Draymond Green has joined the long list of pop culture figures to have been rendered in Lego. The Golden State Warriors forward, however, probably won’t appreciate which moment of his was immortalized in plastic.
Green was suspended indefinitely earlier this month for striking Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic during a Dec. 12 Suns-Warriors game (video here).
Los Angeles-based videographer Grant Giszewski recreated the moment in Lego form using the 3D graphics software tool Blender. Here’s the final product:
The short clip has garnered millions of views on social media since Giszewski uploaded it to his Instagram account last week.
Green has missed the Warriors’ last 6 games since his most recent suspension was imposed.
The former Defensive Player of the Year’s absence hasn’t hurt the Warriors in the standings. Golden State has won 5 straight games without Green entering the the team’s Christmas Day clash against the Denver Nuggets.
The NBA explained last week its decision to keep Green’s suspension open-ended. With the Warriors winning without him, there’s even less pressure on Green to rush his way back onto the court.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba suffered an injury scare Sunday on a terribly unlucky play against the Tennessee Titans.
Seattle was facing 3rd-and-4 at the Titans’ 10-yard line while trailing 7-3 early in the second quarter.
Smith-Njigba unsuccessfully tried to haul in a pass from Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith for a touchdown. Smith-Njigba’s momentum while trying to catch the pass led him to crash into the padded wall at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.
Crashing into the barricade is unlucky enough. But Smith-Njigba’s left knee slammed hard into the only portion of the wall with the concrete exposed.
The Ohio State alum was seen writhing in pain while holding onto his left knee. He hobbled into the tunnel with medical staff shortly after.
However, it didn’t take long for Smith-Njigba to quell Seahawks fans’ fears over his injury status. The 21-year-old was able to return on Seattle’s next drive and even caught a 6-yard pass.
Smith-Njigba’s knee also looked pretty good when he made arguably the biggest catch of the game with his team trailing 17-13 with under 2 minutes left in the contest.
Smith-Njigba caught an 18-yard pass in traffic on 3rd-and-14 to extend the Seahawks’ late drive. Seattle scored a go-ahead touchdown a few plays later.
After some misfortune in the first half, Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks were able to rebound for a 20-17 win over the Titans.
Smith-Njigba finished with 6 catches for 61 yards — just two yards shy of his career high.
Dec 26, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) warms up before a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Some New Orleans Saints supporters already appear to be souring on 2023 starter Derek Carr. One fan had a creative way of letting the world know it.
The Saints lost 30-22 on Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
A post on X featuring a Saints fan wearing a custom Carr jersey has gone viral since Thursday’s defeat. The fan wrote on a couple of strips of electrical tape and stuck them to his No. 4 Carr uniform.
“Used Carr 4 Sale,” the jersey read.
If you just checked the box score, Carr appeared to have a solid stat line against the Rams. The 10-year pro finished 27/40 for 319 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception.
However, a good chunk of Carr’s production from that game came in garbage time. The Rams led 30-7 in the 4th quarter when Carr started to cook.
Carr went 12/12 for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns in the final quarter. The late surge didn’t change the result. The Saints ran out of time for a comeback and fell to 7-8 in the win-loss column.
Carr has thrown for 3,417 yards with 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions across 15 games this season.
Both Carr’s numbers and the Saints’ season as a whole have been closer to passable than terrible. But given that the Saints signed Carr to a huge 4-year contract, mediocre isn’t exactly where the team would want to be.
Dec 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Calvin Johnson was apparently waiting all this time for the right moment.
The retired Detroit Lions franchise great Johnson went viral for the message that he sent to the team on Sunday. Back in Jan. 2021, the six-time Pro Bowl receiver Johnson was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame (he was eventually elected to the Hall in February of that same year). The Lions sent Johnson a congratulatory message at the time from their official page on X (then known as Twitter).
Interestingly enough, Johnson waited until Sunday, nearly three full years later, to publicly acknowledge the post.
‘Much appreciated,” wrote Johnson. “Thanks for the continuous support! Love my city!”
What was the significant of the timing, you ask? The Lions officially clinched the NFC North on Sunday with a 30-24 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. It marks Detroit’s first time winning the division since 1993 (and led to many current players on the team getting very emotional).
Johnson played his entire NFL career in Detroit from 2007-15. But he retired abruptly at the age of 30 and maintained a longstanding beef with the Lions over the years, supposedly over the team forcing him to pay back part of his signing bonus after he walked away. You can read more about their feud here.
In withholding his response for so long, either Johnson didn’t want to jinx anything for his former team or he was on some Alec Baldwin in “Glengarry Glen Ross” energy of needing Detroit to be winners before he acknowledged them again. Whatever the case may be, the Lions finally appear to be back in Megatron’s good graces.
Mar 3, 2020; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker prior to the game against the Toronto Raptors at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Devin Booker isn’t Michael Jordan, and he isn’t taking anything personally.
The Phoenix Suns star Booker spoke with reporters this weekend and reacted to what veteran teammate Eric Gordon recently had to say. Gordon publicly expressed unhappiness with his role on the team and indicated that he could be maximized more offensively.
‘Nobody takes what he said personal around here,” said Booker of Gordon’s comments, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “He’s been in this a long time. He’s earned that respect and he has the talent to do what he said.”
The Suns are a very disappointing 14-14 this season (11th in the West), so tensions are running somewhat high right now. Gordon, a talented shooter but one who can also put the ball on the deck and make good things with two feet in the paint, had come on strong to start the season. But in the month of December, he is averaging a mere 8.3 points on 8.4 shots per contest (despite the Suns still being without fellow guard Bradley Beal).
Gordon, now 35, is in his first season with the Suns but commands a certain level of respect as a 16-year NBA veteran who has been part of multiple deep playoff runs. Booker, the longest-tenured Sun and the team’s de facto leader, has been around some problematic teammates in Phoenix but doesn’t seem to think that Gordon is one of them.
Aug 18, 2020; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II (15) looks on during training camp at Dream Finders Homes Practice Complex. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
Quarterback Gardner Minshew called out the Indianapolis Colts for some worrying behavior following the team’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
The Colts lost to the Falcons 29-10 on Sunday, a disappointing result considering they came in having won five of six games while the Falcons were struggling. Minshew suggested that the Colts had overlooked the Falcons and did not take their opponents seriously enough.
“You start counting wins and you start doing schedule math and you look around, it’s like, ‘Well they lost to Carolina; we beat the Steelers ,'” Minshew said, via Stephen Holder of ESPN. “Well you know what? You gotta go earn it right now. And if you take this lightly, you might not end up with another [chance].”
Minshew seems to think the Colts thought they would win just by showing up. That is a worrying mentality, especially since there was only a two-game difference in their respective records coming into the game. The Colts simply are not good enough to be able to look past any opponent.
Two years ago, the Colts infamously collapsed down the stretch and cost themselves a playoff spot, prompting a reckoning within the organization. That was with a different team and a different coach, but the problem may still remain to some degree.
The Detroit Pistons have been an absolute embarrassment this season. The team lost 126-115 to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday to fall to 2-27. The team has now lost 26 games in a row.
One video clip taken from that game sums things up.
As the Pistons came out to warm up ahead of the third quarter, one fan in attendance captured a video of the players firing up four shots. All four shots missed. Not only that, but so did a layup attempt from short range, making it five missed shots.
That’s pretty bad, especially considering nobody was guarding those players.
Detroit’s 26-game losing streak ties them with the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers for the longest losing streak in a single season.
The Pistons went 17-65 last season, and they’re headed for an even worse year this season.
Aug 14, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Seattle Mariners hat in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Mariners and their fans received quite a Christmas gift on Sunday.
The Mariners have agreed to a contract with free agent catcher Mitch Garver, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. Garver agreed to sign with Seattle for two years and $24 million.
The Mariners had been linked to Garver in early December, but nothing came of it until Sunday. He hit .270 with 19 home runs in 87 games for the Texas Rangers in 2023, playing an important role for a team that ultimately went on to win the World Series. The veteran catcher can also play first base and DH, giving Seattle some lineup flexibility.
Though they went 88-74 last season, the Mariners watched two AL West rivals face off in the ALCS and one win the World Series. They have also received criticism from fans — and even one of their players — for not spending enough money. That criticism was exacerbated when they started the offseason with a big cost-cutting move. Adding Garver might help quiet some of those critics.
Oct 3, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy on the field before the game against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy was furious after an illegal shift penalty cost his team during their clash with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
The Cowboys were down 16-7 and had 3rd-and-11 from the Miami 25 during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. CeeDee Lamb lined up on the line and checked in with the official, who told the receiver to back up to avoid an offsides penalty. Lamb backed up, but the officials also thought Jake Ferguson went into motion at the same time.
According to the officials, both players were moving at the same time, which resulted in an illegal shift foul.
The infraction pushed the Cowboys back into a 3rd-and-16 from the Miami 30 and wiped out a Dak Prescott first down. The Cowboys ended up gaining five yards to get back to the 25 and kicked a field goal to make it 16-10.
FOX’s TV cameras later showed McCarthy giving the officials a piece of his mind over the penalty call.
The penalties have been an issue for the Cowboys under McCarthy. He even addressed the issue after a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills the previous week.
Nov 27, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) drops back to pass against the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
For a third consecutive week, Trevor Lawrence has been forced to leave a game after suffering an injury.
The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback suffered a shoulder injury during Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Lawrence was initially listed as questionable to return, but was ruled out by the Jaguars shortly after.
It was unclear what happened to Lawrence, but he never went to the injury tent and was promptly replaced with backup CJ Beathard. The Jaguars may not have seen much reason to try to get Lawrence back into the game, as they were down 30-6 in the fourth quarter at the time of the injury.
Injury problems are mounting for Lawrence. He just came back from the concussion he suffered a week ago, and he did not play well against the Buccaneers. Two weeks ago, he suffered a concerning ankle injury, though he started the next week and showed no issues.
Lawrence’s recent play may be as concerning as the injuries. He had gone 17/29 for 211 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions during Sunday’s game, and the Jaguars’ performance on Sunday cost them a chance to put some distance between themselves and the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans in the AFC South race.
