are. And we just want to build value from today on.”
Walter’s decision to sell the Lakers shocked the sports world. In his short tenure as owner, the team said goodbye to LeBron James, gave Austin Reaves a long contract extension, traded for impact center Walker Kessler and signed several complementary players.
Walter is also majority owner of the Dodgers and the L.A. Sparks of the WNBA. He owns minority stakes in professional soccer teams Chelsea FC and RC Strasbourg Alsace and the Cadillac Formula One team. And he owns the entire Professional Women’s Hockey League, which named its championship trophy after Walter.
It became public recently that federal officials were investigating his business empire. The investigations by the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Delaware insurance regulator are focused on $21 billion in possibly fraudulent loans made by two Delaware life insurers that Walter owns to companies also tied to him. Such potential conflicts of interest must be reported to regulators.
Walter and his firm have denied any wrongdoing. He has declined to answer questions about the sale and whether it was connected to the probe.
The Dodgers have said Walter has no intention of selling that team.
Iger, in interviews this week, described the deal as happening very quickly.
“We were involved in pursuing the new franchise in Vegas,” Iger told the California Post. “And while that happened, it was suggested to us that maybe Mark Walter would be interested in selling his stake in the Lakers. And we immediately decided that given the value of the franchise and the iconic nature of the team, that we would be really smart to pursue it. The deal came together in three days. It’s that simple.”
SAN DIEGO, CA - AUGUST 08: Peter Lambert #38 of the Houston Astros pitches during the game between the Houston Astros and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Saturday, August 8, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ryan Levy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (62-60) will open a huge nine-game homestand tonight as they welcome in their division rival, the Seattle Mariners (57-65), for a three-game weekend series at Daikin Park.
RHP Peter Lambert (8-6, 3.09 ERA), the Astros most consistent starter this season, will start the series opener for Houston opposite Astros nemesis RHP George Kirby (8-9, 3.68 ERA) and the Mariners.
HALL OF FAME WEEKEND: The Astros are celebrating Hall of Fame Weekend beginning tonight at Daikin Park. Astros legends Alan Ashby and the late Phil Garner will be inducted into the Astros Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony tomorrow, scheduled for 5:35 p.m. Ashby and members of the Garner family will be available to the media in the press conference room at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow.
THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 42-29 since May 22, which is the second-best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.
THE LAMBO: Today’s Astros starter RHP Peter Lambert leads the club in wins (8), starts (20), innings (113.2) and strikeouts (111)…among AL pitchers with at least 110 IP, Lambert ranks seventh in opponent average (.208) and 10th in ERA. A minor league signing by Houston this offseason, Lambert pitched last year for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the NPB, posting a 3.98 ERA (55ER/124.1IP) with 111 strikeouts in 23 starts.
FAMILIAR FOE: RHP George Kirby has been at his best against the Astros in his career, going 6-1 with a 2.14 ERA (15ER/63IP) in 11 regular season starts opposite Houston, numbers that do not include his 7.0 shutout innings in the 2022 NLDS. The Astros with the most career success vs. Kirby: 3B Isaac Paredes (.438, 7×16, 3RBI), SS Jeremy Peña (.300, 6×20, 4RBI) and C Yainer Diaz (.273, 6×22, RBI).
VS. THE MARINERS: It’s been three months since the Astros last played the Mariners, as they last saw them in a four-game series in Houston from May 11-14. The Astros have gone 1-7 against the Mariners this season with five games left to play.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros closed out their six-game road trip on Wednesday with a win, giving them a 3-3 trip thru San Diego (1-2) and San Francisco (2-1). Houston has gone 25-16 (.610) on their last five road trips and are 31-22 (.585) on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season. Houston is 32-31 overall on the road in 2026.
ON THE MEND: The Astros have four players on the Major League Injured List. Here are updates on three:
RHP Mike Burrows (rt. elbow neuritis) is scheduled to pitch for Triple A Sugar Land tonight in what will be his first affiliate rehab start since the injury.
IF Carlos Correa (lt. ankle tendon injury) has began a hitting progression while also participating in light on-field baseball activity and a running progression.
OF Brice Matthews (lt. knee sprain) is participating in on-field baseball activity and a running progression.
THAT’S OFFENSIVE: The Astros lead the AL in SLG (.411), while ranking second in OPS (.730 and home runs (162). In the Majors, the Astros rank fourth in homers, trailing only the Nationals (177), Yankees (169), and Braves (164).
MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez holds at least a share of the lead in all AL Triple Crown categories, ranking first in average (.322), first in RBI (87) and tied for first in HR (35). Additionally, he leads MLB in OPS (1.057), OBP (.436), SLG (.621), and TB (270). In the AL, he ranks first in hits (140), XBH (60) and runs (80), and is second in BB (84).
CHIPPING IN: A couple Astros are on mini hot streaks, including OF Taylor Trammell, who’s posted a .991 OPS (.400 OBP/.591 SLG) with 11 runs, one double, one triple, four home runs, eight RBI and nine walks in his last 14 games (since July 26). RF Cam Smith is batting .386 (17×44) with three home runs, eight RBI and a 1.095 OPS in his last 12 games dating back to July 29.
PEÑA’S PALS: SS Jeremy Peña will host kids from Hidalgo Little League tonight for August’s Peña’s Pals…in its fourth year, Peña’s Pals is a program developed by Peña in partnership with the Astros Foundation. The program celebrates kids and their development in academics, character building and making healthy choices.
HADERADE: LHP Josh Hader has been stellar since returning from injury in early June, going 4-1 with a 0.96 ERA (3ER/28IP), 38 strikeouts, a .106 opponent batting average (10×94) and a 0.71 WHIP, while also converting all 17 of his save opportunities, through 29 appearances.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2020 – The Astros explode for nine runs in the 1st in an 11-1 win over the Mariners in Houston. In his first at-bat of the 2020 season, DH Yordan Alvarez hits a three- run homer in the opening frame, which ended up as his only homer on the season. 1B Yuli Gurriel also homers in the inning, going back-to-back with Alvarez.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, August 14, 7:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KTRH 740AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
A former Golden State Warriors point guard receives backlash from the internet after leaving Steph Curry off of his top-5 all-time list.
When it comes to basketball conversations about who is the greatest of all time, it’s often a debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James. But when it comes down to top five of all time, both of them are usually a sure thing to be in it.
Klay Thompson revealing his top 5 all-time with streamer PlaqueBoyMax
Thompson began the list by listing former Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal as his center, then put Tim Duncan and LeBron James as his two forwards.
Struggling to decide with his hand rubbing against his head, Thompson ended up choosing Kobe Bryant over Jordan at shooting guard.
“I gotta go with Kobe at the two,” Thompson said. “I love Mike, but I just grew up watching Kobe. I got to play against him. 81 [point game,] twelve threes, you know, gold medals. God, I love MJ, but Kobe is like a carbon copy of Mike. Imma go, Kobe just cause that’s my era.”
Thompson then said he would put Steph Curry at point guard, and added that he is “loyal to my PG of the past.”
Immediately after Thompson’s top 5 was revealed, basketball fans across the internet commented on the post that had over 457.7 thousand views in a day and had mixed reactions about Thompson’s list.
Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry react after scoring during the first quarter of a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (Jason Szenes for New York Post) Jason Szenes for New York Post
“stayed loyal to steph” no he just has common sense and knows steph is the greatest player ever at the position and it’s not relatively close
The X account @Kypsiw responded to the video and said: ” ‘Stayed loyal to steph’ no he just has common sense and knows steph is the greatest player ever at the position and it’s not relatively close.”
The account @GrindHard0990 commented, “NO JORDAN FOR A REASON…DUDE A– FR…”
The backlash on Thompson continued when the account @ThehoopCentral reposted the video, and the account @ItsMichaelJ commented a GIF of Jordan hysterically laughing with a tablet in his lap.
@AriiKruse1 commented, “Great lineup, but who takes the final shot in clutch moments?”
Thompson wasn’t the only one receiving backlash, as the account @Jay_Jay9517 commented on it, and took a shot at PlaqueBoyMax by saying, “These streamers are so lame, dude looks like he would rather be anywhere else than sitting next to one of the greatest NBA players of all time. .. not even engaged in the conversation.”
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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 12: Justin Foscue #14 of the Texas Rangers reacts after hitting a single during the eighth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 12, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ryan Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for August 14, 2026 against the A’s: starting pitchers are Kumar Rocker for the Rangers and Gage Jump for the A’s.
Texas will try to get the Angels funk off of them and break their three game losing streak. There’s a lefty going so the Rangers have the righty-heavy lineup out. Kumar Rocker will hopefully cover first base tonight if the occasion demands it.
The lineup:
Langford — LF
Nimmo — RF
Seager — SS
Duran — 3B
Burger — 1B
Foscue — DH
Freeman — 2B
Diaz — C
Carter — CF
8:40 p.m. Central start time. The game is a pick ‘em.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 14: Cody Freeman #39 of the Texas Rangers reacts before playing against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on June 14, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have recalled infielder Cody Freeman and purchased the contract of Marco Gonzales from AAA Round Rock. To make room on the active roster for the pair, the team has optioned infielder Cam Cauley and pitcher Ben Peoples to AAA Round Rock. To make room for Gonzales on the 40 man roster, the Rangers designated pitcher Luis Curvelo for assignment.
After Jacob deGrom went just two innings yesterday, the Rangers need someone in the pen who can give them length. Peoples has options so he goes down, and Gonzales returns to the Rangers for his second stint with the club this season.
The motivation behind the decision to swap out Cody Freeman for Cam Cauley isn’t quite as clear. Freeman was in the mix for an Opening Day roster spot, but has missed much of the year do to back and neck issues. The Rangers reportedly like the energy that Freeman brings, however, and with the lineup currently feeling very flat, it may be that he’s viewed as being able to provide a shot in the arm.
Curvelo, meanwhile, will end up on the waiver wire, and I’m guessing he’ll clear waivers. He has regressed from last year, with a 9.58 major league ERA and 8.42 AAA ERA, and has been both wild and homer prone.
Apr 7, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby (68) throws during the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I have recapped literally hundreds of Mariners games over the years and I’m not sure there’s one I’ve approached with more dread than tonight’s. Like, woke up this morning with a stone in my stomach, counting down the hours (derogatory), looming final/dentist appointment/“we have to talk” kind of dread anticipation. So, that’s fun.
Lineups:
News:
If you missed it yesterday, Colt Emerson was optioned to Tacoma; super-utility infielder Brock Rodden, who is in the lineup tonight, will take his place. But Emerson won’t be going to Tacoma; he’ll instead be going to the IL with the same wrist issue that’s been bothering him since before his call-up. The team has not ruled out the possibility of season-ending surgery, per Adam Jude of the Times.
In encouraging injury news, Matt Brash was with the team today as he nears a return to play. He’s scheduled to throw a bullpen tomorrow; after that he’ll progress to throwing to live hitters, and then to a rehab assignment.
Tonight’s game information:
Game time: 5:10 PT
TV: Mariners TV with Aaron Goldsmith, Dave Valle and Jay Buhner
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Gary Hill Jr. and Ryan Rowland-Smith
Regretfully, there is no info on which innings Buhner will be on TV vs. radio, so let me offer you this vintage DivishTweet™ in penance:
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 24: Bob Iger (L) and Chris Paul attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets at Intuit Dome on April 24, 2025 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 16: Giannis Antetokounmpo #7 of the Miami Heat speaks to the media during an introductory press conference at Kaseya Center on July 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This week, we finally touched on the elephant in the room re. Giannis: the notion that Bucks GM Jon Horst waited too long to trade him. This week’s polling results were fascinating because, to me, they showed how being a team fan and having a deeper connection to its players can change how people view the choices the team makes, compared with how an outsider views those choices.
Outside the fanbase, the prevailing view is that Horst messed up by waiting too long and losing much of his leverage when he traded Giannis. But inside the fanbase—while many accept that, in a nutshell, Horst could have done better strategically—most fans (59%) were fine with the Bucks GM waiting because they preferred he try everything to keep Giannis and fail than not exhaust all options. That said, a substantial portion of the fanbase (41%) still thought he waited too long. Each to their own!
Many of the fans who sat in the majority had other critiques of Horst—along with nuances they pointed out—but were ultimately steadfast that he did the right thing in his handling of Giannis, specifically:
BenDranklin3000: I will always stand by the opinion that when you have an absolute generational talent, you do everything you can to try to build around him. Even more so when he is actually a good dude and also actually likes the city of Milwaukee. Watching Giannis get teary-eyed while watching videos of fans thanking him and wishing him well while he is adjusting to his new surroundings is unheard of… And while there were some ugly moments, I will always love him, and that is all the justification I need to say we did the right thing in trying to make things work
LombardiStanleyO’Brian: Looking back at this… 100% yes. But at the present moment of that summer, equally 100% no. The Bucks were coming off a slim playoff exit at the hands of a magical Pacers run. After that, we waived and stretched Dame to steal a massive piece of their team in Myles Turner, and within a weak East, we looked like on paper title contenders. Sadly, a combination of bad Doc Rivers, Giannis’ injury, and just plain poor basketball doomed us. At the moment then, it looked like a great move on the surface, but like so many of Horst’s moves, it didn’t end up panning out.
Now for those who stood more toward the opposing opinion:
Harms: I voted No. I agreed with Sam Vecenie on the Game Theory podcast that Giannis should have been traded a year ago to extract more value. I can’t really fathom, with the benefits of hindsight, why anyone would choose the route we took as being better than potentially getting a better package and a quicker start to moving on. I get the sentimental feelings about it, but had I known that Giannis had been that aggressive with wanting out of Milwaukee, I would have moved him last year.
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NEW YORK, NY - JULY 31: Wilmer Flores #4 of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a twelfth inning walk-off home run against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on July 31, 2015 in Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Mets defeated the Nationals 2-1 in 12 innings. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I know what you’re thinking. Fridays against the Nationals at Citi Field. Isn’t that a bit of a narrow category for a “best of” list? That’s a tremendously fair point, but for whatever reason, it seems a disproportionate number of the most memorable games in recent Mets history have come on Fridays against the Nats — whether jumpstarting hot streaks, announcing the arrival of new stars, or simply providing a moment of joy in otherwise bleak times.
There are a variety of good options to choose from, as the Mets have won six of their last eight and 14 of their last 22 Friday contests at home against Washington. I’ve selected a quartet that I believe stand above the rest as true classics. With another weekend series with the Nats upon us in 2026, it felt fitting to revisit the unique circumstances that led to these games, the actual on-field events that went down, and the legacy they’ve left behind. So without further ado, here are the top Friday nights at Citi Field vs. the Nats (so far):
4. deGame – April 23, 2021
Setting the scene: After over 18 months of covid-induced absence (not counting cardboard cutouts), fans were finally back in the stands at Citi Field — but things weren’t exactly back to normal. Seating was spaced out, tickets were limited, and the sport was settling into a transitional season before the expanded playoffs and universal DH, after the automatic extra-inning runner, with seven-inning doubleheaders and mounting concern about “sticky stuff.” But the Mets had promise, fresh off the acquisition and long-term extension of Francisco Lindor, out to a respectable 8-7 start, and featuring a two-time Cy Young Award winner who only seemed to get better with age. Thus far in 2021, Jacob deGrom held a 0.45 ERA with 35 strikeouts and three walks over three starts. As he warmed up in the bullpen before this Friday night start against the Nationals (only the seventh home game and third home night game since fans returned to the stadium), he felt so good that it made him “a little nervous.” So we have a small but remarkably hungry crowd of 8,130 fans starved for something good to cheer, and a one-of-one ace nervous about just how good he might be. Sounds like a pretty good recipe.
Play ball: deGrom set the tone with a three-pitch strikeout of leadoff hitter Andrew Stevenson, each offering coming in at over 99 mph. One would think it could only get better for the Nats from that point on, but…not exactly. After five innings, they had struck out nine times and reached base only twice (on a well-placed grounder and a misplayed fly ball). The game was still scoreless, but that changed in the bottom of the frame when deGrom himself came to bat against Erick Fedde, slashing an RBI double to left and later scoring on a single by Brandon Nimmo.
The right-hander kept cruising, striking out the side in the sixth and seventh innings to reach a total of 15 on the night. Unfortunately, his pitch count was also climbing. With 92 pitches thrown by the end of the seventh, it was clear that deGrom’s only shot at a complete game was quick and soft contact, tricky for someone who hadn’t allowed a ball in play for two innings. But in his video-game-like way, deGrom miraculously managed an eight-pitch eighth. When he appeared on deck in the bottom of the inning, the fans scattered throughout the crowd made their voices heard. And, of course, he rewarded them with another single. He needed just nine pitches to cruise through the ninth, stepping on first base to complete the final 3-1 putout and seal the second complete-game shutout of his career. deGrom had retired 19 in a row. He had struck out 15 batters, none of them in the final two innings after he seamlessly shifted to pitching to contact. He had allowed only two baserunners, and he had reached base twice himself.
The legacy: Game Score is a metric developed by Bill James that attempts to quantify a pitcher’s performance with a single number. deGrom’s gem had a Game Score of 98. In Mets history, the only pitching performance of nine innings or fewer to have a higher Game Score is David Cone’s 19-strikeout shutout of the Phillies on October 6, 1991.
deGrom generated 29 whiffs, the third-most in a game by any Met in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008) with the top two spots also occupied by deGrom. He became the first (and only) Met to strike out 15 or more batters in the 21st century. Only 17 pitchers have recorded a game with 15 or more strikeouts and 2 or fewer baserunners allowed, and the only one to do it since deGrom was Jacob Misirowski on June 12. In other words, this game’s legacy is that of one of the greatest pitching performances in baseball history.
3. Harvey’s Better – April 19, 2013
Setting the scene: He had only made 13 major league starts, but Matt Harvey was already becoming something of a phenomenon. After an impressive rookie showing in the second half of 2012, Harvey burst out of the gate with a trio of gems in his sophomore season, allowing two runs over 22 innings of work while striking out 25. Mets fans were dreaming big on the 24-year-old right-hander, but now he faced perhaps his biggest challenge yet: A meeting with fellow 24-year-old sensation Stephen Strasburg. A No. 1 overall draft pick who had made an All-Star team and started Game 1 of a postseason series the year prior, Strasburg in a sense represented what Harvey might hope to become.
Play ball: The Mets got to Strasburg early, scoring a pair of unearned runs with the help of an error and a wild pitch in the bottom of the first, but the Nats’ ace quickly found his groove. Harvey allowed only one hit in the first five frames, and that was a double to Strasburg in the top of the third. The score held at 2-0 Mets until the bottom of the sixth, when Ike Davis led off with a first-pitch moonshot to left-center field. Two batters later, Lucas Duda launched a homer to right-center.
That’s when it started, rising from a faint, unintelligible rumble to an unmistakable, unified chorus: chants of “Harvey’s Better,” echoing throughout the stands and piercing the audio of the SNY broadcast as it displayed a split-screen of Strasburg, trying to regroup on the mound, and Harvey, waiting in the dugout to continue his masterpiece. Harvey would end up allowing a run in the seventh, but hardly anyone seemed to care. A fanbase longing for signs of life after four straight fourth-place finishes had finally found it. Their prospect looked like an ace. Their ace looked like a star. Their star had won the night. Dreaming big on Harvey was no longer a fool’s hope.
The legacy: Matt Harvey’s stardom flashed and faded far sooner than Mets fans would have hoped, but at its peak it burned as bright as any Mets player’s has. The “Harvey’s Better” game seemed to officially announce his arrival and kick off that memorable rollercoaster ride, one which led him to an All-Star Game start three months later and effectively ended with a World Series start thirty months later, all occurring on that same Citi Field mound.
Though their successes took on different forms — and though they certainly had different styles on the mound — Harvey and Strasburg are in some ways forever linked. The two represented a generation of starting pitchers at a threshold between eras, ushering in a new wave of high-velocity hurlers who emerged into an environment less equipped to handle the growing health risks associated with that velocity. Both pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery, but Strasburg adhered to strict innings limits — even amidst a playoff run — while Harvey blew past them in his pursuit of a World Series title. Assessing those choices is something of an impossible exercise. Strasburg played the long game, and Harvey chased greatness when he saw the opportunity. When Strasburg was on his way to a World Series MVP Award in 2019, Harvey was on the Los Angeles Angels, pitching to an ERA above seven. The question of who won the actual pitchers’ duel between Harvey and Strasburg — the one that lasted almost a decade, and not just on that Friday night in April — is one that defines a unique period of pitching in baseball history.
Setting the scene: Between the magical National League Champions in 2015 and the 101-win powerhouse squad in 2022, there were the 2019 Mets, riding the relatively-intact rotation of the mid-2010s and the youthful energy of a new offensive core. They missed the playoffs, in large part held back by their unreliable bullpen. But for a period of several weeks that summer, the ’19 group was firing on all cylinders. They entered this series-opener against Washington having won 13 of their last 14 games, including six straight, carrying them from nine games below .500 to four games above. In the middle of that stretch, they also made the surprising decision to buy at the deadline, adding All-Star Marcus Stroman, who was set to make his home debut opposite Strasburg. To make the stakes even higher, the Nats were sitting in the top NL Wild Card spot, 3.5 games above the Mets.
Play ball: It seemed a pitchers’ duel was in the making, as Stroman and Strasburg traded zeros for three innings. But the Nats got to Stroman, with Anthony Rendon tripling in a run and 20-year-old Juan Soto clobbering a two-run shot to put the Mets in a 3-0 hole. The resilient lineup instantly responded, with Pete Alonso and J.D. Davis hitting back-to-back homers in the bottom of the frame to even the score. Stroman found himself in a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the top of the sixth, but struck out Strasburg swinging — his ninth strikeout of the night — and walked off the mound to a roar from the raucous crowd. The Mets had all the momentum, but the Nats stole it right back, putting the Mets down 6-3 entering the bottom of the ninth via an Anthony Rendon homer and run-scoring wild pitch.
With their backs against the wall and their winning streak in jeopardy, the Mets mounted yet another rally. Davis pulled a double over the third-base bag and Wilson Ramos lined a base hit. That brought Todd Frazier to the plate as the tying run. The veteran torqued a moonshot down the left-field line, and the only question was whether the blast would stay fair. It tucked itself just inside the foul pole as the Mets leapt out of their dugout, Alonso jumping up and down in foul territory. After singles by Joe Panik (playing in his first game as a Met) and Amed Rosario, Michael Conforto scorched a ball that flew beyond the reach of right fielder Adam Eaton to notch his first career walk-off hit. The streak stayed alive. The same cannot be said for Conforto’s jersey.
The legacy: The 2019 Mets are something of a forgotten group, but their distinct “LFGM” attitude reached its unbridled peak that night in August, when their postseason hopes seemed more tangible than ever before. They won the next night on an unforgettable pinch-hit homer from Luis Guillorme (his first in the big leagues), but they lost the finale on Sunday afternoon. Somewhere deep down, I’ve always believed that if they’d managed to sweep that series from the Nationals, it could have been them instead of Washington still playing in late October. Such sweeps have been known to have that effect for the Mets, which brings us to…
1. Wilmer Flores Night – July 31, 2015
Setting the scene: It would be difficult to script a more action-packed homestand leading up to 7:10 pm on July 31, 2015. Eight days earlier, the Mets’ injury-riddled lineup was nearly no-hit by Clayton Kershaw. Seven days earlier, the team promoted first-round draft pick Michael Conforto and made a mid-game trade to bring Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe to Queens while their starting pitcher watched his wife give birth on FaceTime from the dugout. Six days earlier, Conforto went 4-for-4 and fellow newcomer Johnson homered in a 15-2 rout. Five days earlier, they broke Zack Greinke’s 45 2/3-inning scoreless streak before winning thanks to a walk-off hit from yet another newcomer in Uribe. Four days earlier, they swung a trade for two-time All-Star Tyler Clippard on an off-day. Three days earlier, Clippard made his debut by closing out a Mets win after Noah Syndergaard took a perfect game into the seventh. Two days earlier, word broke of another mid-game trade which would send Wilmer Flores, who had been a part of the organization since he was 16 years old, in a trade package to Milwaukee. He shed tears on the field as the crowd applauded him in what appeared to be his final game as a Met — except that it wasn’t. The deal was never completed, and Flores, suddenly having earned the sympathy of the larger Mets universe, was still in orange and blue. One day earlier, the team blew a six-run lead in their most devastating loss of the season. And just hours earlier, minutes before the trade deadline, they swung a deal to acquire Yoenis Céspedes.
All of that chaos brings us to the night in question, when the Mets kicked off a three-game set with the Nationals, who sat exactly three games above them in the NL East standings. The big three (Harvey-deGrom-Syndergaard) were lined up. Travis d’Arnaud was returning from the injured list. Céspedes was en route. And Wilmer Flores was batting sixth and playing second base.
Play ball: From the second play of the night, Flores’ burgeoning status as a folk hero became quite evident. He made a diving stop on a Yunel Escobar grounder, getting to his feet and firing to first as the crowd offered support far beyond the typical volume for a 4-3 putout. When Flores stepped to the plate for the first time in the bottom of the second, he received a standing ovation, though Escobar returned the favor by retiring him on a nifty barehanded play. When Flores returned to the plate with two out and two on in the bottom of the fourth, he ripped a liner off Gio Gonzalez that proved too much for Ian Desmond to handle, bouncing into the outfield as Uribe came home with the first run of the game.
Matt Harvey, in a largely-forgotten performance (reasonably overshadowed by the evening’s other memorable events), carried a perfect game into the sixth. He pitched all the way into the eighth, finally yielding a run when Escobar got revenge for his earlier robbery by drilling a two-out, two-strike, 98-mph fastball up the middle. The newly-acquired Clippard entered into a jam, but froze Jayson Werth on a 3-2 fastball thanks to a sweet frame by the returning d’Arnaud. The 1-1 tie held through the ninth. It held through the 10th. It held through the 11th, an inning which included a Bryce Harper ejection after yet another d’Arnaud frame. It held until the bottom of the 12th, when Flores came to bat for the fifth time.
“Well, this game began with the Wilmer Flores standing ovation chorus,” Gary Cohen said on the SNY broadcast as Flores stepped into the batter’s box, the crowd chanting his name as they had all night. “This is beautiful,” Ron Darling said. “All you gotta do, Wilmer, is hit it out of the park.” 42 seconds later, Flores was rounding first base as the baseball sailed majestically over the left-center-field wall. As Howie Rose later put it, “I swear when that ball went over the fence it turned into pixie dust.”
The legacy: One day later, Céspedes joined the Mets for yet another win over the Nats. Two days later, the Mets completed the sweep on national television thanks to a three-homer inning that sent Citi Field into a Shea-like frenzy. A month later, the Mets all but sealed the NL East title with yet another sweep, this time in Washington. Two and a half months later, Flores was playing shortstop and batting eighth in the ballpark’s first World Series game.
That storybook night infused the 2015 team with a sense of heart and purpose that they never really lost — at least not until they actually lost, with Flores taking a called third strike to end the Fall Classic. It infused the fanbase with a special love for a relatively uncelebrated utility infielder, and that love still hasn’t gone away (if you don’t believe me, try starting a “Wilmer Flores” chant anywhere in the stadium today and see what happens). It was three hours and 59 minutes which felt more like a fairytale than a baseball game. Those moments only happen once in a blue moon. And oh, by the way, there was one of those that night, too.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: Ziaire Williams #1 of the Brooklyn Nets warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on March 22, 2026 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chemistry with this iteration of the Lakers will be an uphill challenge. Many of them have never played together and will need to learn one another quickly to succeed on the court.
Though there are a ton of new faces in Los Angeles, some already have connections, including Bronny James and Ziaire Williams.
On the Lakers’ YouTube channel, Williams discussed how he’s been teammates with Bronny before.
“Shoutout fellow Laker Bronny in the cut. That was my freshman right there. It’s going to be fun playing with Bronny again. We grew a lot together at Sierra Canyon and we’ve been friends ever since. So, it’s been cool to see him make it to the big leagues and keep progressing, keep getting better. I’m excited to be back on his team again.”
It’s going to be pretty cool for Sierra Canyon, and really all of California, when these two are on the floor at the same time.
While the degrees of separation in the NBA are small, it’s still rare for high school teammates to be on the same team at this level. The fact that the Lakers play just 31 miles from their high school is amazing and shows how small this world can be.
As a Californian, Williams has always loved the Lakers. So joining this iconic franchise certainly feels like a full-circle moment for him, which he described further in the aforementioned video.
“Seeing my name on the Lakers jersey was super surreal. A blessing. I can’t even explain it in words. I’m just so excited to be back home, play in front of the fans, my family. I would have never imagined this day would come true.”
With a bond to the city, the franchise and even one of his teammates, things are starting pretty well for Williams as a Laker.
This will be his third team in six years, but if Williams makes the most of this opportunity, it could be the place where he solidifies himself as a quality wing player.
Williams joined LA on a modest deal, and if he can be a solid defender and 3-point shooter, exceeding expectations is certainly on the table.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 08: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees pitches during game against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium on August 08, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees ended their homestand on a 4-2 run, winning series against both the Braves and Mariners. Now they’ll look to keep that momentum going on a road trip through a couple of AL East destinations, beginning tonight with a bout against the Blue Jays. Toronto has been rather disappointing this season, following up their pennant run with a 59-64 record that sits them in fourth place in the East, though thanks to the increasingly-embarrassing third Wild Card field they’re only two games out of a playoff spot. There’s still four teams ahead of them for said spot but the Jays are hardly going to roll over, especially against a bitter rival.
Gerrit Cole gets the ball looking to start the series off right, and he’s been on a strong run since the calendar flipped over to July. Over his last seven starts he’s pitched 43 innings and allowed just 13 runs while striking out 53, good for a 2.72 ERA in that span. The ace is coming off of a strong outing his last time out, having pitched seven strong with two runs allowed against Atlanta in an eventual Yankees win. If there was an accolade for second-half All-Stars, Cole would be in line to earn one with how he’s rounded into form shaking off a rusty late start in his first year back from Tommy John surgery. For now, he’s just looking to keep the line moving as the Yankee rotation has been carrying the team lately.
Shane Bieber goes opposite Cole, and it has been a season to forget for the former Guardians star pitcher. Bieber, in his second season north of the border, owns a 5.48 ERA in nine starts this year thanks in no small part to a horrendous outing he had on July 28th against Washington where he walked six batters and couldn’t escape the first inning. Bieber kept the runs down in his next outing, going 5.1 innings with only one coming home, but he allowed plenty of contact totaling nine hits and followed that up with his most recent outing where he got tagged for five runs on a pair of homers over 5.2 innings.
George Lombard Jr. continues to shuffle around in the lineup, sliding down to the nine-hole a day after batting fifth in the finale against Seattle. Trent Grisham will lead off with Ben Rice and Spencer Jones filling out the top three. The deadline acquisitions Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos flank Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the middle of the order, while Ryan McMahon and Austin Wells round things out ahead of Lombard.
How to watch
Location: Rogers Centre — Toronto, ON
First pitch: 7:15 pm ET
TV broadcast: Apple TV
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), SN590 THE FAN (TOR)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 29: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves in action against the New York Mets in game two of a double header at Citi Field on July 29, 2026 in New York City. The Braves defeated the Mets 1-0. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves are fresh off a win to face off against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MAY 20: Steven Matz #32 of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on during a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field on May 20, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, who represented Clarke, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports Friday, Aug. 14 that Clarke’s contract was fully protected for death through a life insurance policy purchased by the Grizzlies. The full $12.5 million amount will be disbursed to Clarke’s estate tax-free.
There are multiple ways players and their representatives can negotiate life insurance policies and post-death protections in player contracts. From no coverage whatsoever, to standard death protections that count a player’s salary as a taxable event, agents can also negotiate to have the player’s team purchase the life insurance policy. This last option allows for a player’s full salary to be paid out tax-free, providing a massive benefit to the player’s estate.
As for the remaining portion of Clarke’s $12.5 million salary for the 2025-26 season that had been owed at the time of his death, Bartelstein confirmed that amount is being paid out to his estate through October 2026; NBA contracts are paid in installments, so the remaining amount will be disbursed in those regular installments.
There had been conflicting reports concerning the remaining salary on Clarke’s contract, which was set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season. Front Office Sports reported Thursday, Aug. 13 that Clarke’s estate would not receive the $12.5 million that had been owed to him next season.
On May 12, the Grizzlies and Clarke’s representatives at Priority Sports each issued separate statements announcing Clarke’s death. He was 29 years old.
Clarke was pronounced dead by authorities on May 11 after being found unresponsive in his bedroom, according to the announcement. A deputy medical examiner conducted an examination of Clarke at the DME’s Forensic Science Center on May 12 and the cause and manner of death were certified Aug. 7.
Clarke was the No. 21 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga and enjoyed initial success in the league, earning all-rookie honors while averaging a career-high 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension with Memphis in 2022.
Clarke's sudden death happened almost six weeks after he was arrested in Arkansas for improper passing, possession of a controlled substance, fleeing and exceeding the speed limit and trafficking a controlled substance. He had just finished his seventh NBA season, all of which he spent with the Grizzlies.Clarke allegedly led Cross County Sheriff's Office deputies on a miles-long chase on April 1, with speeds reaching over 100 mph, and was found with over 230 grams of kratom in his possession, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Memphis Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Clarke's career had been derailed in recent years by injuries. He played in just six games during the 2023-24 season due to a torn Achilles and missed all but two games this past season due to calf and knee ailments.
BOSTON, MA - JUNE 03: Chris Bassitt #40 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Probable pitchers: RHP Chris Basssitt (4-4, 5.27 ERA, 37 Ks) vs. LHP Steven Matz (5-4, 5.46 ERA, 48 Ks)
Where to watch: MASN/MASN+
The Orioles had an opportunity in the immediate wake of yet another trade deadline sell-off. With series against bottom-feeder Angels and fellow Wildcard hopefuls in the Rangers and Twins, the O’s had a chance to really make up ground in their quest for a playoff spot. Instead, Baltimore went 3-6 in those series and now stare down an AL East gauntlet.
Tonight starts a four-game set against the American League-leading Rays, and the first of nine straight games against the Rays and Yankees. The good news for Birdland is that Baltimore remains only two games out of the final AL Wild Card spot. That bad news is they’ll now have to try to make up ground against a Rays team who enters on a nine-game winning streak.
The Rays will look to extending that winning streak by forcing the O’s to face their biggest weakness: a mediocre left-handed starter. Baltimore ranks 25th in team OPS and 29th in average vs. LH starting pitchers. Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are lefty mashers, but the rest of the lineup has been league average or worse against southpaw starters.
The O’s were able to get after Rays’ starter Steven Matz when he visited Camden Yards in May. The journeyman left-hander only lasted three-innings that day, giving up seven hits, six runs and a majestic two-run blast off the bat of Gunnar Henderson. Matz was significantly better in an earlier may start vs. Orioles in Tropicana Field, limiting the Baltimore bats to three hits and one run over four innings in a 5-3 Rays win.
The Trop has at times been a house of horrors for the Orioles, and a sight of the O’s best victories at other times. Across this season and last season, the O’s are 3-7 in St. Petersburg, having been outscored 27-64 across those 10 games. In 2023 and 2024, however, the O’s went 10-3 in Tropicana Field en route to two playoff appearances. If the 2026 Orioles want to somehow make it back to the postseason, they’ll need to start winning in Western Florida again.
Chris Bassitt makes his first start in black and orange since landing on the IL with a back injury on June 8th. He hasn’t faced the Rays this season, but has a career 3.67 ERA with a .238 batting average against in Tropicana Field.
