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Thunder poised to sign 2 stars to lucrative contract extensions

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The Oklahoma City Thunder are locking down their core players on the heels of their NBA title.

The Thunder are in agreement on a five-year rookie max contract with center Chet Holmgren, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. That deal could be worth as much as $250 million.

The Thunder are not done there. Charania added that the team has momentum in rookie extension talks with Jalen Williams, and are hoping to get something done with him soon.

It has been a busy offseason for the Thunder, who are determined to keep their big three together for years to come. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander already got a monster new contract from the team earlier this summer.

Both Holmgren and Williams have proven their worth to Oklahoma City. Holmgren has become a star in his own right, while Williams had a breakout moment in the NBA Finals. There is a history of injury with Holmgren, but the Thunder clearly do not believe that will linger.

The strong core the Thunder have built could certainly grow into a dynasty. They will be an expensive group, but they should pile up a lot of wins in the years to come.

Patrick Bailey hits MLB’s first walkoff inside-the-park HR in 99 years

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Patrick Bailey pulled off a feat on Tuesday night that you might not see again for another century.

The San Francisco Giants catcher Bailey completed an improbable come-from-behind victory for the team against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif. The Giants were down 3-1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning with Phillies closer Jordan Romano on the mound.

San Francisco’s Casey Schmitt started off the party with a leadoff double, and Wilmer Flores followed two batters later with a single that put runners on the corners with one out. Bailey stepped up to the plate and immediately ambushed the first pitch from Romano.

The ball traveled to deep right-center and banged off the wall, missing the stands by just a few inches. But Bailey was in luck because the ball took a fortuitous hop and caromed away from both Phillies outfielders. That easily brought both baserunners home, and Bailey himself followed suit, waltzing into the plate standing up for an unbelievable walkoff inside-the-park home run.

Here is the thrilling video.

According to Baseball Reference, that was MLB’s first walkoff inside-the-parker since Aug. 11, 1926. On that date, Bennie Tate (who was also a catcher) achieved the feat for the then-Washington Senators, giving them the victory over the New York Yankees. Jeff Passan of ESPN pointed out the incredible fact.

Like many catchers, the 26-year-old Bailey is not exactly known for his speed and has only swiped five total bases in his MLB career (with none this season). He is not much of a power hitter either and entered play on Tuesday batting .188 this year with a .531 OPS.

But none of that mattered to the baseball gods during San Francisco’s amazing comeback win over the Phillies. That was also quite the full circle moment considering that the Phillies victimized the Giants with an inside-the-park home run of their own a couple of years ago.

Surprising new suitor emerges for Russell Westbrook

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Russell Westbrook has only played one of his 17 career seasons in the Eastern Conference, but that number could soon be going up.

The Milwaukee Bucks have emerged as a surprise new suitor for the former MVP guard Westbrook, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Tuesday. Siegel notes that the Bucks are expected to use one of their last remaining roster spots to add extra guard depth.

Westbrook remains unsigned as an unrestricted free agent after turning down his $3.5 million player option for next season with the Denver Nuggets. At 36 years old, he averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game for Denver last season.

As for the Bucks, they have a glaring hole at point guard after opting to stretch-and-waive nine-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard this month. Their current PG rotation is headlined by Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins, both of whom signed new deals with Milwaukee this offseason. However, neither Porter nor Rollins are starting point guard-caliber, especially on a team like the Bucks that intends to compete for an NBA title.

Westbrook, who has transitioned into a full-time bench role, is not an ideal starting PG at this point of his career either. But as a three-time NBA assists leader who has averaged 8.0 dimes per game for his career, Westbrook may be the best option left out there for the Bucks, especially at his price point.

The market for Westbrook remains relatively quiet, and the team that was once seen as the frontrunner to sign him has since moved in a different direction at the guard spot. If Milwaukee does decide to sign Westbrook though, it might get a little awkward given Westbrook’s past history with Bucks lead assistant Darvin Ham.

Caitlin Clark snubs Angel Reese during WNBA All-Star draft

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Caitlin Clark will not be playing with her longtime rival during this year’s WNBA All-Star Game.

The Indiana Fever superstar Clark appeared Tuesday during a televised ESPN special to pick her roster as a captain of the All-Star Game. Clark was the leading WNBA All-Star vote-getter this year and thus got to choose a team along with the other captain, Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx (who was the second-leading vote-getter).

Clark had the No. 1 overall pick, and Collier then selected at No. 2 (with the two alternating picks from there). They first selected from the pool of eight other All-Star Game starters and then from the pool of 12 reserves (with Collier getting the first pick from the reserves list). Clark chose her Fever teammate Aliyah Boston at No. 1 overall and also circled back to her other All-Star teammate on the Fever, Kelsey Mitchell, with her first pick among the reserves (at No. 10 overall).

Interestingly enough, Clark did not select Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky, who was recently selected (as a reserve) to her second career WNBA All-Star team. After choosing Mitchell, Clark then used her next reserve pick on Gabby Williams of the Seattle Storm (No. 12 overall). Collier then used the very next pick (No. 13 overall) to select Reese.

Here is the full All-Star draft selection list.

Clark and Reese have had a major rivalry ever since their college days, and that has continued into their respective sophomore WNBA seasons as well. To kick off the 2025 season, Clark hit Reese with a flagrant foul during a game, and Reese was incensed (later sharing a social media post taunting Clark).

Interestingly enough, Clark and Reese were teammates during last year’s WNBA All-Star Game (when they were both rookies). In the middle of that game, Reese was asked about the experience of playing on the same team as Clark and responded with a classy message.

That said, there will be no encore for the two players at this year’s WNBA All-Star Game. Some on social media pointed out how Clark also snubbed Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream. Clark had five different chances to use a reserve pick on Howard, whom she beefed with earlier this season, but did not do so.

Minor-league pitcher bizarrely balks in run due to thunder

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The Norfolk Tides got dunked on this week by an unexpected foe — the weather.

Norfolk (Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles) faced off on Tuesday against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins) at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville, Fla. A very bizarre moment occurred during the bottom of the first inning of the game.

With a runner on third base and nobody out, Tides pitcher Roansy Contreras began his delivery to Jacksonville’s Graham Pauley. But Contreras abruptly aborted the delivery when a loud thunder clap in the area startled him (and just about everybody else in the stadium as well).

The home plate umpire was unmoved by the unusual weather situation though and called a balk on Contreras. As a result, the runner who was on third (Jacksonville’s Jakob Marsee) was waved in for the first run of the game by the Jumbo Shrimp.

Here is the bizarre video.

The purpose of the balk rule, which only applies when there are runners on base, is to prevent pitchers from tricking baserunners with deceptive movements. So while Contreras’ stop-and-start there was technically a balk by the letter of the law, that is certainly not why the rule was implemented in the first place.

A better question is probably why the game was allowed to continue in Tuesday’s inclement weather. There were no delays at all during the contest, and the Tide managed to overcome the “thunder balk” to defeat the Jumbo Shrimp by a 9-5 final score. All things considered, that had to be the strangest balk in baseball since this one at the MLB level from last year.

3 reported frontrunners emerging for Damian Lillard

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The race for Damian Lillard has essentially become the 2022 NBA Finals.

Three frontrunners have emerged in the sweepstakes to sign the nine-time NBA All-Star Lillard, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Tuesday. They are the Boston Celtics, the Golden State Warriors, and the Miami Heat.

Siegel notes that the Heat have long been linked to Lillard and adds that the Celtics and the Warriors are “near the top of the list” for the 34-year-old guard as well. However, Siegel also says that Lillard, who is nursing an Achilles tear, is in no rush to decide on his future. You can read Siegel’s full report on the situation here.

Of those three teams, the Celtics appear to be the favorites. They have constantly been linked to Lillard in recent days due to Lillard’s close relationship with Jayson Tatum, Boston’s hole at guard after trading away Jrue Holiday, and the likelihood of the Celtics punting on next season with Tatum dealing with an Achilles tear of his own.

But it is hard to discount the Heat, especially since they were the only team that Lillard wanted to go to when he asked out of Portland in 2023 (though Portland did not acquiese and sent Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks instead). Still, Miami just swung a big trade for a 20-ppg scorer at the guard position, so they may be a less logical spot for Lillard at this point.

As for the Warriors, the links are obvious since Lillard is a Bay Area native and is said to have close rapports with Golden State stars Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. But Lillard plays at Curry’s position, and the Warriors might not be willing to wait out for him to rehab since their window to win is right now. Curry, Green, and Butler are only under contract through 2027, and at least one of those guys has hinted at retirement upon the end of his contract.

What we do know though is that Lillard is an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NBA career and now has his pick of the litter as to where he wants to sign. The 13-year veteran Lillard is also still looking for his first career championship, so title contention will likely factor into what Lillard ultimately decides as well.

Kyrie Irving’s new contract contains 1 interesting provision

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The Dallas Mavericks are apparently trying to do right by Kyrie Irving as he recovers from his ACL tear.

Details have emerged this week on the new three-year contract extension that Irving recently agreed to with the Mavs. The extension officially totals $118.5 million over the three years and includes a player option for Year 3 plus a 15 percent trade kicker, veteran NBA writer Marc Stein reported on Tuesday.

While those provisions are generally common, there is one provision in Irving’s new contract that is less common. Stein adds that Irving’s extension includes an advance payment provision for half of each season’s salary by Oct. 1.

The 33-year-old Irving, who tore his ACL in March, might not play at all next season. He even hinted as much in a recent Q&A with fans on a video game stream.

But under the advance payment provision, Irving, who is owed $36.6 million next season will earn roughly $18.3 million by Oct. 1 of this year (before the new season starts). He will also make about $19.75 million of the $39.5 million he is owed in 2026-27 by Oct. 1, 2026. That means that Irving may just have $56.3 million from the Mavs drop in his bank account before he even plays in another game for them.

Contract negotiations between Irving and the Mavs got a little bit dicey, and the nine-time All-Star ended up settling for less than he was hoping for per year. But the advance payment provision for Irving marks a notable concession from the Mavs that may have helped the deal get over the finish line in the end.

Spurs make trade for former NBA Finals piece

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Victor Wembanyama is no longer the only floor-spacing big on the San Antonio Spurs roster.

The Spurs have acquired veteran center Kelly Olynyk in a trade with the Washington Wizards, Shams Charania of ESPN reported Tuesday. San Antonio is sending guards Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley plus a future second-round pick to the Wizards in exchange for Olynyk.

Olynyk, 34, was a first-round pick back in 2013 (No. 13 overall) and has been in the league for 12 seasons now. A career 37.1 percent three-point shooter, Olynyk is known for his long-range ability as well as for his craftiness off the dribble (albeit often awkward-looking at that).

Having previously made it to the Finals with the Miami Heat in 2020, Olynyk averaged 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 20.3 minutes per game between the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans last season. He has also played for the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, and Utah Jazz at other points in his pro career.

Earlier this offseason, the Pelicans sent Olynyk to the Wizards as part of the Jordan Poole-CJ McCollum swap. Now Olynyk is on the move again in exchange for Branham and Wesley, two 22-year-old players who might benefit from the move to a developmental team in the Wizards, plus a pick.

The Spurs already signed another notable former Celtics big man in free agency earlier this month. Now Olynyk is joining the mix in San Antonio too as a sizable $13.4 million expiring contract (at worst) and potentially a viable frontcourt scoring partner for Wembanyama (at best).

Cardi B seems to respond to Stefon Diggs breakup rumors

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Rapper Cardi B seemed to respond on Tuesday to rumors about her potentially breaking up with Stefon Diggs.

Cardi B and Diggs went public with their relationship in May when they attended a New York Knicks playoff game together. But Cardi B recently scrubbed Diggs from her Instagram page, leading many to speculate that she had broken up with the wide receiver.

Cardi B may have seen those rumors, because she shared some posts on X that stated a strong message.

“Shut the f–k up,” she wrote in one post on X (profanity edited by LBS).

She also seemed to suggest that those creating rumors need to find something different to do with their time.

“Go to dinner ,go shopping, go to the park …Get off the internet…ENOUGH!!” she wrote on X.

She also told fans to “ignore the bored.”

Cardi B still has multiple photos of her with rapper Offset on her Instagram profile even though the two are no longer together. It seems odd that she wouldn’t have scrubbed those photos but has taken off ones that included Diggs.

Amid the rumors about a breakup, Diggs shared a clip on YouTube of him and Cardi B working out.

Maybe that was his way of responding to the rumors.

Brewers manager has great quote about Jacob Misiorowski

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Jacob Misiorowski has been a revelation for the Milwaukee Brewers this season, and his manager has put the young pitcher’s emergence into context.

Misiorowski, 23, was a second-round pick by the Brewers in 2022. He battled elevated walk totals but ascended through the Brewers’ minor-league system to get promoted to the big club in June. Entering his start on Tuesday, Misiorowski was 3-1 with a 3.20 ERA in four starts. He had allowed just three hits and two runs over his first 16 MLB innings. Brewers manager Pat Murphy thinks this is only the start for The Miz.

Murphy gave a great quote about Misiorowski ahead of the pitcher’s start against the Dodgers on Tuesday.

“He’s just broken the shell, man. He’s just out of the egg, all arms and legs. He’s still got gooey stuff coming off him. He’s something special,” Murphy said.

The thought of Misiorowski as a baby dinosaur cracking the shell is a humorous one, but it puts things into context. Misiorowski is only 23 and just getting started. He’s listed at 6-foot-7 and 197 pounds. He still might be able to put some more weight onto his frame and improve his velocity and command.

Misiorowski’s average fastball velocity in MLB this season has been 99.3 mph. There aren’t many pitchers who can do that as a starter, but he’s one of them.

Nikola Jokic makes decision on contract extension with Nuggets

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Nikola Jokic has made a decision regarding his contract extension with the Denver Nuggets.

Jokic on Tuesday became eligible for a contract extension with the Nuggets. The extension could have added three years and $212 million to his existing contract. However, Jokic informed the Nuggets he would not sign an extension this summer. Instead, he plans to delay his decision until next year, when he will be eligible to sign for even more money.

Jokic’s current contract is a 5-year, $276 million deal he signed in July 2022. He is set to make $55 million next season and $59 million the season after that. Jokic also has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-2028.

By waiting until next year, Jokic would be eligible to make $80 million more on his contract extension. The 30-year-old center was offered the opportunity to add an additional $212 million onto his contract now, but he has decided to wait until next year.

One has to wonder how much of Jokic’s decision has to do with money and how much is rooted in his uncertainty over the team’s future. The Nuggets finished tied for the third-best record in the West last season at 50-32. They lost in seven games in their conference semifinals series against the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Denver also fired Michael Malone, who had been the head coach of the Nuggets for Jokic’s entire career. Jokic made it clear that he felt the team was not good enough last season.

Jokic is a three-time NBA MVP. He averaged 29.6 points, 10.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.0 three-pointers made per game last season, all of which were career-high marks.

Big 12 commissioner makes bold declaration

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Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark made a bold declaration on Tuesday.

Yormark spoke at the Big 12 Media Days at The Star in Frisco, Texas. He has been the Big 12 commissioner for nearly three years and has done big things with the conference. Under his leadership, the Big 12 survived and expanded while the Pac-12 contracted and was pilfered. Yormark feels his conference is just getting started.

“I believe we will be the deepest football conference in America,” Yormark said. “No league offers the competitive balance that we do … I fully expect the Big 12 to earn multiple College Football Playoff bids this year, and to show once again that we can compete with anyone.”

Yormark believes the Big 12 will be the deepest football conference is a bold claim, especially in a world where the Big Ten and SEC both exist. The Big Ten put four teams into the 12-team playoff last season, including the eventual winner Ohio State. The SEC put three teams into the group. The Big 12 had just one school in there, and it was Arizona State. Maybe the Big 12 is headed in the right direction, but to think they will be the deepest conference for the upcoming season seems to be a stretch.

The Big 12 has 16 teams in the conference. That includes Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah, who all came over when the Pac-12 imploded.

Simone Biles appears to have gotten a boob job

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Simone Biles shared some photos to her social media page this week that show apparent changes she has made to her look.

Biles shared three photos of herself in a bikini. She is lounging on a day bed in what appears to be a poolside-type setting. The Olympic champion had husband Jonathan Owens with her in one of the photos, and she had tagged the location as San Pedro, Belize.

Here is a before photo from two years ago for comparison:

There is little doubt that her body has changed. The question is whether or not this has any foreshadowing about her gymnastics future.

Biles, 28, has not stated yet whether she will attempt to compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The gymnast has competed in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games and has taken home 7 gold medals, two silvers and two bronzes. She has also won 30 World Championship medals.

A change like that to her body might signal she does not intend on continuing to compete. We’ve seen how this sort of thing can negatively affect athletes.

Giants legend Will Clark addressed why Rafael Devers stood him up

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Rafael Devers may have stood up a San Francisco Giants legend shortly after the slugger was traded, but it sounds like there is a reasonable explanation for what happened.

On Monday, Red Sox radio announcer Will Flemming revealed that the Giants tried to have Devers get together with former San Francisco first basemen Will Clark to have Devers practice playing the position, but the three-time All-Star did not show up.

As it turns out, Clark addressed the alleged no-show during an appearance on the No Filter Network last week. Clark said he was supposed to work with Devers the first weekend after the Giants acquired the 28-year-old in a blockbuster trade. San Francisco was playing the Boston Red Sox in that series, and Clark says Devers did not want to take reps at first base with his former team breathing down his neck.

“Friday, Saturday, Sunday, he did not come out early, at all. Period, not all. In fact, he didn’t even hit on the field,” Clark said, via Mike Axisa of CBS Sports. Everybody’s like, ‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Will. I’m so sorry. … I know what the (expletive) happened. I said, he didn’t want to go out and be at first base and be 20 feet in front of their freaking dugout with what went on in Boston, and now he’s working with me at first base. He didn’t want to have to go through all that (expletive) through the press in the media. So, I completely understand.”

The Red Sox traded Devers to the Giants in a stunning blockbuster deal last month. During his introductory press conference with his new team, Devers said he was open to playing first base or any other position the Giants wanted him to play.

Devers was angry with the Red Sox when they signed Alex Bregman over the winter and moved Devers from third base to DH. After Triston Casas suffered a season-ending injury in May, the Red Sox approached Devers about the idea of playing first base. Devers refused and publicly bashed the team’s front office.

That is why fans in Boston were unhappy when Devers said he would play first with the Giants.

Clark is a six-time All-Star and former Gold Glove Award winner. His No. 22 jersey is retired by the Giants. While Devers has yet to play first base for the Giants, it sounds like there is a chance he might work with Clark at some point in the future.

Mary Lou Retton was in rough shape in mug shot, arrest video

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Former Olympics hero Mary Lou Retton was arrested in May on suspicion of driving while under the influence, and a new mug shot that was released gives a glimpse into the type of shape she was in.

Retton was arrested on May 17 after police in Fairmont, W.V., received reports of a Porsche with Texas license plates that was driving “all over the roadway.” Officers then found Retton pulled over in a parking lot with a bottle of wine in the passenger seat.

Police said Retton smelled of alcohol and was slurring her words, which are both signs of impairment. The 57-year-old looked impaired while taking three different field sobriety tests and refused to have her blood tested.

On Tuesday, police in West Virginia released Retton’s mug shot and some footage from the arrest. Entertainment Tonight shared the full video of the arrest, during which Retton seemed aggravated with officers for making her undergo field sobriety tests. At one point, she could be heard responding “oh, my God” to an officer who asked her to balance longer.

You can see the full video:

Retton also appeared to be in rough shape while having her mug shots taken:

Retton was cited for one count of misdemeanor DUI and given a $1,500 personal recognizance bond.

Retton became famous after starring in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Calif. She won five medals in gymnastics, including a gold medal in the all-around. She was the first American to win a gold medal at the Olympics in the all-around.

Retton made headlines in 2023 when her daughter disclosed the former gymnast was in intensive care dealing with a rare form of pneumonia. Her daughter had launched a crowd-funding effort to help pay for Retton’s medical bills.

Angel Reese smacks away clipboard during Sky’s loss

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Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese lost her cool during the waning moments of the team’s loss on Tuesday, and took some of her frustration out on an assistant coach’s clipboard.

Reese was livid with a foul call that went against the Sky with about 30 seconds left in the game against the Washington Mystics at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Va. As Reese went to the sideline during a timeout, she was seen smacking the clipboard out of a Sky assistant’s hands.

Reese has been very frustrated with officiating lately, and that may have played into her frustrations here as well. The Mystics got four free throws during the final minute of play, including a pair with 2.1 seconds left to win the game 81-79.

Despite the circumstances, this is not a great look for Reese, who has a reputation for being aggressive at times. The staff member did not seem to care, but it probably is not something Reese should be in the habit of doing.

Reese tallied another double-double in the losing effort with 22 points and 15 rebounds. The defeat dropped Chicago to just 5-13 on the season despite the gaudy numbers she put up.

Lakers legend says Luka Doncic needs to have 1 offseason focus

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Luka Doncic appears to be taking the concerns about his weight seriously this offseason, but one Los Angeles Lakers legend believes there is one other area where the five-time All-Star needs to focus more of his attention.

Robert Horry, who won three of his seven NBA titles with the Lakers, was asked during a Tuesday appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” about the ongoing talk regarding Doncic’s weight and conditioning. Horry said he is far less concerned about Doncic’s weight than he is about the former Rookie of the Year’s defensive effort.

“I don’t care about his weight. You need to get him in the gym and teach him how to play defense,” Horry said. “You know, that’s the thing, because you can give someone 40 points, but if you’re giving up 35 on the other end, those 40 points don’t mean anything.”

Horry, who currently works as a commentator for Spectrum SportsNet, believes Doncic has to “want to play defense.”

“He gets blown by and they’re getting layups. If you watch stretches of games where Luka just stayed in front, because he’s a big body, offensive players are bouncing off him if he stays in front,” Horry added. “He needs to want to play defense, because so many times he saves his energy for the offensive side.”

Doncic seems to be fully committed to slimming down before his first full season with the Lakers. He is said to have dropped a significant amount of weight and looked shockingly skinny in a recent photo with a fan.

Even Lakers head coach J.J. Redick has challenged Doncic to get into better shape.

While being in better shape should benefit Doncic, Horry emphasized that it will not solve everything. The way Horry sees it, Doncic’s explosiveness on the offensive end proves that he is capable of sticking with players on the defensive end.

Ideally, the Lakers would like to see a bit of both. If Doncic gets into better shape and dedicates time to improving his defense, he will be an even greater asset in L.A.

Jalen Brunson’s dad is being demoted by Knicks

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Jalen Brunson’s father is getting demoted by the New York Knicks under new head coach Mike Brown.

Rick Brunson will retain a lesser role on the Knicks’ bench next season as Brown hires his own associate head coach, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. Brunson is on board with the move.

“This is what’s best for the organization and the players,” a source told Bondy.

The move is at least partly meant to counter the perception that Brunson has outsized influence over a team on which his son is the star player. Some unflattering reports emerged after the season ended suggesting Brunson’s presence was viewed unfavorably by other players, and that he was viewed as the most powerful member of the organization. A demotion might not fully counter those claims, but it will presumably give Brown the chance to assert his own authority after being hired as coach.

There have certainly been times where Brunson’s presence has been a distraction. Whatever his role on the staff is, it is pretty easy to make accusations about impropriety or conflicts of interest.

Rick Brunson was hired as an assistant head coach in 2022, just before Jalen joined the team as a free agent. That signing has been a coup for the Knicks, but three years later, it might be time for his father to take on a lesser role around the team.

Rex Ryan wore legendary shirt for 4th of July

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Rex Ryan had himself a blast over the 4th of July weekend, and the former NFL head coach wore the shirt to prove it.

Sage Steele shared a photo on social media on Tuesday that showed her posing with Ryan and fellow former ESPN host Sam Ponder. Ryan had his arm around Steele and Ponder and was happily sporting one of the best 4th of July shirts you will ever see.

The shirt said “Just Here to Bang.”

“If Rex Ryan’s t-shirt doesn’t make your day like it made mine (and @samponder) not sure what will. Happy belated 4th of July!” Steele wrote on X.

Ryan currently works as an analyst for ESPN. In addition to being a former head coach and defensive mastermind, he is known for his great sense of humor and lack of filter. We have seen countless examples of that over the years, especially when Ryan has trolled himself over his foot fetish.

Steele and Ponder both left ESPN in recent years for controversial reasons that were similar, but it looks like they have maintained a close relationship with Ryan. With shirts like that, it is easy to see why.

Anthony Davis underwent surgery to address nasty injury

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Anthony Davis missed time because of an abductor strain after he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks last season, but that was not the only significant injury that the 10-time All-Star dealt with.

Davis recently underwent surgery to repair a detached retina that he suffered during the season, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Tuesday.

Davis is expected to be fully recovered by the start of training camp.

A detached retina is typically an emergency situation that requires immediate surgery, so it is unclear why Davis did not have the procedure sooner.

As Charania noted, Davis was hit in the face multiple times during the season. He took a vicious elbow to the right eye from a teammate while fighting for a loose ball during an April game against the Atlanta Hawks (video here). Davis briefly left that game but was able to return.

Davis is entering his first full season with the Mavericks after they acquired him when they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Kyrie Irving is expected to miss much of the 2025-26 season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Dallas will be relying on Davis and rookie No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg in Irving’s absence.

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