Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash and Shawn Marion posing for a Suns photoshoot.
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One former Phoenix Suns star has opened up about how he helped shape the modern NBA game as we know it — and it wasn’t Steve Nash or Charles Barkley.
Earlier this month, 4-time All-Star Shawn Marion was in Las Vegas for the National Basketball Retired Players Association’s 2023 Summer Getaway. In an interview with Sam Gordon of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Marion had an interesting answer when asked about what he was most proud of during his 16-year NBA career.
“I can honestly say I changed the game,” Marion told Gordon. “I was a big part of changing the game, what we’re watching right now. Small ball. Positionless basketball. It was challenging, of course. I wasn’t on board with it at first. I’m 6-foot-7, 230 pounds. You’ve got me guarding 7-footers. That wasn’t an easy adjustment. But I did it. We did it. It is what it is now. It’s what everybody’s doing now.”
The 7-seconds-or-less Suns of the mid-aughts were widely regarded as being ahead of their time. Apart from the fast-paced offense that then-head coach Mike D’Antoni installed, it was Marion’s versatility that helped Phoenix thrive while utilizing their novel small-ball lineups.
With his ideal combination of length and agility, Marion was effectively able to defend all five positions for the Suns while being a plus offensive player. It’s the type of skill set that would be handsomely rewarded in today’s NBA.
Seven years after Marion left Phoenix, Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors turned small ball en vogue during their 2015 title season. It’s a winning recipe that several teams have tried to recreate since then.
Players like Marion and Green are among the pioneers in a positionless basketball movement that’s continuing to evolve to this day.
Jun 17, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; LSU Tigers starting pitcher Paul Skenes (20) throws against the Tennessee Volunteers in the first inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Pirates were the worst team in baseball last season. Their reward? They were able to select top prospect Paul Skenes as the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.
The former LSU pitcher has yet to feature in a single big league inning, but he’s already making big league money with the signing bonus he got from the Pirates. On Tuesday, Pittsburgh inked Skenes to a $9.2 million signing bonus, which ranks as the highest in MLB history. The man certainly dressed for the occasion with a skull and bones necktie.
Skenes’ record signing bonus is nearly a million more than previous record-holder Spencer Torkelson of the Detroit Tigers. The first baseman received $8.4 million when he signed with the Tigers after going first overall in the 2020 MLB Draft.
In an MLB free agency landscape that sees star players signing contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, $9.2 million doesn’t seem all that much. But considering it’s for a player that hasn’t proven his skills will translate to the majors, it’s a huge leap of faith. For comparison’s sake, there’s only one player on the Pirates’ 2023 roster, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who currently makes more than $9.2 million this season.
Skenes built a strong resume before entering the majors. He helped lead LSU to win the 2023 College World Series in June and was awarded Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Skenes also received the National Pitcher of the Year and the Dick Howser Trophy as the best overall collegiate baseball player of the year. The right-hander concluded his final season at LSU with a 1.69 ERA across 19 games.
The Pirates are banking on Skenes being able to eventually replicate that success at PNC Park.
Tiger Woods looks ahead. Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Tiger Woods’ ex-girlfriend has made a significant decision regarding one of her lawsuits against the golfer.
Herman has dropped the October 2022 lawsuit she filed against the golfer’s trust, according to the New York Post.
The Post says that a hearing had been scheduled for August, but a court document filed on June 29 showed that Herman had dropped the suit.
Herman was suing Woods’ trust, accusing the golfer of tricking her to get her out of the house following their breakup. She alleged in the lawsuit that Woods violated an oral tenancy agreement they had.
Though Herman has dropped the 2022 lawsuit, her March 2023 lawsuit remains.
Herman has also sued Woods to get herself removed from a non-disclosure agreement she signed in 2017 when she began dating the famous golfer.
The reason Herman dropped the oral tenancy lawsuit likely has to do with a development from May.
A Florida judge ruled in Tiger’s favor regarding that lawsuit, saying that the NDA between the two stated that any disputes between them must be handled by an arbitrator. That likely explains why she dropped the oral tenancy complaint, while continuing to pursue her NDA lawsuit.
Woods and Herman went public with their relationship in 2017 and broke up in October 2022.
Oct 28, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) against the Green Bay Packers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Kyler Murray and new Arizona Cardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort appear to be on the same page heading into their first NFL season together. Murray and former GM Steve Keim? Not so much.
Murray recently made headlines for his polarizing comments about people having to “look in the mirror” when things aren’t working out. Some people took that as a subtle jab at the previous Cardinals regime after the team made moves to replace Keim and last year’s head coach Kliff Kingsbury.
“I’m going to listen. I’m going to be coachable and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability, but if the s–t ain’t working, at some point, we all have to look in the mirror,” Murray said on the Cardinals’ Flight Plan series.
Keim chimed in on Murray’s comments in a Tuesday appearance on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd. It is safe to say the ex-Cardinals executive wasn’t thrilled with his former quarterback’s stance.
“What he said, you don’t love it,” Keim remarked. “When he added the word ‘but’ in, generally behind a positive, the word ‘but’ does not end in a positive light. I certainly didn’t want to hear that. Nor do fans want to hear a guy who’s making $46.1 million a year blame anybody but himself. I’m not saying that he’s a guy that blames people, yet at the same time, when you get that bag of cash, everybody expects you to take it on your shoulders.”
Keim was at the helm of the Cardinals organization from 2013 to 2022. He was the man gave Murray that “bag of cash” in the first place before the start of last season.
At the time, Murray’s deal caused a major controversy due to a homework clause. Murray was coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons and led the Cardinals to a 10-2 start in 2021. It’s been all downhill for Arizona from that point onwards. The team has gone 5-18 since Week 14 of the 20221 season and ended the 2022 campaign with seven straight losses.
With the Cardinals under new management, perhaps Murray can regain the shine that he once had just a few seasons ago.
May 25, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) brings the ball up court during the fourth quarter of game five of the 2022 eastern conference finals against the Boston Celtics at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
Miami Heat fans have been waiting with bated breath for the rumored Damian Lillard trade to become a reality. But with or without the Portland Trail Blazers star heading to South Beach, Jimmy Butler believes next season is the Heat’s year.
The reigning East Finals MVP was completely candid in an interview with CCTV while touring in China this past week. Butler confidently stated that the Heat will win next year’s title. He also said that he’s committing to the franchise for the rest of his career.
“I believe that, with all my heart, that we, I, will win a championship for the Miami Heat because I don’t plan on playing for another NBA team after the Miami Heat,” proclaimed Butler. “I know that we’re capable of doing this. I know the team that coach Pat [Riley] and coach [Erik Spoelstra] put around me and my teammates … this year is our year.
“The next time I’m talking to y’all here, I’ll be a 1-time NBA champion.”
Miami doesn’t have the most dominant team on paper, but their results speak for themselves. The Heat have made the NBA Finals in two of the last four NBA seasons — a feat no other team has been able to replicate in that span.
There’s no reason to count out Butler and the Heat from making it again next season. If they do manage to land Lillard for a package centered around Tyler Herro — who didn’t even play for most of their Finals run last season — the rest of the NBA will be put on notice. Just don’t tell that to Paul Pierce.
Jan 9, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) reacts after running with the football for a first down against the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Tua Tagovailoa is clearly ready to put his injury-plagued 2022 NFL season behind him.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback entered concussion protocol a whopping three times last season. Tagovailoa’s health became the biggest story of Miami’s campaign — one that started out with so much promise.
The Dolphins held an 8-3 record through Week 12, which placed them in the AFC’s top three along with the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs at the time. There was legitimate Super Bowl buzz surrounding the upstart Dolphins before a late-season slide down the standings dropped them to 9-8 for the season.
Months removed from the injuries and Miami’s Wild Card exit without him, Tagovailoa sees the Dolphins as a “dangerous” team heading into next season. On Tuesday, the Dolphins QB was asked by The Palm Beach Post’s Joe Schad about Miami’s legitimacy as AFC contenders. Tua didn’t mince words.
“I think we’re definitely legit contenders,” Tagovailoa answered. “There’s no doubt with the guys we have on the defensive side of the ball. With the guys we have on the offensive side of the ball. And now with this being the first time as an offense, we get to come back understanding the plays already kind of molded into the offense a little more, I think. I think it can get very, very scary, pretty dangerous.”
It’s not the first time a Dolphins player pointed to familiarity as one of the reasons to fear Miami next season. Star wide receiver Tyreek Hill recently mentioned that the one year with Mike McDaniel under the team’s belt will prove to be a huge boost. McDaniel proved himself to be one of the rising stars among NFL coaches in just his first season and will likely cook up even more creative schemes for Year 2.
On the other side of the field, the Dolphins added Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator and traded for 3-time All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
The Dolphins indeed have the look of a contender on paper. But it’s all talk until they prove it on the field.
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Apr 20, 2021; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Bruce Brown (1) during warms ups before the game against New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
A former Denver Nuggets champion recently named which team gave them the biggest challenge in the playoffs, and it’s not a team you would expect.
Bruce Brown joined Theo Pinson on the “Run Your Race” podcast for an interview that was released on Tuesday. In the interview, Pinson said that the Nuggets were on a mission and stormed through the postseason.
Brown responded by saying that based on games lost, the Phoenix Suns series would go down as their toughest opponent. But Brown feels that Denver’s first-round opponent, the Minnesota Timberwolves, presented the most difficult challenge.
“Phoenix was our ‘toughest’ series,” Brown said. “I would say our toughest series was Minnesota. [Anthony Edwards] and them … there was just something about them. They had good players. It was Mike Conley, [Karl-Anthony Towns], [Anthony Edwards] … that was our toughest series. Phoenix, it was just blowouts each game.”
Brown said that the Nuggets never felt like they were ever going to lose against the Los Angeles Lakers, whom they swept in the conference finals.
Denver beat the Timberwolves in five, the Suns in six, swept the Lakers, and beat the Miami Heat in five to win the championship.
Brown has since joined the Indiana Pacers, but he seems proud of the work his Nuggets did in the postseason. How could he not be? They had a dominant run.
This anecdote from Brown should also be pleasing to Timberwolves fans, who believe their team can contend. Minnesota went 42-40 last season and beat the Thunder in a play-in game to secure the 8th spot in the West.
Aug 20, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) warms up prior to a game against the Washington Commanders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Patrick Mahomes wasn’t about to be price-gouged at the Super Bowl.
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in February to win the Super Bowl. Mahomes threw three touchdown passes to take home Super Bowl MVP honors for the second time in his career. He was also lucky enough to have his family there to support him in Glendale, Arizona for the big game. By contrast, opposing quarterback Jalen Hurts did not have his family at the event.
How was Mahomes able to make things happen? By planning ahead.
Mahomes is one of the quarterbacks featured in the new documentary series “Quarterback” that was released by Netflix last week. There are eight episodes in the series, which was created in a partnership deal between the NFL and Netflix.
In the show, Mahomes and Hurts were shown talking on stage for a media event the week of the Super Bowl. Mahomes was captured telling Hurts how the Chiefs quarterback had secured a nearby short-term rental home three months prior in order to save money.
“I got a crib like six minutes from our hotel, so my [family] will stay there,” Mahomes said. “I did that s–t three months ago. That s–t blast up on the price.”
Mahomes was boasting about his savvy move to save on costs. Some people also took this as an unintentional brag that Mahomes knew he would make the Super Bowl.
The NFL Honors were also being held in Glendale, and Mahomes won NFL MVP, so he had multiple reasons to book housing that week. Still, the entire story adds to the mystique of the 27-year-old quarterback, who is signed to a $450 million contract.
Sep 4, 2021; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian and players sing The Eyes of Texas along with fans after a victory over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
The SEC will be adding Texas and Oklahoma in 2024, meaning they will need a policy in place for how they handle those who do the disrespectful “Horns Down” gesture. Apparently they have an existing policy that will extend to Texas taunters.
John McDaid, the SEC Coordinator of Officials, told reporters at SEC Media Days on Tuesday that they will treat “Horns Down” gestures they same way they do mocking Florida Gator Chomps and Ole Miss Land Shark signals.
“Unsportsmanlike conduct needs to fit one of three categories: Is it taunting an opponent? Is it making a travesty of the game? Is it otherwise compromising our ability to manage the game? There’s a difference between a player giving a signal directly in face of an opponent, as opposed to doing it with teammates celebrating after a touchdown or on the sideline. To net all that out, every single occurrence is not an act of unsportsmanlike conduct,” McDaid said.
Hook ’em Horns is a chant and hand signal for the Texas Longhorns. Those looking to mock the school and its fans often do so by reversing the hand signal and pointing their fingers down for a “Horns Down” gesture.
A few years ago, the Big 12 decided to crack down on the Horns Down gesture and what they deemed to be other taunts. It seems like a positive that nuance and context will be applied by the SEC officials regarding the gestures.
Adam Schenk arrived in England on Monday to prepare for the Open Championship, but there was just one problem: he was without his clubs.
Schenk’s wife Kourtney shared a tweet on Monday saying that Delta Air Lines had lost her husband’s clubs.
“Unfortunately @Delta did not crush our travel and left dad’s golf clubs behind in the US. Gonna need those,” Schenk tweeted.
A day later, she posted a positive update.
Malory Conners, the wife of Canadian golfer Corey Conners, apparently found Schenk’s clubs lying on the floor of baggage claim at the airport upon landing on Tuesday.
As Kourtney said, “who needs Delta when a couple of tour wives are on the case?!”
Good on them for teaming up to find the clubs.
The Open Championship is taking place at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake. This will be Schenk’s first time competing in the event, and his experience did not get off to a great start. Maybe things will turn around once play begins on Thursday.
Maybe Conners will be carrying some good luck into the event. Conners finished tied for 15th at the Open Championship in 2021 and tied for 28th last year.
