Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Heisman finalist and potential first-round pick made the announcement Tuesday night as Notre Dame’s season is officially over. The Fighting Irish opted out of playing a bowl game after they were dropped from the College Football Playoff field in the final set of rankings.
“Heading off to college, there are many uncertainties, but I knew Notre Dame was the perfect home for me,” Love wrote. “When I think about all of the people who have impacted me at Notre Dame, it is endless. I am especially grateful to my coaches for pushing me outside of my comfort zone, while also allowing me to be me. They knew exactly what I needed to do to elevate and made sure to push me to greater heights.”
Love finished third in the Heisman voting on Saturday night behind Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza and Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia. Love rushed 199 times for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025 while also adding 27 catches for 280 yards and three scores.
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Love topped 100 yards in six of Notre Dame’s 12 games this season and shined in a 24-carry, 228-yard performance in the Irish’s win over USC on Oct. 18. He rushed for at least one touchdown in all but one of Notre Dame’s games. The game he didn’t score in? Notre Dame’s Week 1 defeat to Miami.
That game ultimately cost the Irish a playoff berth. Despite being ahead of Miami in each of the College Football Playoff’s rankings entering the final set, the Irish got jumped by the Hurricanes as the committee said it used Miami’s win as a tiebreaker between the two teams. Both Notre Dame and Miami finished with identical 10-2 records.
In 2024, Love rushed 163 times for 1,125 yards and 17 scores. Over his Notre Dame career, Love averaged 6.7 yards per carry and scored 42 total touchdowns across three seasons. He’s widely expected to be the top running back taken in the draft and could even be a top-15 pick.
In the first 13 minutes of first-half action against Lipscomb on Tuesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium, No. 3 Duke committed 13 turnovers, more giveaways than the undefeated Blue Devils had recorded in any previous game this season.
They gave up 45 points in the opening 20 minutes, the most points Duke has conceded in a half this season and the most points it has allowed at home in any half under fourth-year head coach Jon Scheyer.
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Of those 45 points, 21 resulted from Duke’s laundry list of turnovers. Lipscomb, which made the NCAA tournament last season but lost to Vanderbilt by 44 points in this year’s opener, led for most of the first half.
The ASUN’s Bisons seized a lead in the second half, too, but a thunderous, breakaway dunk from Isaiah Evans shook the rust from Duke’s nine days of rest and sparked a surge that inspired a 97-73 Blue Devils win.
Duke (11-0) outscored Lipscomb 49-28 in the second half thanks to a pair of timely 3s from Evans and 14 points from Cameron Boozer, who took over the game in the latter portion of play and finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists but also 6 of the Blue Devils’ season-high 22 turnovers.
With the victory, Scheyer became the fastest coach to reach 100 career wins in ACC history. He needed just 122 games to do it, six fewer than Duke’s Vic Bubas and seven fewer than North Carolina‘s Roy Williams.
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Scheyer reached the milestone on a night where he also came away with plenty of teaching tape for a Duke team that entered having defeated four straight ranked opponents.
Lipscomb (6-5) scored more points in a half than all of those teams, including defending national champion Florida, which went for 42 in the second half of a 67-66 loss to Duke on Dec. 2.
The Blue Devils staked themselves to a 10-0 advantage, only for the Bisons to storm back with a 10-0 run of their own. Throughout the opening period, they were fueled by guard Mateo Esmeraldo and center Grant Asman. They piled up 12 and 11 first-half points, respectively. Asman, despite dealing with some foul trouble, clocked out with a team-high 18 points. Esmeraldo finished with 14 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds.
Ultimately, Duke’s physicality won out. The Blue Devils logged 26 second-chance points. The Bisons didn’t end up with any.
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That’s how Duke took a 48-45 lead into the break, courtesy of a Boozer tip-in.
Layups from Esmeraldo and Lipscomb forward Titas Sargiunas put the Bisons back in front — only momentarily.
Caleb Foster drove, scored and gave the Blue Devils the keys. They were in control the rest of the way. Evans stealing Esmeraldo’s cross-court pass and delivering a one-handed dunk felt like the turning point, however.
The Boozer twins made light work of the Lipscomb defense in the second half. All 9 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds Cayden Boozer stacked came in the final period.
The final score won’t tell the story of Lipscomb’s first-half upset bid. The box score, stuffed with Duke’s turnovers, does though.
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That won’t be lost on Scheyer, even on a celebratory night.
Should we believe in the Pittsburgh Steelers after their MNF win? Yahoo Sports’ Andrew Siciliano, Jori Epstein and Frank Schwab discuss Steelers’ playoff chances and Tua Tagovailoa’s future with the Miami Dolphins. Also, did the New England Patriots need to lose to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday to strengthen their playoff run? Plus, Andrew sits down with Legion of Boom members Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor to discuss the 2025 NFL season along with their thoughts on the state of the Seattle Seahawks. Closing things out, the crew breaks down Frank’s latest playoff projections before talking about their “One More Thing”.
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(7:12) – Steelers MNF win over Dolphins
(18:30) – Did the Patriots need to lose to the Bills?
(24:14) – Richard Sherman & Kam Chancellor join the show!
(37:13) – How will the Packers move on without Micah Parsons?
(43:32) – Playoff Projections
(56:06) – One More Thing
Can the Packers make a Super Bowl run without Micah Parsons? (Photo by John McGloughlin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by John McGloughlin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Louisville entered Knoxville averaging 94.3 points per game this season, the seventh most of any team in the country. The No. 11 Cardinals had gone over the century mark four times. They had just sniffed it with 99 points against Memphis three days earlier, and they put up 87 a week before that in a victory over then-No. 22 Indiana.
But without primary ball-handler and NBA prospect Mikel Brown Jr., who was sidelined with a lower-back injury, Louisville didn’t establish the offensive rhythm Tuesday night at Tennessee that’s made Pat Kelseys’ Cardinals tick.
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Their wings were clipped by a suffocating defense that helped the No. 20 Volunteers end their three-game skid with an 83-62 triumph. Rick Barnes hadn’t dropped four games in a row since his first season leading Tennessee in 2015-16. He had his guys firing on all cylinders and guarding the cylinder like the season was on the line.
Tennessee (8-3) practically built a wall inside the 3-point line, forcing Louisville (9-2) to settle for far too many deep 3s. The Cardinals shot only 7-of-34 from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, the Volunteers should owe rent for how much they were living down low. Led by Jaylen Carey, Tennessee outscored Louisville in the paint 28-10 in the first half. The 6-foot-8, 267-pound forward overwhelmed the Cardinals’ defense, whether it was retrieving his own miss after a give-and-go and then going back up for two or making a tough catch in the post before scoring inside again or throwing down a two-handed jam.
Carey made those three baskets in succession and clocked out with 10 points and six rebounds in the first half, during which the Vols established a 34-27 advantage. Carey finished with 12 points and 10 boards.
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Senior guard Ryan Conwell kept Louisville hanging around in the opening period. The lefty hit a trio of 3-pointers. Conwell and backcourt partner Adrian Wooley combined for 23 of the Cardinals’ 27 first-half points. Conwell finished with 22 points, and Wooley wasn’t far behind with 19.
Tennessee made its move at the beginning of the second half with four 3s in the first five minutes and change of the final frame. Ja’Kobi Gillespie hit the first and then another during a flurry of three Tennessee possessions ending in long-range makes that made it a 53-38 game.
Gillespie wound up leading the Vols with 23 points and 5 assists to go along with 3 rebounds. He made all 10 of his free-throw attempts, and he went 3 of 7 from deep.
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Tennessee center Felix Okpara put the exclamation point on a bounce-back, résumé win with a pair of signature slams in the game’s waning moments.
The second came on an alley-oop from Carey, and it was a posterizer. It also preceded a big-time block of Wooley on the other end.
Speaking of Carey, he had three assists that paired nicely with his double-double. He beat the drum for an emphatic outing from a Volunteers bench that outscored the Cardinals’ bench 34-3.
Tennessee looked like the more efficient offensive team on Tuesday, in part because of its debilitating defense that kicked into gear at the right time for Barnes.
The NBA has been flirting with expansion for years now, but Adam Silver says a decision is coming in 2026.
The NBA commissioner told reporters Tuesday before the NBA Cup championship game the league will make a “determination” about domestic expansion next year. He specifically named Seattle and Las Vegas as possibilities for new teams, citing Seattle’s past with the SuperSonics and the many NBA-connected activities already held in Vegas.
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His comments:
“I think Seattle and Las Vegas are two incredible cities. Obviously, we had a team in Seattle that had great success. We have a WNBA team in Las Vegas in the Aces. We’ve been playing the Summer League here for 20 years. Playing our Cup games here, so we’re very familiar with this market. I don’t have any doubt that Las Vegas is, despite all the major league teams here and the other entertainment properties, that this city could support an NBA team.
“I think now we’re in the process of working with our teams and gauging the level of interest and having a better understanding of what the economics would be on the ground for those particular teams and what a pro forma would look like for them. And then sometime in 2026, we’ll make a determination.”
Seattle and Las Vegas have indeed loomed as potential NBA cities for enough time that Silver conceded he was “sensitive” about the notion the league was “somehow teasing these markets.”
Both cities, of course, also have their drawbacks. The SuperSonics’ have a beloved legacy, but the franchise was moved for reasons that any prospective expansion project will have to address. And while Vegas already has plenty of ties to the NBA, it’s a highly competitive market from an entertainment perspective and Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reports the city’s economic downturn has not gone unnoticed by the NBA.
That effort has been undertaken alongside FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis and seems to still be in the early stages, with Silver claiming the league has received a large amount of interest but would require a large amount of investment:
“We’ve engaged with JP Morgan as well as investment firm Raine. They have been meeting with interested parties in Europe, a combination of existing clubs, organizations that own clubs in other leagues, city officials, many of whom I’ve met with, leaders of state, in terms of their interest. We’ve heard a lot of very positive interest in our moving forward. We in our league office are still working on the economic model, want to make sure it makes sense.
“Many of the cities we’d like to be in don’t have a sufficient arena infrastructure, so that’s something we would need to work on in terms of private investment, maybe we work with municipalities as well. We have been moving along on a very constructive path.”
It’s another edition of Data Dump on the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast as we make the pivot from Week 15 to Week 16 in the NFL. Ray Garvin joins Matt Harmon to share 10 data points you need to know for this upcoming week.
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(3:00) – Ray’s 1st data point: Trevor Lawrence has gone from mid to money
(15:15) – Matt’s 1st data point: Bo Nix’s monster game in Week 15
(24:45) – Ray’s 2nd data point: Trust these TEs down the stretch
(35:55) – Matt’s 2nd data point: Kenny Gainwell’s massive passing game role
(42:55) – Ray’s 3rd data point: What do we do with Rashee Rice?
(49:55) – Matt’s 3rd data point: Can we trust DJ Moore again?
(57:30) – Ray’s 4th data point: Where do we rank Ashton Jeanty this week?
(1:04:15) – Matt’s 4th data point: Where do we rank TreVeyon Henderson this week?
(1:10:00) – Ray’s 5th data point: Trey McBride is this year’s fantasy MVP
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(1:14:30) – Matt’s 5th data point: Bucs WR rotation now that everyone is healthy
It’s another edition of Data Dump on the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast as we make the pivot from Week 15 to Week 16 in the NFL. Ray Garvin joins Matt Harmon to share 10 data points you need to know for this upcoming week.
LAS VEGAS — Each time the New York Knicks needed a problem solved in Tuesday night’s NBA Cup final against the San Antonio Spurs, no matter how mundane or complex the on-court task was deemed to be, the answer came from an unexpected source: Mitchell Robinson.
His five offensive rebounds in the span of 90 seconds were the driving force behind a pivotal three-minute, 16-2 run that gave New York a fourth-quarter lead it would never surrender, and, ultimately, its first-ever NBA Cup championship.
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“Tonight showed why it’s important to create extra possessions,” Robinson, donning a Cup champions T-shirt, told Yahoo Sports following the Knicks’ 124-113 win over the Spurs. “They shoot the ball, they miss, I get the offensive rebound and that’s another chance of us scoring. I did that, what, 10 times tonight?
“We missed some, but the chance is there.”
In a lot of ways, being the last one standing — albeit in a midseason tournament — could invigorate the Knicks as they plant their flag in the ground as one of the NBA’s elite, especially with New York sitting just 2.5 games behind Detroit atop a much-improved Eastern Conference.
The chance is there.
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It was clear from their words both before and after the game that bringing success back home and lifting a trophy meant something. New York outlasted two top-four seeds in the Western Conference and Orlando, the East’s fifth seed. Regardless of what the outside perception of the NBA Cup may be, you’d be hard-pressed to convince these Knicks that Tuesday night doesn’t matter.
New York’s NBA Cup win revealed a roster that doesn’t rely on individual brilliance, and that balance might just be its most dangerous weapon.
(Ethan Miller via Getty Images)
The Cup final was an enthralling contest from start to finish, a deliberate, grind-it-out affair from two of the NBA’s slower teams in terms of pace. It was an atmosphere fitting of a championship game — the Spurs super fans chanting and dancing for 48 minutes, the Knicks faithful letting their emotions hang on every missed shot or deflection, and Vegas providing the perfect backdrop for a high-stakes affair.
Still, given the playoff-like environment, Victor Wembanyama’s individual star power and New York’s assemblage of talent, the crowning glory would come down to which team simply had the ball more. In Robinson, the Knicks have one of the league’s best in doing just that.
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Robinson’s commitment to crashing the glass — against a Spurs team that relishes a physical bout down low — proved pivotal on one of the game’s biggest stages. He played just 18 minutes, but snagged 15 total rebounds — 10 offensive — in a game where the Knicks scored 32 second-chance points from 23 added opportunities.
So much of the Knicks’ offense — second in the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass — comes from their ability to generate more than their opponents. They are the third-most efficient team in offense after an offensive rebound, per Synergy tracking data. When Robinson is on the floor, New York’s offensive rebounding rate soars by over 14%. It’s not a glamorous stat, but it’s an important one.
“He had 10 offensive rebounds in 18 minutes,” head coach Mike Brown said. “That’s unbelievable. We had 23 offensive rebounds for the game. He had 10. OG had four. KAT had four. That was probably the biggest difference in the game when you’re scoring 32 second-chance points.”
“Shout-out to Mitch, man,” Karl Anthony-Towns added. “Hell of a day at the office for him.”
As critical as offensive rebounds can be to a good half-court offense, though, they’re deemed futile without everything else working in tandem. Quality floor spacing, decision- and shot-making, talent and overall IQ are other necessary ingredients that make a contender.
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OG Anunoby led all players on the floor with 28 points on 10-for-17 shooting, Jalen Brunson, who was named tournament MVP, chipped in 25 of his own, and Towns finished with 16. Meanwhile, Jordan Clarkson and Tyler Kolek combined for 29 points off the bench. The Knicks, much like the city of New York, are a diverse group that gets its strength from the sum of its parts. They shy away from isolated praise, understanding their ultimate goal can’t be reached on the shoulders of one or two.
Brunson wasted no time in shouting out the contributions of each of his teammates as he was presented with his MVP trophy.
“Without them I don’t hold that trophy,” Brunson said. “We don’t hold the trophy as a team. We’re on the complete other side of this.”
“Just having everybody out there competing and contributing to the team,” forward Mikal Bridges told Yahoo Sports. “I think we got a lot of talented guys. High-IQ individuals that will go out there and do whatever it takes to win.”
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New York can make a strong claim as the deepest, most talented team in the East — and perhaps the NBA as a whole. How many teams can match the sheer offensive brilliance and leadership of Brunson? The two-way skill set of Anunoby and Bridges? Towns’ unicorn-like gravity? Josh Hart’s glue? Jordan Clarkson’s instant scoring off the bench? The guidance and tactical astuteness of Brown?
This is why the Knicks should be feared. Brunson is the head of the snake, a likely MVP candidate and rightfully so; his ability to command complete control of a team filled with vibrant personalities, all while understanding how to navigate situations, is admirable. But take a stroll into Madison Square Garden and think that slowing Brunson down is a surefire way to victory, and your mistakes have only just begun. New York is deep. New York is dangerous. New York is champion. And it’s just getting started.
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“It’s a goal of ours that we get to check off,” Brunson said. “It’s an important stepping stone for us. We can still learn from this game and get better, as well. I’m very thankful for the opportunity presented to ourselves.
“We’re going to enjoy this. But once we leave tomorrow, we’re moving on.”
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🚨 Headlines
🥊 Bud Crawford retires: Terence “Bud” Crawford, 38, announced his surprise retirement from boxing on Tuesday. This comes just months after dethroning Canelo Álvarez to improve to a perfect 42-0 (31 KOs) and lay legitimate claim to the title of best boxer of his generation.
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🏀 NBA expansion talk: The NBA has been flirting with expansion for years now, but Adam Silver says a decision is coming in 2026. He specifically threw out Seattle and Las Vegas as possibilities for new teams.
⚽️ FIFA slashes ticket prices: A week after fans responded with outrage over World Cup ticket prices, FIFA said it will provide each participating federation with a limited quantity of $60 tickets to each game to distribute to their fans.
🏈 ACC adds 9th game: The ACC is joining the other power conferences in moving to a nine-game conference schedule starting next year. The only caveat is that due to having an odd number of members (17), not every team will be able to play nine games each season.
🏒 Saban, the owner: Nick Saban has purchased a minority stake in the NHL’s Nashville Predators. “Being involved in a sports team in Nashville has always been a goal,” said the Hall of Fame football coach, who already owns multiple car dealerships in Tennessee’s capital.
Game recap: Despite an 11-of-27 shooting night for Jalen Brunson and an injury that temporarily sidelined Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks erased a double-digit deficit to defeat the Spurs, 124-113, and win the third NBA Cup title. For a team that hasn’t won the NBA Finals since 1973, that certainly means something.
OG Anunoby posted a game-high 28 points. Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson added double-digit points off the bench. Josh Hart kept doing Josh Hart things.
Mitchell Robinson extended possession after possession with 10 offensive rebounds and 15 total boards… in 18 total minutes.
What they’re saying: “Without Tyler Kolek, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Clarkson, we don’t win this game,” said Brunson while accepting NBA Cup MVP honors.
From Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko:
New York can make a strong claim as the deepest, most talented team in the East — and perhaps the NBA as a whole. How many teams can match the sheer offensive brilliance and leadership of Brunson? The two-way skill set of Anunoby and Mikal Bridges? Towns’ unicorn-like gravity? Hart’s glue? Robinson’s ability to generate second-chance points? Clarkson’s instant scoring off the bench?
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This is why the Knicks should be feared. Brunson is the head of the snake, a likely MVP candidate and rightfully so. But take a stroll into Madison Square Garden and think that slowing him down is a surefire way to victory, and your mistakes haven’t even begun.
New venues coming soon? Las Vegas has hosted the first three NBA Cup Finals, but that could be changing. Adam Silver told the NBA on Prime pregame show that “some storied college locations” are under consideration to host future title games.
My top 3, if that happens:
Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas)
Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke)
Which college arena would you like to see host the NBA Cup Finals?
🏈 Can Pete Golding be the Steve Fisher of football?
Brent Musburger interviews Steve Fisher after the Wolverines won the 1989 national championship. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
As Ole Miss prepares for the College Football Playoff, the Rebels will be hoping that the parallels with Michigan basketball don’t end with the mid-season promotion of an assistant coach.
In March 1989, two days after Selection Sunday, Michigan men’s basketball coach Bill Frieder made a major miscalculation: he incorrectly assumed that he could accept a job offer from another school yet still coach the Wolverines in the NCAA tournament.
The morning after Frieder revealed that he intended to leave for Arizona State after the season, Michigan athletic director Bo Schembechler summoned Frieder’s top assistant Steve Fisher to his office for a 7 a.m. meeting.
When the 43-year-old assistant coach arrived, Schembechler didn’t waste time with small talk or pleasantries. “Fisher, can you coach this team?” Fisher recalls Schembechler gruffly asking. “Because there’s no way Bill Frieder’s going to coach them.”
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36 years after Schembechler famously told Frieder not to bother showing up to the NCAA tournament, that banishment has gained newfound relevance.
It’s by far the closest historical precedent to the messy breakup that resulted in Ole Miss refusing to let Lane Kiffin coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoff after he spurned them for conference rival LSU.
Golding looks on prior to the Rebels’ game against Georgia in October. (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
As sixth-seeded Ole Miss prepares for its opening round matchup against 11th-seeded Tulane on Saturday, the Rebels will be hoping that the parallels with Michigan basketball don’t end with the ill-timed coaching change.
They’ll try to emulate how the ’89 Wolverines rallied around their anonymous new coach, embraced the role of jilted underdogs and stormed to their program’s first — and still only — national championship.
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Can newly promoted Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding become the Steve Fisher of college football? Can Golding enter the College Football Playoff with zero wins as a head coach and then guide the Rebels to an improbable national title?
Fisher will be watching with great interest from his home in Del Mar, California. “I wish [Golding] good luck,” he said. “I hope he has a great run and I’ll be following it closely.”
🇺🇸 Montgomery, Alabama — Jacksonville State beat Troy, 17-13, on Tuesday night to win the Salute to Veterans Bowl in a matchup of schools located just 162 miles apart.
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3-for-3: Jacksonville State has played in a bowl game in each of its three seasons at the FBS level. Marshall is the only other team (1997-99) to appear in bowl games in each of its first three eligible seasons.
(Jeff Pachoud/AFP via Getty Images)
🇫🇷 Courchevel, France — American skiing sensation Mikaela Shiffrin continued her unbeaten run to start the World Cup slalom campaign, winning the night event in the French Alps on Tuesday for her fourth victory in four tries this season.
All-time leaders: This was Shiffrin’s record 105th World Cup victory, 19 clear of second-place Ingemar Stenmark. On Friday, American Lindsey Vonn won her 83rd race, which ranks third.
(Jan Kruger/FIFA via Getty Images)
🇶🇦 Doha, Qatar — Ballon d’Or winners Ousmane Dembélé (France, PSG) and Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona) were named the best men’s and women’s players at FIFA’s 10th annual awards ceremony.
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Best XI: Dembélé was one of six PSG players to make the Best Men’s XI, while Bonmatí was one of seven members of the Spanish national team to make the Best Women’s XI.
(Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
🇪🇸 Murcia, Spain — Carlos Alcaraz runs during his VO2 Max test as he trains for the 2026 Australian Open.
VO2 max, explained: VO2 max is the maximum amount, or volume (V), of oxygen (O2) your body can use as a fuel source for exercise. Put simply, it’s a gauge of how much hard work your body can do and is an objective way to tell how fit you are.
Rising: No team had a bigger jump this week than the Ravens, who climbed four spots to No. 15 after blanking the Bengals to keep their playoff hopes alive. And though the Vikings may be eliminated, they still climbed three spots to No. 20 behind a vastly improved J.J. McCarthy.
Falling: The Packers suffered the biggest fall, dropping four spots to No. 9 after not only losing their game, but more importantly losing Micah Parsons for the season (ACL). The No. 17 Cowboys, No. 23 Dolphins and No. 24 Bengals all dropped three spots after losses.
📺 Watchlist: Wednesday, Dec. 17
The Red Wings won on Tuesday to take over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic. (Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)
🏒 NHL on TNT
The first-place Red Wings host the Mammoth in the first leg of tonight’s doubleheader (7:30pm ET), followed by the second-place Golden Knights hosting the Devils in the nightcap (10pm).
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🏈 Bowl Games
Bowl season continues tonight with two games: Old Dominion vs. USF in the Cure Bowl in Orlando (5pm, ESPN), and Louisiana vs. Delaware in the 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama (8:30pm, ESPN).
More to watch:
🏀 NBA: Grizzlies at Timberwolves (8pm, NBA) … Minnesota (17-9) is sixth in the West and Memphis (12-14) is ninth.
⚽️ FIFA Intercontinental Cup: PSG vs. Flamengo (12pm, DAZN) … Qatar hosts the final for the second annual competition featuring each continent’s title winner.
⚽️ Women’s Champions League: Juventus vs. Man United (3pm, Paramount+) … One of nine games in the final matchday of the league phase.
🏈 JUCO: Hutchinson vs. Iowa Western (7pm, ESPNU) … The junior college national championship at West Texas A&M’s Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.
Matthew Stafford, 37, remains the betting favorite to win his first MVP, which would make him just the sixth player in NFL history to win the award at age 37 or later.
Question: Can you name the other five?
Hint: 1963, 2002, 2013, 2017, 2020, 2021.
Answer at the bottom.
🏀 An email from the owner
Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob, pictured in 2024. (Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
A Warriors fan emailed team owner Joe Lacob on Sunday night, expressing his frustration about Golden State’s poor start to the season. He didn’t expect Lacob to respond two minutes later.
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The email: Warriors fan Justin Dutari found an email address that he thought belonged to Lacob and shot off a quick note with the subject line “Please read.” He complained about Steph Curry needing to shoulder so much of the scoring load, said Jimmy Butler is playing out of position, and asked him to “please do something about this team.”
The owner’s response:
You can’t be as frustrated as me. I am working on it. It’s complicated. Style of play. Coaches desires regarding players. League trends. Jimmy [Butler] is not the problem.
Trivia answer: Tom Brady (40 years old in 2017); Aaron Rodgers (37 in 2020, 38 in 2021); Peyton Manning (37 in 2013); Rich Gannon (37 in 2002); Y.A. Tittle (37 in 1963)
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Topps Now cards have been a fun, innovative addition to the card manufacturer’s portfolio, capturing exciting moments on cardboard nearly as they happen.
Since 2016, Topps has been creating these cards, which go live the day after a game and are usually available for only 24 hours.
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Topps Now has had its fair share of attention-grabbing releases over the years — Bernie Sanders sitting in the cold during the 2020 Presidential Inauguration, or the Team USA triple auto of LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant from the 2024 Summer Olympics, which still hasn’t surfaced.
But a handful of unassuming Topps Now cards command big bucks. Here’s a look at four of them.
The first card
This may not come as a surprise, but the very first Topps Now card ever made commands a premium.
It’s unassuming because it features Pittsburgh’s Francisco Liriano striking out 10 on Opening Day in 2016. It’s a nice outing and could still make the cut for a Topps Now release today, but as the program was just getting started, good — not necessarily great — games were featured.
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Some of those early cards of the program sell for around $100.
Kobe Bryant celebrates after Yasiel Puig hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning of Game 4 of the 2018 World Series against the Boston Red Sox. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
(Kevork Djansezian via Getty Images)
Los Angeles royalty
On Card No. 947 from 2018, Yasiel Puig hits a three-run home run in the sixth inning of the World Series. It’s a somewhat memorable moment, but the front of the card isn’t even what collectors are chasing.
Turn it around and there’s basketball legend Kobe Bryant on the back, celebrating Puig’s big moment from the crowd.
Bryant hadn’t appeared on a Topps card since 2009, but in this case it was likely considered fair use. Bryant, like any other fan, was photographed in the stands by Getty, and anyone in the stands is fair game for their likeness to be used in the media.
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The card sold for as much as $1,999 as recently as this past October.
First Ohtani card
While Shohei Ohtani’s rookie cards appeared in 2018, Topps actually created a card of the international superstar in 2017.
When Ohtani signed with the Angels, Topps featured his Angels introduction on Dec. 10, 2017. The card doesn’t have an RC logo, but instead an “International FA Signing” logo on it.
The card had a print run of over 17,000, so it’s surprising to see these consistently sell for over $100 — though maybe not that surprising since it’s Ohtani.
2017 Jeter and Judge Topps Now Card of the Month
Topps Now used to have a Card of the Month. You couldn’t buy these cards. The only way to get one was as a redemption through the rewards program, and you earned points only by buying Topps Now cards.
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In 2017, one of those cards featured Yankees Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge, showing them shaking hands in the dugout before Jeter’s number-retirement ceremony. Just 198 of these cards were made.
High-graded versions consistently sell for more than $500.
The New York Knicks are 2025 NBA Cup champions, and made a case on Tuesday they can accomplish even more this season in the process.
Despite an 11-of-27 shooting night for Jalen Brunson and an injury that temporarily sidelined Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks erased a double-digit deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 and win the third NBA Cup title. They join the Los Angeles Lakers (2023) and Milwaukee Bucks (2024) in accomplishing the feat.
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For a team that hasn’t won the NBA Finals since 1973 and hasn’t reached the Finals at all since 1999, that certainly means something.
The win will earn every Knicks player $530,933 in prize money, a substantial raise for some of the team’s younger and less-heralded players. The Spurs will have to settle for $212,373 each as runners-up.
The Knicks’ bench stepped up in the NBA Cup championship
For a while, San Antonio had the leg up. After knocking off the 24-2 Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals behind a returning Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs had the enormous Frenchman back and playing even more minutes, going from 21 on Saturday to 25 on Tuesday.
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They rode that momentum to an 11-point lead late in the third quarter. Seven different Spurs ended up scoring in double digits, while Brunson looked a long way off from his own 41-point semifinal performance. He still made a difference with his playmaking and gravity, but the Knicks needed someone else to step up, especially with Towns still grimacing from an apparent first-half injury.
Several players did.
OG Anunoby posted a game-high 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting, plus nine rebounds and three assists. Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson both posted double-digit points off the bench. Mitchell Robinson extended possession after possession with 10 offensive rebounds and 15 total boards.
And Josh Hart kept doing Josh Hart things.
“Without Tyler Kolek, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Clarkson, we don’t win this game,” Brunson said after the game, while accepting NBA Cup MVP honors.
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Say what you will about the Spurs’ inexperience and Wembanyama’s health, it was an impressive win for a Knicks team and another addition to their case as the team to fear in the East. Off nights for Brunson and/or Towns have frequently spelled doom for a team often lacking in depth over the past few playoffs, but this time it had three bench players step up in a major way.
With the team sitting in second in the East at 18-7, 2.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons, that’s a meaningful development.
Notably, none of the above stats will make it to the regular-season numbers. While every other game in the NBA Cup counts toward the regular season, the championship game does not.
Here’s how everything went down between the Spurs and the Knicks in the NBA Cup championship game.
Live coverage is over28 updates
Ryan Young
There was a lot of money on the line tonight in Las Vegas.
Every Knicks player will receive $530,933 for their win over the Spurs. That’s up about 3% per player from last season.
Every Spurs player will take home $212,373 for the team’s runner-up finish.
The teams that were knocked out in the semifinals took home just more than $106,000, and the quarterfinalists earned just more than $53,000.
Ryan Young
Knicks: 124
OG Anunoby 28 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
Jalen Brunson 25 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds
Karl-Anthony Towns 16 points, 11 rebounds
Spurs: 113
Victor Wembanyama 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks
De’Aaron Fox 16 points, 9 assists, 2 rebounds
Stephon Castle 15 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds
Ryan Young
While it’s not an NBA title, the New York Knicks have now won their first trophy since the franchise won the NBA Finals back during the 1972-73 season. That was more than 50 years ago.
Ryan Young
The New York Knicks have rallied back from a third quarter deficit to beat the Spurs 124-113 and claim the NBA Cup.
Ryan Young
The Spurs have only hit four shots so far this period, and the Knicks are starting to run away with this thing. OG Anunoby just drained a wide open 3-pointer in the corner, too.
The Knicks lead 118-110 with 1:44 left.
Ryan Young
Nevermind, here comes KAT. He’s checked back into the game with 4:49 left.
Ryan Young
Karl-Anthony Towns was just shown sitting at the end of the bench with his warmup shirt on. Still so specifics there, but his night is likely done.
The Knicks lead 108-102 now with about 6 minutes left.
Ryan Young
The Knicks just pulled out an 8-0 run in about 90 seconds — thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers from Jordan Clarkson — to suddenly take the lead. This one isn’t over yet.
Ryan Young
Victor Wembanyama drained two 3-pointers there and 12 points in the third to keep the Spurs in the lead. He had a huge oop off a big save from Stephon Castle late in the period, too.
We’ve got 12 minutes left to crown an NBA Cup winner.
Ryan Young
Karl-Anthony Towns just limped off the court after a bucket here in the third quarter, and trainers are working on his leg apparently. Specifics aren’t known, but not a great sign for the Knicks star.
Ryan Young
This looked incredibly easy for Victor Wembanyama…
Ryan Young
That’s a four-point play, thanks to a huge Dylan Harper 3-pointer and a free throw from Stephon Castle — who was drilled away from the ball — and the Spurs are suddenly up by 11. They are in full control of this one here in the third quarter.
Ryan Young
That’s an 8-2 run to open the second half for the Spurs, capped by an easy lob to Luke Kornet down low. San Antonio is up by eight.
Ryan Young
Victor Wembanyama came so close to what would have been a truly wild dunk in the first half.
OG Anunoby threw down back-to-back dunks in the final minute there to tie the game back up after the Spurs’ seven-point lead, including one on a huge fast break off a bad De’Aaron Fox turnover, but a Fox jumper put San Antonio back in the lead entering the locker room.
Ryan Young
Stephon Castle found Devin Vassell flying through the lane, and he immediately rose up and threw down a two-handed slam with OG Anunoby underneath him.
Castle completed a fast-break layup after a Victor Wembanyama steal on the next possession, too, to push the Spurs’ lead to seven now midway through the second quarter. This team is quick, and the Knicks appear to be struggling to keep up.
Ryan Young
The Spurs drained a trio of 3-pointers in the first two minutes of the second quarter, along with a Luke Kornet tip-in, to immediately take control of the game.
They’re up 46-40 now with about seven minutes left in the first half. They’ve missed their last six shots, too, before Mike Brown opted to call a timeout.
Ryan Young
The Spurs closed the first quarter on a quick 7-2 burst to take the lead again. OG Anunoby leads all scorers with 10 points.
So far, we’ve got a game working in Las Vegas.
Ryan Young
This pass from KAT was ridiculous. The Spurs had him doubled perfectly on the wing.
