Mohamed Salah has become the latest player to sustain an injury weeks ahead of the World Cup, adding to his team’s and supporters’ woes as Egypt return to the tournament after missing out on the previous edition.
Salah suffered a hamstring injury during Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace in the English Premier League on Saturday, with a top Egyptian football official confirming the forward will miss the rest of his club’s season.
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The Egyptian talisman is not the only player to have suffered a blow ahead of the global tournament, and joins an increasing list of major players spending the rest of the club football season on the sidelines.
With the World Cup kicking off in less than two months in Canada, Mexico and the United States, several players find themselves in a race against time to overcome injuries and prove their fitness.
Title contenders and former champions Spain, Brazil and Germany will be among those hoping some of their key players recover in time for the tournament, which begins on June 11.
Here are some of the big names who have sustained injuries ahead of the World Cup:
Mohamed Salah: Egypt
The Egyptian and Liverpool forward was in pain as he limped off the field and held his hamstring after being substituted in the league game.
While his club manager Arne Slot refused to say whether Salah would miss the rest of Liverpool’s season, his national team’s director confirmed that the 33-year-old will be out for four weeks.
“We have to wait and see how his injury is and if he is able to return to play,” Slot told reporters after the match.
“What I do know about Mo is that throughout all of these years, he has taken such good care of his body that he will have the minimum time required to recover from an injury,” he added.
However, Egyptian football official Ibrahim Hassan confirmed that Salah’s club season was over.
“He has suffered a hamstring tear and will require four weeks of treatment,” Hassan told the Reuters news agency.
Hassan said Salah would be fit for the World Cup, where Egypt face Belgium, New Zealand and Iran in Group G.
Salah is no stranger to pre-World Cup blows, having injured his shoulder before the 2018 edition in the Champions League final. He missed the Pharaohs’ opening game, but recovered for the remaining two group matches and scored two goals in a campaign that ended at the group stage.
Egypt at World Cup 2026: Belgium (June 15), New Zealand (June 21), Iran (June 26)
Lamine Yamal: Spain
All eyes will be on the award-winning football prodigy, but his World Cup debut has been thrown into doubt after a hamstring injury in his left leg (biceps femoris muscle).
Barcelona announced that Lamine Yamal’s domestic season in Spain is over, but the international forward should be fit to represent Spain at this summer’s World Cup.
The 18-year-old’s participation is still doubtful since it could take four to six weeks to recover as he follows a “conservative treatment plan”.
Yamal was an integral part of the Spain side that lifted the Euro 2024 title with their 2-1 win against England. Then just 16 years of age, he showed speed and guile on the ball that marked him as one of the hottest properties in global football.
Spain at World Cup 2026: Cape Verde (June 15), Saudi Arabia (June 21), Uruguay (June 27)
Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Serge Gnabry: Germany
The 33-year-old first-choice goalkeeper for Germany has spent more time recovering than playing this year after a severe hamstring injury in February sent him into rehabilitation.
German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann told Marc-Andre ter Stegen in March that his chances of playing for the national side were “very slim” and that he had to speed up his recovery to be fit for the tournament in June.
The four-time champions could rely on Oliver Baumann in Stegen’s absence.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Serge Gnabry took to social media this week to announce he would be “supporting the boys from home”. The 30-year-old suffered a torn adductor muscle in his right thigh that also ruled him out of Bayern Munich’s remaining Bundesliga season.
Germany at World Cup 2026: Curacao (June 14), Ivory Coast (June 20), Ecuador (June 25)
[Al Jazeera]
Estevao, Rodrygo and Eder Militao: Brazil
Brazil and Chelsea forward Estevao has also been ruled out of the remaining Premier League season after suffering a hamstring injury that left the teen in tears as he was taken off the pitch.
Chelsea’s interim coach Calum McFarlane expressed his hope for the 19-year-old to make it to the Brazilian squad, though he cautioned there was no guarantee yet.
Estevao joined Chelsea from Palmeiras last year and has scored eight goals this season. He was expected to be part of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for the World Cup after scoring five times in his last six international appearances.
Unlike Estevao, Brazil forward Rodrygo has been decisively ruled out of the World Cup squad due to a torn meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
“One of the worst days of my life, how much I always feared this injury,” the 25-year-old wrote in a social media post after the setback in March.
Rodrygo made five appearances for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Yet another blow to Brazil comes from a hamstring injury sustained by Eder Militao during Real Madrid’s 2–1 win over Deportivo Alaves.
The 28-year-old defender is set to undergo surgery, and according to reports, will not be available for Brazil’s World Cup campaign as previously expected.
Brazil at World Cup 2026: Morocco (June 13), Haiti (June 19), Scotland (June 24)
Hugo Ekitike: France
France striker Hugo Ekitike has also been ruled out of the World Cup entirely after tearing his Achilles tendon in April during the Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
He recently underwent surgery, which Liverpool manager Arne Slot said went well, although recovery and a return to the pitch for the 23-year-old could take as long as 2027.
France at World Cup 2026: Senegal (June 16), Iraq (June 22), Norway (June 26)
Wataru Endo and Takumi Minamino: Japan
A question mark lingers over the participation of Japan captain and Liverpool defender Wataru Endo, who has not played since sustaining an ankle injury at Sunderland in February. Liverpool manager Slot recently provided an update, saying the 33-year-old midfielder may return just in time for the end of the season.
Teammate Takumi Minamino is also in the same situation after rupturing his ACL in December.
Japan at World Cup 2026: Netherlands (June 14), Tunisia (June 20), Sweden (June 25)
The easiest take after a $290 million exploit and a roughly $13 billion slide in DeFi total value locked is that decentralized finance is broken again. It is also probably the laziest.
The KelpDAO exploit over the weekend was serious. It appears to have started with a targeted attack on infrastructure used in LayerZero’s verification stack, not a smart contract bug as commonly seen in other exploits. LayerZero has preliminarily linked the incident to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, and said the attack succeeded because Kelp had opted for a single-verifier setup despite repeated recommendations to use a more resistant configuration. The exploit left rsETH (a liquid staking token issued by KelpDAO) unbacked and triggered fears that bad debt would spill into lending markets, especially Aave’s WETH pool (where users borrow wrapped ether against collateral).
And yet the more interesting story is not that DeFi was hit. It is that DeFi is still here.
Capital fled quickly after the breach. Aave alone experienced $8.45 billion in outflows over 48 hours, while broader DeFi TVL fell into the mid-$80 billion range, roughly back to where the sector sat around this point last year. In other words, this was a sharp repricing of risk, not as destructive as some are making out.
Aave, the largest DeFi lending market, had accumulated significant rsETH as collateral in the weeks before the exploit as users built leveraged positions. The scale of that TVL drop also warrants some context. A $292 million theft does not directly produce a $13 billion decline unless a meaningful portion of that TVL was already recycled collateral. Much of Aave’s $ETH exposure heading into the weekend was concentrated in looping strategies, where users deposit liquid restaking tokens, borrow $ETH against them, swap for more restaking tokens, and repeat. In other words, the same pile of assets may be counted multiple times in the TVL calculation. That leverage inflates TVL on the way up and unwinds sharply during events like this. The actual net capital loss is likely a fraction of the headline figure, though the exact amount is difficult to isolate given how deeply looping strategies are embedded in DeFi’s TVL calculations.
Those strategies were themselves partly a product of a yield environment that had already stopped making sense. As of early April, Aave was offering 2.61% APY on USDC deposits, below the 3.14% available on idle cash at Interactive Brokers, a traditional financial brokerage. The risk premium that historically justified DeFi’s complexity and smart contract exposure had largely disappeared. With organic yield insufficient, leverage filled the gap, and that concentration is what made the rsETH contagion as damaging as it was. Data from DefiLlama shows that reETH balances on Aave had grown rapidly in the weeks leading up to the exploit, reaching nearly 580,000 tokens ($1.3 billion), evidence that the leverage buildup made the subsequent unwind so sharp.
Crypto has survived worse
The phrase “DeFi is dead” gets wheeled out after every hack because the failures are visible and immediate, while the recovery is slower and less cinematic. But crypto has seen worse. Terra collapsed and vaporized confidence across the sector. Wormhole and Ronin lost roughly $1 billion each. Multichain unraveled.
“DeFi didn’t die when Terra collapsed and caused billions in liquidations and losses,” wrote a pseudonymous trader on X. “DeFi didn’t die when Wormhole and Ronin got drained for around $1 billion. DeFi didn’t die when Multichain bridge assets were stolen.”
More recently, Bybit suffered what was widely described as the largest crypto theft on record, losing around $1.5 billion last February, yet it continued operating, processed a surge in withdrawals, restored reserves and still handles billions of dollars in trading volume each day.
The repricing of trust
0xNGMI, founder of DefiLlama, told CoinDesk the losses are significant but unlikely to be existential. “Aave has many recourses to cover the loss, including its treasury and taking loans, and I think those will have to be used to protect the protocol,” he said. “Overall a significant loss but one that will be recovered. The biggest issue will be the impact on risk premiums that are assigned to DeFi.”
Those risk premiums are a real and lasting cost. Capital will demand more compensation for sitting in onchain systems whose attack surface now extends beyond code
Still, repricing is not the same thing as collapse. “Some of the money will come back,” 0xNGMI said. “We saw this before in Aave when rumors of a hack appeared. It’s always the best strategy to withdraw and redeposit later as the cost of that is tiny and the reward very large.” Some deposits will not return, but historically deposit outflows during stress events reverse as conditions stabilize, as evidence after Terra’s collapse in 2021.
There is also evidence that capital is not simply leaving DeFi. It is rotating. Spark offers one example. Spark’s strategy lead, who goes by monetsupply.eth,said the protocol delisted rsETH and other low-utilization assets in January, a move that may have cost it business and $ETH-looping activity to Aave at the time. Under current conditions, however, SparkLend still has ample $ETH withdrawal liquidity while Aave is experiencing shortages across several markets. Over the weekend Spark TVL jumped from $1.8 billion to $2.9 billion, demonstrating clear capital rotation.
The more interesting critique, raised by some builders after the exploit, is not that DeFi failed but that it has become too timid. If the sector is going to ask users to bear infrastructure risk, smart contract risk and governance risk for low single-digit yields, the product set starts to look less compelling. With that in mind, Kelp is not the end of DeFi. It is a wake-up call for builders to build safer systems while continuing to offer real world use cases.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are one one of the most dominant, two-year runs in NBA history, and the dominance continued with a 121-109 victory in Game 3 of their first round series with the Phoenix Suns on Saturday afternoon.
The Thunder were without Jalen Williams, who suffered a hamstring strain three days earlier. But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t need much help.
The reigning MVP scored a career-playoff-high 42 points, shooting an amazing 15-for-18 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line, adding eight assists. The Thunder continue to score efficiently against what was a top-10 defense in the regular season, and Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance was just the seventh 40-point playoff game in NBA history where the player had a true shooting percentage over 90%.
Playing at home for the first time, the Suns led by nine points late in the first quarter. But the Thunder closed the period on an 18-4 run and were in control most of the way after that.
Here are some notes, numbers and film as the champs improved to 11-0 in first-round games over the last three years:
1. Gilgeous-Alexander is too much from mid-range
Even when he won the Kia MVP award last season, Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t as good of a mid-range shooter as he was this year, when he shot an incredible 197-for-359 (54.9%) between the paint and the 3-point line. That was the fourth-best mark for a player with at least 300 mid-range attempts in the 29 seasons for which we have shot-location data; the only three better ones are held by Kevin Durant.
On Saturday, Gilgeous-Alexander was 6-for-7 from mid-range, and his best work was done over the last six minutes of the second quarter, when the Thunder took full control of Game 3.
Collin Gillespie has been Gilgeous-Alexander’s primary defender for most of this series, but he was getting the business. So the Suns actually assigned starting center Oso Ighodaro to the MVP for a stretch late in the second.
Gilgeous-Alexander proceeded to target Devin Booker in the pick-and-roll, getting to his mid-range pull-up:
On the next possession, he rejected a screen, beat Ighodaro off the dribble, and drew a foul on Booker. Then, attacking Booker again, he got an open 3 for Jaylin Williams.
Grayson Allen made his series debut on Saturday and was not spared. Gilgeous-Alexander attacked him to generate a layup for Alex Caruso and to get to another mid-range pull-up:
Finally, the Suns sent a double-team at Gilgeous-Alexander in the middle of the floor. The result was an open corner 3 for Caruso.
Again, the Suns ranked ninth defensively, and the Thunder have scored at least 120 points per 100 possessions in all three games of this series. Overall, they’ve scored 10.9 per 100 more than Phoenix allowed in the regular season.
2. Thunder handle the pressure
The biggest strength of the Suns’ defense was forcing turnovers. They ranked third in opponent turnover rate, forcing 16.5 per 100 possessions, having seen the biggest jump (by a wide margin) from last season.
But now they’re facing the team that has committed the fewest turnovers per 100 possessions in each of the last two seasons. And the Thunder have been even better at taking care of the ball in this series.
Over the three games, the champs have committed just 8.9 turnovers per 100 possessions, what would be tied for the third-lowest rate for any team in any playoff series in the 30 years for which we have play-by-play data. They’ve taken their opponents’ biggest strength and turned it into a major weakness.
According to tracking data, the Suns rank fourth in these playoffs in average pick-up distance, so they’re applying pressure. But it’s not working on the Thunder, who had just two live-ball turnovers in Game 3 on Saturday.
Shooting is the most important thing in this game, but you there are other ways to boost your efficiency and the Thunder have done it by taking care of the ball.
3. Best bench in basketball
It was a little bit of a surprise that Ajay Mitchell started in place of Jalen Williams on Saturday, given that Cason Wallace started 42 more games than Mitchell (58-16) in the regular season. Mitchell was the Thunder’s second leading scorer (15 points) in Game 3, but shot just 5-for-20, forcing some tough shots along the way.
The Thunder’s new starting lineup had played just 37 total minutes (over seven games) together in the regular season and was outscored by four points on Saturday. But the champs outscored the Suns by 16 points with at least one reserve on the floor.
Even without Williams to run the second-unit offense, the Thunder outscored the Suns by two points (20-18) in Gilgeous-Alexander’s 10 minutes on the bench. The shooting wasn’t great (8-for-22, including 1-for-7 from 3-point range), but they didn’t commit any turnovers when the MVP sat.
They used the same five-man unit (Mitchell, Wallace, Jared McCain, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein) for those entire 10 minutes. Mitchell scored seven of his 15 points and McCain scored all of his seven in those no-SGA minutes, with a couple of SGA-esque buckets included.
The Thunder have had the league’s No. 1 bench in each of the last two seasons, and though their versatility is a little compromised with the absence of Williams, they’re never dependent on the success of any particular lineup. Still, it will be interesting to see if Mitchell remains the starter going forward.
4. Booker still can’t get going
Dillon Brooks (33 points) and Jalen Green (26) were again the Suns’ leading scorers on Saturday, and that’s by the Thunder’s design. The league’s No. 1 defense has made Devin Booker its No. 1 priority, making sure he plays in a crowd and has a hard time finding open shots.
When he’s used a ball-screen, he hasn’t seen any kind of advantage for himself:
The Suns have bee able to leverage the attention on Booker to get good shots for his teammates. Early in the third quarter on Saturday, there was no weak-side help on an Ighodaro roll to the rim, because Dort stayed attached to Booker in the corner:
But the Suns haven’t been able to find enough of those kinds of openings to keep up with the Thunder. And at 20.3 points per game, this is the lowest-scoring playoff series of Booker’s career. His true shooting percentage of 55.1% would be his third worst mark of the 10 series that he’s played in.
The Suns first chance to avoid a sweep is Game 4 on Monday (9:30 ET, Peacock).
Forty-plus points on 75+% shooting. Twice in one day.
For the first time in NBA Playoff history, two players have achieved this feat on the same day.
One, the reigning Kia MVP. The other, the first bench player to drop 40 in the Playoffs in 10 years.
Read on for history from SGA & Ayo, along with big Ws for the Knicks & Magic and 4 more showdowns today across NBC/Peacock & ESPN.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
“The Ayo Game”: Dosunmu erupts for career-high 43 and 3-1 lead, after Ant & Donte exit
Thunder Up 3-0: Shai’s efficient 40-ball puts Thunder in control of Suns series
East Answers: Magic survive Cade’s late rally for 2-1 edge, KAT’s triple-double gets Knicks even
West Game 4s: LeBron’s experience key to series clinch, while Spurs lead with youth
East Game 4s: Tatum prepped for Playoff challenges on long road to return; Barnes-Mobley rivalry in focus
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Sunday’s four Game 4s…
The NBA Playoffs continue today with four Game 4s and one potential sweep:
ESPN Doubleheader: No. 4 Cleveland at No. 5 Toronto (1 ET | Tap To Watch), followed by No. 2 San Antonio at No. 7 Portland (3:30 ET | Tap To Watch)
Sunday Night Basketball On NBC & Peacock: No. 2 Boston at No. 7 Philly (7 ET | Tap To Watch), before the No. 4 Lakers look to advance vs. No. 5 Houston (9:30 ET | Tap To Watch)
Durant’s Game 4 Status: Rockets coach Ime Udoka said on Saturday KD is receiving treatment on his sprained left ankle “around the clock” but his status is still unclear.
1. DOSUNMU STEPS UP FOR INJURED WOLVES WITH CAREER-HIGH 43
David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
Minnesota’s deadline-addition 6th man Ayo Dosunmu aced Thursday’s Game 3 with 25 big points off the bench.
Saturday in Game 4, he went full superstar mode – and the Wolves needed every point.
Wolves 112, Nuggets 96: Dosunmu (13-17, 76.5 FG%) struck for a career-high 43 points with five made 3s, after Minnesota lost Donte DiVincenzo (lower leg) and Anthony Edwards (knee) to injuries. The Wolves took their third straight game in the series to move within one win of advancing.
Jamal Murray (30 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) and Nikola Jokić (24 pts, 15 reb, 9 ast) led Denver but combined for just six made field goals in the 2nd half, as the Nuggets head home for Game 5 facing elimination. | Recap
Pick-Up Points: Dosunmu scored the first bucket after Ant left the game with 2:36 to go in the 1st half, and ignited for 29 of his 43 from there
Team Tribute: The Wolves rallied as a unit after that moment, outscoring Denver by 21 the rest of the way and holding the Nuggets to 42 2nd-half points
“I was heartbroken. This is for them:Ant, Donte,” Dosunmu said postgame. “They mean so much to the organization… This game, personally, was for them.”
David Berding/NBAE via Getty Images
Ayo’s 43 – a high for him across pro and college level – are the 2nd-most points off the bench in NBA Playoff history, behind Fred Brown’s 45 for Seattle in 1976
Instant Legend: Dosunmu came within one point of Edwards’ franchise Playoff-high of 44 points, recording just the third 40+ point Playoff game in Wolves history
“He makes big shots. He’s not afraid,” coach Chris Finch said of Dosunmu. “Just was going to ride him until he collapsed, really.”
“This definitely ranks No. 1,” Dosunmu said when asked where this performance ranks in his basketball life. “You play the game for moments like this… It’s a dream [I had] as a kid.”
Minnesota can advance with a win in Denver Monday (10:30 ET, NBC & Peacock). Check NBA.com and the NBA App for official injury updates on Edwards and DiVincenzo as available.
2. SGA’S 42 POINTS PUT THUNDER UP 3-0 IN PHOENIX
Christian Petersen/NBAE via Getty Images
Last year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander totaled 15 30+ point games in OKC’s championship run – tied for 2nd-most in any Playoff run in league history.
This year, SGA’s back at it, following up Game 2’s 37 points with a 40-ball.
And the Thunder as a whole? Off to a second straight 3-0 postseason start.
Thunder 121, Suns 109: Shai piled up 42 points and shot 15-of-18 from the field (83.3 FG%) to lead OKC without Jalen Williams (hamstring), as the Thunder go up 3-0 and can clinch the series in Game 4 on Monday.
Dillon Brooks (33 pts, 7 reb) and Jalen Green (26 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast) logged big nights to pace the Suns, who must extend the series with a win at home Monday. | Recap
Special Start: Shai started out hitting his first nine shots on the way to a 17-point 1st half, with 25 more coming after halftime, helping OKC overcome an early 24-15 hole
SGA became just the fifth player in NBA history to collect 40+ points on 80% shooting in a Playoff game, joining Elton Brand, Dirk Nowitzki, Terry Porter and his opponent Devin Booker
D-Book’s Counter: Booker (16 pts, 7 ast) dealt with an ankle injury in the 3rd, returning to the game with five quick points to pull the Suns within six at 75-69
But OKC responded again, draining the next six points to pull away into a 4th quarter where they never trailed
Feeling It: Shai didn’t miss a shot until the 8:19 mark of the 3rd quarter, and missed only one attempt inside the arc all game
“We did a good job of just staying true to who we are,” Shai said. “Through the adversity, through the crowd, through a really good team, on the road… and we came out of here with a W.”
OKC’s Finest: SGA joins Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as the only OKC players with multiple 40+ point Playoff games – and the first to do it on 80% shooting
“Just trying to let the game come to me,” Shai said of his approach. “Use my teammates out there as weapons… making the defense have to pick their poison.”
“He’s the MVP for a reason,” Alex Caruso said postgame. “That’s what he does. He leads us every night.”
“We looked pretty good out there.” – Shai.
OKC can end the series on the road Monday night (9:30 ET, Peacock & NBCSN).
3. EAST ANSWERS: MAGIC SURVIVE LATE, KNICKS GET EVEN
Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images
Up by 17, the 8-seed Magic were 8:42 away from a 2-1 lead over the 1-seed Pistons.
But with 2:52 to go, they found themselves down 1.
Then, Franz and Paolo came to the rescue.
Magic 113, Pistons 105: Franz Wagner (17 ps, 5 reb, 6 ast) sank two quick shots to go back up for good, and Paolo Banchero (25 pts, 12 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl) dropped a high-bouncing dagger 3 as Orlando recovered with a 9-0 closeout to take Game 3 at home. | Recap
Focal Point: After 10 1st-half lead changes, Orlando controlled until late, holding Cade Cunningham to 5-of-17 shooting and 15 points through 3 quarters
Cade Breaks Loose: Cunningham (27 pts, 5 reb, 9 ast) pushed back in the 4th for 12 points, driving the Pistons’ 26-8 rally for the late lead
Orlando Answers: The pair of big 3s from Wagner and Banchero in the 9-0 run ignited the home crowd, lifting the Magic to a 7-1 mark in their last eight postseason home games
“This is super great,” Banchero said postgame. “Early afternoon game here in Orlando, you can hear the crowd… Excited to get back here in front of these fans…
One dime shy of a triple double, Banchero’s 9 assists were a Playoff career-high, and Desmond Bane (25 pts, 7 reb, 7 3s) tied Dennis Scott’s record for most 3s in a Magic postseason game
“We’re looking forward to Monday. These fans are awesome.”
Orlando is just the third 8-seed in the last decade to take a 2-1 series lead over the 1-seed, going for 3-1 in Game 5 (8 ET, NBC & Peacock).
109-108, 107-106.
After back-to-back one-point losses, the Knicks made sure Game 4 had some breathing room.
Knicks 114, Hawks 98: Karl-Anthony Towns (20 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast) collected his first-career Playoff triple-double and OG Anunoby (22 pts, 10 reb) led all scorers as New York never trailed past 6 minutes in to even the series 2-2.
CJ McCollum (17 pts) led six Hawks in double-figures, but the Knicks D prevented him from making any 3s (0-4) after he hit nine in the series’ first three games. |Recap
“My teammates made it happen,” Towns said of his triple-double. “Great cuts by OG and curls and all those things that allowed me to playmake. I was aggressive in my playmaking today.”
“It’s one of the coolest things that I’ll always remember when I’m done playing,” Jalen Brunson (19 pts) said of the Knicks’ traveling fans, who got loud in the 4th with a 20+ point lead
Most Improved History: Newly-named Kia Most Improved Player Nickeil Alexander-Walker (15 pts, 5 3s) made history in the second-ever starting lineup to feature three MIP Award winners, with Dyson Daniels and McCollum
New York brings the 2-2 series back to its home fans on Tuesday (8 ET, NBC & Peacock).
4. WEST GAME 4s: LEBRON, LAKERS CAN ADVANCE, SPURS LEAD WITH YOUTH
Kenneth Richmond + Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images
The first-timers… and the first to get there 19 times.
Today’s West series leaders are proving postseason wins can come from opposite ends of the experience spectrum:
Historic Youth: In driving San Antonio’s Game 3 win, Stephon Castle (21y, 174d) and Dylan Harper (20y, 53d) became the youngest duo in NBA history to each score 25+ points in a postseason game
Historically Seasoned: Having scored more postseason points than anyone in NBA history, LeBron James added two more clutch Playoff field goals in L.A.’s Game 3 win to his all-time lead in that category as well (151)
Sunday brings another chance for each to make a statement against time.
Lakers at Rockets (9:30 ET, NBC & Peacock): Up 3-0, the 4-seed Lakers are on the cusp of the West Semis for the first time since the 2022-23 season.
This season’s best team in the Clutch (22-8) struck again Friday, as L.A. became just the second Playoff team since 1997-98 to win after trailing by 6+ with 30 seconds left in regulation.
The quick-strike comeback required quicker thinking and floor awareness, two signature traits of one the most cerebral players the game has ever known.
LeBron’s playmaking and basketball IQ have been on full display in this series:
Playing off-ball, LeBron anticipates where his driving teammates will need an open target to kick to, and cuts to that spot
Playing off-ball, LeBron anticipates where his driving teammates will need an open target to kick to, and cuts to that spot.
In the pick-and-roll set, LeBron reads the help defenders and reacts accordingly, passing out to shooters when the help stays, or playing downhill when they sag.
Houston was 30 seconds away from a 2-1 series. Now, facing elimination with KD’s status (ankle) unclear, the hosts have a near-win Game 3 rally they can take a few keys from.
The Climb Back: Rallying from a 15-point deficit, the Rockets won the 2nd half 49-38, holding the Lakers to fewer points than they scored in the 1st quarter (39)
Clutch Candidate: Alperen Sengun stepped up to fill KD’s closer role with 12 of his 33 points in the 4th, rattling off 8 in a row for the late two-possession lead
Built To Bother: Houston’s length and athleticism forced LeBron, L.A.’s primary playmaker, into four 4th-quarter turnovers, including two in the final minute — before Bron helped ignite the historic comeback
Grant Burke/NBAE via Getty Images
In Sunday’s other West series, the Spurs are buzzing from the Game 3 play of their breakout backcourt, whose combined age equals LeBron’s 41 years.
Spurs at Blazers (3:30 ET, ESPN): With Wemby (concussion protocol) questionable, San Antonio has shown it can win multiple ways, looking for a commanding 3-1 edge, while Portland can still channel homecourt advantage to reset the series.
Game 3’s two-man takeover made Castle the youngest Spur to ever score 30+ points in a postseason game,
At the same time, Harper became the second-youngest player ever to score 20+ off the bench in the postseason, behind Kobe Bryant
Portland’s Tandem: Jrue Holiday (29 pts) provided a scoring lift while San Antonio keyed on Deni Avdija (3-15 FG) with double-teams
Focus On Finishing: After winning the 1st half, the Blazers were up 82-67 with 17 minutes to go, before the Spurs closed Game 3 with a 53-26 sprint to victory
5. EAST GAME 4s: TATUM DELIVERING IN TIGHT SERIES, BARNES & MOBLEY’S RIVALRY
What’s more thrilling than draining a Playoff dagger 3 on the road for a Game 3 win?
For Jayson Tatum, 51 days into his NBA return, it’s a thrill just to be on the court.
Celtics at Sixers (7 ET, NBC & Peacock): With Boston leading 2-1, Game 4 marks the 120th head-to-head postseason matchup between these rivals, with an all-time average margin of victory of just 3.4 points.
Close finishes have been this matchup’s theme all season, and Game 3 was a 1-point contest with under 2 to play when Tatum called game
In his 19th career Playoff game against Philly, Tatum hit two clutch 3s in 90 seconds and crossed the 3,000 career Playoff-point mark, joining Larry Bird, John Havlicek and Kevin McHale as the only Celtics to do so in the postseason
In his 19th game back from his Achilles injury (21.9 ppg in 19 games), Tatum said he’s kept that journey top-of-mind throughout his comeback.
“I’ve been able to do a really good job of just keeping things in perspective,” Tatum said. “It was a very very long time for me not to be doing what I love… Just being out there with my teammates is all I can think about.”
Just weeks away from the one-year mark since his injury, Tatum matched season minutes leader Tyrese Maxey (38.0 mpg) with 42 minutes played in Game 3
“I’ve been here before,” Tatum said with a grin after being asked about meeting the moment on the road in Game 3
Defense will be a key for Maxey (27.0 ppg this series) and the Sixers in Game 4, who’ve held the Celtics under 100 points once in this series; their Game 2 win.
Cole Burston/NBAE via Getty Images
In The North, the Raptors look to even a 2-1 series that may have just found its next breakout star.
Cavaliers at Raptors (1 ET, ESPN): After Scottie Barnes went wild in front of Jurassic Park with a Playoff career-high 33 points in a Game 3 win, Cleveland will turn to last season’s Kia Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley to prevent a repeat.
From Under-19 World Cup teammates for Team USA in 2019, to draft neighbors, Rookie of the Year Award rivals, and now, First Round opponents, Barnes and Mobley seem constantly linked in basketball.
As Eric Koreen writes for The Athletic and NBA.com, the first one to break away – and break through, on the heightened Playoffs stage – could win this series for his team:
“Their careers, dating back to the draft in 2021, have lined up nicely. Mobley went third in the draft, while Barnes went fourth. Barnes edged out Mobley for Rookie of the Year in one of the closest votes for the award ever [2022].
‘Scottie was boisterous. He was talking.’ said Bruce Weber… head coach for that Under-19 team.
‘You knew when Scottie came into the building,’ Weber said. ‘Evan could sneak in, even at 6-10, 6-11. He could sneak in quietly, and you wouldn’t even know he’s there.’
‘I said, ‘That’s what it had to look like when Wilt (Chamberlain) played,’’ said LeVelle Moten, an assistant coach on that team… ‘That’s how dominant he was.’” | Read More
Toronto can send the series back to Cleveland tied, while the Cavs go for a commanding 3-1 series lead.
The longtime CNN anchor spoke to USA Today after the incident, saying he was near the gunman, who had charged through a security checkpoint and into the Washington Hilton ballroom with multiple weapons.
“I feel fine. I’m just scared. It was scary,” he recalled. “I was a few feet away from the gunman as he was firing. It was loud. It was scary. The cops got on top of him and then they got on top of me to protect me. And then they took me away into a secure room, the men’s room. It was just a frightening experience.”
Blitzer also went live on CNN after everything went down to detail his experience. He said he was walking back to the ballroom at the time, and then “heard three, maybe six gunshots” and that it was “enormously loud.”
The journalist added that “when the cop pushed me down, I said to myself, ‘I wonder if I was the target or whatever,’ and thank God I wasn’t ’cause I was not shot. I was just thrown to the ground and protected.”
Following the shooting, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen was later identified as the suspect and quickly taken into custody. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro confirmed in a press briefing that the suspect will be charged with using a firearm and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, and that there will likely be “many more charges” to come.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, who were sitting onstage at the time of the incident, were also rushed out of the ballroom. He later shared details surrounding the shooting at a press conference at the White House, revealing that an officer was shot but saved by a bulletproof vest.
Trump added that he plans to reschedule the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
“We’re gonna do it again, we’re not gonna let anybody take over our society; we’re not gonna cancel things because we can’t do that,” the president added. “We wanted to stay tonight. I will tell you, I fought like hell to stay, but it was protocol.”
“Michael,” a biopic about the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, arrived in theaters as an instant sensation with $97 million domestically and $217 million globally in its first weekend of release. These ticket sales rank as the best start of all time for a biopic, smashing the record set by 2015’s “Straight Outta Compton” ($60 million). And they tower above 2018’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which opened to $51 million before obliterating expectations with $910 million worldwide by the end of its run. “Michael” also notched the second-biggest debut of the year behind April’s sequel “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” ($131 million).
“Michael” landed on tracking a month ago with estimates of $50 million to $60 million, but expectations continued to rise and rise in the lead up to its release. The movie is rocking the box office despite the mostly terrible reviews (only 38% of which were positive on Rotten Tomatoes). Audiences, however, strongly disagreed with the majority of critics and embraced “Michael” with an “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls.
Antoine Fuqua directed “Michael,” which charts the singer’s early days in the Jackson 5 to becoming one of the biggest entertainers on the planet. Jaafar Jackson, the singer’s real-life nephew, portrays Michael Jackson in his acting debut, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long as parents, Joe and Katherine. Film reviewers have complained that “Michael” takes a sanitized look at Jackson’s life because it doesn’t include the child sexual abuse allegations that were leveled against the singer later in his career.
That wasn’t always the plan for “Michael.” Initially, the screenplay had dramatized a 1993 child molestation lawsuit against Jackson. But those sequences had to be removed after producers discovered a clause in the settlement with the young accuser that barred the depiction or mention of him in film or television. After a major overhaul of the third act, the film ends during the Bad tour in 1988. Lionsgate is expected to greenlight (at least) one more film about Jackson’s life.
“Michael” carries a price tag near $200 million, making it one of the most expensive biopics of all time. Those costs were split by Lionsgate, Universal (which is distributing the film internationally) and the Michael Jackson estate. Despite the behind-the-scenes headaches, the movie is already proving to be worth the hefty price tag.
“Michael” is the biggest hit for Lionsgate in more than a decade, since 2015’s “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” ($102 million debut). If ticket sales surpass $700 million worldwide, as expected, “Michael” will land among the studio’s biggest films of all time, with the top three spots belonging to 2013’s “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” ($865 million globally), 2012’s “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” ($848 million) and 2014’s “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” ($759 million). After a brutal rough patch in 2024, with a string of flops including “Borderlands,” a reboot of “The Crow” and “Wonder” prequel “White Bird,” Lionsgate’s box office fortunes have been on the upswing. Recent wins include “Now You See Me, Now You Don’t,” “The Housemaid” and “The Long Walk.”
There’s been no shortage of music biopics, especially since the pandemic. Amy Winehouse (“Back to Black”), Bob Dylan (“A Complete Unknown”), Bob Marley (“One Love”), Bruce Springsteen (“Deliver Me From Nowhere”) and Elvis Presley (“Elvis”) are among the stars whose stories have been immortalized on screen to varying degrees of box office success. Like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Elvis” before it, “Michael” scored with audiences by leaning heavily on recreating thrilling concert sequences. Those electrifying scenes — musical numbers in “Michael” include “Billie Jean,” “Thriller” and “Beat It” — made the film a draw in Imax and other premium large formats. Imax accounted for $13.8 million, or roughly 14% of North American ticket sales, and $24.5 million globally, ranking as the company’s biggest start for a musical biopic.
As this weekend’s only major release, “Michael” towered over North American charts. Reigning champ “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” slid to second place after three weekends in the No. 1 spot. Universal’s animated sequel about the beloved Nintendo characters has added $21.2 million from 3,732 theaters, boosting revenues to $384 million domestically and more than $800 million globally.
“Project Hail Mary” was No. 3 with $13.2 million from 3,510 locations, a remarkable tally for a film in its sixth weekend of release. So far, the space epic, starring Ryan Gosling, has generated a mighty $305 million in North America and roughly $600 million worldwide.
Michael Keaton, a longtime fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, surprised football fans when he took the stage at his hometown’s record-breaking NFL draft and announced a pick for the team.
The Oscar-nominated actor was born in Kennedy Township, Penn., and was raised around Pittsburgh before moving to Los Angeles and beginning his film and TV career. One of his first roles was on a 1975 episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” which filmed in Pittsburgh, and he also served as a full-time production assistant on the show. After Fred Rogers’ death in 2003, Keaton even hosted a PBS memorial, titled “Mister Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor,” and the show’s 50th anniversary special, “Mister Rogers: It’s You I Like,” in 2018.
On Saturday, Keaton returned to the Steel City to announce the Steelers’ 169th overall pick during the fifth round of the NFL draft, tight end Riley Nowakowski from Indiana University. The Pittsburgh draft broke the all-time attendance record with 805,000 fans across three days, beating the previous record set by Detroit in 2024 with 775,000 people.
Other Pittsburgh celebrities came to celebrate the city’s NFL draft, including rapper Wiz Khalifa and rocker Bret Michaels of Poison. The two musicians joined together for a concert on Friday, the second night of the draft.
Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the first pick of the 2026 draft and will lead a slumping Las Vegas Raiders team in desperate need of some star power. Heisman trophy winner Mendoza led his college team to a perfect season and the national championship this year. In other quarterback picks, the Las Angeles Rams surprised many by selecting Alabama star Ty Simpson at No. 13. The young quarterback is now primed as the successor to 38-year-old Super Bowl champion Matthew Stafford, who’s fresh off an MVP win.
With the global economy grappling with a severe debt crisis and currency devaluation, Von Greyerz partner Matthew Piepenburg has offered striking analyses of the future of the financial system.
Speaking on the New Era Finance Podcast, Piepenburg discussed ways for investors to escape the current system, the differences between gold and Bitcoin, and the impending threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).
While Piepenburg is a traditional advocate of gold, he acknowledges that using gold as a means of payment in daily transactions is impractical. “You can’t go and buy a house with a gold bar,” he says, summarizing his strategy as follows: “Save with gold, spend with fiat currency.” However, according to Piepenburg, at the point where technology merges with the currency crisis, the “tokenization” of everything, even gold, has become an inevitable process.
Related NewsA Bitcoin Developer Has Raised the Banner of Rebellion: He Plans to Create a Bitcoin Clone and Distribute Satoshi Nakamoto’s Funds to Users
Piepenburg stated that people have lost faith in the traditional financial system and are looking for an alternative. Arguing that Bitcoin and gold stand out as the two strongest alternatives, the expert said, “People are choosing either gold, Bitcoin, or both. The fundamental motivation is to escape the controllable and constantly depreciating fiat currency system.”
Bitcoin is described by Piepenburg as a pioneer of an era where “everything is going digital.” While maintaining its reliance on physical gold, the expert states that the marriage of technology with currency crises has triggered the “tokenization” process. According to Piepenburg, the digitalization and tokenization of all assets, including gold, is now an unstoppable process. In this respect, Bitcoin, with its decentralized structure, takes a stand against the “control and surveillance” mechanisms offered by the traditional system.
Just over a decade ago, Fijian director Tulia Nacola was eking out a living as a carpenter. She specialized in intricate driftwood chandeliers, which hung in resorts along Fiji’s Coral Coast, an 80-mile stretch of white sand beaches and verdant palm forests that fringe the main island of the South Pacific Ocean archipelago. Nacola’s work caught the eye of a visiting art director for a reality TV show, Beauty and the Geek Australia. He asked for some of her pieces, and she helped him build his set.
An English-lit major, Nacola, 41, was quietly writing her own stories, gaining a following in Fiji for her novels highlighting the experiences of indigenous Fijians, or iTaukei. In 2024, she shot her first short film on a secondhand smartphone; its reception showed a thirst for local stories, and soon Nacola gained financial backing for a feature film. However, there was a hurdle: Fiji, a developing country with a population of about 930,000 spread across 300 islands, has a fledgling film industry, and Nacola wanted to direct it herself. She had to learn, and fast.
Enter Love Island USA. Nacola contacted her friend, the art director, who was now Love Island’sproduction manager. She got a job dressing sets. Then, for six months last year, between running errands, she observed it all: the hierarchy, the urgency of shooting, the dealing with stars and their emotional upsets. “I went on set knowing that I needed education in this filmmaking world, I needed a crash course,” Nacola says. “I had an ulterior motive — I wasn’t just there to put up flowers and earn money.”
Season 7 of Peacock’s hit series ‘Love Island USA.’
Kim Nunneley/Peacock
Her film, Adi, released in February, is the first feature film shot entirely in iTaukei. It premiered in a sold-out cinema in the Fijian capital, Suva, and is out for submission at global film festivals. “Everything became clear to me on that set,” she says of working on Love Island USA, “and I would not have been able to make my film if I had not had that experience.”
Fijian director Tulia Nacola (standing, second from left) on the set of ‘Love Island Games‘ in Fiji with international and local crew. She says her time on ‘Love Island’ sets gave her the knowledge to complete her own film.
Courtesy of Tulia Nacola
With its crystal-clear waters, offshore reefs and waterfalls plunging into mist-filled valleys, Fiji has a storied history of hosting film productions. Most famously, Brooke Shields and Tom Hanks washed up on its picture-perfect shores in The Blue Lagoon (1980) and Castaway (2000), respectively. In more recent years, it has become increasingly popular with reality television shows, who see the relative ease of access (there are direct, 11-hour flights from L.A.), the Fijian government’s film rebate scheme, and competitive Fijian dollar as drawing cards, according to Film Fiji chief executive Jone Robertson. “The scheme works, the dollar goes a fair way, and it’s like filming in paradise,” he says.
However, along with benefits to the economy and the local film industry come questions about the impact of film crews and tourists on an increasingly fragile environment — especially at a time when the Pacific Islands are some of the most vulnerable in the world to climate change.
“This old model of constant [tourism] promotion without thinking about how to manage the negative, carbon footprint, that’s a model that needs to change — and these production companies coming into developing countries need to leave something positive behind,” says Susanne Becken, a professor of sustainable tourism at Griffith University in Australia. “Is there proper waste management, sewage treatment, do they use plastic bottles? What do they deliver for these islands?”
Since the first tribal council lit their torches in Borneo in 2000, Survivor has been a reality series staple watched in hundreds of countries. For the past decade, it has set up shop in Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands, where it films two seasons a year back-to-back from January to July. Over that period, it employs hundreds of Fijians across all aspects of production — from set design and camera operation and security — and is estimated to inject $25 million Fijian dollars (a bit more than $11 million USD) into the economy each year. Love Island USA first began filming in the country in 2019, with its last three seasons filming in the Mamanuca Islands in a custom-built villa and at a local resort.
Productions are eligible for a 20 percent cash rebate for all spending in Fiji, capped at $4 million Fijian dollars, and have to meet certain criteria including employing a certain number of locals, engaging film students from Fiji’s National University as interns, and having elements of scripts vetted by Film Fiji. Robertson says the agreements are mutually beneficial, with the film commission helping to scout locations, smooth the visa process and provide local crew, while locals get the benefits of working on international productions. “Our biggest competitor in terms of location is Thailand, who offer a 35 percent rebate, so our focus is on creating great relationships with the productions we do have to get them to keep coming back.”
‘Love Island USA’
Ben Symons/Peacock
Fijians who have worked on reality shows who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter for this story say that their earnings have averaged around $200 Fijian dollars ($90 USD) a day, a comparatively high rate in a country where many still live in rural poverty on $1.25 Fijian dollars (60 cents) a day. Workers use income to build houses, send children to school or buy land. “Especially younger boys, working on these shows gives them purpose and direction,” Nacola says. “They can help their families.”
Almost all of Nacola’s crew on her feature film had previously worked on reality TV shows shot in Fiji, including Love Island USA, Love Island Games and Survivor, and they used equipment they’d bought off those sets. Her director of photography, Lanza Coffin, has worked on Survivor for 10 years. “I was a wedding photographer, and now I have my own production company,” Coffin, 42, who is about to fly out for a four-day documentary shoot, tells me when I call. “I found a career path, working up from being a personal assistant to a camera assistant and now a camera operator.”
Crew on ‘Survivor,’ shot in Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands, in 2023. Lanza Coffin (third from right) has worked on ‘Survivor’ for a decade and now has his own film production company, Video Factory.
Courtesy Lanza Coffin
Fijian camera operator Coffin on the set of ‘Fight to Survive,’ a reality television series shot in Fiji.
Courtesy Lanza Coffin
He estimates about 60 percent of the crew are from Fiji, and over time key roles that used to be filled by international crew are now being done by Fijians, due to the generosity of knowledge-sharing among the Emmy-winning crew. “That’s the advantage of coming back again and again,” he says. In addition to running his production company, Coffin is part of the Fiji Film Collective, which will start workshops for locals in the coming months. “Now we have the technical know-how, but we’re missing the writing and producing and the funding. So that’s next.”
Tourism Fiji chief executive Dr. Paresh Pant says that the organization is happy with the global promotion of Fiji that has come from film and television productions, paired with their contribution to the local economy. The most recent statistics put this economic injection at $76 million Fijian dollars ($34 million USD) for 2023.
Tourism Fiji leverages these shows, with a recent marketing campaign celebrating the 25th anniversary of Castaway and a pop-up event in New York to mark 50 seasons of Survivor. “These initiatives help convert entertainment exposure into real travel interest,” says Pant. “These productions are part of a broader ecosystem that helps keep Fiji one of the most recognizable island destinations in the world.” To promote responsible travel, tourists are asked to take part in a “Loloma hour,” giving an hour of their trip back to the environment by beach cleaning, coral planting or learning about Fijian culture.
The seascape near Tokoriki Island Resort, a beachfront property located on an island within Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands.
In 2024, just over a million international travelers visited the country, a record number. And online ticket agency Ticket Source, analyzing Google Search results, found that searches for flights to Fiji more than doubled compared to previous weeks during Love Island USA’s popular season 7 run in 2025.
But Griffiths says tourism in general puts islands like Fiji in a paradoxical position. Tourism makes up 40 percent of its GDP, earning the country $2.5 billion in Fijian dollars ($1 billion USD) last year. However, growth at all costs can’t be the default position when the Fiji government is also asking for global funding to address the impacts of climate change, according to Griffiths. “When countries like Fiji market to Europe and America you have long-haul travel, and that really exacerbates the problem,” she says. A recent study in Nature showed carbon global emissions due to tourism grew 3.5 percent from 2009 to 2019, double that of the worldwide economy.
Research has consistently shown the Pacific Islands are among the most vulnerable to climate change, with warming sea temperatures causing large-scale coral die-offs and rising tides threatening homes and livelihoods. Some resorts in the Mamanuca Islands are set to lose entire wings to the sea in the coming years, and drinking water in villages is already being infiltrated by salt from seawater seeping into ground bores.
Beach area on Monuriki Island, part of Fiji’s Mamanucan Islands.
Getty Images
The country is also home to endemic species, many of whom are under threat, including the critically endangered Fijian crested iguana. Irreversible damage can be done to wildlife and habitats by tourists and production companies who aren’t careful. “If they’re coming in and they’re not sustainable, they’re not doing things that are helping, it’s a lot for us to fix,” says Mamanuca Environmental Society project manager Marica Vakacola. “Most of these foreshores are being inundated with tides, and not even high tides, and many communities are seeing the drastic impacts of climate change.”
University of Auckland Indo-Fijian researcher Danian Singh has been documenting the relocation of Fijian villages due to climate-change-related coastal erosion and inundation. He has visited Vunidogoloa multiple times, which was the first iTaukei community to be relocated 14 years ago on Vanua Levu, Fijian’s second largest island, one of more than 40 that are due to be shifted in coming years.
“It’s a massive challenge relocating all these people. There is very little budget for this — even the village of Vunidogoloa has no electricity, one kerosene-run fridge, and there are no resources in terms of the basic necessities. They don’t have money to repair their houses, over time leaks have developed, rivers are running through them.”
It was a difficult experience for villagers who were emotionally and culturally attached to the land, which their families had inhabited for centuries, and who continued to visit even as the graves of their ancestors drowned and crumbled away. Some residents, like those in the village of Vunisavisavi, told Singh they would never leave even when their houses were under the sea.
The Mamanuca Islands: An aerial view of Tavarua Island, a popular resort for surfing and ocean sports.
Getty Images
Environmental and cultural programs that educate tourists on conservation are beneficial but need to be amplified, according to Singh. “One resort put a turtle in a bathtub for tourists to see, for example, and that turtle got really stressed. Local conservationists protested and it was returned to sea, but tourists can be aware of that kind of thing too,” he says.
The planting of mangroves, which have solid roots that help to mitigate the impact of heavy waves and prevent the flow of trash from inland to the sea, is a priority for the Fiji government, along with coral replanting. Local villages are actively monitoring the oceans and reefs in their environment, and backlash to a recent plan from a billionaire Australian to build a giant plant to incinerate rubbish in Fiji was loud and well organized, says Singh. “In the past, the national economic outcomes have usually outweighed the community needs, but now it seems to be changing.”
The Mamanuca Environmental Society’s team, which includes tourist operators and villagers, has its own initiatives to plant mangroves. They also check coral reefs, plant heat-resistant coral species, aid resorts in reforestation and waste management projects, and teach ecology programs in schools.
When it comes to productions, the environment society holds meetings with teams ahead of shooting so they understand the impact, says Vakacola. Survivor, which is shot mainly on Mana Island with the cast staying on satellite islands, has been respectful and donated to the organization. “Before they came there was consultation done, they informed us what island they’d be working on, they work directly with the local communities and the villages.” Traditional landowners are paid for the use of their land. If forest is cleared for a scene, trees are selected that can grow back, and the production employs its own biosecurity personnel on site, she says.
CBS, who produces Survivor, declined to take part in this story. A representative for Love Island production company ITV America says it has partnered with BAFTA Albert, a screen industry organization for environmental sustainability, to track its carbon footprint. This helped the show reduce its CO2 emissions by 65 percent over the last season by using grid power as well as battery generators (instead of diesel). The production composted food waste, did not use plastic water bottles and other single-use items, recycled pieces of set for local schools or families instead of sending them to landfill, and ran a can-recycling program.
This June, the eighth season of Love Island USA premieres, with a group of “Islanders” once again thrown together to see what steaminess and drama might ensue. In 2025, it was the most-streamed TV show in America; Fiji’s dramatic coastlines will once again form the backdrop for romance. Interest in tourism to Fiji may likely spike again.
The poster for director Nacola’s feature film, ‘Adi.’
Courtesy of Tulia Nacola
And while it might be set in the same country, for many Fijians, it’s a world away. Before she finishes speaking with THR, Nacola talks about the personal importance to her of making her film, which tells an indigenous story of a chiefly family where the woman has to step up to the lead role. “Knowing I can tell my own stories grounds me in my culture,” she says.
While she will always be grateful for her time on reality TV sets, she’s not interested in the shows themselves. “Fijian culture is not usually portrayed at all, or they have artifacts that aren’t Fijian. There are things that aren’t culturally appropriate — it’s foreign ideas that they’re piecing together for television, like a fake place and a fake world but being very generally tribal, like any indigenous place.”
“What about the entertainment value of Love Island, for example?” I ask Nacola. Do you like it? “I don’t know, to be honest,” she says. “I’ve never watched an episode.”
In a year where airports have become vortexes of time-consuming frustration and the number of canceled flights is on the rise, it might be understandable to choose to staycation this summer.
That said, the luxury side of air travel is becoming more enticing than ever, with companies increasingly catering to the highest net-worth travelers. At top airlines and major airports, there are new and updated lounges, onboard suites, spa showers, large entertainment screens, video calls and fine-dining options that allow you to take a big exhale — even if you are simply headed to a business conference. And, if you want to skip the hassle altogether, there are semi-private options — allowing you to skip security lines — that are becoming more luxe by the day.
Elegant Upgrades at Major Airlines
Air France made a splash last year when it introduced La Premiere, with high-curtained walls giving a new level of privacy to mini apartments that contain a flatbed and separate armchair and can be combined for couples or families to double their space. As of March, all flights in this category, as well as business class (for flights departing the U.S.), will have meals curated by famed chef Daniel Boulud. The ticket also includes lounge access and — for flights originating in Paris and six other cities in France — transportation to the airport in a premium vehicle.
A La Premiere suite aboard Air France.
Courtesy Air France
“With its new La Première offering, Air France now presents the highest expression of travel, delivering a private jet-like experience,” says Fabien Pelous, Air France’s executive vice president, customer. “On board, in the new fully redesigned and modular suite, which stretches across five windows, every detail has been carefully considered: three-Michelin-star fine dining, designer pajamas, signature French pastries, iconic cosmetics, and more.”
Boulud, who is creating the food for the airlines flights from the U.S. to Paris, has come up with 75 recipes. “Everything is fresh,” the chef tells THR. “JP Park, the chef at Atomix, just sent me a picture of the dinner on his flight, and wrote ‘I had the beef. It was tender and the sauce was great!”
On Turkish Airlines, “Flying Chefs” actually comes out to greet you these days, personally delivering gourmet fare, including bread freshly made using ancient grains, and offering amenities from Lanvin. Meanwhile, Emirates and British Airways now provide 32-inch screens for movies and allow you to control the temperature in your suite, so no more begging the flight attendant to turn down the air conditioning. Lufthansa has introduced a suite with double beds, so you can cozy up with your travel buddy, while Emirates and Etihad Airways offer shower spas, which allow you to arrive in a much fresher state after a lengthy trip.
Chef service aboard Turkish Airlines.
COURTESY TURKISH AIRLINES
The experience is chic at Delta, where the bedding in Delta One onboard suites is by Missoni and cushions are memory foam. “Customers are clear that comfort is their number one priority when flying Delta One — 97 percent say Delta’s flat-bed is the reason for choosing the cabin,” said Mauricio Parise, Delta’s vp brand experience. “This led us to a new design that, when combined with our current mattress pad and luxury bedding from Missoni, makes for an incomparable sleep at 30,000 feet.” The elevated offerings build on the rollout of the upscale Delta One lounges at LAX and JFK in 2024.
Missoni amenity kits and bedding sets on Delta One.
Courtesy Delta One
Beyond the curtain of the first-class cabin, several carriers are reimagining the economy experience as well. Lufthansa and ANA offer economy seats that convert to coach-style sleepers, and starting next year, United Airlines will be offering “Relax Rows,’’ where for an extra fee, seats in economy will allow passengers to lie flat on long-haul trips. These United seats will come complete with custom-fitted mattress pads, extra pillows and blankets. And on BermudAir, the company is so opposed to single use plastics, all classes on board get served with glassware —and a Dark & Stormy, Bermuda’s national drink, is complimentary, including in economy.
The Private Terminal Route
A private suite at the recently opened PS ATL in Atlanta.
Courtesy PS
Voyagers can avoid entering the main public terminals at some airports and instead head to beautifully designed private terminals like PS. Open since 2017 at LAX, PS debuted last year in Atlanta, will open this summer in Miami, and will expand after that to Dallas and Paris. In each city, the concierge-style service has its own private check-in and TSA process’,’ provides food, drinks and spa services’,’ and chauffeurs you directly to your plane.
Similarly, at The Windsor by Heathrow in London, a private butler tends to your whims, and you are fast-tracked through immigration, customs and baggage handling. A BMW collects you at your hotel and delivers you directly to your plane — which is particularly valuable at Heathrow, where your flight can be miles away. The lounge itself is a treat, with food curated by British star chef Jason Atherton.
Semi-Private Carriers
Of course, travelers can avoid going anywhere near large airports by flying semi-private. Passengers simply book an individual seat on a scheduled flight, drive up to the lounge at a private airport and hop on, with a brief luggage screening as one boards.
Slate offers routes from New York to Florida.
Slate, an upscale semi-private carrier, launched last year and now has busy routes from New York to the Florida cities of Palm Beach, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. This season, it is introducing direct flights from NYC to the Hamptons, landing in Westhampton.
With just 30 seats on each plane, air carrier JSX not only offers free Starlink service, but in June it will introduce new routes between Monterey and Orange County and Burbank and between Reno/Tahoe and Carlsbad. It has also partnered with Petco to give four-legged passengers swag including branded bandanas and frosted cookies. For domestic flights, passengers can check in just 20 minutes before a flight.
JSX luxury jet service.
Courtesy JSX
One of the joys of these carriers is that travelers strut on with their dogs, no matter the size of the pooch. And two newer services are actually canine-centric: RetrievAir, which launched last year, and Bark Air. The latter just added four new European routes (Berlin, Dublin, Athens and Stockholm) complete with doggie wellness kits and a lounge serving bowls of warm broth. Bark’s new Companion Concierge will help arrange international paperwork and required vaccinations.
Aero’s luxury private jet service.
Philip Cheung/Courtesy Aero
In contrast to typical airline food drowning in salt and sauces, the culinary offerings aboard Aero are a delight, with meals created in partnership with Erewhon, Spago, Parm, Sadelle’s and Flora Farms along with an open bar of top-shelf spirits and Veuve Clicquot champagne. The wifi is Starlink here too, and there are dedicated customs agents to help passengers speed through passport control. Last year, the luxury carrier — which has the feel of a private-jet experience, with a limited amount of seats and high-end service — launched flights between L.A. and Maui in partnership with Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. And it’s just announced service between L.A. and Miami (starting in November) and between Aspen and Miami (starting in December), along with expanded service between New York and L.A., including special flights to get industry travelers to and from the upfronts.
Private Member Club in the Air
The Revaire luxury jet service app.
Courtesy Revaire
As private membership clubs continue to proliferate on the ground — from the new Zero Bond in Las Vegas to the relatively under-the-radar Living Room in L.A. — the membership model is increasing in the skies too, from Wheels Up’s recently launched Signature Membership offering to XO’s Insider program, which offers special access to such events as Miami race weekend.
One of the newest entrants in the space is invite-only members club Revaire, which launched last year with a membership fee of $1,500. A digital platform with patent-pending technology, Revaire allows vetted members to share the cost of private charter flights. It tracks the activity of its group and lets people know if there are fellow members headed in the same direction, giving them the opportunity to upgrade to charters from the commercial travel they’ve booked. Most activity at the moment involves flights that either initiate or land in L.A., New York and Miami. “As we grow, we see the community side of this being as important as private travel,” explains Revaire co-founder Luke McNees, who used to be Diplo’s tour manager. “People are more than happy when we put them into a room with other vetted individuals. This is tapping into a membership club trend we have seen expand.” Revaire also puts together curated experiences, including trips to major music festivals.
