Washington, 20 oct (Prensa Latina) El comisionado adjunto la Liga estadounidense de baloncesto (NBA), Mark Tatum, auguró hoy éxitos a la futura Liga conjunta que se lanzará en 2027 con clubes europeos.
The post NBA augura éxitos en futura Liga conjunta con el baloncesto europeo first appeared on Noticias Prensa Latina.
I have always felt that, above any other league, the NBA does a great job of trying to provide the best matchups on the biggest days. The NBA Opening Day brings three phenomenal games. The first is between the Celtics and Pistons, and the last one of the night is between the Spurs and Thunder. Sandwiched between the two games is this one between the 76ers and the Knicks.
The Philadelphia 76ers are most people's pick to win the Eastern Conference this season. Their additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James are the main cause of all of the excitement. Adding those two players to the lineup with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe gives them arguably the best starting lineup in the league. Their bench is a bit thin, with just Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as the main players. This team isn't built for the regular season; they are built for the playoffs.
There is obviously a long way to go before we get there. There will almost certainly be a learning period for the team to play together. There are now four guys on the team who could be the leading scorer for the team if they got the opportunity. There will be some questions about matchups and defense. There will be some struggles trying to play together. Those may come out tonight against a team with continuity and even more reason to be excited.
LEBRON JAMES’ 76ERS DEBUT SET FOR BLOCKBUSTER KNICKS SHOWDOWN AT MSG
The New York Knicks are raising a banner tonight and receiving their rings. That alone will make the entire fanbase of Madison Square Garden go nuts. This team has already captured the hearts of New York, and tonight is the final marker of the celebration from last year's championship. The Knicks have a deep starting lineup with Jalen Brunson being the superstar. Karl-Anthony Towns is still an elite option, and his backup, Andre Drummond, will help the team maintain some strength when he goes to the bench. I like him more than Mitchell Robinson, to be honest.
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I am most interested in seeing how the team responds after the opening ceremony. When the ball goes up for tip-off, it will essentially be the same as any other time. The Knicks have the edge in terms of familiarity. That helps quite a bit in basketball, but the big issue for them in this will be on defense. Teams have tried to exploit Brunson on defense for years, but against the 76ers, no matter who he guards, they will have the advantage.
The NBA Preseason doesn't always give us much insight, but I think there might be some opportunity for us to look into how the 76ers did their substitutions. They were trying to keep two of the four- James, Brown, Embiid, and Maxey- on the floor at all times. The Knicks might have a lot of adrenaline coming into the quarter, but I think the rotations for the 76ers, and being a bit amped up, might cause them to not shoot all that well. I think the total of 60.5 points in the first quarter is just a bit too high for this one. Give me the under 60.5 in the first quarter.
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Rules for thee, not for me.
Monday night in San Francisco, for the second consecutive game of the WNBA Finals, the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries stepped off the court before the national anthem and then immediately returned to the court after Canadian-born Alanis Morissette finished her performance.
The spineless league hasn't said a word despite the women continuing to break an anthem rulebook provision that requires them to attend the performance. Now that we've reported, it's time for you guys to react and share your feelings on this drama that isn't going away.
Let's do this.
• UNLV Doc has some deep thoughts to share: WNBA types and political sycophants probably think they're rebels, and they are. But they are rebelling against order and creation in favor of chaos, which is always the easy way to mindlessly effect change, and what the selfish have always done. Honorable rebels take a stand, work, and sacrifice, even against self-interest to bravely bring about something other than the chaos that naturally exists without applied effort to create something good. I'm looking forward to seeing such leaders emerge from the WNBA mob; I know they're in there somewhere.
• Richard C. sent in this great take: How about a double disqualification and no champion recognized this year.
• Carmen has hit a breaking point: I love Daily Outkick and I hate the WNBA and everyday it's just funny to read and move on. It's not that funny anymore. The WNBA has failed women. As a female coach, I do my best to build strong, confident, capable, athletes who happen to be females. They are held to a standard that doesn't include entitlement, excuses, or any agenda other than TEAM.
The WNBA is about anything but sport, and that is inexcusable for so many young women pursuing professional sports. Pushing themselves to another level to achieve their goals. It's embarrassing that this is women's professional basketball when so few hold themselves to that level. It's a soap opera that deserves zero attention.
As an organization that is supposed to promote the best in women's sport, it's become laughable. It's a joke that has a played out punchline. You have failed those you are supposed to be a trailblazer for. When athletic performance is secondary to everything else, you have failed as a league.
• Pops makes a good point: The WNBA proves once again they are a political activist organization not a women’s basketball organization. They decide what rules they want to enforce and what rules they will not enforce.
• Kenneth is fed up: Well I have an answer. If the WNBA had any balls (which they don’t) both teams would be banned from playing the game and all players suspended indefinitely. If you can’t attend and stand for the national anthem of the country that has given you everything then you have no business being here.
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• Mark S. sends a message to WNBA executives: What a crock. The league is a farce and an embarrassment to our country, not thier country. Fine them all. This is not a political forum it is a game and rules are rules. Enough of the lesbian leaque and who wnba management listen to. Stand up and control your players or get rid of them Set an example.
• Mike Mc. says: The WNBA is a sideshow of awkward misfits playing a child's game poorly. It's no surprise that they do dumb things, but it is surprising that any discerning "fan" pays attention to this collection of grumpy malcontents. On second thought, if you had any discernment, you wouldn't be a fan. Problem solved.
• Joe B. wants the WNBA to take a hike: Remove the entire league from USA arenas. Sell the entire group to Europe, Asia or a South America country. Who needs these disrespectful ingrates playing here?
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• Don says enough is enough: Why are we continually putting up with the WNBA? They have proven they are a league that continually cares only about themselves and no one or nothing else.The league fails to react to any of the players who disobey the rules. They have tried to turn this into a racial bias league. I think i am done.
• Gary says punish them for breaking the rules: This is just another example of disrespect for our nation and should not go unpunished by the league. Actions should have consequences.
• Richard S. tells us: Stop giving the anti American league any more print.
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• Michael M. emails: I think all the international players should be deported for not respecting the American flag and National Anthem and all the lesbians be disbarred from playing in the WNBA.
• Jerry has a simple message: Real Americans don't watch this trash anyway.
The NBA is here, and I am like a kid in a candy store. The NBA is my favorite league, and basketball is my favorite sport. This also means that all four leagues are in action starting now. The World Series is on Friday, the NFL is on Thursday, and the NBA and NHL play every day. This is the best time of the sports year. College basketball will join the fray shortly, and of course, college football is in action. This afternoon, the NBA season kicks off with the Boston Celtics playing the Detroit Pistons.
The Boston Celtics are at a bit of a crossroads. Last season, they were up 3-1 on the 76ers before they lost the final three games, including a game at home, and were knocked out of the playoffs. How did the Celtics respond to that loss? They decided it was time for them to part with a superstar, Jaylen Brown. In fairness, Brown was expressing discontent with the organization and clearly didn't want to be partnered with Jayson Tatum.
The Celtics made a clear choice, and now they have to live with it. Tatum will now be in his first full season after tearing his Achilles in the playoffs a couple of years ago. Tatum shouldn't have any struggle with being the top option on the team. However, he has always had excellent secondary options. I'm not sure Paul George or Derrick White will be at the same level as what he had with Brown. Mitchell Robinson should help the defense and rebounding, but he's injured regularly. This could be a tough year for Boston.
CELTICS AGREE TO SEND JAYLEN BROWN, 2024 FINALS MVP, TO 76ERS IN BLOCKBUSTER NBA TRADE: REPORT
The Detroit Pistons lost 68 games in the 2023-24 season. Take a second read of that sentence. They lost 68 games in one season. They won 44 games the next year and made the playoffs. Last season, they won 60 games and a playoff series. The next step forward would be to win another series in the playoffs and make the Eastern Conference Finals. Cade Cunningham is the leader of this team, and his health pretty much dictates how well this team will do.
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The Pistons are relatively deep as a club. They have elite shooting from deep with Duncan Robinson. Ausar Thompson is one of the better young forwards in the league. He needs to take a big step forward this season on offense if the team wants to improve from last year. John Collins will add some rebounding and athleticism, but he isn't as good a shooter as Tobias Harris. Jalen Duren was signed to a long-term deal, but there are still talks about trades for Domantas Sabonis.
For tonight's game, the line has moved in favor of the Celtics, and I'm just not sure that I see it. I don't think the Celtics are that impressive a team. They have the advantage with Paul George, but I think the interior of Detroit is better than the interior of Boston. I'm going to back the Pistons on the moneyline here. Sharp money says otherwise, so it is a risk, but I think them at home, with a better interior, against a team with two new starting lineup pieces is a better look. Give me Detroit.
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WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told Republican lawmakers that former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White are ineligible to play in the league because they are "both men," responding to a congressional inquiry without supplying the definition of "women" that lawmakers had requested.
"With respect to your questions regarding eligibility, only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men," Engelbert wrote in the Oct. 16 response. The letter, which is dated Oct. 16, was provided to OutKick by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), which represents Freedom.
The letter answered a Sept. 17 inquiry from Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., and four other House Republicans about eligibility, player safety and confrontations with fans. Freedom and White had announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft while saying they identify as women.
The lawmakers asked how the league defines "women" under Article XIII, Section 1(a) of its collective bargaining agreement, and why the two former NBA players had been deemed ineligible. That provision of the 2026 agreement states: "Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." It does not define the term in that eligibility provision.
Stutzman welcomed Engelbert’s statement as an acknowledgment of a distinction based on biological sex.
"The WNBA has just taken the first step in defining what a woman is for the sports community," Stutzman said in a statement.
"By clearly labeling Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White as men they have acknowledged that identifying as a woman does not change basic human biology."
Engelbert’s letter did not announce a new eligibility rule or spell out a broader policy governing transgender athletes.
Freedom, meanwhile, argued that the response left unanswered the central question of what standards the WNBA applies when deciding who qualifies to compete.
"Cathy Engelbert cannot clearly define what a woman is, but she's absolutely certain that I'm a man," Freedom told OutKick. "I mean, how does that make sense? Who gets to decide? Who has the authority to determine whether someone is a woman?"
"So if the league is still working through these questions, how can its commissioner be so certain about my eligibility without explaining the standards that she's applying?" he added.
Asked whether he believed Engelbert had misgendered him in her letter to Congress, Freedom answered, "Yes, 100%."
"I just want her to respect my identity because I am telling you that I identify as a woman," he said.
Freedom said his effort to join the league is intended to push it to adopt an explicit requirement limiting participation to biological females. He acknowledged that determining someone’s identity and determining eligibility for women’s sports may involve different decisions.
"This is bigger than one basketball player," he said. "I mean, who gets to determine someone's identity? The individual, the commissioner, the medical professional, or a committee or a task force?"
"And who gets to determine eligibility to compete in women's category?" he continued. "So those may be different decisions, but the WNBA needs to explain where it draws the line."
The debate over the league’s eligibility standards intensified this summer after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham voiced support for excluding transgender girls and women from female sports. Her comments drew both support and criticism, including rallies during the Fever’s road trips. Some players and coaches publicly supported transgender inclusion. Freedom has pointed to Golden State Valkyries player Gabby Williams’ support for transgender athletes as the inspiration for his own effort to enter the WNBA.
In August, a league task force of team presidents and general managers discussed transgender participation along with online abuse directed at players. The task force was an existing anti-hate committee, rather than a group created solely to determine eligibility.
At the time, the league said there were no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA and condemned attempts to use the subject to demean or marginalize others. It said discussions with league stakeholders would continue in the coming weeks and months.
Freedom questioned how the league’s ongoing discussions fit with Engelbert’s definitive statement about him and White.
"So what about the task force?" he said. "If the task force itself has not reached a clear definition, why is the commissioner making such a definitive statement?"
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Eligibility was only one part of the lawmakers’ inquiry. Their September letter also challenged the league’s response to physical play, including incidents involving Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington and Cunningham, and sought an explanation of its handling of confrontations between players and spectators.
In her response, Engelbert defended the league’s officiating and disciplinary processes. She said officials enforce the rules during games, while WNBA League Basketball Operations reviews games afterward, including atypical or overly physical plays. The league can then upgrade fouls or impose discipline.
"In all instances the League seeks to apply its rules and relevant disciplinary processes consistently for all players, coaches, and officials," Engelbert wrote.
On fan conduct, the commissioner said spectators must follow the WNBA’s code of conduct and can be ejected for violations. She said the league and its teams seek to enforce that code consistently.
The lawmakers had specifically cited Sky guard Natasha Cloud’s confrontation with Freedom during an Aug. 23 game against the Fever at Wintrust Arena. They questioned why Cloud had not received punishment while Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton received a five-game suspension following a separate confrontation with fans.
Engelbert’s response did not specifically explain the different outcomes involving Cloud and Keaton.
Freedom was ejected from the Chicago game and subsequently banned from Sky home games at Wintrust Arena. He later filed a lawsuit alleging that his First Amendment rights had been violated. Sky owner Michael Alter disputed that account, saying security removed Freedom because of his conduct, rather than his speech.
Stutzman said he continued to have concerns beyond the eligibility issue. The national anthem has become another point of criticism during the WNBA Finals. Players from the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries left the court before the anthem during the opening two games and returned after it concluded.
"While this is a step in the right direction, the alarming disrespect the WNBA still has for their fans and our national anthem needs to be corrected," he said.
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Engelbert closed her letter by saying the league would continue working to protect players and personnel, including addressing hate and vitriol directed at players online and on social media.
The commissioner is scheduled to retire at the end of 2026, following an announcement in September. Freedom said her successor could resolve his eligibility challenge by making the restriction he wants explicit.
"We are adding the word biological next to the word female, this whole thing will end the next day," Freedom said, describing the announcement he wants the next commissioner to make. "I will walk to the sunset. They will not hear from me ever again."
The eligibility language is part of the agreement negotiated between the WNBA and its players’ union. Engelbert’s letter did not announce any amendment to that agreement.
Freedom said he intends to continue pursuing a place in the league unless its rules change.
"I'm asking for consistency," he said. "I spent 11 years playing in the NBA. I understand, you know, professional basketball really well."
"If they do not change the rules, they better select me in a WNBA draft in 2027," he added.
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"You cannot answer an eligibility question simply by declaring what somebody is," Freedom said. "You need to explain the policy you are enforcing."
The Los Angeles Clippers are in trouble.
The NBA ruled that the team circumvented salary cap rules with Kawhi Leonard, resulting in the forfeiture of five first-round picks from 2029 through 2033, and owner Steve Ballmer has been suspended from team activities for a year.
More often than not, especially considering the NBA Draft is only two rounds, those franchise-altering players are found in those first 30 picks. And for the Clippers, who missed the playoffs and traded away their best player in Leonard, it will be even tougher without potential lottery picks.
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Now, the team must think longer and harder when attempting to find a hidden "gem," said former Clipper Baron Davis.
"I think for the Clippers, the next five years are going to be super important around how they stay competitive, how they develop the young guys that they can get. And then it's really going to be a big burden placed on free agency and then also scouting, right? Where can you find a gem that you can't find in the draft? Where can you take a chance on someone who may not have performed as a high pick three years later and bring them in and develop them?" Davis told Fox News in a recent interview.
"So, it does put you somewhere behind the eight ball when it comes to getting better through the draft, finding that [Victor Wembanyama], AJ Dybantsa, [Kevin Durant], right? LeBron [James], like getting those picks. And so, what the Clippers must do is figure out which direction - and I think over the next two years, we'll start seeing which direction they want to go, as far as do they want to get young and take chances, or are they good enough now to really just rely on free agency to put them back into playoff contention?"
Given the situation, it might be a safe bet to bet against the Clippers over the next few seasons, which is always one way for fans to stay tuned into the action. That’s why Davis has recently partnered with Fanatics, whose sportsbook is offering its Fair Play pledge for injury protection and $1 million in FanCash.
NBA COMMISSIONER ADAM SILVER BLINDSIDES SONICS FAITHFUL BY FLOATING SURPRISE EXPANSION ALTERNATIVE
"For a lot of fans who feel like they have a certain expertise or a certain feeling about a player or a team, now you can actually place your bet, right, and place your wager and be a part of a jackpot or be a part of a transactional bet that rewards you for your expertise," Davis said.
"We live in a time now where basketball — sports in general, but specifically basketball — is on a global stage, and that means so many people have access to our game and are watching our game. And so it gives the fans an opportunity to really just gamify their participation while watching as well."
The fan experience, though, will still be tough to top the New York City celebrations from this past summer, when the New York Knicks brought home their first title since 1973. Davis’ time with the Knicks was short, but he knew what type of magic could occur in the Big Apple.
"I knew what the Knicks brand was about because I was next to Jeremy Lin during Linsanity, and so that was really a snapshot of what could potentially happen," Davis said.
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"When you look at New York, it's an international market, right? There's a diverse community of people that are well represented, and culture is well represented and respected in New York. And so when you get a run like that in a city like that, it unites people from all walks of life, and it just shows you the power of sports and what sports can do for a city."
Hello and welcome to another edition of Free Agent! Be careful when you're behind the wheel this week.
College football is great! Surely you want even more of it, right? We'll get into the problems with a 24-team College Football Playoff (CFP), then talk about the NBA's new betting restrictions, and close with thoughts about President Donald Trump's new government golf course plans. And just in case you don't make it to the end, here's a shortcut to our survey on who you're rooting for in the World Series.
But first, many congratulations to "Gary's 1st Entry" on outlasting everyone else in our NFL Survivor group. There's no prize other than this shoutout, so be sure to print out today's newsletter, highlight this paragraph, and frame it in gold. Perhaps Gary can keep going and challenge Primetime Paulie Rothrock's 13-game winning streak from last season.
I figured out how ESPN calculates fantasy football win percentage, it's bad!
ESPN made a stats 101 error when calculating their win percentage which leads to horribly miscalibrated numbers. (
— Will (@will_j_5) October 18, 2026
Saturday was one of the best days of college football ever—or perhaps it could have been, if we thought any of the five top-10 teams who took a loss were now certainly out of playoff contention. Instead, Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Alabama, and Texas are all still very much alive in the championship hunt.
Today was one of the craziest days in college football history:
- First time ever five teams ranked in the top 7 lose in a single week
- First time the No. 1-ranked team loses to an unranked team in consecutive weeks since 1990
- First time Texas, Alabama, and Georgia all lose… pic.twitter.com/psVRoM5s5b— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) October 18, 2026
With two losses, Alabama and Texas are at least on the edge of the playoff bubble with perhaps no more room for error. But that's only true under this year's CFP format. Next year, the playoff is almost officially set to balloon to 24 teams, making the chaos of a day like Saturday matter even less.
Fans will always celebrate a huge upset or major rivalry win, of course—Tennessee fans don't need playoff stakes as an excuse to get drunk when they beat Alabama. But the joy of a rivalry win in the past was always bigger because of the off-field stakes, too—the first loss for your rival meant they probably wouldn't be national champions, the second meant they'd be out of the Rose Bowl, a third meant you could be proud your team sent them packing for the Alamo Bowl. Winning is great; ruining your rival's season is even better.
With 24 teams in the playoff, the joy is a bit diminished because it will take four or possibly five losses to knock a powerhouse program out of the CFP (Iowa, at 8–4, was ranked 23rd by the committee before last year's playoffs). It'll be a bit like a rivalry win in college basketball—we win, you suck, congrats on getting a slightly worse NCAA Tournament seed.
In the business of sports, more inventory for TV is king, and the powers that be think more teams playing more playoff games will make more money. At Free Agent, we don't begrudge institutions for trying to make more money—we all do the same every day. But it's not clear abandoning conference championship games will be the answer, especially when the Big Ten and SEC championships apparently outdraw many playoff games.
ESPN and the power conferences know fans aren't happy about it—just look at all the chatter online, and how the crowd at BYU reacted when College GameDay discussed expansion on Saturday (especially when BYU would probably benefit from expansion!). They're betting enough people will watch to make the expansion profitable anyway. The last hope is that fans get loud enough to bully them into abandoning expansion—which only occasionally works, sometimes on things small (putting the trophy logo on the court for the NBA Finals) and large (soccer's European Super League). If any powerhouse considers going independent, that might shock leaders into a rethink too.
Almost every sport I know is adding more: more teams, bigger playoffs, more for TV. As fans, we still eat it up, of course—much to the excitement of the TV executives who are selling commercial time to the people trying to reach us, the viewing public. (The only counterexample is the MLB proposal to cut eight games from the regular season—I'd love to see each sport I follow cut its season by about 25 percent to make regular season games matter more, so I'm interested to see how this goes.)
Perhaps I'm biased because my favorite team, Michigan State, is a dumpster fire—they could expand the playoff to 64 teams and the Spartans still wouldn't deserve a bid. I personally don't have a whole lot at stake in the playoff format now or anytime soon. But as a neutral, the chaos of Saturday might have been viewed with my full attention in the past—instead, this year I just had it on in the background while I played video games.
After last year's major betting scandal, the NBA asked sportsbooks late last week to stop offering certain types of potentially problematic bets. The sportsbooks, which the NBA says handle roughly 99 percent of the U.S. betting market, agreed. No politician or regulation was necessary to solve the problem.
No longer can bettors bet on unders for a bit player who likely won't get more than 12 minutes of playtime. Bettors also can't wager on the opening tip or on players to miss specific shots. Parlays that string together under bets on the same player's statistics are also out (this one seems a bit harsh—if you just want to bet on a certain major player to have an off night, you can bet on stats separately, but not in a big multiplier parlay). Bets on players who have two-way contracts between the NBA and G League were already banned.
This all comes on the heels of similar developments last year in the NFL and MLB. While some people want to ban prop bets altogether, the NFL asked sportsbooks to eliminate bets in four different categories. Sportsbooks largely agreed or weren't offering those bets anyway. MLB, in light of some pitching-related scandals, asked for a $200 limit on pitch-specific bets and to keep them out of parlays—sportsbooks agreed to that too.
As I wrote last year, "Ideally, this is how the regulation of the sports betting industry should go….These approaches are catching the nuances of what works for both the leagues and for sportsbooks without the heavy-handed approaches of politicians who would use an axe to ban all prop bets instead of a scalpel to limit problematic bets."
It's important to note leagues are able to do this because they have commercial partnerships with the sportsbooks. Otherwise, the leagues would have no direct leverage over a sportsbook offering a bet the league doesn't like. Keep that in mind the next time you see people bemoaning a league partnership with a sportsbook or a prediction market.
President Donald Trump has new plans for the National Park Service golf course at East Potomac—again. Last time new plans were announced, the site plan still had its historic miniature golf course, a par-3 course, and the existing road still ringing the property for bicycling, running, etc. Much of the public didn't like that plan anyway—now, none of that remains in the latest plans, just 18 holes of golf and a driving range.
Trump announces plans for the redeveloped East Potomac Park golf course. pic.twitter.com/ZiGYgc99Uo
— Andrew Leyden (@PenguinSix) October 18, 2026
What's really going on here seems quite clear to me: Like so many other things going on in the second Trump administration, this is a scheme to enrich the Trump family. The plan?
Step 1: Cancel a lease that was signed during the first Trump administration with a nonprofit group operating the golf course and working, in the long term, on major capital improvements and renovations.
Step 2: Use taxpayer dollars to pay for renovation of the course into, allegedly, a championship-level course capable of hosting major golf tournaments (no matter that the area has next to zero parking, is a mile from the nearest Metro station, and only accessible by narrow roads not meant to handle tens of thousands of spectators).
Step 3: Have the federal government sign a sweetheart deal with, who else, the golf division of the Trump Organization to operate the course on extremely favorable and profitable terms.
If you're wondering why the Trump administration is doing something, corruption is usually a good guess.
The arguments for the course don't make much sense. There are plenty of adequate, competitively priced golf courses in the broader Washington, D.C., area. Several of them are already capable of hosting professional golf tournaments. Between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, there were three tournaments at three different courses in the last couple years. The 2030 PGA Championship and 2037 Ryder Cup will happen just over the D.C. line in Bethesda, Maryland.
East Potomac is not the nicest course around, no thanks to the legal limbo it's been in for the past year. But if the National Park Service is going to, for some reason, be in the business of running a golf course, it should be a course that emphasizes and teaches its history instead of the pipe dream of a corrupt madman.
For the first time in 46 years, we've got a World Series contested by two teams that have never won it before. Brewers against Rays is also a rare instance of the top seeds from each league outlasting the randomness of the MLB playoffs to make the World Series. And before you trot out the tired line that "TV executives must be seething about the small market teams" remember that they care much more about getting a playoff series that goes seven games with close results in each game (What did I say above? Inventory rules all!).
In any case, I want to know who you're rooting for. At first glance, neither team seems super objectionable to me. Come back next week for my thoughts. But make sure you sound off and take 10 seconds to respond to our World Series poll here.
Kick-six alert! (Honorable mention to the blocked extra point returned for two the other way.)
"A kick-six type opportunity."
Chris Lewis was all over this one on the CBS Sports Network call of Nevada-North Dakota State.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 18, 2026
That's all for this week. Enjoy watching the real game of the weekend: MSU men's hockey (No. 2 in the nation!) against New Hampshire.
The post Fans Don't Want a 24-Team College Football Playoff. The NCAA Thinks You'll Watch Anyway. appeared first on Reason Magazine.
Carmelo Anthony can’t wait for Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, as he watches Jalen Brunson and the rest of the New York Knicks receive their long-awaited NBA title rings, and even better, watching a banner fly to the rafters for the first time in 53 years.
In fact, Anthony, who will be working the NBC Sports desk as part of their NBA crew, has to stop himself from prepping like he’s the one on the court wearing his No. 7 jersey again for the Knicks.
"A game like tomorrow – opening night, ring night, banner night. Like right now, I’m preparing myself to get ready for the game like I’m about to go play," he told OutKick, while highlighting his partnership with DraftKings ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.
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"And I have to pinch myself, like, ‘Yo bro, you ain’t getting back out there. You’re good on this side.’ Just the fact that I can still be in tuned to the game of basketball like that, and more importantly, to moments and still feel what those moments actually feel like.
"I can imagine what will be going through those guys’ minds tomorrow, the adrenaline that will be pumping through them. Because winning one is a dream – we all dream of winning one. You don’t play this game without dreaming of winning a championship."
This past summer felt like a dream for millions of New Yorkers and others in the surrounding area who were all pulling for the Knicks to break their championship drought. It felt like destiny, from the OG Anunoby tip-in to win Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, to the other key moments in their playoff run that Anthony and many other former Knicks had great seats for at The Garden.
But now, Anthony knows what comes with the title territory: everyone is hunting for the crown.
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"Defending it is a job," Anthony said. "So, nobody’s sneaking up on anybody anymore. That banner is going up there and the target goes on [the backs of the Knicks] instantly. Every team is going to circle the Knicks on the schedule, so that price of being champs in New York. You better embrace it and it’s going to be a fun ride."
The ride this past season was one Anthony didn’t want to get off. He admitted watching the team at first felt like he was a player all over again – until he realized he needed to just enjoy the moment like the rest of his peers and all Knicks fans hoping things would end with the Larry O’Brien Trophy being hoisted.
"I was putting myself into those moments and kind of thinking from a mental standpoint like, ‘What would I do here? What play?’ I was playing those games in my head, and then after a while I was like, ‘No, Melo, what are you doing? Just be a fan,’" he said. "So, I started to turn that part of my brain off and operating that way. To be a fan of basketball and the New York Knicks and of the players that were out there representing. It’s a beautiful thing, because as a former player, I love those moments. I live for those moments. The tip-in was like – ah! That was a moment! Jalen Brunson’s three was a moment. So, I understand what the Garden feels like in those moments, but that moment right there was special."
A new season brings new opportunity for not just the Knicks, but every NBA team hoping this will be their year. The Knicks have the crown, but teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, who will have LeBron James and Jaylen Brown suiting up for their first regular-season game with them in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, gunning for the title.
"When you know you have the crown, you’re not going to let anybody knock that crown off," Anthony said. "No matter what we gotta do, no matter how we gotta do it, no matter how hard it is to maintain this crown, we gotta do what we gotta do. And I think that’s the mentality coming into this season. Also, I think each individual player had to get better at something and get stronger in their weaknesses this offseason. If they did that, again, that’s the championship mindset.
"If they’re coming back like that, New York is the team to beat."
JOEL EMBIID REJECTS IDEA 76ERS STARS MUST 'TAKE A BACK SEAT' AS NBA REGULAR SEASON LOOMS
STAYING MELO WITH DRAFTKINGS
While Anthony is looking forward to what the Knicks do this season, he’s excited for his partnership with DraftKings and being a part of its campaign ahead of the season.
"We got a great campaign, man. Myself, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas. We really came together, and I got to give a shoutout to DraftKings and that creative team for putting that concept together," he said. "The beauty in that is the fact that we can have more fun with DraftKings because it’s in all 50 states now, which is major. I just love the fact that more people are involved, and more people can have fun with the game of basketball in this sense, and just sports in general. I love that."
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Anthony called it a "beautiful thing" being able to work alongside Hart and Jonas for the campaign, which he is excited for fans to see.
With DraftKings available in all 50 states, the campaign revolves around Hart and Jonas traveling throughout the country, where car troubles can happen. As the tow truck figures out their situation, Anthony is waiting with his own car problems in the clip as he tries to get the word out about DraftKings.
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SAN FRANCISCO – Angel Reese started Game 1 of the WNBA Finals with 11 points in the first quarter, then went the rest of the afternoon without making another field goal. In Game 2, she gave the Atlanta Dream considerably more than a good start.
Reese scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead Atlanta to a 79-65 victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Monday night at Chase Center, evening the best-of-seven series at 1-1. She added 3 assists, 2 blocks and a steal.
She became the youngest player to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in a WNBA postseason game.
DREAM, VALKYRIES SKIP NATIONAL ANTHEM IN WNBA FINALS GAME 2 DESPITE RULEBOOK REQUIREMENT
It took four trips to the Finals for the Dream to finally win a game. Atlanta was swept in 2010, 2011 and 2013, then lost Saturday’s opener to fall to 0-10 in championship series games. Reese helped put an end to that streak with one of the best games of her career.
But before tipoff, there was another national anthem controversy. Both teams again stayed off the court for the anthem, leaving the floor just before the start of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and returning seconds after Alanis Morissette finished her performance.
The WNBA’s rulebook calls for players, coaches and trainers to stand and line up during the anthem. The league has not answered OutKick’s questions about the teams’ absences.
Once the game began, Reese attacked the basket and kept giving Atlanta offense. She scored eight points in the first quarter and seven in the second, giving her 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the first half. Those 15 points represented one more than she scored in all of Game 1.
ANGEL REESE IS IN THE WNBA FINALS, BUT HER CHICAGO EXIT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HER WINNING MENTALITY
Reese’s strong night still included a brief tantrum early in the third quarter. With the game tied at 40, she stomped her feet after not getting the ball and walked away while Atlanta’s possession continued, taking herself out of position to pursue an offensive rebound. That’s a bad look in a Finals game.
To Reese's credit, she didn't let one bad moment define her night. She followed the outburst with a block on Tiffany Hayes, then later finished through contact against Kiah Stokes and completed the three-point play.
Cameras showed Reese yelling "Give me the f-----g ball!" after the and-1 bucket.
Reese finished with nine third-quarter points, matching Golden State’s entire output.
The Valkyries never made Reese pay for entering the second half with three fouls. She stayed on the floor for the entire third quarter without picking up another one, while Golden State kept firing jump shots and failed to get to the free-throw line.
Both teams made four field goals in the third quarter, including one three-pointer apiece. Atlanta went 12-for-12 at the foul line. Golden State didn’t attempt a free throw. This wasn't a case of a one-way whistle, either; Golden State routinely settled for outside shots rather than attacking the paint.
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The Dream took a 60-46 lead into the fourth, and the advantage reached 21 with just over six minutes remaining.
Reese added six points in the fourth quarter, including a 24-foot three-pointer that put Atlanta ahead 74-55 with 4:15 remaining.
The series moves to Atlanta’s State Farm Arena for Game 3 on Wednesday.
A new NBA season tips off this Tuesday, bringing with it the league’s galaxy of stars, from Jalen Brunson, Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić to veterans LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
© Geoff Burke (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Washington, 20 oct (Prensa Latina) La temporada 2026-2027 de la Liga estadounidense de baloncesto (NBA) arrancará hoy con una triple cartelera y pondrá en marcha una nueva carrera por el título.
The post Con triple cartelera arranca la batalla por el título de la NBA first appeared on Noticias Prensa Latina.
Como diría el mítico Andrés Montes: “Bienvenidos al mayor espectáculo del mundo”. Este martes arranca una nueva temporada de la NBA, la liga de las estrellas, con un elenco de campanillas con Jalen Brunson, Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, o los veteranos LeBron James y Stephen Curry, entre otros. Los New York Knicks defienden el título, pero tendrán una competencia despiadada. Los chicos del Madison Square Garden lograron el ansiado anillo en una temporada para la historia en la que pusieron fin a una sequía que se prolongó 53 años. La sonada victoria de Nueva York supone, además, ampliar la insólita racha de ocho campeones diferentes en las últimas ocho temporadas, un hecho sin precedentes en los ochenta años de vida de la liga profesional de baloncesto.
© Geoff Burke (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
SAN FRANCISCO – The Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries were off the court for the national anthem before Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Monday night, repeating their Game 1 absences despite a provision in the league’s own rulebook calling for players to stand and line up during the performance.
WNBA SILENT AS FINALS TEAMS SKIP NATIONAL ANTHEM DESPITE RULE REQUIRING PLAYERS TO STAND IN LINE
Just like in Game 1, the teams left the floor less than one minute before the start of the anthem and returned mere seconds after the singer sang the final note.
The repeat absence followed OutKick’s questions to both teams about why they were off the court Saturday and whether they planned to be present for Monday’s anthem.
Despite multiple requests to both teams, those questions had gone unanswered when OutKick published a follow-up Monday morning.
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The WNBA’s 2026 official rulebook says players, coaches and trainers are to "stand and line up in a dignified posture" along the sidelines or on the foul line during the national anthem.
OutKick asked the league about its anthem requirements, whether any discipline was planned or under consideration over Game 1, and whether it had instructed or planned to instruct either team to be on the court for Game 2.
We also asked the league to confirm whether both teams would be present Monday.
The WNBA has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Before Saturday’s opener, both teams were warming up on the court before leaving just ahead of the anthem. They returned within seconds of the performance ending.
DREAM, VALKYRIES LEAVE COURT DURING NATIONAL ANTHEM, RETURN SECONDS LATER BEFORE WNBA FINALS
OutKick contacted the league, Dream and Valkyries that afternoon, then followed up with all three Sunday.
The team inquiries also asked whether the WNBA had communicated any instructions or expectations about the anthem since Game 1.
Additionally, OutKick attended all five of Saturday’s pregame and postgame press conferences and raised a hand at each, but was never called on to ask the planned anthem questions.
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OutKick also attended both coaches' press conferences prior to Game 2. Again, we were not called upon to ask a question.
The WNBA’s own rulebook calls for players to stand and line up for the anthem. Two games into its Finals, neither team has even been on the floor for it. And the league remains silent about the apparent violation of its own policy.
Brandon Miller, the No. 2 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, received a lucrative contract extension from the Charlotte Hornets heading into his fourth season in the league.
Miller, coming off a career year with the Hornets, agreed to a five-year, $209 million extension, per The Associated Press.
The 23-year-old averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game last year, while also dealing with a shoulder injury. The guard/forward has tallied 19 points and 4.6 rebounds per game across his three seasons.
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With LaMelo Ball traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of this year, Miller should be expected to take on a larger role for Charlotte during the 2026-27 campaign.
Miller was taken after the San Antonio Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 Draft, but there was a time during his final season at Alabama where Miller’s draft stock was in limbo because of controversy off the court.
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Miller was involved in the death of a 23-year-old woman in January 2023, where it was found he transported the murder weapon, a firearm, to former teammate Darius Miles, the legal owner of the gun. Miles then gave the gun to Michael Lynn Davis, who was found guilty of shooting and killing Jamea Harris near The Strip in Tuscaloosa.
While Miller was never accused of any wrongdoing, he drove the gun to the scene where it was taken out of the vehicle by Miles and Davis. Prosecutors presented text messages showing that Miles had asked Miller to bring the gun to the scene.
Miller testified in the capital murder trial last year, admitting he did indeed bring the gun in his Dodge Charger to the scene, but said Miles didn’t tell him why he needed it, that he was going to give it to Davis or that a shooting would occur.
Miller also testified that, when gunfire rang out shortly after, two bullets had struck his windshield. He said he was almost hit by the bullets.
Ultimately, Miller was never charged with a crime or offered any special promises or rewards in exchange for cooperating.
Miller was one of four former members of the Alabama men’s basketball program who appeared on the pretrial potential witness list in the case. Davis was someone he knew since he joined the Crimson Tide’s program, being introduced to him through Miles. Davis had hung around the basketball team, which included moments in the locker room with Miles.
Miller was with the Crimson Tide for one season during the 2022-23 campaign before being selected by the Hornets. As news came out about his connection to the shooting, Miller started to face backlash from opposing teams’ fans, with "lock him up" ringing out during a game at South Carolina. He wasn’t fazed, though, dropping 41 points, as well as the game-winner in overtime, in that game.
"We hear the chants," Miller said at the time. "I feel like we really just lean on each other to go to places like that and pull out tough wins."
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With Miller cleared of any wrongdoing, his draft stock remained on a top-three path, and the Hornets selected him in hopes that his prowess on the court in college would translate to the NBA.
It certainly has, and Miller has what every professional hopes for after entering the league: a big-time pay day.
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Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries was supposed to be about an historic matchup between star forward Angel Reese and one of the league's newest franchises. Instead, it became about neither team being on the floor to honor America during the national anthem.
The post WATCH: Valkyries, Dream Not on the Floor for National Anthem Ahead of WNBA Finals Game appeared first on Breitbart.
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