Getting swept at home had the Yankees devastated in the clubhouse.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone described a dejected group Wednesday night after losing 4-3 in Game 3 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium to complete a sweep at the hands of the Rays.
“The ending is terrible,” a solemn Boone said after the game. “There’s no easy way. It’s a broken clubhouse. What you go through as a team, as a family over the last eight, nine months getting ready for this. It’s just the worst.”
The manager also put Trent Grisham in the leadoff spot despite being ice-cold with the bat over the last month.
Grisham went 0-for-5 in the decisive Game 3, and 0-for-11 in the ALDS, and was nursing an injury for much of September.
The final out of the game wound up being a Grisham strikeout with Jazz Chisholm Jr. stranded on second base representing the tying run.
They enter the offseason with loads of decisions to make, including Chisholm Jr., who is due to be a free agent this offseason.
The Bronx Bombers will need to replace his production as his season ended uncomfortably, with him being benched to start Game 3 before he took over for Jose Caballero.
Aaron Boone described the Yankees clubhouse as broken after the ALDS loss to the Rays. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“No comment. Next.” Chisholm Jr. said when asked how it felt to be benched.
The Rays move on to the ALCS to face the White Sox and Guardians for the right to face the winner of Dodgers vs. Brewers/Padres in the World Series.
Meanwhile, general manager Brian Cashman has a lot of work to do, though baseball also has its own problems as the sport deals with a potential lockout.
After a much-needed day off, the Ottawa Senators returned to practice Thursday morning with some encouraging injury news ahead of their first meaningful home game in more than five months.
The Sens will take on the Philadelphia Flyers in their home opener Thursday night and there was some good news on three injury fronts.
Travis Green confirmed after practice that Linus Ullmark (2-0) is ready to go. Ullmark was dinged up in Boston on Monday and did not dress at all in the Tuesday loss to Detroit. But he was back at practice Thursday and will start against the Flyers.
Senators head coach Travis Green talked about Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings (Senators YouTube).
Meanwhile, Artem Zub and Andre Burakovsky both traded their non-contact yellow jerseys for regular ones. It's another encouraging step for both players, although Green confirmed neither will suit up on Thursday night.
Burakovsky was an extra with Hayden Hodgson, while Zub rotated in with Nikolas Matinpalo and Cam Crotty.
For the record, Crotty has looked pretty steady on Ottawa's blue line, playing a style of game that's not a lot different than Zub's.
The one negative is that Jake Sanderson still isn't yet skating with the team after reinjuring himself in the season opener in Toronto on Saturday. He remains out with a lower body issue but is skating on his own.
The top six forward group has been tweaked a little from the start of the Detroit game. William Eklund, who had a goal and an assist in Detroit, switched spots with Ridly Greig. Eklund will skate with the Sens top two scorers so far, Tim Stützle (6 pts) and Drake Batherson (3 pts).
The Senators (2-1-0) will try to shake off their 5-3 loss in Detroit on Tuesday. That was their third road game in four days and as a result, the club looked a little out of sorts.
As for the Flyers (0-2-2), they're the very definition of out of sorts.
Through four games, they're allowing a staggering 39.5 shots per game, 8.5 more than any other team in the league. At the other end, the Flyers are generating just 19.3 shots per game, also the worst mark in the NHL.
If those trends continue, the Senators should have plenty of chances to dictate the play in their home opener.
Thursday will also be an emotional night for Senators fans as the club honours the late Ray Emery, who backstopped the Sens to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final. Emery's family will be on hand to ring the ceremonial bell before the game.
Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher Tarik Skubal didn’t pitch in his team’s NLDS-clinching Game 4 win against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night.
But he still stole the show postgame, given his beer-soaked celebration tactics during two live interviews.
In one interview with Dodgers reporter Kirsten Watson, Skubal was asked about the celebration to come and said, “I can’t f****** wait.”
Then he chugged the two beers he was double-fisting, most of which missed his mouth and ran down his chest.
Tarik Skubal chugging two beers in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ clubhouse after winning the NLDS. (X/@BlakeHarris).
The celebrations continued moments later, when Skubal did a wild interview with Dodgers SportsNet LA reporter David Vassegh.
“I’ve got another beer in a place where it shouldn’t be,” Skubal said to Vassegh. Their interview paused so that beer could be thrown and poured on everybody in the vicinity, Vassegh included.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Tarik Skubal (29) celebrates defeating the Atlanta Braves in game four of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on Oct. 7, 2026, in Atlanta. Getty Images
As Vassegh struggled to re-gather himself, Skubal said, “The game is speeding up on you, it is speeding up on you.”
Then Skubal got another beer poured down his back and said, “What’s running down my pants right now is so cold.
“It’s because these f****** guys!” he added before turning to throw more beer at the teammates behind him.
The fact this Tarik Skubal interview was live on TV is diabolical
After Vassegh and Skubal gathered themselves once again, Skubal was asked how much the Dodgers meant to him and said, “It’s a great team. The culture they have here, the preparation, the expectation to win, I love being a part of it.”
Everybody associated with the Dodgers loved Skubal being a part of it, as well.
If this is how wild celebrating the NLDS is, it will be fun to see how Skubal would celebrate a World Series championship.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal speaks during a news conference ahead of a baseball NL Division Series, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) and Florida Panthers left wing Tomas Nosek (92) chase down the puck during the third period of a game at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Saturday, March 28, 2026.
While his timeline for a return to play is still unclear, the Islanders have been optimistic that once he starts skating, it won’t take long.
Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said last week that Barzal would likely only need a few practices with the team once he was back on the ice, which could in theory slate him for a return as soon as next week.
Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) and Florida Panthers left wing Tomas Nosek (92) chase down the puck during the third period of a game at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Saturday, March 28, 2026. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
That said, it’s not clear how long Barzal will need to skate on his own, and his knee needs to cooperate.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
After the Yankees were eliminated in the ALDS by a division rival for the second straight season, Aaron Judge delivered a message to Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman.
“We’re the Yankees. I feel like they should go all in and do what they need to do,” Judge, who did not play in the playoffs due to a calf strain, said after the Yankees’ 4-3 Game 3 loss to the Rays in The Bronx Wednesday night. “If we’ve got holes, if it’s finding certain players or personnel, whatever we need, you got to go out there and get it. That’s why I signed back here to play with the Yankees is to fight for a championship every single year and to go all in. That’s what I do every offseason is get ready to give this team and this city everything I’ve got, so I expect them to do the same.”
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Judge, the three-time MVP who turns 35 in April, has five years left on the nine-year, $360 million contract he signed after testing free agency following his historic 62-homer season in 2022.
Asked if he feels the front office has gone all in enough, Judge turned more diplomatic.
“It’s tough to say,” Judge said. “I want to trade for everybody, sign everybody every single year, but I know that’s not realistic. They give us a winning team every single year, but that’s not good enough here in New York. We’re the Yankees. You’ve got to go out there and expect championships and go all in every year. So I’m excited to see what they do.”
Aaron Judge is on the Yankees’ dugout fence in the first inning of Game 3 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on October 7, 2026. Robert Sabo for New York PostYankees GM Brian Cashman (l.) and owner Hal Steinbrenner (r.) Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post
The likelihood of a work stoppage, with the players and owners locked in bitter CBA negotiations, looms over MLB’s offseason, but the Yankees have major questions on some free agents and others.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., David Bednar, Trent Grisham, Paul Goldschmidt and Paul Blackburn are among the Yankees players whose contracts are up.
The Yankees will also have to decide if they’ll stomach one final year of Giancarlo Stanton, where Anthony Volpe, Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez fit in, and whether to move on from third baseman Ryan McMahon.
The 28-year-old superstar deleted any Atlanta Braves-related content from his Instagram account after Atlanta lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. He also changed his profile picture to a black photo with “desconectado” written in gray, which translates to “disconnected” in English.
There’s no way of knowing exactly where Acuña Jr.’s emotional state is at. Some on social media are claiming he does this every offseason, while others are suggesting this is proof the star wants out of Atlanta.
Ronald Acuna Jr.’s Instagram profile after the Braves’ NLDS loss to the LA Dodgers (Instagram/@acunajr13).Acuña Jr. produced a .133 batting average with just two hits, one RBI, and four strikeouts across four NLDS games. Getty ImagesAcuña Jr. was booed by Braves fans during Wednesday night’s 4–1 loss. Getty Images
Acuña Jr. hasn’t done the bulk delete on his X account. Then again, he hasn’t been active on that platform since the 2026 season began, aside from one post about his home country of Venezuela.
Regardless, Acuña Jr. didn’t do much to help his team topple Los Angeles. He produced a .133 batting average with just two hits, one RBI, and four strikeouts across four NLDS games.
The Braves have a $17 million team option on Acuña Jr.’s contract this offseason, so he would need the franchise’s blessing if he were to leave Atlanta.
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The Montreal Canadiens unveiled the new jersey they’ll wear at the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic against the Winnipeg Jets, and it’s exactly what you'd expect. The Habs have never been very daring with alternate jerseys, and this one follows the trend.
Even though they’ll be the visitors for the October 25 match-up, the jersey is a solid red one while the Jets’ is white. No surprises that the Habs have stuck to their classic red, white, and blue look, but they went with a more vintage, stylized off-white. The jersey has a vintage look, with a logo appearing on one of the arms as well.
The team also reverted to an older version of its iconic logo, similar to the one it used for its 2016 Winter Classic appearance, but this time it's red instead of white, as it was in Foxborough.
The NHL shield and Fanatics logo kind of detract from the overall vintage look, but the team at least avoided putting any kind of advertisement on the front of the jersey, unlike what we’re seeing in the NHL nowadays. On the inside back collar, the “Les Habitants” nickname is a nice addition.
The jersey does, however, feature the Heritage Classic logo, which includes the Tim Hortons logo, but it blends in quite well. The maple leaf and moose antlers are a nice touch that gives it a real Canadian look. The former has been part of every single Heritage Classic to date, but the latter is a fresh new addition.
Il est arrivé! Admirez les détails de notre chandail pour la Classique héritage 2026 de la LNH
Overall, it’s a nice-looking jersey, but some have expressed reservations about the added stitching pattern on both the team logo and the numbers; it does give it a different, new look.
The Canadiens posted a video of the players' reaction to the jersey online, and they had positive comments, but Cole Caufield seemed more eager to play his first outside game than to check out the new jersey, which is understandable. Phillip Danault is the only Canadien who played in the Habs' last outdoor game in Ottawa, the Centennial Classic, a 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Montreal has a 2-2-0 record in the modern era of outdoor games. They won the first Heritage Classic against the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in 2003; lost 4-0 to the Calgary Flames in 2011; and beat the Boston Bruins 5-1 in Foxborough in 2016. Will they win this one?
Cole, Jake, Nick et Phil réagissent pour la première fois à notre chandail pour la Classique héritage
(Original Caption) Ping Bodie, erstwhile stormy patrol of the New York Yankees, has applied to the judge in Los Angeles, Calif. for his release from the matrimonial league. Pings asks waivers on Anna Bodie, whom he married in 1908, averring that she told his friends he was a bootlegger, crazy, and "a common drunk" and that her mental cruelty further extended to the sending of telegrams, "knocking" him, to Judge Landis, Miller Huggins, and other baseball leaders. (Photo by George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images) | Corbis via Getty Images
Francesco Stephano Pezzolo was born in San Francisco, California, in 1887. That man would later be known as Frank Stephen Bodie and, eventually, Ping Bodie. Bodie felt the need to change his name out of fear of being mocked and discriminated against for his Italian heritage. The Ping portion of his name came from the sound of him hitting baseballs with a legendary 52-ounce piece of lumber, and the Bodie part he adopted from a town in California that was special to him and his family.
Frank Stephen “Ping” Bodie
Born: October 8, 1887 (San Francisco, CA)
Died: December 17, 1961 (San Francisco, CA)
Yankees Tenure: 1918-1921
There is not much recorded on Bodie’s childhood, but he came into the public eye around 1905 while playing baseball in the California State League at just 17 years old. The young ballplayer was moved all over the field and played for a variety of independent league teams before catching on with the San Francisco Seals in 1908.
With the Seals, Bodie stopped bouncing around positions and started primarily roaming the outfield grass. During the 1910 season, Bodie had a breakout season for the Seals, hitting an unheard-of 30 home runs during the deadball era. The power surge placed the young right-handed hitter on the radar of every big league club. In September of 1910, Bodie was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the Rule 5 draft.
After that impressive season, Bodie was invited to spring training and broke camp with the White Sox in 1911 but found himself mostly riding the pine. After the team started slowly on offense, owner Charles Comiskey publicly criticized the team and called out the offense. Allegedly, the rookie Bodie, with true American-Italian bravado, walked right up to the owner the next day and told him he could be the answer to his problems if he could get him in the lineup. The rest, as they say, is history. In 145 games as a rookie, Bodie slashed .289/.348/.407 with four home runs, good for a 2.8 WAR.
In Chicago, Bodie rose to fame due to his powerful swing and big personality. A showman and entertainer at heart, the press fell in love with the humor and charisma Bodie brought to the ballpark every day. After a successful rookie year, there would be no sophomore slump. In 1912, he hit five more home runs and slashed .294/.358/.407. For the second straight season, he was tied for the team lead in home runs as the White Sox finished just above .500 for the second straight season.
The 1913 season was a weird one for Bodie as he set his career high in home runs with eight. Those eight long balls were good for third in the league. However, Bodie’s average dropped to .264, and for the first time, his slugging finished below .400 at .397. The decline did not stop for Bodie in 1914. A season-long struggle caused conflict with manager Jimmy Callahan. After Bodie finished with a .229 batting average and three home runs, the White Sox sold him back to the Seals.
Despite his big league success, Bodie accepted going back to the Pacific Coast League. Bodie completely dominated for the next two seasons. The Philadelphia Athletics needed offense and signed Bodie ahead of the 1917 season. Bodie did not disappoint, slashing .291/.356/.418 with seven home runs, good for third in the league again. The Athletics finished the season 55-98-1. Bodie would later joke that he was the only ticket in town other than the Liberty Bell that year. In March of 1918, the Athletics traded Bodie to the New York Yankees for George Burns, who was a Yankee for as long as it took the paperwork to process after being purchased from Detroit only to be flipped.
Bodie’s age-thirty season was his first in pinstripes, and he slashed .256/.319/.358 and finished seventh in the league with three home runs. Unfortunately for Bodie, the Yankees did not fare much better than any of his previous clubs, finishing the 1918 season 60-63-3. However, he started the legendary run of San Francisco Italians in the Bronx.
Both Bodie and the Yankees turned things around in 1919. The club went 80-59-2. Bodie slashed .278/.334/.406 with six home runs. The turnaround might have been due to the fact that Bodie scored a big win in an eating contest in April of that year. In a publicity stunt, Bodie competed against a Jacksonville Zoo ostrich named Percy in a spaghetti eating contest. Legend has it that Bodie won on the 11th plate as Percy could not finish his, and Bodie finished it for him.
The Yankees made a splash following the 1919 season by acquiring Babe Ruth. Bodie got the honor of being Ruth’s first roommate on the Yankees for the 1920 season, a role that he absolutely loved due to the extra attention brought his way from the presence of Ruth. The Yankees went 95-59 on the year, and Bodie had one of the best seasons of his career, slashing .295/.350/.446 with seven home runs.
As much fun as 1920 was, the 1921 season saw the good times finally run out for Bodie as his production fell off the table. In 31 games, Bodie hit .172 with no home runs. In August, the Yankees traded him to Boston. New York went on to win the American League pennant that year but fell in the World Series to the Giants. After the season was over, Bodie refused to go back to the Red Sox and returned home.
Not yet done with baseball, Bodie played in the minors for another seven years. After retiring from the game, he took up work as an electrician in Hollywood. For over thirty years, he worked on sets and got roles as a bit actor with Universal Studios. At age 74, in his hometown down by the bay, Bodie died of lung cancer.
After being swept out of last year's NLCS, Pat Murphy and the Milwaukee Brewers look to turn the page in this year's edition with a rematch against the reigning back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Milwaukee heads into the NLCS after defeating the San Diego Padres in the NLDS (3-1), with Los Angeles advancing thanks to its 3-1 series win over the Atlanta Braves.
Find everything you need to know about the series below:
The Dodgers and Brewers will begin their best-of-seven series on Sunday, Oct. 11. See the full schedule below.
How to watch Dodgers vs. Brewers: TV channel, live stream
Fans can watch the entire Dodgers-Brewers NLCS on FOX and FS1. Spanish-language coverage will be available on FOX Deportes.
Dodgers vs. Brewers 2026 MLB National League Championship Series full schedule
Game
Date
Location
Time
Game 1
Sunday, Oct. 11
American Family Field
TBD
Game 2
Monday, Oct. 12
American Family Field
TBD
Game 3
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Dodger Stadium
TBD
Game 4
Thursday, Oct. 15
Dodger Stadium
TBD
Game 5*
Friday, Oct. 16
Dodger Stadium
TBD
Game 6*
Sunday, Oct. 18
American Family Field
TBD
Game 7*
Monday, Oct. 19
American Family Field
TBD
* = if necessary
Where will the Dodgers vs. Brewers League Championship Series be played?
Games 1 and 2 will be played in Milwaukee at American Family Field, with Games 3 and 4 moving to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Should the series go past four, Dodger Stadium will host Game 5 before the series heads back to Milwaukee for Games 6 and 7.
Dodgers vs. Brewers probable starting pitchers
Starters for Game 1 and beyond are TBD.
Dodgers vs. Brewers 2026 season series results
The Brewers narrowly finished on top in their season series with the Dodgers, winning four of seven in 2026.
Dodgers vs. Brewers playoff history
The Dodgers and Brewers have met three times in the postseason, where Los Angeles has defeated Milwaukee in each matchup.
2025 NLCS: Dodgers win 4-0
2020 Wild Card Series: Dodgers win 2-0
2018 NLCS: Dodgers win 4-3
How does the MLB League Championship Series format work?
The NLCS and ALCS are best-of-seven series. The higher seed receives home-field advantage for the series, with Games 1-2 and potential Games 6-7 hosted by the higher seed and Games 3-5 hosted by the lower seed. The first team to win four games will take the series and advance to the World Series.
But a prayer doesn’t hurt—especially when done with a personalized candle.
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates after hitting a home run during the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves in game two of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Oct. 4, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Moments before this home run, the game’s broadcast showed Dodgers rookie outfield Josue De Paula holding what looked to be a candle with Muncy’s image plastered on it.
Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Josue De Paula holding a Max Muncy prayer candle during the NLDS. (YouTube/@MLB).
Dodgers fans have noticed this candle before. Shortstop Alex Freeland has been seen holding it in the dugout in the past, and fans on social media posted videos of him holding it at times during Wednesday night’s game.
A closer look at the candle shows that is has Muncy’s image wearing a white Dodgers jersey, a white clerical stole (a band of cloth worn around the neck) with Muncy’s No. 13 and the Dodgers’ logo on it, and a gold “FUNKY” chain.
The 36-year-old is also holding a baseball in his right hand on the candle.
The Dodgers’ vibes are feeling immaculate right now.
Max Muncy personalized candle, as seen in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ dugout. (X/@DoyersDave).
A Mississippi Valley State men’s basketball player has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Qingfang Pang, a junior power forward on the Delta Devils, is in ICE custody at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana, according to the ICE database.
Pang is from China, with a listed hometown of Queens, New York on the official Mississippi Valley State roster. Before enrolling in college, Pang played high school basketball at Christ the King High School in Queens.
Pang’s Houston-based attorney, Marcus Session, told WJTV that Pang was in the process of going to New York to be with his sponsor, a family friend, to get his visa issue sorted out when he was detained by ICE.
🚨 BREAKING: A MVSU men's basketball player has been detained by ICE
Power forward Qingfang Pang is a junior originally from China, listed as having a US hometown in Flushing, Queens
The station, citing an unnamed source close to the case, said it’s believed that it’s a delayed paperwork issue with the university. Session had filed a request for an emergency bond hearing.
“He wants to resume going to school,” Session said to WJTV. “He wants to play college basketball. He wants to be a 21 year old kid who’s just trying to make a life for himself.”
In a statement to USA TODAY Sports, Mississippi Valley State said it is aware of the situation and is "deeply concerned for the student's well-being."
"The student is registered as a full-time student at Mississippi Valley State University. University officials are closely monitoring the situation and are committed to providing appropriate support as circumstances develop," the university said in the statement.
The school, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), said it is limited in the information it can publicly disclose about a student's educational records or personal circumstances.
A request for comment from USA TODAY Sports to the Department of Homeland Security has not been immediately returned.
Pang transferred in from Monroe University in New York, where he had played on the school’s basketball team. In 31 games last season, he averaged 8.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. According to WJTV, he had been at Mississippi Valley State for about a year.
He's not the first college basketball player to be detained by ICE this year.
Before being released this week on a $2,500 bond, Kentucky State women's basketball player Aminata Seck was in ICE custody for 61 days. A native of Senegal, Seck was detained by ICE at Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky on Aug. 7. In a statement to USA TODAY Sports, DHS said Seck "chose to overstay her welcome in violation of our nation's laws" after legally entering the country in 2019 on a temporary basis. Seck's attorneys said that she had been moved to at least four different detention centers while in ICE custody.
Trading away Walker Kessler this summer meant the Utah Jazz were going to lean heavily on veteran center Jusuf Nurkic this season to anchor a team a lot of people are high on (*raises hand*).
That's now on hold. Nurkic has "sustained a partial plantar plate tear of the second toe of his right foot during Utah's first preseason game against Denver on Oct. 4," the team announced. He will be reevaluated in four weeks, meaning he will miss at least the first few weeks of the season.
The plantar plate is a ligament that connects the toe to the rest of the foot, and when it is torn (even partially), the toe can become unstable and move out of alignment. It can also cause some pain and discomfort, which isn't ideal for a sport where Nukic is paid to run up and down a hardwood floor.
Jaxson Hayes started the second half against Denver and likely moves into a starting role, which would have Utah leaning hard into its offense and giving up some defense in the process. Jaren Jackson Jr. will be back to playing the center spot more than he prefers (he is best at the four). Mo Bamba could see more run now (he is on a non-guaranteed contract but is likely to make the opening-day roster), and Kyle Filipowski likely gets some time at the five as well.
None of them are as solid and consistent as Nurkic (except Jackson Jr., but they want him more at the four).
Nurkic, who played just 11 minutes in that preseason opener, played 41 games for the tanking Jazz last season, averaging 10.9 points and 10.4 rebounds a game. This summer he signed a two-year, $22 million deal to be Utah's starting center. For this team to reach the playoffs, as is its goal, it will need a healthy Nurkic most of the season.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 5: Labaron Philon Jr. #00 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball against the New York Knicks during a preseason game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Knicks 120-97. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Philadelphia 76ers offseason was dominated by blockbuster headlines with the acquisitions of LeBron James in free agency and Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics.
In all of that excitement, one might nearly forget they also made a first-round draft pick just a few months ago. Back on day one of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Sixers used the 22nd overall selection to draft Labaron Philon, a 20-year-old guard coming off an impressive sophomore season at Alabama.
Philon’s first season as a freshman at Alabama was focused more on his defensive contributions, with him excelling on that side of the floor more. His sophomore year was a different story, with Philon thrust into a high-usage offensive role, where he met the challenge and began putting up impressive numbers. In that 2025-26 season, Philon averaged 22.0 points per game on 50.1% field goal shooting and 39.9% shooting from long range with 5.0 assists across 33 games (32 starts).
So Philon is no stranger to changes in expectations. And good thing, too, because a lot of things have changed for Philadelphia and Philon since he heard his name called at the draft. He was already due to share a court with players like Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Now, expectations on the squad are higher than ever as LeBron and Brown have joined the mix.
Talk about having some stellar players to set the example for someone transitioning to the NBA — and Philon is ready to learn all he can.
“It’s a blessing just to be around guys like that. To be able to have a young guy in VJ who can help me with stuff that he’s seen his rookie year. It’s great to have four guys, five guys like that,” Philon told reporters at the team’s media day. “A rookie doesn’t normally get to play on a team like that or play with the stars like that. So I would say being able to have questions ready every day for those guys — I’m a rookie. I don’t really know a lot, and those questions can help me go to the next level.”
One can imagine it might be hard, however, for a 20-year-old rookie to relate all their experiences with a player like LeBron, one of the greatest to ever do it in his 24th season in the association. For a fresher perspective on being the young new guy in town, Philon looks to Edgecombe, the 2025 No. 3 overall pick that has gone from fresh-faced newbie himself to bona fide NBA player with a bit of experience under his belt. Philon, who’s known Edgecombe for years, is taking full advantage of his perspective.
“[Edgecombe] being young, in the same age around I am, it’s definitely been helping me just to reflect on the things he had to go through his his rookie year, and then the things I’m going through now,” Philon explained. “It’s been definitely great to be around him and talking on and off the court — you know, even while we’re on the game, we’re still talking about basketball and stuff like that. So it’s been a great relationship with him, and I’ve been knowing him since high school, so that relationship just picked back up, and it’s been going great.
“So I would say he’s one of the guys I’ve been trying to learn from the most right now.”
Philon has gotten his first kindof taste of NBA action with the preseason getting underway. In the Sixers preseason opener, the young guard played 25 minutes. His stats for the night were nothing spectacular, but he’s already showing promise in a number of ways in his game, from his impressive handles and footwork to his willingness to run the offense.
Labaron Philon with the footwork and handles to dance his way right to the rim pic.twitter.com/Ijn7UuifoZ
“I really like his ability to run the team, as you guys probably could notice,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the game Monday night. “He’s really, really communicative. He really gets the guys set up.
“[The Knicks] certainly had a certain coverage for him that we’ll be able to let him work on now and give him a counter move to that.”
That seems to be the running theme with Philon, the idea of learning as things come throughout his transition to the NBA and adapting to new challenges as they arise. He certainly has some work ahead of him to establish himself in a rotation filled with stars and veterans, but it seems like Philon is willing and eager to prove himself at the professional level.
Boston, MA - November 3: Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla talks with assistant coach Tony Dobbins in the third quarter at TD Garden on November 3, 2025. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
CLEVELAND — Joe Mazzulla doesn’t typically speak at Celtics shootaround.
But standing by the court at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Mazzulla had something he wanted to share: for the first time in his head-coaching tenure, he decided to give his assistant coaches the responsibility of coaching the team in a preseason game.
Tony Dobbins will coach the first half of Thursday’s preseason game between the Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and DJ MacLeay will coach the second half. Mazzulla, meanwhile, will watch the game from the locker room.
“I want to give them the opportunity to be able to just build themselves as coaches,” Mazzulla said. “Both those guys had head coaching interviews this past summer, and I want them to be able to build on that.”
Joe Mazzulla said that Tony Dobbins and DJ MacLeay will coach tonight’s preseason game against the Cavaliers
Both were finalists for head coach positions this past summer
“They'll be running the show, and excited for them, and want them to continue to grow.” pic.twitter.com/JIpyTxDWx4
Both Dobbins and MacLeay were interviewed for NBA head coaching positions, with Dobbins among the finalists for the Dallas Mavericks job and MacLeay interviewing for the Portland Trail Blazers job. And, both coaches have previously served as Celtics Summer League head coaches; Dobbins in 2023 and MacLeay in 2024.
Now, they’ll both coach an NBA game for the very first time. Mazzulla said he decided to have them coach preseason games over the summer, after they interviewed for other head coaching positions.
“To me that’s a huge testament to them and the work that they do,” Mazzulla said. “And so, you’re just always looking for opportunities to give them more experience. And sometimes, the only experience is being out there on the sideline. So, I want to give that to them. They deserve it. They earned it. They’re great at what they do. I think we have one of the best staffs.”
Sam Cassell, Mazzulla’s lead assistant, will coach the Celtics’ final preseason game, an October 16th matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Mazzulla said he stands to benefit from watching the game from the Celtics locker room
“I’ll stay quiet,” Mazzulla said, noting that he’ll be watching the game from the video coordinators’ perspective. “I’ll watch it in the back with some of the guys that won’t play, and the video guys who do the halftime edits and just really see what I don’t see when they’re out there. So, it’s just as much for me as it is for them.”
Tony Dobbins and DJ MacLeay have both established themselves as two of the team’s most important assistants
In addition to being a member of the Celtics’ defense, Tony Dobbins served as Jayson Tatum’s individual coach over the past season. Celtics players have routinely lauded his character off the court.
“He’s one of the best people you’ll ever be around,” Tatum said last year.
“As far as human beings go? He’s one of the most patient people I’ve been around,” Payton Pritchard said. “I don’t think you could ever say something bad about him.”
Mazzulla said the MacLeay has grown significantly as a leader over the years; the 32-year-old has led the Celtics’ defense for the past few seasons while also serving as Luka Garza’s player development coach.
“DJ has done a great job leading our defense team and helping some of the young coaches develop and bringing people along with him,” Mazzulla said.
Boston, MA – July 8: Boston Celtics summer league coach D.J. MacLeay speaks to the media at the Auerbach Center. (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
The players, for one, are excited by the wrinkle.
“I think it’s awesome,” Garza said. “We hear a lot from Tony and DJ all the time, so it’s cool to see them have that opportunity.”
Mike Conley hasn’t worked with Dobbins and MacLeay quite as long, but he nonetheless appreciated the sentiment behind Mazzulla’s decision.
“Joe’s a guy that seems like he just empowers everybody around him, players and coaches included,” Conley said. “So D-Mac and Tony getting that opportunity tonight, I know it’s going to be a good chance for them to just feel what it’s like.”
Celtics-Cavaliers will tip off at 7pm ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and Dobbins and MacLeay will be front and center.
“I’m excited for them,” Mazzulla said. “And I want them to continue to grow.”
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 5: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during a 2026 NBA Preseason game on October 5, 2026 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
New York will watch the Knicks play basketball inside the Garden for the first time since they waved them goodbye after the Game 4 win over the Spurs and before they hoisted the Larry O’B back in Texas.
The MSG faithful will have to wait a couple of weeks for the unveiling of the banner(s?), but it’s not that having the Knickerbockers playing closer to them won’t be welcomed.
Here’s the latest from a heated Brown and a few other people before tip-off.
Mike Brown took the Knicks' starting five aside, looked at his bench players today at practice and said:
"Everybody else in this gym, you're fighting – either to make the team or for minutes" pic.twitter.com/GweTAITsOT
On challenging the Knicks’ bench players to compete harder in practice:
“I brought it up today, when we weren’t competing. I’m like, you know what? And I specifically went down the line talking about Jalen, Mikal, OG, KAT and Josh. I said those five: they are going to play. If they do something wrong, I’m going to get on them and we’re going to figure it out, but they still are going to play. I said, everybody else in this gym: you [are] fighting.
“You’re fighting either to make the team or you’re fighting for minutes. I said, look around. This is not just because we won last year. This has nothing to do with last year’s team. Those five guys are the same. But this is a new year, a new team. We got to look forward. And so, every day, it’s a competition. We should be pushing each other to get better while competing for minutes and/or to make the team. So, you’re 100% accurate. It’s going to be hard.”
On how the Warriors avoided complacency after winning the first of two consecutive titles:
“There was no slippage. And when I say no slippage, there was no slippage in our process from Year One to Year Two. Guys embraced the details. They embraced the little things. They knew we couldn’t just show up and turn the light switch on and think just because we won last year, we’re going to win this year.
“That group was very, very good, and it started with the core players. The core players didn’t allow it to happen, which made it easy for our staff to say what we needed to say when we did start having slippage, because everybody is human, so it’s going to happen.
“We have to embrace all the work and the details that go into it along with the effort every single day.”
On how winning a championship could affect Mikal Bridges’ confidence and the scrutiny he faces:
“It definitely can be freeing. It can definitely help with the validation that every human being looks for in life or in whatever they do. But at the end of the day, everybody has a short-term memory. It’s ‘what can you do for me lately?’ Nobody can ever take that away from any of us because we were all a part of it. But if you want to stay on top, it’s gonna be hard. It’s gonna be even harder. …There’s gonna be more scrutiny. And that scrutiny might even be at a higher level.”
"I hold myself accountable at all times. That's the thing that I do love about this organization and the fans, even though some might be a little more crazy than others, but they want the best out of you. I'll never take that for granted."
On Mike Brown holding the Knicks accountable after a lackluster practice:
“I think that’s what makes Coach a great coach, just holding us accountable. It can be human nature to relax a little bit. As a player, as a coach, as a fan, you can relax after having a lot of success. It’s difficult to do something great and continue to try and get better.
“And that’s our goal. We did something great last year; it was last year, and I think the biggest thing coming into this year is that we know what it takes.
“It’s just great that coach did that, holding us accountable because we want to be the best team we can be. And the best team we can be, we can’t be the same exact team that we were last year. It’s a different team; we gotta be even better. Those lapses where we might get a little human nature in us, where we play a game and have a little day in between and we’re kind of, maybe sometimes going through the motions, it was great for coach to do that to us because the thing about us, we’re all competitors and we all want to win. So as soon as Coach says something like that, none of us are going to back down and be like ‘whatever.’ We’re going to pick it up and keep fighting and get better.”
On dealing with criticism and scrutiny following his trade to the Knicks:
“I got a phone. Even if I don’t want to see it or anything, it’s always there. That’s just life. People talk about anything, and that’s all right; you just gotta go about your business. People can think however they want to think; I just know that I’m gonna work hard and try to be the best teammate that I can be and best player that I can be and continue to try and help win as much as I can.”
On whether he feels fully appreciated by Knicks fans after winning a championship:
“I don’t know. I’m not sure about that. Can just say that I’m appreciative of fans. If I see them when I’m walking my dog or something like that, just a lot of nice things to say. That’s foremost, kind of more like a human-to-human interaction, just very nice and grateful to be in this position. I don’t need to feel like there’s validation and there’s like, ‘OK, now he can…’ No, I hold myself accountable at all times.”
On how Knicks fans’ expectations have pushed him to improve:
“That’s the thing that I do love about this organization and the fans, even though some might be a little more crazy than others, they want the best out of you. I never take that for granted. I talk to myself a lot when I go through a lot of things and I got people that help me as well, but that’s one thing that I do take from it, is that they get the best out of me. When I’m struggling and I know I gotta be better, I can’t hide from it sometimes — even though I know internally, the people let me know as well. As much as you get frustrated about it, the only thing it does is drive me and I continue to try and get better. I’m always appreciative of it.”
On the Knicks still having something to prove after winning the championship:
“I think we all still have something to prove.”
"That was probably the closest dude to me on the team, honestly.
On avoiding complacency and raising the Knicks’ intensity during training camp:
“I think throughout the year, we’re gonna have our ups and downs. The first week, second week of training camp, we’ll have days like that, but we just don’t want to get complacent at all. If we continue to try to win every single day, we try to compete every single day — for us [during] training camp, we just wanna pick up the level and be ready for the home opener in two weeks and get it rolling for the regular season.
“We just wanted to pick the energy up, keep continuing to play at a high level and pick the physicality up. I think that was a big thing that he said from last game.”
Nick Nurse was "surprised" to hear the LeBron/Embiid story Mike Breen told.
— Zach Ciavolella (Cha-vo-lel-la) (@CiavoNBA) October 7, 2026
Mike Breen
On his disappointment with how his LeBron James and Joel Embiid story was interpreted:
“I’m so disappointed how the story was interpreted. The whole intent was praising LeBron for already having an impact on the team’s professionalism and accountability, even something so benign as a player getting on the court for practice a minute or two late.”
On apologizing for the report and accepting James’ denial:
“I thought it would be an interesting anecdote to show LeBron’s leadership already on display in Philly. For me, the fact that the teammate was Joel was meaningless. In hindsight, I should have realized the fact that it was Joel is what made it a story. I’ve always been a huge fan of Joel and feel awful that it put the focus on him the way that it did.
“I don’t know why the person who told me the story would make it up, but if LeBron says it never happened then I believe him and apologize for putting it out there.”
"I might be being prisoner of this moment because A.I. is Godly to me, God-like, but what Jalen Brunson did … I can't argue with it." – @RealSkipBaylesspic.twitter.com/FFdU4gPnFS
On choosing between Jalen Brunson and Allen Iverson:
“That is a great question that I’m struggling with because I was a big A.I. fan. Jalen Brunson against the odds… my eyes were ready to not embrace him throughout the playoff run, but he just kept saying, ‘Watch this; watch this.’
“I might be being a prisoner of this moment because A.I. is Godly to me, God-like, but what Jalen Brunson did to the favoured Spurs… I can’t argue with it.”
