The Miami Heat will be encouraged by some comments Giannis Antetokounmpo made in a recent podcast appearance.

The Milwaukee Bucks star guested on “Gogi’s Garage” and was asked whether he preferred Miami or Los Angeles as a vacation destination. Antetokounmpo did not hesitate, and even threw some shade toward L.A.

“Miami. L.A. is superficial. I don’t like L.A.,” Antetokounmpo said.

Giannis says he prefers Miami over LA

Dragic: “Vacation, LA or Miami?”

Giannis: “Miami. Miami, Miami. I think LA superficial. I don’t like LA”

(Via Gogis Garage YT, h/t @HeatCulture13) pic.twitter.com/supYbMGjWm

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) April 18, 2026

Lakers fans will not love hearing this. The team supposedly made a push for Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline, and might look into acquiring him again this summer.

The Heat, in contrast, are viewed as a strong possibility and a team likely to pursue Antetokounmpo assuming the Bucks accept that they have to trade him. The two sides have some checkered history, but that would probably be long forgotten if Pat Riley could somehow pull off a megadeal.

It appears that the question is when, not if Antetokounmpo will be traded at this point. His relationship with the Bucks appears strained beyond repair, so expect any of his public comments to be scrutinized for potential clues about preferred destinations.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo’s latest comments have Heat fans excited appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Dillon Brooks took almost no time after knocking off the Golden State Warriors to set his sights on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Appearing on Prime’s “Nightcap” show, Brooks was asked by host Taylor Rooks about the importance of defending well without fouling against the Thunder. Brooks proceeded to put the Thunder — and perhaps the officials who work the series — on notice.

“There are a lot of foul-baiters on that team, so we’ve got to show our hands. I hope it’s the real playoffs. Show your hands,” Brooks said.

Dillon Brooks on the Thunder:

"There are a lot of foul baiters on that team. We gotta show our hands. I hope it's the real playoffs. Show your hands"

🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/dFRrtn1fNz

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 18, 2026

It’s safe to assume that Brooks is at least somewhat referring to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander here, who has a reputation around the league as one of the best foul-baiters in the game. Brooks evidently thinks he’s not the only one, but he is certainly the most prominent. SGA, meanwhile, thinks the free throw narrative caught on among fans because their teams are usually losing to the Thunder.

There’s no doubt that officials are aware of Gilgeous-Alexander’s reputation. Brooks does not really need to put it in their heads, but he is putting it out there anyway.

The post Dillon Brooks takes shot at Thunder ahead of their playoff series appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr huddled with Steph Curry and Draymond Green in the waning moments of the team’s 111-96 play-in loss to the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Az. Now we know the message he delivered to his two longest-tenured players.

Kerr was wearing a microphone for the game, and Prime played part of what he told Curry and Green. His message was a simple one amid the uncertainty over his future.

“I don’t know what’s gonna happen next, but I love you guys to death,” Kerr said.

"I don't know what's gonna happen next, but I love you guys to death." 💛

Steve Kerr's message to Steph and Draymond at the end of the Suns game 🥹 pic.twitter.com/78UfbFHXCm

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) April 18, 2026

Kerr’s contract expires this summer and there is no guarantee he will be back with the team next season. He indicated that he plans to take some time for himself before sitting down with the organization to make a final decision on his future. There does appear to be an opening for him to return, but not everything has been perfect behind the scenes.

Whether Kerr returns or not, Friday’s defeat felt like the end of an era for Golden State. They may try to add another star and make one more run at a title, but it does appear to be a dynasty in decline.

The post Steve Kerr’s message to Steph Curry, Draymond Green has been revealed appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

In Las Vegas, it is always recommended to double down on your bets. That is exactly what WWE did by bringing their annual spectacle back to the city that never sleeps. Without further ado, here are my Night 1 predictions for WrestleMania 2026, scheduled for April 18, 2026 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

6-Man Tag Team Match: The Vision (Logan Paul & Austin Theory) and IShowSpeed (with Paul Heyman) vs. The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) and LA Knight

This match screams “WrestleMania spectacle!” Logan Paul has proven to be a big-match performer, Austin Theory brings elite athleticism, and IShowSpeed — a celebrity YouTuber wrestling in his first official match — adds mainstream appeal and draws a broader audience. This is pure entertainment, the kind of WrestleMania-coded match that will have ESPN audiences tuning in. (Reminder: The first two matches of WrestleMania will be broadcast on ESPN networks.)

Winner: The Usos & LA Knight

Unsanctioned Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu

Jacob Fatu, the Samoan Werewolf, is the wild card in this matchup. If WWE wants to elevate him into the main event scene, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. Both men desperately need this win, with the victor likely becoming the No. 1 contender for either the WWE Championship or World Heavyweight Championship. Drew McIntyre should control the pace with his size, striking power, and ring IQ. However, Fatu’s unpredictability and explosive offense could swing the momentum in dramatic fashion.

Winner: Jacob Fatu

Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match: AJ Lee (c) vs. Becky Lynch

AJ Lee brings her crafty, opportunistic style against “The Man” Becky Lynch on the biggest stage. This rivalry has been building, and it’s time for AJ to face fresh competition upon her return. Becky Lynch is at a point in her career where she doesn’t necessarily need the Women’s world title. The Intercontinental Championship, however, feels like a perfect fit as she continues to flourish in this division.

Winner: Becky Lynch – New Women’s Intercontinental Champion

Fatal Four-Way Tag Team Match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend) (c)
vs.
Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
vs.
Bayley & Lyra Valkyria
vs.
The Bella Twins (Brie Bella & Nikki Bella)

Nia Jax and Lash Legend have been a dominant force on “SmackDown.” They’ll defend their titles against three strong teams in a chaotic fatal four-way that should showcase the depth of the women’s tag team division. The Hall of Fame duo, the Bella Twins, recently reunited and are looking to capture the titles for the first time in their legendary careers. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss will be looking to regain the championships, while Bayley and Lyra Valkyria aim to make a statement with a strong performance.

Winner: The Bella Twins – New WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions

Seth Rollins vs. Gunther

This should be a brutal clash of styles: Seth Rollins’ speed and quickness versus Gunther’s punishing, methodical offense. Rollins is coming off an injury, and you can expect him to rally with big counters and near falls. However, Gunther’s sheer physical dominance will likely overwhelm him in the end. If WWE wants to establish Gunther as the next big heel, this is the match to do it.

Winner: Gunther via submission

Women’s World Championship Match Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan

In my opinion, this will be the most physical matchup of Night 1. The build has been intense from the start. After winning the 2026 Royal Rumble, Liv Morgan has been on a mean streak. Both women have elevated the intensity. Expect a fast-paced, hard-hitting match where Morgan uses her explosive energy to stay in the fight, while Vaquer relies on sharper technique and a more methodical approach. Vaquer has been a great champion, but WWE appears ready to position Liv Morgan as the new face of the women’s division.

Winner: Liv Morgan – New Women’s World Champion

Undisputed WWE Championship Match (Main Event) Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton (with Pat McAfee)

Night 1’s main event capitalizes on the historic student vs. teacher rivalry. Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton were once faction mates in Legacy, but Pat McAfee’s surprising involvement has left fans puzzled. While many WWE fans aren’t thrilled about McAfee’s role in the main event, his mainstream appeal (especially with ESPN streaming the event) adds extra eyes. Orton remains a bonafide main eventer looking to add to his historic resume. Look for Orton to seize the moment, possibly with the patented Punt Kick. There’s even talk of Jelly Roll getting involved, as he’s been featured in recent WWE programming.

Winner: Randy Orton – New Undisputed WWE Champion

The post WrestleMania 42 predictions for Night 1 appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

LaVar Ball is back after the Charlotte Hornets’ elimination from the NBA Play-In Tournament, and he has an idea to help the team realize its ambitions.

In a new video, Ball urges the Hornets to sign Lonzo and Gelo to pair with LaMelo, citing their “unmatched” chemistry. He also criticized Hornets coach Charles Lee for giving up on the team’s 121-90 loss to Orlando too soon.

“If you want to go to the playoffs, three Balls are better than one,” LaVar said. “I’m trying to explain to you all, I have to keep telling you, if you want to go far you got to get all the Ball boys. The chemistry and the speed of the game is unmatched. You’ve got to be a heck of a coach to coach Melo. He’s a killer. You know what you do with a killer? You leave him in until the end. Don’t take him out till them suckers hit zero. And let it be known, he’s still trying to win. He could be down 40, down 50, it don’t matter.

“That coach give up a little too early for me. I’m trying to tell you all. Now you got something to talk about. The big baller is trying to give you a recipe on how to be a champion. But if the head folks don’t want to make their move and get all the Ball boys in Charlotte, I’m trying to tell you yes, in the best chemistry playing their speed game.”

Lavar Ball URGES the Charlotte Hornets to pick up his sons Lonzo & Gelo Ball after their blowout loss to the Orlando Magic, explaining that reuniting the Ball brothers is Charlotte’s only hope to make the playoffs 😮👀

“That coach gives up a little too early for me… It’s up to… pic.twitter.com/WLFr9b5ZBA

— Slime🐍 (@ItsKingSlime) April 18, 2026

It’s been a while since LaVar was making outlandish claims like this about his sons. Perhaps he was spurred into action after hearing some of the criticism LaMelo was subjected to this week. He might have just sensed the opportunity to grab some headlines, as indicated by him saying he was giving everyone “something to talk about.”

The Hornets obviously will not be signing all three Ball brothers. Gelo Ball is officially retired from playing and has embarked on a music career. They could theoretically bring in Lonzo, but he did not make much of an impression in a reserve role with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season.

Ultimately, this is more of the same from the Ball family patriarch, and most of his previous comments have aged terribly. Don’t expect these to be taken seriously by the Hornets or anyone else.

The post LaVar Ball urges Hornets to sign his sons appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Detroit Pistons are lacing up for the 2026 playoffs with a concession menu that refuses to play by the rules. At the heart of the fun sits the Full Court Press Sundae: Creamy vanilla ice cream drenched in red or blue soda, showered with sprinkles, and crowned with a Pistons topper.

The twist? It arrives in a souvenir sneaker cup, turning dessert into a cheeky courtside collectible that fans will want to show off long after the final buzzer.

But the shoe theme does not stop there. A specialty cocktail dubbed You Don’t Want This Smoke mixes tequila, Blue Curaçao, cream of coconut, and a dramatic smoke bubble, all served in its own basketball shoe vessel.

These playful presentations add a bit of swagger to the usual arena fare, proving the Pistons know how to score points off the court, too.

While traditional snacks hold the line, these sneaker-served delights invite fans to step into something unexpectedly delicious. Whether you are dribbling sprinkles or sipping through the laces, Little Caesars Arena just made playoff nights a tad more stylish, one quirky cup at a time.

Just remember to savor it before the novelty wears thin.

The post Pistons turn ice cream into a sneaker cup sensation appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Former New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia injected a dose of humor into the debate over 2026 World Cup transportation costs with a cheeky tweet on Friday.

Responding to news that New Jersey Transit will charge $150 for a round-trip rail ticket from New York’s Penn Station to MetLife Stadium—compared to the usual $12.90 fare—Sabathia offered a cheeky solution.

The Athletic reported the steep pricing for the eight matches at MetLife Stadium (which has been renamed for the event), including the final, as organizers seek to recover costs without burdening local taxpayers.

An alternative bus option costs $80 per seat, with no discounts for children, seniors, or disabled passengers.

Limited parking and expected crowds have fueled the logistics headache, sparking a public spat between New Jersey officials and FIFA over who should foot the bill.

Sabathia’s lighthearted offer quickly drew laughs and playful replies online, turning a gripe about price gouging into a moment of baseball-star hospitality. While fans weigh the pricey commute, the pitcher’s backyard parking pitch offers a comically affordable workaround for those willing to carpool with a Hall of Famer.

The post CC Sabathia has cheeky reply to sky-high World Cup transit prices appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

During a recent Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Unleash the Beast event in Billings, professional bullfighter Lucas Teodoro found himself launched skyward by the powerful bull known as Wild Child.

In Round 1 action, the explosive bovine sent Teodoro soaring high toward the arena rafters in a dramatic moment captured on video, prompting headlines that playfully dubbed the veteran a “wild child” himself for the unintended flight.

Teodoro, a seasoned Brazilian athlete with multiple PBR World Finals appearances, was performing his critical role protecting the rider when the bull’s force propelled him upward. He slammed back to the ground, appearing to favor his left wrist and briefly dropping to one knee as fellow riders checked on him.

Moments later, Teodoro rose with a broad smile and laughter, showcasing the resilience demanded in the high-stakes world of professional bullfighting.

The incident shines a light on the split-second dangers and athleticism required to safeguard competitors in the arena, where bullfighters routinely place themselves between riders and unpredictable animals weighing over a ton.

Fans and observers reacted with a mix of awe and concern, highlighting how such events define the thrill and toughness of PBR competition.

Teodoro quickly returned to action, embodying the fearless spirit that keeps the sport alive.

The post Video: ‘Wild Child’ launches bullfighter Lucas Teodoro into orbit appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Bryson DeChambeau expressed strong frustration over course conditions during the first round of LIV Golf Mexico City at Club de Golf Chapultepec.

After blading a greenside bunker shot on the 16th hole, his ball landed in a patchy area of sparse grass and exposed mud. Video footage captured the two-time major champion pointing out the damaged turf to his caddie and spectators, remarking sarcastically.

“You’ve got destroyed grass,” he said. “Oh, this is rough? Definitely. Good to see.”

DeChambeau, who is no stranger to outbursts, summoned a rules official and requested a second opinion, gesturing animatedly.

“Guys, this is what we’re playing with, apparently,” he said. “You’ve got to have a rule here. It’s unbelievable, absolutely out of the question.”

Officials upheld standard golf rules, requiring him to play the ball as it lay. He chipped to within six feet and sank the putt to save par.

The tantrum echoes similar complaints DeChambeau made about the venue’s bunkers last year. He completed the round at even par, tied for 29th and nine shots off the lead.

The incident drew attention amid broader questions surrounding LIV Golf’s future.

The post Bryson DeChambeau throws tantrum over course conditions at LIV Mexico City appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr offered a candid assessment of his coaching future following the team’s elimination from playoff contention.

After a 111-96 loss to the Phoenix Suns in the play-in tournament on Friday night, which capped a disappointing 37-45 season, Kerr acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding his role with the franchise.

Kerr, whose contract expires this summer, intentionally delayed discussions about an extension. He plans to take a week or two to reflect before meeting with controlling owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Kerr said, via ESPN. “I still love coaching, but I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date. There is a run that happens and when the run ends, sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas.”

The Warriors have not advanced past the second round since winning the 2022 NBA championship. This season was marred by injuries, including Stephen Curry missing 27 games with a right knee issue and Jimmy Butler III suffering a torn ACL in January.

Kerr expressed deep gratitude for his tenure but stopped short of committing to return.

“If my time is done, then I will be nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise in front of our fans and to coach Steph Curry, Draymond Green, the whole group,” he said. “It may still go on. It may not. I don’t know at this point. But we all need to step away a little bit and then reconvene.”

Kerr emphasized his loyalty to Curry while ruling out other NBA opportunities.

“That’s part of the equation. I don’t want to walk away from Steph. I’m definitely not going and coaching somewhere else next year in the NBA. I would never walk away from Steph,” he said. “But all this stuff has to be aligned and right. Those are all discussions that will be had.”

Curry voiced support for Kerr’s decision-making process.

“I want Coach to be happy. I want him to be excited for the job. I want him to believe he’s the right guy for the job,” he said.

As the Warriors eye potential roster additions this offseason, Kerr’s future remains a key variable in what could mark the closing chapter of a successful era.

The post Steve Kerr gives blunt answer about his Warriors future appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The end is not yet in sight for Steph Curry when it comes to his NBA career.

The Golden State Warriors star saw his season come to an end on Friday night in a 111-96 loss to the Phoenix Suns to close out the play-in tournament. The 12-time All-Star showed some of his age in the contest, scoring just 17 points on 4/16 shooting from the floor at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz.

The 38-year-old spoke candidly with reporters during his postgame press conference about his plan for the offseason, which he made clear does not include any preparations for a retirement tour.

Curry was asked how many years he saw himself playing beyond this one.

“Multiple, for sure,” Curry said before cracking a joke. “That’s more than one, right? Perfect.”

The 2-time MVP played in just 43 regular-season games due to a lingering knee issue — his fewest since the 2019-20 season. He wore a thick, padded brace on his right knee against the Suns and was noticeably in discomfort throughout the game.

Curry assured reporters that his knee is expected to make a full recovery in the offseason through some medical care and consistent rounds of golf. Steph also expressed his support for Steve Kerr, whose popularity has taken a hit among Warriors fans of late.

When Curry did play this season, he was as effective as ever. He averaged 26.6 points on 46.8 percent shooting to go along with 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game.

Curry may have “multiple” years left, but the same doesn’t apply to LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers star has had to answer similar questions on his retirement heading into the playoffs, and sounds much more ready to hang up his sneakers than Curry does.

The post Steph Curry has definitive take on his future appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Dillon Brooks had a million reasons to smile Friday after vanquishing the Golden State Warriors to close out the NBA play-in tournament.

Brooks and his Phoenix Suns outlasted the Warriors 111-96 in their do-or-die clash at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz. The victory ensured that the veteran swingman pocketed an extra $1 million in salary thanks to an incentive baked into his contract.

With Phoenix reaching the playoffs, Dillon Brooks has earned a $1M bonus.

The bonus was deemed unlikely before the season because Phoenix did not reach the postseason last year.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) April 18, 2026

The fiery forward signed a 4-year, $86 million contract with the Houston Rockets in 2023 that included an annual $1 incentive every time Brooks’ team clinched a playoff berth.

After cashing in on the bonus in each of his last two seasons in Houston, Brooks seemed like he’d miss out on his third chance once he got traded to Phoenix last year as part of the Kevin Durant trade. But the Suns have been one of the surprise teams of the 2025-26 campaign, with Brooks being a big reason why.

Brooks averaged a career-high 20.2 points and 3.6 assists across 56 games for Phoenix, transforming himself from a 3-and-D wing to a potent offensive threat next to Devin Booker.

Brooks didn’t have the best showing in Friday’s win, finishing with 13 points on 4/14 shooting and 5 turnovers. But he did leave Mortgage Matchup Center a little bit richer after beating a Warriors team that despises him.

Fans were laughing back when Brooks originally signed his deal three seasons ago. He’s proven to be more than worth the money since then.

The post Dillon Brooks cashed $1 million bonus after beating Warriors appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Draymond Green made sure to go out with a bang on Friday as the Golden State Warriors’ season came to an end at the hands of Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns.

Booker and Green were audibly chirping as the Suns held a commanding 111-94 lead over the Warriors with a minute left at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz. With the game already all but decided, veteran referee Scott Foster ejected both All-Stars in order to keep the peace.

Draymond Green & Devin Booker ejected. pic.twitter.com/8NG8ZOEwZG

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 18, 2026

The fiery exchange happened moments after Green delivered a hard foul against Booker in an attempt to get subbed out of the game. The play was reviewed for a potential hostile act, but was not upgraded to a flagrant foul.

With his team’s season ending unceremoniously, Draymond taunted the Phoenix crowd on his way out. The Warriors veteran finished with just 5 points and 6 assists. He had already been fouled out before getting himself ejected.

Booker tallied 20 points on 12 shots to go along with 8 assists to help his team advance to the first round of the playoffs. His backcourt running mate Jalen Green scored a game-high 36 points and did his best Steph Curry impression with 8 three-pointers.

The Suns’ reward for winning Friday is a date with the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

The post Draymond Green, Devin Booker ejected in final minute of play-in game appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

One Orlando Magic fan got creative on Friday to try to get into LaMelo Ball’s head.

The Charlotte Hornets guard was shooting a bonus free throws midway through the third quarter of their play-in tournament clash at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla. The NBA on Prime broadcast panned to a wide view from behind Ball, which showed the Magic fan desperately trying to distract the All-Star.

The fan hilariously tried to mime as if he were wildly crashing his car into oncoming traffic. Ball kept his composure enough to sink the free throw, cutting the Magic’s lead ever so slightly to 86-61.

Magic Fan pretends to crash a car whenever Lamelo shoots a free throw 😭 pic.twitter.com/7b7EtTLRhU

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 18, 2026

Ball made negative headlines in February when he crashed his custom Hummer into another vehicle at a busy intersection in downtown Charlotte.

A car crash would be a fitting way to describe how Friday’s game went for Ball and the Hornets. With their playoff lives on the line, the visitors got shellacked 121-90 in a game that was virtually over after a single quarter.

Charlotte trailed 38-16 in the first period and looked the part of an inexperienced team not yet ready for the moment. Ball led his team with 23 points on 7/17 shooting in the 31-point loss.

Perhaps the result was some form of karmic justice from the basketball gods after Ball tripped up Bam Adebayo during the Hornets’ play-in opener against the Miami Heat.

The post Magic fan had savage taunt for LaMelo Ball appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Houston Rockets may be down a superstar of their own to open their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Kevin Durant’s name was included on Houston’s injury report submitted Friday night, almost exactly 24 hours before the Rockets host the Lakers for Game 1 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The 16-time All-Star was listed as questionable due to a right knee contusion.

Durant has not missed a game due to injury all season. He played in 78 of the Rockets’ 82 regular-season contests, with a few DNPs for either rest or personal reasons. He was not in the lineup for Houston’s season finale on April 12 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

While Durant could very well still suit up for Friday’s series opener, it’s not a good sign for Rockets fans to start their playoff campaign. It’s particularly concerning that Durant started to feel some knee pain despite getting more than a week’s worth of rest heading into the playoffs.

The Rockets are 4-0 this season in the four games Durant has missed.

With Houston already without Fred VanVleet due to a preseason torn ACL, the team could be down two of its only battle-tested ball-handlers if Durant is forced to miss time. But Lakers fans, already reeling with injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, won’t be throwing their opponents any pity parties.

Perhaps Doncic can refer Durant to his specialist in Spain.

The post Rockets announce concerning injury update on Kevin Durant appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Portland Trail Blazers are dampening some of the excitement about the franchise’s first trip to the playoffs in a half-decade.

Trail Blazers president of business operations Dewayne Haskins disappointed fans with a revelation he made during a news conference on Friday. Haskins said that fans would not be receiving free playoff T-shirts for Games 3 and 4 of their first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs at Moda Center in Portland, Ore. (per Guillermo Motta of KATU News in Portland).

Portland is in the playoffs this year for the first time since 2021 (with four losing seasons along the way). They secured the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference by beating the Phoenix Suns in the NBA play-in tournament earlier this week and are now set to face off against the No. 2 seed Spurs.

The Blazers also notably had an official change in ownership earlier this month. On April 1, Tom Dundon formally became the new controlling owner of the franchise after purchasing them last year from the estate of Paul Allen for an estimated sum of $4.25 billion.

Dundon, 54, is also notably the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Panthers. On top of that, Dundon was a key figure in the collapse of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which he served as controlling owner and chairman of before abruptly shutting down the league within months due to a lack of TV money.

It is always possible that the Blazers could have another free playoff giveaway for their fans other than T-shirts. But with the fanbase having waited a decent amount of time since Portland’s last playoff berth, many are feeling a bit disappointed and confused right now.

The post Blazers accused of pulling a cheap move on their fans before playoffs appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

One former Los Angeles Lakers champion is going after another one this week.

Lakers star LeBron James targeted retired former NBA point guard Ron Harper on the latest episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash. While the conversation was on San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper, Ron’s son, and Dylan’s chances of winning NBA Rookie of the Year, James got a profane dig in.

“Dylan’s great,” said James. “I mean, his daddy ain’t s–t. But he’s good. I’ll see [Ron] when I see him.”

Here is the video of the clip (but watch out for the bad language).

LeBron on Ron Harper:

“Dylan is great. I mean, his Daddy ain’t sh*t, but he’s good. I’ll see him when I see him.”

TALK YO SH*T, BRON

(via @mindthegamepod) pic.twitter.com/M0Geta3dz4

— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) April 17, 2026

The five-time NBA champion Harper, now 62 years old, actually played for the Lakers from 1999-01 and won two championships there. As the father of both Dylan Harper and Boston Celtics guard Ron Harper Jr., Harper currently has two sons playing in the NBA.

But the elder Harper clearly drew the ire of James with some inflammatory comments he made a couple of months ago about James’ style of parenting (in reference to James’ son Bronny being teammates with James on the Lakers). James has profanely called out other prominent figures in recent months for mentioning Bronny and clearly has no qualms about doing the same here to the former Chicago Bulls guard Harper.

The post LeBron James takes a profane shot at Ron Harper appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba has turned into one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, and one simple recommendation from the Seattle Seahawks may have helped him get there.

Smith-Njigba was a supremely talented wideout prospect coming out of Ohio State in 2023. While his skills on the field were undeniable when the Seahawks made him the first wideout off the board in the draft, there were questions about his ability to stay on the field.

In his final year with the Buckeyes, JSN played in only three games due to a nagging hamstring injury. Seattle already had a plan in place to help him overcome his injury woes at the next level.

Seahawks director of equipment Erik Kennedy appeared on GM John Schneider’s show this week and shared an interesting tidbit about the team’s early encounters with Smith-Njigba. According to Kennedy, the Seahawks had JSN undergo a foot scan, which revealed that he had been wearing shoes several sizes too big as an amateur.

“You’re always trying to find little edges that can help players,” Kennedy said. “Let’s just say, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, you were talking him about in college, he was wearing a size 12, had hamstring issues, and things like that. Gets here, wears a 10-and-a-half. … It’s helped him, right? He hasn’t missed time and done things like that. That helps build the trust for us with the players.”

Smith-Njigba has yet to miss a game over his three seasons in the NFL. With no lingering health issues holding him back, JSN rewarded Seattle with All-Pro production in 2025.

While some of that is partly injury luck, the Seahawks have clearly gone the extra mile to minimize any risk of injury for their players.

Schneider claimed the Seahawks were the first team in the NFL to do routine foot scans, thanks to Kennedy’s relationship with Nike.

Kennedy credited Schneider with empowering the team’s equipment staff to make key decisions for the benefit of the players. Per Kennedy, Seattle stands by the belief that all pieces of equipment — from shoes, to helmets to shoulder pads — should be custom-made based on the team’s body scans of its players.

With the Seahawks winning it all last season, don’t be surprised to hear other teams doing foot scans ahead of the 2026 campaign.

H/T Pro Football Talk

The post Seahawks pushed Jaxon Smith-Njigba to make 1 crucial fix that completely changed his career appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Gregg Popovich is continuing to progress in his recovery from a stroke.

The ex-San Antonio Spurs head coach Popovich made an appearance Friday during one of the team’s practice sessions at The Rock at La Cantera in San Antonio, Texas. Popovich appeared in the portion of practice that was open to reporters and was looking a little bit better.

Jared Weiss of The Athletic shared video of Popovich walking over to other team figures, including head coach Mitch Johnson, to discuss strategy. Though Popovich was walking with a noticeable limp and had an aide behind him carrying a cane at the ready, Popovich was at least able to move without assistance.

Here is the video.

Coach Pop at the Rock today for Spurs practice pic.twitter.com/lZ7lao3gx2

— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) April 17, 2026

Now 77 years old, the Basketball Hall of Famer Popovich was a five-time NBA champion and a three-time NBA Coach of the Year during his time in charge of the Spurs from 1996-2025. But he officially retired last year after suffering a stroke in Nov. 2024 followed by a separate medical emergency in Apr. 2025.

Popovich’s public appearances since then have been few and far between. But he was having difficulty walking at all around this time last year and was also spotted looking frail at an NBA G League game in early 2026. These days though, Popovich, who has since transitioned into a role in the San Antonio front office, is looking well enough to walk around on his own.

The post Gregg Popovich looks better during his latest public appearance appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Indiana Fever are officially backing up the Brinks truck.

Indiana is signing star forward/center Aliyah Boston to a four-year, $6.3 million contract extension, Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Friday. That marks the richest contract in WNBA history by total value, Charania adds.

Boston, who is set to make $1 million in the 2026 season and then 20 percent of the cap from 2027-29, is a core player for the Fever alongside co-star Caitlin Clark. After going with the No. 1 overall pick to Indiana in 2023, Boston has made three All-Star teams, one All-WNBA team, and one All-Defensive team.

Last season for the Fever, Boston also had a strong year despite the team’s overall mediocrity (in Clark’s injury absence). The 24-year-old Boston averaged 15.0 points, 8.2 points, 3.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game over 44 total appearances for Indiana.

With Boston’s sizable new contract, she has officially surpassed the mark that was just set by A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces earlier this week. Wilson, 29, signed a supermax contract with the Aces that, at the time, was the largest contract in WNBA history by total value (and still surpasses Boston’s deal by average annual value).

As for the Fever, they are now locked and loaded for the 2026 season and beyond. On top of extending Boston, they re-signed Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull, brought in free agent additions Monique Billings and Tyasha Harris, and also announced big news about fan favorite Sophie Cunningham.

The post Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever co-star lands richest contract in WNBA history appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Donovan Mitchell may be parachuting onto the trade block once again.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will discuss the possibility of trading their star shooting guard Mitchell this summer if they cannot agree to an extension with him, Fred Katz of The Athletic reported on Friday. Katz notes that Mitchell can hit free agency in 2027 but will become eligible for an extension from the Cavaliers this offseason.

Mitchell, 29, is in his fourth season as a member of Cleveland. It has been a fruitful partnership thus far as Mitchell has made four All-Star teams, earned two All-NBA nods, and helped lead the Cavaliers to a 64-win season plus a division title in 2024-25.

As for this season, Mitchell continues to show out. He is averaging some of his best numbers yet as a Cleveland player, posting 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 48/36/87 shooting splits over 70 total appearances for the 52-30 Cavaliers.

But the Mitchell era in Cleveland has also been defined by a lack of playoff success. The Cavaliers only have two total playoff series wins since he arrived (both in the first round) and may have to take a long look in the mirror if they suffer another early postseason exit this year.

With Cleveland trading for James Harden a couple of months ago, their urgency to win is immediate. Though it is customary for teams to entertain trading away star players with just one year left on their contracts (instead of risking a potential departure for nothing in free agency), Mitchell’s status as an in-his-prime stud makes him a particularly interesting case. With Harden also facing questions as to what exactly he will do this summer, the Cavaliers may have a lot of moving parts in the near future if they cannot find a way to win this postseason.

The post Notable update surfaces about Donovan Mitchell’s future appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Ja Morant may be getting a shot at redemption in the Pacific Division.

The Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings have emerged as two new potential trade suitors for the disgruntled Memphis Grizzlies star Morant, NBA writer Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson reported on Friday. Robinson adds that both teams will be “serious” suitors for Morant this offseason.

Morant, a two-time NBA All-Star at 26 years old, is widely expected to be traded by Memphis this summer. He just completed a 2025-26 season marred by injuries and dysfunction with both his teammates and with his head coach Tuomas Iisalo (which even led to a suspension for Morant at one point).

Overall on the year, Morant put up 19.5 points and 8.1 assists per game in just 20 total appearances for the Grizzlies, who finished the season at a horrific 25-57 (13th in the West). Memphis has also long been trending towards a rebuild after trading away both Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. over the course of the last year (with the latter move by the Grizzlies drawing a sharp public rebuke from Morant).

Meanwhile, the Kings were completely rudderless this season, finishing even worse than the Grizzlies at 22-60 (with guards Zach LaVine and Russell Westbrook both now able to hit free agency). The Suns fared much better this year at 45-37 and still have a chance to get into the Western Conference playoffs. But Phoenix ultimately lacks a true starting point guard alongside Devin Booker with the shoot-first Jalen Green, the overachieving role player Collin Gillespie, and the defensive-minded Jordan Goodwin sharing backcourt duties for now.

Morant, who is owed $87 million over the next two seasons, clearly seems to think his time in Memphis is up. Now it sounds like he may be getting a chance to stay in the conference with a West Coast team like the Suns or Kings.

The post Ja Morant is being linked to 2 new teams in trade rumors appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is regarded as one of the top prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft. According to a few teams, he might actually be the best overall.

ESPN’s Jordan Ranaan wrote Friday that there are multiple people around the league who have Love as the highest-graded player on their draft board. That does not necessarily mean Love will go No. 1, but it might make him the most highly thought-of player in the class.

Spoke to multiple people around the league the past few days who said that RB Jeremiyah Love was their top graded player. The question now is where do teams place him on their board given the position he plays and their individual needs.

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) April 17, 2026

Love made some astounding plays for Notre Dame this season, and it is no surprise that he is being seen as a great pro prospect. Running backs are not seen as valuable as certain other positions, but at this point, it looks like a safe bet he will go in the top ten or even top five.

We know of at least one team in the top ten that would have interest in Love if he is available when they are on the clock.

Love is the reigning Doak Walker Award winner after a season in which he ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the Fighting Irish and scored 35 total touchdowns over two years.

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Doc Rivers is out as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, and he may be out of coaching entirely.

Rivers spoke with Bill Simmons about his plans for the future in a new interview. Rivers suggested the Bucks were open to keeping him on, but that he needs a break and does not expect to coach again.

“I love coaching. Loved it. I had a lot of success at it. I had way more ups and downs,” Rivers said. “But at the end of the day, I’ve given 40 years straight, with no off time. I just wanted a break. I want to get away. The grandkids, just life in general. I think it was time. I’d be surprised if I coached another game. I’ll put it that way.”

"I think it was time."@BillSimmons asks Doc Rivers if he believes he's done with coaching after stepping down as head coach of the Bucks. pic.twitter.com/NzjkAZ2VPU

— The Ringer (@ringer) April 17, 2026

Rivers was evasive on the topic of his future before confirming his Bucks departure, but he strongly hinted that he would at least take time off from coaching. He has been an NBA head coach almost continuously since 1999, working for the Magic, Celtics, Clippers, 76ers, and Bucks.

Rivers will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in August in recognition of his coaching career. Two-plus underwhelming seasons with Milwaukee is not exactly the best way to end it, but his legacy in the NBA is secure, and it sounds like we will not be seeing him on the sideline again.

The post Doc Rivers reveals whether he will ever coach again appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Minnesota Timberwolves will be the ones initially tasked with trying to stop Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets to open the NBA Playoffs, and one of the players who will be tasked with handling him is already looking to the heavens for answers.

Timberwolves big man Julius Randle joked his first strategy in trying to contain Jokic would be prayer. He said the team would be prepared for the challenge, but would be putting in some extra pleas with God before the series.

“Probably got to call God and talk to him a little bit,” Randle said. “Ask him for a few favors. It’s going to be a tough matchup.”

"Probably got to call 𝑮𝑶𝑫 and talk to him for a little bit." – Julius Randle on guarding Nikola Jokic 🙏🤣

"Ask him for a few favors." 😇

📽️ @Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/r5VRZcNTHi

— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) April 15, 2026

Rudy Gobert, not Randle, will be primarily tasked with keeping Jokic in check. He and the Timberwolves have not had much luck this season, as Jokic averaged 35.8 points, 15 rebounds, and 11.3 assists per game in four games against Minnesota during the regular season.

This will be the third time in four postseasons that the Nuggets and Timberwolves will face off. The teams split the first two, making this something of a grudge match.

The post Timberwolves forward jokes about needing to ‘call God’ to stop Nikola Jokic appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

One specific NFL team appears to have its eyes on Ty Simpson in the NFL Draft, and is increasingly viewed as his likely landing spot.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said Friday that Simpson landing with the Arizona Cardinals feels “inevitable.” The Cardinals lack a long-term solution at the quarterback position, and their situation may be complicated even further by Jacoby Brissett’s contract demands.

Ty Simpson to AZ feels inevitable. https://t.co/HjQPfMAQn7

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) April 17, 2026

There are plenty of other reasons to believe that Simpson might be a major target for the Cardinals. They already brought him in for a pre-draft visit and have not done a great deal to hide their interest.

The Cardinals are rumored to be among the teams at least open to trading down in the draft. They currently sit at No. 3 overall, which would be rather high for Simpson, so they could probably add a few more picks and still get their man if Simpson is who they want.

Simpson has seemingly trended up throughout the NFL Draft process. The former Alabama quarterback threw for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions for the Crimson Tide last season.

The post Ty Simpson landing with 1 team is seen as ‘inevitable’ appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Former US soccer star Megan Rapinoe and former WNBA star Sue Bird announced big news on Friday. The two announced publicly that they have broken up.

In a statement posted to social media, Rapinoe said she and Bird had “made the decision to separate as a couple.” The two had been together since 2017.

A personal update from Megan and @S10Bird 💌 pic.twitter.com/rosVdXS7Gx

— TOGETHXR (@togethxr) April 17, 2026

The two also hosted a podcast together, “A Touch More,” which will also apparently be ending.

Bird and Rapinoe first met at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and have been together since then. They were engaged in 2020, though they never formally married.

Bird and Rapinoe had one of the most high-profile relationships in the sports world, as Bird was a WNBA star and Rapinoe a standout soccer player. Bird was a 13-time All-Star in her career before announcing her retirement in 2022. Rapinoe retired a year later after a career that saw her win two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal.

The post Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe announce big news appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson effectively reset the market for pass rushers on Friday with his new $150 million deal, and his agent is taking a well-earned victory lap.

Anderson agreed to a three-year, $150 million extension with Houston to tack on to the two years left on his current deal. That makes him the first non-quarterback to make in excess of $50 million annually.

Anderson’s agent, Nicole Lynn, couldn’t help but gloat a little after getting the deal done.

“Anybody have a brinks truck?” she wrote on X.

Anybody have a brinks truck?

— Nicole Lynn (@AgentNicoleLynn) April 17, 2026

Lynn will be getting compensated well from this, too. You can hardly blame her for being pleased.

Anderson has already become one of the NFL’s most feared pass rushers just three seasons into his career. He was an All-Pro for the first time in 2025 as he collected 12 sacks and 20 tackles for loss while playing in all 17 games. No wonder the Texans made him such a high priority in the 2023 NFL Draft.

As for Lynn, she has established herself as the sort of agent who fights for her clients. She gets them plenty of cash in negotiations, too.

The post Will Anderson’s agent reacts to his huge new contract appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Jacoby Brissett wants some more money from the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals let Kyler Murray go this offseason, which leaves Brissett and Gardner Minshew as their quarterbacks. The Cardinals could also use their No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft on a QB. Until that point, Brissett’s representatives are trying to squeeze more money out of the Cardinals.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported on Friday that Brissett is not attending the first phase of the Cardinals’ offseason as the quarterback seeks more money.

Sources: #AZCardinals QB Jacoby Brissett is not attending Phase 1 of the offseason program and is asking for an extension that pays him as the starter.

Brissett, set to make $9.06M in ‘26, has only $1.5M in guaranteed money and wants security. AZ appears willing to address it. pic.twitter.com/tl5HdMdvnO

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 17, 2026

The Cardinals may be reluctant to give Brissett more money. Even if they begin the season with him as their starter, they do not appear to have him locked in as their QB1.

Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said Thursday regarding the starting quarterback position that the team is “not really naming anybody and we’ll see how that room works by the time we get to August.”

Brissett started 12 games for the Cardinals last season, and the team went 1-11 in those starts. He passed for 3,366 yards with 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. His stats are respectable on the surface, but NFL teams are not going to be winning many games with Brissett at QB.

The post Jacoby Brissett wants more money from Cardinals appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

LeBron James’ future is up for debate again, this time answering the question about whether he actually wants a retirement tour.

James is not seeking a farewell tour season, according to Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic. James himself has allegedly told that to people close to him, and retirement at the end of this season remains a “real possibility.”

There also remains a lack of clarity regarding whether James will stay with the Lakers even if he does continue to play. The team’s strong play in March suggested to James that he might actually be able to remain with the Lakers, as winning remains his top priority if he does continue his career. This was whispered about in late March, before injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves threatened the team’s season.

The Lakers can still offer James the most money, but the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have been linked to him anyway. Some other teams have also been whispered about, but nowhere near as seriously.

Even at 41, James remains a threat whenever he is on the court. He averaged 20.9 points and 7.2 assists per game on the season.

The post LeBron James’ stance on a retirement tour has been revealed appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Legendary former Los Angeles Angels star Garret Anderson has died at the age of 53, the Angels announced on Friday. The death of Anderson was unexpected and came following a medical emergency at his home in Newport Beach, Calif., on Thursday, according to TMZ.

The Angels shared the news of Anderson’s death with a prepared statement from team owner Arte Moreno.

“The Angels organization is mourning the loss of one of our franchise’s most beloved icons, Garret Anderson,” Moreno in a statement. “Garret was a cornerstone of our organization throughout his 15 seasons and his stoic presence in the outfield and our clubhouse elevated the Angels into an era of continued success, highlighted by the 2002 World Series championship.”

The Angels will wear a memorial patch on their jerseys for the rest of the season to honor Anderson.

Anderson was a fourth-round pick by the Angels in 1990. He made it up to the majors in 1994, though 1995 was his first full season in the bigs. He made an immediate impact by batting .321 as a rookie, finishing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Anderson continued to be a reliable outfielder for the Angels. He batted .293 with 287 home runs during his career. Anderson made the All-Star team in 2002, 2003 and 2005. He led the AL in doubles in both 2002 and 2003, and won the Silver Slugger award in both seasons.

Anderson finished fourth in AL MVP voting in 2002, the same year he helped the Angels win their first and only World Series ever, by slugging a tie-breaking 3-run double in Game 7 against the San Francisco Giants.

Anderson, who played 17 seasons in MLB, including one with each the Braves and Dodgers after 15 seasons with the Angels, is the Angels’ franchise leader in games played (2,013), hits (2,368), RBIs (1,292), doubles (489), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796) and grand slams (eight).

Anderson had some other spectacular moments in his career. He had a 10-RBI game in 2007, and in 2003, he won both the Home Run Derby and All Star Game MVP.

After his playing career ended, Anderson became a broadcaster for the Angels. He was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2016.

The post Angels legend Garret Anderson dies at age 53 appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The San Diego Padres are finally set to be sold, and they will fetch a record-setting price for an MLB franchise.

The Padres are being purchased by a group led by private equity billionaire Jose E. Feliciano and his wife Kwanza Jones, according to Jared Diamond and Miriam Gottfried of the Wall Street Journal. The sale price is said to be $3.9 billion, nearly $1.5 billion more than the previous record-breaking sale of the New York Mets to Steve Cohen.

The sale should end the uncertainty over the status of the Padres, which has been in question since owner Peter Seidler died in 2023. There has been infighting among Seidler’s widow and siblings over who controlled the franchise since then, which has negatively impacted the team in certain ways.

Feliciano is also the owner of Chelsea F.C. of the English Premier League. It remains to be seen whether he intends to maintain a high payroll, as Seidler did. Seidler bolstered the team’s payroll to nearly $250 million, but it has fallen closer to $200 million since his death.

Forbes had estimated that the Padres would be worth $3.1 billion. One can only imagine how much money clubs like the Yankees or Cubs would fetch if they ever hit the open market.

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Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel employed an unconventional and humorous approach during the team’s free agency process.

Rather than relying on traditional presentations such as spreadsheets or messages, McDaniel created and pinned “Wanted” posters in the office of general manager Joe Hortiz. The posters featured running back Keaton Mitchell and fullback Alec Ingold as prime targets, evoking an Old West bounty hunt style.

Hortiz later recounted the moment with amusement, noting that McDaniel had placed the posters on his walls.

“Mike put up a wanted reward for a couple players,” Hortiz said, adding that McDaniel would “owe a little bit of money” since the front office secured both signings.

The tactic proved effective. The Chargers signed Pro Bowl fullback Alec Ingold to a two-year, $7.5 million deal, reuniting him with McDaniel after four seasons together in Miami. They also added explosive running back Keaton Mitchell on a two-year, $9.25 million contract with $5 million guaranteed.

These moves aimed to bolster a run game that struggled to support quarterback Justin Herbert.

McDaniel’s playful persistence highlighted his creative influence in shaping the roster.

The post Mike McDaniel used hilarious tactic to influence Chargers’ FA decisions appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed frustration with the umpiring crew after receiving his first ejection of the 2026 season during an 11-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday at Yankee Stadium.

The incident occurred in the eighth inning following a balk call on Yankees pitcher Ryan Yarbrough.

With two outs and runners on first and second, first-base umpire Ryan Additon ruled Yarbrough had balked on a pickoff attempt to first base. The call advanced the runners, setting up an intentional walk to Mike Trout and a grand slam by Jo Adell that widened the Angels’ lead.

Boone initially approached home-plate umpire Will Little for clarification before returning to the field at the end of the inning. He was ejected by Little after seeking further explanation from Additon, with crew chief Lance Barksdale intervening.

“I still haven’t gotten good clarity, because of course, they got overly sensitive when I was as calm as could be,” Boone said, via MLB.com. “I wasn’t out there arguing. I just wanted to hear their explanation. I think it’s a fine play.”

Boone, who has led the American League in ejections in each of the past five seasons, described the pickoff as a standard defensive play that the Yankees had called. He noted dissatisfaction with the limited explanation provided by the umpires.

The ejection amplified ongoing tensions between managers and umpires, even as Major League Baseball implements the automated ball-strike system.

The post Aaron Boone blasts ‘overly sensitive’ umps following ejection appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Dallas Wings introduced No. 1 overall 2026 WNBA Draft pick Azzi Fudd during a press conference on Thursday.

The event centered on her seamless transition from a standout UConn career into professional basketball with the rebuilding franchise. Fudd, who averaged 17.3 points per game on 47 percent shooting in her final college season, will reunite in the backcourt with reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.

Most questions focused on basketball topics, including Fudd’s elite shooting, defensive competitiveness, high basketball IQ, and unselfish approach, which has been praised by general manager Curt Miller.

Miller highlighted the organization’s deliberate evaluation process that consistently pointed back to Fudd as the ideal selection.

The tone shifted briefly when a reporter asked Fudd whether she and Bueckers, who publicly confirmed their romantic relationship on social media in 2025, remained together and if they had consulted other WNBA couples about navigating the dynamic as professional teammates.

Before Fudd could respond, a Wings public relations staffer interjected.

“I understand why you have to ask that question, but we’re going to respectfully decline from commenting on our players’ personal lives,” they said.

Miller later reinforced the team’s commitment to protecting athletes’ privacy off the court.

Fudd fielded additional inquiries about her excitement for the WNBA and her competitive drive.

With training camp approaching, the duo now prepares to lead Dallas on the court while the franchise maintains its policy of shielding private lives from public scrutiny. Of course, whether fair or unfair, that will only result in further discussion and speculation.

The post Wings shut down question about Azzi Fudd-Paige Bueckers relationship appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Chicago Bears face mounting pressure to decide the future home of a new domed stadium as they prepare to leave Soldier Field after 50 years.

NFL stadium committee members, including Minnesota Vikings owner Mark Wilf, will meet virtually with Bears officials the week of April 27 to review progress on two primary options: The team-owned 326-acre site in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and a proposed location near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana.

Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren has targeted a resolution by late spring or early summer, aligning with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s call for action “relatively soon.”

In Illinois, the team seeks roughly $850 million in public funding for infrastructure while pushing for tax certainty through payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) legislation, which has stalled in the General Assembly ahead of its May 31 session end. Without assured tax relief, Bears officials say construction cannot proceed.

Indiana offers greater certainty after passing Senate Bill 27, which creates a stadium authority and commits around $1 billion in financing, including toll road adjustments.

Bears chairman George H. McCaskey has noted that fans would adjust to either location, much as they did with prior venue shifts. A decision will shape the franchise’s path toward a potential 2030 opening while navigating political and financial hurdles in both states.

The post Clock is ticking on Bears to make stadium relocation decision appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

In the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal second leg on Wednesday, Tigres winger Diego Lainez delivered a performance that had fans covering their eyes for all the wrong reasons.

Fresh off a suspension for accumulated cards, the 25-year-old found himself on the receiving end of a feather-light graze to the back from Seattle Sounders defender Nouhou Tolo just eight minutes in. Rather than shrugging off the gentle tap, Lainez spun dramatically, let out a theatrical yelp, and collapsed as if struck by a freight train.

The referee and VAR quickly saw through the charade, taking no action against either player.

FS1’s commentator captured the collective cringe, calling it “barely a love tap” and the sort of display that leaves viewers squirming in discomfort.

“I mean, that’s the type of stuff that’s embarrassing,” he said.

Social media erupted with mockery, branding the dive “pathetic” and a “disgrace to the game.”

The flop was so comically overdone that it probably even made LeBron James cringe from the NBA sidelines, where such his theatrical tumbles are practically patented.

In a sport celebrated for skill and grit, Lainez’s second-leg theatrics provided an unintended masterclass in how not to win hearts—or calls.

Tigres advanced on aggregate despite the 3-1 loss, but this moment may linger longer than any trophy.

The post Soccer player’s all-time flop leads to second-hand embarrassment appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Seattle Mariners broadcaster Angie Mentink, a respected figure in MLB media since 1997, recently faced unwarranted online criticism after a short video surfaced showing her using Google Gemini to generate ideas for postgame interview questions following a tough loss.

Mentink responded with grace and humor on social media, explaining that she was simply experimenting with the tool as a learning aid to supplement her own prepared questions, noting the evolution from pen and paper in her early career.

The backlash is particularly concerning given Mentink’s breast cancer survival and recovery from a stroke in February that left her paralyzed on her left side. She had only recently returned to the booth, focusing on regaining her bearings with support from the Mariners organization.

Any criticism in this context appears insensitive and misguided.

Further complicating the matter is the video’s unauthorized recording and release without her knowledge or consent. Filmed by a fan at a game and posted online with a mocking tone, it raises serious questions about privacy in public spaces and the ethics of sharing such footage to provoke backlash.

Mentink has handled the episode professionally, underscoring her dedication amid personal challenges.

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LaVar Ball is respawning this week to defend his youngest son LaMelo Ball.

The Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo drew widespread backlash with a dirty takedown of Miami Heat counterpart Bam Adebayo during Tuesday’s play-in tournament game (see the video here). While LaMelo was not punished for the incident in the actual game, the NBA retroactively hit LaMelo with a flagrant 2 foul as well as a fine the day afterwards.

In response to the dirty play this week, Nick Wright of FS1 went off on LaMelo. During an episode of “First Things First,” Wright ripped LaMelo by saying, “That young man is a clown and has been a clown forever and will never not be a clown.”

“That young man is a clown, and has been a clown forever and will never not be a clown.”

– Nick Wright on LaMelo pic.twitter.com/dkAvhqzHem

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 15, 2026

That led to a rebuttal from LaMelo’s father LaVar. On the latest episode of his “Big Baller Podcast,” LaVar fired right back at Wright.

“We got these folks over here [who] won’t even comment on the game,” said LaVar. “They talking about somebody a clown? Has Nick Wright ever looked in the mirror? I bet you if you look in the dictionary right now, you look up a clown, you gonna see two things. One, it’s gonna somebody with long hair on the sides and a big a– nose. Yep, that’s Nick Wright! A clown in itself. He’s been a clown ever since I’ve known him.”

Here is the full video of LaVar’s remarks (which also included swipes at Jason Whitlock and Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra).

LaVar Ball responds and goes off on Nick Wright for getting personal and calling his son LaMelo Ball a “clown,” and also calls out Erik Spoelstra for making excuses after losing to the Hornets. pic.twitter.com/8RdCfq8Rzn

— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) April 16, 2026

For context, Spoelstra also called out LaMelo following the play-in game, which the Hornets narrowly won in overtime by a 127-126 final score. Spoelstra said that LaMelo should have been thrown out for the “stupid” play.

As for LaVar, he was in the news last year after having to get his foot amputated due to a diabtetes-related infection. But LaVar looked energetic a few months later as he showed off his new prosthetic leg and is clearly still vintage LaVar with his swipes this week at the FS1 personality Wright.

The post LaVar Ball blasts Nick Wright over his LaMelo Ball comments appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Dallas Wings did not want reporters to ask about the romantic relationship between their two new co-stars.

Wings guard Azzi Fudd had her introductory press conference on Thursday, three days after Dallas made her the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. During the media session, one reporter asked Fudd about her former UConn teammate (and now Wings teammate) Paige Bueckers.

The reporter asked Fudd if she was still in a relationship with Bueckers and, if so, if they had consulted any other couples in the WNBA for advice. But the reporter got his question shut down by a Wings staffer, who intervened by saying, “I understand why you have to ask that question. But we’re going to respectfully decline from commenting on our players’ personal lives. Next question.”

Here is the video.

A reporter asked Azzi Fudd about her relationship with Paige Bueckers, but the Wings' media team said they won't be commenting on their players' personal lives. pic.twitter.com/iH3enGfoVE

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 16, 2026

Bueckers, 24, and Fudd, 23, were teammates and backcourt partners in college at UConn from 2021-25. With Bueckers going No. 1 overall to the Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft and Fudd following suit a year later, the two now find themselves reunited in the WNBA.

After years of dating rumors, Bueckers finally publicly confirmed her relationship with Fudd in 2025. Bueckers was even shown on TV at this week’s WNBA Draft reacting to the news of her team, the Wings, drafting her girlfriend Fudd at No. 1.

Now that Bueckers and Fudd are teammates in the WNBA (and star teammates at that), the top storyline in Dallas will be the personal and professional relationship between the two. But the Wings came prepared for that question to be asked on Thursday and promptly put the kibosh on it.

The post Wings shut down reporter’s question to Azzi Fudd about Paige Bueckers relationship appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Dillon Brooks is more than ready for the latest chapter of his rivalry with the Golden State Warriors.

Speaking with reporters this week, the Phoenix Suns swingman Brooks said that he was hoping to face the Warriors in the play-in tournament. Brooks specifically called out Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and head coach Steve Kerr as the reasons he wanted to get Golden State.

“I would like to see the Warriors,” said Brooks, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “[Because of] Steph and Draymond. And Steve Kerr.”

While Brooks’ comments came on Wednesday morning, he got his wish as the Warriors defeated the LA Clippers in their 9/10 play-in game later that day at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. That now sets up a play-in game between the Suns and the Warriors on Friday at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz. to decide who will now be the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed.

The former All-Defensive selection Brooks has a lot of individual history with Golden State, even dating back to his time with the Memphis Grizzlies. Brooks and the Grizzlies faced the Warriors in the second round of the 2022 playoffs, a series perhaps best remembered for a flagrant foul Brooks committed that drew the ire of the Warriors coach Kerr.

On top of that, Brooks, who also faced the Warriors in a first-round playoff series last season as a member of the Houston Rockets, has a well-documented beef with the Golden State star Green. Even as a member of the Suns this season, Brooks was criticized for a dirty foul on the Warriors superstar Curry. Now Brooks will officially be getting another shot at Golden State in this week’s play-in tournament and will likely bring plenty more antics.

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One Pittsburgh Pirates fan certainly had a day to remember at the ballpark on Thursday.

The Pirates faced off on Thursday against the NL rival Washington Nationals for the final meeting of their four-game series. The game between the two teams took place at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pa.

With the Pirates and the Nationals battling their way into extra innings, Pittsburgh outfielder Jake Mangum came up to bat in the bottom of the tenth inning with runners on the corners and one out (as the Nationals nursed an 8-7 lead). But the Pirates television broadcast caught something else noteworthy besides the clutch at-bat by Mangum.

As the broadcast cut to a close-up shot of Mangum in between pitches, a Pirates fan sitting down the first-base line was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The fan could be seen zealously groping his female companion sitting next to him. Take a look at the video.

The most excited a Pirates fan has been on yearshttps://t.co/G9pnT9FFCp

— Bracco | Social Sportsbook (@PlayBracco) April 16, 2026

Mangum would go on to hit into a game-ending double play during the at-bat. As a result, the Pirates fell to 11-8 on the season with the extra-inning loss.

But in any case, that Pirates fan ended up as the ultimate winner. That video was definitely reminiscent of the time that the Athletics’ broadcasters were left speechless over a similar groping incident during a game.

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Trae Young is hearing it this week from the mayor of New York City.

The New York Knicks are set to face the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. With the Knicks earning the No. 3 seed and the Hawks getting No. 6, the two sides will begin a best-of-seven series on Saturday in New York.

Speaking during a press conference on Thursday, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani was asked about the high cost of playoff tickets for the game at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. Mamdani responded by taking a swipe at former Hawks star Trae Young.

“I would say that I blame Trae Young,” replied Mamdani. “And I think it’s always important to blame Trae Young.” Here is the full clip of Mamdani’s remarks.

Zohran Mamdani, when asked about the high cost of Knicks playoff tickets vs Atlanta: "I would say that I blame Trae Young… and I think it's always important to blame Trae Young"

Via: https://t.co/E7EN07I2QX pic.twitter.com/4YG37kvdD1

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 16, 2026

Young is not even with the Hawks anymore after being traded to the Washington Wizards at the February trade deadline. But he still did more than enough during his time in Atlanta to create a rivalry between the Hawks and the Knicks (and also become Public Enemy No. 1 in New York).

Most notably, Young led the Hawks to a first-round playoff series victory over the Knicks in 2021 and openly taunted the MSG crowd over the course of that series. Even in more recent years, Young had still been pulling disrespectful moves on the Knicks.

The four-time All-Star Young will obviously not be taking part in this year’s playoff series between the Hawks and the Knicks. But plenty of New Yorkers, including the Democratic mayor Mamdani, still loathe Young for what he did to their city in the past.

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Crissy Froyd is now out of a job after her post this week about fellow reporter Dianna Russini.

USA Today has parted ways with their NFL reporter Froyd after Froyd made a post to her X page earlier this week celebrating Russini’s resignation from The Athletic. Froyd told TMZ Sports that USA Today severed ties with her via email on Thursday after she spent a decade with the publication.

On Tuesday, Froyd reacted to the news that Russini had resigned from her position with The Athletic. “I’m sure you were told to submit this or that you’d get fired instead,” Froyd wrote. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. We know who you really are and what you’ve been up to for years. It does so much detriment to women in sports who have done things the right way.”

I’m sure you were told to submit this or that you’d get fired instead.

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. We know who you really are and what you’ve been up to for years. It does so much detriment to women in sports who have done things the right way. https://t.co/dswaHZjIHL

— Crissy Froyd (@crissy_froyd) April 14, 2026

After being let go on Thursday, Froyd then proceeded to double down on her original post. She took to X to confirm her firing and added that “I regret zero of what I said.”

I would like to acknowledge the statements put out about me recently and that I am also no longer with USA TODAY SMG.

I regret zero of what I said and stand beside it. If you want to talk, my messages are open. My email is operative, too.

I feel I've been very transparent and…

— Crissy Froyd (@crissy_froyd) April 16, 2026

USA Today also released a statement of their own about Froyd’s firing.

"USA TODAY Sports has ended its contractor relationship with Crissy Froyd effective immediately. Her recent statements do not reflect our commitment to professionalism or uphold our principles of ethical conduct." pic.twitter.com/lAkOIwuc5G

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) April 16, 2026

Russini resigned earlier this week after being spotted seemingly holding hands and hugging with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. While Russini and Vrabel, who are both married with children, both continue to deny that anything inappropriate took place, Russini cited the “media frenzy” over the photos as a driving force behind her decision to quit.

Meanwhile, Froyd had officially been listed at USA Today as a managing editor and staff writer. She covered both college football for the network (specializing in the SEC) and NFL beats as well (including serving on the beat of the Atlanta Falcons and the Tennessee Titans).

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New York Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence has played his final snap with the team, at least if he has his way.

Lawrence is not interested in re-negotiating his Giants contract and wants a trade, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. The two sides did engage in some negotiations, but he is not interested in any further talks with the organization, and his issues with the organization are no longer financial.

“His time with the Giants is over.”
Posturing? Trying to force a trade? Realization it’s time to move on? Dexter Lawrence is done with the Giants. https://t.co/uXszwNrhNR

— Paul Schwartz (@NYPost_Schwartz) April 16, 2026

Lawrence has already skipped the team’s offseason camp. He is due to make $20 million in 2026 and signed a contract extension three years ago. The market for defensive linemen has changed since then, in part because of Chris Jones’ 5-year extension worth nearly $160 million with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Giants may simply hold firm and call Lawrence’s bluff, as he still has two years left on his current deal. They are under no obligation to trade him, though keeping a disgruntled player risks causing distractions once training camp draws closer.

Lawrence has firmly established himself as one of the game’s best defensive tackles. The 28-year-old has been selected to three Pro Bowls and twice named second-team All-Pro. While he is coming off something of a down year, he is still seen as the anchor of the Giants’ defensive line.

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Draymond Green turned in a defensive masterclass during the Golden State Warriors’ play-in win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, and new information has emerged to make it even more impressive.

Green was battling an illness during the Warriors’ 126-121 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Ca. ESPN’s Shams Charania said Thursday that Green was throwing up in the locker room before the game.

“Team sources told me Draymond Green was sick,” Charania said. “He was throwing up, puking all over the place in pregame on the sideline, in the back area in the locker room.”

Shams:

"Team sources told me Draymond Green was sick, he was throwing up, puking all over the place in pregame, sideline in the back area by the locker room" pic.twitter.com/t0rAIeViH6

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 16, 2026

Stephen Curry had also alluded to Green battling an illness during his postgame interview with Prime.

By the end of Wednesday’s game, there was no way of knowing Green was sick. He held Kawhi Leonard to just two shot attempts and two points in the fourth quarter, and was responsible for two key steals late to help seal the win for Golden State.

The Warriors have another game on Friday against the Phoenix Suns with a playoff bid on the line. Green has to hope that he will be feeling better by then, even though he didn’t look terribly affected on Wednesday.

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The Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants had an odd bench-clearing incident Thursday after the final out of the game had been recorded.

The Reds dropped the series finale to the Giants 3-0 Thursday at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Oh. Giants pitcher Erik Miller and Reds infielder Sal Stewart exchanged words after Stewart struck out, prompting both benches to clear. No punches were thrown, both both dugouts cleared even though the game was over.

Benches clear after the final out in Giants vs. Reds 😳 pic.twitter.com/aRsGHXGkme

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 16, 2026

Tensions between the Reds and Giants were high for the last two games of the series. Reds outfielder Spencer Steer had words for Giants pitcher JT Brubaker on Wednesday after being granted a late timeout. Speer was hit by a pitch in the second inning of Thursday’s game, and Giants infielder Willy Adames was hit in the eighth, leading to Reds pitcher Connor Phillips’ ejection.

The Giants have plenty of frustration to work off, which probably exacerbated tensions. They had lost four straight games heading into Thursday’s game, and life has been rocky under new manager Tony Vitello.

The Reds and Giants will square off again this season, though not until late August. It remains to be seen if these tensions might carry over until then.

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One of LeBron James’ former teammates is the first defendant in the NBA gambling scandal to plead guilty.

Former player and assistant coach Damon Jones plans to plead guilty to sports gambling charges, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Jones had initially pleaded not guilty to selling insider information to sports gamblers.

Jones has also been accused of participating in a rigged poker game. He has pleaded not guilty in that case, and apparently does not intend to change that plea.

Jones was accused of passing along insider information about James’ injury status while working as an unpaid assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers. The scheme involved Jones passing along information about James’ injury status before it went public, allowing his co-conspirators to bet against the Lakers with more favorable odds.

Former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is facing charges as part of the same indictment. Rozier has pleaded not guilty. Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has also been accused of taking part in rigged poker games, and he has also pleaded not guilty.

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Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo is firing back at LaMelo Ball over Ball’s controversial move in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Adebayo revealed Thursday that Ball has not apologized to him for the trip that knocked him out of Miami’s 127-126 overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. Ball had said after the game that he intended to reach out and apologize for the incident.

“It didn’t happen,” Adebayo said. “By that time I was in the shower trying to figure out what I was going to do next. Obviously, everything happened all at once. At some point I’ll see him again and we’ll have that conversation.”

Bam says LaMelo Ball has not apologized to him yet:

“It didn’t happen… I want It to be out there. At some point I’ll see him again and we’ll have that conversation” https://t.co/V7be6aZDTV pic.twitter.com/HpPqEtpQ9o

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) April 16, 2026

Adebayo did not seem too bothered by the lack of apology, and chalked it up to the two not crossing paths after Tuesday’s game. He also said he had no idea if Ball made a dirty play or had any intent in tripping him, even though the Hornets guard has done it twice now.

Ball was ultimately fined for the trip. He will still be available Friday when the Hornets face the Orlando Magic for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

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The New York Jets are thought to have narrowed their choices down to two players with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

The Jets are expected to pick either Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey or Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. Many expect them to ultimately settle on Bailey, as he is viewed as a more NFL-ready product.

Bailey excelled at Texas Tech and had a breakout season in 2025. He posted 14.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss and was a unanimous All-American.

The draft essentially begins at No. 2, since the Las Vegas Raiders are going to take quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall. The Jets’ pick is the first one that has any uncertainty involved, and things get even more murky with the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3.

The Jets pursuing help in the pass rush department is hardly a surprise. The team’s decision will be watched closely, especially since head coach Aaron Glenn might have slept through their workouts at the NFL Combine.

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The Los Angeles Lakers’ injury situation is serious enough that they might have to lean on Bronny James during their upcoming playoff series.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said Wednesday that James will likely be part of the team’s gameplan for their Western Conference quarterfinal series against the Houston Rockets. The coach emphasized that James has earned the trust of the team, and that the series will require “all hands on deck.”

“We’re gonna have to have all hands on deck for the series,” Redick told reporters. “I think Bronny’s improved a lot. I think we trust him. The shooting piece, I’m a believer in because of how well he shot it the last two years in the G League. He’s improved a ton defensively, in terms of his body positioning, both on- and off-ball. We want him to continue to evolve as a disruptive defender as well.”

“We're gonna have to have all hands on deck for the series. … He’s got to be ready … I think Bronny's improved a lot. I think we trust him. The shooting piece, I'm a believer in … He's improved a ton defensively, in terms of his body positioning” – JJ Redick on Bronny James pic.twitter.com/ilifp4seoI

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 15, 2026

The Lakers are likely to play the series without Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves, meaning some other players are going to have to pick up minutes. Bronny appears to be one player the team might look to. In the last ten games of the regular season, he averaged 15.3 minutes with 5.6 points per game. He has flashed some real scoring ability in the G League, though.

Some people are giving the Lakers no chance against Houston. Fair or not, the possibility that they might have to lean on Bronny would count as one reason why.

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At least two NBA stars will successfully circumvent the league’s 65-game awards rule this season after the NBA and NBPA ruled in their favor on a challenge Thursday.

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham will both be eligible for end-of-season awards, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. Under the 65-game rule, neither made the cut due to late-season injuries.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards also sought an exemption, but his was denied.

The @NBA and @TheNBPA issue a joint statement saying Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham have successfully challenged the league’s 65-game rule …. but say Anthony Edwards’ challenge was denied: pic.twitter.com/8hXkIzIh2m

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 16, 2026

Cunningham and Doncic were both touted as MVP candidates at various points during the season. It is unlikely that either of them will win the award even after becoming eligible, but this will allow them to feature on All-NBA teams. That might matter in future contract negotiations, as inclusion on such teams can make players eligible for supermax deals.

The big tiebreaker here is that both Doncic and Cunningham had circumstances beyond their control keep them from the 65-game mark, and both definitely would have made it if not for them. Doncic played in 64 eligible games, while Cunningham played in 63. Edwards only played in 60 and did not receive the benefit of the doubt.

The awards eligibility rule has drawn criticism this season because of what it did to players like Cunningham. Adam Silver has made it clear that the rule is not changing, though there is apparently room for limited exceptions.

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Mike Trout can’t stop flexing his power in the Bronx. 

The Los Angeles Angels superstar outfielder hit one out of the park again on Wednesday against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, N.Y. It was his third game in a row with a home run and fourth overall, so far in the ongoing series against the Yankees.

With one out and a man on base, Trout sent a four-seamer 383 feet into the air for a two-run home run that put the Halos in front, 4-3.

With that blast, the 34-year-old Trout became just the first visiting player since Miguel Cabrera in 2013 to homer in three consecutive days at Yankee Stadium, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.

Here’s a look at Trout’s sixth home run in the 2026 MLB season.

<p><blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>MIKE TROUT IS UNBELIEVABLE!<br><br>The <a href=”https://twitter.com/Angels?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Angels</a> lead! <a href=”https://t.co/ewpHMfbiDP”>pic.twitter.com/ewpHMfbiDP</a></p>&mdash; MLB (@MLB) <a href=”https://twitter.com/MLB/status/2044571864144527630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>April 16, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script></p>

Cabrera homered in each of the Detroit Tigers’ games in an August trip to the Bronx in August of 2013.

Trout, on the other hand, had two home runs in the opener of the Yankees series on Monday and had another on Tuesday. 

Unfortunately, Trout’s home run on Wednesday ultimately went for naught, as Los Angeles lost to the Yankees, 5-4.

The three-time American League Most Valuable Player Trout has a chance to make it four straight games with a home run on Thursday, as the Angels and the Yankees play the finale of their series.

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The San Diego Padres are the hottest team in the big leagues right now, having won seven straight games.

But they apparently are not as hot as the puffer vest giveaways that fans lined up for before San Diego’s game against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif.

So in-demand the free vests were that at least one fight nearly broke out amid the sea of people trying to score a Padres-themed sleeveless jacket.

Chase Izidoro of KUSI News shared a video showing how chaotic the situation was, including an elderly fan getting into a heated argument with another person that turned slightly physical. 

When the elderly man turned around, he got into another verbal altercation with an angry fan, while a woman tried to separate them.

Fights breaking out at Petco Park after lines wrapping around the block over the puffer vest giveaway #Padres pic.twitter.com/SeK9lfHbxn

— Chase Izidoro (@chaseizi) April 16, 2026

A logistical issue caused the massive buildup of people outside Petco Park, as the Padres ran out of sizes.

“The cause for the long lines appears to be the fact that the Padres ran out of sizes. People refused to leave the gate until they got their puffer vest, which created the log jam around the entire ballpark,” Izidoro reported.

Obviously, not everyone got a puffer vest, but the Padres still sent all of them happy after San Diego completed a thrilling come-from-behind win over the Mariners.

The Padres overcame a four-run deficit in the ninth inning to come away with a 7-6 victory and keep their winning streak alive.

The post Video: Padres fans nearly come to blows amid giveaway chaos appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Just when the dust was beginning to settle following Amazon Prime Video’s snafu during Tuesday’s NBA play-in game between the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets, the streaming service drew the ire of fans again during another play-in contest on Wednesday.

During a timeout in the second half of the game featuring the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa., Prime Video showed an AI-generated video to sum up the Magic’s 2025-26 campaign. It featured Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley as a magician welcoming Desmond Bane and sawing Franz Wagner in half.

You can watch the clip here.

Amazon Shows an AI-Generated Graphic Detailing the Orlando Magic's Season that Includes Jamahl Mosley Sawing Franz Wagner in Half

Via: https://t.co/mpsZxLZ3eG pic.twitter.com/JXNVU6fQJj

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 16, 2026

The video did its job, but fans clearly are not happy with Prime Video resorting to AI use to produce it.

AI segments on Amazon prime? Get outta my face

— OKC (@victor_okc) April 16, 2026

Amazon prime using AI… PLEASE SEND IN THE FLOOD

— 𝕙𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕦𝕤² 🥷🏿 (@nothoodg3nius) April 16, 2026

why is the nba on amazon prime using AI generated graphics on my screen

— Austttttin (@Austtttttttttin) April 16, 2026

Amazon prime using ai to show stats of the magic coach is disgusting

— Brock “Air-Raid” Towles (@brocktowles) April 16, 2026

WHY IS AI ON MY NBA BROADCAST AMAZON PRIME

— Pacers Playoffs🏆 (@PlayoffsPacers) April 16, 2026

Use of AI is a polarizing subject that will continue to be debated on, as it becomes more ubiquitous, including in sports broadcasting.

It’s also interesting to hear what Mosley, Wagner and Bane think of their representation in the video, though now is not exactly the perfect time to bother them with such a non-basketball question, considering they lost to Philadelphia, 109-97, and will prepare for a win-or-go-home matchup for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference against the Hornets on Friday at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla.

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A Golden State Warriors player caught a hilarious stray from Jimmy Butler following the Dubs’ incredible 126-121 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

As Butler was making his way to the Warriors’ locker room, he gave a shoutout to the players, who stepped up and delivered for the team against the Clippers, but also couldn’t keep himself from taking a harmless shot at reserve Will Richard.

“Dre, Steph, Gui, Big Al, wow. Will Richard didn’t do anything, but he was over there with me, cheering his heart out. Wow,” Butler said.

Jimmy Butler after the Warriors win:

“Between Dray, Steph, Gui, Big Al, wow. Will Richard didn’t do anything but he was over there with me cheering his heart out. Wow. Go Dubs!” 😂 pic.twitter.com/m5RVJv9XWa

— aly ✶ (@jinthirty) April 16, 2026

Richard was one of four active Warriors players who did not see action in the game. The others were Charles Bassey, Seth Curry, and Pat Spencer, who all cheered from the bench along with Butler, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in January.

Richard was not expected to see ample minutes in such a crucial game, even if head coach Steve Kerr called on him to play. Still, he gets some points for being a supportive teammate, as the Warriors mustered enough strength in the final quarter to overcome a big deficit and steal a win on the road to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Warriors need just one more win to qualify for the playoffs. They will face the Phoenix Suns on Friday at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and the right to face reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

The post Jimmy Butler takes an unexpected shot at Warriors player after play-in win appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Golden State Warriors still have a very long way to go if they are to win the NBA championship, but on Wednesday, Steve Kerr felt as though he was going home with the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

The Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, 126-121, in a play-in game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., to stay alive in their hunt for the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed in the NBA Playoffs.

Speaking to reporters in the postgame press conference, Kerr got candid about how he really felt after his team pulled off the remarkable win on the road.

“For one night, we’re us. We’re champions again. I know that may sound crazy to everybody out there. It’s a Play-In game. I don’t care,” Kerr said, via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Golden State’s takedown of the Clippers wouldn’t have been possible without the collective effort of multiple individuals.

Stephen Curry, who had just recently returned from a long absence due to an injury, powered the Warriors with a game-high 35 points on 12/23 shooting. Veteran big man Al Horford came out of nowhere and scored 14 points, while making big bucket from behind the arc in the fourth period.

Draymond Green only had 7 points, but without his lockdown defense on Kawhi Leonard in the fourth quarter, the Warriors probably wouldn’t have completed their comeback win.

Kerr has one more day to relish his team’s success in Inglewood before getting back to work on Friday, when they lock horns with the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The post Steve Kerr had a great quote after defeating the Clippers appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Kawhi Leonard is not moving on just yet from the heartbreaking loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. 

The seven-time All-Star Leonard has an interesting summer ahead, as he’s eligible to sign a two-year extension with the Los Angeles Clippers after the NBA Finals, but he’s not even thinking about it.

“Let me cry about this loss a little bit more,” Leonard responded when asked about his future with LA during the postgame press conference following the Clippers’ season-ending 126-121 loss to the Warriors at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

“We’ll have our discussions when that time comes,” added Leonard, who struggled to deliver for the Clippers when they needed him the most against the Warriors. Leonard finished the game with 21 points on 8/17 shooting, but he had a nightmarish fourth quarter, in which he went scoreless until the final 16 seconds. 

Warriors forward Draymond Green put up a defensive masterclass to take Leonard out of the equation of the Clippers’ offense in the last period, as Stephen Curry and Al Horford led Golden State’s comeback bid. 

The two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner still has a year left on his current contract with the Clippers, who can offer Leonard a maximum of $126.1 million through two seasons via extension. 

The Clippers will still have to decide as well whether they want to commit such a hefty contract to an aging and injury-prone superstar.

Either way, Leonard and the Clippers are off to an early vacation after failing to qualify for the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2022.

The post Kawhi Leonard had an emotional response when asked about his future appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

It is safe to say that the bridge between Chris Paul and the LA Clippers has been burnt to a crisp.

The Clippers’ season came to an end on Wednesday night with a 126-121 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference’s 9/10 play-in tournament game. Despite leading for much of the night and holding a 13-point advantage at one point, the Clippers collapsed late in the fourth quarter at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. and were eliminated from playoff contention as a result.

Just minutes after the Clippers got eliminated, the retired former Clippers star Paul had the pettiest post to social media. Paul took to his Instagram Story to post the popular meme image known as “RIP Bozo” (used to celebrate the downfall of someone else).

Chris Paul on Instagram after the Clippers lose to Golden State pic.twitter.com/EpMgljlQrt

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) April 16, 2026

The original caption of that meme image read, “I stopped by one of my biggest haters funeral today. Just to make sure that n—a was dead #RIPBozo #DieHatersDie.” Clearly, Paul was very happy to see the Clippers’ season end.

Paul starred for the Clippers from 2011-17 and then returned for a second stint with the franchise in 2025. But the reunion quickly went bad after Paul clashed with multiple Clippers coaches before finally being sent home by the team in the middle of a horrific 6-21 start to the season.

Eventually, the Clippers would sell off Paul at the trade deadline, and Paul never played in another NBA game before formally announcing his retirement in February. Paul would later accuse Clippers executive Lawrence Frank of being two-faced with him, and Paul’s wife Jada even went on to take a public shot at the Clippers of her own.

Interestingly enough, the Clippers righted the ship soon after sending Paul home and finished out the year at a very respectable 42-40 for their 15th consecutive winning season. But Paul is getting the last laugh on the Clippers now that their 2025-26 campaign has still come to an early end (though one can debate the merits of this kind of petty behavior by Paul at almost 41 years old).

The post Chris Paul had the pettiest social media post after Clippers got eliminated appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Candace Parker gave more fodder for Amazon Prime viewers to complain about during Wednesday’s play-in game.

The retired former WNBA Star Parker was doing color commentary for Amazon alongside Kevin Harlan for Wednesday’s Western Conference 9/10 play-in game between the LA Clippers and the Golden State Warriors. But Parker drew backlash for continuing to make one error during the action at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

While referring to Warriors forward Gui Santos, Parker kept mispronouncing Santos’ first name as “Guy.” It is actually pronounced as “Ghee,” leading to heavy criticism for Parker over social media.

Did Candace Parker just say GUY Santos????

Get her out my ear man

— (@30Betterrrrr) April 16, 2026

Candace Parker calling an NBA playoff game and cannot pronounce Gui Santos name…

— Ynosports (@ynosports) April 16, 2026

I’m not taking Candace Parker seriously. Guy Santos?!

— Casey Lima (@CaseInPoint24) April 16, 2026

candace parker aka female reggie miller… "guy santos"

— CÆ (@Caezypooh) April 16, 2026

Santos, 23, is not quite a household name. But he developed into an important player for the Warriors this season, drawing 30 starts over the course of the year and also getting the start against the Clippers during Wednesday’s play-in game.

As for Parker, 39, she has been calling NBA games for a variety of networks since 2018. But with Amazon Prime already having some prominent whiffs during their coverage of this year’s NBA play-in tournament, Parker did not do the network any favors either with her continued mispronunciations on Wednesday.

The post Candace Parker kept botching Warriors player’s name during play-in game appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

LaMelo Ball is not quite getting off scot-free after his takedown of Bam Adebayo on Tuesday night.

The NBA announced on Wednesday that they are fining the Charlotte Hornets star Ball a sum of $35,000 for his dirty trip of the Miami Heat counterpart Adebayo during Tuesday’s 9/10 Eastern Conference play-in tournament game. Additionally, Ball is retroactively being given a flagrant 2 foul for the incident.

On top of that, the NBA is also fining Ball a separate sum of $25,000. In their release, the league stated that Ball used profane language during a live television interview after the game.

The former All-Star Ball grabbed at Adebayo’s ankle during a sequence in the second quarter of Tuesday’s game at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. (see the video here). Adebayo landed hard on his tailbone as a result and ended up missing the remainder of the game as the Hornets squeaked out a narrow 127-126 win over the Heat in overtime.

No whistle was blown at the time however, and the officials later stated the imminent change of possession on the play meant that the sequence was not reviewable in real time for a possible flagrant. But after a postgame review, Ball is now being punished by the NBA with a fine and an upgrade to a flagrant 2 for the takedown of Adebayo.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game that Ball should have been ejected for the “stupid” play. While the retroactive punishment comes as too little, too late for Miami now that their season is over, it could still matter for Ball and the Hornets if they make a playoff run this season due to the accrual of flagrant foul points.

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VJ Edgecombe was not looking the part of a rookie during Wednesday’s play-in game.

Edgecombe and the Philadelphia 76ers battled Jalen Suggs and the Orlando Magic as part of the Eastern Conference’s 7/8 play-in game on Wednesday. In the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa., the 76ers guard Edgecombe got an opportunity in transition off a steal by teammate Paul George.

Edgecombe drove all the way to the basket and scored the layup over the contest by the Magic guard Suggs. After making the shot, Edgecombe got up into Suggs’ face to taunt him, knocking Suggs off-balance in the process. That then caused the two teams to exchange some hostilities heading into an Orlando timeout.

VJ Edgecombe gets the steal and goes right at Suggs after the transition bucket, causing a bit of ruckus amongst the two teams pic.twitter.com/4ZwdxWnOwY

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 16, 2026

Take a look at another angle of Edgecombe taunting Suggs.

Tony Brothers reaction to VJ Edgecombe getting on Jalen Suggs face pic.twitter.com/ZiEfCQXG9Q

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) April 16, 2026

Edgecombe would ultimately receive a technical foul for the taunt of Suggs. That led to one free throw being awarded to the Magic, which Suggs then made.

The 20-year-old Edgecombe enjoyed a standout rookie campaign for the 45-37 Sixers, averaging 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He proved to be fearless from the very start of his NBA career and continued to show out during Wednesday’s play-in game as well.

The post VJ Edgecombe taunts Jalen Suggs during play-in game appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Kawhi Leonard might be going from one beachfront state to another.

The Miami Heat could potentially pursue the LA Clippers star Leonard this offseason, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Wednesday. Siegel notes that the Heat are expected to turn their attention to Leonard if they are unsuccessful in trading for long-rumored target Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Leonard, 34, enjoyed a banner regular season with the Clippers. He averaged a career-high 27.9 points to go along with 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game en route to earning his sixth career NBA All-Star selection. Leonard also appeared in exactly 65 games for the Clippers, making him eligible for this year’s NBA awards.

As it currently stands, Leonard is under contract for just one more season at $50.3 million. However, there is the possibility that Leonard’s contract with the Clippers gets voided pursuant to the Aspiration scandal, which would immediately make him available to sign with any NBA team.

The Heat went 43-39 this season but just suffered a disappointing loss in this year’s NBA play-in tournament, eliminating them from playoff contention. Now it appears that they may be going star-hunting this summer.

Leonard has been linked to Miami in the past, and the Heat also have his former Clippers and Toronto Raptors teammate Norman Powell on the roster. Though age will be a primary concern for Leonard as he turns 35 in June, he may be the Plan B that Miami has in mind if they cannot land Antetokounmpo in a trade this offseason.

The post Kawhi Leonard is being linked to 1 notable new team appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Shohei Ohtani will only be a one-way player for Wednesday’s game.

The Los Angeles Dodgers revealed hours before their matchup with the New York Mets on Wednesday that Ohtani would be their starting pitcher that night … but nothing more. Ohtani will not be serving as the designated hitter for the game at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.

Instead, Dodgers teammate Dalton Rushing will step in as the team’s DH on Wednesday. Here is the team’s full lineup card for the game.

The Dodgers are using Shohei Ohtani strictly as the starting pitcher tonight and not as the DH pic.twitter.com/O8fwRtu8oo

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 15, 2026

Ohtani, 31, has long made a name for himself as a premier player with both the ball and the bat. This also marks the first time in Ohtani’s Dodgers career that he has opened a season completely healthy as a pitcher.

Through his first two starts on the mound this season, the four-time MVP Ohtani has gone 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, a 0.75 WHIP, and eight strikeouts through 12 total innings pitched. At the plate meanwhile, Ohtani is batting .254 with five home runs and 10 RBIs through 17 games.

Alden Gonzalez of ESPN reports that the decision by the Dodgers was influenced by the fact that Ohtani took a 94-mph pitch to his upper back (near his right shoulder) during Monday’s game against the Mets. Now Ohtani is slated to pitch in a game but not also hit for the first time in five years.

On top of that, the Dodgers have an off day on Thursday before facing the Colorado Rockies on the road on Friday to begin a four-game set. Thus (at least for Wednesday’s contest), Ohtani won’t have to worry about making the same funny mistake he had during a previous start on the mound.

The post Dodgers pull an unusual move with Shohei Ohtani for his start appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Skip Bayless is sparking controversy this week with his assertion about Joel Embiid.

The Philadelphia 76ers star center Embiid was inactive for Wednesday’s Eastern Conference 7/8 play-in game against the Orlando Magic. Embiid had a recent bout with appendicitis that continues to keep him sidelined.

Earlier in the day Wednesday though, Bayless made a bombshell claim about Embiid. Appearing on Gilbert Arenas’ “Gil’s Arena” show, Bayless said that Embiid was actually cleared to play in Wednesday’s game but chose not to.

“Embiid is actually cleared to play but chose not to play,” said Bayless. “[I was told] that it’s appendicitis but it’s fine and went well. These days they can just go in quickly and pretty simply. And he could play if he chose to. So, now that’s like turmoil, locker room kind of turmoil [in Philadelphia].”

Skip Bayless says he has a source in Philadelphia that said Joel Embiid is cleared to play, but chosen not to:

“That’s what I was told. That it’s appendicitis but it’s fine and went well these days they can just go quickly and pretty simply. And he could play if he chose to. So,… pic.twitter.com/tG9wWlJ8g8

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) April 15, 2026

Bayless’ claim is extremely far-fetched given the medical realities of appendicitis. Embiid underwent an emergency appendectomy less than a week ago and is thus still well within the general 1-to-3-week recovery timetable for such a procedure (especially when it comes to returning to high-level basketball).

On top of that, Embiid’s trainer Drew Hanlen proceeded to rip Bayless over the “100% false” claim about Embiid.

“To set the record straight, this is 100% false,” Hanlen posted on X. “Nothing worse than when media members make up s–t for clicks & views then hide behind unnamed ‘sources'” (profanity edited by LBS).

Embiid obviously does not have the best reputation when it comes to health and even had his former head coach recently drop a brutal comment about Embiid’s continued unavailability. But for Bayless to claim that Embiid was somehow cleared for full-speed game action just six days after an emergency appendectomy is dubious at best.

The post Skip Bayless makes a very controversial claim about Joel Embiid appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. is still riding with Shedeur Sanders.

Dan Orlovsky, another ESPN analyst, has established himself as a firm believer in Alabama’s Ty Simpson during the pre-draft process, and it has drawn comparisons to Kiper’s adamant belief in Sanders last year. Kiper weighed in on that Wednesday by saying Orlovsky is entitled to his opinion and should stick to it, even if the majority of the NFL disagrees.

“You don’t need to get backed up by somebody in the league that maybe agrees, or anybody in the media, or anybody that’s an analyst, because Dan Orlovsky had that opinion,” Kiper said. “I had that same feeling about Shedeur Sanders last year. I still believe strongly in Shedeur and what he can do in Cleveland.”

"I had the same feeling about Shedeur Sanders last year. I still believe strongly in Shedeur and what he can do in Cleveland. So hold to it. Don't let anybody talk you out of it" – Mel Kiper Jr. on Dan Orlovsky's affinity for Ty Simpson pic.twitter.com/RQhWp9zTFU

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 15, 2026

Kiper’s belief in Sanders became the stuff of legend last year. When the quarterback dropped to the fifth round of the draft, Kiper had an on-air meltdown. It was later suggested that Kiper probably should have done more homework to back up his belief, but he still has not moved off it.

Sanders has not exactly validated Kiper’s belief, though he hasn’t made the analyst look terrible, either. He threw for seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, though he did make the Pro Bowl. On the other hand, it does sound like he will have to re-earn his starting job.

The post Mel Kiper Jr. doubles down on his Shedeur Sanders stance appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

A former Alabama Crimson Tide player allegedly dressed up in wigs and wore makeup to impersonate multiple NFL players as part of a scheme to obtain fraudulent loans.

Luther Davis, who played for Alabama from 2007-2010, is expected to plead guilty in a $20 million fraud case, via Daniel Kaplan of The Guardian. Davis and an accomplice allegedly opened bank accounts linked to fake companies purportedly established by the NFL player they were impersonating. Davis then obtained fake IDs, financial statements, and other personal documents in the names of the players. Davis then appeared on virtual loan closings in disguise, often wearing wigs to impersonate the player.

While Davis obtained 13 loans, only three victims were identified. He allegedly obtained a $4.025 million loan in the name of Browns tight end David Njoku, a $4.35 million loan in the name of Packers defensive back Xavier McKinney, and a $3.3 million loan in the name of Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. None of the players are connected to the scheme and simply had their identities stolen.

Davis has been charged with aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Davis was part of Nick Saban’s first Alabama recruiting class and played in all 14 games of the team’s 2009 championship season. After his college career ended, he was accused of providing money and benefits to college football players on behalf of agents, a violation of NCAA rules.

The post Former Alabama player allegedly wore wigs to impersonate NFL players in fraud case appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

A’Ja Wilson has officially reset the market in the WNBA.

The four-time MVP signed a new three-year contract to return to the Las Vegas Aces, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. The supermax deal is worth $5 million, and is fully guaranteed.

By comparison, Wilson made $200,000 in 2025.

A'ja Wilson, the WNBA's first ever four-time MVP, is signing a three-year, $5 million supermax contract to return to the Las Vegas Aces, sources tell me and @Andraya_Carter. The deal, which is the largest in WNBA history to date and fully guaranteed, was negotiated by Jade-Li… pic.twitter.com/xSJhkHOvId

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 15, 2026

An average salary of roughly $1.6 million may not seem like much in the grand schemes of athlete salaries, but it is a huge step forward for WNBA players. It was only a few days ago that the Aces also handed out the first million-dollar contract in league history. The increase in salaries is thanks to the league’s new CBA, which significantly boosts player earnings.

Wilson has certainly earned it. The 29-year-old has won MVP honors in back-to-back seasons and was named Defensive Player of the Year in three of the last four years. She averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game last season en route to her third WNBA title of her career.

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Brian Kelly does not think he did a poor job at LSU despite his firing last season.

Kelly defended his tenure in a new interview with John Brice of USA Today. While he conceded he “didn’t win enough games,” he questioned whether that was a fair criticism.

“I guess you do have to start with what is winning enough games?” Kelly said. “We were 34-14, 22-3 at home when I was fired. We had two 10-win seasons, won an SEC (West Division) championship, had the No. 1 offense in college football, a Heisman Trophy winner. When you look at what is winning and what keeps you employed, other people make those decisions. But it starts with what is defined as winning, and unfortunately it wasn’t defined as enough winning leading into being fired.”

Kelly added that he does hope to coach again and still spends a few hours a day watching film in his home office.

While the numbers Kelly cites are correct, they are also a bit cherrypicked. The Tigers were only 19-10 in SEC play under Kelly and were off to a 2-3 start in 2025 prior to his firing. LSU never lost fewer than three games under Kelly and never even made the College Football Playoff, which had to be the minimum expectation.

Kelly’s exit from LSU was far from amicable, and he essentially accused the school of sabotaging him after his firing. It sounds like expectations for him, at least in his mind, were simply too high.

The post Brian Kelly strongly defends his LSU tenure appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Troy Aikman will apparently be at least somewhat involved in the Miami Dolphins’ NFL Draft process.

Aikman has been advising the Dolphins on football matters since the end of the season, raising questions about his potential involvement in the team’s NFL Draft process. On Wednesday, GM Jon-Eric Sullivan suggested Aikman will not be involved — sort of.

“He will not be consulted for picks. He may be in the draft room,” Sullivan said.

Will Troy Aikman have a role in the Dolphins draft?

GM Jon-Eric Sullivan:

"He will not be consulted for picks. He may be in the draft room. I can't say enough good things about Troy."

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) April 15, 2026

If Aikman will not be consulted on picks, why bother having him in the draft room? Perhaps the Dolphins would want his thoughts on potential trades, but the process is a little bit confusing.

Aikman has been open about his work with Miami despite his main role as an ESPN analyst. He has said the Dolphins likely did want to take advantage of his many connections around the league, but that he does not see his role as a conflict of interest.

Aikman had a hand in the hiring of both Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley.

The post Troy Aikman has bizarre NFL Draft involvement with Dolphins appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Houston Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai is on the injured list after just three starts, and the Japanese right-hander thinks moving to America has something to do with it.

Imai recorded just one out in his last start on Friday and was placed on the injured list with right arm fatigue. Through his interpreter, Shio Enomoto, Imai blamed trouble acclimating to his new lifestyle as a key reason for the injury.

“He’s not able to adjust to the American lifestyle,” Enomoto said, via Chandler Rome of The Athletic. “Baseball and outside of baseball. That’s probably the reason (for his arm fatigue).

“For example, the travel is different from Japan. The timing when the players eat. In Japan, when they get back to the hotel, they eat their dinner. Here, the players eat at the stadium. He thought it would be the same as in Japan, for example, eating dinner at the hotel. He thinks, even though he’s on the IL right now, he thinks it’s a positive thing to try and adjust and try to become better.”

Any pitcher moving to Major League Baseball from Japan has to deal with an adjustment process, but Imai’s appears rockier than most. He had not pitched all that great even before his arm trouble popped up, posting a 7.27 ERA over his first three starts.

The Astros signed Imai to a $54 million deal in the offseason, but there were apparently some doubts around the league about whether he would thrive at the MLB level. Those who weren’t sure about him are probably feeling quite vindicated now.

The post Astros pitcher blames ‘American lifestyle’ for his arm injury appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is drawing first-round interest in the NFL Draft, and one intriguing team is bringing him in for a pre-draft visit.

Simpson is visiting the Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday, according to Field Yates of ESPN. Wednesday marks the final day that prospects are allowed to take visits.

On the final day that prospects are allowed to make pre-draft 30 visits, Alabama QB Ty Simpson is visiting the Arizona Cardinals today. pic.twitter.com/ipwn1Rt5BJ

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 15, 2026

The Cardinals need a long-term quarterback, so it is not a huge shock that they would want a look at Simpson. The real intrigue is where the Cardinals might seek to draft him. They hold the No. 3 overall pick, which would appear to be far too high for the team to take Simpson. That could signify that the Cardinals are interested in trading back for more picks.

Just how far back the Cardinals could go is another question. Simpson appears to be entrenching himself as a first-round pick, but it’s less clear how early he might be selected.

Simpson has seemingly trended up throughout the NFL Draft process. The former Alabama quarterback threw for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions for the Crimson Tide last season.

The post Ty Simpson takes pre-draft visit to intriguing team appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Charlotte Hornets survived for another day with their dramatic win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, but they may have to play without LaMelo Ball as they try to get into the playoffs.

The NBA is investigating Ball’s alleged trip of Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo during Tuesday’s 127-126 overtime win at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., according to Chris Haynes of Prime. The league is expected to make a decision on what punishment Ball might face before Friday’s game.

Sources: NBA to review Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball for taking out ankle of Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo in 2nd Q, resulting in hard spill and back injury that cost him rest of crucial do-or-die play-in contest. Ruling expected before Hornets’ final play-in bout on Friday. pic.twitter.com/o6z9FwFziA

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 15, 2026

Ball appeared to pull Adebayo down by the leg during the game, but was not called for a foul. Adebayo left the game due to a lower back injury and did not return. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was livid that Ball was not punished for the incident.

The fact that this does not appear to be the first time Ball has done something like this might work against him as the league investigates.

Ball contributed 30 points and 10 assists, including the game-winning layup, during Tuesday’s win. The Hornets probably would not have won without him, and may have lost had Adebayo been able to finish the game as well.

The post LaMelo Ball could be disciplined for tripping Bam Adebayo appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Orlando Magic’s locker room doesn’t seem to be the happiest place on earth.

The Magic have gone through a lot in the 2025-26 NBA season, and while they survived the regular season and made it to the NBA Play-In Tournament, the relationship between head coach Jamahl Mosley and a key player appears to be beyond repair.

According to Raheem Palmer of The Ringer, “the Magic are dealing with major turmoil in their locker room,” with a star player on the verge of forcing a trade out of Orlando if Mosley gets retained.

Palmer did not name the player, but a rift between Mosley and Paolo Banchero has been an underlying narrative throughout the season.

Although Orlando won 45 games, the Magic were supposed to be better than a team fighting for a ticket to the playoffs proper, considering the talent on their roster. 

A feuding player and a head coach aren’t out of the ordinary in the NBA, but between a star player and a coach, it’s the latter who’s always going to be the more expendable.

Still, Mosley can cool his seat with the Magic with a deep run in the playoffs. That is going to be much easier said than done, however. Should they make it past the play-in, they will either face the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference Detroit Pistons, or the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in the first round.

The post Magic player close to reaching boiling point amid locker room turmoil appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Edwin Diaz has yet to pitch against his former team during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ ongoing series versus the New York Mets. 

Diaz was nowhere to be found on the mound on Tuesday, when the Dodgers took care of business and defeated New York, 2-1, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.

Instead, it was Alex Vesia who assumed the closer duties for the reigning World Series champions, striking out the side in the ninth inning to preserve Los Angeles’ victory and secure his second save in the 2026 MLB season.

Diaz watched Vesia close it out for the Dodgers, as he was held back by the team.

Amid injury concerns, Diaz threw a bullpen session Tuesday afternoon, effectively taking him out of the Dodgers’ plan for the Mets game, according to Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

The 32-year-old Diaz has not pitched since Friday’s game against the Texas Rangers, after which he said that he “didn’t feel right,” prompting concerns about his health, according to Ardaya. Roberts, however, allayed fears by saying that it’s “something that’s behind us.”

Diaz can further quell questions about his status by showing up on the mound for a possible save opportunity in the series finale against the Mets on Wednesday.

The post Details emerge on Edwin Diaz’s absence against the Mets appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The San Diego Padres’ decision to move Fernando Tatis Jr. to second base was so surprising that it sparked a wild idea from former MLB star Harold Reynolds.

On Tuesday, former two-time All-Star Harold Reynolds praised Tatis for being such a versatile and talented weapon for the Padres. Reynolds even went as far as to call Tatis the most talented player today not named Shohei Ohtani.

Tatis’ adventure at second base began during last Saturday’s game against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif., a move initially believed to be aimed at getting Nick Castellanos’ bat into the lineup. 

Reynolds, however, believes it goes much deeper than that.

“I think this is a showcase because of the Padres’ payroll,”  Reynolds said Tuesday on the MLB Network.

“I know they’re up there battling the Dodgers every year. We say it over and over and over. I’m sorry. They’ve got to do something. They can’t carry this payroll. The Dodgers can’t. They can’t carry this. Somebody’s got to go. So who of those guys do I want? I want Fernando Tatis Jr.”

The Padres have one of the heftiest payrolls in the big leagues, with a ton of money committed to Tatis, who signed a monster 14-year, $340 million contract extension with San Diego in 2021.

That contract will carry him through the 2034 season, when he will also be 35. The Padres can move around Tatis anywhere on the field, but they are unlikely to send the three-time All-Star elsewhere.

Tatis also doesn’t need to play second base for general managers to add him to their trade deadline wish list, but if San Diego made the move to spark Tatis’ bat, the team seemingly succeeded in that mission.

He went 5-for-9 with a double and an RBI in two games playing second base before returning to his usual role in the field in San Diego’s 4-1 win over the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park.

The post Former All-Star suggests a hidden Padres agenda with Fernando Tatis Jr. appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The New York Mets are in a rut, but owner Steve Cohen is far from losing confidence in his team.

The Mets have been in a miserable state since last week, and their struggles continued on Tuesday, when they absorbed a 2-1 loss to the reigning World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.

That marked New York’s seventh straight loss and put them on the verge of losing a second consecutive series via a sweep.

Following the Mets’ debacle in LA, Cohen showed optimism for the team, choosing to see the positives rather than dwell on New York’s malaise.

“Nobody likes to lose but I saw some ‘green shoots tonight’. On offense, [Francisco] Lindor had two hits including a home run. [Bo] Bichette got a double hitting it to left field as opposed to recently being right field prone. [Carson] Benge got a solid hit,” Cohen posted on X.

Cohen even provided an update on Juan Soto, who suffered a calf injury April 3 against the San Francisco Giants.

“Soto started his running progression today. Semien hit a shot that might have been a home run on a warmer night. Finally, Nolan McLean pitched an outstanding game going 7 innings. Hang in there fans, we will turn this around!” 

Cohen’s upbeat outlook on the Mets will be put to the test if the Mets drop another one on Wednesday, when they play in the finale of the Dodgers series.

New York will enter that contest with a 7-11 record, the worst thus far in the National League East standings.

The post Steve Cohen delivers a strong message after the Mets’ seventh straight loss appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Charlotte Hornets punched their ticket to the next phase of the 2026 NBA Play-in Tournament.  Meanwhile, LaMelo Ball literally landed punches after the Hornets’ thrilling 127-126 win over the Miami Heat at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., on Tuesday.

Amid the pandemonium on the court following Charlotte’s incredible win, Ball dapped up Hugo, the Hornets mascot.

However, Ball followed that up with punches to Hugo’s face and neck, causing the mascot to lose its balance before walking away, perhaps wondering what exactly he did to get two-pieced by the Hornets star.

Here’s the video of that moment, via Cam Gaskins of WBTV News.

Nah y'all please look at LaMelo Ball and Hugo after the win 😂 pic.twitter.com/U1vtKCsWu8

— Cam Gaskins (@CamGaskinsTV) April 15, 2026

Still, the biggest blow Ball landed on the night was his game-winning layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime. 

The Heat got the ball back after his bucket, but Miles Bridges swatted away Davion Mitchell’s layup attempt to preserve Charlotte’s lead and secure the win for the Hornets, who are just a win away from making the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2016.

Ball finished the game with 30 points on 12/21 shooting, 10 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block in 40 minutes. Bridges added 28 points, while Brandon Miller and Coby White had 23 and 19 points, respectively.

The Hornets will next face the winner of Wednesday’s battle between the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic.

The post Video: LaMelo Ball had an unhinged moment after the Hornets’ play-in win appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

All eyes were on Alex Ovechkin on Tuesday, as the Washington Capitals played their final game of the 2025-26 NHL season against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

More than that, it might be the last time ever that Ovechkin has skated in an NHL game.

The league’s all-time leader in goals scored has yet to announce his decision on his future. 

He has previously said he will make up his mind in the offseason. It is also possible he has already made a call, but does not want to reveal it yet, so as not to take away from the excitement of the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Following the Caps’ 2-1 win over Columbus, ESPN shared a video of the three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner celebrating with his teammates and before skating off the ice for perhaps the last time in his NHL career.

Alex Ovechkin skates off the ice for potentially the last time 👏 pic.twitter.com/NmE026yzyp

— ESPN (@espn) April 15, 2026

Several fans, however, don’t believe that it’s over for Ovi.

We all know he’s coming back 😂

— SoothsayerDimelayer (@SDimelayer) April 15, 2026

He'll be back pic.twitter.com/cFr3faz223

— Steven Ratnik (@StevenJosephR) April 15, 2026

He's not retiring trust me

— Ovié 👽❤🖤🤍🌪 @ ?????? (@OvieKovy) April 15, 2026

Nah, he's got some Jagr in him.
I give him atleast 1 more season.

— Lynn Lake Chiefs (@ChiefsLake) April 15, 2026

I think he’ll come back for 1 more

— haugerr (@haugerr_) April 15, 2026

The 40-year-old Ovechkin does not have a contract beyond the 2025-26 season. It would be extremely surprising if he signs with a franchise other than the Capitals to continue his career.

If he is to run it back in the NHL for at least one more season, it should be in Washington, the franchise where he built his hockey legacy.

If he decides to hang up his skates for good, he will finish his NHL career with 929 goals and 758 assists.

The post Fans agree on 1 thing about Alex Ovechkin after his possible final NHL game appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

LaMelo Ball is apparently a repeat offender when it comes to tripping Bam Adebayo.

The Charlotte Hornets guard made negative headlines Tuesday for injuring the Miami Heat center during their play-in tournament game at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Adebayo was falling toward the baseline when Ball swiped at his legs, resulting in Bam crashing hard on his lower back (video here).

Adebayo suffered a back injury that kept him out for the rest of the game, which the Heat lost in overtime 127-126.

After the game, footage of Ball doing something similar to Adebayo resurfaced on social media. Ball visibly grabbed at Bam’s leg as the big man was running back down the court.

This is the SECOND time this season Lamelo tripped Bam 🤔 pic.twitter.com/xvfgDN4V5s

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 15, 2026

What made Tuesday’s instance much worse was that Adebayo was already off balance when Ball swept his legs, resulting in a hard fall on a prone area.

Contrary to the post’s caption, the past incident did not happen earlier this season. Given Miami’s players were wearing their old City Edition “Culture” uniforms, the game in question happened during the 2023-24 campaign. But it doesn’t make it any less damning that Ball has a tendency to dangerously trip opponents.

“I apologize on that one,” Ball said during his postgame press conference. “I got hit in the head, didn’t really know where I was, but I’mma check on him and see if he’s okay and everything.”

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said Ball deserved to be ejected for the dirty move. Ball instead stayed on the floor up until he made the game-winning floater to beat the Heat sand Adebayo in OT.

The post Video resurfaces of LaMelo Ball tripping Bam Adebayo in past game appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Prime Video would probably take a redo of Tuesday’s NBA play-in tournament broadcast between the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat.

The Heat and Hornets kicked off the postseason with an absolute thriller that had fans on the edge of their seats inside Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Unfortunately for fans watching from home, the Prime broadcast conked out during a key stretch in overtime.

The Hornets led the Heat 123-120 with 48 seconds remaining in the extra period. The broadcast suddenly went black just as the Hornets were set to inbound coming off a Charlotte timeout. Instead of seeing which ATO play Hornets head coach Charles had drawn up, fans had to stare at a “Technical Difficulties” screen for nearly two minutes.

Prime Video's broadcast cut out during OT of the Heat-Hornets play-in game 😬pic.twitter.com/wbw5OpqLpj

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 15, 2026

When play resumed, the Hornets were already leading 125-120 after a Ball layup extended Charlotte’s lead.

Fans everywhere, including LeBron James, were upset about the gap in footage.

Tell me the game didn’t just cut off?!!? Am I trippin?? WTH 🤦🏾‍♂️

— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 15, 2026

The Prime Video broadcast was at least stable as Ball sank the game-winning floater to keep the Hornets’ playoff hopes alive. North Carolinian sports fans would have probably revolted against Amazon had they messed up during the final sequence.

LAMELO BALL IN THE CLUTCH TO WIN IT FOR CHARLOTTE 🔥🔥🔥

THE HORNETS END MIAMI'S SEASON IN A THRILLER! pic.twitter.com/cKmDqnVIML

— ESPN (@espn) April 15, 2026

Prime Video’s maiden season as an NBA broadcaster has been met with mostly rave reviews. But just like Kon Knueppel during Tuesday’s game, the lights proved to be too bright for the newest NBA partner during its first taste of postseason action.

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Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra did not mince words Tuesday when speaking about LaMelo Ball’s dirty play on Bam Adebayo.

The Charlotte Hornets star swiped at Adebayo’s legs as the All-Star center was off balance along the baseline during their play-in tournament matchup at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. Adebayo fell and injured his lower back, sidelining him for the rest of the contest.

Without Adebayo, the Heat lost an overtime thriller 127-126 to end their season. When asked about the incident after the game, Spoelstra called for the league to punish Ball.

“I don’t think it’s cute. I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play,” Spoelstra told reporters during his postgame press conference.

“He should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys. Somebody has got to see that. He should have been thrown out of the game for that.”

Ball went on to score the go-ahead floater in the dying seconds of overtime to give Charlotte the win. LaMelo recorded 30 points and 11 assists on 12/31 shooting in the victory.

Adebayo played just 11 minutes in the do-or-die affair, tallying 6 points and 3 rebounds. With the contest being as hotly contested as it was, Miami having its All-NBA big man on the floor could have easily changed the final result.

Instead, the Heat are off to Cancun while the Hornets buzz their way to at least one more game in the NBA play-in tournament.

The post Erik Spoelstra wants LaMelo Ball punished for ‘stupid’ play that injured Bam Adebayo appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Buffalo Bills are not selling their Keon Coleman stock just yet.

Coleman has largely underperformed since the Bills drafted him 33rd overall in 2024. Buffalo was expecting Coleman to blossom into a first-option wide receiver last season, but his production took a step back in Year 2.

Bills GM Brandon Beane still believes Coleman can turn things around in Buffalo. Beane, who has continued to back Coleman over the last few months, spoke at length about the wideout in a conversation with The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia.

Beane “quadrupled down” on his stance that the wideout is just a mental shift away from putting it all together.

“Listen, (Coleman) has to go do it, but I think we feel confident that the maturity level is heading where it needs to,” Beane said. “Again, he’s got to go do it. We believe in the skill set, and that’s part of what your culture is. We all grow at different times; none of us were a made product at 21, 22. Do you wish you had to go through that with him? No, you don’t.

“But you hope for us, and for him, he looks back and says, ‘That was the best thing that happened to me.’ That’s what you hope. And we’re putting all our eggs in his basket to come back for year three and be a part of this group, however that is.”

Coleman had the kind of Week 1 performance that the Bills’ brass was hoping for last season. He caught 8 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in Buffalo’s 41-40 win over the Baltimore Ravens. But it proved to be more of a tease than anything, as Coleman never tallied more than 4 catches or 49 yards in a game for the rest of the year.

Coleman’s lackluster seasons with the Bills even prompted team owner Terry Pegula to throw him under the bus, claiming Coleman wasn’t the player he wanted to draft.

The post Bills GM Brandon Beane has message for Keon Coleman appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Jarren Duran had yet another incident with an opposing fan during Tuesday’s game.

The Boston Red Sox outfielder Duran was caught on camera flipping off a fan on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins. Duran was up to bat in the fifth inning at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn.

With Boston already trailing 5-0, Duran rolled over on a 2-2 offering from Minnesota’s Mick Abel for a leadoff groundout. After running out the grounder, Duran jogged his way back to the Red Sox dugout and was seen flashing the middle finger to a nearby Twins fan who was apparently heckling him.

Here is the video.

Jarren Duran flips off a fan in Minnesota pic.twitter.com/bLjRZYrjlV

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 15, 2026

The Red Sox are having a miserable start to the 2026 season and entered play on Tuesday tied for the worst record in baseball at 6-10. Duran himself has also had a rough start to the year, batting .196 with 15 strikeouts through his first 13 games.

On top of that, the former All-Star Duran has quite the history of troublemaking when it comes to opposing fans. Last season, Duran had a heated confrontation with a fan in Cleveland before getting vulgar with another fan during a game in Boston. But Duran’s most infamous moment came back in 2024 when he was caught on a hot mic using a homophobic slur against a heckler.

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Several fans believe Kon Knueppel lost the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year race because of a key decision from Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee during Tuesday’s play-in game against the Miami Heat.

Knueppel came into the contest as the most prolific three-point shooter in the entire NBA this season. But his shot just wasn’t falling in the do-or-die contest at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

The Duke alum had just six points on 2/12 shooting midway through the fourth quarter when Lee decided to pull the plug. Knueppel was benched for the final 7:49 of regulation and all five minutes of overtime, where the Hornets escaped with a 127-126 victory.

Fans were vocal on social media about Knueppel’s benching, arguing that it was clear evidence that Cooper Flagg was the more deserving Rookie of the Year. Many claimed Flagg would never be benched by his Dallas Mavericks in a similar situation.

cooper flagg definitely wouldn’t be on the bench in this situation 🫢

— gpaul (@gpdejesuss) April 15, 2026

Cooper Flagg won rookie of the year tonight and his season’s been over for 47 hours already https://t.co/2d0pvgh5oF

— Bruno Starzz Drive (@getsit) April 15, 2026

This is not a knock on Kon whatsoever because he has been way better than I thought he would be, but do you think Cooper Flagg would be stuck on the bench in the 4Q and OT of an elimination game?

— Ben W. (@BigBenTCU) April 15, 2026

The “favorite” to win ROTY got benched in the 4th and OT…Cooper Flagg would never

— Zach (@zachjuarez_16) April 15, 2026

Even Mavericks reporter Brad Townsend couldn’t help but comment something similar.

We’ll never know because the Mavs were nowhere close to a play-in, but I can’t imagine Cooper Flagg spending OT on the bench.

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) April 15, 2026

While it’s likely true that the Mavericks would never have sat Flagg in a similar situation, it’s partly because Charlotte simply has more talent than Dallas. The Hornets won 18 more games than the Mavs during the regular season, partly because of the depth that enables them to thrive even when one of their key players — Knueppel included — is struggling.

On the other hand, Flagg is also much more of an offensive hub than Knueppel, who’s primarily an off-ball shooter reliant on the playmakers around him. The Mavericks are going to be running the offense through Flagg for years to come, while Knueppel will probably remain a third option behind LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.

NBA awards voters have yet to cast their ballots because of Luka Doncic’s ongoing appeal regarding his eligibility. Voters on the fence about Flagg or Knueppel were likely watching Tuesday’s game.

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Deni Avdija is issuing a response to the most popular criticism against him.

The Portland Trail Blazers star Avdija appeared this week on “The Young Man and the Three.” During the episode, Avdija responded to the accusation that he is supposedly a “foul-baiter.”

“I don’t think I’m a gross foul-baiter,” said Avdija. “I don’t do [that]. The pump fake, get into the body, and throw the ball up. That’s not nice. But I feel like I drive so much.”

Here is the full clip of Avdija’s remarks.

"I don't think I'm a gross foul baiter" -Deni Avdija talks drawing fouls with Donovan Clingan and Toumani Camara

NEW PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS YM3 LIVE EVERYWHERE pic.twitter.com/HdYrgowrIY

— TheOldManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) April 14, 2026

Avdija, 25, is in the midst of a career season with the Blazers. He was an All-Star this year and averaged career highs across the board with 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game to lead Portland to a 42-40 record (their best finish since 2020-21).

But Avdija is also a popular target for criticism with his 9.2 free throw attempts per game (second in the NBA this season behind only Luka Doncic). Detractors feel that Avdija does too much to embellish and exaggerate contact, putting the Israeli forward in a similar category as this fellow accused NBA foul-baiter.

The post Deni Avdija responds to the ‘foul-baiting’ accusations appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Bronny James’ recent attempt for a trademark ended up as an airball.

The Los Angeles Lakers guard James had a trademark filing through Nike get rejected by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Michael Rothstein of ESPN reported on Tuesday. James was trying to get his “B9” logo for Nike trademarked, but the USPTO ruled that there was a “likelihood of confusion” with a trademark already granted to Back9 Golf Apparel, a company based in Austin, Texas.

Both James and Back9 filed their trademarks for clothing and apparel usages (with Back9 officially registering their trademark back in 2022). Meanwhile, here is a photo of James’ “B9” logo that Nike posted earlier this week.

LeBron IX Witness PER for Bronny inspired by his recovery and journey back to the court. pic.twitter.com/NyR1VzgwKA

— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) April 12, 2026

“The marks are similar in appearance, sound and commercial impression,” examining attorney P. Scott Craven reportedly wrote in his refusal letter to Nike. “In addition, the marks are essentially phonetic equivalents and, thus, sound similar.” You can read Rothstein’s full report on the situation here.

The 21-year-old James, who is the son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, has been with Nike since 2022 (first signing with them on an NIL deal before he began college at USC). Bronny ended up at the same company as his father LeBron, who has a longstanding multi-decade relationship with Nike.

But Bronny, who is averaging just 2.9 points and 1.2 assists per game this season for the Lakers, was recently roasted online over the looks of his Nike sneaker. Now Bronny is also getting stiff-armed in his attempt to trademark a personal logo through Nike.

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Several fans felt like a key ingredient was missing from Tuesday’s Charlotte Hornets-Miami Heat postseason clash.

The Hornets hosted the Heat to kick off this year’s NBA play-in tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C. The visitors began to pick up some momentum late in the third quarter, taking a 79-74 lead in what had mostly been a single-possession affair.

That’s when Coby White took over. The Hornets guard scored his team’s final 11 points in the quarter, including a trio of three-pointers, to take an 89-83 lead into the final period.

14 PTS in the 3rd quarter for COBYYYY@CobyWhite | @Lowes pic.twitter.com/lqADEKW7aC

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) April 15, 2026

White scored 14 points in the third quarter to pace the Hornets in the do-or-die contest.

Many fans couldn’t help but yearn for Hornets local announcer Eric Collins, who would have been going bonkers during White’s torrid stretch.

Would have paid any amount of money to hear Eric Collins call those four Coby White minutes.

— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) April 15, 2026

Imagine hearing that Coby White explosion from Eric Collins. Hum diddly dee!! We got robbed. https://t.co/T7WGZ2BuZl

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 15, 2026

missing my boy eric collins man that man would’ve died seeing coby white hit three straight treys

— Velo (@s4p3r10r) April 15, 2026

Someone cut to a live feed of Eric Collins. Please. Let him crash the booth.

— Meelz 💪🏾 (@MeelzTV) April 15, 2026

Prime broadcaster Ian Eagle did a fine job on the call for White’s offensive eruption. But Collins, known for making some of the most unhinged calls among NBA regional broadcasts, would have been the only one who could’ve done the moment justice.

Local announcing teams used to cover the playoffs through the first round, until the NBA changed that policy this season. The decision hasn’t sat well with some prominent media personalities. Fans don’t seem to be on board with it as well.

The post Everyone said the same thing during Hornets-Heat play-in game appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Craig Alberanz is facing a challenging recovery after Monday night’s mishap with a foul ball.

The Baltimore Orioles manager Albernaz spoke with reporters on Tuesday and revealed that he suffered a number of brutal-sounding injuries after being struck by a foul ball the night before. Albernaz said that he sustained a broken jaw and at least seven cheek fractures thanks to the errant foul, per Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner.

Fortunately though, Albernaz added that he did not need to have his jaw wired shut. However, Albernaz will have to eat “baby food” and avoid strenuous activities for the next six weeks.

Albernaz, 43, is in his first season as the manager of the Orioles. He was injured in the fifth inning of Monday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md.

Baltimore second baseman Jeremiah Jackson hit a foul ball into the Orioles dugout that caught Albernaz in the face (see the video here). But the good news is that Albernaz was able to return to the dugout by the very next inning (with Baltimore eventually going on to win by a final score of 9-7).

Albernaz plans to continue managing the Orioles during his recovery and was present on the top step of the dugout for Tuesday’s game against the Dbacks. However, he will still be facing a tough next six weeks with the numerous injuries that he suffered.

The post Orioles manager Craig Albernaz suffered brutal injuries from foul ball to face appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Gary Cohen got a little bit tripped up during Tuesday’s game.

The longtime New York Mets TV announcer Cohen was on the call Monday for the Mets-Los Angeles Dodgers game at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the broadcast cut to Dodgers infielder Hyeseong Kim sitting in the dugout.

Unfortunately though, Cohen got Kim (who is of Korean descent) mixed up with teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto (who is of Japanese descent). “Yamamoto looking on,” said Cohen over the shot of Kim.

Take a look at the video.

"Yamamoto looking on"

…well no pic.twitter.com/Oh2WZy2ab2

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 14, 2026

In fairness to Cohen, 67, the Mets broadcast might have set him up there. At the time, the SportsNet New York broadcast had just aired a graphic of Yamamoto, who was slated to take the mound during Tuesday’s game versus the Mets.

The Dodgers would go on to win over the Mets on Monday by a final score of 4-0. Though these kinds of misses are more the exception than the rule for the Mets Hall of Famer Cohen, that was reminiscent of the time that TBS accidentally misidentified another pair of Asian players.

The post Mets announcer Gary Cohen made a bad Yoshinobu Yamamoto mistake appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

LaMelo Ball sparked backlash during Tuesday’s play-in tournament game with a dirty move that he pulled.

Ball and the Charlotte Hornets hosted the Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat for the Eastern Conference’s 9/10 play-in game. In the second quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., Ball was driving to the basket when he had his shot blocked by Miami’s Simone Fontecchio.

Adebayo was also in the area to contest the shot, and Ball appeared to pull Adebayo down as he himself was hitting the floor. As a result, Adebayo landed hard on his tailbone and had to leave the game.

Here is the video.

Bam Adebayo headed to the locker room after landing on his tailbone

Looks like LaMelo Ball pulled him to the ground pic.twitter.com/UP8nAo4mT5

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) April 15, 2026

While Ball was already toppling to the ground at the time, it appeared that he made a separate motion of grabbing at Adebayo’s ankle with his left hand, causing Adebayo to take the spill. No whistle was blown on the play though, meaning that the entire sequence was not reviewable for a possible flagrant foul.

Adebayo was diagnosed with a lower back injury by Miami and deemed questionable to return to Tuesday’s game. Meanwhile, Ball is not quite known as a dirty player but has not done his reputation any favors with some of his behavior off the court in recent months.

The post LaMelo Ball pulls a dirty move on Bam Adebayo during play-in game appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Michigan Wolverines are kicking off a new chapter with Kyle Whittingham as the head football coach.

Although Bryce Underwood is still in Ann Arbor as the QB1, Whittingham is working on adding QBs for the future. On Tuesday, he did just that, with four-star QB Kamden Lopati committing to Michigan, making this the first major commitment since Whittingham came to town.

Michigan now has received its first notable QB commitment of the Kyle Whittingham era, as four-star Kamden Lopati has pledged to the Wolverines for the 2027 season. The 6-3, 220-pound prospect is rated among the top 10 quarterbacks in this recruiting cycle. pic.twitter.com/ph5PpeUcus

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 14, 2026

Whittingham stepped down after 21 seasons as the head coach at Utah, and he was hired by Michigan after Sherrone Moore was fired for cause due to an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.

After Moore was fired, questions remained about Underwood’s future, but he decided to stay in Ann Arbor as the QB1 for the Wolverines.

Lopati decommitted from Washington in May 2025, then committed to Illinois in July. Now, he has flipped from Illinois to Michigan, and he could be in for the potential starting job once Underwood leaves town.

Loptati also had offers from big-name programs such as Notre Dame and Georgia, but he has decided to head to Michigan in a massive get for Whittingham.

Lopati also plays at West High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, and he was offered by Utah when Whittingham was the head coach there.

The post Kyle Whittingham lands first major commitment since becoming Michigan coach appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons have their starting quarterbacks on the roster, but they are still exploring the group ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Bryce Young is the QB1 in Carolina, and either Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa will start in Atlanta. However, both NFC South teams hosted Minnesota-Moorhead QB Jack Strand on a pre-draft visit, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Minnesota-Moorhead is in Division II and plays in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, but Strand has some impressive stats: 13,155 yards and 126 TDs in 42 games.

Former Minnesota-Moorhead QB Jack Strand had pre-draft visits with the Panthers and Falcons, per sources.

A big guy (6-3⅞, 243 pounds) with a big arm, Strand holds every major school passing record, throwing for 13,155 yards and 126 TDs in 42 games. pic.twitter.com/078by5nk8L

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 14, 2026

Despite playing in Division II, Strand’s numbers and tape alone are worth a team taking a chance on him. The Green Bay Packers also met with Strand at The American Bowl, so he is drawing attention despite playing in a lower level.

Strand is viewed as a potential Round 6 or Round 7 pick, although most major mock drafts don’t have Strand being selected at all.

The Panthers traded backup QB Andy Dalton to the Philadelphia Eagles, but Carolina did bring in Kenny Pickett.

The Falcons signed Tagovailoa to compete for the job with Penix, so the QB1 and QB2 jobs are set for both teams.

Still, Strand would be viewed as a developmental project, but the teams hosting him on pre-draft visits suggest that there is a real possibility the Division II product gets selected in the NFL Draft.

The post Panthers, Falcons showing interest in 126-TD QB ahead of NFL Draft appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Tommy Castellanos played quarterback at each of UCF, Boston College and Florida State, and he is now hoping to make an NFL roster.

Castellanos spent the 2025 season as the Florida State starter, throwing for 2,760 yards in 12 games. However, Castellanos isn’t just drawing interest as a quarterback. He is also garnering buzz as a slot receiver ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Former Florida State QB Tommy Castellanos has drawn interest ahead of the NFL Draft as a quarterback — and a slot receiver.

Castellanos, who also played at UCF and BC, did WR drills at the end of his pro day and is training at both positions. pic.twitter.com/ctdX1J2ezg

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 14, 2026

Castellanos was benched during the 2024 season at Boston College, and he immediately entered the transfer portal and wound up winning the QB1 job at Florida State.

Castellanos even helped Florida State stun Alabama in the first weekend of the season, but the Seminoles finished with a 5-7 record.

The ex-Boston College QB is a dual-threat option, but Pelissero noted that Castellanos did position drills at WR at the end of his pro day, so it seems this has been in the works for some time.

Castellanos is a dynamic runner, rushing for 1,113 yards with 13 scores in 2023, and then 557 yards with nine touchdowns in his lone season at Florida State.

The 2026 NFL Draft begins on April 23 in Pittsburgh, and Castellanos is a potential Day 3 pick, although it might be due to a team viewing him as a slot receiver.

The post Florida State QB drawing NFL Draft interest at surprising new position appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Lucas Giolito pitched well in the 2025 MLB season with the Boston Red Sox, but he began the 2026 season without a contract.

Suddenly, Giolito’s market is picking up with two prominent National League teams showing interest: The Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres.

The Cubs and Padres’ interest was reported by The Athletic, via a piece from Patrick Mooney, Ken Rosenthal, Dennis Lin and Sahadev Sharma.

The Cubs currently have Matthew Boyd and Justin Steele on the IL, and Cade Horton – the NL Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2025 – is out for the season, so the pitching depth has already been tested for Chicago.

The Padres rotation also took a hit as Joe Musgrove began the year on IL, and Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta left his latest start early due to elbow stiffness.

The Padres also have German Marquez and Walker Buehler at the end of the rotation, and those two struggled in 2025 and are hoping to turn things around.

In that sense, the Cubs and Padres both make sense for Giolito, especially with the way things have gone to start the season for both ballclubs.

Lucas Giolito went 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA in Boston in 2025, but he didn’t make the Wild Card playoff roster due to an injury. Still, it should be only a matter of time before somebody takes a chance on the veteran pitcher.

The post Lucas Giolito drawing interest from 2 NL teams appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Jerry Jones might be planning something big for the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft.

NFL reporter Jordan Schultz said Tuesday that the Cowboys are a “team to watch” regarding a potential trade up. The Cowboys have the 12th and 20th picks, and are thought to be coveting a player the New York Giants would possibly want at No. 5.

There’s a belief among teams at the top of the draft that the #Cowboys, who have picks at #12 and #20, are a team to watch in trade-up scenarios, according to multiple league sources.

Several teams have said they believe Dallas is targeting a player the #Giants also covet, and… pic.twitter.com/9C32GqBSkS

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 14, 2026

It is not known for sure which player Jones and the Cowboys might be coveting. Josh Norris of The Underdog suggested linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, both out of Ohio State, could fit the bill.

If the Cowboys are trading up, it’s likely for one of these two names 👀 pic.twitter.com/UJpNYA4jjD

— Underdog NFL Draft – Josh & Hayden (@UDFootballShow) April 14, 2026

Presumably, the Cowboys are interested in getting into the top five for football reasons, not just to get one over on the Giants. Then again, it might be an added bonus, as there is no love lost between the two teams.

There is little question the Cowboys will look for defense in the first round of the draft, whether they move up or not. The chance to get an elite defensive prospect, however, might be too much for Jones to resist.

The post Cowboys could try to trade in front of NFC East rival at NFL Draft appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone had some high praise for one rival player.

In an appearance on the “Talkin’ Yanks” podcast, Boone was full of praise for Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson, who is regarded as potentially the fastest player in baseball. Boone even invoked Deion Sanders’ name, having played with him on the Cincinnati Reds, and said Simpson might be even faster.

“I played with Deion in Cincinnati. Deion was like that a little bit,” Boone said. “(Simpson) is another level fast.”

Chandler Simpson's speed reminds Aaron Boone of Deion Sanders pic.twitter.com/kqp0lA4PWw

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) April 14, 2026

Simpson has been garnering attention for his speed since he was still in the minor leagues. He has not disappointed since arriving in the majors, changing games with his speed and allowing the Rays to do things on the bases that no other team can.

Simpson, 25, has 51 stolen bases in only 124 MLB games so far. Sanders never stole 40 in a single season, so Simpson does appear to be ahead of him in that regard.

The post Aaron Boone reveals which rival player reminds him of Deion Sanders appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore has been sentenced for an incident with a staff member following his firing as head coach.

Moore was sentenced to 18 months of probation and fined for two misdemeanors, via Dan Wetzel of ESPN. He could have faced up to a year in prison for trespassing and malicious use of a telecommunications device involving a domestic relationship, though this was never seen as a likely outcome.

The former Michigan coach spoke briefly, saying he took the legal process “very seriously” and thanked “my beautiful wife, Kelli, for her support and strength to stand by me.”

In a statement, Paige Shiver, the staffer with whom Moore was conducting an inappropriate relationship, said Moore’s sentence was insufficient.

“He broke into my apartment, crying, yelling, enraged, and came at me with knives,” Shiver said. “I was threatened, and I feared for my life.”

Moore was fired in December for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. After being informed of his firing, he allegedly went to the staffer’s house and threatened her, prompting the felony home invasion charge. He had previously denied any wrongdoing.

Moore was fired for cause after information about the alleged affair came to light. Further troubling claims about his behavior have continued to come out since then.

The post Sherrone Moore sentenced for incident with his staffer appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Dianna Russini has decided to resign from The Athletic amid controversy over photos of herself with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.

Russini submitted her resignation letter on Tuesday, via Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press. While she maintained that there was nothing inappropriate about her relationship with Vrabel, she cited the media firestorm as the reason behind her decision to quit.

“Commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” Russini says in the letter. “Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.

“Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now – before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”

I submitted my letter of resignation to The Athletic. Everything I have to say about it is below. pic.twitter.com/401nrtbEsj

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 14, 2026

The Athletic had not yet completed the probe it launched into Russini and the photos last week.

Page Six had initially published the photos last Tuesday, in which Russini and Vrabel appeared to be holding hands and hugging. Both Russini and Vrabel denied that anything inappropriate happened, and claimed the photos lacked context and that the two had been part of a larger group.

It was later revealed that the person who took the photos initially sought four figures for the rights to publish them.

Russini had been The Athletic’s top NFL insider since 2023, having previously worked at ESPN.

The post Dianna Russini makes decision about her future amid Mike Vrabel photos appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

If Giannis Antetokounmpo gets traded this offseason, one team appears likely to be extremely aggressive in trying to land him.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on “NBA Today” Tuesday that Pat Riley and the Heat are extremely motivated to land a huge name this offseason and will look into any star that becomes available. Charania specifically named Antetokounmpo as a possible target amid the forward’s uncertain future with the Milwaukee Bucks.

“Pat Riley wants his whale, his shark, his tiger, whatever animal you want to use to describe it,” Charania said. “They’ll be back in the Giannis hunt. Whatever star they can find that becomes available, they’ll see if they can get that No. 1 guy.”

Shams:

"The Heat, Pat Riley, it's clear around the NBA when I talk to rival executives: Pat Riley wants his whale, his shark, his tiger. They'll be back in the Giannis hunt and then whatever star they can find that becomes available to see can we get that #1 guy" pic.twitter.com/KwS6UxKcn2

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 14, 2026

The Heat have been floated as a possible destination for Antetokounmpo before. It would also fit what Riley likes to do. He tried to trade for Kevin Durant last offseason, and always sniffs around whoever might be available.

Interestingly, Charania suggests the Heat will look into any star that might be available in order to try to pair a true No. 1 option with Bam Adebayo. The clear message is that Miami will be aggressive this summer. Whether that is enough to actually land a big star after falling short in previous offseasons remains to be seen.

The post Eastern Conference team likely to aggressively pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets will face off in the NBA’s Play-In Tournament on Tuesday, but Bill Simmons thinks there should be some added incentive to win the game.

Simmons suggested on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” that the loser of the game should have to take back disgraced guard Terry Rozier. Rozier played for both teams before his arrest for his role in an illegal gambling ring.

“I had an idea for this. Charlotte-Miami winner advances to the 8-9. Loser has to take Terry Rozier back,” Simmons joked. “He’s actually at the game. He’s hanging above the arena like how WWE does the Money in the Bank belt. Terry Rozier’s just in a strap hanging from the arena and after the game gets lowered down and rejoins one of the two teams.”

Bill Simmons crazy idea for the Heat vs Hornets play in matchup 😳

“For Charlotte vs Miami, winner advances to the 8-9, loser has to take Terry Rozier back. He’s actually at the game hanging from the arena like how WWE does the Money in the Bank belt. Terry Rozier is just in a… pic.twitter.com/w7o0xUNZCy

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) April 13, 2026

The NBA won’t find this funny, but plenty of others did. Rozier played for the Hornets from 2019 to 2024, when he was traded to Miami. He spent a season and a half with the Heat before his career essentially ended with his arrest, and Miami waived him earlier this week to officially cut ties with him.

The winner of Tuesday’s game would face the loser of the game between the 76ers and Magic for the right to take on the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs. Rozier’s future, for better or worse, will not be part of the outcome.

The post Bill Simmons had the best suggestion for the Hornets-Heat play-in game appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have been forced to vacate multiple wins due to illegally tampering with former quarterback Cade McNamara.

The NCAA announced Tuesday that Iowa would face punishment for “impermissible contacts with a student-athlete who was enrolled at another NCAA school at the time and who had not yet entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.” Coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant coach Jon Budmayr were in contact with the unidentified player over a dozen times before the player entered the transfer portal.

The timing of the violations suggests the player was McNamara, who played for the Michigan Wolverines before transferring to Iowa for the 2023 season.

The most significant punishment for Iowa is having to vacate all records in games McNamara played in. That takes four wins off Ferentz’s and Iowa’s records.

Iowa is forced to vacate 2023 wins in which the player it allegedly tampered with (Cade McNamara) participated in.

By my count, that would be:

Utah State
Iowa State
Western Michigan
Michigan State https://t.co/uGlJIrtl4F

— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) April 14, 2026

Ferentz had previously been suspended over his recruitment of McNamara. That was considered part of the NCAA punishment that has already been fulfilled.

McNamara was a big get for Iowa at the time, but it did not work out. He suffered a season-ending injury a little over a month into the campaign. Now, to make matters worse, he was part of the reason the school will have to take a modest punishment from the NCAA.

The post Iowa punished for tampering with ex-QB Cade McNamara appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Steve Kerr’s future with the Golden State Warriors is not in serious doubt, but the coach has apparently caused some frustration behind the scenes this year.

Kerr’s contract expires at the end of the season, and the coach openly wants to stay and there is no internal expectation of a split, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic. However, the Warriors will still take their time on a decision, particularly after a season that failed to meet expectations.

Kerr’s brutally honest public statements about his team have caused “internal frustration.” An example of this would be the coach openly suggesting that the Warriors are not really a championship contender anymore, which caused backlash among fans.

As far as accomplishments go, there is no one more successful than Kerr, who oversaw one of the great multi-year runs in NBA history with the Warriors roughly a decade ago. The 60-year-old has a lifetime record of 604-353 with the team. However, he is coming off just his second losing season in 12 years, and the organization’s future is murky.

One possible outcome is that Kerr will come back for one more year before the two sides part ways.

The post Steve Kerr has created ‘internal frustration’ with Warriors appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. is no longer the only pro in the family.

On Monday, Jaquez’s sister, Gabriela Jaquez, was selected fifth overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky. Gabriela was expected to be among the first names called at the draft, given the body of work she put together during her college career with the UCLA Bruins.

Like her brother, Gabriela played college basketball for UCLA, but she one-upped the Miami Heat forward by winning a national championship with the Bruins during the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Jaime was not able to attend the WNBA draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City, N.Y., as the Heat are scheduled to play the Charlotte Hornets in an NBA Play-in Tournament game on Tuesday, but he sent a message on social media to celebrate his sister’s big day.

“Mama we made it!” Jaime wrote in a post highlighting Gabriela’s career milestone.

Jaime Jaquez on IG after Gabriela Jaquez was selected by the Sky in the draft.

Via Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s IG pic.twitter.com/6PEi27ZrZg

— Don March (@ItsAlwaysMarch) April 14, 2026

Gabriela now looks to help turn things around for the Sky, who have missed the WNBA playoffs in each of the last two seasons and have won just 23 games against 61 losses over that stretch.

In her final year with the Bruins, Gabriela averaged 13.5 points on an excellent 53.9% shooting from the field and 39% percent from deep, 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists through 38 games.

The post Jaime Jaquez Jr. reacts to his sister Gabriela Jaquez getting drafted by the Chicago Sky appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Angel Reese is thrilled with the Atlanta Dream’s first-round pick at the 2026 WNBA Draft.

The Dream used their No. 13 pick to select South Carolina Gamecocks center Madina Okot to boost their frontcourt, which also now features Reese.

In an Instagram Story post, Reese shared her reaction to Okot’s arrival in Atlanta.

“ROOK!! Another walking double-double!! LET’S GOOOO!!!” Reese wrote.

Angel Reese welcomes Madina Okot to the Dream.

[Via Reese's IG] pic.twitter.com/9915Ol8k5t

— Don March (@ItsAlwaysMarch) April 14, 2026

Reese was correct in her scouting report on Okot. The rookie was a double-double machine during the 2025-26 season with the Gamecocks, averaging 12.8 points and 10.6 rebounds across 39 games. A season before that, she nearly averaged a double-double for the entire 2024-25 campaign with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, as she scored 11.3 points and grabbed 9.6 rebounds through 34 games.

Okot can expect a significant role in her rookie season in the WNBA. She will be among those counted upon by Atlanta to provide inside presence, especially after the departure of Brittney Griner in free agency. Okot should be able to learn the ropes in the pros with the help of Reese, who is also new to the Dream after getting traded by the Chicago Sky to Atlanta in the offseason.

With Reese, a two-time WNBA rebounding champion, and Okot in the fold, the Dream figure to be a problem on the glass for Atlanta’s rivals.

The post Angel Reese had a message for Atlanta Dream’s draft pick appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

CJ Stroud will remain with the Houston Texans for at least two more seasons after the team picked up his fifth-year option in early April, but the partnership is expected to continue beyond the 2027 campaign, if Texans general manager Nick Caserio’s statement about the quarterback is to be believed.

“I don’t really think it affects his future,” Caserio said Monday, via a clip shared by Aaron Wilson of KPRC.

“I mean, he’s our quarterback. We’ve said that from the beginning. DeMeco [Ryans] and I have both said it. I think it was more of a procedural thing. I don’t want to say it was a no-brainer, but it was kind of a no-brainer. Glad he’s here. Again, it’s more part of the process.”

There is still plenty of time for the Texans to decide on their final move with Stroud, particularly whether they will offer him a contract extension or let him test the free-agent market when the time comes.

For Stroud, a successful 2026 season could very well result in a huge contract extension offer from Houston, which selected him second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Stroud is coming off an unspectacular campaign, passing for 3,041 yards and 19 touchdowns with 8 interceptions in 14 games during the 2025 season. 

Stroud also left a bad taste in Houston’s mouth when he imploded in the AFC Divisional Round against the New England Patriots, where he threw four interceptions and was sacked three times.

The 2026 season will be pivotal for Stroud.

The post Texans GM sends a clear message on CJ Stroud after offseason decision appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Colorado Buffaloes football program under Deion Sanders is losing its luster, if one is to base it on the attendance at the team’s spring games.

According to data collected by College Sports Only, attendance at the Buffaloes’ spring games since Sanders took over the program in 2023 has been in sharp decline.

There were over 47,000 people who went to Colorado’s spring game in 2023, which was the height of the program’s hype following Sanders’ arrival to the program. The following year, that number dropped to 28,000. In 20,000 fans watched the spring game. On Saturday, the trend continued, as 17,500 people attended the game at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo.

Colorado spring game attendance under Deion Sanders:

2023: 47,277
2024: 28,424
2025: 20,430
2026: ~17,500

While 17,500 is still way more than the year before Coach Prime got to Boulder (~2,000), everything about CU's program feels like it's headed in reverse… 📉 pic.twitter.com/UuMFABfiYI

— College Sports Only (@CSOonX) April 13, 2026

However, there is a discrepancy in the reporting of the actual number of attendees at the 2026 spring game. The University of Colorado said there were 27,772 people in attendance, while Sean Keeler of The Denver Post estimated the figure at 17,000-18,000.

There is one proven way to boost interest from fans and students in a football program, and it’s winning games. Sanders will always get attention and grab headlines, but at the end of the day, it’s team success that fans will gravitate toward most.

After winning nine games and earning a bowl invite in 2024, Colorado regressed in 2025, going just 3–9, as the Buffaloes struggled mightily in their first year without Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders.

The post Concerning details emerge about Deion Sanders’ Colorado program appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Houston Astros are on a downward spiral, and they can’t seem to find a way to stop the bleeding.

They suffered their sixth consecutive defeat on Monday, punctuating a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Wash., with a 6-2 loss.

Injuries have greatly slowed down Houston, which started the season winning six of nine games, particularly the team’s pitching staff, but Carlos Correa would rather attribute the Astros’ struggles to their horrid play.

“I don’t want to attach our failures to the injuries. Our failures are because we’re playing s—-y baseball. We’re a good club playing bad baseball,” Correa said after the game, via Chandler Rome of MLB.com.

Over their last six outings, the Astros have hit just .240/.300/.340. Their pitching is a bigger issue, with 105 earned runs over the same stretch– the worst in the big leagues over the last seven days.

With Hunter Brown, Christian Javier and Tatsuya Imai all on the shelf due to injuries, the Astros will have to dig deep and find a way to get out of a rut, as they are currently last in the American League West standings with a 6-11 record.

They can start on Tuesday, when Houston begins a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas.

The post Carlos Correa sends a profane message amid the Astros’ concerning situation appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Two future Baseball Hall of Famers went toe to toe on Monday and produced one of the most memorable games of the still-young 2026 MLB season, as Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout and New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge traded blows and answered each other’s home runs at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y.

Fans will be talking about that duel for a long time, and it’s one Trout will remember as well, even though the Angels ended up losing the contest, 11-10.

“It was definitely a battle,” Trout said following the game, via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. “A fun one to be part of. The loss is disappointing, but we fought throughout the whole game and we battled back and had great at-bats all game from up and down the lineup. To go blow for blow like that back and forth with both teams, it’s pretty cool.”

Judge started the show with a monstrous 456-foot 2-run home run in the first inning. Trout would get his in the top of the sixth inning, tying the score at 7-7 with a 421-foot, 3-run dinger. 

It did not take long before Judge responded to it with a solo homer that went 398 feet deep to put the Yankees in front, 8-7. Trout stepped up in the clutch again in the eighth frame with a 2-run blast to get the Halos a 10-8 lead.

Judge and the Yankees got the last laugh, however, with an anticlimactic walk-off win on a wild pitch by Angels closer Jordan Romano.

Trout and Judge surely lived up to the billing, and it’s what most of the fans could have asked for in a game like this on a random April night.

The post Mike Trout gets honest about his unforgettable duel with Aaron Judge appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

A Los Angeles Dodgers slugger has hit the 20-RBI mark before anyone else in the majors — and it’s not anyone fans would have guessed to do it.

The Dodgers have a murderer’s row of hitters atop their batting order in Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. They also feature All-Stars littered throughout their lineup in Teoscar Hernandez, Will Smith, Max Muncy, and the Dodgers’ shiny new toy in Kyle Tucker.

But it’s centerfielder Andy Pages who’s been MLB’s most productive hitter through the first three weeks of the 2026 season. The 25-year-old Cuban accounted for three of the Dodgers’ four runs in a 4-0 shutout win over the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.

All three of Pages’ runs came from one heavy swing of the bat: a 3-run dinger off of Mets starter David Peterson in the bottom of the 3rd inning.

Andy Pages continues to RAKE as he hits his fifth home run of the season to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/k7vBY9tY5o

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 14, 2026

The 3-run blast gave Pages 20 RBIs this season, becoming the fastest player to reach the mark in the majors. No other player even has 18 through Monday’s slate of games.

Andy Pages is the first to 20 RBI this season! pic.twitter.com/Ep7KCp5lkI

— MLB (@MLB) April 14, 2026

One could argue that Pages was able to pad his RBI numbers because the hitters ahead of him are on base so often. While that is true, there’s no arguing against his MLB-best .417 batting average with a 1.186 OPS. Pages has gone 25-for-60 over his first 16 games, with five of those hits being home runs.

The Dodgers were already the most stacked team in baseball coming off back-to-back World Series victories. Pages making a leap like this for the defending champs is borderline unfair.

The post The most unexpected Dodgers player becomes first to 20 RBIs appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Pittsburgh Pirates laid the lumber on the Washington Nationals on Monday with an inning for the ages.

The Pirates had Paul Skenes on the mound, who historically hasn’t gotten a lot of run support throughout his young career. That wasn’t the case against the Nationals in front of a raucous home crowd at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The home team scored five early runs through the first three innings. But the serious damage was done in the 6th, where the Pirates bashed the life out of the Nationals’ pitchers to the tune of 10 runs.

The scoring avalanche began with a bases-clearing triple off the bat of Bryan Reynolds, who got driven on a booming double from Ryan O’Hearn one pitch later.

94 SECONDS OF PURE BUCCO BASEBALL. 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/fGZnQBWHlM

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 14, 2026

Konnor Griffin and Oneil Cruz drove in three more via a pair of singles before Brandon Lowe provided the exclamation point with a 3-run homer.

🎶 WAY UP, WAY UP, WE GO 🎶 pic.twitter.com/61qogZcIic

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 14, 2026

The Pirates ran away with this one 16-5 in what was the most run support Skenes has ever received as a major leaguer.

Skenes has made four starts this season, and Pittsburgh has plated seven or more runs each time he’s taken the field thus far. Last season, the Pirates scored five or more runs in just three of Skenes’ 32 starts.

It’s a welcome change for both Skenes and Pirates fans everywhere, small sample size or not.

The post Pirates post monstrous 10-run inning vs. Nationals appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Anthony Davis made his feelings very clear Monday as he spoke about what the future holds for him as a member of the Washington Wizards.

The 10-time All-Star was candid with reporters Monday about his new team, months after the blockbuster trade that sent him to D.C. Davis asserted that he needs the Wizards’ brass to assure him that the team is ready to go from bottom feeder to playoff contender in short order.

“I’ve been in this league a long time, and I’ve been with losing teams, been on losing teams,” Davis said, via The Athletic’s Josh Robbins. “It’s very hard to be a losing team and then a championship contender, right? I think one team has only done it: Boston in ’08. The only team, right? Even when I was in New Orleans and we had two losing seasons, then we made the playoffs our third year — that, within itself, is a huge jump: showing that you want to be on a path to winning.

“And that’s what it takes. So, if something comes out of the conversation where that’s the path — and, obviously, you won’t know until the season starts — that’s what I would like to see. What is our plan for winning going into next season? And how? Not like this is a plan, but how do we execute that? And based on that, we’ll kind of see what happens.”

Davis assured the media that he still sees himself putting on a Wizards uniform come October, joking that he loves his money too much to hold out on his new team.

The Wizards finished with the NBA’s worst record this season, which assures them a top-5 pick in the loaded 2026 draft. Washington was among the handful of teams many felt were intentionally trying to lose for the sake of better draft positioning.

The team does have a few promising pieces in center Alex Sarr and swingman Kyshawn George on top of fellow All-Star addition Trae Young, whom the team acquired in January. Washington could develop into a frisky young team next season. But if the team underperforms to start the year, the 33-year-old Davis may not have the patience to see it through.

The post Anthony Davis gets brutally honest on his future with Wizards appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Another MLB client has decided to drop The Boras Corporation.

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm has fired his agent Scott Boras, Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reported on Monday. Varnes adds that Bohm is rehiring Nick Chanock, an agent with The Team (formerly known as Wasserman). Chanock previously represented Bohm earlier on in Bohm’s MLB career.

The news comes with Bohm in the middle of a legal dispute against his parents Daniel and Lisa. Bohm filed a lawsuit last month alleging that his parents misused millions of dollars of his money from accounts that they managed on his behalf.

Varnes adds that Bohm has filed for a preliminary injunction, seeking the return of over $525,000 that his parents supposedly withdrew from a brokerage account attached to him last month. You can read Varnes’ full report on the situation with Bohm here.

Bohm, 29, was an All-Star in 2024 for the Phillies and has emerged as one of the premier options at the third base position in the National League. He hit .287 with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs over just 120 games last season but is now batting a rough .148 through the first 14 games of 2026.

As for Boras, 73, he remains baseball’s best-known agent. However, multiple current MLB stars have fired Boras over the last couple of years in favor of new representation.

The post Scott Boras gets fired by an MLB All-Star client appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The forgotten Ball brother may not be finished with basketball just yet.

LiAngelo Ball spoke this week in an interview with Heavy. During the interview, Ball said that he is interested in potentially returning to the NBA.

“I feel like I’m in the position to play in the NBA,” said Ball. “If they ever did ask, I could go tomorrow and start playing and working out and stuff … I do play basketball like with my brothers and some NBA dudes when they come home and stuff. So, I keep my game always touched up pretty much.

“If they need an impact scorer, I feel like I could produce scoring, defense and winning,” Ball added of his game. “Like, I just got a winning vibe for real. Imma do whatever play it takes.”

Ball did also note though that music is still his “main career choice” at this point of his life. You can read his full interview with Heavy here.

Now 27 years old, Ball never appeared in an official NBA game but was technically a member of the league. He played on the Summer League squad of the Charlotte Hornets and also briefly spent time on non-guaranteed NBA deals with both the Hornets and the Detroit Pistons (in addition to appearing for the Greensboro Swarm, the NBA G League affiliate of the Hornets).

That said, Ball, whose brothers Lonzo and LaMelo both played in the NBA this season, seems to have found his calling as a musician. He had a major hit single with his song “Tweaker” in 2025 yet is still not giving up entirely on his professional basketball dream.

The post LiAngelo Ball is interested in returning to the NBA appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Tyrese Haliburton has addressed the chatter regarding his visible weight gain in recent weeks.

The Indiana Pacers star became a trending topic for the wrong reasons on Sunday during his team’s regular-season finale. Several fans noticed Haliburton, who has been sidelined throughout the season with a torn Achilles, looking particularly portly.

The jokes immediately started flying at Haliburton’s expense to the point that the All-Star point guard felt the need to address the issue. Haliburton told reporters Monday that the weight gain was due to the medication he’s been taking as he deals with a bout of face shingles.

“I’ve lost part of my eyebrow,” Haliburton said. “My eye is always swollen from itching it. I have good days and bad days, but for the most part, it’s bad days. It has not been any fun. I’m still honestly dealing with it.

“I’ve taken unbelievable amounts of medication to try to get rid of it. It hasn’t worked. It’s obviously caused me to gain weight and look a little bigger. That’s been a topic of conversation through social media, but what can you do? It’s not been fun, and hopefully it goes away here pretty soon.”

Tyrese Haliburton says he's been having a “miserable” battle with shingles

Hali says he’s gained weight, lost part of his eyebrow, and has been dealing with nerve pain for two months

(via @Pacers) pic.twitter.com/ypP53FMNSR

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 13, 2026

Haliburton added that he’s been dealing with nerve pain for two months, and it’s “hard to really tell” how soon his health issues will subside.

Haliburton hasn’t played any serious basketball since June. Shingles or no shingles, he was bound to gain a few pounds as the season went along.

With six months left between now and the start of next season, Haliburton has plenty of time to get back into game shape. All he needs to do is reach out to James Harden’s trainer and dietitian, and he’ll be ready in no time.

The post Details emerge on what caused Tyrese Haliburton’s sudden weight gain appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Garrett Crochet may need to forfeit some of the Cy Young Award votes he got last season after his debacle of a start on Monday night.

The Boston Red Sox ace took the mound against the Minnesota Twins in what was expected to be a lengthy start for him at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn. Crochet had gotten through six innings in three of his first four starts this season entering the contest.

No such quality start would happen for Crochet. After getting an easy first out on two pitches to start the game, Crochet would allow six of the next seven batters to reach base safely. The Twins scored four runs before the inning mercifully came to an end.

The Minnesota onslaught only got worse in the bottom of the 2nd inning. The next six at-bats were the stuff of nightmares for Crochet: single, walk, walk, RBI single, 2-RBI double, 3-run home run.

CARATINI MAKES HIS FIRST TWINS HR COUNT!!! pic.twitter.com/yKH2S4NuSt

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 14, 2026

Crochet got the next two batters out after Victor Caratini’s home run before allowing another moonshot that woke up the crew members on the Artemis II. The second big fly ended his night.

WELCOME TO TWINS TERRITORY RYAN pic.twitter.com/lXrnVusf76

— Twins.TV (@twinstv) April 14, 2026

The Red Sox star’s final line over 1.2 innings pitched: 9 hits, 11 runs (10 earned), 3 walks on 55 pitches. He finished with the second-most earned runs allowed in a single game this season.

Washington Nationals starter Miles Mikolas allowed 11 earned runs in a start earlier this month. But Mikolas at least spread those runs across 4.1 innings.

Crochet gave up more earned runs in 1.2 innings Monday than he did in his previous five starts combined (9 ER in 31.1 innings), dating back to last season, when he finished second in AL Cy Young voting.

The post Cy Young finalist had the most brutal start of the season appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Cameron Brink was showing off at Coachella over the weekend.

The Los Angeles Sparks star Brink attended the annual music and arts festival in Indio, Calif. In a post to her Instagram Story on Sunday, Brink showed off the outfit that she wore to the event.

Brink was wearing a top that highlighted her impressive abs. The top also featured a (fitting) design of a Coors six-pack of beer.

“Been workin on my 6 pack,” Brink wrote in her caption. Check out the video.

Cameron Brink https://t.co/XLRzgM3eQ5 pic.twitter.com/YtkynmMf41

— Athlete Vanity (@AthleteVanity) April 12, 2026

The 24-year-old Brink, who is officially listed at 6-foot-4 and 170 pounds, is a former NCAA champion with Stanford who went with the No. 2 overall pick to the Sparks in 2024. She got a late start to the 2025 season after a June 2024 ACL tear and averaged just 5.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game over 19 total appearances off the bench for Los Angeles.

Brink was just in the news last week too for her stunning viral photo with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. Now Brink can compete with the Indiana Fever’s Lexie Hull for the title of the WNBA’s most ripped player.

The post Cameron Brink looked so ripped at Coachella appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Craig Albernaz was involved in a terrifying incident during Monday’s game.

The Baltimore Orioles were hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md. on Monday. In the fifth inning of the contest, the Orioles manager Albernaz was struck by a foul ball off the bat of Baltimore second baseman Jeremiah Jackson.

Jackson hacked off a pitch from Arizona’s Ryne Nelson into the Baltimore dugout down the first-base line. The MASN television broadcast caught the footage of Albernaz being struck by the foul ball, which appeared to get him in the head area.

Take a look at the video.

Here's video, courtesy of MASN, of the foul ball off Jeremiah Jackson's bat that struck Orioles manager Craig Albernaz. Scary scene. pic.twitter.com/5OjR39MSkH

— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) April 14, 2026

The 43-year-old Albernaz, who is in his first season as manager of the Orioles, immediately retreated into the clubhouse to be evaluated. Fortunately though, he was spotted back in the dugout by the sixth inning after (incidentally) Jackson hit a grand slam to bring Baltimore to within a 7-6 score of Arizona.

That was Major League Baseball’s second such foul-ball incident in as many days. On Sunday, Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout was also struck by an errant foul ball while standing on the basepaths.

The post Orioles manager Craig Albernaz gets struck in the head by a foul ball appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Dick Vitale is facing yet another health challenge.

The legendary college basketball broadcaster Vitale announced the difficult news on Monday that he has been diagnosed with melanoma in his lung and his liver cavity. Vitale added that he plans to begin immunotherapy treatment shortly in order to beat the disease.

“Today, my oncologist, Dr. Brown, informed me that my biopsy results have confirmed a diagnosis of melanoma in my lung and liver cavity,” Vitale’s statement read. “I will be starting immunotherapy shortly and I plan on winning this battle.

“I’ve beaten melanoma,” added Vitale. “I’ve beaten lymphoma. I’ve beaten vocal cord cancer. I’ve beaten lymph node cancer. I’m four-for-four and I’m fully confident I’m going to make it five-for-five.”

You can read Vitale’s full statement here.

Sharing a health update on behalf of @DickieV

Your ESPN family is with you every step of the way, Dick pic.twitter.com/Uvoiv6dedN

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 13, 2026

As Vitale hinted at, he has already had numerous battles with cancer over the last half-decade. He was diagnosed with melanoma in 2021 and then with lymphoma later in that same year as well. After being declared cancer-free in 2022, Vitale was diagnosed with vocal cord cancer in 2023. He once again announced that he was cancer-free later on in 2023 but then had a bout with lymph node cancer in 2024 (which Vitale successfully beat later in 2024 too).

Set to turn 87 in June, Vitale, a former basketball head coach, has been calling games for ESPN ever since 1979. He was inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and remains under contract with ESPN through the 2027-28 college basketball season. Vitale was in the news again earlier this week after getting duped by a fake social media post but is now receiving countless prayers and well wishes in the wake of his latest health challenge.

The post Dick Vitale announces more difficult health news appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Paige Bueckers is pretty stoked about her (very familiar) new teammate.

The Dallas Wings selected former UConn star Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft on Monday. Fudd will now be reunited in Dallas with her girlfriend Bueckers.

Meanwhile, Bueckers was also in attendance on Monday for the draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, N.Y. After Fudd was announced as the No. 1 overall pick by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the ESPN broadcast cut to Bueckers, who was excitedly clapping about the news.

Paige Bueckers' reaction to Azzi Fudd getting drafted to the same WNBA team as her

Back-to-back No. 1 picks from UConn to Dallas! pic.twitter.com/oUEMOy421U

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 13, 2026

Bueckers, 24, and Fudd, 23, were already teammates in college at UConn from 2021-25. They made three trips to the Final Four together and also won the NCAA title with the Huskies in 2025.

Meanwhile, the two women went public with their relationship later on in 2025. Bueckers and Fudd had long been rumored to be a couple, and Bueckers finally confirmed the rumors in July of that year.

Last year, Bueckers went with the No. 1 overall pick to the Wings and proceeded to win WNBA Rookie of the Year and earn All-WNBA honors in her first pro season. Now Fudd is following suit as a second consecutive former UConn star to go No. 1 overall to Dallas (and one who is very near and dear to the first one).

The post Paige Bueckers reacts to her girlfriend Azzi Fudd going No. 1 to Wings appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Dallas Mavericks finished the season with a 26-56 record, but rookie Cooper Flagg looked every bit like a superstar.

Flagg finished the season averaging 21 points with 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists while playing in 70 games. He led the Mavericks in total points, rebounds, assists and steals, becoming the only player besides Michael Jordan to accomplish such a feat.

Cooper Flagg. Michael Jordan.

The Mavericks' young star joins MJ as the only rookies since 1973-74 to lead their team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/xRvm1eNBsJ

— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2026

Flagg, who just turned 19 years old in December, became the first teenager to score 50 points after he put up 51 against the Orlando Magic on April 3.

In December, right before his 19th birthday, he scored 40 points in a game against the Utah Jazz and became the first 18-year-old to score 40 points in an NBA game.

So, it’s been a historic season for Flagg, although the Rookie of the Year race appears close between Flagg and former Duke teammate and Charlotte Hornets star Kon Knueppel.

Flagg’s regular season came to an unfortunate end as he left the game early against the Chicago Bulls due to an ankle injury.

All in all, it was an impressive rookie campaign for Flagg, and even if he doesn’t win the Rookie of the Year award, there is plenty of promise for the 2025 top overall draft pick.

The post Cooper Flagg joins Michael Jordan in NBA history appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The 2026 MLB season is not even one month old, but the Baltimore Orioles are adding a new face to the roster.

On Monday, the Orioles acquired infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for cash considerations.

The Reds had DFA’d Encarnacion-Strand on April 8, and the Orioles are now taking a flier on him.

The #Reds today traded IF Christian Encarnacion-Strand to the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations.

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 13, 2026

Encarnacion-Strand was selected in the fourth round by the Minnesota Twins in the 2021 MLB June Amateur Draft. He was then part of a package that was sent to the Reds in exchange for pitcher Tyler Mahle in 2022.

Encarnacion-Strand made his MLB debut in 2023 with the Reds, and he played in 63 games with 13 home runs and 37 RBI.

In 2024, he played in just 29 games before missing the rest of the season due to a wrist injury, and he played in 36 games with six home runs in 2025.

The signing of Eugenio Suarez in free agency and the strong play of Sal Stewart, who is batting .309 with four home runs this season, made Encarnacion-Strand an easy choice for the Reds to DFA, and now he finds a new home with the Orioles.

The post Orioles land new infielder in trade with Reds appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Houston Astros won the sweepstakes for Tatsuya Imai, signing the Japanese pitcher to a three-year deal that could be worth as much as $63 million.

However, after just three starts, Imai is now headed to the IL. Jeremy Pena is also going to the IL, so the Astros are already dealing with unfortunate injuries early on.

We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/K1BdoGSUUX

— Houston Astros (@astros) April 13, 2026

Imai signed with the Astros in the offseason, and his contract is for three years and $54 million, but it includes $3 million in incentives each season.

Imai’s MLB debut came on March 29 against the Los Angeles Angels, and he went just 2.2 innings, giving up four runs on three hits with four walks. He then threw 5.2 scoreless innings on April 4 against the Athletics, but he recorded just one out and gave up three runs with four walks on April 10 against the Seattle Mariners.

Imai flew back to Houston after his most recent start in Seattle. The Astros also saw starting pitcher Cody Bolton leave Sunday’s game in the second inning due to an injury.

And, Houston has placed Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier on the IL, so the pitching depth is getting hit hard early on.

Imai, who was expected to be a major contributor, has thrown just 8.2 innings with a 7.27 ERA and 11 walks this season.

The post Astros’ free agency splash already dealing with an injury appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide are fresh off a College Football Playoff trip in DeBoer’s second season as head coach.

Entering Year 3, there are high hopes, even with quarterback Ty Simpson leaving for the NFL Draft. On Saturday, Alabama held its A-Day scrimmage at Bryant-Denny Stadium, but the Crimson Tide saw an injury to transfer wide receiver Noah Rogers.

On Monday, DeBoer announced that Rogers will most likely be out when the season begins.

“Unfortunately, he suffered an injury that’s going to take a little while to recover,” DeBoer said on The Game with Ryan Fowler.

Kalen DeBoer to @TheGAMEon1009 on Noah Rogers: "Unfortunately he suffered an injury that's gonna take a little while to recover. It will bleed into the season here a little bit — I'm not gonna give a timeline exactly. He won't be ready to go right when the season starts. We…

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) April 13, 2026

Rogers was carted off the field during the scrimmage on Saturday in a worrisome sight at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Rogers began his career at Ohio State before playing the past two seasons at NC State. In his two seasons with the Wolfpack, he combined for 68 receptions for 993 yards and three scores.

Alabama defeated Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff before suffering an ugly 38-3 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl.

Still, there are high expectations for Alabama entering the 2026 season, but starting off the year without Rogers is not what the program expected.

The post Kalen DeBoer reveals injury update for key Alabama player appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers face off in the NBA play-in round on Wednesday night at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, Calif.

The Warriors finished as the No. 10 seed and the Clippers as the No. 9, which means the loser is knocked out of the playoff picture.

On Monday afternoon, Warriors star Jimmy Butler, who suffered a torn ACL in January, made a surprising and interesting injury announcement on his Instagram page.

“I am doubtful for wednesday’s game against clippers. stay tuned for more updates,” Butler wrote. The caption of the post said, @shams, report this.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jimmy Butler (@jimmybutler)

Butler suffered a torn ACL and underwent season-ending surgery in January, so there seems to be zero chance that Butler is actually ready to play for Wednesday’s game.

Butler drew attention when he was seen warming up on Sunday in the regular-season finale for the Warriors, and Butler was even seen without crutches.

Jimmy Butler is with the Warriors in Los Angeles. Just popped out during Steph Curry’s warmup. Moving gingerly but he’s off crutches. pic.twitter.com/LfhGGOj4VL

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 12, 2026

Still, typical ACL recovery is a 9-to-12 month timeline, which puts Butler on track to return sometime during the 2026-27 NBA season.

The Warriors and Clippers face off on Wednesday, with the winner taking on the loser of the game between the Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers.

The post Jimmy Butler announces his own injury status ahead of Warriors’ play-in game appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting to see whether or not Aaron Rodgers will be the starting quarterback in 2026.

In the meantime, the Steelers are exploring options at the QB position ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, and they hosted Arkansas QB Taylen Green on a visit on Monday.

Former Arkansas QB Taylen Green is visiting the Steelers today, per source.

One of the top testers at the combine, Green previously visited the Ravens and the Cowboys, who were also among several teams to work him out privately. pic.twitter.com/iRJNfU4MWx

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 13, 2026

The expectation for some time has been that Rodgers would make his decision prior to the NFL Draft, so the clock is ticking.

The Steelers have also been linked to Alabama’s Ty Simpson, although they would likely need to select him at No. 21 overall.

Green, on the other hand, is listed as QB7 in the rankings by ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr., so he projects to be a Day 2 or Day 3 pick.

Green began his career at Boise State before playing the final two seasons at Arkansas, and he is a dual-threat quarterback who could be an intriguing option in this draft class.

The only other QBs currently on the roster in Pittsburgh are Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, so it figures that selecting a signal-caller at some point in the draft is a realistic scenario, even if Rodgers returns to the team in 2026.

The post Steelers hosting SEC QB while waiting for Aaron Rodgers decision appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

New North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball coach Michael Malone is not wasting time adding coaches to his staff.

On Monday, Malone added a big name: Former Providence head coach Kim English. ESPN’s Pete Thamel first reported that English was “expected” to join, and Inside Carolina added later that English had agreed to come to Chapel Hill.

Source: UNC is expected to hire Kim English as an assistant coach under Michael Malone. English is the former head coach at George Mason and Providence and will give Malone an experienced college assistant. pic.twitter.com/700k02nB0z

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 13, 2026

English spent the past three seasons as the Providence head coach, but he was fired at the end of the 2025-26 season after a 42-50 mark in his time with the Friars.

North Carolina moved on from Hubert Davis, and despite the Tar Heels being linked to big names such as Dusty May and Tommy Lloyd, they surprised everybody by hiring Malone.

North Carolina is also paying Malone a lot of money by giving him a six-year deal worth $50 million, putting him north of $8 million per season.

Malone has never been a college head coach, and adding experienced coaches to the staff seems like a smart decision in the long run.

English was an assistant coach at Tulsa, Colorado and Tennessee before becoming the George Mason head coach in 2021, so he brings much-needed experience to the staff in Chapel Hill.

The post Michael Malone adds recently-fired head coach to North Carolina staff appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons, and he is hoping to make it three straight this year.

Through 16 games, Witt is hitting .271 with 7 RBIs and 8 stolen bases. However, Witt has scored just once all season long despite reaching base 30 times.

That means Witt has been left stranded on base 97% of the time this season, which is hard to believe.

This is one of the wildest MLB stats I have seen in a very long time…

Bobby Witt Jr. has reached base 30 times this season, and been left stranded 29 times (97%). pic.twitter.com/X078TfRKNw

— Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) April 13, 2026

The only time Witt scored a run this season came on March 29 against the Atlanta Braves when Carter Jensen hit a sacrifice fly.

The Royals as a team have struggled to generate offense. As of Monday, they have scored just 54 runs, good for 26th in MLB, and they are 27th in slugging percentage.

Vinne Pasquantino and Salvador Perez, who regularly are right behind Witt in the lineup, both have a .153 batting average as of Monday.

The Royals are coming off two losses in four games to the Chicago White Sox, and Witt said after the game that they “just have to. “The reality is we got to play better,” via Harold R. Kuntz of Fox 4 Kansas City.

Hopefully, the Royals can generate some offense and not leave Witt stranded on base.

The post This Bobby Witt Jr. stat is hard to believe appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.