ESPN.com • 22nd April 2026

How OKC Thunder's Jared McCain balances TikTok fame, NBA play

The scene at the airport in Oklahoma City has become a tradition: Thunder fans standing behind a tall, gated fence await the chance to high-five players returning from a road trip. Sometimes this happens in the middle of the night.Early the morning of April 11, a group of fans held signs and predictably cheered for their favorites -- reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Luguentz Dort. But the noise seemed to peak for Jared McCain, who jumped up and down bef...

ESPN.com • 13th April 2026

Ten years after 'Mamba out,' Kobe Bryant's final game still echoes

Relive Kobe Bryant's final performance as a Laker in which he recorded an astonishing 60 points on April 13, 2016. (0:55)The first five shots Kobe Bryant took in the final game of his 20-year NBA career ended in the same way: a miss.A 3-pointer on the left wing fell short. A midrange jumper went long. His third and fourth looks inside the paint didn't drop. The fifth, an 18-footer, bounced out.With each miss, the crowd in Los Angeles on April 13, 2016, let out audible displeasure. But when his f...

ESPN.com • 11th April 2026

Checkmates and closeouts: Inside the NBA's quiet chess boom

Ten seconds left. Ball in LeBron James' hands.With the Milwaukee Bucks clinging to a two-point lead against the Los Angeles Lakers, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo read the play. Defending James, he slipped past a screen and poked the ball loose from behind James, securing a 105-101 win on Jan. 9.Later that night, in the bowels of Crypto.com Arena, Antetokounmpo explained his strategy on the move."I knew down the stretch that LeBron gets the ball. I knew that he wanted to get downhill and ma...

ESPN.com • 9th April 2026

Inside MLB's 2026 City Connect uniforms -- and what's next

WHEN RONALD ACUÑA JR. first saw the Atlanta Braves' new City Connect uniform -- baby blue, with an old-school "Atlanta" script across the chest -- he fell in love."We're going to win a lot of games in these," Acuña said.Acuña is a three-time All-Star who loves making fashion part of his game. Last year, he modeled for a Nike underwear campaign. He was among a select group of players who got a sneak peek at the 2026 uniforms in early February. For Acuña, on-field fashion is all about staying loos...

ESPN.com • 8th April 2026

Inside the Clippers' Wall: How 4,500 fans turn the Intuit Dome into chaos

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle approached the free throw line at Intuit Dome. He received the ball, took a deep breath, dribbled three times, then bent his knees to shoot.In front of Castle stood a 10-foot regulation-size NBA basket. An easy enough situation for the second-year player -- then a 73.6% free throw shooter -- to sink a shot. That number, however, didn't take into account what Castle faced behind the basket.The LA Clippers' Swell: A 44-foot-tall section f...

ESPN.com • 27th January 2026

Aaron Judge named cover athlete for MLB The Show 26

Aaron Judge is the cover athlete of MLB The Show 26, the game announced Tuesday.Judge becomes just the second player to appear on the game's cover twice. Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Mauer is the only other player to be featured twice (2010 and 2011). The game launches on March 17 with early access beginning on March 13.Unlike his first appearance, this year's artwork reflects multiple chapters of Judge's baseball career. Like the 2018 edition, Judge is shown in the New York Yankees' iconic pinstr...

ESPN.com • 24th January 2026

Jalen Brunson and the toddler obsessed with his 3-point celebration

The Knicks snap a four game losing streak and defeat the Nets by 54 points for their largest win in franchise history. (1:09)With 4:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, Jalen Brunson splashed a 3-pointer in the corner to give him 42 points against the Miami Heat on Dec. 21. He looked at his right hand, his ring and pinkie fingers folded down, leaving three fingers remaining, and he brought it under his nose quickly as he ran down the court displaying his trademark 3-point celebration.Somewhere in...

ESPN.com • 27th November 2025

How Tyrese Maxey went from the hardwood to the 2025 National Dog Show

Dressed in all gray with a beanie and glasses, Tyrese Maxey explained that he was out of breath, feeling as if he had just played a full quarter of NBA basketball.Except, Maxey hadn't bounced any basketballs or attacked the rim. The Philadelphia 76ers star guard instead was directing multiple dogs through the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge Agility Show, a part of the 2025 National Dog Show.Maxey participated in the agility course in a Nov. 16 show taping in front of roughly 15,000 spec...

ESPN.com • 26th November 2025

How a South Korean fan caught the attention of the Pistons -- and its stars

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson inbounded the ball to Karl-Anthony Towns before receiving it back and firing a 3-pointer that clanked the bottom right side of the backboard.The miss secured the Detroit Pistons' Game 2 win in their 2025 Eastern Conference first-round playoff series -- their first postseason victory since 2008.Nearly 7,000 miles away, Tom Hur sat in Seoul, South Korea, placed his phone in front of him and began recording as the game wound down. Wearing a custom Pistons jersey,...

ESPN.com • 14th November 2025

From Fenway to Banana Ball: Jackie Bradley Jr., 2018 World Series champ, joins Indianapolis Clowns

The Indianapolis Clowns selected former 11-year major leaguer and 2018 World Series champion Jackie Bradley Jr. with the first pick in the inaugural Banana Ball player draft Thursday night, making him the first former MLB player to commit to participate full time in Banana Ball.The former Boston Red Sox outfielder, an All-Star in 2016 and Golden Glove winner in 2018, told ESPN that his decision to play Banana Ball came together "days ago."With his oldest daughter being a big fan of Banana Ball,...

ESPN.com • 20th October 2025

NBA award winners to don honorary jersey patches in 2025-26 season debut

The uniforms of award winners from the 2024-25 NBA season will look a little different for opening week.Players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (MVP), Evan Mobley (Defensive Player of the Year) and Stephon Castle (Rookie of the Year) will have their respective trophy icons sewn above the Nike swoosh on the front of their uniforms.Members of the All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defensive teams will also don a specific patch. However, individual awards have precedence over that one. For example, Gilgeo...

ESPN.com • 10th October 2025

75 stadiums, 45 states, one vision: Why the Savannah Bananas' next step is their biggest yet

Jesse Cole vividly remembers the early days of owning the Savannah Bananas.They sold only a handful of tickets in the inaugural season in 2016 as a member of the Coastal Plain League playing as a collegiate summer team. He and his wife sold their house, emptied their savings accounts and slept on an air bed to start the team. When they left traditional baseball in 2022 and started "Banana Ball," Cole expressed that they had a "big vision to create something special."The doubters expressed an opp...

ESPN.com • 3rd October 2025

How The Rock transformed his body -- and mind -- into Mark Kerr

SITTING IN A Beverly Hills hotel room during one of multiple media junkets, Dwayne Johnson spent nearly three minutes explaining how he morphed his mind and body into Mark Kerr for "The Smashing Machine" when he turned to the MMA pioneer and asked: "How did I do, by the way?"Kerr opted for an anecdote. His son, Bryce, saw the film in New York a couple of months ago. He immediately called Kerr afterward and began whispering his thoughts, almost afraid to admit what he had seen."'Dad, he walks lik...

ESPN.com • 14th August 2025

Hawks' State Farm Arena, streamer Davis Dodds host 24-hour livestream for NBA schedule release

Chiney Ogwumike says the Hawks could lose star playmaker Trae Young as he enters the final year of his contract. (1:32)Born and raised in Atlanta, Internet personality Davis Dodds grew up attending Atlanta Hawks games at State Farm Arena. Now, he'll be part of a first-of-its-kind NBA schedule release.Dodds is hosting a 24-hour Twitch livestream at the arena that began at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday to announce Atlanta's 2025-26 schedule. NBA teams can announce their upcoming season's schedule at 3:15...

ESPN.com • 25th July 2025

Return to your happy place: How Happy Gilmore's long-awaited sequel came to be

Adam Sandler gives a nod to his famous "Happy Gilmore" character to announce the Bruins picking Boston College's James Hagens with the seventh pick. (1:48)Since Happy Gilmore hit the big screen in 1996 with his wild swing and short temper, a sequel seemed to be buried in the rough.Editor's PicksChiefs' Travis Kelce shows out in training camp ahead of 'Happy Gilmore 2' cameo3dNate Taylor'Happy Gilmore 2' cameo guide: PGA stars, NFL champ, WWE icons and more2dESPN StaffThe waterboy can ball: Stori...

ESPN.com • 8th June 2025

'That's the Thundor dream': How one superfan contributes to OKC's 'free throw defense'

Brian Windhorst joins Scott Van Pelt to break down the Pacers' comeback win vs. the Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. (1:48)Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey went to the free throw line against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs at Paycom Center.The Grizzlies already faced a 12-point deficit with one minute left in the first quarter. Edey shot an admirable 70.9% from the charity stripe during the regular season.Against the Thunder's st...

ESPN.com • 19th April 2025

Every Lakers game, illustrated: The artist capturing the season in real time

Luka Doncic reveals that he threw his phone the night he was traded from the Mavericks to the Lakers. (4:33)Los Angeles-based artist Jack Perkins started a new tradition this season. After each Los Angeles Lakers game, Perkins -- known on social media by his @purehoop handle -- recapped the result with comic-strip-style illustrations. Each of them focused on a theme of the specific game.Throughout the highs and lows of Los Angeles' 82-game regular season, the detail of Perkins' work evolved. The...

ESPN.com • 15th April 2025

Thousands of games, one-of-a-kind scores: Inside NBA 'scorigami'

March 2, 1963, lives in NBA history as the day Wilt Chamberlain dropped 100 points. On March 2, 2025, another statistical nugget joined the Big Dipper's.The matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs ended 146-132, the 3,159th unique final score in NBA history and 14th this season. Or, in other words, a "scorigami."The NBA's recent increase in scoring has opened the door for point totals never seen in the league's near-80-year history. Hakob Chalikyan wanted to make sure tho...

ESPN.com • 13th April 2025

'I've never seen him': Organist Dieter Ruehle is the Dodgers' and Kings' mystery music man

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes isn't sure the team's organist exists."I feel like ever since I've been here, you always hear 'Dieter Ruehle,' and it's almost like, I don't know if it's a real person," Barnes told ESPN. "I feel it's just like a mythical thing or I don't know. It sounds crazy to say but no, they do a great job, he does a great job."His teammate, Mookie Betts, is on the same page."Yeah exactly," Betts told ESPN. "I've never seen him."Editor's Picks'A small difference, bu...

ESPN.com • 25th February 2025

Spray cans & sunset hues: L.A. artist honors Luka Doncic, Kobe Bryant in Lakers mural

With each stroke of a spray can, Arutyun Gozukuchikyan refined the details of a Luka Doncic mural -- brought to life in colors he never imagined."I never thought he was gonna come to [the] Lakers," Gozukuchikyan told ESPN, referencing the blockbuster trade that sent Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers this month.As purple slowly covered Doncic's undershirt, someone behind Gozukuchikyan photographed the moment. Overhead, cotton candy clouds painted the Los Angeles sky.In a...

ESPN.com • 1st February 2025

'Don't steal from us': The tackle that earned Cal's equipment manager a Senior Bowl invite

Trevor Skogerboe, equipment manager at Cal, shares what it was like tackling a fan to prevent a helmet from getting stolen during a field storming. (2:45)Field storms can be dangerous. Goal posts are toppled. Players are run over. Injuries are common.But what's often forgotten in these moments is what California Golden Bears equipment manager Trevor Skogerboe couldn't get out of his mind: he needed to make sure equipment didn't go missing.Moments after Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza led a 17-p...

ESPN.com • 28th January 2025

Trio of young stars grace MLB The Show 25 cover

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser explain why they would keep the rare Paul Skenes baseball card and not trade it for the Pirates experience offered. (2:27)MLB The Show 25 will feature three athletes for the first time, with Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes gracing the cover as the video game embraces a "dynamic era" of young MLB talent.The decision to go with younger stars coincides with the video...

ESPN.com • 17th January 2025

'You want to hear the song?': How a 1980s Orlando Magic song became a victory lap

Mikal Bridges finishes with a monster slam to extend the Knicks overtime lead vs. the Sixers. (0:17)After logging 42 minutes in a commanding 98-74 victory over the Orlando Magic last March, New York Knicks guard Josh Hart sat at his Madison Square Garden locker, catching his breath and reflecting on the night.The victory snapped Orlando's five-game win streak. But, equally important -- if not more so -- to Hart, it denied the Magic's attempt at fulfilling a ritual.Since November 2023, Orlando ha...

ESPN.com • 5th December 2024

Ribbit and roll: A viral mascot fuels the Cleveland Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell takes over down the stretch to help the Cavaliers stave off the Bulls and advance to 14-0. (1:57)The Cleveland Cavaliers had just won their 14th straight game of the NBA season.The victory against the Chicago Bulls marked the longest win streak in franchise history. The Cavaliers became the sixth team ever to start a season 14-0. That swift start followed a busy offseason, which included moves that have ushered in a team that has exuded fun on and off the court.Perhaps there is...