american Page 149 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Well, these playoffs took some unexpected turns in the past week
Less than a week ago, the second round of the NBA playoffs seemed like it was on its way to wrapping up quickly, with the 76ers and Nets looking far superior to the Hawks and Bucks, the Suns on the verge of sweeping the Nuggets, and the Clippers down 2-0 to the Jazz with no answers for Utah’s abilit...

The Pelicans have to do right by Zion
It’s only been two years, and Zion Williamson isn’t extension eligible until next summer, but we’re already looking ahead to one of the most important seasons in the history of Louisiana basketball....

Even with a promising QB, Matt Nagy could still screw this up for the Bears
When the Chicago Bears traded up in the first round of the NFL Draft and selected quarterback Justin Fields out of The Ohio State University, Chicagoland felt cautiously optimistic that maybe they finally found the franchise quarterback that has long eluded them....

Can we all finally recognize Paul George for his greatness?
With Kawhi Leonard sidelined with an ACL injury, everyone rushed to their computers to rule out the Clippers in their series with the top-seeded Utah Jazz. Even though the series was tied 2-2, no one expected the Clippers to steal a game in Utah without Kawhi on the court. Much like my colleague Jon...

The LA Bowl has a new sponsor, and it’s ‘not a joke’
Every year, companies get a chance to slap their brand on a college football bowl game. But late last night, Jimmy Kimmel announced that the new LA bowl will be named after himself....

Charles Barkley showed us how bad – and good – he is at his job in a 48-hour span
I’ve been on the record for years detailing why I believe Charles Barkley is the worst person to put in front of a microphone whenever anything of substance needs to be discussed. I’ve also been on the record for saying that I believe Barkley is the greatest power forward that’s ever played the game...

Doc Rivers’ head coaching days must end
While he won Coach of the Year this year, his second such accolade, it becomes clearer and clearer that Tom Thibodeau’s greatest accomplishment was as assistant head coach: getting those Boston Celtics teams around whatever roadblocks Doc Rivers threw in front of them to win that one championship an...

Kevin Durant: Solo artist
We’ve never seen Kevin Durant do it on his own. It’s often felt like he needed a complementary piece to excel — or at least that’s the prevailing stigma. In Oklahoma City, he had Russell Westbrook and James Harden. In Golden State, he was second to Steph Curry. Sure, he has his ring (for which most ...

Can we please just pick the 15 best players for All-NBA teams?
Every year, some worthy players are left off the three different All-NBA teams and Twitter goes into an uproar. Sadly, what makes it even worse is that now these All-NBA selections are impacting player’s money. Just ask Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum, who are undoubtedly two of the Top 15 players...

NYC should appreciate and take notice of what’s happening in Brooklyn
To: New York NBA fans ...
![What the hell?! Now CP3 tests positive for COVID, as walking-wounded playoffs roll on [Update]](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/151bc5ab8f372d8331fe5dc47b17fd47.jpg)

Giannis is going to wear this one, no matter how the rest of this series goes
The Bucks might still win this series. Getting harder to see how, as Kyrie Irving could be back for Games 6 and/or 7 and James Harden might actually gain the use of a second leg. And even if neither of those things happen, they still found a way in Game 5. And it’s not that Giannis Antetokounmpo was...

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tells Deadspin why he still fights for equality
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been fighting for more than 50 years....

HEAR ME OUT: The Yankees should look to deal Aaron Judge
As the MLB season marches on, the Hot Stove heats up. The trade deadline is still a month-and-a-half away, but the rumors have already started flying. Names are being dropped. Fans are giving hot takes, and MLB clubs straddling the line between playoff contenders and pretenders are trying to decide ...

Deadspin presents: Madden old GOAT/young GOAT combos
On Monday, the NFL posted a video teasing a forthcoming announcement in regards to their Madden 22 cover. The social media post suggests that the announcement will be shared at 10 a.m. Thursday. ...

Stop it! Cam is best option for Patriots this season
Apparently nobody has any idea what’s going on with the quarterback position in New England, as different reporters at the same practices are saying different things. The Patriots took Michael McCorkle Jones with the No. 15 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, and still have incumbent Cam Newton under...

The biggest snubs so far in first round of MLB All-Star voting
Yesterday, MLB released its first All-Star voting update after the polls first opened on June 3. However, phase one of All-Star voting does not finish until June 27. When that day comes, only the top-three vote-getters (nine for outfield) at each position will advance to phase two of voting which wi...

Deadspin looks at all the injuries that have affected the NBA playoffs
When Kyrie Irving went down with an ankle injury halfway through the second quarter of Sunday’s Bucks and Nets Game 4 matchup, basketball fans simultaneously let out a loud groan. The injury bug had hit another star in a season that may be remembered for who was left standing, instead of who was the...

These NBA Playoffs have been painful to play and watch
We are watching the worst NBA playoffs ever....

SEE IT: Phoenix fan pummels man in Nuggets jersey, declares 'Suns in four'
The Denver Nuggets can’t go out like this. ...