Cavs benefit from a controversial no-call by Tony Brothers in Game 5 win
Detroit Pistons fans were cursing Tony Brothers’ name during Wednesday’s game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers took a 3-2 lead in their second-round series against the Pistons with a 117-113 victory in Game 5. Cleveland needed overtime to knock off Detroit at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. and move to within one win of making the Eastern Conference Finals.
But a very controversial moment occurred at the end of regulation. Cavs star Donovan Mitchell drove into the lane with the score tied 103-103 but got the ball stripped away by Pistons forward Ausar Thompson.
With the final seconds ticking away, Thompson tracked down the loose ball but got tripped by Cleveland big man Jarrett Allen in the fight for possession. Referee Tony Brothers, who was right on top of the play, did not blow the whistle though, and time expired in regulation.
Here is the video of the play.
Jarrett Allen TRIPS Ausar Thompson RIGHT IN FRONT of Tony Brothers… no call pic.twitter.com/iWXI0DA2Dp
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) May 14, 2026
The Pistons were in the bonus at the time, so a foul there would have resulted in two free throws for Thompson with about one second left on the clock. Adding insult to injury for Detroit was that they came up flat in overtime and went on to lose the game to Cleveland, pushing the Pistons to the brink of elimination.
Brothers, the crew chief for Wednesday’s game, told reporters afterwards that Allen’s trip was “incidental contact” that occurred “with no player having possession of the ball.” But fans, especially those of the Pistons, likely won’t buy that explanation from Brothers, the infamous veteran ref who has not had a very flattering postseason thus far.
Report: LeBron James had a petty complaint about the Lakers
LeBron James apparently felt slighted by the Los Angeles Lakers over a seemingly insignificant issue.
The Lakers star James got upset with the team after a win in March over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported on Wednesday. On March 31, the Lakers defeated the Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif. by a final score of 127-113.
That win marked James’ NBA record-setting 1,229 career win (regular season and playoffs) to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time mark of 1,228. However, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka chose instead to give the game ball that night to head coach JJ Redick, who picked up his 100th career coaching victory with the win as well.
James was reportedly angered by not getting the game ball and saw it as “yet another example of the Lakers taking him for granted.” McMenamin even adds that James proceeded to storm off into the night without even so much as changing clothes after the perceived slight.
That certainly comes across as a rather petty mindset by James. The NBA’s all-time wins record is fairly obscure, was little publicized at the time James broke it, and feels like a rather arbitrary achievement at that. On top of that, the game ball ended up going to another deserving member within the same organization in Redick, so it is not like James’ record ball was just chucked into the dumpster.
But after completing eight seasons in Los Angeles, James has already developed a laundry list of complaints about how the Lakers have seemingly insulted him. Last summer, we heard that James had his feelings hurt by the team over multiple issues, and now it remains to be seen whether or not he will be back on the Lakers as an impending free agent this offseason.
Mets get hosed by umpire Junior Valentine’s blunder
The New York Mets got Junior Valentine’d during Wednesday’s game.
New York played Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers at Citi Field in Queens, N.Y. In the sixth inning of the contest, Mets third baseman Brett Baty was batting against Detroit starter Framber Valdez.
Baty took a borderline pitch at the knees for strike 2 and turned away from the home plate umpire Valentine. Inexplicably though, Valentine thought that Baty was tapping on his helmet for an automated ball-strike (ABS) system challenge and proceeded to initiate one.
The ABS system would ultimately ruled in favor of Valentine’s call. Because the Mets had already lost an ABS challenge earlier in the game, they were out of challenges for the remainder of the contest.
Here is the video of Valentine’s blunder.
Mets are out of ABS challenges after umpire rules Brett Baty went to his helmet to challenge a callpic.twitter.com/IT1jwTiAkA
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) May 14, 2026
The only possible defense for Valentine there was that Baty lifted his hand up in the general direction of his helmet. But he never actually made contact with the helmet and thus should not have been granted an ABS challenge there.
Valentine, 38, is only in his fourth season as a full-time MLB umpire (though he has been calling games since 2020). But Valentine has already come under fire over the years from a number of different critics, including a prominent now-former manager.
AJ Dybantsa may reportedly try to steer his way to 1 team
AJ Dybantsa may be doing whatever he can to stay home.
The top NBA Draft prospect Dybantsa is hoping to remain in Utah and would prefer to be drafted by the Jazz, Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports reported on Wednesday. Finkelstein adds that there are rumors about whether or not Dybantsa could pull some “workout shenanigans” and refuse to work out for the Washington Wizards in the hopes of steering his way to the Jazz.
Dybantsa, 19, is the projected No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. He just completed his one season of college ball at BYU and was already in Utah before that as well, playing out his senior year of high school at Utah Prep Academy in Hurricane, Utah.
On top of that, Finkelstein says Dybantsa’s family is now with him in Utah and that they have grown to like the state. It should probably be noted as well that Jazz owner Ryan Smith is an alum of BYU himself and has been rumored to have invested in Dybantsa’s amateur career.
But the problem for Dybantsa and the Jazz is that the Wizards hold the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft (with Utah at No. 2). That means Washington effectively holds all of the cards when it comes to Dybantsa’s future.
There is obviously a universe where Utah could try to trade up to No. 1 by enticing Washington with extra assets as well as the opportunity to settle for Darryn Peterson, the other gem of the 2026 NBA Draft class, instead. But with Dybantsa also having an interesting live reaction to the Wizards winning the draft lottery over the weekend, it is probably safe to say that he would much prefer to remain in The Beehive State.
Report: Steph Curry has an interesting plan for his future
Steph Curry is apparently trying to get to a nice round number.
The Golden State Warriors superstar Curry has made it known that he would like to play at least 20 seasons in the NBA, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Wednesday. Curry just completed his 17th season in the league, so he is evidently trying to stick around for at least three more.
Now 38 years old, Curry’s play has not shown any signs of slippage. He averaged 26.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game on 47/39/92 shooting splits this season and made the 12th All-Star team of his NBA career.
But a big concern for Curry right now is health. With a lot of mileage and a game that relies on constant movement and sprinting in the halfcourt, Curry was limited to just 43 games this season due to a nagging right knee injury.
Siegel does note though that Curry’s knee injury was simply a product of overuse and that the former NBA MVP is not expected to have any limitations heading into the 2026-27 season. But health will obviously be the biggest roadblock to Curry’s ultimate goal here of playing 20 seasons.
Curry is only under contract for one more season at $62.6 million but could foreseeably stick around in Golden State beyond that with the team recently giving his longtime head coach Steve Kerr a new multi-year extension. But if Curry wants to go all the way to 20-plus, perhaps he might even consider leaving the Warriors for one particular NBA team (which Curry has already hinted at in the recent past).
1 frontrunner has reportedly surfaced for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo might indeed be getting his wish to stay in the Eastern Conference.
The Miami Heat are expected to be “first in line” when it comes to trading for the disgruntled Milwaukee Bucks star Antetokounmpo, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported Wednesday on the “Open Floor” podcast. Mannix adds that an Antetokounmpo trade could potentially happen before the NBA Draft next month.
Antetokounmpo, the 31-year-old former NBA MVP, is expected to finally part ways with the Bucks this summer after 13 total seasons in Milwaukee. He can opt out of his contract to test free agency in 2027, which gives Antetokounmpo a good amount of leverage in potentially dictating his preferred destination.
Meanwhile, we recently got a window into Antetokounmpo’s mindset as he pursues as trade. He reportedly wants to stay in the East and also has another notable preference when it comes to a new team.
As for the Heat, they are extremely asset-rich. In addition to 26-and-unders like Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr, Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson, Kel’el Ware, and Kasparas Jakucionis, Miami also holds the No. 13 pick in the loaded 2026 NBA Draft as well as all of their own first-rounders from 2029-2032.
Of course, the Heat (a 43-39 non-playoff team this season) have become quite notorious for being linked to every available superstar under the sun in the last few years … yet failing to land even a single one. But Miami will be hoping that this time around will be different with Antetokounmpo, who recently excited Heat fans with some interesting comments as well.
Major news surfaces about De’Von Achane
The last man standing (of sorts) in Miami is getting rewarded.
The Miami Dolphins have agreed to a lucrative contract extension with their star running back De’Von Achane, veteran NFL writer Jordan Schultz reported on Tuesday. Achane is reportedly getting a four-year extension from the Dolphins that can be worth up to $68 million.
Schultz further notes that Achane is getting $32 million guaranteed as part of the extension, which will make him the third-highest-paid running back in the NFL. Additionally, the guaranteed money as well the average annual value are reportedly the most ever for a running back who is coming off his rookie contract.
Achane, 24, has already emerged as one of the very best dual-threat backs in the entire league. Last season for the Dolphins, he rushed for 1,350 yards and eight touchdowns and also caught 67 passes for 488 yards and four more touchdowns. That amounted to a whopping 1,838 total yards from scrimmage as well as the first Pro Bowl nod of Achane’s career.
As for Miami, they are very much in a rebuild right now. Tua Tagovailoa (release) and Jaylen Waddle (trade) were both let go by the Dolphins earlier this offseason while Tyreek Hill also remains an unsigned free agent in the wake of his 2025 ACL tear.
But Achane, the former third-round draft pick, is the offensive player that Miami is rightly choosing to build around for many more years to come. While Achane was the subject of rampant trade rumors himself in recent months and notably no-showed offseason workouts in April, the two sides have finally managed to get a deal done here.
LeBron James had 1 request for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after Lakers’ playoff exit
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Luka Doncic missed the entire postseason with a hamstring strain, and James’ impressive performance was not enough to knock off the defending NBA champions.
After the Game 4 loss on Monday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., James was seen with a message for Gilgeous-Alexander and Alex Caruso.
“Go get another one,” James said.
"Go get another one." 👑
— NBA (@NBA) May 13, 2026
All class from @KingJames as he embraces @shaiglalex and his former teammate @ACFresh21 following their 4-0 series win🤝 pic.twitter.com/wHECHzW2aA
The Thunder won the 2025 NBA Finals with a Game 7 win over the Indiana Pacers, and Oklahoma City entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
James and Caruso were teammates together when the Lakers won the 2020 NBA title in the Orlando bubble, and although the two went back and forth during the series, he seems to wish the best for Caruso.
As for LeBron James’ future in the NBA, it is up in the air, and he said he will take some time to decide what is in store for him going forward.
The Thunder won every game through the first two rounds against the Phoenix Suns and Lakers, and they will face either the Minnesota Timberwolves or San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
Jerry Rice’s son lands with NFC team after Raiders release
Brenden Rice, the son of legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice, is beginning a new chapter in his NFL career.
The Las Vegas Raiders released Rice on Monday, and now he has been claimed off waivers by the Green Bay Packers.
The #Packers have claimed WR Brenden Rice, son of Jerry, off waivers from the #Raiders.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 13, 2026
Rice began his college career with the Colorado Buffaloes before transferring and playing the final two seasons with the USC Trojans.
However, Rice slid a bit in the 2024 NFL Draft before being selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the seventh round at No. 225 overall.
As a rookie, Rice played in three games with LA but did not record a catch, and he was released prior to the 2025 NFL season.
Rice then spent time with the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Raiders on the practice squad without appearing in a game for any of the teams.
It will be interesting to see if Rice can snag a spot on the 53-man roster. The Packers added Skyy Moore in free agency and signed J. Michael Sturdivant as an UDFA, although the WR room is led by Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden after they traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Rice turned 24 years old in March, and he lands in Green Bay trying to find a way to get on the roster.
North Carolina, Michael Malone land 4-star forward in big commitment
The new chapter with Michael Malone as the North Carolina men’s basketball head coach is off to a strong start.
On Wednesday, Malone landed a commitment from four-star Class of 2026 forward Kevin Thomas, according to Joe Tipton of On3.
UNC receives a commitment from incoming FR Kevin Thomas.
— Born Hatin Duke (@bornhatinduke) May 13, 2026
6’7” athletic wing who brings explosiveness, perimeter scoring, and defensive versatility. Thrives getting downhill, can shoot the three (44% from deep as a SR), and has upside as a multi-positional defender.#GoHeels pic.twitter.com/ES2vqKAxV5
Thomas is a senior who played at Sagemont Prep in Florida, and he took a visit to Chapel Hill recently and has now made the decision official.
Thomas initially committed to LSU, but he backed out in March after Will Wade left NC State and returned to Baton Rouge as the Tigers’ new head coach.
As for North Carolina, the Tar Heels moved on from Hubert Davis and were linked to several big-name candidates before the surprising decision to hire Malone for his first-ever college head-coaching job.
Malone has wasted no time filling out the roster, which includes a five-star center from Spain and four incoming transfers, including Northwestern 7-footer Cade Bennerman and Utah guard Terrence Brown.
Thomas had also received offers from Auburn, Florida State, Miami and Tennessee, among others, before deciding to go to North Carolina.
Mark Few, Gonzaga basketball hit with brutal roster news
Mark Few and the Gonzaga basketball program have been pegged as an NCAA Tournament contender for the past two decades.
The 2026-27 season won’t be different, but Gonzaga suffered a major hit with Jack Kayil announcing he was going to stay in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Kayil, who played in Germany with Alba Berlin last season, committed to Gonzaga this offseason and was expected to be a key piece of the Bulldogs’ rotation.
NEWS: Gonzaga-commit Jack Kayil is staying in the 2026 NBA Draft, agents Kevin Bradbury and Milan Nikolic tell DraftExpress.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2026
The 6'5, 20-year-old point guard is receiving first-round feedback off an outstanding season in Germany with Alba Berlin.
Tough break for Mark Few. pic.twitter.com/AdefhKEIk7
Kayil committed to Gonzaga in October, but he was just named the Bundesliga’s Under-22 Player of the Year after being invited to the NBA Combine.
However, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo does not have Kayil going in his new two-round mock draft, and Woo had Kayil ranked at No. 49 in his top 100 rankings, so it’s a bit of a surprise to see him backing out of his Gonzaga commitment already.
Gonzaga went 31-4 this season and was a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but the Bulldogs lost to No. 11 Texas in the Round of 32 in another early exit. Now, the roster takes a huge hit in a bit of an unexpected turn of events.
Tarik Skubal trade speculation gets notable update from MLB insider
Although Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is sidelined due to an injury, his name has been tossed around in trade rumors.
Whether or not the Tigers trade the reigning Cy Young winner remains to be seen, but MLB insider Jon Heyman thinks that scenario is “unlikely.”
“I think it’s unlikely that Skubal gets traded,” Heyman said. “I think they’re (Tigers) in it to win it.”
It's 'unlikely' that the Tigers would trade Tarik Skubal, per @JonHeyman pic.twitter.com/vy6sEdowNU
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 13, 2026
Tarik Skubal underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, and the initial timeline was anywhere from 2-to-3 months.
However, Skubal’s agent, Scott Boras, revealed recently that the Tigers ace underwent a unique procedure called the “Skubal scope” in hopes of shortening his recovery time.
Skubal began the year with a 3-2 record and a 2.70 ERA before suffering the injury. In the offseason, the Tigers’ star won the arbitration case and landed a whopping $32 million salary for 2026, and he will be a free agent following the season.
With Skubal on an expiring deal and the Tigers off to a bit of a slow start, trade rumblings have surfaced about Skubal, but Heyman thinks the Tigers will ride it out and try to make another playoff run this season.
Whether or not that changes over the next couple of months remains to be seen, but for now, it looks unlikely that Skubal will pitch elsewhere this season.
Miami HC Mario Cristobal has honest take on College Football Playoff expansion
Talks have surfaced lately about the NCAA expanding the College Football Playoff field from 12 teams to 24 teams.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said on Tuesday that ACC coaches have expressed their support for the expansion, but Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal did not sound too thrilled about the 24-team playoff discussion.
“I’m not for the 24 team thing, that’s a lot. Why play a regular season then? And I’m certainly not for automatic bids,” Cristobal said during an episode of “This I Football” with Kevin Clark.
How would Mario Cristobal change the college football postseason?
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) May 13, 2026
-Finish the season earlier. One bye week then start games.
-Do NOT expand to 24 teams.
"I'm not for the 24 team thing, that's a lot. Why play a regular season then? And I'm certianly not for automatic bids." https://t.co/ChmBdEMsFt pic.twitter.com/rpxxO0tafg
Mario Cristobal also had a suggestion to change the calendar, which has been a topic due to the long layoff between the conference title games and the first round of the College Football Playoff.
This past season, Miami snuck into the 12-team Playoff field, although many thought Notre Dame should’ve earned the spot over the Hurricanes.
In the end, the Hurricanes made a run to the title game before losing to Fernando Mendoza and the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers.
For now, the 24-team College Football Playoff field is starting to gain traction, and it could be a matter of time.
Duke standout announces NBA Draft decision
With the NBA Scouting Combine underway, one Duke Blue Devils star is not planning on backing out and returning to college.
Isaiah Evans, who played just two seasons at Duke, announced he has no plans to withdraw and return to school, while adding that he has already met with some NBA teams.
Isaiah Evans said he's committed to staying in the NBA Draft and isn't considering a return to Duke. The North Meck product said he's already met with Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. pic.twitter.com/56CJKa00Yx
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) May 13, 2026
According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, Evans stated he has had no conversations with Dule about a return, which likely signals the end of his college career.
The NBA Draft Lottery took place on Mother’s Day, with the Washington Wizards landing the top pick.
According to the NBA rules, NCAA players have until May 27 to withdraw from the draft in order to return to college.
Evans, however, has already made his decision. The Duke guard started in all 38 games he played this past season, averaging 15 points with 3.2 rebounds on 43 percent shooting from the field.
Evans is widely considered a first-round pick, and ESPN’s Jeremy Woo projected Evans to go No. 23 to the Atlanta Hawks in his post-lottery mock draft.
The 2026 NBA Draft begins on June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Evans is hoping he hears his name called in the first round.
Bart Scott makes major Kyler Murray prediction
The Minnesota Vikings are entering camp with J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Kyler Murray battling it out at the quarterback position. While it remains to be seen which QB emerges as the starter, former NFL linebacker Bart Scott had a bold prediction about Murray.
Scott appeared on an episode of ESPN show “Get Up” and discussed Murray.
“At the end of this season, I think we may say that Kyler Murray is the most talented quarterback within that division,” Scott said. “I think the sky’s the limit for Kyler Murray.”
"At the end of this season, I think we may say that Kyler Murray is the best quarterback [in the NFC North.]" @BartScott57 has high expectations for Kyler Murray as the Minnesota Vikings' QB 👀 pic.twitter.com/bYOO9NveuV
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 13, 2026
The Arizona Cardinals released Murray this offseason. The former No. 1 overall pick quickly landed with Minnesota.
The Vikings admitted they wanted to add competition for McCarthy, and they also brought back Wentz after he played a handful of games in 2025 when McCarthy was injured.
Now, the NFC North has Jared Goff (Detroit Lions), Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers) and Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears), so Murray emerging as the best of the bunch would be quite a statement after the way things ended with the Cardinals.
Right now, head coach Kevin O’Connell has not named a starting QB for the Vikings, but there is a clear path for Murray being under center in Week 1.
Cubs agree to contract with 3-time All-Star pitcher
The Chicago Cubs have been hit hard by the injury bug, especially in terms of the pitching depth.
Now, the Cubs are adding a three-time All-Star to a minor league deal. Reliever Liam Hendriks and the Cubs agreed to terms on Wednesday, according to Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic.
The Chicago Cubs have signed RHP Liam Hendriks to a minor league deal, sources tell the Athletic.
— Britt Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) May 13, 2026
Hendriks last pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2025, making 14 appearances with a 6.59 ERA in 13.2 innings.
Hendriks began his MLB career with the Minnesota Twins before spending time with the Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics, where he made his first All-Star team in 2019.
Hendriks then spent three seasons with the Chicago White Sox, making the All-Star team in 2021 and 2022 with 75 saves combined.
In 2023, Hendriks was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and made just five appearances in 2023. In April of 2023, Hendriks revealed he was cancer-free.
Unfortunately, the 2023 season took a sad turn as Hendriks underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2024 campaign in recovery from the injury.
Hendriks was with the Minnesota Twins in spring training recently, and he posted a 3.86 ERA with five strikeouts across seven innings before the Twins decided to release him prior to Opening Day.
Now, the veteran will try to find a spot on the Cubs’ major league roster.
Victor Wembanyama receives bold claim from Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce knows a thing or two about superstar basketball players, and he has now dropped a big claim about San Antonio Spurs sensation Victor Wembanyama.
Following the Spurs’ Game 5 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night, Pierce called Wembanyama the “most complete player in the history of the game” during an episode of “No Fouls Given.”
“He is the most complete player we’ve ever seen play the game. Like, we can talk about Bron, Jordan, Joker but he is the most complete player in the history of the game.” –@paulpierce34
— No Fouls Given (@NFGShow) May 13, 2026
Full episode: https://t.co/hSvVsZc9xj pic.twitter.com/GVAqyFVCDD
Wembanyama is in his third season in the NBA after he was selected first overall in 2023, and he is just 22 years old.
Yet, Wembanyama became the first-ever unanimous winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award this season.
Wembanyama made waves with 12 blocks in Game 1 of the series against Minnesota, although fans questioned why some of them weren’t called goaltending.
Still, Wembanyama averaged 25 points with 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks in the regular season, and the Spurs star already is averaging 20.4 PPG with 11.2 rebounds and 4.2 blocks in the postseason, so he could be on his way to being the most complete player of all time.
To go further, Shaquille O’Neal called Wembanyama the “first perfect big man” the game has seen, and that’s quite a compliment coming from Shaq.
The Spurs are up 3-2 and face the Timberwolves on Friday with a chance to punch a ticket to the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Tracy McGrady lands a new job in college basketball
Tracy McGrady is a seven-time All-Star and a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and he has now landed a job in college basketball.
McGrady has been named the strategic advisor for the Wagner men’s basketball program, which means he is in charge of basketball operations, recruiting and NIL efforts.
The school made it official on Wednesday, and ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news.
Naismith Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady has taken a role with Wagner College as strategic advisor for the men's basketball program, joining his son Laymen who committed to the team, per ESPN sources.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 13, 2026
McGrady will lead Wagner's basketball operations, recruiting and name, image and…
According to the statement, Mcgrady has decided to waive his salary and work as a volunteer, and his son, Laymen, transferred to Wagner after spending the previous season at Oral Roberts.
Wagner head coach Dwan McMillan admitted the program is “humbled and honored” to have McGrady in this role.
Wagner went 14-17 in McMillan’s first season as a head coach, finishing eighth in the Northeast Conference (NEC).
McGrady joined NBC Sports in 2025 as a studio analyst, and this marks his first job in college basketball.
However, this has become more common as of late. Shaquille O’Neal was hired as the general manager for Sacramento State in 2025, and ex-Wizards star John Wall was just hired by Howard as the president of basketball operations.
Fans all have the same reaction to Alabama’s schedule update
Sunscreen could be flying off the shelves in Alabama ahead of the Alabama Crimson Tide’s 2026 season opener.
Alabama football announced on Tuesday that its first game of the new campaign against the East Carolina Pirates on Sept. 5 at
Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., will have a kickoff time of 11 a.m. CT.
The decision to start a game just before noon raised eyebrows and garnered plenty of reactions from fans online.
— Captainbc52 (@captainbc52) May 13, 2026
— Captainbc52 (@captainbc52) May 13, 2026
When is it going to finally occur to whoever is scheduling these games that you are in the South in September
— Hillbilly TomFoolery 🇺🇸 🥋 (@HillBillyEarls) May 12, 2026
Stop scheduling games during the day when it's 100°
It's not a difficult concept
— Waaaay Offsides Cotton (@AlafrigginBama) May 12, 2026
11AM? My spreadsheet just opened a 'tailgate vs brunch' column and is leaning tailgate… but I'll allow mimosas as a strategic asset.
— Elena Meier (@Elenadaydreams) May 12, 2026
Nevertheless, Alabama fans can be expected to fill the stadium, as the Crimson Tide look to make a huge statement right out of the gate of head coach Kalen DeBoer’s third season with the program.
Alabama football supporters who’ll brave the elements to catch the game in person should be able to come away happy with the result, given that the Crimson Tide and the Pirates are not on the same tier. That said, East Carolina won nine games last season, including a victory at the Military Bowl.
This game also gives Alabama a chance to redeem itself from a frustrating season opener in 2025, when the Crimson Tide took a Week 1 stumble against the Florida State Seminoles before finishing the campaign with an 11-4 record overall.
Former NFL QB sparks concern with a Patrick Mahomes question
The Kansas City Chiefs are on a mission to reclaim the NFL throne after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LIX and missing the playoffs in the 2025 season.
For the Chiefs to return to the top of the league, it is paramount that Patrick Mahomes be healthy and on the field in 2026.
However, former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, while discussing the Chiefs’ apparent lack of offseason moves to address depth in the passing attack, raised concerns about Mahomes’ form once the quarterback returns from the season-ending injury he suffered late in the 2025 campaign.
“When he’s back, will he be the Patrick Mahomes that we remember?” Hasselbeck said during a recent appearance on ESPN’s NFL Live.
The Chiefs’ wide receiver room features the likes of Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice, and those names don’t inspire Hasselbeck. At the same time, Hasselbeck showed concern about whether Mahomes will be able to play like the old Mahomes after the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player went down with a torn ACL in a Week 15 game against the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025.
But Mahomes is still just 30 years old, and there are many examples of players who have successfully returned and performed at a high level after such a setback.
In 2025, Mahomes passed for 3,587 yards and 22 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 14 games.
