Nate Tice & Charles McDonald join forces to answer the NFL offseason’s biggest looming questions submitted by the audience. The duo start off by diving into the New York Giants’ potential NFL Draft plans with the 5th overall pick, how the Chicago Bears can fix their defensive line and whether or not Brian Daboll is a good fit with QB Cam Ward as the new Tennessee Titans OC.
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Next, Nate & Charles discuss whether or not the Los Angeles Chargers can fix their offensive line in one offseason, if the Jacksonville Jaguars defense can take a leap next season, who the Denver Broncos should be targeting in free agency (Tyler Allgeier?) and what our expectations for the 2026 Washington Commanders should look like.
Later, the two hosts wrap up with thoughts on the New England Patriots’ upcoming offseason decisions, why Sean McVay changed to a duo run game style with the Los Angeles Rams, whether Sean McDermott was really the problem with the Buffalo Bills and more.
(44:15) – Biggest offseason questions: Patriots, Rams, Bills & more
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The Cooligans welcome former MLS head coach and analyst Giovanni Savarese for a deep dive into the 2026 MLS season. Gio shares his predictions, breakout teams to watch, and how the league continues to evolve ahead of a massive 2026 on home soil. The conversation also turns to the USMNT, as the guys assess expectations, pressure, and what success should realistically look like at the 2026 World Cup.
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Christian and Alexis then tackle the troubling racist incident involving Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica. They unpack how these situations are currently handled, question whether the responsibility to stop a match unfairly falls on the player experiencing abuse, and debate what meaningful structural changes could better protect players moving forward.
Finally, it’s a jam-packed Champions League recap. Folarin Balogun shines in a statement performance against Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus suffer a shocking defeat to Galatasaray, and Bodø/Glimt pull off a stunning win over Inter Milan. The boys react to all the drama, surprises, and what these results mean going forward.
Timestamps:
(6:30) – 2026 MLS preview and predictions
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(30:00) – Gio Savarese’s USMNT World Cup outlook
(39:00) – Vinicius Junior deals with racism again: time for a rule change?
(59:00) – Folarin Balogun shines in Champions League loss to PSG
(1:04:30) – Serie A teams suffer shocking Champions League losses
On today’s Kevin O’Connor Show, KOC is joined by NBC broadcaster John Fanta to talk everything NBA. They start with Eastern Conference contender power rankings: who’s the number one team in the East? Could Cade Cunningham really be MVP?
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Then, they turn to Team USA hockey’s gold-medal win against Canada before John tells the story of his call-up to the NBA on NBC by Mike Tirico.
Plus, they discuss if Anthony Edwards is the face of the league, address the troubles in Phoenix & Houston, and take a look at the top prospects in this year’s fiery draft class.
That and more, today!
Eastern Conference Contenders (1:39) USA Hockey and John’s NBC Career (43:16) Draft Class (1:10:20)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 22: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics talks to head coach Joe Mazulla during the second half of their game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on February 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luiza Moraes/Getty Images)
LAFC sent a loud message in their 3-0 dismantling of Inter Miami, and it wasn’t just about the scoreline. Los Angeles FC looked sharp, organized, and ruthless, while Inter Miami CF looked frustrated and overwhelmed. We break down what went wrong for Miami, what this result means long-term, and whether Lionel Messi’s heated postgame interaction with referees is a sign of deeper cracks. Plus, we recap the rest of MLS opening weekend and highlight the teams that set the tone early.
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Across the pond, the Premier League title race is heating up once again. Manchester City and Arsenal continue to push each other to the limit at the top of the table. Can City pull off another late surge, or is this finally Arsenal’s year? We examine the remaining fixtures, squad depth, and pressure points that could decide the title.
Off the pitch, concerns are growing around the 2026 tournament. With New Jersey canceling its World Cup fan zone and Gillette Stadium reportedly resisting FIFA licensing without additional funding, we ask whether the 2026 World Cup is starting to show serious organizational strain. Is this just early logistical turbulence—or a warning sign for what’s ahead?
Timestamps:
(7:00) – LAFC thrash Messi and Inter Miami
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(23:00) – MLS opening weekend recap
(32:00) – Arsenal and Man City continue to battle in PL title race
(47:45) – World Cup in danger of falling apart already?
Nate Tice & Matt Harmon join forces from Indianapolis as they preview what to watch at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. The duo kick things off with some of the buzziest news items from around Indy, including the Atlanta Falcons franchise tagging Kyle Pitts, some uncertainty from the Philadelphia Eagles around AJ Brown’s future with the team and the New York Jets planning to use a tag on RB Breece Hall.
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Next, Nate & Matt dive into their top prospects to watch this week at the NFL Combine. Matt shouts out LB Sonny Styles topping an insane linebacker class and WR KC Concepcion, while Nate talks about the entire Ohio State defense and Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love.
Later, the two hosts cover a few of the most underrated prospects to watch this week, including WR Omar Cooper, TE Kenyon Sadiq, RB Jonah Coleman and more, plus a few spare news items from Indianapolis (could a Trent Williams release be looming?)
(2:10) – Top Combine storylines and news
(24:00) – Top prospects to watch
(40:20) – Underrated prospects to watch
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(55:00) – Odds and ends from Indianapolis
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza & Ohio State LB Arvell Reese are expected to draw eyes at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. (Jamie Squire, Getty Images; James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Jamie Squire, Getty Images; James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Dallas Cowboys have offered Brandon Aubrey a contract that would make him the NFL’s highest-paid kicker, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.
That offer is apparently not enough. Per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys are offering Aubrey a multiyear deal valued at close to $7.5 million per season. Per Watkins, Aubrey is seeking closer to $10 million per year, a contract that would dramatically reset the market for kickers in the NFL.
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Kansas City’s Harrison Butker is the highest-paid kicker in football with a four-year, $25.6 million contract ($6.4 million per year).
Is Aubrey worth it?
Aubrey has leverage like no other kicker in the NFL. He’s a one-of-a-kind weapon who through his first two seasons was virtually automatic from 50-plus yards. He hit all 10 of his 50-plus-yard field-goal attempts during his 2023 rookie season with a long of 60.
He went 14 of 17 from 50-plus in 2024, including a 65-yard kick that at the time was the second-longest field goal in NFL history. His six career field goals of 60 yards or more are the most in NFL history.
Brandon Aubrey is reportedly seeking to dramatically reset the market for kickers in the NFL.
(Cooper Neill via Getty Images)
He fell off a bit in 2025, going 11 of 17 from 50-plus yards. But that’s still a remarkable success rate, and Aubrey has been named All-Pro in each of his three NFL seasons.
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Aubrey has reached the end of a three-year, $2.7 million contract that was his first in the NFL. And now’s the time for him to leverage his talents for a significant payday.
Cowboys: Aubrey negotiations a ‘journey’
Per Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, Aubrey and the Cowboys have been engaged in negotiations since prior to the start of last season. In a media scrum Monday at the NFL combine, he called the negotiations a “journey.”
“We’ve been in talks with Aubrey since before the season started,” Jones told reporters. “That’s been a journey. We haven’t been able to get to a point where we can all agree, so it hasn’t gotten done, but we’d love to get him done.”
Jones previously told the Morning News that the Cowboys intend to tender Aubrey if they don’t reach an agreement on an extension. Aubrey is a restricted free agent, and the Cowboys have the option of placing a first- or second-round tender on him.
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Absent an extension, the Cowboys are expected to place a second-round tender on Aubrey valued at roughly $5.8 million, ESPN reports. Competing teams would have the option of exceeding that tender number, and the Cowboys would have the right to match it on a one-year deal. If Aubrey were to leave to another team in that scenario, the team that signs him would owe the Cowboys a second-round pick.
Aubrey hasn’t discussed negotiations in public. But it sounds like he and the Cowboys have some significant work to do to find common ground.
Kevin O’Connor sits down with former Denver Nuggets GM Calvin Booth for an unfiltered look inside team building, executive strategy and the realities of finding success in the NBA. How did he manage the team during their championship run?
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Booth also shares candid reflections on his relationship with former head coach Michael Malone, insights on sustaining a championship window and his philosophy behind drafting players and developing talent.
(1:11) Keys to building a championship team
(10:06) Bruce Brown’s development
(11:30) Jokic’s growth in Denver
(16:30) Nuggets post-championship
(31:33) Friction between Booth & Malone
(40:43) What would Booth do differently looking back?
(49:42) Is Denver on the path to a dynasty?
(52:18) College basketball landscape & impact on Draft
(1:03:53) Overrated traits & underrated players
Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks on against the Golden State Warriors in the second half of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on February 22, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
When Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese showed up to his NFL scouting combine media availability on Wednesday morning, the nameplate at his podium said his first name was “Vell.”
That surprised him.
“No, no, no. You can stick with Arvell,” Reese said at the podium, via Chat Sports.
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What’s clear is that all NFL fans who don’t know Reese’s name will soon, and probably by the end of the week.
In an NFL Draft that only has one quarterback expected to go in the first few picks, Reese might end up as the second overall pick off the board after Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Reese’s athleticism, versatility and production is going to appeal to teams in the top five. Reese said Wednesday that he has already met with the Jets, who have the second pick of the draft. Interviews at the combine do not tip off that a player will go to a certain team, but it also shouldn’t be a surprise that teams selecting in the first few picks of the draft want to get to know Reese better. He’s one of the most intriguing talents in the draft.
Arvell Reese said he prefers to be outside linebacker or an edge defender in the NFL. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Reese played all over Ohio State’s front seven last season, and the Buckeyes’ defense led FBS by allowing only 9.3 points per game. Reese would play off-ball linebacker but also line up on the edge in pass-rushing situations. That’s similar to Micah Parsons’ role at Penn State. Reese has said he has been asked where he wants to play.
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“I’ll tell them outside linebacker, or edge,” Reese said.
That makes sense, because edge rushers have a lot more value in the NFL. Reese said he was on the edge about 60% of the time last season, and he has room to grow as a full-time edge player. He had only 6.5 sacks last season, mostly because he wasn’t rushing all the time.
“I haven’t even scratched the surface of what really I can do pass rushing,” Reese said.
This week could be big for Reese. He talked about needing to get better at many parts of his game, but the athleticism is pretty easy to see on tape. Reese said he’s doing all the drills at the combine, including all edge drills and all linebacker drills, and while he doesn’t have a goal for his 40-yard dash time, “I just want to make sure I run fast.”
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He should do well during the drills and if he does, he will be in the mix to be a top-three pick with other edge defenders like Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. and Texas Tech’s David Bailey. While Reese’s versatility at Ohio State says a lot about him as a football player, there will be some projection for teams at the top of the draft because he wasn’t full time at any one position. But the raw ability should make for an easy transition, and a high spot in the draft.
“I think I have a lot to get better at, at outside linebacker and edge, as far as pass rushing and coverage, but I think I can adapt to it quick, for sure,” Reese said.
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🚨 Headlines
⚾️ Griffin’s viral blasts: Super prospect Konnor Griffin, 19, fueled the hype machine on Tuesday by hitting two titanic blasts out of “Fenway South” during the Pirates’ spring training win over the Red Sox. Get to know the name, folks. Scouts are calling him the best hitting prospect in at least a decade.
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🏒 Near-record viewership: 20.7 million viewers tuned in for Team USA’s gold-medal victory over Canada on Sunday, making it the second-most watched hockey game ever on NBC. Only 2010’s gold-medal game drew a larger audience (27.6 million).
⚽️ Survive and advance: Bodø/Glimt (over Inter Milan), Atlético Madrid (over Club Brugge), Newcastle United (over Qarabag) and Bayer Leverkusen (over Olympiacos) advanced to the Champions League Round of 16 after winning their playoffs.
🇺🇸 Another medal for Helly: Team USA goalie Connor Hellebuyck will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his outstanding play in the gold-medal game from President Trump, who welcomed the men’s hockey team to the Capitol for Tuesday’s State of the Union.
🏈 “America’s Game” on the move? The Army-Navy game, played annually in mid-December, may move up a couple weeks so that it would count towards the conference title race and potential CFP inclusion. It would also give the playoff more scheduling wiggle room as it prepares for expansion.
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🏒 Back in action: NHL resumes play
(Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)
The 2025-26 NHL regular season resumes tonight after a 19-day break for the Winter Olympics. Eight games are scheduled for the return, marking the start of a critical push toward the March 6 trade deadline.
Eastern Conference: Parity, or “competitive balance,” as commissioner Gary Bettman calls it, is alive and well this season. That’s especially true in the East, where 15 of 16 teams have a points percentage over .500. Get it together, Rangers! You’re ruining the whole vibe.
(Davis Long/Yahoo Sports)
Western Conference: The West is home to the Stanley Cup favorites (Avalanche) and three of the top four Hart Trophy contenders in Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (-225 at BetMGM), San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini (+325) and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (+850). The only other serious contender is Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (+550).
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⚾️ Mount Rushmore of homers
Maz heads toward home plate after his historic blast. (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)
In the wake of Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski’s recent passing, we felt it prudent to honor his iconic World Series walk-off with its rightful place on the Mount Rushmore of MLB home runs.
The top four: Maz’s World Series clincher sits alongside three other homers that, in our humble opinion, represent the most iconic in the game’s 150-year history.
Bill Mazeroski (1960): World Series, Game 7 … The first walk-off homer to win the Fall Classic, and still the only one to come in Game 7, gave the Pirates their first championship in 35 years. The light-hitting second baseman went on to make the Hall of Fame for his glove, but will always be remembered for his blast against Yankees reliever Ralph Terry.
Bobby Thomson (1951): The Shot Heard ‘Round the World … Thomson’s Giants trailed the crosstown Dodgers by 13 games on Aug. 11 before finishing the season on a 37-7 run to tie them on the last day, forcing a best-of-three playoff for a spot in the World Series. Thomson’s walk-off, three-run shot against Ralph Branca in Game 3 triggered an all-time great call from Russ Hodges: “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!”
Joe Carter (1993): Touch ’em all, Joe! … The only other World Series-clinching walk-off home run came in Game 6, where Carter turned a 5-3 deficit into a 6-5 victory over the Phillies for Toronto’s second straight title. A quick shoutout to this Blue Jays lineup, which featured three future Hall of Famers in Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor and Roberto Alomar.
Hank Aaron (1974): No. 715 … Babe Ruth’s record of 714 home runs stood for nearly four decades before Hammerin’ Hank hit No. 715. Naturally, Vin Scully was on the call:
“What a marvelous moment for baseball. What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and the world. A Black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol.”
An illustration of Ruth “calling his shot.” (Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images)
*The Babe’s legendary “called shot” in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series would have probably made it on Mount Rushmore if not for the mystery surrounding its true nature. Accounts differ as to whether the Yankees slugger was calling his shot or simply pointing at the Cubs dugout to remind his opponents, who had been jawing him all game, that he still had one strike left. As they say, “print the legend.”
💯 Big numbers
(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
⛸️ 5.4 million new followers
Figure skating gold medalist Alysa Liu has gained an astonishing 5.4 million Instagram followers since the start of the Milan Cortina Olympics, going from 211k before the Games to 5.6M as of this morning.
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The Olympics bump: Liu isn’t the only American hero to see a spike in IG followers. Jack Hughes jumped from 681k entering Sunday’s hockey finale to over 1M after his golden-goal heroics. That makes the Devils star just the third active NHL player to eclipse that mark, joining Alexander Ovechkin (1.7M) and Connor McDavid (1.4M).
⚾️ -105
Team USA has won just one of the first five World Baseball Classics, but their stacked roster has positioned them as the odds-on favorite to win the upcoming 20-team tournament (-105 at BetMGM), which begins next week.
Top contenders: Defending champion Japan (+350) and 2013 champion Dominican Republic (+425) are viewed as Team USA’s strongest competition. The only other countries with better than 50-to-1 odds are Venezuela (+900), Puerto Rico (+2000) and Mexico (+2000).
(Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images)
⚽️ 16 Americans
Atlético Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso’s beautiful strike in Tuesday’s win over Club Brugge made him the 16th American to score a goal in the Champions League.
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The full list: Christian Pulisic is the leader (12 goals), followed by Weston McKennie (10), Ricardo Pepi (6), Folarin Balogun (5), Malik Tillman (5), DaMarcus Beasley (4), Jordan Siebatcheu (2), Tim Weah (2) Fabian Johnson (2), Jermaine Jones (2) and one each for Tyler Adams, Sergiño Dest, Maurice Edu, Jovan Kirovski, Sacha Kljestan and Cardoso.
🏀 655 appearances
UConn’s Geno Auriemma made his 655th appearance in the AP Top 25 this week, breaking a tie with Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer for the most by a head coach in the history of the women’s poll.
Huskies on fire: The defending champion Huskies (29-0), who’ve been ranked No. 1 all season, have won 45 consecutive games dating back to last February. That’s the seventh-longest streak in D-I women’s basketball history — and four of the six winning streaks with longer durations also belong to UConn.
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📺 Watchlist: Wednesday, Feb. 25
The Nuggets beat the Celtics in their first meeting last month. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
🏀 NBA on ESPN
Tonight’s heavyweight doubleheader begins in Detroit, where the Pistons are hosting the Thunder in a battle of first-place teams (7:30pm ET). Then it’s off to Denver for a game between the second-place Celtics and fourth-place Nuggets (10pm).
Title contenders: OKC (+135 at BetMGM), Denver (+550), Boston (+1200) and Detroit (+1200) are four of the five betting favorites to win the NBA championship.
🏒 NHL on TNT
The NHL’s first post-Olympics doubleheader is a doozy, with the first-place Lightning hosting the Maple Leafs (7:30pm) and the first-place Golden Knights visiting the Kings (10pm).
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Team USA on display: Four gold-medal winning Americans are set to take the ice tonight, including Team USA captain Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs). The others: Jack Eichel (Golden Knights), Noah Hanifin (Golden Knights) and Jake Guentzel (Lightning).
⚽️ Champions League
The knockout playoffs conclude today with four second-leg matches featuring an array of European giants, including the reigning champions (Paris Saint-Germain) and the winningest club in tournament history (Real Madrid). The winners advance to the Round of 16.
Full slate: Atalanta (0-2) vs. Dortmund (12:45pm, Paramount+); Real Madrid (1-0) vs. Benfica (3pm, Paramount+); PSG (3-2) vs. Monaco (3pm, Paramount+); Juventus (2-5) vs. Galatasaray (3pm, CBSSN).
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More to watch:
🏀 NCAAM: No. 15 St. John’s at No. 6 UConn (7pm, NBCSN) … The Johnnies (22-5) are 15-1 in the Big East for the first time since the 1984-1985 season, when they made their most recent Final Four appearance.
🏀 NCAAW: No. 8 Michigan at No. 13 Ohio State (8pm, Peacock) … Sophomores Jaloni Cambridge (Ohio State) and Olivia Olson (Michigan) are both on the Wooden Award late midseason top 20.
⛳️ LPGA: HSBC Women’s World Championships (9:30pm, Golf) … Nine of the world’s top 10 players headline the field at Singapore’s Sentosa Golf Club.
Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events happening in your city. Get tickets now!
⚾️ MLB trivia
(Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Norway is one of eight countries with territory located within the Arctic Circle.
Question: Can you name the other seven?
Answer at the bottom.
📸 Photo finish
(Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
I’ve viewed thousands of photographs from the Milan Cortina Olympics. There are more iconic shots… More memorable moments… But this right here is my favorite photo.
Australia’s Abbey Willcox (aerials) looks like she’s handplanting on the mountain!
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Kevin O’Connor is joined by Jason Timpf to check in with unhappy fan bases across the NBA. They discuss whether the criticism of Karl Anthony-Towns is fair and offer solutions to the problems in New York. Then, they break down the root of Atlanta’s issues since the Trae Young trade. Plus, what’s going on in Los Angeles and can it even be fixed?
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Next, KOC shares why Collin Murray-Boyles could be the next Draymond Green and why the Celtics-Pistons matchup is the game of the week. Who should the Pistons target before the trade deadline? KOC gives his picks! Plus, is Ja Morant’s stock rising? Do the Timberwolves need to make a trade to find success this season?
Later, Justin Boone joins to discuss why the Buffalo Bills parted ways with Sean McDermott, recap the wild NFL divisional games and preview the upcoming championship weekend.
(0:15) Jason Timpf joins
(1:23) Unhappy fan bases: New York Knicks
(9:18) Unhappy fan bases: Atlanta Hawks
(15:49) Unhappy fan bases: Los Angeles Lakers
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(25:16) Collin Murray-Boyles = Draymond Green
(29:13) Celtics vs. Pistons preview
(41:56) Is Ja Morant’s stock rising back up?
(49:19) Do Timberwolves need to make a trade?
(1:06:23) All-Star starters announced
(1:10:26) NFL 6 Points! with Justin Boone
Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks reacts during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden on January 17, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
