Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum told reporters Tuesday he’s “feeling good” 39 weeks into his recovery from a torn Achilles that ended his 2024-25 campaign in heartbreaking fashion.
But he didn’t tip his hand whether he’d play for the Celtics this season.
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“I’m feeling good. It was good to be a part of practice yesterday with the Maine G-League guys. Today is 39 weeks, so it’s been a long journey,” Tatum said, per Celtics reporter Noa Dalzell.
Then he added: “And it’s just like the progression of rehab. … It doesn’t mean I’m coming back or not.”
Tatum’s comments followed a Sunday report from ESPN’s Shams Charania that the six-time All-Star had been participating in controlled 5-on-5 scrimmages with coaches.
The team briefly sent Tatum to their G League affiliate in Maine on Monday for part of a practice, too. After the practice, he headed back to Boston to continue his rehab.
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Tatum is still working his way back after suffering the Achilles injury last May during an Eastern Conference semifinals series with the New York Knicks. Tatum has more boxes to check during his recovery. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported on Jan. 29 that Tatum is considering sitting out for the entire 2025-26 season.
Charania reported Tatum wants to come back as close to 100% as possible. Last season, Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6 assists.
Part of Tatum’s reluctance to return has been how well the Celtics have played without him. At 34-19, the Celtics are neck-and-neck with the New York Knicks for second place in the Eastern Conference right now.
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“That’s something I contemplate every day,” Tatum said on the Pivot Podcast. “More so about the team, if or when I do come back this season, they would’ve played 50 some-odd games without me. So they have an identity this year or things that they felt have clicked for them, and it’s been successful, right, third or second team in the East up to this point. So there is a thought in my head that’s like, ‘How does that work or hows does that look with me integrating myself off an injury and 50-60 games into a season?’ There could obviously be some challenges, and it is a thought, like, ‘Damn? Do I come back or should I wait?’ It’s something that I honestly, recently in the last two weeks or so, just kind of contemplate every single day.”
Jaylen Brown is also in the midst of a career season. He’s averaging 29.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Brown was recently selected to his fifth All-Star Game.
The Washington Commanders left three seats open at Tuesday’s press conference as a way to pay homage to The Washington Post’s sports department, which was recently shut down.
The sports media world was shocked at the dismantling of The Post’s sports department last week. Local teams in the area are coming out to show their support for those staff members who lost their jobs.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn took some time to show his appreciation for those who covered his team for the Post and mentioned how he was “absolutely bummed to hear about The Washington Post sports section.”
Washington Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni gave his own tribute to The Post during a video call with media members. Toboni talked about his own experience growing up in San Francisco and not being able to imagine access to the San Francisco Chronicle’s sports section suddenly being taken away.
Last week, shortly after the news broke about the shutdown of the sports department, Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery recognized Bailey Johnson, who covered the team and confirmed that she was one of the journalists being laid off by The Post.
“I would be remiss not to say something about Bailey not being here today,” Carbery said. “Getting to know her over the last 2 1/2 years, yeah, I’m just thinking about her. And also know wherever her next stop is, whether it’s in the DC area or somewhere else, know she’ll do a fantastic job. She’s an incredible person and really, really good at what she does.”
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For decades, The Washington Post’s sports department had been heralded for its level of journalistic integrity, and its closure has dealt a tough blow to sports media both locally and nationally.
With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training this week, our offseason grades roll on with the National League Central. All five teams in this division were active in different ways throughout the winter, with the Cubs, Reds and Pirates making meaningful upgrades to their rosters, the Cardinals embarking on a full-blown rebuild and the reigning champion Brewers executing a series of Brewers-like maneuvers.
This is also a division that has stayed active in the days leading up to camps opening in Arizona and Florida, and we might see a few more moves before Opening Day. But the bulk of the business appears to be behind us. So what did these NL Central clubs accomplish this winter?
Significant outgoing free agents: C Danny Jansen, 1B Rhys Hoskins, SP Jose Quintana, SP Erick Fedde, SP Shelby Miller
Major moves:
Retained SP Brandon Woodruff via qualifying offer
Acquired RP Angel Zerpa from Royals for RP Nick Mears, OF Isaac Collins
Acquired INF/OF Jett Williams, SP Brandon Sproat from Mets for SP Freddy Peralta
Acquired SP Kyle Harrison, SP Shane Drohan, INF David Hamilton from Red Sox for INF Caleb Durbin, INF Andruw Monasterio, C/INF Anthony Seigler, Competitive Balance Round B Pick
Signed OF Akil Baddoo to a 1-year deal
Offseason grade: C+
Doubting Milwaukee’s operation might be naive at this point. But for a franchise that’s still looking to break through for its first World Series appearance in decades, it is simply disappointing to see the roster in an objectively lesser state than it was when last season concluded.
That’s not to say the three fascinating swaps won’t yield any positive returns. Zerpa, Sproat, Harrison and even Drohan could all impact the major-league club in some form in 2026, and the Brewers often do well to get the most out of pitchers arriving from other orgs. It’s also reasonable to suggest the Brewers might have sold high on Collins and Durbin after their surprising contributions as rookies. But it’s also fair to say that no matter what president of baseball operations Matt Arnold says, third base is an enormous question in the short term, and replacing a legit ace in Peralta is no small task.
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Regardless of Milwaukee’s strategy on the trade market, its complete disregard for free agency is discouraging. Excluding the retention of Woodruff via the qualifying offer, the Brewers have handed out zero guaranteed major-league deals this winter, and they are the only team with that designation (Baddoo received a split deal that does not guarantee him a 26-man roster spot). Splurging in free agency doesn’t always equate to getting better, but Milwaukee’s complete lack of spending stands out this winter, particularly when several other small-market teams spent real dollars.
Tagging Milwaukee with a less-than-stellar hot stove grade doesn’t mean I’m dooming them to a regular season of assured failure, nor will I rule out the possibility of another move or two to round out the roster before Opening Day. The Brewers are still quite good on paper, and there’s reason for optimism on both sides of the ball. But if we’re strictly grading offseason moves, it has been an underwhelming and perplexing winter for the Brew Crew.
Chicago Cubs
Significant outgoing free agents: OF Kyle Tucker, RP Brad Keller, SP Michael Soroka, RP Drew Pomeranz, RP Nate Pearson, UTL Willi Castro
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Major moves:
Signed 3B Alex Bregman to a 5-year deal
Acquired SP Edward Cabrera from Marlins for four prospects
Retained SP Shota Imanaga via qualifying offer
Signed RP Phil Maton to a 2-year deal
Signed RP Hoby Milner to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Caleb Thielbar to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Jacob Webb to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Hunter Harvey to a 1-year deal
Signed 1B Tyler Austin to a 1-year deal
Offseason grade: A-
In signing Alex Bregman to a heavily deferred, five-year, $175 million deal, the Cubs finally flexed the financial might typically associated with a big-market club of their ilk. It’s the kind of addition that carries more weight than just the projected WAR the player brings, as Bregman’s unrivaled baseball IQ and leadership qualities can positively impact the entire roster. Plus, the Cubs finally landing Bregman after a failed pursuit a year ago is a massive organizational victory — and a crucial one in the wake of Kyle Tucker’s departure.
Chicago’s moves on the mound this winter were less straightforward. The offseason started with Chicago retaining left-hander Shota Imanaga via the qualifying offer after declining the three years and $57.75 million remaining on his previous deal, ensuring some short-term rotation stability albeit for a hefty 2026 salary. Rather than spend further in free agency on another starter, the Cubs spent prospect capital to acquire right-hander Edward Cabrera from the Marlins.
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Cabrera arrives with an array of promising pros (three years of team control, huge stuff) and troubling cons (lengthy injury history, limited track record of throwing strikes), and the cost to acquire him notably included outfielder Owen Caissie, who appeared to be in line to replace Tucker in right field as soon as this year. That — in tandem with Bregman taking over third base – has led to a lack of clarity regarding the positional plans for sophomore infielder Matt Shaw and Seiya Suzuki, whom the Cubs seemed to prefer in a DH role last year rather than as an every-day outfielder.
However the position player group shakes out — Austin is another intriguing addition after a prolific half-decade in Japan — manager Craig Counsell should be able to roll out one of the best lineups in baseball. The question is whether adding Cabrera and redesigning the bullpen with a new crop of solid if unspectacular veterans is enough of an upgrade on the mound to vault Chicago into a higher tier of contention in the National League.
With Alex Bregman now leading the offense, the Cubs earned the best offseason grade in the NL Central.
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports)
Cincinnati Reds
Significant outgoing free agents: SP Nick Martinez, SP Zack Littell, RP Scott Barlow, OF Austin Hays, OF Miguel Andujar, INF Santiago Espinal
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Major moves:
Signed 3B/DH Eugenio Suarez to a 1-year deal
Signed JJ Bleday to a 1-year deal
Acquired OF Dane Myers from Marlins
Re-signed RP Emilio Pagan to a 2-year deal
Signed RP Caleb Ferguson to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Pierce Johnson to a 1-year deal
Acquired RP Brock Burke from Angels in three-way trade that sent 2B/LF Gavin Lux to Rays
Offseason grade: B
The Reds gradually improved their lineup, defense and bullpen over the course of the offseason — no small feat for a team coming off a postseason berth, but also a reminder that Cincinnati’s roster was notably worse than the rest of last year’s playoff field. After unsurprisingly coming up short in its long-shot, free-agent pursuit of local native Kyle Schwarber, Cincinnati pivoted to a collection of smaller transactions to improve its roster in the aggregate, rather than making one humongous splash.
Adding power was paramount for a club that finished 21st in home runs last season — a particularly paltry output when playing half their games at MLB’s second-most homer-friendly ballpark. Credit to Cincinnati for pouncing when the market didn’t materialize for old friend Eugenio Suarez, who rejoins the Reds coming off a 49-homer season, strengthening a lineup that sorely needed more over-the-fence pop. Concerns about Suarez’s defense will be less relevant for the Reds with Ke’Bryan Hayes entrenched at third base; Suarez can focus on mashing, primarily at DH with the occasional infield cameo.
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Hayes’ acquisition at last year’s deadline is still a bit of a head-scratcher. His contract (guaranteed $30 million over next four seasons) in tandem with his meek offensive output (63 wRC+ the past two seasons) could be cumbersome for a team on a limited budget, but at the very least, he provides elite defense at the hot corner. New outfielder Dane Myers also brings a plus glove with a weak bat, though his defensive impact will be felt less frequently in a part-time role. Exactly how much playing time Myers and fellow new outfielder JJ Bleday will get remains to be seen, but each should help if deployed selectively.
On the mound, Cincinnati had a ton of innings depart in free agency (Martinez, Littell, Suter, Barlow) and decided to focus its rebuilding of the pitching staff on bolstering the bullpen. That began with retaining Pagan as the closer, and adding Johnson, Burke and Ferguson provided manager Terry Francona with a trio of veteran options to call on late in games. Trading Brady Singer, scheduled to make $12.75 million in his final season before free agency, was rumored as a possibility to ease payroll, but the Reds opted to hold on to the right-hander (their 2025 innings leader), ensuring some stability in a rotation that will be counting on several young arms to step up.
On the whole, the Reds achieved modest upgrades across the roster, even if some major questions remain about how the position-player group will fit together. Solid work.
St. Louis Cardinals
Significant outgoing free agents: SP Miles Mikolas
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Major moves:
Acquired BHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, OF Tai Peete, OF Colton Ledbetter, two Competitive Balance Round B picks in three-way trade with Mariners, Rays that sent INF/OF Brendan Donovan to Mariners
Acquired SP Richard Fitts, SP Brandon Clarke from Red Sox for SP Sonny Gray
Acquired SP Hunter Dobbins, SP Yhoiker Fajardo, SP Blake Aita from Red Sox for 1B Willson Contreras
Acquired SP Jack Martinez from D-backs for 3B Nolan Arenado
Signed SP Dustin May to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Ryne Stanek to a 1-year deal
Selected RP Matt Pushard in Rule 5 Draft
Offseason grade: B
The rebuild is on. New president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom did not take any half-measures in his efforts to dramatically turn the page on an era of Cardinals baseball that flamed out into unsustainable mediocrity. The quality of the returns netted in St. Louis’ four major trades ranged wildly in terms of the players and contracts involved, but St. Louis broadly accomplished its goal of flipping its accomplished (and expensive) veterans for future assets.
Considering how far behind the Cardinals have fallen on the mound in recent years, it’s no surprise the four deals focused on adding arms; seven of the nine acquired players are pitchers. The two picks acquired in the Donovan deal should also enhance St. Louis’ ability to reel in a major haul in this summer’s draft, which should add further to a farm system that rates as one of the strongest in baseball.
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Grading offseasons for rebuilding clubs is a tricky task, and it feels fair to judge them based on only how well they achieved their organizational goals; evaluating a team in the Cardinals’ position based on how much they improved their major-league roster doesn’t make much sense. As such, this grade is awarded to St. Louis based on its successful unloading of its most glaring trade candidates in exchange for an intriguing assortment of upside and depth. Rather than slow-playing the painful part of the rebuilding process, executing all of these deals in one winter makes the organizational direction clear. Competing in 2026 might be off the table for the Cards, but there’s enough exciting, young talent in the upper levels that a leap back into relevance in 2027 is not out of the question.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Significant outgoing free agents: OF Andrew McCutchen, OF Tommy Pham, RP Colin Holderman
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Major moves:
Hired Don Kelly as full-time manager
Signed 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn to a 2-year deal
Acquired 2B Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum, RP Mason Montgomery from Rays in three-way trade that sent SP Mike Burrows to Astros
Signed DH Marcell Ozuna to a 1-year deal
Acquired OF Jhostynxon Garcia from Red Sox for SP Johan Oviedo
Signed RP Gregory Soto to a 1-year deal
Signed RP Jose Urquidy to a 1-year deal
Offseason grade: B-
The Pirates unquestionably got better, dealing from their wealth of pitching depth to upgrade the lineup while pushing their payroll above $100 million via multiple free-agent additions. Pittsburgh finished 30th in home runs by a mile last year — its 117 homers were the second-lowest team total of the past decade (excluding 2020) — and responded by adding a trio of former All-Stars with track records of power production: second-base slugger Brandon Lowe, the late-blooming Ryan O’Hearn and veteran designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. Add an outfield prospect with real pop in Jhostynxon Garcia and a switch-hitting speedster in Jake Mangum, and it’s not hard to envision this group of new personnel driving a meaningful step forward offensively. And while the Pirates subtracted from their rotation depth via trade, they added two of the hardest-throwing lefty relievers on the planet in Soto and Montgomery to enhance the bullpen’s ultimate potential.
The “minus” component of Pittsburgh’s offseason grade is rooted in concerns about how all the new pieces fit together, particularly defensively. Lowe’s glove rated as the worst among every-day second basemen last season. O’Hearn is solid at first base, but incumbent Spencer Horwitz is a better fit there, and the addition of Ozuna — who hasn’t played in the outfield since 2023, when he did it just twice — removes the DH spot as a regular option for him. That would seem to push O’Hearn to a less-favorable role as a regular in the corner outfield, where he would join another poor defender in Bryan Reynolds and a wild card in Oneil Cruz, who became a full-time center fielder just last year. The current depth chart also features Nick Gonzales as the starting shortstop, despite the bulk of his reps as a pro coming at second; presumably he’s a placeholder until top prospect Konnor Griffin is ready.
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If all the new guys rake in support of what should be a terrific pitching staff led by Paul Skenes, perhaps the defensive deficiencies go unnoticed. But a lot is riding on the new bats to produce in a big way, particularly in the pitcher-friendly confines of PNC Park. And if this ill-fitting collection of hitters is how the Pirates want to unceremoniously move on from Andrew McCutchen — perhaps another reunion is in store, but it’s tough to see after the Ozuna addition — that’s fine, but it better work.
We have an action-packed episode of ‘The Dunker Spot’ coming your way!
To kick us off, Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones take a look at how the big movers from the trade deadline have already affected their new squads. James Harden making his impact on Cleveland, Jaren Jackson Jr. doing what he can on a tanking Utah and more!
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From there, the fellas dive into the fracas from the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons matchup, where the Hornets also saw their 9-game win streak snapped.
Finally, to round out the show, Nekias and Steve break down all the Unrivaled action from the weekend, break down a trade, and preview the highly anticipated 1-on-1 tournament.
If you ever have NBA or WNBA questions, email us at dunkerspot@yahoo.com.
1:24 James Harden debuts with Cavs 11:57 Jaren Jackson Jr. debuts with Jazz 18:43 NBA tanking? 24:36 Nikola Vucevic debuts with Celtics 33:25 Jose Alvarado debuts with Knicks 38:09 Ayo Dosunmu debuts with Timberwolves 46:20 Chicago Bulls’ newest guards 51:29 Jared McCain debuts with OKC 54:00 Pistons vs. Hornets brawl 57:41 Cam Thomas debuts with Bucks 1:00:26 Unrivaled thoughts & takeaways
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden smiles as he heads off the court after being interviewed following the Cavaliers’ victory over the Denver Nuggets in an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The NFL offseason has just begun, after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl 60, but it’s never too early to look ahead to odds — and wagers — on next year’s big game.
After all, not many people were anticipating the Seahawks (60-1 preseason odds at BetMGM) and Patriots (80-1) meeting in the Super Bowl at this time last year.
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In addition to bets on single teams to win the Super Bowl, sportsbooks also allow bettors to place exactas that give bettors the ability to predict the exact result of Super Bowl LXI. One bettor at DraftKings recently wagered $2,500 on Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals to beat Dak Prescott’s Dallas Cowboys in next year’s Super Bowl at 500-1 odds.
The bet would win $1.25 million.
The Seahawks are +800 favorites to repeat at BetMGM, followed by the Los Angeles Rams (+900), Buffalo Bills (12-1) and Baltimore Ravens (12-1).
Burrow and the Bengals reached the Super Bowl a few years ago, falling 24-21 to the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022. Cincinnati went 6-11 last season and Burrow only started in eight games due to injury (the Bengals went 5-3 in those games).
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The Cowboys haven’t won (or reached) a Super Bowl in over 30 years, last winning Super Bowl XXX by a score of 27-17 over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 28, 1996. Dallas went 7-9-1 last season and finished in second place in the NFC East.
Neither team made the postseason.
Super Bowl LXI will be played on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
On a day when Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse made U.S. curling history with an Olympic silver medal in mixed doubles, U.S. curler Rich Ruohonen used the platform to turn the spotlight on his home state of Minnesota.
Those killings and ICE’s aggressive enforcement tactics on the streets of Minneapolis have prompted outrage and protest in Minnesota and beyond. Ruohonen, a lawyer, cited the U.S. Constitution to declare that “there’s no shades of gray” and that “what’s happening in Minnesota is wrong.”
‘What’s happening in Minnesota is wrong’
Ruohonen opened his statement by saying he’s “proud to be here to represent Team USA and to represent our country.”
He then turned his attention to Minnesota.
“This stuff is happening right around where we live,” Ruohonen said. “I am a lawyer, as you know, and we have a constitution, and it allows us freedom of press, freedom of speech, protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures and makes it that we have to have probable cause to be pulled over.
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“And what’s happening in Minnesota is wrong. There’s no shades of gray. It’s clear. I really love what’s been happening there now — people coming out, showing the love, the compassion, integrity and respect for others that they don’t know and helping them out. And we love Minnesota for that.”
Ruohonen, 54, is a two-time national champion curler who’s twice competed for Team USA in the curling world championships (2008, 2018). He’s never competed in the Olympics.
He’s an alternate at the Milan Cortina Games for the men’s curling team helmed by skip Danny Casper. He’s not guaranteed to compete. But if he plays, he’ll become the oldest U.S. athlete to ever compete in the Winter Olympics.
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He went on to speak about what it means to have the opportunity to compete in the Olympics.
“I want to make it clear that we are out here, we love our country,” Ruohonen continued. “We’re playing for the U.S., we’re playing for Team USA, we’re playing for each other, and we’re playing for our family and our friends that sacrificed so much to get here today. …
‘What the Olympics means is excellence, respect, friendship, and we all, I think, exemplify that. And we are playing for the people of Minnesota and the people around the country who share those same values.”
“I would do the same thing 100 times out of 100 for any of our guys it would have made sense to do it with,” Oats said, via AL.com’s Nick Kelly.
Bediako filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in order to return to Alabama this season, where he last played during the 2022-23 campaign. The 7-footer entered the NBA Draft in 2023, though he wasn’t selected, and has been bouncing around the G League ever since. He even appeared in games for the Motor City Cruise this season.
Bediako was granted a temporary-restraining order in January that allowed him to take the court again with the Crimson Tide. He made his return a few days later, and ended up playing in five games. Alabama went 3-2 with him on the court, and he averaged 10 points and 4.6 rebounds over that span.
But on Monday, a judge overruled the temporary-restraining order that Bediako was granted. That made him immediately ineligible again, and likely ended his college career for good. The judge who originally granted the temporary-restraining order was removed from the case, too, after revelations that he was an active donor to Alabama athletics.
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It’s unclear if Bediako will attempt to fight the case further, considering that Alabama has only eight games left in the regular season. His attorney, however, slammed the ruling.
Though it didn’t work out for him, and there has been plenty of criticism with the players who are trying to make a return to college basketball after playing professionally in some fashion elsewhere, Oats didn’t hesitate to help Bediako.
“There was an opportunity to help one of our former players out,” Oats said. “He was within his five-year window. He’s trying to get his degree. Here’s the thing too. My job as a head coach is to try to do the right thing by our guys. Charles is one of our guys. That was the right thing to do by one of our guys.
“Like I’ve said before, this is not some mercenary deal with a 23-year-old coming in for a semester that nobody knows. He was deemed legally eligible to play. We’re going to absolutely support him.”
Charles Bediako was deemed ineligible again on Monday, five games after he was granted a temporary restraining order to return to Alabama from the G League. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)
(Brandon Sumrall via Getty Images)
Oats: There’s a reason G League players come back to college
Bediako wasn’t the only player trying to make it back to college. Baylor signed former NBA Draft pick James Nnaji in December. He was the first former draft pick to be cleared to play at the college level, though Nnaji never played in an NBA game and was instead with FC Barcelona for years. At least two other G League players are set to play in college next season.
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The reason for that, Oats said, is simple — and Bediako was a perfect example of the issue.
“There’s a reason … there’s a lot of G League players trying to come back to college,” Oats said. “The money’s a lot better. The development is a lot better. You get a full-time dietician, full-time strength coach, you’re not traveling on commercial flights, spending all your time in airports, not being able to develop.
“Charles actually has lost weight since he went to the G League. His development wasn’t what you would think being a pro. You’re more of a professional able to focus on getting your body right in college. He’s here. He’s in school. We’re going to help him try to gain weight back he’s lost since he was in the G League. We’re going to continue to help his basketball development. We’re going to continue to help his development as a student, as a student-athlete.”
But now, barring some late appeal, Alabama will have to play the rest of the season without Bediako.
The Crimson Tide hold a 16-7 record entering Wednesday’s game at Ole Miss, which has them in fifth in the SEC standings. Though both the NCAA and even SEC commissioner Greg Sankey were against Bediako making a return, Alabama was naturally upset.
“We are disappointed in today’s court ruling denying the injunction for Charles Bediako,” Alabama said in a statement on Monday. “While we understand the concern around competitive and developmental implications of former professional athletes participating in college, it is important to acknowledge reality.
“The NCAA has granted eligibility to over 100 current men’s basketball players with prior professional experience in the G League or overseas. Granting eligibility to some former professionals and not to others is what creates the havoc we are currently in and why consistency from decision-makers is so desperately needed.”
LeBron James will not play on Tuesday night against the San Antonio Spurs. The Los Angeles Lakers officially ruled James out on the second night of a back-to-back due to left foot arthritis. Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart were all ruled out, too.
With James now out due to the injury, he will officially hit 18 games missed on the season, making it impossible for him to reach the 65 appearances he needs to be awards eligible due to the current collective bargaining agreement. That means for the first time since 2004, the All-NBA teams will not include James.
The development ends an unprecedented 21-year All-NBA streak for James. To get a sense of how abnormal that is, keep in mind that Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are tied for second all time in All-NBA selections with 15 each. Not a streak, total.
James is also the all-time leader in first-team selections with 13, two ahead of Bryant and Karl Malone.
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For more perspective on how far James’ streak goes back, here are the All-NBA teams from the 2003-04 season, his first year in the NBA. That was the only time in James’ career he didn’t make an All-NBA team, though he did win Rookie of the Year.
First Team
F – Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
F – Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
C – Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
G – Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
G – Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets
Second Team
F – Peja Stojaković, Sacramento Kings
F – Jermaine O’Neal, Indiana Pacers
C – Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons
G – Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic
G – Sam Cassell, Minnesota Timberwolves
Third Team
F – Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers
F – Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
C – Yao Ming, Houston Rockets
G – Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks
G – Baron Davis, New Orleans Hornets
The streak means that James has not only maintained a high level of play for more than two decades, but he’s also stayed healthy enough to play something resembling a full season. He did, however, have some close calls.
You can take all of that for what you will in the NBA GOAT arguments. It’s just hard to think of a single athlete in all of sports who has performed like this from ages 19 to 41.
The bowl landscape appears to be quickly consolidating.
According to On3, the GameAbove Sports Bowl has been canceled. The Detroit-based game was played at Ford Field and had existed in its current form since 2014 when the then-Quick Lane Bowl succeeded the Little Caesar’s Bowl.
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Northwestern won this season’s GameAbove Sports Bowl 34-7 over Central Michigan. The game was the first of three bowls held on Friday, Dec. 26. Two years ago, the bowl was one of the most entertaining of bowl season as Toledo beat Pitt 48-46 in six overtimes.
The bowl had recently featured Big Ten and MAC teams after ACC teams regularly made appearances in the 2010s. Quick Lane was the sponsor from 2014-23.
Bowl games continue to get strong television ratings; ESPN had one of its best seasons for non-playoff bowls viewership. There will always be a market for bowl games outside the College Football Playoff. But it’s also fair to wonder if the bowl market was too saturated, especially given what happened at the end of the 2025 season with the need to fill 36 non-playoff bowl games.
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Teams like Notre Dame, Iowa State and Kansas State turned down bowl bids after either missing the playoff (in the case of the Fighting Irish) or losing a coach to another team. That led bowls to scramble for 5-7 teams as replacements, and many 5-7 teams turned down the opportunity to play in one more game given the roster turnover that’s now prevalent with the NCAA’s current transfer rules.
Will more games get canceled before the start of the 2026 season? We wouldn’t be surprised if one or two more were discontinued.
That whole situation strained the relationship between Crosby and the Raiders, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who reported on Jan. 3 that Las Vegas was expected to be open to trading Crosby this offseason. It was reported last week that Crosby told minority owner Tom Brady he won’t be playing for the Raiders again. The star edge rusher is expected to attract a massive amount of interest in the trade market if that’s the case.
But perhaps Crosby and the Raiders have ironed some things out.
Coming off a dominant win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, the former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator was introduced as the Raiders’ frontman on Tuesday.
Kubiak told reporters that he got a cup of coffee with Crosby that morning.
“Love talking ball with him and look forward to continuing those conversations,” Kubiak said. “I think he was the first one in here this morning working out, so that fired me up.”
Kubiak was then asked about how important it’s going to be for Crosby to quickly buy into Kubiak’s head-coaching vision, given how much credibility the defensive stalwart has in the Vegas locker room.
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“We want him to be a part of our success going forward,” Kubiak said. “There’s no doubt about that. He’s one of the best players in the NFL. So that’s a no-brainer to get to work with Maxx and to see him continue to have success with this organization.”
Crosby has been with the organization for seven seasons. The Raiders selected him out of Eastern Michigan in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. They were still in Oakland back then.
He’s finished with at least 10 sacks four times, including during the 2025 campaign, despite its premature end.
