Video shows how pathetic James Harden’s defense was in Game 1 collapse
James Harden’s defense got picked apart by Jalen Brunson late in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Fans did the same on social media shortly after
The Cleveland Cavaliers star, long known to be a poor defender, was especially putrid down the stretch in the series opener against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, N.Y. The home team trailed by 22 points with under eight minutes left in the contest before Brunson decided to cook Harden on every single possession.
The Knicks closed the fourth quarter on a furious 30-8 run to force overtime with a consistent game plan on offense: hunt James Harden. Entire video compilations of New York’s comeback were virtually just a collection of plays showing Harden get cooked by Brunson.
2 MINUTES AND 45 SECONDS of Jalen Brunson HUNTING James Harden in the 4th and OT 😩 pic.twitter.com/SzqflCwZ4j
— Hater Report (@HaterReport) May 20, 2026
There was no hiding the Knicks’ strategy when it was evident on every plan. Even Knicks head coach Mike Brown conceded it during his postgame press conference following the 115-104 Knicks win.
“It was no secret we were attacking Harden,” Brown said after the game.
Harden failed to make up for his defensive shortcomings on the other end. He had just six points on 1/7 shooting in the fourth quarter and overtime. Donovan Mitchell wasn’t much better with three points on a 1/6 clip. The two combined for as many points as Landry Shamet (9) during that span.
Brunson, on the other hand, went off for 17 points of his 38 points from the final period onwards.
It didn’t help Cleveland that Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson seemed allergic to calling timeouts. Aside from interrupting the Knicks’ momentum, the Cavs could have used the timeouts to give Harden a breather or even consider making a defensive substitution to protect their lead.
Instead, the Cavs head to Game 2 down a game they probably needed to take to win the series.
Ketel Marte had the coldest celebration of the season after his walk-off home run vs. Giants
Ketel Marte met the moment on Tuesday as he crushed the hearts of San Francisco Giants fans everywhere.
The Arizona Diamondbacks star was at the plate with runners at first and second and two outs as his team trailed 3-2 in the bottom of the 9th inning. It was the type of situation every youngster dreams up in his backyard.
Marte smashed a 1-0 slider from Giants reliever Matt Gage into the left-field seats at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. The Diamondbacks, down to their last out, won 5-3.
Down to the final out …
— MLB (@MLB) May 20, 2026
KETEL MARTE WALK-OFF HOME RUN 🐍 pic.twitter.com/PrhUzF4YtY
The All-Star second baseman went all out with his celebration. First, Marte gave his lumber a whirl with an epic bat flip while walking back and admiring his work. Then he doubled down with a helmet flip before reminding the world that he was born for these moments.
KETEL MARTE KNEW OFF THE BAT 😤 https://t.co/RlLX1X5B9Y pic.twitter.com/EHD0vT8qSW
— MLB (@MLB) May 20, 2026
Just look at this still shot of Marte as his bat went flying.
Ketel Marte's walk-off bat flip was cold 🥶 pic.twitter.com/ifmHtOdP5K
— MLB (@MLB) May 20, 2026
Marte has had a relatively rough season by his standards. The 2023 NLCS MVP entered the game batting just .222 with 5 home runs and 17 RBIs across 43 games. Tuesday may have just marked the end of his slump.
Kenny Atkinson gave the most bizarre comments after Cavaliers’ choke job in Game 1
Kenny Atkinson sounded like a man who had accepted his losing fate on Tuesday after his Cleveland Cavaliers blew a late lead to the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Cavaliers led by as many as 22 points midway through the fourth quarter of what was at that point a completely one-sided series opener at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, N.Y. The Knicks then proceeded to go on a 30-8 run in the final 7:39 of regulation to force overtime and eventually run away with a 115-104 win.
Cleveland called just one timeout during that entire stretch despite Atkinson having multiple in his pocket in the fourth quarter. He gave a puzzling response during his postgame press conference when asked about not calling any more timeouts.
“Yeah, I like to hold my timeouts,” Atkinson told reporters. “I didn’t want to have one timeout at the end of the game. One or two-point game, I try to hold them.”
Most coaches view timeouts as a tool to halt an opposing team’s momentum. Atkinson claimed he wanted to save them for close late-game situations his Cavaliers could have avoided had he settled his team down before it was too late. Several fans and media members felt that same way.
Have we ever seen a coach get fired after game 1 of a conference finals? Because Kenny Atkinson should be the first…
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) May 20, 2026
WHY ON EARTH did he not do anything about them head hunting Harden all 4th & OT? No double? Nothing? This entire comeback is on him. WTF are we watching lmao
The Cavaliers called a grand total of one timeout during that 30-8 run by the Knicks.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) May 20, 2026
This has been an inexcusable coaching display by Kenny Atkinson down the stretch.
— Erik Slater (@ErikSlater_) May 20, 2026
Fireable loss.
Atkinson also opted not to call a timeout when the Cavaliers had the final shot with the game tied at 101 to end regulation. Sam Merrill’s potential dagger three-point attempt rolled halfway down the hoop and out, prompting Mike Breen to cancel his signature “bang” call mid-sentence.
Atkinson also attributed some of the loss to the Cavaliers just not being as lucky down the stretch as the Knicks, who “dominated us in the fourth quarter.”
“We got a little unlucky, quite honestly. … But I’m super proud of the way our group played. We played great basketball tonight for three quarters,” Atkinson said.
It’s probably hard for any Cavaliers fans to feel as proud as Atkinson was after choking away what looked like a Game 1 win for 40 minutes of play.
Mike Breen had to cancel his ‘bang’ mid-call after Game 1 dagger rolls out
Mike Breen was forced to hit the eject button on his “bang” call late in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavs had possession with the game tied at 101 in the closing seconds of regulation at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, N.Y. The Knicks double-teamed James Harden with about five ticks left on the clock, forcing the former MVP to find Sam Merrill open for a wide-open shot from the top of the key.
With Merrill being the Cavaliers’ best spot-up shooter, most spectators, including Breen, expected the shot to go down. Breen loaded up his signature “bang” call and had to pull back as Merrill’s shot rolled halfway down and out.
SAM MERRILL ALMOST HIT THE GAME WINNER
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 20, 2026
Mike Breen almost said “bang”. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/HWxBma8Z89
The veteran announcer, fittingly, only got through half the word before cutting the call short as the game went to overtime.
Merrill’s shot could have salvaged a mess of a fourth quarter for the Cavaliers, who let a 22-point lead slip away in the final period. Instead, New York rode the momentum of the comeback to clobber Cleveland in overtime.
The Knicks came away with a 115-104 win in Game 1 thanks to the heroics of Jalen Brunson, who scored 15 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter to will his team back from the dead.
Brunson did not earn himself a “bang,” but probably won over a few thousand mayoral votes if he ever wanted to run New York City officially.
Corbin Carroll scores electric Little League home run after getting beaned on the head
Corbin Carroll scored a home run the hard way during Tuesday’s clash against the San Francisco Giants.
The Arizona Diamondbacks speedster was at the plate with the bases empty and one out in the bottom of the 1st inning. Facing Giants starter Landen Roupp, Carroll sent a 1-0 sinker to the left-center gap at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.
Carroll, who entered the game with a major-league-leading five triples, knew he was going for three bags the moment he made contact. His ball bounced on the warning track and ricocheted off the outfield fence at an opportune enough angle to make a triple a foregone conclusion.
Giants infielder Luis Arraez’s relay throw hit Carroll hard in the head, allowing the Diamondbacks star to sprint toward home plate for a Little League home run.
Corbin Carroll has a head made of steel
— AT (@BaseballWRLD_) May 20, 2026
He got beaned directly in the head sliding into 3rd and still immediately got up and sprinted home pic.twitter.com/gPwBu1uJse
The fact that Carroll just took a bullet to the noggin was arguably the most impressive part of the whole thing.
Carroll’s 31 triples across the 2024 and 2025 seasons were the highest tally in the majors. He also led the National League with 10 triples in 2023. The man is built to pile up triples.
Tuesday was a good day for fans of Little League home runs across the majors. The New York Mets also gave up a Little League grand slam to the Washington Nationals on a ball that was sent to the same spot as Carroll’s hit.
Blazers pulling yet another cost-cutting move
The Portland Trail Blazers continue to find ways to win the war against spending money.
The Blazers have laid off at least 50 “long-term” team employees, according to NBA reporter Evan Sidery. Other reporters have mentioned that the number could be as high as 70, with cuts primarily being on the business side of operations. Some members of the Blazers’ own media team were also let go.
The Trail Blazers have laid off over 50 long-term team employees today, including some from their media team, as new owner Tom Dundon implements more cost-cutting measures on the franchise.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 19, 2026
Dundon is also still exploring hiring a head coach for the cheapest possible salary. pic.twitter.com/5nKZYHvZgB
According to Blazers reporter Sean Highkin, there were also “a few” members of the team’s basketball ops let go who were considered “lower” or “mid-level” staffers. Portland general manager Joe Cronin and his three top assistants, Andrae Patterson, Sergi Oliva, and Asjha Jones, were not among the firings.
The mass layoffs were just the latest in what has been an ongoing trend with the Blazers since new owner Tom Dundon took over the team this year.
The Blazers made the playoffs this season for the first time since 2021. But the louder chatter has been about how “cheap” Dundon has been since taking charge. Dundon refused to cover travel expenses for the Blazers’ two-way players to attend the team’s playoff road games.
Dundon also did away with free T-shirts for fans during Portland’s two home games. Not even the Blazers’ team mascots were safe from scrutiny.
Nico Harrison’s unfortunate old quote resurfaces amid the Jason Kidd news
Nico Harrison is still taking Ls even after getting fired.
The Dallas Mavericks made the stunning announcement on Tuesday that they are mutually parting ways with head coach Jason Kidd after five seasons. Kidd is now being linked to one other NBA team in the wake of his split from the Mavericks.
Social media users immediately thought back to an old quote delivered by the former Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison back in Feb. 2025. Amid the franchise-altering Luka Doncic trade disaster, Harrison spoke with reporters to try to explain his reasoning (all while Kidd sat next to him at the press conference).
Harrison said that the move to trade Doncic for Anthony Davis was a win-now play. He also indicated that the trade could end up aging poorly in 10 years.
“The future 10 years from now, I don’t know,” said Harrison at the time. “They’ll probably bury me and J [Kidd] by then, or we bury ourselves.”
“The future 10 years from now… they probably bury me and J by then, or we bury ourselves."
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 2, 2025
Nico Harrison is well aware he just dropped a nuclear bomb on his franchise
pic.twitter.com/lDhX3Y6ozy
With Kidd’s departure from the Mavericks this week, he and Harrison are both now (so to speak) buried. It took far less than 10 years too with Harrison getting fired just over nine months after the Doncic trade and Kidd now exiting just over 15 months after the trade.
After going a miserable 26-56 this season, Dallas is moving forward with their new full-time president Masai Ujiri, and Ujiri will now get to hire his own head coach as well. Meanwhile, the last that we heard of Harrison was that he was planning to lay low for an indefinite period (and for good reason).
Wizards’ reported plan for Anthony Davis is revealed
The Washington Wizards appear to be prioritizing asset management above all with Anthony Davis.
Washington is expected to keep their 10-time All-Star big man Davis into next season, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com reported on Tuesday. Deveney notes that the hope is for Davis to be able to prove that he is healthy and to rebuild his value before the trade deadline next year.
Davis, 33, landed with the Wizards this past February as part of a seven-player trade with the Dallas Mavericks. But Davis did not end up playing in a single game for Washington this season, leading to questions about what the long-term plan is for the former No. 1 overall pick.
Indeed, Davis seems like an odd match for the Wizards’ timeline. He is six years older than new star teammate Trae Young, 27, and is obviously far older than all of Washington’s other core pieces, including Kyshawn George (22), Alex Sarr (21), Bilal Coulibaly (21), Bub Carrington (20), and the incoming No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
But Davis is very much at a low point of his value right now. He has played in just 71 total games combined over the last two seasons due to a myriad of injuries and is set to make an exorbitant $58.5 million next season (with an even bigger $62.8 million player option for 2027-28 as well).
Davis appeared to be hinting at a desire to move on already from the rebuilding Wizards with some blunt comments that he made last month. But it does not sound like Washington will be inclined to grant Davis his wish until it also benefits them to do so.
Mets give up an unbelievable Little League grand slam to the Nationals
The New York Mets’ season is going from bad to absolutely embarrassing.
New York played on Tuesday against the NL East division rival Washington Nationals and jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. But in the second inning at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., disaster struck for the Mets.
Washington managed to load the bases with two outs for All-Star outfielder James Wood. On a first-pitch offering from Mets starter Nolan McLean, Wood shot a ball to the opposite field that sent Mets left fielder Nicholas Morabito all the way to the wall.
Morabito failed to come up with the leaping catch, but somehow fooled Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor into thinking he had secured the ball. Taylor simply stood there staring at Morabito while the ball rolled away.
Unbelievably, it was Morabito who then got up and chased down the ball. By the time that the ball got back into the infield though, every single runner (including the batter Wood) had scored.
Here is the video of the absurd inside-the-park grand slam.
JAMES WOOD. LITTLE LEAGUE. GRAND SLAM. pic.twitter.com/UDooLAdTfy
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 20, 2026
That was the coup de grace for the Mets as their Little League moment brought Washington to within a 5-4 margin. The Nationals would then go on to score five more runs by the fourth inning to take a 9-5 lead over the Mets.
After a woeful 12-game losing streak in April, the Mets have regained control of the steering wheel and now sit at 21-26 (entering play on Tuesday having won six of their last seven games). But it very quickly fell apart for them during Tuesday’s game against the Nationals with the worst home run allowed since that by Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres earlier this month (which was also of the Little League grand slam variety).
Pete Crow-Armstrong disciplined by MLB after getting profane with a fan
Pete Crow-Armstrong is getting sent to detention this week.
The Chicago Cubs star outfielder Crow-Armstrong has been fined this week by Major League Baseball, Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported on Tuesday. While the amount of the fine was not disclosed, Crow-Armstrong is being punished for an incident over the weekend with a fan of the Chicago White Sox.
Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs played on Sunday against the rival White Sox. In the fifth inning at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., Crow-Armstrong failed to come down with a leaping catch off a ball that was hit by White Sox infielder Miguel Vargas.
After whiffing on the play, Crow-Armstrong fell to the ground and promptly got heckled by a female fan who was standing behind a barrier in the outfield. Video footage of the incident showed that Crow-Armstrong responded to the fan by telling her to “s–k my f–king d—k, b—h.”
You can see the video of the incident here.
The 2025 MLB All-Star Crow-Armstrong would later go on to apologize for the profane moment. But Major League Baseball has fined a number of other players in the past for getting obscene with fans, and now PCA is joining that list as well.
Notable update emerges about LeBron James’ contract plans
The hometown discount officially appears to be off the table for LeBron James.
The possibility of the Los Angeles Lakers star James taking the veteran’s minimum contract this summer is not in the cards at all, veteran NBA writer Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported during a video segment on Tuesday. Fischer notes that despite recent speculation from figures around the league that James could consider the veteran’s minimum, it does not sound like James will be willing to accept it.
James, 41, is due for unrestricted free agency this offseason. He has spent eight total seasons now with the Lakers, but there is plenty of doubt as to whether he will make it nine in 2026-27.
For reference, the veteran’s minimum is set to be roughly $3.9 million next season for a player with 10-plus years of NBA experience like James has. But considering that James made $52.6 million this season with the Lakers, that would represent an extremely drastic paycut.
Statisically speaking too, James is still worth a decent chunk of change. For the Lakers this year, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game over 60 appearances and also made the 22nd All-Star team of his NBA career.
There was indeed some chatter in recent months that James could potentially settle for the minimum and recoup all of the money through one notable route next season. Instead though, James will likely proceed towards the expected route of trying to squeeze out as much salary as he possibly can before he retires from the NBA.
Jason Kidd linked to 1 team amid his shocking departure from Mavericks
Jason Kidd is officially out in Dallas, but he may already have a potential pivot in place.
The shocking news broke on Tuesday that Kidd has mutually agreed to part ways with the Dallas Mavericks. The move ends Kidd’s tenure in Dallas after five seasons as their head coach.
Veteran NBA writer Marc Stein reported in the wake of the news that Kidd could potentially be an option for the Orlando Magic. Stein notes that the Magic had interest in Kidd as a head coach candidate back in 2021 and that they are known to be seeking a coach with experience.
The Basketball Hall of Famer Kidd, 53, immediately becomes one of the top available options on the head coaching market. Though he was just 205-205 (.500) overall as the coach of the Mavs, Kidd did lead the team to two Western Conference Finals berths and a Finals appearance in 2024. Kidd was also an NBA champion assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and has 10 total seasons of head coaching experience under his belt (after previously coaching both the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks).
As for the Magic, they just made the decision earlier this month to fire head coach Jamahl Mosley (who has already landed a lead job with another NBA team). Mosley was in charge of Orlando for five total seasons, going 189-221 (.461) with three playoff appearances and two division titles but zero playoff series wins to show for it.
The 10-time NBA All-Star point guard Kidd has plenty of experience when it comes to coaching stars (including Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, and Kyrie Irving). That combined with his playoff success could make him an ideal candidate for the Magic, who have struggled to find the right coach for their All-Star forward Paolo Banchero.
Derrick Henry gives hilarious explanation after OTA injury scare
Baltimore Ravens star running back Derrick Henry had everybody holding their breath on Tuesday during OTAs.
Henry collided with a teammate and stayed on the ground for a while. He got up after and was able to continue his practice session, although questions still lingered about whether or not the Ravens’ star suffered an injury.
After OTAs ended, Henry spoke to reporters and had a hilarious answer while discussing the sequence.
😂😅 @KingHenry_2 pic.twitter.com/RDveSa5DMu
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) May 19, 2026
Henry collided knee-to-knee with a defender, but the good news is that he was able to practice again after taking a few reps off to cool down.
Last May, Henry signed a two-year, $30 million contract extension, marking the largest-ever for a running back over the age of 30.
However, age didn’t matter one bit as Henry rushed for 1,595 yards on 307 carries with 16 touchdowns in 2025 to lead the Ravens. While those numbers are down from his 1,921-yard 2024 campaign, he still showed how talented he is and how he is capable of shouldering the load.
The Ravens and new head coach Jesse Minter are expecting big things from Henry once again, even at the age of 32, and it’s good to see he is light and loose early on in OTAs, even though he scared many on Tuesday.
Dallas Mavericks make major decision on head coach Jason Kidd
Changes keep on coming in the Dallas Mavericks organization, and this time it is regarding head coach Jason Kidd.
On Tuesday, the Mavericks announced that they have parted ways with Kidd after five seasons as the head coach. Kidd finishes with a 205-205 record, including two playoff appearances and an NBA Finals appearance.
We have mutually agreed to part ways with head coach Jason Kidd.
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 19, 2026
A Mavericks champion, Hall of Famer and coach who helped lead this franchise back to the NBA Finals. Thank you, Jason. #MFFL pic.twitter.com/6wiG4Big4q
Mavericks new president, Masai Ujiri, who held the role previously with the Toronto Raptors, released a statement on the decision.
Ujiri admitted that Jason Kidd had a “meaningful impact” on the team, but acknowledged that this is the “right moment for a new direction for our team.”
“As we evaluate the future of our basketball program, we believe this is the right moment for a new direction for our team,” Ujiri said. “We have high expectations for this franchise and a responsibility to build a basketball organization capable of sustained championship contention. We will conduct a thorough, disciplined search for our next head coach and continue to evaluate our entire basketball operations staff to ensure we compete at the standard Mavs fans expect and deserve.”
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Kidd has four years left on his deal. And, the Mavericks gave Kidd a “multiyear” contract extension in October, so it’s a stunning turn of events in Dallas.
The Mavericks announce that they have parted ways with coach Jason Kidd.
— Tim MacMahon (@BannedMacMahon) May 19, 2026
Sources told ESPN that he has four years and more than $40 million remaining on his contract, but Patrick Dumont authorized Masai Ujiri to make this decision.
The Mavericks have gone downhill since the NBA Finals loss two seasons ago, and it included the stunning trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package highlighted by Anthony Davis.
That led to the Mavs firing GM Nico Harrison not even one calendar year later, and somehow, the Mavs wound up with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which meant selecting Duke sensation Cooper Flagg.
Still, the Mavericks finished with a 26-56 record in 2025-26, and now the decision has come to move on from Kidd and begin a new chapter in Dallas.
Josh Allen has glowing praise of new Bills WR DJ Moore
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has played with plenty of wide receivers during his time in the NFL, and now he will throw passes to DJ Moore in 2026.
The Bills acquired Moore in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears in hopes of finally giving Allen a true WR1.
As the Bills were in OTAs, Allen had nothing but glowing praise for his new wide receiver.
“He’s able to contort his body in different ways that I don’t think I’ve ever seen, and he’s not a small guy,” Allen said, via Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. “He’s faster than you think, and he just kind of glides on people.”
Bills QB Josh Allen to new No. 1 WR D.J. Moore at the team’s first open practice of OTAs. pic.twitter.com/2tbUohWPJ3
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) May 19, 2026
Moore began his career with the Carolina Panthers before being traded to the Bears in 2023 in the deal that saw Carolina go up to get the No. 1 pick and what ended up being quarterback Bryce Young.
The Bills then sent a 2026 second-round pick for Moore and a 2026 fifth-round choice, so they are hoping Moore can be a top option for Allen.
Khalil Shakir led the Bills with 719 receiving yards in 2025, and tight end Dalton Kincaid was the only other player in Buffalo to have more than 500 receiving yards.
Moore also spent time with Joe Brady in Carolina, who is now the Bills’ head coach after Sean McDermott was fired.
So far, Allen loves what he sees from Moore.
Phillies accomplish rare feat not seen since 1951
Just a few weeks ago, the Philadelphia Phillies looked like a last-place team in the National League East.
Now, as of May 19, the Phillies have a 25-23 record and are on the right side of the .500 mark. At the end of April, the Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson after a 9-19 start, and Don Mattingly has turned things around quickly.
In fact, the Phillies have accomplished a feat that was only done in 1951 by the New York Giants.
The #Phillies are the first team since the 1951 New York Giants to go from 10 games under .500 to 2 games over .500 in the first 48 games of a season.
— Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrPHL) May 19, 2026
The 1951 Giants won the NL pennant.
The Phillies moved to 25-23 with a 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday at Citizens Bank Park. It marked the fifth straight win, and it gave Mattingly’s club its 13th win of May.
Suddenly, there is some hope in Philadelphia, although the wins have come against the Miami Marlins, Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates. Besides the Pirates, none of those teams is over .500 entering Tuesday.
Following the firing of Thomson, the Phillies reportedly expressed interest in fired Red Sox manager Alex Cora, although reports stated that he turned down the job.
So, the Phillies turned to Mattingly, and things have worked out in less than one month with him as the interim manager.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s brother calls out NFL after award gaffe
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has had a great few months.
He won the Super Bowl, won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award, and landed a new four-year contract extension worth $168.6 million.
However, when Smith-Njigba received his Offensive Player of the Year trophy, there was a mistake. The trophy read, “Defensive Player of the Year.”
While Smith-Njigba posted that it is “getting disrespectful”, his brother, Canaan, also called out the NFL in a lengthy post on X.
The NFL quickly collected a fine for the dunk celebration, then used those same images for promotion.
— Canaan Smith-Njigba (@CanaanSmith_) May 19, 2026
The Offensive Player of the Year was turned into a comedy segment with Druski, minimizing an award earned through elite performance and hard work.
NFL Honors never acknowledged…
Canaan was drafted by the New York Yankees in the fourth round of the 2017 MLB Draft, and he made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates before bouncing around a bit. He also landed with the Seattle Mariners in 2024, but he didn’t get called up to the majors.
So, Canaan knows a thing or two about professional sports, and he isn’t too pleased with the NFL’s lack of quality checks on the trophy.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a monster regular season, recording 1,793 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 119 catches. That earned him the new contract, which in turn made him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history.
Still, the NFL messed up his award, and now the league will have to correct it.
Rashee Rice’s potential NFL punishment revealed for his latest arrest
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is heading to jail for 30 days for a probation violation, but he apparently will not have anything to worry about with regard to the NFL.
Rice already served a five-game suspension for conduct relating to his high-speed car crash in 2025. The NFL also does not punish players for testing positive for marijuana.
In other words, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, it would be a surprise if the NFL hands down any sort of punishment for Rice’s probation violation.
Rice served a 5-game suspension in 2025. The NFL does not suspend players for positive weed tests. I would be surprised if there's any punishment from the league for this, for what it's worth.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) May 19, 2026
Rice was ordered to jail as part of his probation after testing positive for THC. His 30-day sentence was going to have to be served at some point during the probationary people, but it otherwise would have been at a time of Rice’s choosing.
Rice has been limited to 12 games over the last two seasons due to injuries and off-field issues. In eight games last year, he caught 53 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns.
Sean McVay makes admission about past retirement rumors
Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay made a rather surprising admission about the retirement rumors that surrounded him after the 2022 season.
McVay admitted he did strongly consider quitting after the Rams went 5-12 in 2022, and was heavily linked to a potential media role at the time. He said, however, that he would not have been quitting to go into broadcasting: he would have been admitting that he could not take that much losing.
“I almost quit coaching. You could use the narrative that I was going to go to media or whatever, but the truth would have been, I was quitting, because I couldn’t handle the losing. It was almost like a scarlet letter. There was moments I was counting down the days for that season to be over.”
McVay admitted he eventually changed his mind after speaking with his wife Veronika, who told him that it “never really sounded like the kind of leader you wanted to be.”
Safe to say Sean McVay made the right decision to stay coaching pic.twitter.com/QgVpBPPeAX
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) May 19, 2026
Rumors about McVay quitting coaching to go into media actually started around the time the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2022. They resurfaced after the Rams’ rough 2023 season, and it was reported at the time that he was reluctant to be part of a rebuild. This would explain why.
McVay stayed, and he clearly made the right choice. The Rams have not missed the playoffs since, and reached the NFC Championship last season. They will be expected to contend again in 2026, as they have done consistently throughout McVay’s tenure.
Pistons GM addresses Jalen Duren’s future with team
Jalen Duren’s rough playoffs have not changed the organization’s opinion on him.
Pistons president Trajan Langdon addressed Duren’s future during his end-of-season press conference Tuesday and left little doubt that the team intends to keep him for years to come.
“JD had a fantastic season. All-Star. One of the biggest contributors to us being a No. 1 seed,” Langdon told reporters. “We look forward to coming together with his representation, getting a deal done, and for him continuing to be a Piston.”
Detroit Pistons President Trajan Langdon on Jalen Duren: “JD had a fantastic season. All-Star. One of the biggest contributors to us being a No. 1 seed… We look forward to coming together with his representation, getting a deal done, and for him continuing to be a Piston.” pic.twitter.com/6pGOHgk4eE
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 19, 2026
Duren will become a restricted free agent this summer, and during the season, he looked like a max contract candidate. That changed after he averaged just 10.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game during the playoffs. While his future with the Pistons is not in any doubt, that postseason likely cost him a significant sum of money.
On the other hand, Duren was an All-Star who averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game during the regular season, and is likely in line for an All-NBA nod. That kind of production is still in there, but both he and the Pistons will have to figure out where it went wrong during the playoffs.
