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Brandon Peterson has been hired as the boys basketball coach at Northwestern.

A familiar face in Clark County, Peterson has made previous stops as a head coach at Catholic Central and Emmanuel Christian, and most recently was an assistant coach at Springfield.

“I’m honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead the Northwestern basketball program as well as the trust AD [Steve] Tincher has in me,” Peterson said. “Northwestern has a storied tradition, a loyal fan base, and after hearing the vision from the AD, seeing the facilities and talking with some of the student athletes, I knew this is where God wanted me.”

Peterson replaces outgoing coach Ron Long, who led the program for the past three seasons and compiled a 20-50 overall record while increasing Northwestern’s win totals each campaign.

“I’m excited to build relationships with our players, families and community,” Peterson said. “We will work every day to build a program defined by discipline, toughness, unselfishness, and character.

“Our goal is to represent Northwestern with pride while pursuing excellence on and off the court. I’m excited to get started.”

The Warriors went 10-14 in the 2025-26 season, its first 10-win season since 2016-17, and finished fourth in the Central Buckeye Conference’s Mad River division. Northwestern lost to Northridge in its Division IV district tournament second round game.

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Does LeBron James migrating back to the Eastern Conference have any implications on the reigning champion Knicks? The answer hinges largely on The Decision 2.0, where LeBron chooses what could be the final destination in one of the greatest careers in NBA history.

James’ timeline is unclear, but the rest of the 2026 NBA free agency process is in a holding pattern as the now ex-Los Angeles Laker sorts through the options available for the fourth — and possibly final — stop of his Hall of Fame career.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors are among the Western Conference teams listed on his agent Rich Paul’s infamous whiteboard — the canvas of choice used to list all of LeBron’s free agency options in a recent episode of Paul’s Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman.

That whiteboard, however, also featured three Eastern Conference teams angling to dethrone the Knicks and win the East for a chance to secure the 2027 NBA title. There’s a real chance James, in Year 24 at age 42, chooses one of those three team — and tips the balance of power in a conference expected to be even more competitive next season.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

The Knicks just ended a 53-year NBA championship drought. There are five more teams who haven’t won in 40 or more years. The 76ers are one of them.

And since LeBron can’t end New York’s championship drought, the Sixers offer an opportunity to restore a starved basketball market in one of the country’s biggest sports cities.

LeBron James to the Philadelphia 76ers would feed families — because he’d be joining a star-studded cast of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown — who was stunningly acquired for Paul George and picks in a deal with the Boston Celtics — and V.J. Edgecombe.

The Knicks have a stacked starting five. If the Sixers were to add LeBron — a four-time champion, four-time MVP, three-time Olympic gold medalist and 22-time All-Star — they could easily have one of the best five-man lineups in NBA history, even with James in the twilight of his storied career.

But Embiid’s health is perpetually in question. Edgecombe is only in his sophomore season. Brown, even with a Finals MVP in his name, has much to prove after an embarrassing trade out of Boston. Maxey is a problem, but James may need to shoulder a load far greater than his 42-year-old frame can handle to life Philadelphia into the euphoria New York City experienced this summer.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

The fairytale ending is always going back where it all started, the kid from Akron, Ohio delivering one last title before sailing off into the sunset.

The Cavaliers made the Eastern Conference Finals. They were swept, however, by the Knicks — and a 42-year-old LeBron doesn’t solve the problems sure to plague Cleveland in their ensuing playoff runs. The Cavaliers do have an in: Brandon Weems, Cleveland’s assistant general manager and a longtime friend of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The Cavaliers could also explore trade possibilities with James Harden, who is an unrestricted free agent also in a holding pattern while LeBron makes his decision. Paul said on his Game Over podcast his superstar client was a big fan of Darius Garland, who the Cavs traded away to the Los Angeles Clippers for Harden in the first place.

But home is where the heart is. Sometimes. LeBron has another home to choose from — a team capable of presenting far greater problems than a cast led by Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

MIAMI HEAT

This is where things get dicey in New York. Because the Heat present a unique opportunity for LeBron to sit in the passenger’s seat. In Miami, The King would be the third option to a two-time MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo and a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate who just set a new record for second-most points in a single game (83) in Bam Adebayo.

The Heat also have Andrew Wiggins, who can still play at a high level on both ends of the floor. Their size and spacing — and Giannis, of course — would pose instant problems for the Knicks, who lost Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti and will be leaning largely on Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Andre Drummond as their paint presence this season.

The Heat also have Bobby Portis and Tim Hardaway Jr. Nikola Jovic and Simone Fontecchio provide quality depth. Plus Pelle Larsson had his breakout season averaging 11 points in his sophomore NBA season.

And unlike the 76ers, who worry nightly about Embiid’s playing status, the Heat tend to be healthy at the right time.

The Cavaliers have the hometown edge. The 76ers might have the most promise. But if LeBron returns to South Beach, it’s the Heat who’d have the best chance of the three to make a run at the Knicks’ throne.

It’s why no one’s moving a muscle until James makes his decision. Almost a quarter-century into his playing career, The King still has moves on the chessboard. And his move has direct implications at Madison Square Garden.

The meme that took over the internet almost didn't happen. Weeks after her now-famous stare-down with Phoenix Mercury veteran DeWanna Bonner became the defining image of the WNBA season, Sophie Cunningham finally explained exactly what was going through her mind.

And as it turns out, it wasn't some carefully planned act of gamesmanship. "Honestly, I just am a little sassy sometimes," Cunningham joked during an appearance on James Corden's Fox Sports World Cup show. "I've mastered getting in people's heads. It's kind of like a game within the game."

That "game within the game" produced one of the most recognizable sports memes of 2026.

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Cunningham's now-iconic point came during Indiana's heated showdown with the Phoenix Mercury, a game that was already boiling over after teammate Caitlin Clark and Bonner exchanged words late in the fourth quarter. Clark was hit with a technical foul, but Cunningham believed Bonner deserved one as well.

She initially pointed to Bonner to make her case to the officials. Then Bonner fired back.

According to Cunningham, Bonner told her not to point at her. Cunningham's response was simple: she kept pointing. And pointing. And pointing.

For roughly 22 seconds, Cunningham never broke eye contact, holding the pose until a Fever staff member finally nudged her toward the bench. Both players were assessed technical fouls, but by then the damage—or, depending on your perspective, the comedy—was done.

Since that night, the image has taken on a life of its own. WWE legend John Cena has referenced it. Major brands have recreated it in social media posts. Even the White House joined the trend on social media. During Cunningham's interview, comedian Ian Karmel jokingly suggested the pose should replace the WNBA's league logo, drawing laughter from everyone on set.

The moment has become bigger than the play that created it. Earlier this season, Cunningham explained the confrontation started because she was defending Clark after the Fever star's heated exchange with Bonner.

That game also sparked weeks of debate surrounding Clark, including questions about officiating, physical play, and player safety, after later incidents involving Alyssa Thomas and other opponents dominated the headlines.

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It’ll be Paige Bueckers vs. Caitlin Clark in the 2026 WNBA All-Star game, as the two leading fan vote-getters headline their teams for the midseason showcase.

WNBA legends Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon were the honorary general managers for Bueckers’ and Clark’s teams, respectively, in Wednesday’s All-Star draft. Weatherspoon had the first selection among the eight remaining starters and chose four-time MVP A’ja Wilson to build out her roster around Clark. Cooper picked first among the reserves, selecting Angel Reese.

Here are the full rosters for the 2026 All-Star Game, which will be held in Chicago on Saturday, July 25.

Coop

Paige Bueckers

Breanna Stewart

Kelsey Mitchell

Natasha Howard

Gabby Williams

Angel Reese

Marina Mabrey

Dominique Malonga

Kelsey Plum

Jackie Young

Sonia Citron

Spoon

Caitlin Clark

A’ja Wilson

Olivia Miles

Aliyah Boston

Jessica Shepard

Rhyne Howard

Allisha Gray

Jonquel Jones

Courtney Williams

Kiki Iriafen

Nneka Ogwumike

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

WNBA

2026 The Athletic Media Company

The WNBA is denying a report that Adam Silver influenced the suspension of Alyssa Thomas following an on-court incident with Caitlin Clark.

In a statement to Front Office Sports, a WNBA spokesperson said the report that NBA commissioner Adam Silver pushed WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to suspend Alyssa Thomas is “absolutely false.” 

On Wednesday morning, Sports Business Journal reported that Silver “persuaded” Engelbert to suspend Thomas for an incident on June 24 in which the Mercury star struck Clark’s throat. Thomas was not thrown out of the game.

A day later, the league handed Thomas a Flagrant 2—which comes with a $1,000 fine—and one-game suspension for what it deemed to be a “non-basketball act.”

The level of influence the NBA has on the WNBA’s decision making is a longstanding question. The NBA holds a 42% equity stake in the WNBA, while multiple NBA owners have separate ownership stakes in the WNBA. The NBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Silver was asked about the future of Engelbert as WNBA commissioner on Tuesday night during a press conference at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He did not give a definitive answer, but was complimentary about Engelbert’s performance.

“I’m very pleased with where the WNBA is. We’ve made tremendous progress under her leadership over the last several years … Cathy continues doing a strong job building that league. And we’ll have ongoing discussions about what the future looks like.” Silver said.

In March, Silver said there have been “no discussions yet” about Engelbert’s future. A month later, Engelbert aggressively deflected when asked about her future ahead of the 2026 WNBA season.

“I do crack up how everybody’s focused on me, and you should be focused on the hundreds of amazing women, and thousands of women who run this league outside of myself,” Engelbert said.

The post WNBA Denies Report That Adam Silver Influenced Alyssa Thomas Suspension appeared first on Front Office Sports.

The ‘V’ in Victor Wembanyama stands for villain in New York City after the Knicks’ NBA Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

But on Saturday at Manhattan’s Javits Center, ‘Wemby’ will be back in the belly of the beast, face to face with thousands of fans at Fanatics Fest, participating in games against the general public and appearing on a live podcast.

This is the most unique element of the biggest sports convention in the world, hosted annually here in the Big Apple: Humanizing, interactive access between the biggest stars in sports and entertainment and the general public — regardless of what’s happening on the field or court.

“Wemby had a great time last year,” Lance Fensterman, CEO of Fanatics Events, said in a phone interview Tuesday. “He got to play chess with 100 fans last year. Each fan did a chess move. We think carefully about engaging in a thoughtful way. And he is a thoughtful guy.”

“To some of these fans he’ll be a villain,” Fensterman acknowledged with a laugh, “but he recognizes everything he’s doing is about having a long impactful career. And investing in fans is never a bad idea.”

Fanatics founder Michael Rubin has built his mega-company by doing exactly that: Investing in the passion of fans. So access to this kind of event obviously comes at a price.

It’s $70 per adult ticket on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and $80 on Saturday. It’s $30 per child per day all weekend. And autographs or photos with star entertainers and athletes cost more inside.

But the access to fan activations, live shows and podcasts and exclusive experiences across a million square feet of space and 12 stages basically creates a mini city of unforgettable moments.

That’s why there was fan demand to add a fourth day this year to the convention, which ran for three days in 2025. And that’s why Fensterman, who oversaw Comic-Con for years, is proud that every daily ticket to Fanatics Fest is more than just a gateway to more vendors.

“There’s more to do,” Fensterman said, “than just to buy.”

The confluence of a Knicks NBA Championship and Sunday’s World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium across the river is creating a perfect storm.

“The World Cup is coming to a head, and the Final is happening here, so we’re bringing the final teams to the show for Friday,” Fensterman said. “That’s huge.”

So look for Spain’s Lamine Yamal. Fanatics Fest will even host a massive watch party for the Final on Sunday, with the Men in Blazers podcast and other guest analysts on hand.

“Four of the Knicks’ starting five will be in the building signing and parading through the show floor with the trophy,” Fensterman said.

Jalen Brunson will appear on a King of New York panel. His autograph signing is already sold out. And the Fanatics Games, which were a huge hit in last year’s maiden voyage, are back.

That pits 50 athletes and 50 fans against each other for more than $2 million in prizes in games like the NFL clutch kick, the NBA game-winning shot, the WWE superstar entrance and more.

First place gets $1 million cash. Second place receives a Ferrari. Third place receives a rare Lionel Messi trading card. John Cena, Cam Skattebo and Novak Djokovic are among those competing this year.

Before it all kicks off, Fanatics added an exclusive window for its business partners, investors and VIPs to experience all the show has to offer before it opens to the general public. There will be 250-plus hobby shops on site, offering a haven for the booming card and collectible industry.

Then when the doors open, LeBron James is scheduled to appear Thursday afternoon on a ‘Mind the Game Live’ panel on the center stage, smack in the middle of his free agent decision, with Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.

Might James drop some hints on his eventual next NBA team? There just is no shortage of possibilities for the world’s biggest sports convention that keeps getting bigger.

“Fans love the different moments with athletes and influencers, and we wanted to give them more,” Fensterman said. “It nets out to more opportunities for more people fans and industry to interact with the athletes and celebrities.”

Jul. 14—There could be another Olympic medal in Mark Few's future after the Gonzaga coach was selected as one of three coaches who will work on Erik Spoelstra's staff as the United States men's national team prepares for the 2027 FIBA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Few was selected as one of the three assistants that will serve under Spoelstra, the longtime Miami Heat coach who's replacing Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr ahead of the forthcoming FIBA World Cup and Olympics cycle.

Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault and Detroit Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff will round out Spoelstra's USA staff.

Few spent more than a decade working with USA Basketball in different capacities before Gonzaga's coach was hired as an assistant on Kerr's men's national team staff ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics.

A USA roster headlined by future NBA Hall of Famers LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant captured the gold medal in Paris, overcoming a 17-point deficit to bet former Gonzaga forward Filip Petrusev and Serbia in the semifinals before topping host France in the gold medal game.

During an interview at Team USA training camp in Las Vegas prior to the 2024 Olympics, Spoelstra, a former West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year at Portland, estimated he'd known Few "going on three decades."

"He's a hall of fame (coach). First ballot. Right now," Spoelstra said of Few. "And you would never know it by the way he can relate to anybody. He's just a guy that likes to coach basketball, develop programs, develop players, make them better than when they first arrived on campus."

Spoelstra's words were prophetic. Few was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame earlier this year and will be officially enshrined next month in Springfield, Massachusetts.

"He's a brilliant basketball coach," Spoelstra said. "One of the very best in this business."

Few's oldest son, AJ, a former video coordinator at Gonzaga, landed a spot on Miami's NBA Summer League staff in 2025 after connecting with Spoelstra in Paris the year prior.

Before his stint with Team USA at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2024 Olympics, Few served as an assistant at 2018 USA National Team minicamp and worked as an assistant for the USA Select Team in 2019 and 2021. He was also the head coach of the 2015 U.S. Pan American team comprised of college players, leading that group to a gold medal.

Few has had two other coaching assignments with USA Basketball, serving as an assistant for the gold medal-winning 2012 U-18 National Team and as a court coach for the 2009 U-19 World Cup/World University Games Team training camp.

Former Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren, who was named a 2026 NBA All-Star while playing under Daigneault at Oklahoma City, could be among the candidates for a roster spot at the 2028 L.A. Olympics. Holmgren was named to the 41-man player pool ahead of the 2024 Olympics, but wasn't one of the 12 players invited to Paris.

NEED TO KNOW

• Tyler Herro said he’s “just trying to move past all of it” after he was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo
• Herro, who was traded from Miami to Milwaukee on July 6, told ESPN, “I’m focused on Milwaukee and building something special”
• ESPN reported that Adebayo struck Herro at a practice court inside the Resorts World Hotel in Las Vegas on Friday, July 10

Milwaukee Bucks guard Tyler Herro has spoken out about his alleged physical altercation with Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo.

ESPN reported on Friday, July 10 that Herro, 26, and Adebayo, 28, were involved in a fight at the Resorts World Hotel in Las Vegas while the NBA stars were in town for Summer League, with Adebayo allegedly hitting Herro.

On Tuesday, July 14, Herro — who was traded from the Heat to the Bucks in a package that sent Milwaukee’s longtime star Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami on July 6 — said he just wants to move on.

“Honestly, I’m just trying to move past all of it,” Herro told ESPN, adding, “I’m focused on Milwaukee and building something special. They obviously just traded the greatest player in their history, so we want to come in and help continue what they’ve been doing,” he said, referring to Antetokounmpo.

“I’m ready to come home and not prove everyone wrong,” Herro, a Wisconsin native, said, adding, “but just be able to represent the city and the state because I wanted to do that coming out of school as well.”

According to ESPN’s report, sources said the altercation occurred when Adebayo and his Heat teammates arrived at the hotel’s practice court, where Herro had been working out earlier with his AAU team. Adebayo reportedly struck Herro in the head during the altercation, according to ESPN’s report, while they were at a practice court inside the hotel. Adebayo allegedly confronted Herro — who he was teammates with for seven seasons — about comments he had made criticizing him.

Herro remained standing after the alleged jab from Adebayo, according to ESPN, and was “restrained by others in the gym from responding physically,” the outlet said.

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When Herro attended a Summer League game later that day, but reports of the altercation were not made known yet, he was asked about reuniting with his Heat teammates following the blockbuster trade. Herro said, “It’s all love in Miami,” according to ESPN and added, “I’ve seen a couple of the guys, coaching staff, Chris Quinn, Spo [Erik Spoelstra], the front office guys; we are all good in Miami. Just an opportunity for both sides to reset, get a fresh start, and both are super happy with this.”

Adebayo and Herro had a “mostly good relationship” when they were both playing for the Heat, but had “grown apart” in the last year after Herro struggled with injuries and fitting into the team’s offensive scheme, ESPN reported with knowledge from organization sources.

Adebayo is currently playing with the Heat on a three-year contract worth $160 million, while Herro will make $33 million this season and become a free agent in 2027.

Read the original article on People

The news Tuesday that David Steele is retiring after 37 seasons as the voice of the Orlando Magic landed like the end of a long, engaging conversation.

Because that’s what it always felt like.

Not like a broadcaster talking at you.

But like an old friend sitting on the couch talking to you.

For nearly 40 years — first on the radio and then on television — Steele was there through every chapter of Orlando Magic basketball. He described the miracle moments and the miserable ones. He called playoff triumphs, lottery seasons, buzzer-beaters and blown leads with the same steady voice that fans welcomed into their living rooms night after night, year after year, decade after decade.

National broadcasters become famous.

Local broadcasters become family.

Mike Breen has “Bang!” Kevin Harlan has his unmistakable excitement. Mike Tirico can make any event sound important. They are among the finest play-by-play broadcasters in the business for good reason.

But they parachute into your city a handful of times every few seasons.

The local play-by-play announcer is there for every chapter. He’s there on the random Tuesday night in Charlotte when the team loses by 18. He’s there during tanking seasons when victories are scarce. He’s there when lottery picks become All-Stars, when coaches come and go, when championships remain elusive but hope somehow returns every October.

He doesn’t just witness a franchise’s history.

He becomes part of it.

No one embodied that better than David Steele.

“When I interviewed with Pat Williams back in 1988, I never dreamed it would play out this way,” Steele said upon announcing his retirement. “Now it is time for me to put the microphone down and spend time with my family. It’s been an honor to represent the Orlando Magic, and I am forever grateful.”

It’s fitting that the Magic inducted Steele into their Hall of Fame seven years ago. He wasn’t simply honored because he called more than 2,200 games.

He earned that distinction because his voice became part of the franchise’s identity.

You simply can’t separate Orlando Magic history from David Steele.

He was there from the franchise’s birth in 1989.

He narrated the arrival of Shaquille O’Neal.

He narrated the departure of Shaquille O’Neal.

He chronicled Penny Hardaway’s brilliance.

He described Tracy McGrady’s scoring explosions, Dwight Howard’s dominance and today’s young, ascending Magic team.

He was there for the rebuilds and the rebuilds of the rebuilds.

He was there through the exhilarating march to the 1995 and 2009 NBA Finals, the devastating playoff exits and the countless seasons when hope was all Magic fans really had.

The remarkable thing wasn’t simply that he stayed. It was how he did his job.

Steele understood something many broadcasters never learn. He understood the game isn’t about the broadcaster.

“I really think television is more of a color announcer’s medium than it is the play-by-play announcer’s,” Steele once explained. “The fans really don’t rely on the announcer to tell them what’s going on because they can see what’s happening… I set the tempo and I try to bring out the best in the color announcer.”

That philosophy defined every broadcast.

He never forced excitement. He never shouted simply because shouting had become fashionable.

He respected the audience enough to know they could tell the difference between routine and remarkable.

Which is precisely why his biggest calls still resonate decades later. Nothing illustrates that better than Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals.

Michael Jordan had returned from his NBA hiatus.

The Bulls appeared ready to steal the opener.

Then came six unforgettable seconds.

“Anderson tries to steal it from Jordan and Jordan dribbles around him,” Steele told his radio listeners. “The clock is down to 12 and Anderson stole the ball. Hardaway picks it up, two-on-one, Penny bounce pass to Grant and he dunks it! Six-point-two seconds to go! Nick Anderson stole the ball! Nick Anderson stole the ball from Michael Jordan!”

Steele wasn’t performing.

He was reacting.

The excitement was authentic because the moment demanded it.

If David Steele raised his voice, you instinctively knew history was unfolding.

Fellow Magic broadcaster Dante Marchitelli, who now succeeds Steele on television, perhaps explained his mentor’s greatness better than anyone.

“Nobody, and I mean this, nobody in the league prepares as much and as well as David Steele,” Marchitelli once said. “It’s not about him. David Steele is about the game and the players, and if it’s a big moment he lets it breathe. He has a knack and great timing and his preparation and the way it all comes together is what makes it, really, a perfect telecast.

“He doesn’t make it about himself, and I think people truly enjoy that.”

That may be Steele’s greatest legacy.

In an era when too many broadcasters chase viral moments, catchphrases and social-media clips, Steele quietly pursued something far more difficult.

Credibility.

Respect.

Class.

He was prepared.

He was accurate.

He was humble.

And because he never tried to manufacture emotion, fans trusted him when genuine emotion  arrived.

Of course, Steele wasn’t above having fun.

One of the most beloved features of Magic broadcasts became his wonderfully quirky “Is This Anything?” segment, where he’d present some wonderfully obscure statistical oddity before asking broadcast partner Jeff Turner whether it actually mattered. A cheerful “ding” meant yes. A buzzer meant no.

It became one of those inside jokes shared between two friends; between broadcaster and audience; the kind of thing that only develops after decades together.

Orlando Magic Chairman Dan DeVos couldn’t resist using it one last time.

“You can’t have a memory of Orlando Magic basketball without David Steele’s voice being a part of it,” DeVos said. “David handled everything with professionalism and class, and he will forever be entrenched in this franchise’s history. ‘Is This Anything?’ We’d say David was EVERYTHING to the Orlando Magic.”

It was the perfect tribute because it spoke Steele’s language.

As a kid in East Tennessee, Steele would hide a transistor radio beneath his pillow at night, listening to baseball broadcasts after he was supposed to be asleep. Those unseen announcers sparked a lifelong dream and unknowingly shaped the broadcaster he would become.

For nearly four decades, somewhere in Central Florida, children were either falling asleep or on the couch with Dad as another familiar voice drifted through the house.

David Steele’s voice.

One day they’ll realize those weren’t merely basketball games they were hearing and watching.

They were memories being made.

And long after someone else occupies the television chair, generations of Magic fans will still hear Steele’s voice whenever they replay the most compelling moments in franchise history.

Because some broadcasters simply call the games.

The truly special ones like David Steele become part of the family.

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on social media @BianchiWrites and listen to my radio show “Game On” every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen.

Following 37 seasons as the play-by-play voice of the Magic, both on television and radio, David Steele announced his retirement Tuesday morning.

“I can’t thank the DeVos family and the Orlando Magic organization enough for what they have provided to me and my family,” Steele said in a statement. “When I interviewed with Pat Williams back in 1988, I never dreamed it would play out this way. Now it is time for me to put the microphone down and spend time with my family.

“It’s been an honor to represent the Orlando Magic, and I am forever grateful,” he added.

After handling radio play-by-play duties for the team’s first nine seasons (1989-98), Steele was then named the television play-by-play voice for the Magic in March 1998 and spent the next 28 seasons in that role.

“You can’t have a memory of Orlando Magic basketball without David Steele’s voice being a part of it,” Magic chairman Dan DeVos said in a statement. “David handled everything with professionalism and class, and he will forever be entrenched in this franchise’s history. … We wish him and his family nothing but the best.”

Replacing Steele, 72, as Orlando’s new play-by-play television announcer will be Dante Marchitelli, the team said.

Marchitelli, 50, enters his 28th season with the organization and has served as studio host/sideline reporter since 2008. He’s also performed play-by-play duties for select games for the last three seasons (2023-26).

Marchitelli began his career with the Magic in 1998 as a radio intern. He was hired full time in January 2000 as radio producer, working behind the scenes on every broadcast for the Magic Radio Network. Marchitelli was promoted in 2005 to radio manager and also served as radio sideline reporter. He was named assistant director of broadcasting in July 2017, then promoted to director of broadcasting and alumni relations in July 2023.

“I am beyond grateful to the DeVos family and the Orlando Magic organization for this wonderful opportunity,” Marchitelli said in a statement. “Working with David Steele for the past 20 years has been the highlight of my career. He is an absolute legend, and I can’t thank him enough for everything he has taught me along the way.

“This is a dream come true and I’m looking forward to continuing my connection with Orlando Magic fans everywhere,” he added.

The former voice of the University of Florida, Steele arrived in Orlando in 1989 after serving as network coordinator and football/basketball play-by-play announcer for the Gators for seven seasons.

He was named Florida Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association twice, winning the honor in both 2009 and 2021. In 1980, Steele earned the Ray Reeve Award as TV Sportscaster of the Year in North Carolina. He also won the Best Play-By-Play in Florida award from the Florida Sportscasters Association in 1984. In February 2019, Steele became the eighth person inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame.

A native of Jacksonville, Steele’s professional broadcasting career began in 1975, as sports director at WJHG-TV in Panama City. He also served as sports director at WLOS-TV in Asheville, NC, and was the football/basketball play-by-play announcer at Western Carolina University.

He and his wife, Sally, live in Orlando. They have three children, Luke, Emily and Betsy, and eight grandchildren.

Marchitelli earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations/advertising from Liberty University in 1998. A native of Woburn, Mass., he and his wife, Lana, live in Windermere and have two daughters, Olivia and Allison.

Following the closure of FanDuel Sports Network Florida, the Magic will announce their broadcast plans for the 2026-27 season in the near future, the team said.

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com

LAS VEGAS — So perhaps a little throwback LL Cool J if LeBron James opts for a return to the Miami Heat? As in the opening verse of Mama Said Knock You Out.

“Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years. I’m rockin’ my peers, puttin’ suckers in fear.”

Actually it has been years since LeBron last played for the Heat in 2014, but there still has been an enduring connection — at Dwyane Wade’s final game with the Heat in 2019, the opponent in the 2020 NBA Finals at the Disney bubble, an embrace with Heat President Pat Riley this past season when the Lakers unveiled a Riley statue in from the their arena in downtown Los Angeles.

And now speculation of perhaps indeed calling it a comeback, with the Heat perceived as a finalist for James’ services in the wake of his parting last month with the Lakers.

Through the Heat’s first 38 seasons, there have been 14 cases of players leaving, playing elsewhere, and then returning.

It largely has been an uneven process, although one comeback resulted in a championship, a few others in deep playoff runs, and then the emotional final chapter of closure with Wade.

James would be the 15th to return and likely would transcend them all, the first Heat player to return after winning a championship with the team (and going on to win two more elsewhere).

So, yes, if it transpires, LeBron-Heat 2.0 would be at the top of the charts, as for the others (with regular-season games of each stint in parentheses:

Dwyane Wade,  2003-2016 (855),  2017-19 (93): The parting was unexpected and shocking, with the Heat during the 2016 offseason prioritizing retaining Hassan Whiteside in free agency and the pursuit of Kevin Durant in free agency.

To their credit, Heat owner Micky Arison and Heat President Pat Riley later acknowledged Wade’s 2016 free agency could have been handled better.

After the unsettling reality of Wade in Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers jerseys, he was brought back in Feb. 2018, after his failed effort to try to make it work with LeBron in Cleveland. While the return resulted only in a single playoff-game victory, it created an emotional 2017-18 farewell tour amid an otherwise lackluster Heat season.

Alonzo Mourning, 1995-03 (407), 2004-08 (186): Despite missing the entire 2002-03 season due to kidney illness, Mourning was offended by the level of the Heat’s offer in 2003 free agency, making a hasty move to the New Jersey Nets.

By March 2005 , fences were mended and Mourning returned, a year later going on to help share in the Heat’s 2006 NBA championship.

The bond has endured since, with Mourning retiring in 2007-08 after a knee injury, now a valued member of the team’s front office.

Bruce Bowen,  1996-97 (1), 1999-01 (109): A developmental discovery in March 1997, Bowen would play only one game for the Heat that season, before leaving for a two-year free-agent contract with the Boston Celtics.

Bowen then returned in 1999 as a valued 3-and-D component, including as a playoff presence, before leaving in 2001 free agency for the San Antonio Spurs.

Eddie House,  2000-03 (169),  2010-11 (56): A quality contributor as a second-round pick in 2000 who was so popular with his streak scoring that Riley’s daughter at one point asked he father to play the guard more often, House would go on to cycle through stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets and Celtics.

House then was signed back as a free agent in the 2010 offseason, after the signings of Wade, LeBron and Chris Bosh, playing as a minor contributor in that first season of the Heat’s Big Three.

Michael Beasley,  2008-10 (97), 2013-15 (79): The No. 2 pick in the  2008 draft after the Heat’s lack of lottery luck cost them a shot at Derrick Rose, Beasley first stint ended when he was dealt in the Heat’s 2010 summer of the Big Three to create cap room for the signing of Mike Miller.

Beasley then would cycle through time with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns, before signing three different reunion contracts with the Heat, never able to recapture his initial Heat success.

Josh Richardson, 2015-19 (259),  2023-25 (51): The No. 40 pick by the Heat in the 2015 draft, Richardson after four productive Heat seasons was sent out to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2019 sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler.

Richardson returned in 2023, but after an injury-limited second Heat tenure was sent out in the 2025 trade that also sent out Butler, with the Heat in that deal acquiring Kyle Anderson, Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins and the first-round pick that turned into Kasparas Jakucionis. Richardson has not played in the NBA since.

Rafer Alston, 2003-04 (82),  2009-10 (25): A valued component amid the Heat’s playoff revival with his ballhandling and 3-point shooting,  Alston then cashed in with the Toronto Raptors during 2004 free agency.

He returned in January 2010 after a buyout from then Nets. only to then walk away from the game in March of that year, never to play in the NBA again.

Ricky Davis,  2000-01 (7), 2007-08 (82): Davis’ first Heat tenure was cut short by knee and ankle injuries, dealt at the end of that season to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the trade that brought back Chris Gatling.

Davis returned in 2007 in the housecleaning trade with the Timberwolves that sent out Antoine Walker. While Davis provided quality play in his return season, he also allowed the Heat to be bad enough to finish with the league’s worst record at second the No.2 lottery pick, then allowed to depart to the Clippers as a free agent in 2008.

Eddie Jones,  2000-05 (352), 2006-07 (35): Having provided stability during the build up to the Heat’s first championship era, Jones was sent to the Memphis Grizzlies in the August 2005 blockbuster deal that brought in 2006 championship components Antoine Walker, Jason Williams and James Posey.

A buyout from the Grizzlies then allowed for a Feb. 2007 Heat return, but by then the Heat’s championship rotation was running on fumes, with Jones leaving for the Dallas Mavericks in  2007 free agency.

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Bimbo Coles, 1990-96 (440), 2003-04 (22): Acquired in the second round of the 1990 draft, Coles was a rotation mainstay until dealt to the Warriors in the 1996 Tim Hardaway trade.

He cycled back to the Heat in 2003 free agency, but by then was not the same player.

Steve Smith, 1991-95 (189), 2004-05 (13): Another case of magic that could not be recaptured.

Draft by the Heat at No. 5 in 1991, Smith was sent out to the Atlanta Hawks along with Grant Long in the ill-fated 1994 trade for Kevin Willis.

Smith then was re-acquired from Charlotte in a Feb. 2005 trade for current Heat assistant coach Malik Allen, with a nondescript close to his NBA career that season.

Chris Gatling, 1995-96 (24), 2001-02 (54): A plus-one to the Tim Hardaway acquisition from the Golden State Warriors in Feb. 1996, Gatling left in free agency for the Mavericks six months later.

He then returned for a single-season encore in 2001, by then limited in his productivity, waived at season’s end.

Dorell Wright,  2004-10 (211),  2015-16 (5): Drafted No. 19 out of high school by the Heat in 2004, Wright mostly was reduced to benchwarmer as the Heat moved into playoff mode, allowed to depart in 2010 free agency.

He then was brought back for the 2016 playoff run, with his five appearances coming in the playoffs, in the final games of his NBA career.

Mario Chalmers,  2008-16 (525), 2021-22 (0): A mainstay at point guard during the Big Three era, Chalmers was unloaded to the Grizzlies in a 2015 salary dump.

He then returned to the Heat in Dec. 2021 on a COVID hardship contract, but never saw action.

The winner gets to host NCAA Tournament games?

Unfortunately for Lobo fans, it's too late for that, but UNM did announce on Monday it has signed a home-and-home contract with Wichita State for men's basketball — one game this season on Nov. 21 in Kansas and the second on a yet-to-be-determined date in the 2027-28 season in the Pit.

Last week, despite plenty of public sentiment for the six-decade-old Pit to win a bid to host preliminary round games of the newly expanded NCAA Tournament for the next two years, the NCAA chose Wichita State's bid as the winner, citing its geographical advantage being closer to far more schools and fan bases than is Albuquerque.

As for the coming home-and-home basketball series between two of the more traditional top non-power conference programs, Lobos second-year coach Eric Olen has said he’s hopeful it can be a Quad 1 game on the road — a much-coveted distinction as the Lobos move into the newly configured Mountain West comes with the expectation of league play not helping the postseason resume as in years past.

"I think we've been able to put together a good schedule," Olen told reporters last week, prior to the Wichita State game being announced. "St. Mary's and Utah State are kind of marquee home games. And obviously we have New Mexico State at home, so we feel good about the home environments. And then we have a return to Santa Clara. We like that — theoretically a Quad 1 (game). Boise, Oregon State on neutral (courts). ...

"We still have a few games left to get, so we'll see how things play out."

For the Lobos — as the road team this season — Wichita State would have to end the season with a NET ranking in the top 75. The Shockers finished tied for second in the American this past season and with a final NET ranking of 70.

The Lobos finished this past season with a NET of 46.

The schedule so far

Based on records requests and announcements from the schools, the 13-game UNM men's basketball nonconference schedule for this season has nine games locked up, so far, plus two exhibition games:

*

Exhibition: at Oklahoma State, Oct. 11

*

Exhibition: vs. Washington State, Oct. 18 (The Pit)

*

vs. Utah Tech, Nov. 2 (The Pit)

*

vs. Northern Arizona, Nov. 10 (The Pit)

*

at Santa Clara, Nov. 14

*

at Wichita State, Nov. 21

*

vs. Utah State, Nov. 29 (The Pit)

*

vs. New Mexico State, Dec. 5 (The Pit)

*

vs. Saint Mary's, Dec. 12 (The Pit)

*

vs. Boise State, Dec. 21 or 23 (TBD event in California)

*

vs. Oregon State, Dec. 21 or 23 (TBD event in California)

Wanna see?

The Lobo men's basketball team will hold a second open-to-the-public summer practice on July 21 in the Pit.

We're running it back!

Who's ready for another !?

July 21

️ The Pit—Powered by Nusenda

⏰ 6pm#GoLobos pic.twitter.com/lNPJeDliGz

— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) July 13, 2026

The event, free to the public, starts at 6 p.m.

There will be an Albuquerque Isotopes game going on that same night with charged parking. Parking at the Pit, for the practice, is free if drivers inform the lot attendant they are there for basketball.

Odds & ends...

• Former Lobo forward Josiah Allick got his first NBA Summer League action Sunday with the Charlotte Hornets. He grabbed one rebound in just 57 seconds on the court and did not take a shot. ...

• Former Lobo Timeo Pons, who transferred this offseason to Abilene Christian, scored a game-high 23 points with 10 rebounds and three steals on Sunday for France's U20 National team in a dominant 95-66 win over Germany in a group stage game in Slovenia. He hit 6-of-9 3-pointers. ...

• The second Eric Olen kids camp of the summer for boys and girls in first through eight grades will be July 27-30 in the Pit.

For more information on attending the camp, contact assistant coach Michael Wilder at mwilder2@unm.edu.

Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) @GeoffGrammer.

Michigan guard LJ Cason plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, he told On3.

The 6-foot-2 sophomore will now look for a new college home after Dusty May accepted the Dallas Mavericks job. Late last week, Michigan promoted Mike Boynton from interim to full-time head coach, agreeing to a two-year deal to become the next head coach of the Wolverines.

Cason averaged 8.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 18.6 minutes per game this season while shooting 50.3% from the field and 40.2% from three-point range. Unfortunately, his season was cut short after he suffered a torn ACL in late February against Illinois.

Cason, a former three-star recruit, was initially committed to Florida Atlantic under May before following him to Ann Arbor.

Michigan went 37-3 this past season, winning its first national championship since 1989. The Wolverines also had three players selected in the NBA lottery, with Morez Johnson Jr. going ninth overall to the Dallas Mavericks, Yaxel Lendeborg being selected 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors, and Aday Mara going 12th overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Due to Michigan’s recent coaching change, the transfer portal will open for a 15-day window for all Wolverines basketball players beginning July 15, five days after Boynton was officially named head coach. However, every other Michigan player has already announced his intention to remain in Ann Arbor and play for Boynton, including key returners from the national championship team in Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney.

Julius Randle is back in New York with more scars than nostalgia. He knows how passionate the city is, knows how quickly praise can harden into criticism and knows how a player’s name can be thrown around in trade rumors until a phone call makes them legit.

Keon Ellis is still learning another important New York lesson, one measured in smaller apartments, higher prices and an adjustment process that can start before the team’s first practice.

“Trying to find a house is tough,” Ellis said over the weekend at Las Vegas Summer League. “It’s tough. It’s tough. So, I have to sacrifice something, some space for the prices. It’s a lot.”

The Nets brought them to Brooklyn through different doors. Randle came by trade, with All-Star credentials and playoff experience. Ellis came through free agency, with defense, shooting and the credibility of an undrafted guard who had to earn every NBA minute.

Brooklyn needs both kinds of help. The Nets remain young. Mikel Brown Jr., Egor Dëmin and the rest of the franchise’s prospects still have to grow before the rebuild takes off. But young players need more than minutes. They need the right vets around them and standards to follow.

Randle can be one. Ellis can be another. General manager Sean Marks said Randle will raise Brooklyn’s “physical toughness and competitiveness” and bring “veteran leadership and big game experience” to its young players. Randle, speaking in Las Vegas, trimmed the assignment to its daily work.

“Man, just really show them how to be a pro more than anything and bring that leadership aspect to it,” Randle said when asked what Marks and head coach Jordi Fernández want from him.

That means teaching younger players how to attack each day, handle an NBA season’s highs and lows and stay level-headed when the schedule or losses pile up.

Randle, 31, has experienced all of it. He became an All-Star with the Knicks, spent the past two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves and now returns to New York as a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA forward still capable of heavy production.

Across 148 regular-season games with Minnesota, Randle averaged 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Last season, he averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and five assists in 79 games. In 27 combined playoff games with the Timberwolves, he averaged 19.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and four assists while helping the franchise reach the 2025 Western Conference Finals.

Randle said he loves passing, pushing pace, throwing ahead, opening the floor, getting into the paint and spraying the ball to teammates. He wants to learn where Brooklyn’s players prefer the ball and what Fernández wants from the offense.

“I can score the basketball, but I really love to pass the basketball,” Randle said.

On a young team, gravity can teach. A hard drive can show a cutter when to move. A double team can show a shooter where to stand. A veteran who has seen every coverage can make the next read easier for a rookie still learning NBA speed.

Ellis arrives with a different set of lessons to teach. Undrafted out of Alabama in 2022, Ellis signed a two-way contract with Sacramento and turned defense, shooting and low-usage reliability into a career. The Nets signed him to a two-year, $18 million guaranteed deal, adding a guard expected to compete for a rotation role off the bench.

Fernández was an assistant coach in Sacramento while Ellis developed there. Ellis said the prior relationship played “a good bit” into his decision to sign with Brooklyn because he knew how Fernández coached and had heard similar reviews from others, including former Net Dennis Schröder.

“I just know the way he coaches, he’s very passionate,” Ellis said. “He’s about the right things, wants to win.”

The reunion comes at an interesting stage in Ellis’ career. He’s 26, still young by NBA standards, yet old enough in Brooklyn to be asked for guidance. He laughed at the idea of becoming one of the older voices on the roster.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Ellis said.

Fernández, Ellis said, told him during their first phone call he would look to him to help younger players because he knows Ellis’ path to the NBA. That path has value in a locker room full of prospects trying to turn potential into staying power.

Ellis has appeared in 225 career games with Sacramento and Cleveland, averaging 6.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 19.9 minutes. He’s shot 40.7 percent from 3-point range for his career and topped 40% from deep in each of his first three seasons.

In 29 games with Cleveland to end last season, Ellis averaged career highs of 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 49.1 percent from the field. The Nets need his shooting, but his defense comes first. Ellis gives Brooklyn a point-of-attack option who can pressure the ball, chase guards through screens and guard without needing touches.

“I go out there, I just try to make it tough on guys,” Ellis said. “I mean, at the end of the day, you’re playing against the best players in the world. They’re going to score, they’re going to get to their spots, and you’re going to have bad defensive games, you’re going to have good defensive games.”

Randle can show what it looks like to carry a franchise.

Ellis can show what it takes to carve out a job when nothing is promised.

Both have work waiting in Brooklyn.

“If we are about the right things and do the right things every single day and play for one another and really pour into each other,” Randle said, “the results will follow and we’ll be exactly where we want to be.”

Miles McBride. Tyler Kolek. Ariel Hukporti. Mohamed Diawara. And now, Tyler Nickel and Jack Kayil.

The Knicks continue to hit on second-round picks.

It looks like the 20-year-old German guard’s got some game: Kayil, who the Knicks acquired after the Houston Rockets selected him 39th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, scored a team-high 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and three-of-seven shooting from 3-point range to go with four assists and three steals in New York’s first Summer League victory of the offseason: an 86-75 victory over the Detroit Pistons to improve the Knicks’ Las Vegas record to 1-2 on Monday.

Kayil did not play in the Summer League opener against the Brooklyn Nets and scored 12 points in 21 minutes off the bench on Saturday. The German guard started in a featured role against the Pistons on Monday with Pacome Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara on the sidelines.

With more usage, the second-round pick delivered, giving the Knicks another prospect to consider for a two-way contract. New York’s crowded backcourt of Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado and Kolek make rookie minutes a near impossibility — but Kayil flashed the scoring and playmaking abilities that earned him the early second-round selection.

And Nickel has already proven his ability to shoot the three at the pro level after nailing 40% of his shots behind the arc in his senior season at Vanderbilt. The 6-foot-8 wing the Knicks selected 47th overall in the June NBA Draft shot three-of-eight from deep for nine points in the win over the Pistons. Nickel has now made 13 3s on 29 attempts and is shooting 44.8% from behind the arc in Las Vegas.

Which leaves one more two-way roster spot if the Knicks are going to fill it with a player on their Summer League squad. The favorite if available? Likely Dillon Jones, who has won back-to-back championships with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Knicks. Jones was integral for head coach Mike Brown, who leaned on him in practice and on the sidelines. The 24-year-old wing scored 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting in Monday’s win over the Pistons.

There’s also Liam Robbins, a 27-year-old seven-footer looking for an opportunity with a Knicks team in need of help at center. Robbins scored 15 points and was willing to shoot the three, though he converted on just one of his four attempts behind the arc. Robbins also played at Vanderbilt and had four blocks on Monday. The Knicks were plus-10 in his 24 minutes on the floor.

Ozaya Sellers and Nick Jourdain had their moments, too. Sellers came off the bench and finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, and Jourdain started in place of Diawara and added 10 points and eight rebounds.

Most of the players on the Knicks’ roster, however, are auditioning for Westchester — or rival executives.

Nickel, Kayil, Jones and Robbins have emerged through three Summer League games, for three two-way roster spots the Knicks can fill as they reconstruct a roster that ended New York City’s 53-year NBA championship drought.

The Knicks have one more Las Vegas game left on the schedule against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday at 7 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana Football Coaches Association presented a total of 14 scholarships prior to kickoff of Friday’s 60th Annual All-Star Classic, including a Hall of Fame prize to Alexandria quarterback Brady Gast.

Gast was a four-year varsity student-athlete in both football and basketball, while also competing for two years in golf and two years in baseball for Alexandria. His football achievements include being named a two-time All-Conference selection, an Academic All-State honoree, and a Region 5 All-Star Offense At-Large selection. Additionally, Gast earned honorable mention All-Conference honors in golf.

“It means a lot with all the work I’ve put in,” Gast said. “I’m thankful for everything that’s happened to me.”

Gast will continue his football and academic career at Franklin College

“I’m excited for that,” he said. “I’ll be studying sports administration and hopefully become an athletic director.”

Last year, Gast was 130-196 passing for 2,095 yards and 25 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions. He rushed for 321 yards and six touchdowns and graduated 32nd in his class with a grade point average of 3.53.

During his four seasons, Gast completed 65.9% of his passes for a total of 6,840 yards with 78 touchdowns against just 25 interceptions while the Tigers posted a 28-14 record. He added over 600 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns over the course of his career while playing for his father, Pete, at Alexandria.

“He’s done a lot for me, the town of Alexandria was great to me and it’s been a great four years,” Gast said.

He added three career interceptions on the defensive side of the ball, including a pair during his junior season.

Prior to kickoff, Gast and the other scholarship winners rode around the field in Corvettes, supplied by the Murat Shriner’s Club.

“That car was cool,” he said. “My takeaway is to be thankful for everything and I’m thankful to God.”

Other scholarship winners include Cade Kitchel from West Lafayette, Owen Dorrel from Culver Academy, Emmianna Dowell of Madison, Angola’s Alex Thomas, Madi Lance from Leo, Sawyer Tippmann of Snider, Mackenzie Kania from Chesterton, Jordan Palmer from Whiteland, Sam Pavey of Rushville, Seeger’s Paul Ragan and Henry Tokar from Yorktown.

Both Dorrel and Kania were presented multiple scholarship awards.

NEED TO KNOW

• Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was ejected from the July 12 game between the New York Liberty and the Toronto Tempo after she hit one of her rivals with a shoe
• “I would never intentionally try to hit someone with a shoe, especially while they’re not looking,” she said, claiming that it was an accident
• Liberty coach Chris DeMarco said the officials’ call was “atrocious,” claiming that the athlete was simply trying to throw the shoe back to her teammate

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was ejected from a WNBA game after she threw a shoe that hit one of her rivals. 

During the Sunday, July 12, game between the New York Liberty and the Toronto Tempo, Liberty center Jonquel Jones lost her shoe with under two minutes left in the game. 

In videos shared to social media, Jones’ teammate, Laney-Hamilton, 32, appears to pick the shoe up and throw it at Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey.

While Liberty coach Chris DeMarco later claimed that Laney-Hamilton was simply trying to throw the shoe back to Jones, per ESPN, the Liberty forward and guard received her second technical foul and was ejected from the game. 

“I would never intentionally try to hit someone with a shoe, especially while they’re not looking. Teammate was without a shoe, so I did my best to try and get it to her. Unfortunately, it did hit someone,” Laney-Hamilton said after the game, per CBS Sports. “I know just by the way that things were going throughout the game that it can look a certain way but that’s just not something that I would personally do... especially in a moment like that where game is on the line.”

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After Laney-Hamilton received the foul, Mabrey’s technical free throw put Toronto back up to 91-89. 

“I had to take a couple breaths,” Mabrey, 29, said of the moment she realized the shoe hit her in the back, per ESPN. “But I think she was really just trying to get the shoe back to JJ. But I’ll take the free throw.”

Following the incident, official Kevin Fahy explained to reporters that Laney-Hamilton “picked up a shoe and threw it at Marina Mabrey, and it hit Marina in the back, so she received her second technical foul and subsequently was ejected from the basketball game,” per ESPN. 

While Liberty forward Breanna Stewart tied the game after Mabrey’s free throw, Nyara Sabally later made a layup that earned Toronto the victory with a score of 93-91. 

“It was a little scary there in the fourth,” Toronto coach Sandy Brondello, who also coached the Liberty from 2022 to 2025, said after the game, per ESPN. “This team’s resilient. I thought our defense was pretty solid for the most part until we got a little tight and the refs decided to call every foul for New York near the end.”

“But we hung in there and found a way to win,” she continued. “So proud of the group. We deserve it. We’ve been in so many games, so it’s nice for us to get a win.”

DeMarco, on the other hand, claimed that the officials made an “atrocious” call that ultimately led to the team’s third consecutive defeat. 

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” he said, per CBS Sports. “We had all the momentum in the world. Shoe hit somebody, ejected, free throws.”

“She’s trying to get the shoe back to JJ. It hit somebody. I think we’re just making stuff up. I have no idea,” he added. “You’re asking the wrong person. I just know it was just an atrocious, atrocious end of that game from the officials.” 

Read the original article on People

LAS VEGAS – Hold the preorders on any LeBron James Cavaliers jerseys.

While the NBA awaits his decision—again—the league’s power brokers and media are in Las Vegas for Summer League, and his destination is a hot topic.

Some executives are skeptical of the growing narrative that a third Cleveland stint is a certainty.

Multiple Western Conference executives told Front Office Sports they expect James to sign with the Warriors over the Cavaliers for his 24th NBA season. While Cleveland has been the favorite on prediction markets—and Bill Simmons said the move was a “done deal”— some executives believe Golden State is still a real player for James’s services. 

While another league source expects James to sign with the Cavaliers, the consensus among executives polled by FOS is that James will likely pick between the Warriors and Cavaliers.

“I would be stunned if he picked a team that wasn’t Golden State or Cleveland,” a Western Conference executive said. 

The executive cited the basketball fit alongside Stephen Curry compared to the Cavaliers, who have James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. Another executive said the proximity to James’s family in Los Angeles is another reason why they expect it to be the Warriors.  

James is also reportedly considering the Heat, Sixers, Timberwolves, and Nuggets along with the Warriors and Cavaliers. 

Both Curry and James have four championships and Curry defeated James in three Finals. James famously rallied the Cavaliers from a 3–1 deficit in 2016 to defeat Curry’s Warriors, which is the only time in Finals history a team has successfully overcome the deficit. 

“You can’t call this ring-chasing,” one Western Conference executive said to FOS. “LeBron is 41 and Steph is 38. This is an attempt to see if the old guard can get one last title.”

A wrinkle discussed by multiple teams in the mix for him is his oldest son, Bronny. The 21-year-old just finished his second NBA season with the Lakers and had his $2.2 million salary guaranteed for next season on June 29, the day before his father’s split from the Lakers was announced by both parties.

Multiple front office sources from teams in the mix for James said they have discussed acquiring Bronny should his father pick their team. 

“We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t discuss it,” one Western Conference executive told FOS. 

LeBron and Bronny became the first father-son teammate duo in NBA history when the Lakers drafted Bronny No. 55 overall in 2024. The executives said it’s unknown if the elder James would want his new team to trade for his son. 

All the executives agreed that Bronny improved during his second NBA season and that his status will be interesting as his father’s free agency unfolds. As the Lakers get younger, Bronny fits the team’s profile and his development and team-friendly contract give the Lakers motivation to keep him. 

But if James wants to continue to play with his son, it could make for a curious negotiation. 

“They shouldn’t give him away for nothing,” one executive said. “He held his own in the playoffs this year. But would you really haggle over him continuing to play with his dad?”

The post NBA Execs Split on Where LeBron James Will End Up appeared first on Front Office Sports.

George Gervin was known as “Iceman” for decades before Caleb Williams was even born, but the NBA legend has been rejected in his initial attempt to trademark the term, and the Bears quarterback appears to have a procedural advantage because his application was filed first.

The application from Williams was denied June 24 because Oregon-headquartered Lacrosse Footwear has held the “Iceman” registration since 1988 for insulated boots. That decision, however, isn’t final and the quarterback can respond to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with evidence for why he should be granted the registration. It’s not clear if Lacrosse Footwear still sells the boot, and a representative for the company has not responded to requests for comment.

Gervin, through Gervin Interests LLC, filed applications to trademark the terms “Iceman” and “Iceman 44” four days after finding out Williams was making a push to trademark his longtime nickname.  The NBA Hall of Famer has now also received initial denials.

The first denial, issued June 26, relates to Gervin’s “Iceman 44” filing. It explicitly states that the application was denied because of a “likelihood of confusion” with Williams’s application. The second, issued July 9, denied Gervin’s application to trademark “Iceman” for a variety of purposes, including clothing, live entertainment services—such as appearances on TV or in movies—and basketball camps. 

Both Williams, 24, and Gervin, 74, now have at least three months to respond to the initial denials and provide evidence for why they deserve the trademarks.

Intellectual property attorney Josh Gerben wrote that the June 26 decision puts Gervin and Williams on a “collision course.” He tells Front Office Sports that while Gervin has the stronger cultural claim to the nickname, that doesn’t matter when it comes to USPTO procedure.

“The government will say ‘hey, you can file all the responses you want; we’re going to suspend your filing and see what happens with Caleb,’” Gerben says.

‘Hilarity of the Situation’

Another wrinkle is that while the USPTO cited Williams’s application in denying Gervin’s attempt to trademark “Iceman 44,” it didn’t specifically cite the quarterback in denying Gervin’s application to trademark “Iceman” by itself. In that denial, the USPTO said there are a variety of existing trademarks that are too similar, so giving Gervin “Iceman” could cause confusion in the marketplace.

It refers to the Lacrosse Footwear insulated boot, as well as a musical group called “The Icemen,” and a minor league hockey team called Jacksonville Icemen.

“This certainly goes to show a little bit of the hilarity of the situation,” Gerben tells FOS. “There are a lot of Icemens.”

He adds that while Gervin’s application for “Iceman” was just for clothing, his application for “Iceman 44” was perhaps too broad. Gervin’s team can narrow the “Iceman 44” filing to try and work around the other refusals, but the issue of the existing registration owned by Lacrosse Footwear and Williams’s “Iceman” trademark may still hamper the former basketball player in his pursuit of both trademarks, according to Gerben.

Meanwhile, the ensuing months will ultimately show whether Gervin and Williams can continue to remain cordial in public. To date, despite competing filings, they have been making nice. Gervin told ESPN in March Williams is a “special young guy getting ready to come up.” In April, Williams told FOS“it’s all respect to George.”

But what will happen if the USPTO follows through on what it indicated in the June 26 denial of Gervin’s “Iceman 44” application?

“If Gervin and Williams don’t work something out, Gervin may oppose Williams’s application,” Gerben tells FOS. “You can say whatever you want, but the truth of how they really feel will always work itself out in actual legal filings.”

Amid the brewing battle between Gervin and Williams, there’s a third sports figure who has also staked a claim to the nickname. In 2022 former UFC fighter Chuck Liddell filed to trademark “Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell.” The USPTO on June 29 granted him a six-month extension to prove that he has been using the trademark in connection with the sale of clothing, boxing gloves, and other mixed martial arts equipment and goods. That was the last time Liddell could seek an extension, according to the USPTO.

Representatives for Gervin, Williams, and Liddell did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The post NBA Legend George Gervin Also Loses Initial Attempt to Trademark Iceman appeared first on Front Office Sports.

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Former Kansas men’s basketball player Lagerald Vick has been charged with attempted murder and using a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony.

This story was first reported by the Kansas City Star, as Vick was charged and booked into the Shelby County Jail in Memphis, Tenn., on July 11, according to court records obtained by KSNT.

On July 5, at approximately 2:05 a.m., Memphis Police responded to a “shooting with person struck” call at Regional One Hospital.

Police say the victim told investigators he became involved in a verbal confrontation with a man carrying a handgun tucked under his arm. The victim said he attempted to leave the confrontation, but as he turned to run, he was shot once in the back. He was later transported to Regional One Hospital in a private vehicle.  

The victim was able to provide the first name of the suspect, which led investigators to develop Lagerald Vick as a potential suspect.

On July 7, the victim identified Vick as the person responsible for shooting him from a lineup.

Court records show Vick’s bond has been set at $1.5 million. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday, July 13 for an arraignment, followed by a bond review hearing Tuesday.  

Vick, a Memphis native, played four seasons at Kansas from 2015-19, appearing in 94 games and making 41 starts. During his senior season, he averaged 14.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, before taking a leave of absence from the program in February 2019.

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Jul. 12—Thirty-two years ago, coach Larry Ham let senior Chris Wallace, the star quarterback for the South High School football team, call the plays on defense for the basketball team.

"I'm offense on the football field," Wallace said, "but when it comes to basketball, I think it starts and stops with who's playing defense and who's getting after 50-50 balls and who's winning the rebound war."

That was Wallace's thinking in the 1993-94 season, and it remains his philosophy as he prepares for his first season as the head coach of the Springfield boys basketball team.

"(Defense) dictates a lot of what we do offensively," Wallace said, "and that's getting out and trying to score off the break. If we can't, we'll get into what we do, but that's the precedent we're trying to set right now with our student-athletes."

Springfield announced the hiring of Wallace on June 1. Wallace replaces Matt Yinger, who stepped down in April. Yinger was 28-48 over three seasons.

Wallace will remain the offensive coordinator of Springfield's football team. He said the basketball team will practice in the evening after the football team when the seasons overlap.

The basketball team, which includes many football players, will play its first game in mid-December. That has often been the schedule for Springfield, whose football team has made a habit of deep playoff runs.

"If I have to do double duty, that means we're doing what we're supposed to do on the football field," Wallace said.

Springfield has suffered seven straight losing seasons in basketball. Springfield football was in a similar place when Maurice Douglass took over the program in 2014, having won a combined total of four games in the three previous seasons. Douglass turned the program into a winner in his third season and a state power in his sixth. Springfield then reached the state championship game three seasons in a row.

Wallace has similar goals.

"Those are the same set of kids that did what they did on the football field," Wallace said, "so the expectation doesn't change. Once you set a standard, that's what the goal is, and I think our kids will say that without a doubt. That's where we see ourselves."

For Wallace, the path to that level of success begins with building a culture with the basketball program.

"The one thing that I talked to my assistant coaches about is we all agree right now there's no culture for basketball, and that's where it has to start," he said. "We created a culture with football. We created a sense of belonging. That's something that people value. We hold each other accountable, from the trainers all the way to the kids. That's what we're going to try to do with basketball as well. I think it can happen, but it takes the kids saying, 'Hey, this is what we're going to do. This is how we're going to do things. This is what our standard is going to be as players. As student-athletes, we're going to hold each other to this standard.' If you get that player-led atmosphere, we can start to build. Right now, our talk is we want to play late into March."

Wallace has plenty of experience with the program. He has worked as a varsity assistant basketball coach, a freshman head coach and a junior varsity coach.

Wallace takes over the program as his son, Christopher, enters his senior year. Christopher played quarterback for the football team but was limited to three games in basketball as a junior because of an injury.

Wallace has known many of the basketball players since they were in elementary school. He got to know them through his work as a community mentor supervisor for the school district.

"It's been exciting to see them grow in multiple sports," he said.

Wallace has already started working with them on the court. The Wildcats played at the Midwest Live event in Sandusky, Ohio, in June. They're also holding open gyms at the high school. He has seen good numbers and is excited about the young players.

"We've got a good young class of incoming freshmen and sophomores that are committed to the game," Wallace said, "and are showing up and working hard. We're young on the varsity level as well. We've got three or four sophomores that are going to be contributing, and we've got a couple juniors, and then we've got some seniors at the guard spots as well."

If Wallace achieves his goals, he'll add another chapter to Springfield's rich basketball history. Springfield won state championships in 1925 and 1950. North reached the state semifinals in 1995 and 1997. Ham guided South to seven conference championships and five district titles in 14 seasons.

Wallace knows about the past success of Springfield and North and South high schools, before they combined, as well as anyone.

Wallace is the rare athlete who not only played for South's Larry Ham but also for North's Eddie Ford. Wallace started his high school career at North and finished at South. His Springfield basketball experience goes back even further than that.

"I used to lay the jerseys out when I was a kid for Doug Ratstatter and Don Henderson and company," Wallace said. "I used to be in those locker rooms because my brother went to North. My older cousin, Steve Victoria, went to North. I went to North my first couple years, but even when I was a kid, my sisters cheered for South. I knew the Pepper Begos, the Scott Thomases, the Karlton Claybornes, the Jason Gees."

Some of those former Springfield basketball standouts called to congratulate Wallace on getting the job. They told him, "I know you're going to bring back that attitude and that toughness that we brought on the court in both gyms out on the north side and the south side."

"There's a buzz in the community," Wallace said, "and I'm excited about that."

LAS VEGAS — By the time the machinations were over and the trade that sent him from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Heat was done, it was clear that Giannis Antetokounmpo had gotten what he wanted with the career reset.

Less clear, but perhaps just as needed, was Kel’el Ware going in the other direction in the deal, afforded a reset with the Bucks after a pair of uneven, rocky seasons with the Heat.

“I mean, I kind of figured it was going to happen,” Ware said at Thomas & Mack Center as he watched the Bucks play at the Las Vegas NBA Summer League. “So I was just preparing myself. I mean, it was everywhere, I mean, you kind of see, especially speaking with my agents and things like that. So you kind of get a gist of what’s going to happen.”

And then it happened, with Ware, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and significant draft capital going out in the deal that brought back Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from the Bucks.

For Ware, these first two NBA seasons have been a rollercoaster for more than the constant links to trade possibilities, including several times being mentioned during his first season in a possible Heat trade for Kevin Durant and then at February’s trade deadline linked to Atentokinmpo.

Also at play was a seeming lack of trust from Heat coach Erik Spoelstra when it came to role and playing time, often accompanied by tough-love criticism.

“Um, I feel like, you know, his decision was how he played me,” Ware said, without directly getting into his view on how he should have or could have been utilized.

In fact, it was a year ago, last July, when Spoelstra took the atypical approach of criticizing a returning player about summer-league play.

“There’s layers to this with Kel’el,” Spoelstra said in Las Vegas last July. “A big part of this is he has to really embrace and improve his professionalism, his consistency, his approach every single day. He has to get better with that. It’s learning how to become a pro.

“The talent is there. The professionalism and consistency has to improve and it is. Our standards are not going to change and our expectations and how fast we want that to improve for him are not going to change. But he has to get better at it, he has to take ownership of it.”

With the Heat, there was the constant urgency to win every moment, amid a desperate battle during Ware’s two seasons for playoff seeding, winding up in the play-in bracket both years, without a single playoff-game victory during his tenure.

Now with the Bucks, the pressure figures to lessen and the development perhaps to be heightened, on a team largely taking the long view with a roster loaded with young prospects, including getting No. 13 pick Nate Ament in last month’s draft from the Heat.

“Obviously where I’m at now, you know, it’s a young team,” Ware, 22, said. “I have more of a chance to flourish. So I’m excited for that.”

To a degree this could mean a renewal, after Spoelstra never seemed fully committed to playing Ware in a leading role alongside starting center Bam Adebayo, despite Adebayo voicing that as a preference.

“I mean, yeah, you know, a fresh start,” said the 7-footer selected out of Indiana by the Heat with the No. 15 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, “getting more minutes with that, being able to go out there just work on my game more, the game-situation things.”

With such a young Bucks roster, Ware also recognizes that he will be arriving as somewhat of a veteran.

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“Yeah, for sure. I feel like I developed in my second year, And even after my second year, I feel like I developed, developed going into my third year,” he said, with that third season upcoming. “I was able to, I guess, grow up more mentally in Miami.”

Now getting to further grow with the three Heat teammates arriving at his side, as well.

“That helps out a lot more,” Ware said of his first NBA trade. “Some guys, they get traded, but they’re by themselves. So, yeah. I would say it helps to have three guys with me.”

Ware offered that comment seated next to Herro and Jaquez, as the three watched Jakucionis in action for the Bucks’ summer roster.

And, so, a fresh start, but also with fond memories of where this NBA ride started.

“Like I said, it’s growing from it,” Ware said. “That’s why I say I grew more mentally in Miami, just going through that, just dealing with that.”