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Ja Rule hits photographer in embarrassing tee shot moment

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Ja Rule isn’t exactly livin’ it up on the golf course. 

The Grammy-nominated rapper is among the celebrities at the Derek Jeter Invitational at the Royal Blue Golf Club in Nassau, Bahamas, which started on Monday. 

But instead of mesmerizing people with his golf skills, he ended up inadvertently hitting someone with a tee shot.

In a video captured by Golfweek senior writer Adam Schupak on Tuesday, Ja Rule can be heard saying, “I got to ignore y’all right now. I got to put this thing up,” as he tried to set up his swing during the Celebrity Shoot Out.

Unfortunately, his shot went awry, as the ball went straight to the right side, where it appeared to have hit a person. It wasn’t clear in the video whether someone actually got harmed by Ja Rule’s wayward attempt, but it certainly was not the direction he intended the ball to go.

“Ja Rule almost took me and a bunch of photographers out with his tee shot in the celebrity shootout at the Derek Jeter Invitational,” wrote Schupak.

Ja Rule immediately apologized for his botched tee shot, as the crowd let out a collective gasp.

Schupak later revealed that the shot “hit a photographer working for Jeter’s foundation standing just in front of me in his elbow.” The photographer also shared with Schupak that it was the first time in 40 years that he was hit while shooting golf photos.

Perhaps the only thing missing here is Ja Rule telling everyone to “put it on me.”

Josh Hart’s bizarre Jalen Brunson moment during NBA Cup celebration caught on video

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Josh Hart is one of the most fearless guards in the NBA today, but he took his audacity to new heights on Tuesday night. 

During the NBA Cup Trophy presentation following the New York Knicks’ 124-113 win over the San Antonio Spurs at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., Hart was caught on video seemingly sticking his thumb into the backside of teammate and Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson.

Hart’s wild gesture immediately threw off Brunson, who quickly turned around to see who was messing with his sensitive region.

Again, there is video evidence of it, but we’ll leave it up to you to make whatever you want out of it.

It takes a strong bond between two people for this kind of action to happen in public view without it ending in someone getting punched in the face. That’s where the closeness of Hart and Brunson comes in. The two have known each other for a long time, dating back to their college days with the Villanova Wildcats.

Hart appeared to realize later that everyone saw what he did.

Hart, Brunson and the Knicks got the job done against the Spurs, thanks in large part to their balanced attack. Brunson won the NBA Cup Most Valuable Player award after scoring 25 points on 11/17 shooting from the field with 8 assists, 4 rebounds and a block in 41 minutes of action. Hart, meanwhile, contributed 11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 29 minutes of floor duty for the Knicks.

New York will be back in action on Thursday for a showdown against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.

Texas Tech junior makes Big 12 history in stunning fashion

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The No. 19 Texas Tech Red Raiders are back to their winning ways after trouncing the Northern Colorado Bears on Tuesday, 101-90, at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.

Junior forward LeJuan Watts led the way for the Red Raiders, putting up a performance no one had ever achieved in Big 12 basketball history.

According to ESPN Insights, Watts became just the first Big 12 player in history to score at least 35 points while connecting on 90% of his shots from the field in a game.

Northern Colorado had no answer for Watts, who went off for 36 points on a 12-for-13 shooting. His only miss in the entire game came with 1:22 remaining in the second half, when he failed to find his mark on a 26-foot attempt from behind the arc.

It was a tremendous bounce-back showing from Watts, who struggled with his shot in the previous Texas Tech game. Last Saturday, Watts scored just 8 points on 3-for-10 shooting in a Red Raiders 93-86 loss to the then-No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

Shooting 90% from the floor on such a high volume of shots is something that can’t be sustained in the long run, but Watts can go for a heat check on Saturday, when the Red Raiders take on a tough assignment in a neutral-site showdown against the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y.

So far in the 2025-26 college basketball season, Watts is putting up 14.0 points on 48.9% shooting for the 8-3 Red Raiders.

Jalen Brunson ruthlessly roasts Dirk Nowitzki with savage burn

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Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki caught a wild stray on Tuesday night from his former teammate and New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson following NY’s 124-113 NBA Cup Championship game win against the San Antonio Spurs at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

While tackling the subject of a popular NBA notion about the Eastern Conference being inferior to the Western, Brunson couldn’t keep himself from taking a hilarious shot at the Basketball Hall of Famer.

“It’s tougher people give it credit for, the former Villanova Wildcats star said during the postgame show of NBA on Prime. 

Brunson proceeded to bring up some memories that Nowitzki had no desire to revisit.

“I know you were in the West your entire career. You lost to an East team in the finals,” Brunson continued, as he pointed at Nowitzki. 

For good measure, Brunson even poked fun at Nowitzki’s age, joking that the Mavs’ 2006 NBA Finals loss to the Miami Heat— which he was referencing—happened “40 years ago.”

Here is the video of the hilarious moment between the two former Mavs stars.

Oof.

It was all for fun, of course. Brunson and Nowitzki laughed off the exchange along with everyone on the NBA on Prime postgame show, as well as Knicks guard Josh Hart. 

Perhaps not many remember, but Brunson caught the tail end of Nowitzki’s legendary NBA career. He was a rookie with the Mavs in the 2018-19 NBA season, which was the German star’s final year in the league.

Brunson was named the 2025 NBA Cup Most Valuable Player after producing 25 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds versus the Spurs.

Mack Hollins threw reporter off with wild bathroom analogy

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There’s a reason why New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins is one of the most interesting individuals in the NFL.

He showed why again during an interview with Ari Alexander of 7News Boston WHDH after the Pats’ loss on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

Speaking about how the Pats will move on from the heartbreaking defeat at the hands of his former team, Hollins dropped a quote that caught Alexander by surprise.

“Once we watch the tape, analyze everything, flush it,” Hollins said. “When you go to the bathroom, you don’t look at the s–t forever. Eventually, you gotta push the handle.”

The analogy may viscerally strike some fans, but it was on brand for the eccentric Hollins, who is in his eighth season in the NFL.

Mack, who loves walking barefoot when he’s off the field, has been around the league long enough to know that stinky losses are part of the experience in the NFL.

The Patriots appeared to be on their way to a win against Buffalo in Week 15, as they were up by 21 points in the third quarter. But the Bills simply refused to call it a day, as they turned the tables on Mack and the Patriots on their way to completing a remarkable 35-31 come-from-behind win.

Hollins, who signed a 2-year contract with the Pats in March, had 4 catches on 8 targets for 41 receiving yards in the game.

Jordan Poole takes high road after fan mentions Draymond Green incident

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It has been three years since the infamous altercation between former teammates Jordan Poole and Draymond Green during the Golden State Warriors’ 2022 training camp, but the issue hasn’t completely gone away.

Fans continue to talk about it, and one even bravely brought it up with Poole, who now plays for the New Orleans Pelicans, nearby.

TikTok user adnan22216 shared a clip on Tuesday showing some of his interactions with Pelicans players following Sunday’s game between New Orleans and the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in Chicago, Ill.

In the video, the fan can be heard telling Poole, “Draymond should’ve never punched you, bro.”

@adnan22216 Clipfarming OD 💀 #nba #espn #funny #jordanpoole #pelicans @Pelicansnba @NBA ♬ original sound – adnan

It was unclear if Poole heard it, as he was busy interacting with other fans. Once Poole turned around, he gave another fan a dap, leaving the troll, who was trying to get a fist bump from the former Michigan Wolverines star, hanging. Poole later gave him what he wanted, as the Pelicans guard continued to fulfill his fan duties.

Poole was clearly in a great mood, as New Orleans pulled off a rare win that day, with the Pelicans defeating the Bulls, 114-104, for New Orleans’ fifth victory in the 2025-26 NBA season. The 26-year-old Poole came off the bench and scored 16 points on 6-for-15 shooting with 4 assists and 2 rebounds, and he’ll look to keep it going when the Pels host the Houston Rockets on Thursday at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, La.

Anthony Joshua has threatening message for Jake Paul ahead of fight

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Anthony Joshua fired a warning shot toward Jake Paul days before the two face off inside a boxing ring.

Paul let the world know in March that he wanted to fight Joshua. Paul’s wish got closer to reality last month, with a bout between the two being announced for Dec.19 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla.

Joshua told reporters Tuesday that he has no plans of holding back against Paul, and even dropped a casual threat directed at his opponent.

“You know, I was actually looking at myself today. I’m a very respectful guy, brought up by a good family,” Joshua said.

“But if I can kill you, I will kill you. That’s just how I am. And this is just a job I do, so let’s go.”

Joshua, who stands at 6’6″, holds a massive height and reach advantage over the 6’1″ Paul and will likely be about 30 pounds heavier when he steps into the ring opposite the YouTuber-turned-boxer. Joshua (28-4) is also widely regarded as one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world.

While Paul has a respectable 12-1 record in his professional boxing career, some of those victories came against a 58-year-old Mike Tyson and retired 5’9″ NBA player Nate Robinson. Many have questioned the legitimacy of Paul’s fights as well, with internet sleuths often pointing out suspected chicanery during Paul’s victories.

With 36-year-old Joshua still in prime boxing form, it’s hard to imagine him taking a dive for any amount of money under the table. The reputational hit he would take from potentially losing to Paul would be a proverbial knockout blow to his credibility as a boxer.

Victor Wembanyama shared emotional news after Spurs lost NBA Cup title game

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Victor Wembanyama was in tears Tuesday during his postgame press conference, but the reason went beyond the confines of the basketball court.

The San Antonio Spurs star was emotional as he addressed reporters following his team’s 124-113 loss to the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Wembanyama began to tear up midway through his press conference before sharing that he was dealing with a personal tragedy.

“Sorry, I just lost somebody today,” Wembanyama said after answering his first question in French.

“This is the best practice for important games,” Wemby said of losing the NBA Cup. “Of course, our focus is already on the playoffs, and the playoffs are going to be the biggest time of the year. So, it’s good that we got this experience today.”

Wembanyama ended the press conference after answering just two questions. According to NBA reporter Tim Reynolds, Wembanyama’s grandmother died earlier in the day.

The Spurs center did not play to his usual standards in the NBA Cup title game. Wembanyama finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and a couple of blocks across 25 minutes. He came off the bench and had to abide by a minutes restriction in his second game back from a calf injury.

Wembanyama looked dominant in limited action in the semifinal round against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He taunted Thunder defenders and played with a swagger worthy of his skill set.

The mood was clearly different on Tuesday as he played with a heavy heart against a relentless Knicks squad that pounded the Spurs on the glass 59-42.

Knicks benchwarmers had the best reaction after team cashed in on NBA Cup prize money

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New York Knicks reserves celebrated like kids on Christmas morning after the team won the 2025 NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

The Knicks outlasted the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday in a 124-113 title game clash that was much closer than the final score suggests. The win earned the Knicks franchise its first piece of hardware since 1973. The victory also secured prize money for every Knicks player on the roster, which is undoubtedly what had the bench jumping for joy more than any historical significance.

As the final buzzer sounded, Karl-Anthony Towns beckoned for the bench mob to storm the court.

Several Knicks players who never took the floor during the actual game cheered as if they had just witnessed the end of an NBA championship run.

Knicks head coach Mike Brown and every player on the main roster each earned $530,000 in prize money from winning this year’s NBA Cup. Two-way players also got blessed with a fraction of the prize.

According to The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III, Jalen Brunson and some of the Knicks players also have an internal arrangement to share some of their newfound wealth with other staff members and employees.

For max players like Towns or Brunson, the money won’t have much impact on their net worth. But for end-of-the-bench guys like Ariel Hukporti and Mohamed Diawara, or two-way players Trey Jemison III, Tosan Evbuomwan, and Kevin McCullar Jr., that money will be life-changing.

Second-year guard Tyler Kolek gained an NBA Cup bonus worth about a fourth of his $2.2 million salary for the 2025-26 season. Kolek was the lowest-salaried player to make the biggest impact during Tuesday’s game. He finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists off the bench.

When the Knicks made the NBA Cup quarterfinals last season and earned each player $50,000, Kolek bought his mom a new car. Kolek vowed to get his dad something this time around. With 10 times the budget he had last year, Papa Kolek is probably dreaming big this holiday season.

Jalen Brunson misses out on unanimous NBA Cup MVP by 1 voter

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Jalen Brunson now has his own Fred Hickman.

The New York Knicks star Brunson helped lead his team to victory in Tuesday’s NBA Cup final against the San Antonio Spurs. Brunson finished with 25 points on 11/27 shooting to go along with four rebounds and eight assists as the Knicks won at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. by a 124-113 final score.

As a result of the victory, Brunson ended up taking home the NBA Cup MVP Award. Brunson earned 19 total votes for the award … but was unable to win unanimously because one voter had cast his ballot for Knicks forward OG Anunoby instead.

That voter was Steve McGehee of News 9 in Oklahoma. Here are the full voting results.

Anunoby actually outscored Brunson and was more efficient in doing so as well, finishing Tuesday’s final with a game-high 28 points on 10/17 shooting. But the NBA Cup MVP Award weighed performance in all seven NBA Cup games that the Knicks played this season (including during the group stage). That swung the needle in Brunson’s favor for 19 of the 20 voters.

A unanimous award win isn’t worth much more than a regular award win besides the bragging rights and the future trivia question material. As such, the tournament MVP win was a very nice bow on top for the two-time All-Star Brunson, who had some very animated moments over the course of NBA Cup play this season.

Report: Athletics got stiffed by ex-Gold Glove winner in free agency

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One MLB free agent was apparently willing to turn down longer-term financial security in favor of not having to play for the Athletics.

Veteran infielder Ha-Seong Kim signed a new deal with the Atlanta Braves this earlier this week (after already finishing out the last month of the 2025 season with Atlanta). Kim’s new contract with the Braves is for one year and $20 million.

On Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic made an interesting revelation about Kim’s free agency. Rosenthal reports that the Athletics offered Kim a four-year, $48 million contract (with “room to grow” as well). However, Kim turned that deal down in order to re-sign with Atlanta on a smaller and shorter contract.

Kim, 30, is a righty hitter who won a Gold Glove Award with the San Diego Padres in 2023. He then left to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2025 season but had a down year after getting a late start thanks to offseason shoulder surgery. Overall last season, Kim hit .234 with five homers, 17 RBIs, and six stolen bases through just 48 total games.

It is very possible that Kim is simply betting on himself to have a big year in 2026 and wants to give himself an opportunity to return to free agency next winter for a shot at even more money. But the Athletics were offering him a lot of money already (an extra $28 million in total, albeit on an average annual value of just $12 million), and Kim turned it down.

The Athletics do not exactly have the best reputation these days either as a franchise with an unpopular and tight-fisted owner in John Fisher running the show. While the team has been spending on free agents over the last couple of offseasons, that has seemingly been motivated by revenue sharing considerations and has not extended to other areas of franchise infrastructure.

Even the Athletics’ temporary home of Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif. (a minor league ballpark which is housing the team until their new stadium in Las Vegas is ready to open) is looking extremely inadequate. Apparently, Kim did not want have to deal with any of that and chose instead to re-up with the Braves for far less guaranteed money.

LSU interim head coach Frank Wilson is joining Ole Miss staff

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Ole Miss is getting a little revenge on LSU for poaching away Lane Kiffin.

LSU interim head coach Frank Wilson is reportedly set to join Pete Golding’s staff at Ole Miss. According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer, Wilson is expected to depart the team following the Tigers’ bowl game against Houston on December 27.

Wilson reportedly informed LSU players and staff of the decision during a meeting held on Tuesday.

The move adds even more tension between LSU and Ole Miss. While some may assume that the Wilson hiring was out of spite, the departing LSU associate head coach has ties to both Golding and the Rebels’ football program.

Ole Miss provided Wilson with his major gig as a college football coach. He was the Rebels’ running backs coach from 2005 to 2007 under another very familiar name to LSU fans, Ed Orgeron.

When Wilson was hired as UTSA’s head coach in 2016, he called upon Golding to serve as his defensive coordinator. The two spent two seasons together before Nick Saban hired Golding as a defensive assistant at Alabama. Golding was named Kiffin’s successor last month after two seasons as Lane’s defensive coordinator.

Giants make a decision on kicker Younghoe Koo after blunder

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Younghoe Koo did not even make it three weeks after his “Monday Night Football” foul-up.

The New York Giants announced on Tuesday that they have decided to waive the veteran kicker Koo. New York has claimed linebacker Caleb Murphy off waivers from the New England Patriots, and they are thus parting ways with Koo to make room for Murphy on their roster.

Koo, the 30-year-old former Pro Bowler, signed with the Giants’ practice squad in September and became their No. 1 kicker by Week 10 after an injury to starter Graham Gano. But Koo had an all-time blooper in Week 13 against the New England Patriots when he humiliatingly missed the football entirely on a field goal attempt and instead ended up slamming his foot into the turf (see the video here).

After that game, Koo offered an extremely lame excuse for his awful whiff. Now the Giants, who have long been eliminated from the playoff race at a fetid 2-12, are moving on from Koo. That now puts undrafted rookie Ben Sauls in line to finish out the year as the team’s starting placekicker.

Koo finishes his Giants tenure having gone 4/6 (66.7 percent) on field goals and 11/12 (91.7 percent) on extra points through five total games. He also missed two field goals on Sunday in a 29-21 loss to the Washington Commanders, which may have really sealed Koo’s fate.

Interestingly enough, Koo’s doozy against the Patriots didn’t actually count as a field goal attempt since he missed the ball altogether. But just 15 days after that gaffe, Koo now finds himself off the Giants’ roster entirely.

Spike Lee talks trash to De’Aaron Fox during NBA Cup final

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Spike Lee went Spike Lee during Tuesday’s NBA Cup final.

The famous film director and longtime New York Knicks fanatic Lee was sitting courtside for Tuesday’s final between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. During the second quarter of the contest, Spurs star De’Aaron Fox picked up a non-shooting foul for pushing Knicks counterpart Jalen Brunson.

The foul by Fox happened right in front of Lee’s seat. In response, Lee started talking trash to Fox.

“You can’t do that,” Lee was seen saying to Fox while making a shoving motion with his arms. Here is the video.

Fox did not exactly pay Lee much attention there. But you can’t blame the “Do The Right Thing” director for trying everything that he could to get into Fox’s head.

The former All-Star Fox led the way for the Spurs in the first half of Tuesday’s game, producing nine points and eight assists by halftime as San Antonio took a narrow 61-59 lead into the break. As for Lee, now 68 years old, he continues to be a fixture at Knicks games and has also gotten into it with other rival stars in recent years (including Denver’s Nikola Jokic).

1 frontrunner emerging to trade for Ketel Marte

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Ketel Marte might potentially be headed back to the American League.

The Boston Red Sox have emerged as the frontrunners to trade for the Arizona Diamondbacks star second baseman Marte, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported Tuesday during an MLB Network appearance. Feinsand characterized the Red Sox as the “No. 1 team in” on Marte right now.

Marte, 32, is a three-time MLB All-Star who has been with the Diamondbacks since 2017, making him their longest-tenured player. But Arizona sold heavy at the 2025 trade deadline, and Marte was also reported to have caused some issues within the clubhouse last season. As such, the talented switch-hitter has emerged as one of the top MLB trade candidates this offseason.

When it comes to the Red Sox, they won 89 games last season and earned a playoff berth but lost in the AL Wild Card series to the hated New York Yankees. Now it appears that Boston intends to be a major player on the market this offseason. They did already swing a big trade for a well-known pitcher a few weeks ago too.

At the same time, the Red Sox badly need to upgrade at second base as 23-year-old Kristian Campbell was a negative WAR player at the position in 2025 and David Hamilton was almost as bad as a .198 batter overall on the year. This is not the first time either that they have been linked to Marte, who hit .283 with 28 home runs and 72 RBIs in 2025 and is also a strong defender.

We recently learned that Marte, who is signed through at least 2030, had a Red Sox rival on his no-trade list this offseason. That might really endear him to the Boston fanbase, especially if the Red Sox do end up swinging a move for Marte.

Angels land 2-time All-Star pitcher

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The Los Angeles Angels are shoring up their bullpen with a former All-Star closer.

The Angels have agreed to sign right-handed relief pitcher Jordan Romano in free agency. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the contract is a one-year deal worth $2 million.

Passan himself labeled the move as a “reclamation project” for the Angels. Romano was once the lights-off closer for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2021 to 2023. He maintained a stellar 2.37 ERA throughout that span and recorded 95 saves across 186.0 innings pitched. Romano earned All-Star nods in both 2022 and 2023.

The Angels signed both Romano and fellow former All-Star Drew Pomeranz on the same day. The team announced the pair of moves on social media.

Romano’s performance on the mound tanked in 2024 as he dealt with a right elbow injury that limited him to just 15 games. He had a bloated ERA of 6.59 across 13.2 innings pitched, which eventually pushed the Blue Jays to part ways with Romano.

The Philadelphia Phillies signed Romano last offseason with the intent of helping him regain his All-Star form. However, his play regressed even further. He had an 8.23 ERA in 49 games played for the Phillies.

Taking a flier on a former stud like Romano makes sense for the Angels, who had the worst bullpen in the American League last season. The team’s 4.86 ERA among relievers was the highest in the AL.

Anthony Davis linked to 2 new teams in trade rumors

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Anthony Davis trade rumors are not going away any time soon, and now two interesting new teams may be trying to get in on the fun.

The Toronto Raptors are expected to show interest in the Dallas Mavericks star big man Davis ahead of the trade deadline, veteran NBA writer Jake Fischer reported to Substack on Tuesday. Fischer notes that the Raptors might also be interested in Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis.

Fischer then reported on a Bleacher Report video stream later in the day Tuesday that the Miami Heat could pursue Davis as well. Noting that Davis paired well with Heat big man Bam Adebayo for Team USA during the 2024 Paris Olympics, Fischer suggested that Miami could be in on Davis if they are unable to land Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo via trade instead.

Both the 16-11 Raptors and the 14-12 Heat are on the fringe of legitimate contention, especially in a wide-open Eastern Conference. Though Davis is 32 years old now and is very often injured, that means he may be had for a more reasonable price than Antetokounmpo and other marquee NBA trade targets.

Davis is averaging 20.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game for Dallas this season but has been limited to 11 total games played, in large part due to a lingering calf injury. He is making $54.1 million this season and $58.5 million next season and also has a monster $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.

With the Mavericks still steadily sinking this year at 10-17, they will have a big decision to make on their veteran pieces before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Davis is arguably drawing the most interest on the trade market right now and has already been linked to multiple contenders over the last several weeks.

Bill Self gives unfortunate update on Kansas Jayhawks star

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Kansas head coach Bill Self gave some unfortunate news on Tuesday regarding the status of freshman Darryn Peterson.

The Kansas Jayhawks finally Peterson back on the floor for two straight games after he missed seven in a row with a hamstring injury. The star freshman scored 43 points with 7 rebounds and 6 assists combined in his first two college games before suffering the injury in November.

On Saturday against North Carolina State, Peterson scored 17 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists, giving everyone a glimpse of the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. It marked the second straight game where he had scored 17 points.

However, just before the Jayhawks’ game against Towson on Tuesday, Self gave some unfortunate news regarding Peterson’s status.

“Darryn experienced cramping in his quad against NC State on Saturday and felt similar in practice yesterday. He is not able to compete at full strength. He will not play tonight against Towson. He will continue to work tirelessly and prepare to compete with his teammates and represent Kansas in the very near future,” Self said in a statement posted on the Kansas X page.

Peterson sat out the end of the NC State game on Saturday due to cramping.

In four games, Peterson is averaging 19.3 points with 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 52% from the field and 42% from 3-point range.

Some fans were wondering if Peterson’s previous injury absence was intentional, although Self said that the layoff “frustrates” Peterson.

Kansas has an 8-3 record this season, with their losses coming against North Carolina, Duke and UConn.

Peterson is ranked No. 2 in the SC Next 100 behind BYU star AJ Dybansta. In November, Jeremy Woo of ESPN had Peterson going No. 1 overall to the Brooklyn Nets in a 2026 NBA mock draft.

For now, Peterson will work on getting healthy again. Kansas faces Towson and then Davidson before beginning Big 12 Conference play against UCF on January 3.

Terence Crawford shares reason behind his sudden retirement from boxing

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Five-division world champion Terence Crawford is hanging up his boxing gloves.

The 38-year-old boxing superstar announced his retirement from the sport on Tuesday through various posts on social media.

The Omaha, Nebraska, native uploaded a video montage on Instagram and YouTube showing various highlights throughout his career. The thumbnail of the video was a pair of his signature gloves dangling from the side of a ring.

“Walking away as a great with nothing else left to prove,” Crawford captioned the post.

Crawford shed light into his decision in the five-minute clip.

“Every fighter knows this moment would come,” Crawford narrated. “You just never know when. … This sport gave me everything. I fought for my family. I fought for my city. I fought for the kid I used to be, the one who had nothing but a dream and a pair of gloves, and I did it all my way.

“I gave this sport every breath I had, every scar, every triumph, every ounce of my heart, and I’ve made peace with what’s next. And now, it’s time.

“… I’m stepping away from competition not because I’m done fighting, but because I’ve won a different kind of battle: The one where you walk away on your own terms.”

Crawford expressed his gratitude to his boxing team, his promoters, his fans, and his friends and family. He even extended thanks to his haters and the various opponents who pushed him “to places I didn’t know I could go.”

The southpaw finished his career with a spotless 42-0 record, recording signature wins over Errol Spence Jr. and, most recently, Canelo Alvarez.

The five-division world champion earned a unanimous decision victory over Alvarez in September to become the undisputed super middleweight champion. Crawford famously dominated the previously undefeated Spence in their July 2023 bout, earning a technical knockout win after the referee called the fight in the ninth round.

Crawford was never knocked down once throughout his professional career, nor did a single judge ever score a fight in favor of one of his opponents.

Rangers bringing back former World Series champion

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The Texas Rangers are coming off an 81-81 record and a third-place finish in the American League West. Bruce Bochy stepped down as the manager, and Skip Schumaker got the job in Texas.

This offseason, the Rangers have made a couple of moves already. They traded Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in exchange for Brandon Nimmo and watched Adolis Garcia leave for a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.

On Tuesday, the Rangers agreed to a reunion with pitcher Chris Martin, bringing him back on a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Martin, 39, pitched in 49 games for the Rangers in 2025, going 2-6 with a 2.98 ERA in 42.1 innings. Before coming to Texas, Martin was with the Boston Red Sox for two seasons and spent the 2022 season between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched for Atlanta from 2019-2021 and was part of the Braves’ 2021 World Series-winning team.

Martin has also pitched for the Colorado Rockies and New York Yankees, with another two-year stint with the Rangers from 2018-2019. He spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons playing in Japan, but Martin played high school baseball in Arlington, Texas, just a few miles from Globe Life Stadium.

At the end of the 2024 season, Martin said that 2025 might be his “last year,” but now he is returning to the Rangers for another season.

Martin turns 40 years old in June, but he saw plenty of opportunities for a Rangers staff that had the best ERA in MLB this past season.

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