Jeremiyah Love turns heads with plan for his $53.9 million contract
Jeremiyah Love has no plans of becoming a cautionary tale once he eventually hangs up his cleats.
The Arizona Cardinals made Love the 3rd overall pick in last month’s draft — a draft slot that came with a pretty hefty dollar figure tied to it. The Notre Dame alum was awarded a four-year, $53.9 million contract, and the Cardinals guaranteed every cent of the deal.
Love spoke to reporters on Friday as Arizona opened its rookie minicamp. He called it a “blessing” to be awarded that much money and vowed to “put it all away” for safekeeping.
“I live in an era of NIL, so I’ve been pretty well off already,” Love said. “So I really don’t need to touch that money as of right now, so I most definitely will not. I’ll make sure to put away that money for my grandkids, my kids, so they can have a better life, financially, than I did growing up. That’s the plan.”
Love did acknowledge that “plans can change sometimes,” but doesn’t intend to let that happen as of right now.
Jason Love, Jeremiyah’s father, revealed last month that his son had turned down several seven-figure offers from schools trying to poach him away from Notre Dame. While it’s not clear how much Love earned as a member of the Fighting Irish, it must have still been quite the payday.
Love was an explosive play waiting to happen whenever he took the field in his three seasons at Notre Dame. The Heisman Trophy finalist rushed for 1,372 yards with 18 touchdowns in his final college season.
Chipper Jones had a heartfelt message following the death of Bobby Cox
Atlanta Braves icon Chipper Jones has spoken out to commemorate the life of his longtime manager, Bobby Cox.
Cox, a legendary figure who managed the Braves from 1990 to 2010, died on Saturday at the age of 84. Jones’ 19-season career with Atlanta almost perfectly aligned with Cox, with only Jones’ final two years being under a different skipper.
The two developed a loving bond on and off the field, which Jones tried to put into words on Saturday night through a heartfelt post in remembrance of Cox.
“Haven’t posted on social in quite some time but can’t stay quiet in this time of loss,” Jones posted on X. “I’m struggling to tell all what Bobby Cox meant to me and so many others in Braves Country.
“He was the leader of men and a second father to so many Atlanta Braves thru the yrs. I’m so sad today, but as I sit here watching my two youngest boys play in their championship games on the day he passed, I can’t help but shout the same things he did from the corner of the dugout. ‘Come on kid, u got this!’
“We are gonna miss him so much, but his legacy is forever cemented with the success of this franchise for the last 35+ yrs. He started it as GM, continued as manager, and passing the torch to others, the Atlanta Braves will continue to be force that Bobby Cox always wanted us to be. We love you Skipper. You were our rock. I love you more than words can express.
“My boys won both of their games…..Bobby had a hand, I have no doubt!”
Cox was known to be one of the most passionate and fiery managers MLB has ever seen. He had far and away the most ejections of any manager to ever grace the majors with 162 — a record that will likely stand the test of time.
Jones thrived under Cox’s tutelage, developing into an MVP award winner and an 8-time All-Star. The two won a World Series together during Jones’ rookie season in 1995.
Jones saw Cox as his second father, and he was far from the only Braves superstar to feel the same way.
Cox suffered a stroke in 2019, but was able to make a few appearances at Truist Park over the last couple of years. He was most recently in the stadium in August 2025 as the franchise celebrated the 20th anniversary of the 1995 World Series team.
JJ Redick has stern message after losing Game 3 to Thunder
JJ Redick has every intention of going down swinging against the Oklahoma City Thunder in their Western Conference semifinals clash.
The Los Angeles Lakers head coach could do little to alter Saturday’s result as the Thunder blew his team out for the third straight game to open the series. The Lakers led 59-57 at halftime but could not keep up in the second half, falling Game 3 in a 131-108 affair at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
Redick didn’t mince words during his postgame press conference. Despite reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander having a relatively off night, Redick admitted that the Thunder “kicked our a– for three straight games.” But the second-year head coach was not yet ready to admit defeat.
“We’ve got to be better, but I’m not giving up on the series,” Redick told reporters with a stern look on his face. “We’re gonna go try to win on Monday. We’re gonna try and extend the series, and we’re trying to take this thing back to OKC.”
JJ Redick:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 10, 2026
"I'm not giving up on the series. We're gonna go try to win on Monday. We're gonna try and extend the series and we're trying to take this thing back to OKC" pic.twitter.com/JumbQwKQx0
It’s not exactly surprising to hear a coach say such words despite falling into a historically insurmountable 0-3 hole. However, Redick’s stubbornly competitive nature may make him actually believe the Lakers have a chance more than most coaches actually would.
But as long as Luka Doncic remains nowhere near healthy and Deandre Ayton continues to give Redick more in-game migraines than defensive rebounds, the Lakers’ chance of winning four straight games against the Thunder is virtually zero.
Yankees pitcher’s boneheaded blunder in extras burns New York
The New York Yankees saw a win slip right through their fingertips Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Yankees took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 10th inning to get three outs away from victory on the road at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisc. But there was no one-two-three bottom of the 10th for the visitors.
Relief pitcher Fernando Cruz sandwiched an out between a walk and an RBI single, allowing the Brewers to tie the game. The Yankees brought in Tim Hill to end the threat with runners on first and second and one out, but he ended up exacerbating it.
Hill induced a weak bouncer off the bat of Brice Turang that fell right into the pitcher’s glove. Instead of throwing it to first base, however, for an easy out, Hill made the head-scratching decision to try to get the runner at third.
What is Tim Hill doing? pic.twitter.com/gIfWlzw1wj
— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) May 10, 2026
Hill ended up hitting lead runner Luis Rengifo to load the bases with one out. The play was ruled a fielder’s choice.
Brewers catcher William Contreras connected on the walk-off sacrifice fly two pitches later, as Aaron Judge’s throw from right field was offline.
The @Brewers walk it off in the 10th! pic.twitter.com/pa1v16cmcJ
— MLB (@MLB) May 10, 2026
“I made a good pitch, then a bad decision afterwards,” the 36-year-old Hill told reporters after the game. “I feel like my instincts told me third, and my instincts were wrong.”
Hill has been one of the Yankees’ most dependable bullpen arms through the first month and a half of the season. Through 18 games played, Hill has only given up a pair of earned runs.
The veteran left-hander wasn’t charged with an earned run, error, or even a loss in Saturday’s contest, but the result was partly on his shoulders.
Fans calling Deandre Ayton the ‘worst player ever’ after embarrassing Game 3 sequence
Deandre Ayton’s popularity rating among Los Angeles Lakers fans has hit rock bottom.
The Lakers were desperately looking to avoid falling into a 0-3 hole against the Thunder in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinals series. But Ayton did not get the memo on Saturday as he took the court for the do-or-die game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
One sequence in particular stood out so much that the announcers felt the need to call out Ayton. With the Lakers needing a stop early in the fourth quarter, the former No. 1 pick played some of the laziest defense and board work imaginable.
This 1 minute clip shows the problem with the Lakers, Deandre Ayton looks like he isn’t even trying in this.
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) May 10, 2026
This sequence was driving the ESPN announcers crazy. pic.twitter.com/wwcn2vvECB
Ayton couldn’t grab the defensive rebound over 6’4″ guard Ajay Mitchell, who tapped it back out for OKC to secure an offensive rebound.
Mitchell missed an open three-pointer, but Ayton was out of position again. He ended up fouling Isaiah Hartenstein to compensate for getting beaten to the spot. Ayton gave up yet another offensive rebound to Mitchell off a Chet Holmgren miss.
The coup de grâce came as Mitchell got Ayton switched onto him on a pick-and-roll. The shifty guard got all the way to the rim, and instead of sliding his feet to keep up, Ayton fouled him for an And-1.
Ayton wasn’t making it up on the other end, either. Watch the man stop short of a dunk, airball a floater, then miss the putback.
Deandre Ayton can’t be serious man 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/r0fW1aD3rE
— Hater Report (@HaterReport) May 10, 2026
Fans were quick to pile on Ayton for his lackadaisical play.
Deandre Ayton is the worst player I’ve ever seen
— Blazers Palace (@blazers_palace) May 10, 2026
Deandre Ayton might’ve just played the worst minute of basketball that I’ve ever seen from an NBA player in my entire life.
— Johnny Thunderbird (@newyorkgrooovee) May 10, 2026
He just punted the Lakers season (OKC was winning this series regardless).
Deandre ayton might be the lousiest center ever
— D Bob (@angriesthoops) May 10, 2026
DeAndre Ayton is just not a serious basketball player. Way too easily sped up on offense. Way too often disengaged defensively and on the glass. He's the same guy he's always been.
— Carson Breber (@Carsobi) May 10, 2026
The Arizona alum finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds across 23 minutes of play. Only one of those boards came on the defensive glass, as five different Thunder players got multiple offensive rebounds in a 131-108 OKC victory.
Ayton wasn’t the only reason the Lakers lost Game 3. The continued absence of Luka Doncic was a much bigger factor, aside from the Thunder just being a buzzsaw on both ends of the floor. But Ayton certainly didn’t help the Lakers get any shot at an upset on Saturday night.
Cam Schlittler just did something MLB had not seen in over 100 years
Cam Schlittler continues to impress on the mound for the New York Yankees.
Making his ninth start of the 2026 MLB season on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers at the American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wis., Schlittler tossed six scoreless innings, allowing just 2 hits with 0 walks, while collecting 6 strikeouts.
With that performance, Schlittler became just the first player in the big leagues since Walter Johnson in 1913 to rack up at least 50 strikeouts, have fewer than 10 walks and give up a home run or fewer, while keeping a sub-1.50 ERA in his first nine starts of a season, according to OptaSTATS.
Cam Schlittler of the @Yankees is the first MLB pitcher to have:
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) May 10, 2026
50+ strikeouts
fewer than 10 walks
no more than 1 HR allowed
a sub-1.50 ERA
…over his first 9 starts of a season since Walter Johnson in 1913. pic.twitter.com/6UthKdEBkh
The 25-year-old Schlittler is in his second year with the Yankees and has proven himself to be among the team’s more reliable hurlers.
Unfortunately for Schlittler, his gem went for naught, as New York’s bullpen could not hold it down, with the Yankees losing to the Brewers in extra innings, 4-3.
With their latest loss, the Yankees dropped to 26-14 and will look to avoid a sweep Sunday, when they give the ball to Carlos Rodon.
So far in the 2026 campaign, Schlittler keeps a 5-1 record and a 1.35 ERA to go along with a 0.81 ERA.
Kevin Garnett said the quiet part out loud about Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid has one Hall of Fame big man befuddled by how often he’s hitting the hardwood.
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce spoke candidly about Embiid during the latest episode of the “KG Certified” podcast. Garnett wondered aloud to his longtime Boston Celtics teammate whether Embiid was falling way too often for a man of his size.
“How many falls do you think he averages in a game, seven?” Garnett asked Pierce. “How many? Real s–t, is he falling every other trip up? … That n—a falls about thirty times a game, bro. He fell one time, three times in one play. I think that’s part of his game. … Embiid leads the league in falling on the floor.”
Embiid: League leader in falls per game.
— KG: Certified (@kg_certified) May 9, 2026
How many you think he averages per game?
New episode of Ticket & The Truth is available now on our YouTube pic.twitter.com/vjGLNLSJS7
Garnett even claimed that Embiid has “a whole bag” of celebrations for when he makes a big play and falls to the floor.
Embiid has developed a reputation for being a flop artist, something another Celtics star remains adamant is true.
The Cameroonian big man has had knee troubles throughout his entire career, so he may have trained himself to take the fall rather than inflict more damage on his lower body. But it doesn’t make it any less ridiculous seeing a 7’2″ behemoth get knocked down like a Jenga tower whenever he gets touched.
Video: Paige Bueckers hits Sophie Cunningham with a savage gesture
Sophie Cunningham may have to hit the weight room more after what Paige Bueckers did to her.
During Saturday’s game between the Dallas Wings and the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., Bueckers found herself being defended by Cunningham just inside the arc.
Instead of taking the easy way and pulling up for a jumper, Bueckers put the ball on the floor and attacked the paint despite tight defense from the Fever guard. She powered her way inside, making contact with Cunningham and sending the Indiana guard to the floor before finishing with a wide-open layup.
Bueckers then celebrated her hard-earned bucket by hitting Cunningham with a “too small” gesture.
Here’s the video of that sequence.
Um yeaaah just take a seat… PB coming thru 💨 pic.twitter.com/kzXkitnfuR
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) May 9, 2026
Bueckers and the Wings also got the last laugh against the Fever, as they came away with a 107-104 victory to open the 2026 WNBA season on a great note.
The 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year scored 20 points in the high-scoring contest, shooting an efficient 8/10 from the field to go along with 4 assists and 3 rebounds in 32 minutes. Bueckers is still getting better, and seeing her operate with such confidence against Cunningham proves that.
Arike Ogunbowale led the Wings with 23 points.
Cunningham, on the other hand, scored just 3 points on 1/2 shooting with 4 boards and 3 assists.
Steve Kerr’s future with the Warriors is finally decided
Steve Kerr is not going anywhere else. The four-time NBA champion head coach will be running it back with the Golden State Warriors after agreeing to a new contract with the team, via Shams Charania of ESPN.
The contract is reportedly for two years, as Kerr now looks to continue guiding the Warriors from the sidelines after a letdown 2025-26 campaign. Golden State went just 37-45 and failed to advance past the Play-in Tournament.
The exact figures of Kerr’s new contract with Golden State aren’t clear, but Charania noted that it will keep Kerr as the highest-paid coach in the Association.
This effectively squashes rumors of Kerr’s potential breakup with the Warriors, who have enjoyed tremendous success under his watch but have greatly regressed in recent years. After winning the NBA championship in 2022, the Warriors have made the playoffs just twice and have not been to the conference finals since.
The 60-year-old Kerr, who won five NBA championships as a player, was hired by Golden State as head coach in 2015. He steered the Warriors to an NBA title in his first year as the team’s head coacha nd reached the NBA Finals in each of the next four years.
By retaining Kerr, Golden State can focus more on strengthening its roster and addressing other notable contract situations in the offseason, including Stephen Curry, who has only one year left on his current deal.
Luka Doncic ruthlessly trolls injured Jarred Vanderbilt
Luka Doncic can’t wait to get back on the floor and help the Los Angeles Lakers. Until then, he’ll have to find ways to keep his juices flowing, and he recently did so at the expense of his teammate, Jarred Vanderbilt.
During a break in Game 2 of the Lakers’ second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., Doncic was caught on video savagely trolling Vanderbilt, who was also not in uniform because of a gruesome pinky finger injury he suffered in Game 1.
As Vanderbilt was having a conversation with a referee, Doncic spun the ball on his pinky and mockingly showed Vanderbilt what he was doing. You can watch the video here.
Vanderbilt took it all in stride, however, showing his injured finger as Doncic laughed off the moment. It was harmless fun between two injured Lakers, who couldn’t do anything but cheer for their team against the powerful Thunder. Los Angeles lost the contest 125-107, going down 2-0 in the series.
Unlike Doncic, though, Vanderbilt is back in action, as he’s been upgraded to available for Saturday’s Game 3 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
Doncic has yet to play a game since a late regular-season matchup against the Thunder due to a hamstring injury.
Caitlin Clark had an honest admission after a long-awaited return
It had been nearly a year since Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark last played in a WNBA game before she took the floor against the Dallas Wings on Saturday.
After playing in only 13 games in the 2025 campaign, Clark admitted that she had to adjust again to the action early on in the contest versus Dallas at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.
“I feel good,” Clark said following the 107-104 loss to the Wings, via Kareem Copeland of ESPN. “Started off a little slow, I think just the anxiety of the first game, trying to work through that. But overall, I felt good, felt fast out there. Felt like I was literally a couple buckets away from putting together a really, really good game and helping us win.”
Clark, who missed a ton of games in 2025 due to injuries, had fans worried when she left the Fever bench a couple of times to be attended to by the team’s medical staff.
Nevertheless, she was able to finish the game, scoring 20 points on 7/18 shooting, while adding 7 assistsa nd 5 rebounds in 31 minutes. She is not yet at her best form, particularly with her outside shooting, as she went 2/9 from beyond the arc, but she should get there sooner rather than later.
Clark and the Fever will look to bounce back on Wednesday, when they play their first road game of the 2026 season at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., against the Los Angeles Sparks.
Draymond Green plays the victim with latest comments about Charles Barkley drama
Draymond Green is trying to play the victim card … in a situation that he himself created.
The Golden State Warriors star Green spoke out over the weekend after causing a stir earlier in the week by insulting Charles Barkley. Green was making a guest appearance on ESPN’s “Inside the NBA” and took a largely umprompted shot at Barkley.
During the episode, Barkley was commenting about the Warriors’ aging core, to which Green responded by getting personal with Barkley and dissing the end of Barkley’s own playing career with the Houston Rockets. The former Defensive Player of the Year Green received sharp backlash online over the cheap shot at Barkley.
Speaking on Saturday on the latest episode of his self-titled podcast, Green apologized for the remark and said that he meant no disrespect to Barkley. But Green also used his airtime to try to play the victim and suggest that his words were being unfairly twisted by fans.
“What I found interesting was, how everybody tried to make it like this whole ‘Oh man, Draymond think he better than Chuck’ thing,” said Green. “I found that interesting because what it shows is how bad y’all want me to do bad. That’s what it really shows is how much y’all want to see me fall.
“That’s good,” Green added. “I think that’s amazing for everyone that does because if you’re spending time trying your hardest to make me fall, what are you doing with your life?”
You can see the full clip of Green’s remarks (in which he also slammed his critics by saying, “You’re not better than me at life”) at the link here.
While Barkley has since said that he did not take any offense to Green’s putdown, it is still pretty rich for Green to be whining over a situation that could have been avoided entirely if he had just kept quiet and not insulted anybody. That was almost reminiscent of the time last year that Green, instead of taking responsibility after getting called out for his own actions, attempted to play the race card instead.
Andruw Jones had the most heartbreaking reaction to Bobby Cox’s death
Atlanta Braves legend Andruw Jones paid an emotional tribute to his former manager Bobby Cox after Cox died on Saturday.
Jones spent 12 seasons playing for the Braves, all of them with Cox at the helm. As such, the Hall of Fame outfielder paid tribute to his former manager with a heartbreaking reaction.
“RIP my second Father,” Jones wrote on X.
RIP my second Father 🙏🏾 https://t.co/nPl75TlIPL
— Andruw Jones (@andruwjones25) May 9, 2026
Jones signed with the Braves at age 16 and was just 19 years old when he debuted in the Major Leagues in 1996. Cox was unquestionably a key transformative figure in his life.
Jones, of course, went on to have a Hall of Fame career. He hit 434 career home runs and is widely regarded as one of the best defensive center fielders to ever play the game. Cox presumably had a hand in those accomplishments, and Jones would be the first to say so.
Cox died on Saturday at the age of 84. He is regarded as the best manager in Braves history and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his own right in 2014.
Cade Klubnik explains why he fell in NFL Draft
Cade Klubnik went from one of the top prospects in the NFL Draft to a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft thanks to a poor senior season at Clemson. On Saturday, he explained the circumstances that led to those struggles.
Klubnik said he battled through ankle and wrist injuries at Clemson last season, and the ankle was bad enough that he had to take the elevator to team meetings because he could not use stairs. However, he added that the experience helped prepare him for the NFL, and that he feels stronger for it.
Cade Klubnik said he was battling two injuries last year — ankle and wrist.
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) May 9, 2026
Said the ankle was bad enough that he was limping around the facility by the end of the season and that he had to take the elevator to meetings because he couldn’t walk up the stairs.
He said through…
Klubnik was not on anyone’s radar by the end of the season as a first-round pick. He wound up going to the New York Jets 110th overall.
As a junior, Klubnik threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns, but saw his numbers fall significantly as a senior. He threw for 2,943 yards and 16 scores, with his numbers down across the board.
Around this time last year, Klubnik was thought of as one of the best prospects in the 2026 class. Injuries would certainly explain some of his struggles. The Jets actually traded up to draft him, and will be hoping that they got a steal now that he is fully healthy.
Dennis Schroder had the craziest flop of the NBA playoffs
Dennis Schroder was flopping around like a fish out of water during Saturday’s game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers guard Schroder went viral in Saturday’s Game 3 against the Detroit Pistons for a generational flop. In the fourth quarter at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, Schroder was defending Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins in the backcourt.
Jenkins extended his arm a bit to clear out some space, and that was all that Schroder needed to cook. Schroder proceeded to fly backwards as if he had just been hit by a Harry Potter spell and then dramatically grabbed onto his neck for good measure.
Here is the video (featuring an extra touch of comedy with Schroder miraculously recovering just long enough to signal for a review from the ground).
C'mon, man, I've never seen a player call for a review after selling contact like that… crazy work from Schroder pic.twitter.com/6KW4ZmDJN3
— Pistons Jack (@pistons_jack) May 9, 2026
Schroder did succeed in drawing the offensive foul on Jenkins, but the play was not upgraded to a flagrant foul upon review. Still, the Cavaliers went on to win by a 116-109 final to trim the Pistons’ lead in the series to 2-1.
Interestingly enough, Schroder was with Detroit during their playoff run last season and openly complained about the officiating over the course of the postseason. On Saturday as a member of Cleveland though, Schroder had no problem trying to fool the officiating against Detroit.
James Harden had 2-word response to his critics after clutch Game 3 performance
James Harden turned in a game-winning performance in Game 3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Eastern Conference Semifinal series on Saturday, and capped it off with a two-word message to his critics.
Harden delivered seven points in the last 1:30, including a clutch three, to help the Cavs to a 116-109 win over the Detroit Pistons at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Oh. on Saturday. The bounceback performance came after Harden scored just 10 points on 3/13 shooting in the team’s Game 2 loss.
After the game, NBC’s Ashley ShahAhmadi asked Harden how he was able to silence the chatter around him to close out Game 3. Harden’s response was to the point.
“What chatter?” he asked.
James Harden talks with Ashley ShahAhmadi after the Cavs Game 3 win. pic.twitter.com/8nGjZIbk7G
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) May 9, 2026
“I play basketball and whatever this team needs me to do, I’m gonna go out there and do it. Let the game play out, fourth quarter, my number was called, and I go to work,” Harden continued.
Harden certainly had to be aware of the widespread chatter about his awful Game 2 showing. Another poor performance in Game 3 would have risked leaving the Cavs down 3-0 in the series, but he was much improved, to say the least.
In total, Harden scored 19 points on 8/14 shooting with seven assists in Game 3. Cleveland will be looking for a similar performance on Monday in Game 4.
Stefon Diggs sparks rumors of reconciliation with Cardi B
Stefon Diggs and Cardi B appear to be on good terms again.
Cardi B was a surprise guest at Diggs’ Mother’s Day charity event on Saturday. The two appeared to be quite affectionate, and Diggs even kissed her on the cheek.
The Diggs Deep Foundation Mother’s Day wellness event had a surprise appearance by @iamcardib. pic.twitter.com/WQvxC33zMS
— Kelsey Nicole Nelson (KNN) (@therealknelson) May 9, 2026
According to TMZ, the pair took time to greet all the mothers in attendance. There is no word, however, on whether the two have actually gotten back together or are simply on good terms again.
Diggs and Cardi made their public debut as a couple in May 2025 and had a child together. The two reportedly split earlier this year, though she was willing to publicly defend him even after that had happened.
Diggs remains a free agent, but he won a not guilty verdict in court this week.
Notable update emerges on the Jaylen Brown-Celtics relationship
Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics are both insisting that there is nothing to see here.
Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Saturday that there are no internal issues between Brown and the Celtics. Amick noted that both a Celtics team source and a source close to Brown denied that there were any problems between the two sides.
This comes just days after retired Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady made a bombshell claim about Brown and the Celtics. McGrady claimed on a podcast that Brown had grown frustrated with the Celtics over a number of supposed issues.
The 29-year-old All-Star forward Brown just submitted a career year for Boston after his co-star Jayson Tatum missed most of the season due to injury. Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game and looked like arguably the best player in the entire Eastern Conference.
But the Celtics would go on to lose in the first round of the playoffs after blowing a 3-1 lead to the No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers. Brown was particularly upset about the loss and crashed out on the referees in the days after (eventually drawing a $50,000 fine from the NBA).
Cooler heads may ultimately prevail here once the sting of the Celtics’ playoff choke subsides a bit. But even if player and team are adamant that there is no beef, there could be at least one particular scenario where Boston considers trading Brown this summer.
Bill Belichick’s North Carolina team is facing new criticism
Bill Belichick’s second year with North Carolina has not even formally started, but his program is facing a new complaint.
Multiple North Carolina players have been cited for speeding since the start of the year, including one who has two reckless driving charges since arriving on campus in January. Another player has been cited three times since February.
The situation has reached the point that at least one professor has complained to university administration about players speeding on campus or parking in spots designated for people with disabilities.
“What started to bother all of us, in addition to the fact that they didn’t seem to have to follow the simple parking rules like parking head in, was that now almost always the handicapped spots closest to Kenan in the deck had these cars parked in them,” university professor Mark Peifer told Pat Welter, Randall Kerr, and Brian Murphy of WRAL. “That’s just not right. You shouldn’t park in a handicap spot. Nobody should park in a handicap spot.”
Peifer said he had been cursed at by at least one player he yelled at to stop. He made multiple complaints to athletic director Bubba Cunningham, but the behavior has continued.
“I thought he [Cunningham] actually was probably right up there with the chancellor and running the university, but I found out when I wrote to him that he doesn’t have any control over the football program anymore,” Peifer added. “He clearly was frustrated and ultimately angry about this behavior and didn’t seem to be able to change it.”
The athletics department said it would continue to ensure that players are “educated about driving safety.”
Belichick’s arrival at North Carolina has not exactly brought the results they hoped for after a 4-8 season. The fact that his players are generating negative headlines only makes things worse. Perhaps this is the sort of thing one ex-player meant when he said he was avoiding going anywhere near the program right now.
Guardians’ minor leaguer did the most out-of-pocket celebration
Pedro Avila did not exactly keep things family-friendly this week.
Avila, a pitcher in the Cleveland Guardians organization, was on the mound Thursday for the Triple-A affiliate Columbus Clippers during their game against the Iowa Cubs (Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs). In the fifth inning at Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa, Avila made a diving catch on a soft comebacker by Cubs designated hitter Owen Miller.
To celebrate the occasion, Avila got a little weird with it. While still sprawled out on the infield grass, Avila decided to suddenly start twerking.
Here is the video (featuring multiple pumps for good measure).
Pedro Avila broke out an interesting celebration after making a diving grab today#Guardians pic.twitter.com/sU0VdPJJxu
— Milb Central (@milb_central) May 8, 2026
Avila is 29 years old and has pitched five total seasons in Major League Baseball for both the Guardians and the San Diego Padres. But he has not been back in the big leagues since the 2024 campaign.
On Thursday, Avila had a strong outing overall, pitching five innings of two-run ball as the Clippers went on to defeat the Cubs by a final score of 4-2. But that had to be the most deranged celebration we have seen in baseball since this one from the college ranks earlier this year.
