Mar 7, 2022; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (5) warms up before the game against the New York Knicks at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The Sacramento Kings are introducing a new mascot to go with their City Edition uniforms, and guard De’Aaron Fox is not exactly a fan.
The new mascot, named “Roy Al,” debuted Thursday to decidedly mixed reviews. As depicted, it is little more than a man with a basketball head wearing a Kings crown, though he is adorned in the new jersey.
Well, the Kings new city edition jerseys come with a new mascot named “Roy Al” pic.twitter.com/A3t5LBrGdj
Fox, the Kings’ star guard, got his first glimpse at Roy Al on Friday when meeting with reporters. His off-the-cuff reaction probably echoed that of many fans.
“What the f— is that?” Fox asked immediately. “He looks like he’d work out of a fast food restaurant.”
De'Aaron Fox's reaction to seeing the Kings new part time mascot "Roy Al" for the first time, was admittedly a lot like mine. pic.twitter.com/IZH8cpYxVW
Not all mascots are created equal. Perhaps this one will grow on people, but at least initially, he looks unlikely to supplant the team’s main mascot, Slamson the Lion.
As for Fox, he is not yet signed long-term, though that appears to be just a matter of time. Presumably, no mascot will impact his decision on that front.
Feb 18, 2023; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; The NBA logo on the court at Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
A former NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion has gotten himself into some trouble with the law.
TMZ Sports reports this week that ex-NBA swingman Desmond Mason was arrested in Oklahoma on Wednesday on a contempt of court charge. The charge reportedly stemmed from Mason’s ongoing divorce case in which he allegedly did not appear at a court hearing despite being ordered to do so.
Mason was jailed at Oklahoma County Detention Center before being released on $50,000 bond several hours later. You can read the full TMZ Sports report here.
Now 47 years old, Mason was a first-round pick in 2000 (No. 17 overall) and played 10 total seasons in the NBA for Seattle, Milwaukee, New Orleans, and Sacramento. He averaged 12.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest over his NBA career and was known for his high-flying play. Mason won the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend in 2001 and also returned to the event in 2002 and 2003 (finishing behind Jason Richardson both times).
The ex-Oklahoma State star Mason last played in the NBA back in 2009.
Sep 17, 2018; Chicago, IL, USA; A detailed view of a Seattle Seahawks helmet during the second half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Seattle Seahawks starting center Connor Williams caught the team by surprise this week by abruptly deciding to retire.
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald confirmed Friday that Williams informed the team of his retirement, effective immediately. Williams had started all nine games at center for the Seahawks this season. Macdonald said Williams’ retirement was down to “personal reasons,” and that the organization respected his decision.
Coach Mike Macdonald says of starting center Connor Williams suddenly retiring: “it’s out of everybody’s control. We’ve got to honor the situation.”
Of cutting a starting LB (Dodson), now Williams retiring in the same week: “It’s exactly how we planned it, drew it up.” Wry smile pic.twitter.com/SzDIeyohij
Williams signed with the Seahawks during training camp and won the starting job prior to the season. He struggled at times during the season, as he and quarterback Geno Smith seemed to struggle to get on the same page and have dealt with a number of botched snaps. The 27-year-old was a second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2018, and was in his first year back from an ACL tear he suffered in December 2023.
It feels like a very long time ago that the Seahawks were 3-0 and were being mentioned as one of the NFL’s best teams. They have gone 1-5 since then, and things have been pretty tumultuous, especially recently. Now the team needs a new starter at center just two days before a huge divisional matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
Anne Hathaway is passing the vibe check after her close call at a New York Knicks game earlier this week.
The famous actress Hathaway was sitting courtside at Wednesday’s game between the Knicks and Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden. In the first quarter, Knicks forward OG Anunoby deflected a pass out of bounds and ended up running into the barrier that Hathaway and her son were seated behind. As a result, Anunoby spilled some snacks on them.
In a post to her Instagram page on Thursday, Hathaway sent a message to Anunoby. She posted the clip of their run-in along with an additional video message in which she said, “I almost got crashed into last night. I always wanted that to happen. Thanks OG!”
Anunoby himself responded to Hathaway in the comment section, writing, “you’re welcome.”
The “Les Miserables” actress Hathaway is a native of New York City and attended college at NYU. Thus, it makes sense that she is a Knicks fan too.
The Knicks always have plenty of A-list celebrities at their games, so much so that the MSG has a dedicated “Celebrity Row” section. But usually those celebrities are getting into it with opposing players instead of nearly getting run over by the Knicks’ own players.
Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver talks to media before game one of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA is once again preparing to make big changes to the All-Star Game in a bid to make things more competitive and watchable.
The league is in talks to create a new tournament-style format for the 2025 All-Star Game, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. Under the proposed format, the game would function as a four-team tournament, featuring three All-Star teams of eight, plus the winner of the Rising Stars game.
The tournament format has become the preferred one for stakeholders, including team executives and players. Commissioner Adam Silver has worked for months on a new format, with input from players, coaches, and executives.
Last season’s game, a 211-186 win for the Eastern Conference, was the last straw for many, and Silver struggled to hide his disappointment with the lack of competition and defense on show. The commissioner has openly admitted that the game may not even be fixable, but he is determined to try.
The 2025 All-Star Game will be played on Feb. 16 at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Jan 15, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) arrives at Toyota Center before a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Dwight Howard sees an opportunity for himself with one particular NBA championship hopeful.
The eight-time All-Star big man Howard appeared this week on Kevin Garnett’s podcast “KG Certified.” During the episode, Howard pitched his services to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are in dire need of frontcourt help right now.
“OKC, your boy is ready,” said Howard. “Y’all need a big. Y’all need a vet. Y’all need somebody that’s gonna bring some energy. I ain’t got nothing to do neither!”
Here is the full clip (but watch out for the bad language).
The Thunder are 10-2 this season and have all the makings of a title contender. But star center Chet Holmgren is now out until at least January after suffering a bad hip injury from a hard in-game fall. Meanwhile, OKC’s backup options at center are both injured as well — Isaiah Hartenstein is recovering from a fractured hand and Jaylin Williams remains out with a hamstring injury. That has left 6-foot-5 Jalen Williams to act as a super small-ball center with 6-foot-9 Ousmane Dieng offering support off the bench for the Thunder.
As for Howard, he will turn 39 years old next month and has not played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season. But he spent the last couple of years playing in Taiwan and recently completed a stint on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” too. Howard also recently launched a notable business venture but clearly still has an eye on an NBA return, ideally with the young, up-and-coming Thunder.
Aug 16, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of Los Angeles Dodgers hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons, and that trend is unfortunately continuing.
The Dodgers announced Friday that Graterol underwent right shoulder surgery on Nov. 14, and will miss at least the first half of the 2025 season. Graterol added in an X post in Spanish that he had dealt with pain throughout 2024 and made the decision to undergo surgery to try and correct the issue.
Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Brusdar Graterol had right shoulder labrum surgery on Nov. 14 performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. He’s expected to return to the mound in the second half of the 2025 regular season.
El día de ayer tuve mi operación de hombro , gracias a dios y al Dr Elattrache todo salió bien, Este año 2024 para mi fue bastante frustrante , lidiando con ese dolor no fue fácil , y tomé la mejor decisión de operarme, Nunca me rendí , porque soy un guerrero de dios, mi…
Injuries limited Graterol to just seven regular season appearances in 2024, and he dealt with an array of physical issues all year. He made it back for the playoffs, but was clearly physically struggling when he walked three of the five batters he faced in Game 6 of the World Series.
At his best, Graterol is a shutdown reliever, as evidenced by his 1.20 ERA in 67.1 innings of work in 2023. The Dodgers have to hope he can get back to that after such a significant surgery.
Aug 3, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Kris Bryant (23) looks on in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
An ex-National League MVP was recently the victim of an expensive crime.
Marco Cummings of The Denver Gazette reports this week that Colorado Rockies third baseman Kris Bryant had his $300,000 Lamborghini stolen last month from Cherry Hills Village, Colo. According to police records, the car, a gray 2023 Lamborghini Huracan Coupe Tecnica, was reported stolen in early October. The police affadivit listed the owner as “Kristopher Bryant” (Bryant’s full name) and revealed that the car had been contracted for transport to Bryant’s home in Las Vegas but ultimately failed to arrive.
A subsequent multi-agency investigation revealed that a business email scheme had compromised the transport company, which allowed Bryant’s Lamborghini to be rerouted without authorization, Cummings adds. Police, using license plate tracking technology, were then able to trace the vehicle to Desert Inn Road in Las Vegas and apprehended a 58-year-old suspect, who is now accused of being involved in a larger car theft ring that had allegedly been using fake documents and VIN switching to traffick luxury vehicles.
The suspect has since been charged with two felony counts of possessing and transferring stolen vehicles and is now facing up to 20 years in prison. You can read Cummings’ full report on the situation here.
Bryant, now 32, is a four-time All-Star who was the NL MVP in 2016 and also helped the Chicago Cubs win the World Series that same year. A native of Las Vegas, Bryant has been with the Rockies ever since signing a seven-year, $182 million deal with them in 2022.
Earlier this year, Bryant indicated that he had some regrets about signing with Colorado, who finished at an NL-worst 61-101 in 2024. Now we are learning that Bryant, who was limited to just 37 games due to injury last season, recently experienced another mishap while in the state.
Oct 2, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodger pitcher Walker Buehler during a press conference before a team workout at Dodgers Stadium. Buehler is the National League Divisional game 1 starter against the Washington Nationals. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Walker Buehler showed during the MLB playoffs that he still has the capability to pitch at a high level, and he is drawing interest from at least one contender as a result.
In an appearance on MLB Network Friday, Jon Morosi reported that the Atlanta Braves are among teams with interest in Buehler. Morosi pointed out that the Braves are somewhat close to home for Buehler, who grew up in Kentucky and played collegiately at Vanderbilt. In addition, the Braves have rotation slots available, as Max Fried and Charlie Morton are both free agents and Spencer Strider is working his way back from elbow surgery.
Morosi also named the Chicago Cubs as a team that could have interest in Buehler.
Buehler evidently does not have to worry about attracting interest on the market. His strong postseason helped cancel out a regular season that saw him post a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts as he was coming back from elbow surgery. His market may also be helped by one somewhat surprising decision the Dodgers made as he was about to hit the market.
Buehler is still just 30 years old and has been a Cy Young contender in the past. Expect the Braves to face ample competition for his services.
Sep 11, 2021; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Nick Saban had the privilege of coaching at one of the best venues in the country during his 17 seasons at Alabama, but the seven-time national champion admits he did not always enjoy it.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly said last week that his team’s matchup against Alabama was so important in part because upwards of 300 recruits and their families would be in Baton Rouge for the game. The Tigers were then embarrassed 42-13 by the Crimson Tide, which was of course a terrible look.
During Friday’s edition of “The Pat McAfee Show,” Saban was asked about the added pressure of playing big games with recruits in town. He said his responsibilities leading up to home games in Tuscaloosa made him strongly prefer playing on the road.
“I was even saying on the way over here how much easier it was to play on the road from my coaching standpoint,” Saban said. “If you had 300 recruits in there, A.J., who talked to those guys while they were there? The coaches had to talk to them. The head coach had to talk to them. So you’re spending so much time on Friday and Saturday recruiting, it takes away from your focus on the game. And then you’re asking a player, ‘Hey man, why don’t you come over and say hi to this recruit.’ So instead of him focused on the game, he’s worried about recruiting. When you play on the road, you don’t have any of that.”
Saban said he also had to meet with Alabama alumni in what was called “Nick at Noon” every Friday before a home game. You can hear his full rantL
"It's so much easier to coach when you have a game on the road..
You're spending so much time recruiting when you're playing at home..
I used to have to go do Nick at Noon every Friday when we had a home game"
Obviously, Saban was able to handle all of the responsibilities. That is why he was so successful and is widely considered to be one of the greatest college coaches in history.
With more success comes more responsibility. The ability to handle events like “Nick at Noon” while also coaching a team is what separates Saban and other great coaches from the rest of the pack, even if they hate that part of the job.
