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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-MVP

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OKLAHOMA CITY – (Wire Service Report) – Named NBA Finals MVP following Oklahoma City’s 103-91 Game 7 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has earned the crown jewel of one of the NBA’s most decorated seasons at only 26 years old.

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Gilgeous-Alexander won the regular-season MVP and Finals MVP this season, becoming the ninth player in league history to accomplish that feat and the first since LeBron James in 2012-13 with the Miami Heat.

“It’s hard to believe that I’m part of that group. It’s hard to even fathom that I’m that type of basketball player sometimes,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after Game 7. ” … I’m just glad and happy that my dreams have been able to come true.”

The 6-foot-6 guard was the clear favorite to win the award if the Thunder captured the championship, averaging 30.3 points, 5.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game in the seven-game series.

Gilgeous-Alexander had a tough shooting night (8 for 27 from the field) to close out the series in Game 7, but as he’s done all season, he produced from the free-throw line. The league leader in drives made 11 of 12 attempts from the stripe and had his best playmaking performance of the Finals, notching a playoff-career-high 12 assists.

“Coming off of Game 6, I obviously had a lot more turnovers than assists. That’s not a recipe for a win, and I wanted to do whatever it took tonight to get a win,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Whether that was me playing in space, or it was … some of my teammates open and just trying to make the right basketball play.”

With a record 72 points over his first two career Finals games, Gilgeous-Alexander started hot and never looked back. His 34-point performance in Game 2 to prevent a 2-0 Thunder deficit and 35 in Game 4 to avoid falling down 3-1 kept Oklahoma City step-for-step with a relentless Indiana Pacers team.

The Thunder proved to be equally as tough. They lost consecutive games only twice in the regular season and never lost back-to-back games this postseason.

“We have a team full of competitors, we did what it took this year to be champions, and we deserve this,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We rose to the moment, here we are.”

The Toronto native won regular-season MVP by leading a 68-win Thunder team — the highest regular-season win total since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors — and pacing the league in scoring at 32.7 points per game.

Alexander had among the most efficient volume scoring seasons of any guard in NBA history, posting 51.9/37.5/89.8 shooting splits, and was a solid defensive piece on one of the stingiest defenses in recent league history.

The No. 11 overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2018 draft, Gilgeous-Alexander was traded on draft night to the Los Angeles Clippers. After his rookie season, the Clippers shipped the Kentucky product to Oklahoma City in a package for Paul George, tipping the first domino in what would become one of the league’s most successful rebuilds.

Gilgeous-Alexander was a fringe All-Star caliber player for three seasons, in two of which the Thunder won fewer than 30 games, until he burst into the forefront of the NBA in the 2022-23 season, averaging 31.4 ppg.

Last season, he was the runner-up for MVP while Oklahoma City fell short of a title in a second-round exit.

A year later, Gilgeous-Alexander hoisted the first Larry O’Brien and Finals MVP trophies that Oklahoma City has ever seen.

— Field Level Media

Bradley Wins at 72nd Hole

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CROMWELL – (Staff Report) – In a 360-degree turnaround on the 72nd and last hole of play at the 2025 Travelers Championship, New England born and bred Keegan Bradley scored a one shot victory over England’s Tommy Fleetwood to win the last of the PGA Tour’s signature Events and a $4 million jackpot.

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Fleetwood missed a 6-foot-eight-inch putt on the 18th hole before Bradley holed a 5-foot-eight-inch putt for the win. Fleetwood began the final round with a three stroke lead over Bradley and Russell Henley in an attempt to win on USA soil for the first time. Fleetwood is an eight-time winner on the European Tour.

Fleetwood started slowly, playing the first four holes with a three over par score but he maintained his lead. The pressure mounted for the final three holes and Fleetwood bogeyed two of those three – No. 16 and No. 18 – and finished (-14) while Bradley birdied No. 15 and No. 18 to finish (-15) for the victory which provided him with 700 FedEx Cup points.

The 700-point haul vaulted Bradley to No. 8 in the FedEx Cup year-long standings. Fleetwood earned 375 points for his T-2 and is No. 10 on the FedEx Cup point list.

Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 and FedEx Cup point leader for 2025, finished T-6 and earned 375 points. After shooting (62) in the opening round on Thursday, Scheffler struggled in the wind on Friday (69, 1-under) and Saturday (72, +2 over).

Henley finished tied for second place with Fleetwood while Jason Day and Harris English finished T-4. Harris was among five players to shoot (65) on Sunday. US Open champion J.J. Spaun carded a (63) in his final round and finished T-14.

Bradley was greeted by his entire family after sinking the winning putt in front of a pro-New England and USA crown at TPC River Highlands, just south of Hartford, Connecticut. Bradley was born in Woodstock, Vermont, and grew up in nearby Hopkinton, Massachusetts, often attending the very tournament he’s now won twice.

TL’s Sunday Notebook | June 22

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While We’re Young (Ideas) at TPC River Highlands

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CROMWELL (Connecticut) – As your trusty columnist plunges in a pool of “Coppertone,” (that’s OG for sun block), blows in the wind gusts that made Friday’s round at the 2025 Travelers Championship golf tournament hit a low average a 70.68, and while we agonize over the Moving Day results for tournament leaders – Justin Thomas, and Scottie Scheffler – there’s no better time than today to set golf aside for a paragraph or three and a review great Game 7s in NBA history.

Game 7s

Here’s a look at all of the Game 7s in NBA history:

Year, Result

2016 Cleveland Cavaliers def. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 93-89

2013 MIAMI HEAT defeat San Antonio Spurs 95-88

2010 LOS ANGELES LAKERS def. Boston Celtics 83-79

2005 SAN ANTONIO SPURS def. Detroit Pistons 81-74

1994 HOUSTON ROCKETS def. New York Knicks 90-84

1988 LOS ANGELES LAKERS def. Detroit Pistons 108-105

1984 BOSTON CELTICS def. Los Angeles Lakers 111-102

1978 Washington Bullets def. SEATTLE SUPERSONICS 105-99

1974 Boston Celtics defeat MILWAUKEE BUCKS 102-87

1970 NEW YORK KNICKS def. Los Angeles Lakers 113-99

1969 Boston Celtics def. LOS ANGELES LAKERS 108-106

1966 BOSTON CELTICS def. Los Angeles Lakers 95-93

1962 BOSTON CELTICS def. Los Angeles Lakers 110-107 (OT)

1960 BOSTON CELTICS def. St. Louis Hawks 122-103

1957 BOSTON CELTICS def. St. Louis Hawks 125-123 (2 OT)

1955 SYRACUSE NATIONALS def. Fort Wayne Pistons 92-81

1954 MINNEAPOLIS LAKERS def. Syracuse Nationals 87-80

1952 MINNEAPOLIS LAKERS def. New York Knicks 82-65

1951 ROCHESTER ROYALS def. New York Knicks 79-75

That’s a total of 19 Game 7s with the home team going 15-4. Not too shabby for the home squads.

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TL TENURE: In my tenure at NBA HQ, there were only three Game 7s over the 26 years. They came in 1984, ‘88 and 1994. (Look who is in far right corner of the photo above from ’84)

Without a doubt, the 1984 “NBA World Championship Series” (that’s pre-NBA Finals lingo), was the best game and the best series I’ve ever seen in person. I worked a then-record 135 consecutive Finals games with Game 1 of the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers sweep over the LA Lakers – Moses Malone called it “Fo, fo, and Fo,” but it went “Fo, Five and Fo” – in a disappointing quick series that Moses, Dr. J and Company just dominated. That next year – 1984 – were were primed for greatness.

The Celtics and LA Lakers delivered with the Cs taking Game 7 on the parquet in the old Boston Garden, 111-102. It was an epic series with Hall of Famers deep on each team’s roster.

LA Lakers:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Michael Cooper

Earvin “Magic Johnson

Bob McAdoo

Jamaal Wilkes

James Worthy

Boston Celtics:

Larry Bird

Dennis Johnson

Kevin McHale

Robert Parish

Both team coaches, KC Jones of the Celtics (enshrined as a player) and Pat Riley of the Lakers (enshrined as a coach) were at the respective helms of their legendary clubs.

In Game 7 back in ‘84, the Boston Garden indoor temperature that was an issue in Game 5 was not as bad (indoor temperatures hovered around 91°F rather than 97 during the game, due to additional fans brought in to attempt to cool the air). The Celtics were led by Cedric Maxwell who had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Larry Bird (Indiana State) avenged the 1979 NCAA Final Four loss to Magic Johnson (Michigan State) and Bird won the MVP honors for the series.

Earlier Celtics teams lived by the motto, “No rebounds, no rings.” The great Bill Russell ecelled in Game 7s, snagging 40 rebounds in 1962, 35 rebounds in 1960 and 32 rebounds in 1966.

In 1988, “Big Game” James Worthy has 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the LA Lakers to a 108-105 Game 7 victory. In the 2-3-2 format for home games, the series switched back to LA with the Lakers trailing the Pistons 2-games-3, but the Lakers prevailed, taking the last two games of the series. Game 6 is remembered for Detroit’s Isiah Thomas spraining his ankle, badly, but still scoring 25 of his 43 points in the third quarter, gimping on the ankle. Worthy won the MVP of the series.

One item of note: The 2025 NBA Finals are a turning point for the league. An age of parity in the league has brought about two incredibly talented teams, one the model for the other. Get ready for more of these type match-ups, as the strong, long, fast, deep, versatile NBA clubs will outlast the traditional types. Since the 2018 NBA Finals, there’s been a different champion each and every year, including 2025. That defines a new era in NBA basketball and it’s … FAN-tastic.

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Seattle Mariner’s catcher Cal Raleigh is on his way to a record-breaking season. Raleigh broke Hall of Famer Johnny Bench‘s 1970 record for home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break, hitting his major-league-leading 28th and 29th in the Seattle Mariners’ 9-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

Looking ahead, Raleigh will attempt to break these numbers for a single season:

2021 – Sal Perez (Kansas City Royals) – (48)

1970 – Johnny Bench (Cincinnati Reds) – (45)

2003 – Javy Lopez (Atlanta Braves) – (43)

Mike Piazza (Dodgers and Mets) is the all-time leader for career home runs with 427 (396 hit as a catcher). Raleigh has 122 dingers on his career.

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AT THE TRAVELERS: World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had a rough round on Friday, playing in wind gusts of 30 mph. After shooting a scorching (62) on Thursday, Scheffler followed with a (69) on Friday, including a double-bogey on No. 17 as he came in at 35. Scheffler began the third round with a triple bogey on Saturday and later experienced a double bogey on No. 8. He had five birdies on the day but shot a 2-over, 72, and will tee-off Sunday as a player T-8.

Thomas was worse. He had a bogey on No. 2 and a dreaded quadruple bogey (9) on No. 13 and finished 3-over, 73 and enters Sunday play T-14.

Between the two leaders, they hit for the cycle with bogey – double bogey – triple bogey and quadruple bogey.

On the other hand, Tommy Fleetwood did some moving on “Moving Day,” shooting a 7-under, 63, and leads Russell Henley by three strokes. Henley shot a best-of-week (61) on Saturday to sit T-2 and three back.

New England native Keegan Bradley – captain of the USA Ryder Cup team this Fall – shot a (63) with seven birdies and a bogey free round.

Digital Sports Desk and sister e-news PGA Tour Brunch will be on site at TPC River Highlands, just south of Hartford, Connecticut where we write from on Saturday and Sunday.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Sam Coffey, daughter of former NY Daily News columnist Wayne Coffey, was named to the active roster for the upcoming threesome of friendlies for the US Women’s National Team. The product of The Masters School in Westchester County, Boston College and Penn State will take her place against No. 25 Ireland (June 26 & 29) and No. 8 Canada (July 2). … Those games will be broadcast on Turner (TNT/TruTV).

The 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be staged on Friday, June 27 (7:00pm ET, ESPN) and Saturday, June 28 (12 Noon ET, NHL Net). The event will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

RAFA and RAFAEL: When Rafael Devers was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the San Francisco Giants, it broke up a strong bond between teammates – CeddanneRafaela and the discarded Devers. The MLB scheduling gods brought them back together on Friday night.

“He’s like my big brother. I really looked up to him when I was coming up,” said Rafaela. “So it’s always a pleasure for me to watch him play and watch him perform. I think, yeah, it was fun.”

Yes, it was fun for Rafaela and Boston as the Red Sox took a 7-5 victory at SF’s Oracle Park. Rafaela came through with a rally-starting double, an RBI single and a towering solo homer while Devers had a rough 0-for-5 night at the plate. Devers enjoyed some revenge on Saturday when he homered off former teammate Brayan Bello in the third inning of his SF Giants’ 3-2 win over the Sox.

PHIL STEELE and COLLEGE FOOTBALL: WWYI has written of the great College Basketball preview publication called Blue Ribbon Basketball. For College Football, it’s Phil Steele’s 2025 College Football Preview. The 75-page bible for college footy is already in mailboxes all around the nation and it’s available for purchase by clicking HERE.

Boston College fans can read about the fact their football team will face a Top 25 of toughest schedule in 2025. BC comes in at No. 11 in the country for that tough schedule dictating the chance to have a drop-off from their (7-6) 2024 record when they lost to Nebraska in the Pinstripe Bowl.

THIS JEST IN: The Stanley Cup got a little “banged up” this week, thanks to the Florida Panthers’ celebration of back-to-back titles. The greatest trophy in all the world is cracked and the bottom is dented, but it’s not the first time and likely not the last.

The Panthers won their second consecutive championship on home ice Tuesday night, beating Edmonton in six games. The team, following decades of tradition, partied with the Cup into the wee hours and kept the revelry going in Fort Lauderdale well into Wednesday afternoon. After the damage was done, a spokesperson for the Hockey Hall of Fame said the keepers of the Cup are taking appropriate measures and plan to have it repaired by the city-wide celebration parade today. Made of silver and a nickel alloy, the 37-pound Cup is relatively malleable, and has a history of dealing with the reckless abandon days of lore.

In 1906, a year after being drop-kicked into a canal in Ottawa, Canada, the Montreal Wanderers took possession of The Cup by defeating Ottawa in a rematch. After a night of revelry, the players decided to take the Cup for an official picture at JimmyRice’s photography shop. Pleased with their photo, the players then exited Rice’s and crossed the street for a cold beer, but they did so without Lord Stanley’s Cup.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: The University of Wisconsin sued the University of Miami on Friday, formally accusing the Florida school of tampering with a football player under a “financial contract” with the Badgers.

The decision to sue could become a watershed moment in the current era of college athletics. Never before has a university accused another of tampering with one of its athletes, who did not have contracts before the dawn of name, image and likeness rights this decade.

“While we reluctantly bring this case, we stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field,” the school said in a statement.

Though Wisconsin’s lawsuit only refers to the player as Student Athlete A, the subject of the case is cornerback Xavier Lucas, who left Wisconsin and enrolled at Miami over the winter without ever entering the transfer portal.

There was no word on college basketball coaches walking across the gym during conference games and handing an opponent a check for $1.2 million.

Fleetwood Moves In at Travelers

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CROMWELL – Saturday’s round at the Travelers Championship was a definitive Moving Day. Tommy Fleetwood moved in while Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas moved out.

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The world No. 1 and 2024 Travelers Championship winner, Scheffler (T8/-7), opened the third round with a triple bogey (7). It marked 300 days since his last triple on TOUR (No. 10/R4/2024 BMW Championship).

Justin Thomas was worse. He had a bogey on No. 2 and a dreaded quadruple bogey (9) on No. 13 to finish 3-over, (73). He enters Sunday play T-14.

Fleetwood carded a bogey-free (63), including five birdies and one eagle on No. 13. It marked the fifth time he eagled the par-5 13th at TPC River Highlands, the most of any hole in his TOUR career. His (194) marks his lowest 54-hole total on TOUR (previous: 195/2018 BMW Championship/finish: T8).

It’s the second time Fleetwood holds a 54-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR but he’s 0-for-1 to date (2020 Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches/3rd). Fleetwood leads Russell Henley by three strokes. Henley shot a best-of-week (61) on Saturday to sit T-2 and three back.

General Notes:

The popular 2023 Travelers Championship winner, Keegan Bradley (T2/-13), carded seven birdies en route to a bogey-free (63). Bradley seeks his eighth career title on TOUR and first since 2024 BMW Championship He could become eighth multiple-time winner of the event (first since Bubba Watson in 2018).

Australian Jason Day (4th/-11) seeks his 14th career TOUR win and first since 2023 THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. His best result in 10 appearances at Travelers Championship was a T8/2019. His best finish in 11 starts this season: T3/American Express.

The Travelers | Leaderboard After 54 Holes

1 Tommy Fleetwood 66 65 63 194 (-16)

T2 Russell Henley 68 68 61 197 (-13)

T2 Keegan Bradley 64 70 63 197 (-13)

4 Jason Day 66 66 67 199 (-11)

Full Leaderboard: (PGATourCom)

PGA Tour: Weekend at Cromwell

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CROMWELL – What was the song of the day on Friday at the 2025 Travelers Championship?

“Who’s peekin’ out from under a stairway

Callin’ a name that’s lighter than air?

Who’s bendin’ down to give me a rainbow?

Everyone knows it’s Windy.”

With apologies to The Association (music group of the ‘60s), yes, it was quite windy on Friday, especially when Scottie Scheffler was on the course.

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Scheffler remains T-1st along with scorching hot Justin Thomas (64) and veteran Tommy Fleetwood (65), who each dodged the windy conditions to post big time scores to roll into contention for the $4m first place prize this weekend at beautiful TPC River Highlands.

Thomas carded five consecutive birdies (Nos. 11-15) en route to his (64), his ninth consecutive round in the 60s at TPC River Highlands. It’s his 15th career 36-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR and second this season (RBC Heritage/Won) and he’s batting .500, 7-for-14 in converting to victory to date.

Thomas’ 4-under (31) tied his lowest back-nine score at this event (fifth time) and he’s a remarkable 34-under in his last nine rounds at Travelers Championship.

Tommy Fleetwood is the only player with multiple eagles through 36 holes (Nos. 13 and 15/R2). Friday marked his seventh career stroke-play round on TOUR with multiple eagles (most recent: 2023 U.S. Open/R4)

Fleetwood’s is a cumulative 6-under on holes No. 13 and 15 combined through 36 holes.

General Notes:

First-round co-leader Austin Eckroat (T5/-7) made his fourth start at the Travelers Championship (T47/2021, T24/2023, T27/2024). He made his PGA TOUR debut at the 2021 Travelers Championship on a sponsor exemption.

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy (T9/-5) was 3-over through four holes en route to carding a 1-over (71). McIlroy has finished in the Top-20 in five previous starts at the Travelers Championship (best: T7/2023).

Popular 13-time PGA TOUR winner Jason Day’s (4th/-8) is on track for his best result in 10 appearances at Travelers Championship is T8/2019. His best finish in 11 starts this season was a T3/American Express.

The 70.686 scoring average Friday marked the highest single-round scoring average at Travelers Championship since 2017 (70.824/R2).

Si Woo Kim withdrew during the second round with a back injury.

The Travelers | Leaderboard After 36 Holes

 

T1 Justin Thomas 67 64 131 (-9)

T1 Scottie Scheffler 62 69 131 (-9)

T1 Tommy Fleetwood 66 65 131 (-9)

4 Jason Day 66 66 132 (-8)

Eckroat, Scheffler Lead after 18

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CROMWELL – (Staff Report from PGA Tour Brunch) – Austin Eckroat posted a (62) in his morning round and Scottie Scheffler posted a (62) in the more difficult afternoon round. Today, the tee times will be reversed and we’ll see who is atop the leaderboard come Saturday morning at the 2025 Travelers Championship, held at the TPC River Highlands – just outside of the Hartford, Connecticut city lines.

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Eckroat recorded his bogey-free 8-under (62), a career-low round with the previous best round being (63s), most recently at 2024 World Wide Technology Championship/R4). He played alongside Byeong Hun An in a 9:20am tee-time as the 72 player field marched out in pairs.

Ekroat holds his second career 18-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR but finished T8th at the 2023 RSM Classic. This weekend, he’s making his fourth start at the Travelers Championship (T47/2021, T24/2023, T27/2024). TPC River Highlands is where he made his PGA TOUR debut at the 2021 Travelers Championship on a sponsor exemption.

Scheffler, the World No. 1, carded his second-lowest opening-round score of the season (61/THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson). This is his sixth career 18-hole lead/co-lead on TOUR but only his second this season (THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson/Won). He’s 2-for-5 to date in converted an 18-hole lead to victory.

Scheffler, of course, is the reigning FedEx Cup Champion and he leads the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (4.194). He owns two Top-10 finishes in five career starts at the Travelers Championship (T4/2023, Won/2024).

On Friday, Scheffler tees-off at 10:35am with last week’s U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun while Eckroat and An go off at 12:30pm.

The last first-round leader to go on to win The Travelers was Jordan Spieth in 2017.

General Notes:

TPC River Highlands installed a new stone wall along a pond at No. 15-16-17 holes. The added yardage came from new tee box on No. 3 which added 15 yards to the Par-4.

Jordan Spieth was forced to WD after 12 holes of Thursday’s opening round. He was suffering from neck tightness that progressed through the day.

There are 71 players remaining in the field and there is no cut at this Signature Event.

The Travelers Championship is the last of eight Signature Events during the 2025 PGA TOUR Season. It has a $20m purse and the winner pockets $4m.

The Travelers | Leaderboard After 18 Holes

T1 Austin Eckroat 62 (-8)

T1 Scottie Scheffler 62 (-8)

T3 Wyndham Clark 64 (-6)

T3 Rory Mcllroy 64 (-6)

T3 Keegan Bradley 64 (-6)

Sports Biz: Devers, FSG, Yanks and Cape

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By JAMES GUMINA, (Special to Digital Sports Desk)

As a young person in an age of limitless information, there are always a lot of things on my mind, mostly sports-related, and often focused on what’s happening off the field. From marketing campaigns to broadcasts to business strategy, it’s a lot to process. So, to clear some space, here are a few things from this week that have stuck with me more than most. Whether you’re in the business, a media nerd, or someone who can’t stop thinking about how the game is packaged, I hope something here sticks with you, too.

Red Sox Trade Rafael Devers to San Francisco

As an avid Red Sox fan, the only thing on my mind for much of the past week has been the Rafael Devers trade debacle. I was just as stunned when I found out the news on Sunday night as I was about the Luka trade, except this was my favorite player leaving my favorite team. Thousands of words have already been written on the locker-room aspect of this trade, so I won’t delve into those rumors here. But the transaction, and the reaction to it, show some of the unique things about baseball’s changing ownership structure. Strictly from a baseball perspective, Devers, who commands over a 250 million dollar price tag, was traded in what essentially was a salary dump. The Red Sox got some interesting players back, but none of the Giants’ best players or prospects were included in the deal; a fact that vastly increased the Boston fan outrage. The number one asset going back to Boston was financial flexibility. Most production and valuation models have the Devers contract as a net negative over the course of the deal, so the Red Sox were put in the unique position of having only a few teams aggressive enough to take it on. Thus, they were left with a bad return.

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This newfound flexibility comes at an interesting time for Red Sox ownership group and Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which recently completed one of the largest transfer buyouts in Premier League history. At the same time, they’re preparing a bid for a La Liga team and are in the process of offloading a stake in the Pittsburgh Penguins. Fenway Sports Group’s history tells a tale of how sports ownership is being transformed from a luxury status symbol to a piece of an investment portfolio. In the days after buying the Red Sox, FSG rapidly increased spending and was frequently bidding for top players in search of winning championships. In recent years, however, the Red Sox have floundered and shifted away from investing in top dollar signings. As FSG has begun to expand its portfolio, the Red Sox have faded from prized possession to revenue driver. Teams across the country are increasingly viewed as solid investments. With private equity money flooding into ownership groups, operations are being reshaped, often at the expense of fans, as clubs cut costs and trade stars like Rafael Devers, just two years into a ten-year deal. It may be boosting the team’s bottom line, but it’s harming fans and making the product less enjoyable. I wonder if this callous attitude will damage fan trust and turn people off the product in the long term. Time will tell, but for now I will be tuning into more Giants games.

Yankee Stadium

On Tuesday, I went to Yankee Stadium to watch them play the Angels. After Joon Lee’s piece on rising sports prices in the New York Times this week, I have been thinking about how rising costs have reshaped community building around sports. I found the atmosphere at Yankee Stadium to be enjoyable. But after spending a substantial amount of time this summer with USL League One team Westchester SC, I found the contrast to be remarkable. At Yankee Stadium no one was talking with one another, whereas it seems like people are constantly making new friends at the WSC games. The piped-in sound effects at Yankee Stadium make it hard to hear yourself think, let alone strike up a conversation with the person next to you, again, a totally different vibe than any smaller scale team or league. Thinking back on my favorite sports memories, many revolve around Cape Cod League baseball and its free tickets, another example of community-first sports. Aside from the obvious note of lowering prices, stadiums would do better to let the game breathe, get rid of artificial noise, and allow for community to be formed in the stands. After all, that is what sports are all about.

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Stray Thoughts: Former NFL star Jimmy Graham taking to the ocean, Club World Cup struggles, J.J. Spraun’s improbable win, Boston Marathon qualifying changed.

Yes, ‘Cers

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Indiana’s Obi Toppin scored 20 off the bench to lead a balanced offensive effort as the Indiana Pacers evened the NBA Finals with a 108-91 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 on Thursday in the heartland.

The Finals will go to a winner-take-all seventh game for the first time since 2016.

Game 7 is Sunday in Oklahoma City.

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There was little drama Thursday, as Indiana jumped ahead in the first quarter and never relinquished the lead.

Andrew Nembhard added 17 points while Pascal Siakam had 16 points and 13 rebounds to move the Pacers within one win of their first NBA title. Tyrese Haliburton, playing through a calf injury, had 14 points and five assists, and T.J. McConnell contributed 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals.

Indiana forced 21 turnovers.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 21 points, but had a playoff career-worst eight turnovers and just two assists. Jalen Williams, who scored 40 points in Game 5, finished with just 16 points.

Trailing by 30 entering the final quarter, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault pulled his starters, opting to save them for Game 7.

Oklahoma City shot just 8-for-30 (26.7 percent) from beyond the arc — 1-for-11 in the first half.

The Pacers took control in the second quarter, turning the tables on the Thunder.

Oklahoma City won Games 4 and 5 the same way it had plenty of others this season — by turning up the pressure on defense and using that to fuel its offense.

Over the final eight-minutes plus before halftime, Indiana’s defense led the way on a 30-9 run to go into halftime with a 64-42 lead.

The Pacers scored 11 of their 36 second-quarter points off the Thunder’s seven turnovers.

Haliburton, who had struggled early in games for much of the series even before straining his right calf early in Game 5, helped set the defensive tone for Indiana.

In the final minute of the half, Haliburton elevated near the sideline for a steal off a Williams’ pass, then quickly fired to Siakam as he was falling out of bounds.

Siakam finished off the play with an emphatic dunk to stretch the lead to 20, then grabbed a rebound off a Chet Holmgren miss on the other end and buried an 18-footer just before the buzzer to send the Pacers into the locker room with a commanding lead.

Indiana, which committed 23 turnovers in Game 5, had just two first-half turnovers on Thursday.

The Pacers were slow-to-get-started on offense, going nearly four minutes into the game without a field goal and missing their first eight field goals while falling behind 10-2.

But it didn’t take long for Indiana to close the gap, scoring eight consecutive points to tie the game less than a minute after hitting its first field goal.

Moments later, the Pacers took the lead for the first time and what proved to be for good.

After going without a field goal in Game 5, Haliburton missed his first four shots Thursday before taking a quick feed from Myles Turner off an offensive rebound and burying a 3-pointer with just more than four minutes remaining in the first quarter to put Indiana up 24-17.

The Pacers continued to stretch their lead in the third, holding Oklahoma City to just 18 points.

Indiana’s James Johnson was ejected in the final minute after an altercation with Oklahoma City’s Isaiah Joe.

–Field Level Media

Low Scores Expected at Travelers

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CROMWELL – The Travelers Championship’s defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, is also the World No. 1, reigning FedExCup Champion and 16-time PGA TOUR winner. Scheffler is in search of his fourth victory of the season (THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, PGA Championship, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday).

Scheffler posted 65 or better in all four rounds en route to victory in 2024 (65-64-64-65).

New England favorite son, Keegan Bradley won the 2023 Travelers Championship and is making his 15th career appearance this week. He owns three Top-10s (T8/2017, T2/2019, Won/2023 at TPC River Highlands.

As a Signature Event, the tournament grants four sponsor exemptions to PGA TOUR members:

  • Luke Clanton: PGA TOUR rookie owns two Top-25 finishes in six starts this season
  • Rickie Fowler: Four top-25s in seven career starts at the Travelers Championship (T13/2010, T13/2013, T13/2023, T20/2024)
  • Tom Kim: Making third consecutive appearance in the Travelers Championship; T38/2023, lost in playoff-P2/2024)
  • Gary Woodland: Four-time PGA TOUR winner making his seventh career start in the Travelers Championship with his best finish being a T20 in 2015

All prior Signature Event winners this season are in the field: Hideki Matsuyama (The Sentry), Rory McIlroy (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am), Ludvig Åberg (The Genesis Invitational), Russell Henley (Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard), Justin Thomas (RBC Heritage), Sepp Straka (Truist Championship), Scottie Scheffler (the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday).

World No. 3 Xander Schauffele has 66 consecutive made cuts on TOUR, the longest active streak and sixth-longest streak in TOUR history (Tiger Woods/142, Byron Nelson/113, Jack Nicklaus/105, Hale Irwin/86, Dow Finsterwald/72).

International players have won 15 of 27 events this season: Hideki Matsuyama/Japan, Nick Taylor/Canada, Sepp Straka/Austria/(twice), Rory McIlroy/Northern Ireland/(3x), Thomas Detry/Belgium, Ludvig Åberg/Sweden, Karl Vilips/Australia, Viktor Hovland/Norway, Min Woo Lee/Australia, Garrick Higgo/South Africa, Ryan Fox/New Zealand/(twice).

Lakers for Sale: Pricetag = $10B

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – For the first time since 1979, the Los Angeles Lakers will not have the Buss family as a majority owner. According to ESPN, the Buss family has entered into an agreement to sell majority ownership of the franchise to Mark Walter, CEO of diversified holding company TWG Global. The Lakers’ sale will be for a reported $10 billion.

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While Walter, who has been a stakeholder in the Lakers in 2021, will own the majority stake, Jeanie Buss will reportedly continue to serve in her role as the team’s governor.

One of the franchise’s all-time greats, Magic Johnson, said the team’s fans should be thrilled by the sale.

“Laker fans should be estatic. A few things I can tell you about Mark — he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way. AND he will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike – they are competitive people, have big hearts, love to give back, and both prefer to be behind the scenes. This makes all the sense in the world. I am so so SO happy and excited for @Lakers fans all over the world!”

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Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, a deal that also included the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and the Los Angeles Forum. At the time, the Lakers were valued at $67.5 million. The Lakers won 11 of their 17 NBA championships under Buss family ownership.

The team’s ownership was passed on to Buss’ children when he died in 2013, with Jeanie taking over the responsibilities as team governor.

Walter will now step in as majority owner, although exact details of the agreement were not yet reported. That said, ESPN and The Athletic reported that the valuation of the deal is in the neighborhood of $10 billion — which would be the largest sale of a professional sports franchise in the world.

The Boston Celtics were sold for $6.1 billion earlier this year, the previous high for an NBA franchise.

Walter has investments in several other professional sports organizations, including the Los Angeles Dodgers of MLB, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks and professional soccer.

–Field Level Media