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Celtics Trade Bol, Dozier

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Celtics have acquired a conditional future second-round draft pick from the Orlando Magic, in exchange for Bol Bol, P.J. Dozier, a conditional future second-round draft pick, and cash considerations.

Bol (7-2, 220), 22, holds career averages of 2.7 points (47.8% FG, 37.8% 3-PT), 1.2 rebounds, and 6.2 minutes in 53 games (two starts) over three NBA seasons with Denver. Dozier (6-6, 205), 25, has averaged 6.4 points (40.7% FG, 31.9% 3-PT), 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 18.0 minutes in 105 NBA games over five seasons with Oklahoma City, Boston, and Denver.

Both players were acquired by the Celtics in a three-team trade with Denver and San Antonio earlier this season on Jan. 19.

 

Big Papi is First Ballot Hall-of-Famer

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COOPERSTOWN – (Staff Report from official News Release) – Former Boston Red Sox designated hitter and first baseman David Ortiz was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, it was announced tonight on MLB Network. He received 307 votes (77.9%) cast by eligible members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

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Ortiz is one of 37 former Red Sox to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame for their playing careers. He joins Pedro Martinez, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, and Wade Boggs as the only individuals to earn election in their first year of eligibility after spending more seasons with the Red Sox than with any other team. Overall, Ortiz is the 58th player to earn election in their first year on the BBWAA ballot. He is the fourth player born in the Dominican Republic to be elected, joining Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero, and Juan Marichal.

“I am truly honored and blessed by my selection to the Hall of Fame—the highest honor that any baseball player can reach in their lifetime. I am grateful to the baseball writers who considered my career in its totality, not just on the statistics, but also on my contributions to the Red Sox, the City of Boston, and all of Red Sox Nation. I am also grateful to my teammates, my managers and coaches and Red Sox ownership for their faith in me and allowing me to be part of three World Championships,’ said Ortiz in a prepared statement.

“For a young boy from Santo Domingo, I always dreamed of playing professional baseball. Thanks to the encouragement of my father, Leo, and my mother, Angela Rosa, I knew from my earliest days at Estudia Espaillat High School in the Dominican Republic that I had the opportunity to pursue my dream of playing in the big leagues. And while my path to success was not straightforward, it was my friend, the Hall of Famer, Pedro Martinez, who convinced the Red Sox to give me a chance to achieve success. And while my path to Boston took 10 years, those 14 years in a Red Sox uniform were the best of my life. We broke the curse and then got two more championships before I retired in 2016—what a sweet and beautiful journey it has been.

“I am so thankful to my family and my children for being with me tonight on this special recognition. And I know my mother is throwing me kisses from heaven just like I always threw her a kiss after every home run,” Ortiz concluded.

“There are countless reasons why David is deserving of this honor, beginning with three World Series trophies that we would not have without his heroics on the field and his leadership,” said Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry. “He was critical in transforming the narrative around the Red Sox from one of curses and superstitions to tales of clutch moments and a collection of championships. David’s most meaningful and profound contributions, however, are not fully reflected in trophies and awards, but rather on the faces of every player held in David’s bear-hug embrace over the years, by our memories of stirring dugout rally speeches, and with his fist raised in solidarity with our community during its darkest hour. For the past two decades, David has meant the world to us and we are proud that Cooperstown will be another stop on his supremely impactful journey. Congratulations, David.”

“It has been a privilege to watch David’s storybook career in Boston for fourteen years and three World Series Championships,” said Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner. “This honor only confirms what many of us at the Red Sox and throughout New England already knew: that he is not only one of our greatest players, but one of baseball’s greatest players. Even now, as the sole BBWAA ballot inductee, he continues to stand out in the same way he did throughout his playing career. David, you deserve to take your rightful place alongside the Hall of Fame’s legends. Congratulations on this special recognition.”

“David Ortiz is the most important player to ever wear a Red Sox uniform,” said Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy. “He came to Boston in relative anonymity and with his captivating personality and his formidable bat he shattered expectations and paved the franchise’s future in championships and Duck Boat parades. The record numbers he put up and the dedication he showed in meticulously honing his craft is deserving of first ballot entry into the Hall of Fame. David, Boston and Fenway Park will always be your home but we will make an exception for Cooperstown. Congratulations, my friend. Enjoy your moment.”

The 2022 National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place Sunday, July 24, at 1:30 p.m. on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, NY. The only player elected by the BBWAA this year, Ortiz will be enshrined along with four Golden Days Era Committee electees (Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Miñoso, and Tony Oliva) and two Early Baseball Era Committee electees (Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil).

Originally signed by the Seattle Mariners as an international free agent in November 1992, Ortiz compiled a lifetime .286 batting average (2,472-for-8,640) in 2,408 games with the Minnesota Twins (1997-2002) and Red Sox (2003-16), totaling 1,768 RBI, 1,419 runs scored, a .380 on-base percentage, a .552 slugging percentage, and a .931 OPS. His 541 home runs rank 17th in Major League history, while his 632 doubles rank 12th. The only other players with at least 500 home runs and 600 doubles are Hank Aaron, Albert Pujols, and Barry Bonds.

Ortiz is the all-time Major League leader in games played as a designated hitter (2,029), as well as in hits (2,191), doubles (557), home runs (485), extra-base hits (1,060), total bases (4,239), and RBI (1,569) at the position. He earned the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award a record eight times (2003-07, ’11, ’13, ’16), and his seven Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Awards as a DH (2004-07, ’11, ’13, ’16) are the most ever at the position.

In addition to his accolades as a designated hitter, Ortiz twice earned the American League’s Hank Aaron Award (2005, ’16), given annually to the top offensive performer in each league. He finished in the top 10 in Most Valuable Player voting seven times, including in the top-five in each of his first five seasons with the Red Sox (5th, 4th, 2nd, 3rd, 4th). A 10-time All-Star, Ortiz started the Midsummer Classic for the American League seven times, twice as a first baseman (2006-07) and five times as a DH (2005, ’11-13, ’16).

Having signed with the Red Sox as a free agent on January 22, 2003, Ortiz is one of eight players to appear in at least 14 consecutive seasons for the Red Sox (2003-16), along with Carl Yastrzemski (23), Dwight Evans (19), Tim Wakefield (17), Jim Rice (16), Jason Varitek (15), Ted Williams (15), and Dustin Pedroia (14). Ortiz joins Pedroia as Boston’s only three-time World Series champions in the post-World War I era, having led the Red Sox to titles in 2004, 2007, and 2013. Ortiz is one of just four players with at least 500 career homers and three World Series championships, along with Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Reggie Jackson.

Ortiz hit 483 home runs with the Red Sox, a total that trails only Ted Williams (521) on the franchise’s all-time list. He also ranks among all-time club leaders in RBI (3rd; 1,530), hits (6th; 2,079), doubles (3rd; 524), extra-base hits (3rd; 1,023), runs scored (5th; 1,204), walks (4th; 1,133), total bases (5th; 4,084), times on base (4th; 3,241), and games played (5th; 1,953). Among players with at least 3,000 plate appearances for the Red Sox, Ortiz ranks fourth in slugging percentage (.570) and OPS (.956), having hit .290 with a .386 on-base percentage with Boston. He is one of only five players to record as many as 10 seasons with at least 30 home runs and 100 RBI for a single team, joining Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Hank Aaron, and Albert Pujols.

In 2016—his final season as a player—Ortiz batted .315 (169-for-537) and led the Major Leagues in doubles (48), extra-base hits (87), slugging percentage (.620), and OPS (1.021), also pacing the Red Sox in home runs (38), RBI (127), walks (80), and on-base percentage (.401). He set Major League records for most homers, RBI, doubles, and extra-base hits in a final season, and also set single-season records in each of those categories for a player age 40 or older. The 2016 season was Ortiz’s 10th with at least 100 RBI, passing Ted Williams for the most such seasons in club history.

Known as the greatest clutch hitter in Red Sox history, Ortiz is the franchise’s all-time leader with 10 walk-off home runs in the regular season. He recorded an additional seven walk-off hits with Boston, as his 17 game-ending RBI rank first in franchise history. In addition to his heroics in the regular season, Ortiz hit a walk-off home run in third and final game of the 2004 ALDS against the Anaheim Angels, then won Games 4 and 5 of the 2004 ALCS with walk-off hits in Boston’s historic comeback against the New York Yankees. In 2013, he provided the signature moment of the Red Sox’ postseason by hitting a game-tying grand slam in the eighth inning of a 6-5 win over the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of the ALCS.

Named MVP of the 2004 ALCS and of the 2013 World Series, Ortiz is the Red Sox’ career leader in postseason games (76), runs (51), hits (80), doubles (19), home runs (17), extra-base hits (38), RBI (57), total bases (154), and walks (59). Among players with at least 50 plate appearances in the Fall Classic, Ortiz owns Major League Baseball’s best-ever World Series batting average (.455), on-base percentage (.576), and OPS (1.372).

A champion of charitable initiatives, Ortiz won the 2011 Roberto Clemente Award, MLB’s highest honor for those who best represent the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field. He created the David Ortiz Children’s Fund to provide critical pediatric services in New England and in his native Dominican Republic. In Boston, he has provided his time and other resources to Mass General Hospital for Children, donating tickets to patients from the hospital as part of his “Papi’s Pals” program.

On September 13, 2017, Ortiz and the Red Sox reached a long-term agreement, allowing the former slugger to act as a mentor for current players, participate in recruitment efforts, make a variety of special appearances for the club, and work in a business development capacity for Fenway Sports Management and its partners. His uniform number (34) was formally retired during the 2017 season, and in 2022 he will be officially inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

Celtics Acquire Bol and Dozier

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from official News Release) – The Boston Celtics acquired center Bol Bol, and guard P.J. Dozier from the Denver Nuggets as part of a three-team deal with Denver and San Antonio. Boston sent Juancho Hernangomez and cash considerations to San Antonio to complete the deal.

Bol (7-2, 220), 22, holds career averages of 2.7 points (47.8% FG, 37.8% 3-PT), 1.2 rebounds, and 6.2 minutes in 53 games (two starts) over three NBA seasons with Denver. He has competed in 14 games with the Nuggets in 2021-22, including a career-high 11-point performance on 5-of-7 shooting in 20 minutes played at Houston on Jan. 1.

Originally selected in the second round (44th overall) of the 2019 NBA Draft, Bol averaged 21.0 points (56.1% FG, 52.0% 3-PT, 75.7% FT), 9.6 rebounds, and 29.8 minutes in nine games during his lone collegiate season at Oregon in 2018-19.

Dozier (6-6, 205), 25, has averaged 6.4 points (40.7% FG, 31.9% 3-PT), 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 18.0 minutes in 105 NBA games over five seasons with Oklahoma City, Boston, and Denver. Dozier, who has averaged 5.4 points in 18.9 minutes this season, produced a career-high 7.7 points on 41.7% shooting in 50 games with Denver in 2020-21.

Hernangomez played in 18 games during his lone season with the Celtics in 2021-22, averaging 1.1 points, and 1.4 rebounds in 5.3 minutes.

Maverick Carter Joins Sox Foundation

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BOSTON – (Staff report from Official News Release) – The Red Sox Foundation added entrepreneur Maverick Carter to its Board of Directors. In his role, Carter will help develop and achieve the Foundation’s strategic goals and mission of improving lives throughout New England in the areas of health, recreation, and education. The new board appointment builds on a longstanding relationship between Carter and Fenway Sports Group that began in 2010 through a strategic partnership with LRMR Ventures. That relationship further deepened when Carter – through his relationship with NBA superstar LeBron James – became a member of FSG’s ownership group in March 2021.

“For the past decade, I have had the privilege of working closely with Mav and have seen firsthand how he incorporates community and service into every aspect of his work,” said Red Sox Foundation Chairman Tom Werner. “In addition to his incredible business acumen, his experience in sports philanthropy and athlete empowerment will be invaluable in how we continue to grow the programs and vision of the Red Sox Foundation. We are fortunate to have his talent and wisdom and look forward to deepening his connection to the Red Sox and FSG family.”

Throughout his career, Carter has significantly impacted the sports and media landscape and helped usher in a new era of athlete empowerment through his longtime business partnership with LeBron James and as CEO of The SpringHill Company, which owns notable brands including athlete empowerment brand UNINTERRUPTED and its More Than movement, the trailblazing hit show for leading cultural conversations, The Shop, and their blockbuster family film, Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Carter has channeled his passionate curiosity and determination to uplift others into building brands that develop authentic, award-winning content spanning several platforms, all with a common thread of empowering others. With an extensive background in marketing and business development, Carter was instrumental in building LRMR Ventures and in securing James’ lifetime deal with Nike, the first in the company’s history.

Carter also lends his time, experience, and strategic insights to leading companies and nonprofit organizations, starting as a founding Board Member of the LeBron James Family Foundation that is committed to creating generational change in his hometown of Akron. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Live Nation Entertainment and Equinox Group as well as the Advisory Council for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and Walmart’s Opportunity Leadership Council, among others.

“Empowerment is at the center of everything I do, whether that be in business, family or philanthropy,” said Maverick Carter. “It’s an honor for me to join the Red Sox Foundation’s Board of Directors and have the opportunity to help inspire and empower families and communities in Boston and beyond.”

New Commitment to Women’s Hockey

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BOSTON – (Staff report from Official News Release) – At a sports business conference by the The Carnegie Initiative for inclusion and acceptance in the sport of hockey staged today in Boston, the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) made public a commitment from its Board of Governors to invest over $25 million in direct payments and benefits to its players in the next three years. The pledge includes more than $7.5 million in salary and benefits for the 2022-23 season. The commitment represents the largest one-time independent investment in the history of professional women’s hockey and will ‘provide more financial opportunities for athletes while directly enhancing the player experience,” said a league statement.

“The PHF has been steadfast in its vision to grow the game under a new era that truly provides leading opportunities for athletes in the sport who deserve to be treated as professionals,” said Tyler Tumminia, PHF Commissioner. “This amazing investment by (franchise) ownership reaffirms the strength of their commitment to being difference-makers who advance the professional game so that our athletes can thrive as role models who continue to inspire the next generation.”

The investment to our professional players, which includes cash, full healthcare benefits provided by their club, and equity in the teams, will support the current athletes and attract new players. At the heart of the financial commitment  is a substantial salary cap increase to $750,000 for next year, 150 percent more than the current record figure of $300,000 that is available per team.

The PHF will further support its growth and the development opportunities for its athletes through expansion, updating facilities, purchasing new equipment, and increasing ice time in the form of more practices and an expanded 28 game schedule. All players will benefit from 10 percent of the equity of each team, which will be contributed to an investment pool owned by the PHF players, enabling them to share in the league’s financial success. Additionally, players will have control over their own likeness and be able to profit from their image.

“On behalf of the Board of Governors we are proud to play a part in bringing women’s sports to the next level by investing in the PHF,” said John Boynton, Chairman of the federation’s Board of Governors. “We see the PHF as a platform to address the inequities that women athletes face. We also believe in the sustainability of our developing business model and embrace our responsibility to build a platform that grows this dynamic league to historic heights.”

Over the last 18 months, the PHF has pivoted from a single entity structure to a joint venture model, with all six member clubs owned and operated by private ownership groups in their respective markets. The PHF also generated landmark broadcast and corporate partnerships, the largest sponsorship revenues in its history, and received record digital viewership and engagement during a shortened season. Prior to the 2021-22 campaign, the league announced a historic name change and refreshed logo to redefine the brand based on the skill and talent of the athletes as opposed to their gender.

 

 

Bruins Sign Tuukka Rask to 1-Year Deal

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BOSTON – The Boston Bruins signed goaltender Tuukka Rask to a one-year contract with an NHL cap hit of $1 million. Bruins GM Don Sweeney made the announcement late Tuesday afternoon. Rask was playing for the Bruins’ minor league team in Providence this week.

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Rask, 34, played in 24 games with Boston in 2020-21, compiling a 15-5-2 record with three shutouts, a 2.28 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. In 11 playoff games, Rask recorded a 6-4-0 record with a 2.36 goals against average and a .919 save percentage.

In 2020, Rask was nominated for the Vezina Trophy, given annually to the NHL’s beast goaltender as voted on by NHL general managers. The Savonlinna, Finland native posted a 26-8-6 record with five shutouts, a 2.12 goals against average and .929 save percentage. He led the NHL in both goals against average and save percentage (minimum 30 starts) and was tied for second in shutouts.

Rask previously won the Vezina Trophy in 2014, a season in which he compiled a 36-15-6 record with seven shutouts, a 2.04 goals against average and .930 save percentage.

Rask is also the only goaltender in Bruins history to have reached 500 career NHL games, a milestone he hit on October 23, 2019. The 6-foot-3, 176-pound goaltender also sits atop the Bruins all-time leaderboard in wins (306), save percentage (.921), playoff games played (104) and playoff wins (57).

Over his 14-year NHL career with Boston, Rask has appeared in 560 regular season games, compiling a 306-163-66 record with a 2.27 goals against average, .921 save percentage and 52 shutouts.

Rask was originally selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round (21st overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Boston Celtics, NBA Mourn Passing of Hall-of-Famer Sam Jones, 88

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BOSTON – (Staff report from Multiple News Releases/Statements) – The basketball industry, including the Boston Celtics, the NBA and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame mourned the passing of legendary Boston Celtics legend Sam Jones. Enshrined as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984, Jones passed away at the age of 88. He was an honored member of the NBA’s All-time 25th anniversary, 50th anniversary and recently celebrated 75th anniversary teams.

“Sam Jones will be remembered as one of the most prolific champions in all of professional sports. His selfless style, clutch performances and signature bank shot were hallmarks of an incredible career that featured 10 NBA championships in 12 seasons with the Boston Celtics,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a statement. “An HBCU (Historically Black Colleges/Universities) legend at North Carolina Central University and a member of the NBA’s 25th, 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams, Sam was a beloved teammate and respected competitor who played the game with dignity and class. We mourn the passing of a basketball giant and send our deepest condolences to Sam’s family and the Celtics organization.”

The Celtics organization issued a statement that read: “Sam Jones was one of the most talented, versatile, and clutch shooters for the most successful and dominant teams in NBA history. His scoring ability was so prolific, and his form so pure, that he earned the simple nickname, “The Shooter.” He was also known as “Mr. Clutch.” One of the many testaments to his clutch performances is the fact that his playoff scoring average (18.9) exceeded his regular season output (17.7). His number 24 was retired in 1969, the final year of his Celtics career, which of course resulted in an NBA Championship – his tenth. Only Bill Russell won more championships in his NBA career. The Jones family is in our thoughts as we mourn his loss and fondly remember the life and career of one of the greatest champions in American sports.”

“Sam Jones was as much of a one-of-a-kind athlete as he was an individual,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “As one of the greatest champions in American sports history, Sam embodied what it means to be a winner both on and off the court. He was a natural scorer and will forever be one the most clutch performers the game has ever seen. He will be tremendously missed by the entire Hall of Fame family.”

At 6-foot-4, Sam Jones was the prototype of the two-way, big guard. He could run the floor, bang the boards, and his rangy offensive game caused fits in his opponents. As a collegian, Jones was an offensive firehouse scoring 1,770 points while playing for Hall of Fame coach John McLendon at all-black North Carolina Central College. His senior season saw the fiery guard average a double-double in points and rebounds. His scoring aptitude continued and in the NBA he averaged over 17 points a game for his career. Always steady, always on top of his game, Sam Jones was a winner. One half of the “Jones Boys” of Boston, Sam teamed with K.C. Jones in the Celtics backcourt to create havoc in NBA arenas around the country. Jones favored an unorthodox but highly effective bank shot that became the muscle behind his and Boston’s ten NBA championships, including eight in a row from 1959 to 1966.

He received several accolades throughout his storied career, including being the first African American inducted into the North Carolina Hall of Fame in 1969.  His jersey No. 24 was retired by the Celtics in 1969.

“I just got off the phone with Satch (Sanders),” former teammate Bob Cousy said to Boston sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy from his Worcester home Friday morning. “I told him not to look over his shoulder.

“Now we’re down to just three. Satch [Tom Sanders], Russ [Bill Russell], and I are holding up the float, I guess. The last thing I said to Satch was that I’m going to have my lonely New Year’s Eve drink tonight at 6 o’clock and I’m going to hoist it to Sam. I told Satch he should do the same and he said, ‘I won’t have mine till 10,’ and I said, ‘By 10, I will have been asleep for an hour.’ ”

 

Bruins to Retire O’Ree’s No. 22

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Bruins announced today, December 31, a celebration to honor Willie O’Ree by retiring his number 22 jersey prior to the team’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, January 18.

O’Ree is the 12th player to have his sweater honored by the Boston Bruins in franchise history, joining Lionel Hitchman (#3, 1934), Aubrey V. Clapper (#5, 1947), Edward W. Shore (#2, 1949), Milton C. Schmidt (#15, 1957), Robert G. Orr (#4, 1979), John P. Bucyk (#9, 1980), Philip A. Esposito (#7, 1987), Raymond J. Bourque (#77, 2001), Terence J. O’Reilly (#24, 2002), Cameron M. Neely (#8, 2004) and Richard D. Middleton (#16, 2018).

O’Ree became the first Black player to compete in an NHL game when he dressed with the Bruins 64 years prior to the date of his jersey retirement on January 18, 1958, against the Montreal Canadiens. Despite being legally blind in one eye, O’Ree went on to play one more game that season and 43 during the 1960-61 season before being traded to the Canadiens. O’Ree ended his NHL career with four goals and 10 assists.

Even after his retirement in 1997, O’Ree continued to transform the game of hockey. In 1998, O’Ree was named the NHL’s Diversity Ambassador, where he traveled the country to help grow the game of hockey and support Hockey is for Everyone initiatives. Thirty years later, in response to those efforts, O’Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2018 as a part of the “Builder” category, which is defined by “coaching, managerial or executive ability, or ability in another significant off-ice role, sportsmanship, character and contributions to his or her organization or organizations and to the game of hockey in general.”

The jersey retirement on January 18 will feature a pre-game ceremony beginning at 6:30 p.m., with doors opening to game ticket holders at 5 p.m.

 

The 2021 Gutter Bowls

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BOSTON – The (Wasabi) Fenway Bowl, which was scheduled to feature Virginia and SMU, was cancelled and the Boston College Eagles will have “no contest” declared for the second time since 2018 as the 2021 Military Bowl was scrapped for the second year in a row because of concerns of COVID-19. It is the second straight year the Fenway Bowl game, which has never been played, has been canceled because of the virus.

Boston College was forced to decline participation of its matchup against East Carolina, scheduled for Monday, due to a combination of COVID-19 cases and injuries while the Fenway Bowl, featuring SMU and Virginia, was canceled Sunday after positive COVID-19 test results on its roster. The game was set to be the final one for coach Bronco Mendenhall at Virginia after he resigned from the program earlier this month. SMU had already traveled to Boston for the game.

The bowls are the second and third outright cancellations of the 2021-22 College Football bowl season, joining Hawaii pulling out of the Hawaii Bowl against Memphis on Christmas Eve. Additionally, Texas A&M was forced to pull out of the Gator Bowl due to COVID issues, but Rutgers stepped up to take the Aggies’ place as a 5-7 squad. Last season, 18 bowls were canceled by the pandemic.

The matchup is the second straight bowl game canceled for SMU, though the Mustangs would have been without a bulk of the coaching staff after former coach Sonny Dykes left for TCU. The Virginia Cavaliers were in pursuit of their third winning season in the last four years under Mendenhall before new coach Tony Elliott takes over the program.

For East Carolina, the cancellation is especially disappointing. The Pirates have not played in a bowl game since 2014 but earned a 7-5 record in Coach Mike Houston’s third season. Boston College has not won a bowl game since 2016.

Merry Christmas 🎄 2021

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Here is the NBA on Christmas Day schedule:

Noon: Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks (ESPN): The Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks will meet on Christmas Day for the first time since the Hawks moved to Atlanta (which took place in 1968). The teams faced each other twice on Christmas Day when the Hawks were in St. Louis (1956 and 1965). This will mark the first time the Hawks have been scheduled to play on December 25th since 1989. The Knicks have played 53 times on Christmas, the NBA team high.

2:30pm ET: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks (ABC): The Celtics have played the third-most games on Christmas Day (34 entering 2021, trailing only NY and the LA Lakers) and the most road games on Christmas Day (29 entering 2021). Milwaukee will be hosting a Christmas Day game for the second consecutive year. The Bucks are (4-3) on the holiday with last year’s 138-99 stocking full of coal deposited on the Golden State Warriors.

5:00pm ET: Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns (ABC/ESPN Radio):The Suns are (12-6) on the holiday and the Warriors are (13-17). Phoenix’s last Christmas Day game came in 2009, a 124-93 win vs. LA Clippers. Golden State’s Draymond Green was the last player to record a triple-double on the holiday, and is one of six players to do so on Christmas Day: Draymond Green (2017), Russell Westbrook (2013), LeBron James(2010), Billy Cunningham (1970), John Havlicek (1967) and Oscar Robertson (four times: 1967, 1963, 1961 and 1960).

8:00pm ET: Brooklyn Nets at Los Angeles Lakers (ABC/ESPN Radio):The LA Lakers are scheduled on Christmas Day for the 23rd straight year. They have the most all-time victories on 12/25 with 24. Lakers center DeAndre Jordan holds the single-game record for most blocked shots on Christmas Day with eight for the LA Clippers against the Golden State Warriors in 2011. LeBron James ranks second in career points on Christmas Day with 383. He needs 13 points to pass the late Kobe Bryant (395) and become the all-time leading scorer on 12/25 when he has a (10-5) won-loss record which trails only Dwyane Wade’s (10-3) record. Meanwhile, the highest-scoring game by an active player on Christmas Day belongs to the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant, who had 44 points for the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Denver Nuggets in 2010. KD fell 16 points shy of Bernard King’s record.

10:30pm ET: Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz (ESPN): The nightcap will feature Dallas’ Luka Dončić against Utah’s Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, all three named NBA All-Stars last season. Both franchises are relative newcomers to the NBA on 12/25 tradition, with Dallas (2-2) and Utah (5-2). The Jazz games on Christmas Day have all been played at home (including two as the New Orleans Jazz).

TIDINGS of JOY: The NBA’s first foray of Christmas Day game came in 1947 when the Baltimore Bullets defeated the Chicago Stags 87-70 at Baltimore Coliseum. The same day, the New York Knicks defeated the Providence Steamrollers 89-75 at Madison Square Garden and the Washington Capitols won at St. Louis Bombers 73-56 at St. Louis Arena. The 56 point effort is the all-time low for Santa. … The last time there was just a single game on Christmas was 2006 when the Miami Heat defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 101-85 at Miami’s American Airlines Arena.