“No one is safe” from the viral six-seven phenomenon “taking the younger generation by storm”. Certain page numbers in textbooks, homework questions, and maths answers are all off limits, just to avoid the inevitable parroting that follows.

The TikTok craze has baffled older audiences since the start of the year, but its use has recently exploded online, making it a global feature among young people. Parents and teachers are at a loss: is this yet another “completely meaningless” digital trend, said Fox News, or “so highbrow that it’s beyond comprehension”? Either way Gen Alpha has utterly “confused the masses” with this latest obsession.

‘Repetitive cycles of senselessness’

The ever-present meme is a “prime example of brain rot” among young people, said The Wall Street Journal. When both or either numbers are mentioned, young people make a “palms-up, seesaw hand gesture” which looks like something between “juggling and melon handling”.

Its meaning is that it has no meaning, which, by a somewhat strained logic, makes it funny because it is unfunny, said the outlet. “Maybe if French philosopher Albert Camus had a TikTok, he could explain it, given how well he understood repetitive cycles of senselessness. But Reddit works, too.”

The exact origin of the meme is disputed, though there is strong consensus that Philadelphia rapper Skrilla’s “Doot Doot” (6 7)” viral song released in December 2024 popularised the phenomenon. Six-seven could either refer to the street he grew up on in the city (67th), or could be a “reference to the 10-67 police code” that is used to report a death, Taylor Jones, a linguist and social scientist, told CNN.

Taylen Kinney, an up-and-coming basketball player, was launched into “internet immortality” after he created the accompanying gesture for the phrase, said The Athletic. Since the meme ballooned, he has amassed over one million followers on social media, alongside receiving prestigious basketball scholarship offers. Aptly mirroring the meaningless meme, “Kinney himself is unclear on why it, and he, have become such a hit”.

‘Destined for the slang graveyard’?

Attempts to unlock some meaning in the phrase have become increasingly desperate, said The Wall Street Journal. In history, references to the summer of love in 1967; in geography, seven continents but only six with countries; in religious circles, belief that God created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh, have all tried to rationalise the “inescapable internet slang”, with little success.

Despite being nonsensical, there may be valid reasons why the meme is so attractive to young people, said CNN. It possesses neither a “set-up” nor a “punchline”, but participation allows young people to share a common in-joke at adults’ expense, feeling like a “member of a bigger, cooler group of their peers”.

It has been around for almost a year, or what feels like a “century” in the fast-paced world of TikTok, but its popularity could be about to end. The 6-7 craze is “likely destined for the slang graveyard soon”, as adults are wrapping their heads around the concept and imitating it. Teachers, rather than fearing the outburst, are “playing defence” by using it themselves: a sure-fire way to deflate even the most prevalent “shibboleth”.

What happened

The New York Liberty, one of the original WNBA franchises, won their first championship title Sunday, beating the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime of a hard-fought Game 5. It was New York's first pro basketball title since the Knicks won the NBA championship in 1973. New York City lost a guaranteed World Series victory, however, when the Mets fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday, a 10-5 defeat in the deciding Game 6 of the National League championships. The New York Yankees, though, punched their ticket to the World Series on Saturday night in a 5-2 Game 5 win over the Cleveland Guardians.

Who said what

The Liberty's win capped "27 seasons of disappointment," including five previous trips to the finals since the team's debut in the "WNBA's inaugural season of 1997," The Washington Post said. It was "far from New York's most aesthetically pleasing game," The Athletic said, but "the only number that matters is the final margin." As star Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu said, Sunday's most important stat was "one more [point] than the other team."

There is less novelty in the 12th World Series matchup between the Dodgers and the Yankees, though the players have changed many times since the Dodgers won their last face-off in 1981. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will lead his injury-hobbled, deep-benched team against Yankees slugger Juan Soto and a trio of veterans in their 30s — Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gerrit Cole — who covet a "championship as validation as much as accomplishment," The Associated Press said.

What next?

The Yankees and Dodgers play Game 1 this Friday night in Los Angeles. The Liberty will be celebrated with a ticker-tape parade in Manhattan; the date is expected to be announced Monday.

When South Sudan's basketball team qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024, "it instilled renewed hope and confidence in the people of Africa's youngest country", said Semafor.

Their history was "defined by conflict" and one of the longest civil wars on record, said BBC Sport Africa. But South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, is "forging a new identity through basketball". The world's youngest sovereign state now exports "world-class players" to America's National Basketball Association (NBA) – like two-time NBA All-Star Luol Deng, a refugee who went on to represent Great Britain in the London 2012 Olympics. 

At their first appearance at the Fiba men's World Cup last year, South Sudan – nicknamed the Bright Stars – became the top-ranking African side, earning them a spot at this year's Olympics. Last weekend, in a warm-up match in London, they came "within seconds" of a historic win against basketball Goliaths: the USA.

Nascent South Sudan in the spotlight

"The entire country came to a halt," reported Semafor's Akol Nyok Akol Dok from Juba, the capital. "One night in London, South Sudan was one point away from slaying the American basketball dragon." 

Having already defeated Great Britain on Thursday, the Bright Stars "almost prevailed" against a team "replete" with some of the greatest players in basketball history, including "actual legends" like LeBron James. A "late bucket" from James cost South Sudan the match, and they lost 101-100. But they "won the hearts of the South Sudanese people, and many people around the world". 

The team was "amazing", said Team USA coach Steve Kerr. "You think about what that team has had to overcome to qualify for the Olympics; the violence, the strife in their country, all the obstacles, it's an incredible story."

The match also "served as a preview for the Games, with the teams scheduled to meet in a Group C clash in Paris", said CNN. South Sudan can "take confidence" into its opening game against Puerto Rico.

"This moment gives us the feeling that we have finally arrived on the global stage," said Dok. Although most "cannot locate South Sudan on a map", they won't forget the Bright Stars.

Luol Deng: from child refugee to basketball behemoth

The man credited with the team's success is Luol Deng, who came to the UK as a child refugee after fleeing the "brutal" civil war, said The Times. He discovered basketball in Brixton and went on to "fame and fortune in an 18-year NBA career", becoming one of the league's most successful African players.

But his future was "always going to lie back home". He returned to South Sudan to set up the Luol Deng Academy in Juba and train the next generation. "I saw the potential of the country," said Deng, who was appointed president of the country's Basketball Federation in 2019. 

South Sudan is "unique", Deng told the BBC's Kelvin Kamathi, because many of its 64 tribes are "very lanky, tall, very athletic". The Dinka tribe is known as the tallest in Africa. 

"Genetically, basketball is a sport that goes well with us," he said. His squad includes Wenyen Gabriel, who played in the NBA and now plays in Israel, and Nuni Omot, who plays in the China Basketball Association.

But there are "no resources". South Sudan's GDP per capita is the fourth-lowest in the world, after Syria, Afghanistan and Burundi. "We do have the product, but we don't have the facilities to produce great players," he said. 

Indeed, none of his Olympic squad were raised in Africa – all were relocated abroad as children, becoming part of the vast Sudanese diaspora. The team tells "the tragic story of the region and its various civil wars", said The Times. 

But it also "inspires the diaspora to return back home and do something positive", Deng told the BBC. "Since I was born, I have known nothing but conversations about war. Now we are finding a new story."

Basketball courts are already being built across the country, inspiring a new generation of players. "You know how proud every South Sudanese is when you talk about basketball," he said. "Even if they don't play basketball, they can't wait to tell you about it. It's a relief. Finally, we have something positive to say."

Caitlin Clark became the face of women's basketball as a college superstar. Her WNBA journey is proving more challenging. 

Yes, the rookie scored 30 points for her Indiana Fever on Tuesday night — but the effort came in yet another loss, this time to the Los Angeles Sparks. "It has been that kind of season so far for the former Iowa star and her new teammates," said ESPN. The Fever have lost seven of their first eight games — more defeats than her entire final year at Iowa — and Clark has occasionally appeared lost on the court. "We did some good things," Clark said of the latest loss, "and then we just kind of shot ourselves in the foot."

Some naysayers wonder if Clark was given a "premature coronation," Xavier Handy-Hamilton said at CBS Sports. But she still has lots of fans — including LeBron James, a four-time champ in the NBA. His advice to Clark? Get into a Kentucky Derby mindset. "Put your blinders on, go to work, show up to work, punch your clock in, prepare yourself, work on your game, work on your craft," he said in a recent podcast. But will fans give Clark time to adjust? 

What did the commentators say?

"It's hard to have fun when you're losing," Lindsay Schnell said at USA Today. And it's clear that the early struggles are "taking a toll" on Clark. It's a good time to remember she gets paid to play a game for a living — and remember, too, that the game is fun. The success will almost certainly follow. "All those kids in Clark shirts are waiting for it," Schnell said. "And when it happens, they'll be the most joyful of all."

"The Caitlin Clark panic should stop," Marcus Thompson II said at The Athletic. Early struggles are a natural part of any rookie player's development. The question is whether the fans she brought to the WNBA from college "will allow" her time to adjust to the pro game. We know that Clark, a basketball obsessive, will put in the practice and film study to get through the bad games and become something better. "This is a real hooper on a journey to basketball excellence."

What next?

There is good news. The arrival of Clark — and her rival, Angel Reese — has boosted the WNBA's popularity. Viewership of league games on ESPN has "surpassed last year's average by 226 percent," Vox said. "Notably, one of the biggest ratings increases the WNBA has seen is from girls between the ages of 12 to 17." Now the WNBA must figure out how to sustain the new boom and broaden interest. Caitlin Clark is a "household name," Marketplace said, "but she can't be the only one."

Clark's peers still expect great things. "I know coming to the WNBA, there's an adjustment just from the level of play and playing against the best every single night," reigning MVP Breanna Stewart told The Indianapolis Star. Clark, meanwhile, isn't paying attention to the discussion of her team's struggles, Fox News said. "To be honest, I'm not really on social media. I don't read that," she said. Her job? "Continue to show up and help this team get better." 

Nike is suspending its ties with Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving after the point guard tweeted a link to an antisemitic film, the athletic conglomerate announced Friday, and will no longer release any products bearing his name.

"At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism," the company said in a statement shared by ESPN. "To that end, we've made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer launch the Kyrie 8."

Nike added that it was "deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone."

The decision from Nike comes after Irving was condemned for sharing a link on Oct. 27 to the film Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America. The film, which is presented as a documentary, is filled with numerous antisemitic conspiracy theories and widely promotes Holocaust denial, The New York Times reported.

Irving initially refused to apologize for promulgating the film, but later reversed course and claimed he was "learning" from the situation.

Irving's deal with Nike, which was set to run through 2023, was worth an estimated $11 million per year, Forbes reported. This is not the only loss of salary that he will feel, as the Nets also suspended Irving for five games without pay following the incident, saying he was "currently unfit to be associated" with their team.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also issued a statement disavowing Irving's post and his initial refusal to apologize.

The Brooklyn Nets on Thursday suspended guard Kyrie Irving for a least five games without pay, saying he's "currently unfit to be associated" with the team after his repeated refusal to apologize for posting about an antisemitic movie last week. "Over the last several days, we have made repeated attempts to work with Kyrie Irving to help him understand the harm and danger of his words and actions," the Nets said. His refusal to "disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity" was "deeply disturbing" and constituted "conduct detrimental to the team."

Since Irving posted about Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, the NBA, the Nets, the National Basketball Players Association, and team owner Joe Tsai issued statements against antisemitism, the Nets fired coach Steve Nash, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed his disappointment that Irving's "has not offered an unqualified apology and more specifically denounced the vile and harmful content contained in the film he chose to publicize."

Irving gave it another go Thursday afternoon in a press conference, and it didn't go well. After the Nets announced the punishment, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called suspension "well-deserved" and said the ADL will no longer accept the $500,000 donation Irving announced Wednesday to support anti-hate causes with the Jewish organization.

Irving, 30, won't take the court again until at least Nov. 13, assuming he meets the conditions the Nets set for his reinstatement. The suspension will cost the all-star guard $1.25 million of his $36.9 million salary this year, The Washington Post reports.

The Las Vegas Aces won their first-ever WNBA title on Sunday, beating the Connecticut Sun 78-71 in Game 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Chelsea Gray scored 20 points, and was named Finals MVP. Riquna William had 17 points for the Aces, followed by Kelsey Plum with 16 points, Jackie Young with 13 points, and A'ja Wilson with 11 points. For the Connecticut Sun, Courtney Williams led with 17 points, with Jonquel Jones scoring 13 points and DeWanna Bonner 12 points.

"They're unbelievable on the court, but they're unbelievable humans, first and foremost," Aces coach Becky Hammon said of her team. "They care about each other. They invest in each other. It's been an absolute honor to be their coach. I saw excellence and I wanted to be a part of it."

This is the first professional title for a Las Vegas sports team, and Aces owner Mark Davis — who also owns the Las Vegas Raiders — lifted the trophy into the air before passing it along to the players. "Las Vegas, we are world champions," he said.

The NBA announced Thursday that it was retiring Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey by all 30 of the professional basketball league's teams, the first time a player has been honored this way league-wide. Players currently wearing No. 6, including Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, can continue wearing it.

Russell, who died last month at age 88, was named NBA MVP five times in his 13-year playing career. He became the first Black head coach in U.S. professional sports when he was named player-coach in 1966, and led the team to titles in 1968 and 1969. "Bill Russell's unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

Bill Russell, the Boston Celtics legend who won 11 NBA titles — including two as player-coach — and was pro basketball's first Black head coach, died on Sunday. He was 88.

In a statement, Russell's family said his wife, Jeannine, was by his side, and thanked fans for "keeping Bill in your prayers." They added it was their "hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bill's uncompromising, dignified, and always constructive commitment to principle. That would be one last, and lasting, win for our beloved #6."

The 6-foot-10 center had a prolific career that began in college, when he led the University of San Francisco's basketball team to NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956. He won gold with Team USA at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, and played with the Celtics from 1956 to 1969. He was a five-time Most Valuable Player and 12-time All-Star, and in 1980, basketball writers voted him the greatest player in NBA history. In 2011, former President Barack Obama awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Russell was a civil rights activist who attended the March on Washington in 1963 and supported Muhammad Ali when he refused the Vietnam War draft. "Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: The values of equality, respect, and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps."

Boston has had a very good 21st century when it comes to pro football and baseball. But the city's aspiration to get a second NBA championship since the 1980s fell short at Boston's TD Garden on Thursday night as the Golden State Warriors beat the Celtics in Game 6 of the finals, 103-90, to win the 2022 NBA title. This is the fourth NBA championship for the Warriors in eight years, and it caps a comeback from a series of seasons lost to injury and personnel changes.

Thursday's victory was a team effort, with five Warriors scoring in double digits and all starting players making at least two 3-pointers. But Steph Curry led the team with 34 points — his fifth 30-plus game of the series — and six 3-pointers, earning him the title of Finals MVP. "We've had so many great players," said coach Steve Kerr, "but Steph, ultimately, is why this run happens."

Four Warriors — Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala — were also part of the team when it won championships in 2015, 2017, and 2018. This is the seventh NBA title for Golden State. The Celtics have won 17, an NBA record they still hold alongside the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 100-96 in Game 7 to win the Eastern Conference finals 4-3, earning a spot in the NBA finals against the Golden State Warriors.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 26 points. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart added 24 apiece. The Celtics never trailed in the game, but had to hold off a frantic rally by the Heat, cheered by a home crowd.

Tatum, who was named MVP of the conference finals, and Brown have each made it to NBA conference titles several times, but this was the first time either made it to the championship series. The finals start Thursday in San Francisco.

The three NBA MVP finalists — Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks; Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets; and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers — have also clearly been the three best players all season. That's perhaps to be expected. What is more of a surprise is that the three best players in the NBA, as determined by the voters, include not a single American.

There have been non-American MVPs before besides Serbia's Jokić and Greece's Antetokounmpo, both previous winners — Nigerian-American Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994; German Dirk Nowitzki in 2007; and in 2006, Steve Nash (a Canadian!) — but never a top three without one. (Embiid hails from Cameroon.) The NBA has been headed in this more international direction for a while, but 2022's MVP race is a sign of just how far things have moved. The news recaps of the finalists that I read this weekend, including on ESPN.com, didn't even make note of the fact.

And why would they? Basketball isn't just an American game anymore, and no one expects it to be. Why would you want to talk about their countries of origin instead of how Jokić is the best-passing big man the league has ever seen, the unbelievable defense of Giannis, or Embiid's power in the post? Foreign players are no longer some import into the game that everyone finds a bit strange. Europeans are no longer too soft for the NBA. The whole world plays in it and the whole world provides its greatest stars.

Americans can be a bit defensive about the relationship of our sports to the rest of the world. Think of a million snide comments made about "soccer" and "football," or the weird insularity of baseball's "unwritten rules," which are quite different in Japan and Latin America. It's good to see that we've been able to spread basketball to the rest of the world and accept the contributions players from all over have to offer the game—

—wait, what's that? Basketball was invented by a Canadian? No! No!

The Kansas Jayhawks defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 72-69 on Monday night, winning the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament after erasing a 16-point deficit — the biggest comeback in title game history.

It was a suspenseful game, with Kansas trailing as much as 16 points in the first half and 15 points at halftime. Prior to Monday night, Loyola-Chicago had the biggest comeback in title game history, with the team making up a 15-point deficit against Cincinnati in 1963.

This is Kansas' fourth championship, and second under Coach Bill Self.

South Carolina is walking away with another national championship.

On Sunday night, the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Connecticut Huskies 64-49 during the NCAA women's championship title game in Minneapolis.

From the start, South Carolina dominated, and by the first quarter, the team was ahead 22-8. UConn outscored South Carolina 19-13 in the second quarter, but at the half was still behind, 35-27. By the end of the third quarter, despite the Huskies having a 10-0 run, South Carolina was still up by nine points, and remained on top.

South Carolina was led by Aliyah Boston, who finished the game with 11 points and 16 rebounds, and Destanni Henderson, who had a career-high 26 points and four assists. With this win, South Carolina becomes just the eighth program to win multiple national titles; its first championship came in 2017.

A friend of mine once told me his theory that Patriots fans have it harder than anyone else since they alone expect every season to end with a Super Bowl victory — so any season that didn't was a crushing disappointment. It just goes to show that it doesn't matter how dominant your team is; fandom is suffering.

Bandwagoning a Cinderella college basketball team for a week or two in March lets you escape all that. You have no expectations since you know the teams they're playing are 10 times better than they are. Every win is gravy. And when they lose, as inevitably they must, you already knew it was going to happen. You can leave the emotional investment behind — and more importantly, smile when remembering them a few years later.

That's how we'll look back at Saint Peter's, which had just about everything you could want in a college basketball team. There was the colorful coach, Shaheen Holloway, who, when asked about how his team overpowered a bigger Murray State team, said, "I got guys from New Jersey and New York City. You think we're scared of anything?" There were eccentrics, like Doug Edert, a guard with a Buffalo Wild Wings NIL deal and a mustache of dubious quality who claimed to have never had a sandwich. They had the requisite scrappy backstory, making it to the Elite Eight by knocking off three teams they had no business beating, all while practicing in perhaps the worst facilities of any Division I basketball program.

Then they played North Carolina on Sunday. Armando Bacot, a forward for UNC, scored 20 points, pulled down 22 rebounds, and generally did whatever he wanted to Saint Peter's in a 69-49 win. In 40 minutes, perhaps the greatest Cinderella run the NCAA tournament has seen was washed away in the rain.

Why did I get emotionally invested in the basketball team of a school I had never heard of as soon as it looked like they had a shot of knocking off Kentucky? It's because we keep the dream alive in the smallest corner of our hearts that this will be the year that Saint Peter's, or whoever it is, wins the whole thing. But it never happens. At some point, the blue bloods step in and crush the upstarts, as UNC did to Saint Peter's. As if to rub it in, the Final Four this year is about as blue-blood as it gets: Kansas, Villanova, UNC, and Duke.

Good for them. But what sticks with me from these tournaments isn't who won, but the upsets. (Quick: Who won it all the year UMBC beat Virginia? The year Loyola Chicago made the Final Four? Trick question. Those were the same year; it was Villanova.) UNC and Duke and all the other blue bloods can do all the winning they want, and they usually do. But it's not as fun, and no one but their own fans will reminisce about it a few years from now.

St. Peter's University, a Jersey City Jesuit school with around 2,600 undergraduate students, advanced to the Elite Eight after defeating No. 3 seed Purdue University in the NCAA men's basketball tournament on Friday, The New York Times reported.

The St. Peter's Peacocks beat the Purdue Boilermakers 67-64 in Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center, becoming the first No. 15-seeded team to ever reach the Elite Eight, according to ESPN.

"I got a bunch of guys that just play basketball and have fun. That's all we do," St. Peter's Coach Shaheen Holloway said in an interview after the win.

St. Peter's clinched its spot in the Sweet Sixteen after upset victories over the No. 2-seeded University of Kentucky and the No. 7-seeded Murray State, per the Times.

The Peacocks will face the University of North Carolina — the winners of the 2017 March Madness tournament and the No. 8 seed this year — on Sunday for a spot in the Final Four.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced Tuesday that Florida does not recognize transgender swimmer Lia Thomas' victory in the NCAA 500-yard women's freestyle event last Thursday, and is instead declaring Sarasota native and runner-up Emma Weyant the "rightful winner" in his state, the Miami Herald and Sarasota Herald-Tribune report.

DeSantis' reportedly unprompted remarks came during an unrelated news conference, as well as in the form of a proclamation shared on Twitter.

"We need to stop allowing organizations like the NCAA to perpetuate frauds on the public, and that's exactly what they're doing," DeSantis said during the presser, per the Miami Herald.

Thomas, a transgender woman competing for the University of Pennsylvania, has been the subject of online debate since defeating Weyant, an Olympic silver medalist and University of Virginia athlete. The victory has furthered a larger controversy about whether transgender women should be allowed to compete in women's sports, due to what some — particularly conservatives — believe is an unfair advantage.

"By allowing men to compete in women's sports, the NCAA is destroying opportunities for women, making a mockery of its championships, and perpetuating a fraud," DeSantis wrote on Twitter. "In Florida, we reject these lies and recognize Sarasota's Emma Weyant as the best women's swimmer in the 500y freestyle."

As a transgender woman, Thomas does not identify as a man.

Last year, DeSantis, who is a suspected contender for the 2024 presidential race, signed into law a bill forbidding transgender women and girls from participating in women and girls' sports, the Miami Herald notes. A number of states have also adopted similar policies.

Florida has also come under fire for a new piece of legislation critics are calling the "Don't Say Gay" bill for how it handles LGBTQ matters in classrooms.

Ryan Turell, a 6-foot-7 senior at Yeshiva University and the country's leading college basketball scorer, could soon make NBA history.

Turell, who averages 27.1 points a game and is the top scorer in Yeshiva history, told ESPN that he is forgoing his final year of college eligibility in order to enter the 2022 NBA draft. "My full intention is to play professional basketball next year," he said.

If he goes pro, Turell will become the first Orthodox Jewish player in the league. "Being the first Orthodox Jew in the NBA would mean the world to me, and a dream come true, God willing," he told ESPN. "But, just as importantly, it would mean the world to others that never saw this as a possibility."

If he becomes a professional player, Turell said he would continue to wear a yarmulke while playing and observe the Jewish Sabbath. "I want to get into as many NBA gyms as possible and show them what I can do," Turell said. "I've got to knock down shots and be a great defender and teammate."

1. What Brittney Griner’s quiet face is saying to the world

Peniel Joseph on CNN Opinion

on a ‘human rights tragedy’

News that “one of the best basketball players on the planet” is currently detained in Russia “has the sports world – and anyone concerned about the plight of Americans in Russian custody – on edge”, says Peniel Joseph at CNN Opinion. While in Russia, Brittney Griner has been detained by authorities who claim they found cannabis oil in her luggage “and accused her of smuggling a narcotic substance – an offence that carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison”. Now, Griner is “ensnared in a geopolitical chess game controlled by Russian officials at an increasingly perilous and uncertain moment”. Joseph adds that “her identity as a Black gay woman athlete facing the Russian legal system is a precarious one”, and “Americans must not look away”. Griner has become “one of the quiet faces of a human rights tragedy unfolding before the eyes of the world”.

Read more

2. Britain’s record on refugees is nothing to brag about

David Aaronovitch at The Times

on too little, too late

“And I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a Ukrainian refugee to enter the kingdom of Britain,” says David Aaronovitch at The Times. “A rich man, on the other hand, faces no such problem.” As of yesterday morning, Ireland had taken 2,500 Ukrainian refugees compared to Britain’s 760. And “those few visas we do grant are subject to a process that has to be completed outside Britain, using facilities that barely exist or that are utterly inadequate”, he continues. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent fleeing of civilians “has not been met by any kind of generosity on the part of our government”. In fact, “quite the reverse”, says Aaronovitch. “We have done as little as we could, as late as we could get away with.”

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3. I’m done being your model minority

Patricia Park at The New York Times

on attacks on Asians

Patricia Park says she “learned street smarts early”. Growing up in the Big Apple, “I kept my head down, my money in my sock and my mind on my business.” Writing in The New York Times, Park says: “It takes a lot to faze me. And yet, as an American of Korean descent, I now fear for my life.” She finds the steep rise in reported bias incidents against Asians alarming and suspects “many, many more crimes and aggressions against Asians go unreported – in part because of language barriers or immigration status, but also because of a cultural phenomenon that is intuitively understood in our communities”. That, she continues, is “the fear of disrupting our ‘model minority’ reputation”. When attacked, Asians are “expected to respond the way we have historically: stay quiet, and keep working, heads down”. Park is “tired of how Asians” in America are treated, and she’s “done” with fitting the mould of that minority “model”.

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4. The story of Endurance has a plot more gripping than any Hollywood blockbuster

Stefanie Seddon at The Independent

on Antarctic exploration

Stefanie Seddon is a self-proclaimed super-fan of ships of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Writing for The Independent, she says she builds “historically accurate wooden model” versions of them, and Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance “is my next project” – “little did I know that its namesake would be discovered this week, 107 years after it sank in an Antarctic sea”. The Heroic Age often conjures up images of “haggard men in frosted beards”, overcoming “glaciers, starvation, hope and regret”. But Seddon says “the real heroes of these stories are the ships” that transported them to the region. News that an expedition force had located the Endurance – complete with “her finest features” preserved in “astonishing detail” – has “reignited a passion for the heroics of this extraordinary age”.

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5. If you feel old, lonely and wary of the internet, do what I did – learn Zoom

Esther Rantzen in The Guardian

on staying connected

Esther Rantzen says she doesn’t want to lecture her “elders and betters”, but she thinks others might benefit from “an important lesson” she has learned in the two years since Covid hit. Writing in The Guardian, she notes that her generation can be “wary of the internet”, but that she learned to her surprise during lockdown that technology can “offer a solution” to “combat loneliness”. “If only Boris Johnson had realised, as I did, that he could use Zoom to hold parties.” Rantzen says she still does, and despite living “deep in a forest”, she feels “connected with the outside world”. “It’s up to us oldies to take the first step… and it’s worth it.” And “if at first the computer defeats us, it’s a wonderful excuse to ring up our grandchildren and ask them for help”.

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Russian state media reported over the weekend that U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was detained at the airport with cannabis vape cartridges in her suitcase, but there are no public details on when she was arrested, where she is being detained, or why she did not leave Russia with other U.S. athletes right after the country invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. The WNBA said Saturday that all of its players, except Griner, are out of Russia.

Griner has spent her entire professional career with the Phoenix Mercury, but like many WNBA players, she spends the offseason playing overseas, where basketball players can earn significantly more money. Griner has played for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2015, and she helped them win the EuroLeague Women championship last year. She is one of the world's best women's basketball players and one of the most prominent openly gay athletes.

Griner's friends, fans, fellow WNBA players, and wife are concerned that she will become a political pawn as Russia faces unprecedented global sanctions and isolation due to its Ukraine invasion. Getting her out of Russia is "going to be very difficult," Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) told CNN. "Our diplomatic relationships with Russia are nonexistent at the moment," and it's also concerning that "Russia has some very, very strict LGBT rules and laws."

"Public demands by American officials for the release of Americans detained abroad typically have little effect on foreign captors," The New York Times reports. "Such cases are frequently resolved through behind-the-scenes diplomacy," and "some analysts said that elevating the case into the political arena with angry demands could make it more difficult to resolve and put pressure on the other country to not be seen as giving in without a clear win."

Sports journalist Tamryn Spruill told CNN on Tuesday why she is trying to raise public awareness of Griner's detention anyway.

With the NBA trade deadline approaching on Thursday, the Brooklyn Nets sent former MVP James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round draft picks, ESPN reports.

Harden joined the Nets less than 13 months ago, forming a much-vaunted trio, along with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. However, due to injuries and Irving's vaccine status, they played in just 16 games together.

The much speculated-upon move also signals a fresh start for Simmons — the two-time All-Defensive Team player is sitting out all of the current season due to mental health issues following a much-discussed flameout in the 2021 playoffs. The Sixers will now move forward with a star tandem of Harden and Joel Embiid; it remains to be seen how Harden will coexist with Embiid, the current favorite for MVP.

The NBA announced on Monday that it suspended LeBron James for one game without pay and Isaiah Stewart for two games following a bloody altercation during Sunday's Lakers-Pistons game.

Lakers forward James will miss Tuesday night's game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, while center Stewart will be out during the Pistons' home game on Tuesday against Miami and Wednesday's game at Milwaukee, ESPN reports. By not playing, James will lose roughly $284,000 in salary and Stewart about $45,000.

The NBA said James was suspended for "recklessly hitting Stewart in the face and initiating an on-court altercation" and Stewart was suspended for "repeatedly and aggressively pursuing" James. The incident took place during the third quarter of Sunday's game in Detroit, when the players were at the free-throw line and jostling for position. James struck Stewart in the face, and after being led away by teammates, a bloodied Stewart tried to run toward James. Both players were ejected from the game.

This is James' first suspension in his 19 year-career, ESPN reports. The Lakers and Pistons are set to play again in Los Angeles next weekend.

The NBA is launching a comprehensive investigation into Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, after ESPN published a report on Thursday containing claims that he has routinely made racist and misogynistic comments.

In a statement, NBA Executive Vice President of Communications Mike Bass called the allegations "extremely serious," adding that both the NBA and WNBA "remain committed to providing a respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees. Once the investigation is completed, its findings will provide the basis for any league action."

ESPN writer Baxter Holmes spoke with more than 70 former and current Suns employees, including a co-owner, for the report. Many of the people interviewed described a "toxic and sometimes hostile workplace," where Sarver allegedly used the N-word, made lewd comments, and discussed his sex life during meetings. One former Suns executive told Holmes that there is "literally nothing you could tell me about [Sarver] from a misogynistic or race standpoint that would surprise me."

Through his legal team, Sarver denied calling anyone the N-word, and said he would "entirely welcome an impartial NBA investigation which may prove our only outlet for clearing my name and the reputation of an organization of which I'm so very proud." He was also defended by Suns President and CEO Jason Rowley, who called him "a hard-driving, competitive, and compassionate man."

Former Suns head coach Earl Watson was willing to go on the record for the article, and said in a statement released Thursday afternoon that he applauded the "courage of the numerous players, executives, and staffers for fighting toxic environments of racial insensitivity, sexual harassment, and micro-aggressions with their truth."

The Chicago Sky won the franchise's first WNBA championship on Sunday, defeating the Phoenix Mercury 80-74 in Game 4.

Allie Quigley scored 26 points for the Sky, making five 3-pointers, followed by Candace Parker with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Kahleah Copper, who averaged 17 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Sky during the series, was named Finals MVP.

"I've never been one to say I don't have anything if I don't win a championship," Quigley said after the game. "But I also know how much it means if you do have one. I feel like you're elite when you have a championship. It's just something in your legacy that makes you special."

Unique New York, Peter Piper, and now...Moses Moody?

During the NBA Draft on Thursday, ESPN commentator Kendrick Perkins unintentionally invented a new tongue twister after struggling on-air to pronounce the name of Golden State Warriors' No. 14 pick, Moses Moody, reports Mediaite.

The University of Arkansas Razorbacks, the college team from which Moody was drafted, made sure to poke some fun at the analyst on Twitter, but Perkins took the gaffe in stride. Don't worry — he reportedly made a full recovery later, and was able to say Moody's name without issue, per Mediaite.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo on Wednesday decided to celebrate his team's NBA title-clinching Game 6 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night in wholesome fashion.

Antetokounmpo rolled up to a Milwaukee-area Chick-fil-A (with his Finals and series MVP trophies in tow) and ordered a whopping 50 "chicken minis" at the drive-thru, a clear nod to his 50-point performance in the close-out game. He captured the moment on Instagram, as an unfazed Chick-fil-A employee happily jotted down what was surely a unique request without a second thought.

While Antetokounmpo received the order, he unfortunately wasn't so lucky when it came to scoring free Chick-fil-A for life, despite his heroics on the court last night. "That's why I signed in Milwaukee," he said, jokingly expressing his disappointment. It seems likely he'll shake it off.

The Milwaukee Bucks won their first championship title in 50 years on Monday night, beating the Phoenix Suns 105-98 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The Suns won the first two gams of the series, and the Bucks are now only the fifth NBA team to come back and win the championship from a 0-2 deficit. Much of the credit for their victory is due to Giannis Antetokounmpo, the series MVP, who scored 50 points and had 14 rebounds and five blocked shots Monday night. This was his third game this series with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds, and his first NBA Finals.

Chris Paul, making his first NBA Finals appears in 16 seasons, scored 26 points for the Suns on Monday, and Devin Booker had 19 points. Game 6 was played in Milwaukee.

The Bucks and Suns both entered the NBA in 1968 as expansion teams, and the Bucks won their only other championship in 1971, led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — then named Lew Alcindor — and Oscar Robertson. The Suns last played in the Finals in 2010 and have never won a title.

The NBA may be headed toward an unusually unpredictable slate of conference finals games this postseason.

The Kevin Durant-led Brooklyn Nets have been the favorite to take home the title most of the year, and they're still standing, but they're facing elimination in a Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Easter Conference semifinals on Saturday night. The other Eastern conference series, a back-and-forth affair between the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers, will also require a decisive seventh game. Meanwhile, in the Western Conference finals, the upstart Phoenix Suns will face the Los Angeles Clippers, and both teams may be without their respective superstars Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard, making what was already likely to be a competitive series even more of a toss up.

A Brooklyn title run still feels like the safe bet, but if Milwaukee upsets the superstar-laden squad on the road Saturday, the remaining field will be wide open. Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Los Angeles are excellent teams that have championship aspirations, but they're evenly matched and any potential Finals combination seems plausible.

Regardless of the outcome, though, the league will get some fresh faces in the Finals. Phoenix hasn't been to the big stage since 1993 and has never won a title, the Clippers have never even won their conference, and Milwaukee and Philadelphia haven't won a championship since 1971 and 1983, respectively. The Nets also don't have an NBA title, and the last time they made the Finals they were still playing in New Jersey. The Hawks won all the back in 1958, when they played in St. Louis.

Imagine if corporate America entrusted business reporters with choosing which CEOs get the fattest bonuses. Or if Hollywood assigned film critics to pick the actors who can receive top pay. Or if the NBA tasked media members with voting on which basketball players can obtain the most lucrative contracts. Giving journalists such unfathomable power over the earnings of people they cover would constitute a flagrant conflict of interest, right?

Not in the NBA's eyes. Earlier this month, 100 reporters, columnists, and broadcasters submitted their ballots for the 15 best players out of the league's roughly 450 to form this season's All-NBA teams, which will make some of the honorees eligible for an eight-figure raise. Many journalists agonize over the fact that their decisions can make or cost a player up to $80 million; others seem thrilled to hold such sway over basketball owners' checkbooks. But eligibility for "supermax" contracts has to be determined somehow, and as Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told me, "I don't know of a better way."

The NBA's owners and players met four years ago to address a growing problem: stars ditching the teams that drafted them as quickly as they chuck towels on the sideline. Every team was constrained by the same salary cap and couldn't pay any single player more than the maximum contract, worth up to 30 percent of the cap. So, if the Utah Jazz drafted a player who blossomed into a star, the Jazz had no leverage to keep him from fleeing Salt Lake as soon as his rookie deal expired. The NBA's controversial solution was to give the Jazz in that scenario the exclusive right to offer a supermax contract, worth 35 percent of the cap — or tens of millions more than rivals can bid. In order to qualify for a supermax, a player must make the All-NBA team in the most recent season, or in two of the past three. (Stars named Most Valuable Player or Defensive Player of the Year are eligible, too.) The league also made young All-NBA honorees still under their rookie deal eligible for extremely lucrative pay bumps.

Suddenly, All-NBA became the most consequential award in sports. There's no doubt the 10 superstars who make the first and second teams every year will fetch the most eye-popping salaries possible. But the All-NBA third team, previously an afterthought, now has league insiders biting their nails. Two years ago, Charlotte Hornets star Kemba Walker was one of two guards named to the third team, barely beating out Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors and Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards thanks to a handful of votes from journalists like the Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang and the Memphis Commercial Appeal's David Cobb. Charlotte now had the chance to re-sign Walker for $80 million more over the course of a multi-year deal than competitors were able to offer, while Beal and Thompson potentially lost out on roughly $30 million. When Thompson got the news during a media scrum he bowed his head and closed his eyes, visibly pained by the snub.

"You'd be naive to think politics doesn't play into a lot of these decisions," Beal's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told me. Wanting no part of that, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Indianapolis Star prohibit their staffs from voting, and several journalists at other outlets have stopped participating. Those who do vote are well aware of what's at stake. ESPN writers Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon spent a recent podcast assessing the 35 or so players this season with a shot at being named All-NBA. MacMahon pointed out that two young stars in the mix, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, have up to $32 million riding on the vote, "not that that should impact anyone's decision." Windhorst disagreed, to his co-host's disbelief.

"My policy has been if it's a tie, I'm giving it to the guy who's getting the extra $30 million," Windhorst told me afterward. For a deeply sourced reporter like Windhorst, the final weeks of the season provide an amusing role-reversal: a deluge of calls from agents lobbying on behalf of their clients. When we spoke, Windhorst had just received a lengthy text from an agent making an All-NBA argument with the level of detail he might bring to a contract negotiation.

"It's so much money, I can't believe the players themselves aren't writing every single voter a note," Windhorst said, "or sending them all a gift card — not that I endorse bribery." He's not worried that voting against a player, agent, or team's interests could cost him access down the line. "If a source would hold my objective view of the league against me," he says, "we're not going to have a very long relationship."

Some voters spend dozens of hours stressing over their ballot, studying advanced statistics and canvassing assistant coaches and scouts for advice. "I take it very seriously," Sports Illustrated's Howard Beck told me. "Whatever people think of the media, we are comparatively, and indisputably, the most objective body to assess these honors."

After all, what's the alternative? Team general managers, who'd face much more serious conflicts of interest? Players, notorious for goofing around when voting for the all-star game? Fans, who would stuff the ballot box for home-team favorites and stars who play the most games on national TV?

The NBA stopped giving votes to local TV announcers employed by teams a few years ago, bowing to criticism of these voters' inherent bias. However, the league does send about 30 ballots to its national broadcasting partners, ESPN and Turner. One writer in each of the league's 28 markets gets a vote, as do several reporters from foreign outlets like the Italian tabloid La Gazzetta dello Sport and the Chinese conglomerate Tencent. Ballots are collected and counted by the accounting firm Ernst & Young, meaning nobody knows the award recipients until they're announced during the playoffs.

The list of each season's voters is supposedly kept secret until the awards are revealed, but the league gives the list to teams seeking to lobby for their players. (And teams invariably pass the list to agents.) Team officials often phone voters and send them video highlights and stat sheets, and team PR departments are famous for mailing gimmicky campaign freebies: a plush doll of Anthony Davis, a hard-bound book with a screen inside playing James Harden's highlights, a brush and paint bucket advertising how Al Jefferson was dominant in the painted area underneath the basket. This season, All-Rookie contender Jae'Sean Tate of the Houston Rockets worked with a local coffee company to send media voters a bag of his custom brew, and the Philadelphia 76ers spent thousands of dollars to produce custom trading cards for four players contending for awards.

Most of this extravagant campaigning, however, is for awards honoring rookies, coaches, or defensive specialists. Team lobbying for All-NBA honors is strangely subdued — perhaps because some teams have reason to silently root against their players. Having a player named All-NBA can force owners to shell out a supermax contract, which in turn forces the team to cut costs elsewhere on the roster to stay under the salary cap. Chris Hine, who covers the Glen Taylor-owned Minnesota Timberwolves for the Taylor-owned Minneapolis Star-Tribune, voted last season but opted out this year. Taylor sold the Timberwolves this month, likely to the relief of Star-Tribune staff.

(If all this sounds like a recipe for trouble, it could be worse: In 2007, Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling signed a contract promising him a $1 million bonus if he earned a single baseball writer's vote for the Cy Young award, leading Schilling to joke that he should just "bribe" a voter. The writers association retaliated by making players with vote-based bonuses ineligible for awards.)

This year's final All-NBA spots could easily be decided by a single-digit vote margin. A pandemic-shortened season in which dozens of players missed games due to COVID-19 protocols turned the brutally imperfect science of filling out a ballot into a virtual crapshoot. There are legitimate cases that the final guard spot should go to any one of Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Zach LaVine, Trae Young, Bradley Beal, Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, or Jrue Holiday. Mitchell has the most riding on the outcome — $32,600,120, to be exact.

Several journalists told me they deeply resent being responsible for players' earning potential, but voting for something as prestigious as All-NBA honors is too special to pass up. Players recognize that, short of winning MVP, being named All-NBA is the sport's greatest individual achievement. Sixers center Joel Embiid learned he was left off the third team last year while his first child was being born, and Embiid has said it took him a while to overcome his disappointment and focus on bigger events at hand.

ESPN's Jackie MacMullan, one of the league's most respected and well-connected reporters, says voting can feel like more trouble than it's worth. She had inside access to a player but, after a recent season, decided to leave him off her All-NBA ballot. "He hasn't spoken to me since," MacMullan says.

This kind of voting, she added, "is not for the faint of heart."

This year's NBA postseason feels as wide open as any in recent memory, which means there's plenty of opportunity for franchises, coaches, and players to get over the playoff hump. Here are a few storylines to watch before the first round gets underway Saturday.

Lob City alumni — From 2011 to 2017, the Los Angeles Clippers had championship aspirations, but their star trio — Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan — and coach, Doc Rivers, never made it past the second round. Now, Paul is the leader of a young Phoenix Suns team that finished as the No. 2 seed in the West, Rivers is on the sidelines for the East's top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, and Jordan and Griffin are role players now for the Brooklyn Nets, the Vegas favorites. This might finally be the year someone from "Lob City" gets a ring.

Ex-MVPs — Former MVP James Harden is one of the most prolific scorers of his era, but he's come under fire in some circles for his performance in big games, having failed to reach the Finals during his tenure with the Houston Rockets. Many expect him to get there this year with the Nets, flanked by Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, but the scrutiny may be more intense than ever. The Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo is in a similar boat — he's younger than Harden, but there are already rumblings about the two-time MVP's playoff resume, especially after last season's surprising second-round exit against the Miami Heat. He'll have a shot at revenge in the first round.

Knicks fans — Unlike the aforementioned teams and players, the New York Knicks have virtually no shot of winning the title this year. But their first round series against the Atlanta Hawks is still highly anticipated. It's been what feels like eons since the Knicks were good, so earning the No. 4 seed in the East is a big deal for their long-suffering fanbase, especially since many experts predicted they'd be terrible again this year. The Knicks are playing with house money, but a series win might feel like a championship for the Madison Square Garden faithful.

At a glance, a partnership between Marvel and ESPN makes perfect sense.

Both comic books and sports rely on the simple narrative tension of a good guy (my team) and a bad guy (their team). Both endlessly recycle the same format over and over again: Watching a game never gets boring, the same way watching chiseled actors named Chris fight aliens on a green screen never wears out. Both co-opt the language of war to tell their stories (and both sports and superhero movies are, unsurprisingly, used as recruiting tools by the U.S. military). And both cater to diehard fans, who will tattoo franchise logos on their biceps and dress their toddlers in size-appropriate swag and spend ridiculous amounts of money based on nothing more than an emotional connection to something with no real-world consequences.

And both, of course, are owned by Disney.

But even if the partnership between two of the biggest properties in the world makes sense, that didn't stop the Marvel-themed NBA broadcast from getting wickedly dunked on when it was first announced a little over a week ago. "This is one of the worst — yet utterly hilarious — sporting/broadcasting ideas I've ever heard, and we're hot on the heels of the European Super League," responded sportswriter Raj Bains. "I am the exact target audience for this and could not want to watch anything less," wrote Eagles blogger Shamus Clancy. Offered Philadelphia-based sports reporter Daniel Gallen, "we do not have to do this."

As an individual test case, the "Arena of Heroes" game (as it was called) that aired on ESPN 2 and ESPN+ on Monday night was indeed befuddling, awkward, and forced, full of distracting bells and whistles that would make "real sports fans" switch immediately to the traditional broadcast that was prominently advertised, to anyone who'd gotten lost, as being available on normal ESPN. But the Marvel/ESPN/NBA crossover also showed promise as what could very well end up being the sports broadcasting of tomorrow.

What had initially sparked my curiosity about the experiment, when I first heard of it, was how it seemed designed to lower some of the more insidious gatekeeping that's part and parcel of traditional sports fandom ("you're a Warriors fan? Okay, then tell me Steph Curry's career three-point shooting percentage"). The Arena of Heroes broadcast seemed aimed at tapping Marvel fans who might not otherwise be the usual audience for something like a basketball game (nerds and jocks having long been positioned on opposite poles of the cultural spectrum).

To do that, the broadcast imposed a fictional narrative on the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Golden State Warriors — a narrative that was, notably, entirely divorced from the must-win stakes for the two teams as the postseason approaches. Though even the game's commentators seemed at times a little hazy on the plot details, the premise was essentially that the made-up Avengers from the movies are real and live in our universe, and that they need someone to join their superhero team. The best way to find their new recruit, the heroes decide, is to award "hero points" to six of the star players participating in the Warriors-Pelicans game, Space Jam-style; the player who comes out on top gets to join the Avengers. (The cynic in me couldn't help but notice that for all the pats on the back Marvel has given itself as of late over its promotion of female superheroes, the Avengers nevertheless turned to men's sports for scouting their recruit).

To be sure, the flaws in the ensuing broadcast were plentiful. The "hero point" system for evaluating the players, for example, didn't correspond to real-world value; an assist and a rebound are not qualitatively the same, though they both earned one point. The commentary itself could be painfully strained, as Angélique Roché — the in-game Marvel expert — tried to find dubious connections to basketball (superheros and athletes … both need training?), just as basketball commentators Ryan Ruocco and Richard Jefferson attempted to connect the game in some convoluted way back to superheroes. Occasionally, it actually worked: Ruocco's play call of "ohhhh! Wakanda forever!" during Black Panther-endorsed Andrew Wiggins' strong fourth quarter was weirdly delightful.

But often it felt more like listening to people talk about superheroes while a game played in the background. A split-screen mid-game interview with new Captain America actor Anthony Mackie seemed to implicitly suggest the game wasn't interesting enough on its own to warrant being the focus of attention. There was virtually no analysis of the game at all during halftime; instead, the break was used to air a new Loki trailer. The commentary seemed further kneecapped by the requirement to talk about the otherwise meaningless hero points, and some of the more poorly rendered graphics (Iron Man sitting on the shot clock — why?) took you out of the game if you'd managed to get into it at all.

If the inaugural Arena of Heroes was a bust in many respects, the premise itself nevertheless showed upside. For the most part, all of the failings are pretty easy fixes. Future broadcasts should ditch the forced real world "plot," and the themed commentary shouldn't come at such an obvious expense to insightful analysis. Clean up the graphics. And the producers should better evaluate who their intended audience is: Was the broadcast meant to engage kids specifically, as its relative simplicity seemed to suggest? Could there be a way to make the commentary more advanced, so preexisting NBA fans could enjoy it more, too?

Because one thing is for sure: Themed broadcasts aren't going away. Earlier this year, the NFL teamed with CBS and Nickelodeon to produce a SpongeBob-themed broadcast for kids, which was widely considered to be an enormous success. Disney is already making its next outing on Tuesday night, with a Star Wars-themed broadcast of the MLB game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees — this time as ESPN's main game feed. Even the NBA crossover on Monday seemed, in the end, to have gone over positively with many people watching at home; there appeared to be more pleasantly surprised reactions under the hashtag #ArenaOfHeroes than jokes. "My 7-year-old watched more hoops with me tonight than any night since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals," one dad tweeted.

There is still plenty to be skeptical about when Disney — which has a monopoly on some of the biggest cultural properties, between ESPN, Star Wars, and Marvel — begins experimenting by blending them together. But it is actually the fragmentation of culture that makes themed broadcasting a visionary experiment at this juncture. The one-size-fits-all approach to commentary is increasingly outdated when streaming is an option: Think of a future where there are more frequent sabermetrics-heavy broadcasts for stat-heads, the option to follow commentary with a focus on female athletes, and more Marvel-themed options to make game day exciting for entire families.

Disney has every incentive to make the most ambitious crossover event in history work. They're clearly not quite there yet, and it's going to take a lot more effort to convince native basketball fans to make the jump to a nontraditional broadcast down the line. But even if the Arena of Heroes had its visible aches and pains, it also showed glimpses of massive potential. One day, we may very well look back at the Arena of Heroes not as a goofy tie-in, but as an origin story.

LaMarcus Aldridge of the Brooklyn Nets has unexpectedly announced he's retiring from the NBA over a health issue, revealing "one of the scariest things I've experienced" occurred during his last game.

Aldridge, who just signed with the Nets in March, announced Thursday he will retire from the NBA after 15 years. He explained that during his most recent game, he "played while dealing with an irregular heartbeat," and it "really worried me even more" when his "rhythm got even worse" later that evening.

"The next morning, I told the team what was going on and they were great getting me to the hospital and getting me checked out," he said. "Though I'm better now, what I felt with my heart that night was still one of the scariest things I've experienced."

For that reason, the 35-year-old said it's "time to put my health and family first" and retire. Before signing with the Brooklyn Nets, Aldridge previously played for the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers, and he was the second overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, notes TMZ. Aldridge had missed the Nets' most recent two games, according to ESPN.

Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks said the team "fully supports" Aldridge's decision, as "his health and well being are far more important than the game of basketball." Aldridge concluded his announcement by telling fans that "you never know when something will come to an end, so make sure you enjoy it everyday." He added, "I can truly say I did just that."

Top-seeded Stanford narrowly defeated No. 3 Arizona, 54-53, in the NCAA women's basketball championship Sunday night, giving the team its third national championship — and first since 1992.

Haley Jones scored 17 points and had eight rebounds for Stanford, with Lexie Hull and Cameron Brink following behind with 10 points each. Arizona's Aari McDonald finished the game with 22 points, but missed a three-pointer right at the buzzer.

With 1,125 victories under her belt, Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer — who also led the team to titles in 1990 and 1992 — has the most wins in women's college basketball history.

Elgin Baylor, the NBA legend who starred for 14 seasons for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers, died Monday, the Lakers announced. He was 86. The Lakers said Baylor died of natural causes at his home, surrounded by his wife and daughter.

Baylor has been credited with helping transform professional basketball. A high flyer with a sweet stroke, he helped usher in a new era of faster-paced hoops. He's still considered one of the greatest players of all time, earning 11 All Star nods throughout his career, and leading the Lakers to eight finals appearances (he retired in the middle of the 1971-2 season, when the Lakers won the title, because of injuries.)

Baylor's numbers are eye-popping to this day. His most impressive season probably came in 1961-2, when he averaged more than 38 points and just under 19 rebounds, all while serving in the Army. Tim O'Donnell

March Madness is finally back. The NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball tournaments were probably the most significant American sporting events to get completely wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic last year. The NBA playoffs and The Masters, for example, were postponed and eventually completed in the fall. There were no makeup dates for the tournaments, though, which was especially brutal considering the seniors who were about to begin their final March run. But all systems are go this year, and the men's 68-team field will be announced Sunday night at 6 p.m. ET on CBS (the women's bracket will be unveiled Monday night at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN).

So, if you haven't checked up on college hoops much this year, but want to win your office pool, start with the fact that it's been a pretty atypical year, regardless of the pandemic. Traditional powerhouses, or "bluebloods," like Duke and Kentucky had rough seasons. The latter certainly won't make the tournament after going 9-16, and Duke will likely be on the outside looking in, as well, especially after Georgetown and Oregon State unexpectedly won the Big East and Pac-12 tournaments, respectively, meaning they'll steal two bids.

Another mainstay, Michigan State, should sneak in, but will probably be a double-digit seed. North Carolina and Kansas, meanwhile, had solid seasons and are tournament locks, but aren't considered to be among the upper echelon of contenders, which includes quite a few upstart programs.

Undefeated Gonzaga is the heavy favorite, while Michigan, Baylor, and Illinois — a program that hasn't made the tournament since 2013 — are primed to grab the three remaining no. 1 seeds, in some order. The rest of the contenders may read more like a list of teams competing for the College Football Playoff, but you don't have your sports mixed up. Alabama, Arkansas, Ohio State, Iowa, Texas, and Oklahoma State are all very much in the mix. Check out ESPN's bracket projections here.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar agrees with fellow NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley that at least some current professional hoops players should jump the COVID-19 vaccine line, but his reasoning differs significantly.

Barkley caused a stir last month when he suggested NBA players "deserve some preferential treatment" regarding vaccinations because they pay a lot in taxes due to their high salaries. In a Monday op-ed for The New York Times, Abdul-Jabbar — who at age 73 has already been vaccinated — writes that while that is simply "untrue," there is an altruistic case for inoculations within the league, even though healthy athletes in their 20s and 30s typically wouldn't be close to prioritization.

"Certain populations," including African-Americans and adults under the age of 35, "are reluctant to be vaccinated," Abdul-Jabbar notes. There's reason for that, he adds, especially within the Black community, which has historically received "lower-quality health care than white people" and been subjected to nefarious medical studies in the past. But "that is why we can waste no time promoting legitimate role models," like NBA players, who appeal to both the under-35 and African-American demographics, Abdul-Jabbar argues. If LeBron James or Stephen Curry, for instance, were to publicly post their vaccinations on social media, he writes, they will help convince people the shots "are safe and necessary." Read more at The New York Times.

After violating the NBA's COVID-19 protocols, Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving has been hit with a $50,000 fine.

Irving was fined after video apparently showed the NBA star maskless at an indoor birthday party, The New York Times reports. NBA players are prohibited from attending indoor gatherings of 15 or more people under the league's health and safety protocols.

The NBA in a statement cited the "private indoor party" as the reason for Irving's fine, also saying he'll "forfeit salary for any games he misses due to his five-day quarantine period, which will allow him to return to team activities on Saturday, Jan 16 if he continues to test negative." As a result, USA Today reports, Irving will be forfeiting over $800,000 for two games. He last played on Jan. 5.

The step, The Associated Press notes, comes after James Harden previously faced a $50,000 fine in December for a violation of the NBA's health and safety protocols. Harden was acquired by the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat 106-93 on Sunday night in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, giving the team its first title since 2010 and 17th championship overall.

LeBron James led the way with 28 points and 14 rebounds, and was named the NBA Finals MVP. James joined the Lakers in 2018, and this is his first championship win with the team and fourth in total. It was a tough year for the Lakers, with legendary player Kobe Bryant dying in January and the coronavirus pandemic upending the season, and James said this win "means a lot. It means a lot to represent this franchise. I told [co-owner] Jeanie [Buss] when I came here that I was going to put this franchise back to where it belongs. We just want our respect. And I want my damn respect."

The Lakers are now tied with the Boston Celtics for most titles by an NBA team.

The NBA Finals are always high stakes, but there are several storylines behind the seven game series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat that tips off Wednesday night that could turn it into a particularly memorable showdown.

Friends-turned-nemeses — LeBron James will don the Lakers purple and gold against the Heat, whom he helped lead to back-to-back titles during his four-year stint in South Beach that ended in 2014. James' decision to leave the Heat and return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who drafted him 2003, was received warmly around the league and paid off when he won he brought a ring to Ohio in 2016, but Miami fans still have a sour taste in their mouths, and James' relationship with Heat president, Pat Riley, has reportedly diminished after the abrupt departure. James has downplayed the personal aspect of the series, but there is history there.

It's about time — Most franchises wouldn't be too concerned about a 10-year gap between Finals appearances, but the Lakers are different. They've been to 32 Finals throughout their history, the most of any team in the NBA, but it's been a decade since they made it this far and won their last championship behind the late Kobe Bryant, whose presence will certainly loom over the series.

Legacies — Any postseason series James plays in at this point in his Hall of Fame career has an affect on his legacy, but securing another ring would go a long way. James has made nine of the last 10 NBA finals, including this year's, but some of his critics still knock him for going 3-6 in his previous appearances. A title would also likely throw James' co-star Anthony Davis into a conversation about the best big men of all time. On the Miami side, Erik Spoelstra is continuing to cement himself as one of the league's great coaches, and their leader Jimmy Butler is trying to establish that he's capable of being the centerpiece on a title-winning team.

The NBA went on strike for a couple of days last week in response to the police shooting of yet another unarmed Black American, Jacob Blake. Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers put the shooting into a broader political context on Tuesday, and The Lincoln Project turned his comments into a political ad released Sunday. But they didn't do much, just adding some background music and images from the Republican National Convention and America in 2020 and letting Rivers do all the talking.

"It's just so sad, just watching the Republican convention, and they're spewing this fear," Rivers said. "Donald Trump and all of them, talking about fear. We're the ones getting killed, we're the ones getting shot. All you do is keep hearing about fear. It's amazing to me why we keep loving this country and this country does not love us back."

"You don't need to be black to be outraged," Rivers said, and The Lincoln Project highlighted. "You need to be American and outraged."

Clifford Robinson, an 18-year NBA veteran, has died, the University of Connecticut men's basketball program confirmed Saturday. He was 53. The cause of death was not immediately known, but Robinson had dealt with health issues in recent years, suffering a stroke in 2017 and having a tumor removed from his jaw in 2018.

Robinson starred at UConn and helped bring them to prominence in the days before they became a basketball powerhouse. The Huskies won the National Invitation Tournament in 1988 with Robinson. UConn retired Robinson's jersey in 2007. "He was our first great player," former UConn head coach Jim Calhoun said, adding that Robinson "was a good man, had a great career, and was instrumental in a lot of the great things that happened at UConn."

Picked in the second round of the 1989 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, Robinson enjoyed a long and fruitful career in the NBA. He spent eight seasons in Portland, and suited up for the Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, and the then-New Jersey Nets. His brightest years, though, came with the Blazers — in 1993 he won the Sixth Man of the Year Award and followed that up with an All-Star appearance in 1994.

The NBA playoffs are officially set to resume tomorrow, and the league has just unveiled details of its agreement with players.

National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts and National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver on Friday announced that NBA playoff games will resume on Aug. 29. Numerous games were postponed this week after the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, though on Thursday, reports emerged that players had agreed to continue the season. This decision, the Friday statement said, was made "with the understanding" that the league will enact several commitments.

First, the statement said, the NBA and its players will establish a social justice coalition that will be "focused on a broad range of issues" including increased access to voting and police and criminal justice reform.

Additionally, the announcement said that in "every city where the league franchise owns and controls the arena property," team governors will work with election officials to convert facilities into voting locations for the 2020 presidential election, and "if a deadline has passed, team governors will work with local elections officials to find another election-related use for the facility, including but not limited to voter registration and ballot receiving boards."

Finally, the NBA will also work to include ads during games "dedicated to promoting greater civic engagement" in elections and "raising awareness around voter access and opportunity," the statement said.

After Wednesday's boycotts, the NBA also postponed games that were scheduled for Thursday. Initially, it was unclear whether the playoffs might not resume at all, as The Washington Post reported there was a "charged meeting" on Wednesday night "in which some players expressed a desire to stop playing in the bubble and return home."

Following Wednesday's strike, the NBA playoffs are reportedly set to resume.

NBA players have agreed to resume the postseason after the Milwaukee Bucks led a boycott on Wednesday over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, The Washington Post and ESPN report.

According to the Post, players from the 13 teams in the Orlando bubble met to discuss whether to cancel the rest of the playoffs in the wake of this week's strike, and ultimately, they "decided to continue playing." However, the games scheduled for Thursday are expected to be postponed, both outlets reported.

The Bucks on Wednesday boycotted Game 5 in their NBA playoff series against the Orlando Magic in response to the shooting of Blake, with Bucks guard George Hill telling The Undefeated, "we're tired of the killings and the injustice." Three games that were set to take place on Wednesday were ultimately postponed as other teams joined the Bucks, and it was unclear whether the remainder of the season might be called off.

After these recent meetings, though, ESPN writes that a "resumption of the season could come as soon as Friday, but there is expected to be a return to the play by the weekend." Two players from each NBA team, ESPN also reports, are set to attend another meeting on Thursday to finalize details, as well as to "formulate action plans to address racial injustice issues."

President Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner is planning to reach out to LeBron James about the NBA strike, as he says in multiple interviews the players are "fortunate" that they can "take a night off from work."

Kushner on Thursday spoke about NBA teams this week refusing to play in protest of the recent police shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, telling CNBC the players are "very fortunate that they have the financial position where they're able to take a night off from work without having to have the consequences to themselves financially. So they have that luxury, which is great."

He also called for "actual action" from the NBA players, telling Politico in a separate interview that he will be reaching out to the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James today. James is one of the founders of a voting rights organization that recently announced an effort to push for more poll workers in the 2020 presidential election, one of a number of actions it has taken in recent months. The Lakers reportedly voted to boycott the rest of the NBA season.

Meanwhile, another member of the Trump administration, Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff Marc Short, dismissed the NBA strike entirely on Thursday while suggesting the White House doesn't care about it.

"I don't know that you're going to see the administration weigh in on that one way or the other," Short told CNN. "In my mind, it's absurd and silly." Brendan Morrow

The WNBA on Wednesday postponed games in solidarity with with protests across the country and strikes in other sports leagues, including the NBA, in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday.

At first, reports indicated the WNBA was planning a unique form of protest, in which games would go on, but play would stop every seven minutes. Ultimately, the games were called off.

Players from six of the league's teams — the Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Minnesota Lynx, Connecticut Sun, Phoenix Mercury, and Los Angeles Sparks — joined together at the league's bubble site in Bradenton, Florida, and took a knee while wearing shirts that spelled out "Jacob Blake."

The back of the shirts were also designed to appear as if they were riddled with bullet holes, a reference to the fact that Blake was shot multiple times in the back. Tim O'Donnell

Kenny Smith, a former NBA player who now works as an analyst for TNT's Inside the NBA, took off his mic and left the show's desk live on air Wednesday in solidarity with NBA players who are boycotting their playoff games in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday.

Smith was in the TNT studio Wednesday, along with show host Ernie Johnson and fellow former NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley, to discuss the boycotts when he said he hadn't talked to any of the players, but came to the realization that "for me, as a Black man, as a former player, I think it's best for me to support the players and just not be here tonight." He then stood up and walked off set. Tim O'Donnell

The Milwaukee Bucks' boycott of an NBA playoff game — to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin — is a historic moment in American culture, instantly taking its place alongside such acts of conscience as Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in a "Black Power" salute at the 1968 Olympics, or Muhammad Ali's refusal to be inducted into the armed forces during the Vietnam War.

But the boycott also takes place on the third night of the Republican National Convention — which is expected to feature "law and order" themes in support of America's police officers in the midst of Black Lives Matter protests.

Michael McHale, president of the National Association of Police Organizations, is one of the featured speakers. His group endorsed President Trump last month, citing Trump's support "during this time of unfair and inaccurate opprobrium being directed at our members by so many." Another speaker: Vice President Mike Pence, who once attended an NFL game for the express purpose of leaving when players kneeled during the national anthem to protest police violence.

Those speeches might look very different in light of the Bucks boycott, which was quickly joined by the other five NBA teams scheduled to play Wednesday and looks likely to spread even further. (The Milwaukee Brewers, Wisconsin's MLB team, also decided not to play, a decision that was supported by their opponents, the Cincinnati Reds.)

Kneeling, wearing "Black Lives Matter" shirts on the benches, and other visual tributes have all been standard practice in the NBA since "bubble" games started this summer after the death of George Floyd ignited a new round of BLM protests. Those gestures are no longer shocking. So there was a sense among players, after the shooting of Blake, that it was time for more dramatic action.

"At the end of the day, if we're gonna sit here and talk about making change, then at some point we're gonna have to put our nuts on the line and actually put something up to lose, rather than just money or visibility," Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said Tuesday. "We've gotta take responsibility as well. Like, what are we willing to give up?"

By acting now, the NBA's players offer a counterpoint to the GOP's police-oriented themes tonight. They could also momentarily steal the spotlight away from Donald Trump. For this president, that might be the bigger offense.

After a long, long wait, the NBA's postseason has arrived, and, as always, intriguing storylines are bountiful. Here are three to keep an eye on:

The bubble effect - The NBA's Orlando bubble has been the major storyline since play picked up again following the league's coronavirus pandemic-related hiatus. Now, the big question is what the manufactured home court advantage will mean. Crowd noise is pumped into give the "home" team an advantage, and those teams have won games after the restart at the same clip they did in the regular season, but it's a small sample size. Could this lead to more upsets, or will higher seeds still have that advantage?

Are the Lakers in trouble? - LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are still one of the favorites to win the title, but they've looked a little shaky since they got to Orlando, going 2-5 in their tune up games. There's reason to believe it was a fluke; the team had all but locked up the Western Conference's no. 1 seed and was shaking off months of rust. But their opponents, the Portland Trail Blazers, are one of the league's hottest teams, led by one of its hottest players, Damian Lillard. They'll likely be tired from the furious run to sneak into the playoffs, but they're also more talented than their record lets on and there's a sense among NBA analysts they could give the Lakers a real fight.

Can Toronto repeat? — It's been a strange year for the defending NBA champions. Nobody expected the Toronto Raptors to remain a true contender after losing Kawhi Leonard to free agency, but the team barely skipped a beat, winning 53 games and locking up the Eastern Conference's no. 2 seed. Leonard is gone, but Pascal Siakim has taken over as the team's star and he's flanked by several other veterans, all of whom have championship experience. Toronto has a chance to become one of the most unlikely repeat champs ever.

The Houston Rockets are already in the NBA's coronavirus bubble in Orlando, Florida, but their without one of their — and the league's — biggest stars. Russell Westbrook, one half of the team's dynamic guard duo alongside James Harden, announced Monday he tested positive for COVID-19 before the Rockets' departure.

The one-time MVP says he's "feeling well" and plans to join the Rockets, who are in the thick of the Western Conference race, once he's cleared.

It's not clear when exactly Westbrook received his positive result, but Houston's first game isn't until July 31, so if his recovery continues to progress, it seems likely he won't have to miss much game time and should be able to contribute in the playoffs.

The NBA is gearing up to resume its season in an Orlando bubble in July, but Florida's recent COVID-19 spike has people wondering if the plan is actually feasible.

Commissioner Adam Silver told Time on Tuesday that while it's "never full steam ahead no matter what" when it comes to the coronavirus, he's fairly confident the league will be able to start play again. Silver believes the NBA's plan was "designed" to handle unexpected coronavirus spikes, and the point of having all the teams congregate at one campus — in this case Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports — was to protect players, coaches, and other employees from community spread, even if they didn't quite expect "the kind of increases" several places, including Florida, are experiencing right now.

Something that's more likely to lead to a cancellation than the infection rate in Florida, he said, is an outbreak of cases within the NBA campus, although he added that he's confident mass, daily testing will help the league respond quickly in such a situation. Read more at Time. Tim O'Donnell