Draymond Green, Devin Booker ejected in final minute of play-in game
Draymond Green made sure to go out with a bang on Friday as the Golden State Warriors’ season came to an end at the hands of Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns.
Booker and Green were audibly chirping as the Suns held a commanding 111-94 lead over the Warriors with a minute left at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz. With the game already all but decided, veteran referee Scott Foster ejected both All-Stars in order to keep the peace.
Draymond Green & Devin Booker ejected. pic.twitter.com/8NG8ZOEwZG
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 18, 2026
The fiery exchange happened moments after Green delivered a hard foul against Booker in an attempt to get subbed out of the game. The play was reviewed for a potential hostile act, but was not upgraded to a flagrant foul.
With his team’s season ending unceremoniously, Draymond taunted the Phoenix crowd on his way out. The Warriors veteran finished with just 5 points and 6 assists. He had already been fouled out before getting himself ejected.
Booker tallied 20 points on 12 shots to go along with 8 assists to help his team advance to the first round of the playoffs. His backcourt running mate Jalen Green scored a game-high 36 points and did his best Steph Curry impression with 8 three-pointers.
The Suns’ reward for winning Friday is a date with the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Magic fan had savage taunt for LaMelo Ball
One Orlando Magic fan got creative on Friday to try to get into LaMelo Ball’s head.
The Charlotte Hornets guard was shooting a bonus free throws midway through the third quarter of their play-in tournament clash at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla. The NBA on Prime broadcast panned to a wide view from behind Ball, which showed the Magic fan desperately trying to distract the All-Star.
The fan hilariously tried to mime as if he were wildly crashing his car into oncoming traffic. Ball kept his composure enough to sink the free throw, cutting the Magic’s lead ever so slightly to 86-61.
Magic Fan pretends to crash a car whenever Lamelo shoots a free throw 😭 pic.twitter.com/7b7EtTLRhU
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 18, 2026
Ball made negative headlines in February when he crashed his custom Hummer into another vehicle at a busy intersection in downtown Charlotte.
A car crash would be a fitting way to describe how Friday’s game went for Ball and the Hornets. With their playoff lives on the line, the visitors got shellacked 121-90 in a game that was virtually over after a single quarter.
Charlotte trailed 38-16 in the first period and looked the part of an inexperienced team not yet ready for the moment. Ball led his team with 23 points on 7/17 shooting in the 31-point loss.
Perhaps the result was some form of karmic justice from the basketball gods after Ball tripped up Bam Adebayo during the Hornets’ play-in opener against the Miami Heat.
Rockets announce concerning injury update on Kevin Durant
The Houston Rockets may be down a superstar of their own to open their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kevin Durant’s name was included on Houston’s injury report submitted Friday night, almost exactly 24 hours before the Rockets host the Lakers for Game 1 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The 16-time All-Star was listed as questionable due to a right knee contusion.
Durant has not missed a game due to injury all season. He played in 78 of the Rockets’ 82 regular-season contests, with a few DNPs for either rest or personal reasons. He was not in the lineup for Houston’s season finale on April 12 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
While Durant could very well still suit up for Friday’s series opener, it’s not a good sign for Rockets fans to start their playoff campaign. It’s particularly concerning that Durant started to feel some knee pain despite getting more than a week’s worth of rest heading into the playoffs.
The Rockets are 4-0 this season in the four games Durant has missed.
With Houston already without Fred VanVleet due to a preseason torn ACL, the team could be down two of its only battle-tested ball-handlers if Durant is forced to miss time. But Lakers fans, already reeling with injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, won’t be throwing their opponents any pity parties.
Perhaps Doncic can refer Durant to his specialist in Spain.
Blazers accused of pulling a cheap move on their fans before playoffs
The Portland Trail Blazers are dampening some of the excitement about the franchise’s first trip to the playoffs in a half-decade.
Trail Blazers president of business operations Dewayne Haskins disappointed fans with a revelation he made during a news conference on Friday. Haskins said that fans would not be receiving free playoff T-shirts for Games 3 and 4 of their first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs at Moda Center in Portland, Ore. (per Guillermo Motta of KATU News in Portland).
Portland is in the playoffs this year for the first time since 2021 (with four losing seasons along the way). They secured the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference by beating the Phoenix Suns in the NBA play-in tournament earlier this week and are now set to face off against the No. 2 seed Spurs.
The Blazers also notably had an official change in ownership earlier this month. On April 1, Tom Dundon formally became the new controlling owner of the franchise after purchasing them last year from the estate of Paul Allen for an estimated sum of $4.25 billion.
Dundon, 54, is also notably the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Panthers. On top of that, Dundon was a key figure in the collapse of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which he served as controlling owner and chairman of before abruptly shutting down the league within months due to a lack of TV money.
It is always possible that the Blazers could have another free playoff giveaway for their fans other than T-shirts. But with the fanbase having waited a decent amount of time since Portland’s last playoff berth, many are feeling a bit disappointed and confused right now.
LeBron James takes a profane shot at Ron Harper
One former Los Angeles Lakers champion is going after another one this week.
Lakers star LeBron James targeted retired former NBA point guard Ron Harper on the latest episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash. While the conversation was on San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper, Ron’s son, and Dylan’s chances of winning NBA Rookie of the Year, James got a profane dig in.
“Dylan’s great,” said James. “I mean, his daddy ain’t s–t. But he’s good. I’ll see [Ron] when I see him.”
Here is the video of the clip (but watch out for the bad language).
LeBron on Ron Harper:
— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) April 17, 2026
“Dylan is great. I mean, his Daddy ain’t sh*t, but he’s good. I’ll see him when I see him.”
TALK YO SH*T, BRON
(via @mindthegamepod) pic.twitter.com/M0Geta3dz4
The five-time NBA champion Harper, now 62 years old, actually played for the Lakers from 1999-01 and won two championships there. As the father of both Dylan Harper and Boston Celtics guard Ron Harper Jr., Harper currently has two sons playing in the NBA.
But the elder Harper clearly drew the ire of James with some inflammatory comments he made a couple of months ago about James’ style of parenting (in reference to James’ son Bronny being teammates with James on the Lakers). James has profanely called out other prominent figures in recent months for mentioning Bronny and clearly has no qualms about doing the same here to the former Chicago Bulls guard Harper.
Seahawks pushed Jaxon Smith-Njigba to make 1 crucial fix that completely changed his career
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has turned into one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, and one simple recommendation from the Seattle Seahawks may have helped him get there.
Smith-Njigba was a supremely talented wideout prospect coming out of Ohio State in 2023. While his skills on the field were undeniable when the Seahawks made him the first wideout off the board in the draft, there were questions about his ability to stay on the field.
In his final year with the Buckeyes, JSN played in only three games due to a nagging hamstring injury. Seattle already had a plan in place to help him overcome his injury woes at the next level.
Seahawks director of equipment Erik Kennedy appeared on GM John Schneider’s show this week and shared an interesting tidbit about the team’s early encounters with Smith-Njigba. According to Kennedy, the Seahawks had JSN undergo a foot scan, which revealed that he had been wearing shoes several sizes too big as an amateur.
“You’re always trying to find little edges that can help players,” Kennedy said. “Let’s just say, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, you were talking him about in college, he was wearing a size 12, had hamstring issues, and things like that. Gets here, wears a 10-and-a-half. … It’s helped him, right? He hasn’t missed time and done things like that. That helps build the trust for us with the players.”
Smith-Njigba has yet to miss a game over his three seasons in the NFL. With no lingering health issues holding him back, JSN rewarded Seattle with All-Pro production in 2025.
While some of that is partly injury luck, the Seahawks have clearly gone the extra mile to minimize any risk of injury for their players.
Schneider claimed the Seahawks were the first team in the NFL to do routine foot scans, thanks to Kennedy’s relationship with Nike.
Kennedy credited Schneider with empowering the team’s equipment staff to make key decisions for the benefit of the players. Per Kennedy, Seattle stands by the belief that all pieces of equipment — from shoes, to helmets to shoulder pads — should be custom-made based on the team’s body scans of its players.
With the Seahawks winning it all last season, don’t be surprised to hear other teams doing foot scans ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Gregg Popovich looks better during his latest public appearance
Gregg Popovich is continuing to progress in his recovery from a stroke.
The ex-San Antonio Spurs head coach Popovich made an appearance Friday during one of the team’s practice sessions at The Rock at La Cantera in San Antonio, Texas. Popovich appeared in the portion of practice that was open to reporters and was looking a little bit better.
Jared Weiss of The Athletic shared video of Popovich walking over to other team figures, including head coach Mitch Johnson, to discuss strategy. Though Popovich was walking with a noticeable limp and had an aide behind him carrying a cane at the ready, Popovich was at least able to move without assistance.
Here is the video.
Coach Pop at the Rock today for Spurs practice pic.twitter.com/lZ7lao3gx2
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) April 17, 2026
Now 77 years old, the Basketball Hall of Famer Popovich was a five-time NBA champion and a three-time NBA Coach of the Year during his time in charge of the Spurs from 1996-2025. But he officially retired last year after suffering a stroke in Nov. 2024 followed by a separate medical emergency in Apr. 2025.
Popovich’s public appearances since then have been few and far between. But he was having difficulty walking at all around this time last year and was also spotted looking frail at an NBA G League game in early 2026. These days though, Popovich, who has since transitioned into a role in the San Antonio front office, is looking well enough to walk around on his own.
Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever co-star lands richest contract in WNBA history
The Indiana Fever are officially backing up the Brinks truck.
Indiana is signing star forward/center Aliyah Boston to a four-year, $6.3 million contract extension, Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Friday. That marks the richest contract in WNBA history by total value, Charania adds.
Boston, who is set to make $1 million in the 2026 season and then 20 percent of the cap from 2027-29, is a core player for the Fever alongside co-star Caitlin Clark. After going with the No. 1 overall pick to Indiana in 2023, Boston has made three All-Star teams, one All-WNBA team, and one All-Defensive team.
Last season for the Fever, Boston also had a strong year despite the team’s overall mediocrity (in Clark’s injury absence). The 24-year-old Boston averaged 15.0 points, 8.2 points, 3.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game over 44 total appearances for Indiana.
With Boston’s sizable new contract, she has officially surpassed the mark that was just set by A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces earlier this week. Wilson, 29, signed a supermax contract with the Aces that, at the time, was the largest contract in WNBA history by total value (and still surpasses Boston’s deal by average annual value).
As for the Fever, they are now locked and loaded for the 2026 season and beyond. On top of extending Boston, they re-signed Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull, brought in free agent additions Monique Billings and Tyasha Harris, and also announced big news about fan favorite Sophie Cunningham.
Notable update surfaces about Donovan Mitchell’s future
Donovan Mitchell may be parachuting onto the trade block once again.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will discuss the possibility of trading their star shooting guard Mitchell this summer if they cannot agree to an extension with him, Fred Katz of The Athletic reported on Friday. Katz notes that Mitchell can hit free agency in 2027 but will become eligible for an extension from the Cavaliers this offseason.
Mitchell, 29, is in his fourth season as a member of Cleveland. It has been a fruitful partnership thus far as Mitchell has made four All-Star teams, earned two All-NBA nods, and helped lead the Cavaliers to a 64-win season plus a division title in 2024-25.
As for this season, Mitchell continues to show out. He is averaging some of his best numbers yet as a Cleveland player, posting 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 48/36/87 shooting splits over 70 total appearances for the 52-30 Cavaliers.
But the Mitchell era in Cleveland has also been defined by a lack of playoff success. The Cavaliers only have two total playoff series wins since he arrived (both in the first round) and may have to take a long look in the mirror if they suffer another early postseason exit this year.
With Cleveland trading for James Harden a couple of months ago, their urgency to win is immediate. Though it is customary for teams to entertain trading away star players with just one year left on their contracts (instead of risking a potential departure for nothing in free agency), Mitchell’s status as an in-his-prime stud makes him a particularly interesting case. With Harden also facing questions as to what exactly he will do this summer, the Cavaliers may have a lot of moving parts in the near future if they cannot find a way to win this postseason.
Ja Morant is being linked to 2 new teams in trade rumors
Ja Morant may be getting a shot at redemption in the Pacific Division.
The Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings have emerged as two new potential trade suitors for the disgruntled Memphis Grizzlies star Morant, NBA writer Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson reported on Friday. Robinson adds that both teams will be “serious” suitors for Morant this offseason.
Morant, a two-time NBA All-Star at 26 years old, is widely expected to be traded by Memphis this summer. He just completed a 2025-26 season marred by injuries and dysfunction with both his teammates and with his head coach Tuomas Iisalo (which even led to a suspension for Morant at one point).
Overall on the year, Morant put up 19.5 points and 8.1 assists per game in just 20 total appearances for the Grizzlies, who finished the season at a horrific 25-57 (13th in the West). Memphis has also long been trending towards a rebuild after trading away both Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. over the course of the last year (with the latter move by the Grizzlies drawing a sharp public rebuke from Morant).
Meanwhile, the Kings were completely rudderless this season, finishing even worse than the Grizzlies at 22-60 (with guards Zach LaVine and Russell Westbrook both now able to hit free agency). The Suns fared much better this year at 45-37 and still have a chance to get into the Western Conference playoffs. But Phoenix ultimately lacks a true starting point guard alongside Devin Booker with the shoot-first Jalen Green, the overachieving role player Collin Gillespie, and the defensive-minded Jordan Goodwin sharing backcourt duties for now.
Morant, who is owed $87 million over the next two seasons, clearly seems to think his time in Memphis is up. Now it sounds like he may be getting a chance to stay in the conference with a West Coast team like the Suns or Kings.
Jeremiyah Love is incredibly high on multiple teams’ draft boards
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is regarded as one of the top prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft. According to a few teams, he might actually be the best overall.
ESPN’s Jordan Ranaan wrote Friday that there are multiple people around the league who have Love as the highest-graded player on their draft board. That does not necessarily mean Love will go No. 1, but it might make him the most highly thought-of player in the class.
Spoke to multiple people around the league the past few days who said that RB Jeremiyah Love was their top graded player. The question now is where do teams place him on their board given the position he plays and their individual needs.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) April 17, 2026
Love made some astounding plays for Notre Dame this season, and it is no surprise that he is being seen as a great pro prospect. Running backs are not seen as valuable as certain other positions, but at this point, it looks like a safe bet he will go in the top ten or even top five.
We know of at least one team in the top ten that would have interest in Love if he is available when they are on the clock.
Love is the reigning Doak Walker Award winner after a season in which he ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the Fighting Irish and scored 35 total touchdowns over two years.
Doc Rivers reveals whether he will ever coach again
Doc Rivers is out as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, and he may be out of coaching entirely.
Rivers spoke with Bill Simmons about his plans for the future in a new interview. Rivers suggested the Bucks were open to keeping him on, but that he needs a break and does not expect to coach again.
“I love coaching. Loved it. I had a lot of success at it. I had way more ups and downs,” Rivers said. “But at the end of the day, I’ve given 40 years straight, with no off time. I just wanted a break. I want to get away. The grandkids, just life in general. I think it was time. I’d be surprised if I coached another game. I’ll put it that way.”
"I think it was time."@BillSimmons asks Doc Rivers if he believes he's done with coaching after stepping down as head coach of the Bucks. pic.twitter.com/NzjkAZ2VPU
— The Ringer (@ringer) April 17, 2026
Rivers was evasive on the topic of his future before confirming his Bucks departure, but he strongly hinted that he would at least take time off from coaching. He has been an NBA head coach almost continuously since 1999, working for the Magic, Celtics, Clippers, 76ers, and Bucks.
Rivers will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in August in recognition of his coaching career. Two-plus underwhelming seasons with Milwaukee is not exactly the best way to end it, but his legacy in the NBA is secure, and it sounds like we will not be seeing him on the sideline again.
Timberwolves forward jokes about needing to ‘call God’ to stop Nikola Jokic
The Minnesota Timberwolves will be the ones initially tasked with trying to stop Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets to open the NBA Playoffs, and one of the players who will be tasked with handling him is already looking to the heavens for answers.
Timberwolves big man Julius Randle joked his first strategy in trying to contain Jokic would be prayer. He said the team would be prepared for the challenge, but would be putting in some extra pleas with God before the series.
“Probably got to call God and talk to him a little bit,” Randle said. “Ask him for a few favors. It’s going to be a tough matchup.”
"Probably got to call 𝑮𝑶𝑫 and talk to him for a little bit." – Julius Randle on guarding Nikola Jokic 🙏🤣
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) April 15, 2026
"Ask him for a few favors." 😇
📽️ @Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/r5VRZcNTHi
Rudy Gobert, not Randle, will be primarily tasked with keeping Jokic in check. He and the Timberwolves have not had much luck this season, as Jokic averaged 35.8 points, 15 rebounds, and 11.3 assists per game in four games against Minnesota during the regular season.
This will be the third time in four postseasons that the Nuggets and Timberwolves will face off. The teams split the first two, making this something of a grudge match.
Ty Simpson landing with 1 team is seen as ‘inevitable’
One specific NFL team appears to have its eyes on Ty Simpson in the NFL Draft, and is increasingly viewed as his likely landing spot.
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said Friday that Simpson landing with the Arizona Cardinals feels “inevitable.” The Cardinals lack a long-term solution at the quarterback position, and their situation may be complicated even further by Jacoby Brissett’s contract demands.
Ty Simpson to AZ feels inevitable. https://t.co/HjQPfMAQn7
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) April 17, 2026
There are plenty of other reasons to believe that Simpson might be a major target for the Cardinals. They already brought him in for a pre-draft visit and have not done a great deal to hide their interest.
The Cardinals are rumored to be among the teams at least open to trading down in the draft. They currently sit at No. 3 overall, which would be rather high for Simpson, so they could probably add a few more picks and still get their man if Simpson is who they want.
Simpson has seemingly trended up throughout the NFL Draft process. The former Alabama quarterback threw for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions for the Crimson Tide last season.
Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe announce big news
Former US soccer star Megan Rapinoe and former WNBA star Sue Bird announced big news on Friday. The two announced publicly that they have broken up.
In a statement posted to social media, Rapinoe said she and Bird had “made the decision to separate as a couple.” The two had been together since 2017.
A personal update from Megan and @S10Bird 💌 pic.twitter.com/rosVdXS7Gx
— TOGETHXR (@togethxr) April 17, 2026
The two also hosted a podcast together, “A Touch More,” which will also apparently be ending.
Bird and Rapinoe first met at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and have been together since then. They were engaged in 2020, though they never formally married.
Bird and Rapinoe had one of the most high-profile relationships in the sports world, as Bird was a WNBA star and Rapinoe a standout soccer player. Bird was a 13-time All-Star in her career before announcing her retirement in 2022. Rapinoe retired a year later after a career that saw her win two FIFA Women’s World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal.
Will Anderson’s agent reacts to his huge new contract
Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson effectively reset the market for pass rushers on Friday with his new $150 million deal, and his agent is taking a well-earned victory lap.
Anderson agreed to a three-year, $150 million extension with Houston to tack on to the two years left on his current deal. That makes him the first non-quarterback to make in excess of $50 million annually.
Anderson’s agent, Nicole Lynn, couldn’t help but gloat a little after getting the deal done.
“Anybody have a brinks truck?” she wrote on X.
Anybody have a brinks truck?
— Nicole Lynn (@AgentNicoleLynn) April 17, 2026
Lynn will be getting compensated well from this, too. You can hardly blame her for being pleased.
Anderson has already become one of the NFL’s most feared pass rushers just three seasons into his career. He was an All-Pro for the first time in 2025 as he collected 12 sacks and 20 tackles for loss while playing in all 17 games. No wonder the Texans made him such a high priority in the 2023 NFL Draft.
As for Lynn, she has established herself as the sort of agent who fights for her clients. She gets them plenty of cash in negotiations, too.
Jacoby Brissett wants more money from Cardinals
Jacoby Brissett wants some more money from the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals let Kyler Murray go this offseason, which leaves Brissett and Gardner Minshew as their quarterbacks. The Cardinals could also use their No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft on a QB. Until that point, Brissett’s representatives are trying to squeeze more money out of the Cardinals.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported on Friday that Brissett is not attending the first phase of the Cardinals’ offseason as the quarterback seeks more money.
Sources: #AZCardinals QB Jacoby Brissett is not attending Phase 1 of the offseason program and is asking for an extension that pays him as the starter.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 17, 2026
Brissett, set to make $9.06M in ‘26, has only $1.5M in guaranteed money and wants security. AZ appears willing to address it. pic.twitter.com/tl5HdMdvnO
The Cardinals may be reluctant to give Brissett more money. Even if they begin the season with him as their starter, they do not appear to have him locked in as their QB1.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said Thursday regarding the starting quarterback position that the team is “not really naming anybody and we’ll see how that room works by the time we get to August.”
Brissett started 12 games for the Cardinals last season, and the team went 1-11 in those starts. He passed for 3,366 yards with 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. His stats are respectable on the surface, but NFL teams are not going to be winning many games with Brissett at QB.
LeBron James’ stance on a retirement tour has been revealed
LeBron James’ future is up for debate again, this time answering the question about whether he actually wants a retirement tour.
James is not seeking a farewell tour season, according to Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic. James himself has allegedly told that to people close to him, and retirement at the end of this season remains a “real possibility.”
There also remains a lack of clarity regarding whether James will stay with the Lakers even if he does continue to play. The team’s strong play in March suggested to James that he might actually be able to remain with the Lakers, as winning remains his top priority if he does continue his career. This was whispered about in late March, before injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves threatened the team’s season.
The Lakers can still offer James the most money, but the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have been linked to him anyway. Some other teams have also been whispered about, but nowhere near as seriously.
Even at 41, James remains a threat whenever he is on the court. He averaged 20.9 points and 7.2 assists per game on the season.
Angels legend Garret Anderson dies at age 53
Legendary former Los Angeles Angels star Garret Anderson has died at the age of 53, the Angels announced on Friday. The death of Anderson was unexpected and came following a medical emergency at his home in Newport Beach, Calif., on Thursday, according to TMZ.
The Angels shared the news of Anderson’s death with a prepared statement from team owner Arte Moreno.
“The Angels organization is mourning the loss of one of our franchise’s most beloved icons, Garret Anderson,” Moreno in a statement. “Garret was a cornerstone of our organization throughout his 15 seasons and his stoic presence in the outfield and our clubhouse elevated the Angels into an era of continued success, highlighted by the 2002 World Series championship.”
The Angels will wear a memorial patch on their jerseys for the rest of the season to honor Anderson.
Anderson was a fourth-round pick by the Angels in 1990. He made it up to the majors in 1994, though 1995 was his first full season in the bigs. He made an immediate impact by batting .321 as a rookie, finishing second in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Anderson continued to be a reliable outfielder for the Angels. He batted .293 with 287 home runs during his career. Anderson made the All-Star team in 2002, 2003 and 2005. He led the AL in doubles in both 2002 and 2003, and won the Silver Slugger award in both seasons.
Anderson finished fourth in AL MVP voting in 2002, the same year he helped the Angels win their first and only World Series ever, by slugging a tie-breaking 3-run double in Game 7 against the San Francisco Giants.
Anderson, who played 17 seasons in MLB, including one with each the Braves and Dodgers after 15 seasons with the Angels, is the Angels’ franchise leader in games played (2,013), hits (2,368), RBIs (1,292), doubles (489), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796) and grand slams (eight).
Anderson had some other spectacular moments in his career. He had a 10-RBI game in 2007, and in 2003, he won both the Home Run Derby and All Star Game MVP.
After his playing career ended, Anderson became a broadcaster for the Angels. He was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2016.
San Diego Padres to be sold for record-breaking price
The San Diego Padres are finally set to be sold, and they will fetch a record-setting price for an MLB franchise.
The Padres are being purchased by a group led by private equity billionaire Jose E. Feliciano and his wife Kwanza Jones, according to Jared Diamond and Miriam Gottfried of the Wall Street Journal. The sale price is said to be $3.9 billion, nearly $1.5 billion more than the previous record-breaking sale of the New York Mets to Steve Cohen.
The sale should end the uncertainty over the status of the Padres, which has been in question since owner Peter Seidler died in 2023. There has been infighting among Seidler’s widow and siblings over who controlled the franchise since then, which has negatively impacted the team in certain ways.
Feliciano is also the owner of Chelsea F.C. of the English Premier League. It remains to be seen whether he intends to maintain a high payroll, as Seidler did. Seidler bolstered the team’s payroll to nearly $250 million, but it has fallen closer to $200 million since his death.
Forbes had estimated that the Padres would be worth $3.1 billion. One can only imagine how much money clubs like the Yankees or Cubs would fetch if they ever hit the open market.
