nas Page 14 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

NBA 2K’s decision to put Sabrina Ionescu on the cover was based on race — not merit
Being a superstar is the lone requirement for receiving superstar treatment — like being on the cover of a video game. Well, that’s unless the league you play in has always been Black, and your whiteness has been hijacked as a marketing tool — providing you with superstar treatment when you aren’t a...

Skip and Rich are Undisputed, it could work
If Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez can share a set together then why not Richard Sherman and Skip Bayless? That was a one-time viral social media beef 10 years ago. Bayless is several controversies removed from that one. That A-Rod and Jeter beef stewed for decades, much of it with them next to each ...

I understand Zion Williamson's situation — dieting is difficult
I feel Zion Willamson’s pain. At 23 years old, a balanced diet was far from my primary concern. Not solely because of taste, but also affordability — news flash, sports media is not a largely lucrative profession. Back then, for me, the carbs didn’t make me pack on the pounds like they do now. Willa...

Larry Nassar got shanked in prison — it’ll be hard finding anyone who feels sorry for him
Larry Nassar got gutted like a fish....

Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier’s spinoff league offers a platform for WNBA stars
Every offseason, women’s basketball’s finest head abroad to take part in leagues that run concurrently with the NBA schedule. Unfortunately, that often creates a problem for the WNBA teams that have them under contract between May and the completion of their respective seasons in early fall. That’s ...

The 15 Most Valuable Professional Sports Franchises
This story was corrected and revised on July 6, 2023. ...

Dan Le Batard was right — ‘Embrace Debate’ has destroyed sports television
Too much of anything is bad for you. Excessive amounts can be catastrophic. Dan Le Batard hinted at this a few months ago. And after the reported cancellation of Bomani Jones’ Game Theory on HBO, it’s become quite clear — “embrace debate” killed sports television shows. ...

I guess the visuals were the thing for NASCAR in Chicago
If you’re the city of Chicago, you can’t control the weather, though we’ve had a couple mayors who were definitely under the impression that they could. So a historic rainstorm on the day of Chicago’s NASCAR road race is just bad luck, unless you believe in the gods exacting justice of some sort....

Simone Biles' return to competition needs to be applauded before her first routine begins
The GOAT is back. The best to ever appear on the floor, beam, vault, and uneven bars is returning to competition after nearly two years away from gymnastics. Simone Biles last competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which was of course delayed a year because of the pandemic. Her return to the sport in...

Stop hating on the NCAA for being spineless
Criticizing the NCAA is the lowest of low-hanging fruit. You can essentially pick the apples up off the ground, and have a roiling take. The latest punishments, or lack thereof, handed down to LSU football and men’s basketball last week were predictably lax and anything but a hindrance for schools t...

If schadenfreude is Damian Lillard’s last gift to Trail Blazer fans, so be it
Seemingly the entire world of sports media is screaming at Damian Lillard to pick up his basketball and go to a contender. It’s demand-a-trade season, we do it every summer, and Dame is off galavanting with Veronica Corningstone, while a bevy of Champ Kinds pine for his musk. Brian Windhorst, Stephe...

The Angels need to do everyone a favor and free Shohei Ohtani
I’m probably the last person to discover that Shohei Ohtani is a Skrull. How else can anyone explain the Angels’ shapeshifting MVP? He’s simultaneously leading the league in smashing balls into orbit and the next he’s striking out batters at a more prolific pace than all but three pitchers while kee...

There’s less shame in porn than on the set of <i>First Take</i>
The easiest way to get clicks for the past week or so hasn’t been Victor Wembanyama content, or Damian Lillard trade destinations. No, if you really wanted to gin up page views and subscribers, put Zion Williamson and Moriah Mills in a headline. It’s the reason why Stephen A. Smith has repeatedly go...

Chris Paul brings stability to the Warriors' dreadful reserves
Title-chasing leads to strange bedfellows. Steph Curry has now been tasked with accomplishing what Kevin Durant failed — dragging Chris Paul’s withering body to an NBA title. He’s no longer an All-Star caliber player, but there’s still something left. Now, the future Hall of Famer will be imported i...

Giving Houston Astro players immunity was Rob Manfred’s ‘best decision ever’
If you’re anti-sign stealing, then you’re not allowed to be pro-AI. The Houston Astros may have been the biggest offender when it came to modernizing cheating, but they also pioneered the advancements, and essentially got away with it before the people who determine what is or isn’t moral deemed the...

Stephen F. Austin bowling coach’s gutterball affair led to a 7-10 split from his wife and job
Former Stephen F. Austin’s assistant bowling coach Steve Lemke’s life is falling apart quicker than 10 pins at The Dude’s bowling alley. Stephen F. Austin is apparently renowned for its bowling program. The Ladyjacks won national titles in 2016 and 2021 under the administration of head coach Amber L...

What the hell is holding back Damian Lillard?
Welcome to Deadspin’s The Sports Nihilist, where all is for naught and we are but accidental jolts of electrified meat stuck to the surface of a rock in an indifferent universe. Fuck you....

Could James Harden reunite with Kevin Durant in Phoenix?
Just when you thought super teams were fading away, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne dropped this bomb on us. The senior NBA writer says to keep an eye on James Harden making his way to the Phoenix Suns, as this bombshell comes just a day after news broke about Chris Paul being shown the door. This is anothe...

Chris Paul is done as a starting point guard
On Wednesday evening, Bleacher Report insider Chris Haynes’ report that the Suns were prepared to waive point guard Chris Paul before a June 28 deadline which would guarantee his entire $30 million salary for the next season triggered a fury of interest in the 38-year-old. Shams Charania and Adrian ...

With PGA-LIV merger, the sportswashing of Saudi Arabia's human rights record is in full swing
The impending merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf series has brought Saudi sports washing efforts to an American pro sport. The alliance between the century-old PGA Tour and the upstart series, backed by the Saudi Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, is their boldest foothold into the American mar...