June 2025

There were 1,837 posts published in June 2025 (this is page 139 of 184).

Josh Hart is glad Jay Wright isn’t interested in Knicks head coaching job, saying, ‘Stay retired!’

Jay Wright has no interest in being the New York Knicks‘ next head coach, and one of his former players is relieved about that decision.

Wright — who coached Villanova to two national championships, four Final Fours and 642 wins — had been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Knicks opening after they fired Tom Thibodeau last week. NBA teams have long been fascinated to see if Wright’s success in college basketball could translate to the pros.

The Knicks were a particularly intriguing choice because three former Wildcats — Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart — are star players on the roster. (Apologies to Donte DiVincenzo, who was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. But he got an AT&T commercial out of it.) 

However, Wright told college basketball reporters Seth Davis and Matt Norlander he is retired from coaching and wants to remain a studio analyst for CBS. That’s not surprising since Wright is 63 years old and had always been a college coach during his nearly 40-year career, 28 as a head coach at Hofstra and Villanova.

Perhaps taking those factors into consideration, Hart responded to news of Wright’s desire to stay retired by saying, “Man Thank You. Stay retired!” 

Hart was certainly successful playing for Wright at Villanova. He won a national championship in 2016, along with first-team All-America and Big East Player of the Year honors. That put him in position to be an NBA first-round pick, drafted No. 30 overall by the Utah Jazz in 2017. (Hart was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and also played with the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers before being traded to the Knicks.) 

Wright reportedly also has a good relationship with Knicks president Leon Rose, with whom he communicates regularly. Yet that means Rose knows Wright well enough to be aware that he prefers to stay retired. 

The Knicks are apparently targeting experienced NBA head coaches in their search. They’re reportedly expected to request permission to interviewDallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. The Houston Rockets have already declined a similar inquiry regarding their coach, Ime Udoka. 

Top Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony hits 497-foot grand slam, longer than any HR in MLB this season

Boston Red Sox minor leaguer Roman Anthony is the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball, according to both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. He provided a very good explanation why on Saturday in Triple-A. 

In the eighth inning of the Worcester Red Sox’s game against the Rochester Red Wings, Anthony crushed a ball farther than any player in affiliated baseball has hit all season. The projected distance: 497 feet. The exit velocity: 115.6 mph.

And it was a go-ahead grand slam.

The WooSox went on to win 10-4.

That homer didn’t just surpass the longest homer in both the majors and minors this season (Mike Trout and Aramis Garcia held the high mark in each at 484 feet). That 497 feet would have been the fifth-longest homer recorded in the majors since Statcast started tracking fly balls in 2015.

Aaron Judge has never hit a ball that far, according to Statcast. Nor has Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Fernando Tatis Jr. or Ronald Acuña Jr. The Statcast record belongs to former top prospect Nomar Mazara, who hit a ball 505 feet in 2019.

Roman Anthony’s power is absolutely legit. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Diamond Images via Getty Images

The 21-year-old Anthony entered this season as one of the top prospects in all of baseball, but has remained in the minors for all of 2025 so far. He’s been laying waste to the competition, slashing .291/.396/.498 with 18 homers and 21 stolen bases between Double-A and Triple-A entering Saturday and is expected to make it to the majors sometime this season.

When he does reach the big leagues, Anthony figures to see time in the outfield immediately; it’s just unclear where. The team has a fairly entrenched outfield with All-Star Jarren Duran in left, defensive standout Ceddanne Rafaela in center and Gold Glover Wilyer Abreu in right, but Anthony can play anywhere in the outfield. As MLB.com’s Ian Browne noted last month, moving Rafaela to the infield could end up being the move, if everyone remains healthy.

The Red Sox have already called up their other two big-time prospects, with the versatile Kristian Campbell breaking camp with the MLB club from spring training and third baseman Marcelo Mayor getting the call after an injury to Alex Bregman.

Boston drafted Anthony out of high school 79th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft and signed him to an above-slot $2.5 million deal.

Thunder Game 2 changes have to start with better nights from Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams

OKLAHOMA CITY — Any doubts about the Thunder entering the playoffs seemed to have been wiped away before the NBA Finals tipped off. Nobody had really questioned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Thunder defense had more than lived up to its fearsome reputation.

Perhaps the only question not entirely answered this postseason was the one that lingered from last year’s playoffs, when the Mavericks eliminated the Thunder: Were Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren good enough to be the No. 2 and 3 players on a championship team?

They were not in Game 1. They shot a combined 8-of-28, and they had some defensive lapses.

If the Thunder are going to even this series in Game 2 Sunday night, a few things need to improve for them, but that starts with better games from Williams and Holmgren.

“[Holmgren] and [Williams], specifically, obviously they have carved out huge roles on our team,” OKC coach Mark Daigneault said. “Usually, delivering in the Finals is not on the curriculum for third-year players, and they have thrust themselves into that situation, which is a credit to them. And now that they are here, they have to continue to do what they have done all the way through the playoffs…

“They haven’t always played their best game, but they always get themselves ready to play the next one. The last guy I’m worried about that is Chet.”

Williams played down the idea of being a third-year player mattering.

“I don’t ever think that I’m in my third year because then that allows me to make excuses. I should just go out there and play. Pressure is a privilege,” Williams said on the eve of Game 2. “So I enjoy being counted on and doing that, and I just think I’ve been counted on since, I feel like, last year, to be totally honest, just in regard to being there for the rest of the guys. And now we’re here in the Finals.”

Holmgren’s rough shooting night

Holmgren shot 2-of-8 within four feet of the rim in Game 1, finishing the night with six points on nine shot attempts. It was a night where Daigneault leaned more into Isaiah Hartenstein (9 points on 3-of-5 shooting, plus 9 rebounds).

“I feel like I could have slowed down, kind of finished some of those plays at the rim,” Holmgren said. “Obviously, it hurts in a one-point loss. One single difference on one single play could have decided the whole game…

“I’d say [I went] on some of them, too quick. On the ones that involved help side, just slowing down and understanding where they are is a big thing. Some of the one-on-one plays, I wouldn’t say so much slowing down as I’d say kind of just being a little bit more under control, I guess.”

Williams’ rough shooting night

Williams put up better counting stats with 17 points, but was 6-of-19 shooting. He was respectable around the rim, hitting 5-of-9. However, he was 1-of-10 outside that range, including 1-of-4 on 3-pointers.

We’ve seen this before this postseason. Against the Nuggets, Williams showed out with 32 points on 21 shots in Game 3 (an OKC loss), but in the next three games Williams shot 2-of-13, 5-of-14 and 3-of-16, a combined 23.3%.

Williams bounced back in the Thunder’s Game 7 victory, scoring 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting. What Oklahoma City needs from him in the Finals is consistency. Williams is an All-NBA player who will be offered a five-year maximum contract extension by the Thunder this summer. These games, however, are where that money and his reputation are really earned.

All playoffs long, when the Thunder have been challenged — individually and as a team — they have responded. Expect Williams and Holmgren to bounce back with better games on Sunday night.

If they don’t, the hole the Thunder find themselves in could be a lot deeper.

NBA Finals ratings: Pacers-Thunder thriller posts worst Game 1 numbers since league’s COVID-19 downturn

The concerns about the small-market NBA Finals didn’t prevent the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder from delivering a classic in Game 1. They do, however, seem to have impacted ratings as expected.

Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals averaged a 4.7 rating and 8.91 million viewers on ABC, making it the least-watched Game 1 of the Nielsen meter era (since 1988) outside of the league’s COVID-19-fueled ratings nadir in 2020 and 2021, according to Sports Media Watch.

Those numbers are an 18% ratings decline and 19% viewership decline from last year’s NBA Finals opener in which the Boston Celtics faced the Dallas Mavericks. The decline would have been worse had Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers not launched a furious comeback in the final minutes to stun the Thunder.

Those numbers seemingly vindicate what many have said about a clash between teams from the 25th and 47th largest markets in the Nielsen rankings, with Oklahoma City’s mayor bristling at those concerns ahead of the game. 

No matter how many people watched, Game 1 of Pacers-Thunder was a fun one. (Photo by Kyle Terada – Pool/Getty Images)
Pool via Getty Images

Of course, it’s also important to maintain perspective about how much ratings matter. Sure, the NBA would love if 100% of households were tuning into its signature event, but the league just finalized $76 billion in television deals for the next 11 season. While ratings are down, the league extracts value from many other areas. Your favorite team will be fine. Your favorite player will be fine.

NBA’s PR team also pointed to some positives, such as the broadcast reaching 11 million viewers by the time Haliburton made his game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left, strong viewership among the 18-to-34-year-old demographic and a record number of views on social media.

The Pacers’ win could aid ratings down the line, as many viewers might not have tuned in due to how lopsided the series was perceived to be. The Thunder opened as a -800 favorite to win their first title in OKC, the best odds since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors.

The Thunder have been so dominant this season that even down 1-0, they are still -350 favorites to win it all. They aren’t unstoppable, though, and plenty of fans could be interested in either a comeback or one of the biggest upsets in NBA Finals history.

Golden State Warriors jersey history – No. 14 – Ed Sadowski (1948-49)

The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history.

Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA — a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego.

 To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the third of 13 players who wore the No. 14 jersey for the Warriors.

That player would be Golden State big man alum Ed Sadowski. After ending his college career at Seton Hall, Sadowski joined the (defunct) Toronto Huskies in their (and the BAA’s) first-ever season of existence.

The Johnstown, Pennsylvania native also played for the (defunct) Cleveland Rebels and the Boston Celtics before he was dealt to the (then) Philadelphia (now, Golden State) Warriors in 1948. His stay with the team would span parts of two seasons, coming to an end when he was traded to the (defunct) Baltimore Bullets in 1949.

During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Sadowski wore only jersey No. 14 and put up 13.8 points and 2.6 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors jersey history – No. 14 – Ed Sadowski (1948-49)

OKC Thunder jersey history No. 33 – Bob Wilkerson (1976-77)

The Oklahoma City Thunder (and the Seattle Supersonics before them) have 51 jersey numbers worn by the players who have suited up for the franchise since its founding at the start of the 1967-68 season. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Thunder Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team.

And while those Supersonics jerseys may not remain part of the franchise history should a new team be established in Seattle as was the case with the return of the Charlotte Hornets, they are part of the Thunder’s history today.

For this article, we continue with the 33rd jersey number in the series, jersey No. 33, with 17 players in total having donned the jersey in the history of the franchise.

The third of those players did so in the Seattle SuperSonics era, wing alum Bob Wilkerson. After ending his college career at Indiana, Wilkerson was picked up with the 11th overall selection of the 1976 NBA draft by the SuperSonics.

The Anderson, Indiana native would play the first season of his pro career with Seattle, coming to an end when he was dealt to the Denver Nuggets in 1977.

During his time suiting up for the Sonics, Wilkerson wore only jersey No. 33 and put up 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Thunder jersey history No. 33 – Bob Wilkerson (1976-77)

Brooklyn Nets jersey history No. 16 – James Johnson (2021-22)

The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the “New Jersey Americans”.

Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today.

To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise’s jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. The 18th of those 52 different numbers is jersey No. 16 which has has had a total of three players wear the number in the history of the team.

The second of those players wearing No. 16 played in the Brooklyn Nets era, forward alum James Johnson. After ending his college career at Wake Forest, Johnson was picked up with the 16th overall selection of the 2009 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls.

The Cheyenne, Wyoming native would play parts of the first 2 seasons of his pro career with the Bulls. He would also have stints with the Toronto Raptors, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto again, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, and New Orleans Pelicans before he signed with Brooklyn in 2021.

His stay with the team would span a single season, ending when he was cut in 2022. During his time suiting up for the Nets, Johnson wore only jersey No. 16 and put up 5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets jersey history No. 16 – James Johnson (2021-22)

What happened between Tennessee baseball and Arkansas in tense sixth-inning exchange?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas pitcher Zach Root cut loose, yelling and pointing after getting Tennessee baseball first baseman Andrew Fischer to ground into a double play.

Tony Vitello didn’t mind.

“The way he threw, you could argue he could have done a cartwheel if he wanted to and there is nothing wrong with it,” the Vols coach said June 7. “I got no beef with that.”

Vitello did have a beef in the sixth inning of Tennessee’s 4-3 loss in the opener of the Fayetteville Super Regional. It just wasn’t with Root.

Vitello darted from the dugout with “a little PTSD” stemming from Vols catcher Cannon Peebles being ejected against Wake Forest on June 2 and Root not drawing any umpire attention without prompting from the Vols coaching staff.

“It wasn’t the same with what we just dealt with prior to − last weekend,” Vitello said. “But it is a different crew, too, and these guys would not be in the super regional if they weren’t highly qualified at what they do. …

“That is where my frustration came from.”

Peebles was suspended for the opener. He is eligible to return as the Vols (46-17) fight to keep their season going against Arkansas (47-13) on June 8 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Game 2 of the super regional.

Tensions reached their highest point in a hotly contested clash in the sixth inning after Root got Fischer to ground into an inning-ending double play. Root yelled, pointed and flexed at Fischer.

He claimed after he could not remember what he said to Fischer.

“I was just competing and kind of blacked out so I can’t answer that for you,” Root said. “I don’t remember.”

Vitello, third-base coach Josh Elander and staffer Luke Bonfield were frustrated by the umpires taking no action. Umpires convened and issued warnings to both dugouts following the discussion. Vitello received a second-inning warning for voicing his dissatisfaction with the strike zone of home-plate umpire Rick Allen.

Root and Fischer also clashed in the fourth inning.

DOYLE: Tennessee baseball turns to ace Liam Doyle to keep season alive. How he did vs Arkansas 3 weeks ago

Fischer spat at home plate and nodded at the Arkansas crowd during his at-bat. Root struck him out with a 98 mph fastball and waved Fischer off the field and yelled at him.

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn indicated he would prefer not to see that much emotion from Root, who allowed two runs on one hit and two walks in seven innings. 

“I don’t know what the tickets cost, but I am pretty sure everyone here would pay good money to see Root vs Fischer again,” Vitello said. 

Fischer threw a ball to an Arkansas fan in the bottom of the fourth and the Arkansas fan threw it back onto the field. He homered in the ninth inning to pull Tennessee within 4-3. 

“I think the tension was kind of overrated, especially if you just ignore me,” Vitello said. “Everybody was just kind of pouring what they’ve got into it.”

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball vs Arkansas: Tony Vitello, sixth-inning tension

Lee seizes solo lead at LPGA Shoprite Classic

South Korean Lee Il-hee hits a tee shot on the way to the lead at the LPGA Shoprite Classic in New Jersey (Isaiah Vazquez)

South Korea’s Lee Il-hee bounced back from a late double bogey with her fifth birdie of the day at her final hole to seize a one-shot lead going into the final round of the LPGA Shoprite Classic in New Jersey on Saturday.

Lee, who shared the overnight lead with Elizabeth Szokol, teed off on 10 at the Seaview Hotel & Country Club and grabbed four birdies in her first nine holes.

After her double bogey at the eighth she finished with a final birdie for an 11-under par total of 131 and a one-stroke edge over Japan’s Mao Saigo and Ayaka Furue and Americans Jennifer Kupcho and Szokol.

Lee, a 36-year-old whose career has been hampered by multiple injuries, had opened the 54-hole event with an impressive 63.

“Today was totally different day, and I knew it’s going to be complete different day so I didn’t have any expectations,” she said. “I was just playing golf, having fun out there. Made some birdies on the first nine — it was fun.”

Saigo, who won her first major title at the Chevron Championship in April, carded a 67 highlighted by an albatross at the par-five third hole, where she holed out from 214 yards out with a seven-wood.

“First time,” said Saigo, who couldn’t see the ball go in but said she knew it had by the reaction of the crowd around the green.

Furue claimed her share of second with a bogey-free 66 while Kupcho posted the low round of the day with seven birdies in her seven-under 64, capped by a birdie-birdie finish at eight and nine.

Szokol also overcame a double bogey, carding four birdies in a 69 that she classed as “pretty good” in the wake of Friday’s 63.

“Definitely hard to beat yesterday’s,” Szokol said. “Still, really solid day, hit some great golf shots and made some really good putts early on to save par. Finished on a birdie so going off on a good note for tomorrow.”

bb/sev

Steelers announce jersey number for QB Aaron Rodgers

From the moment the Pittsburgh Steelers signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers, there was mystery surrounding what jersey number Rodgers would wear with the Steelers. Rodgers wore No. 12 when he was with the Green Bay Packers but switched to No. 8 with the New York Jets. Now with the Steelers, Rodgers will continue to wear No. 8.

There was some concern that Rodgers might insist on wearing No. 12, which would have opened up a whole can of worms. No Steeler has worn No. 12 since Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw retired in 1983. Pittsburgh has never officially retired the number but this is fairly common for the team to not retire a jersey but still never allow it to be worn.

Wearing No. 8 means punter Corliss Waitman will switch to No. 3. We hope Rodgers cuts Waitman a nice check for the jersey.

Rodgers joins Steelers legends Tommy Maddox and Kenny Pickett as the other two quarterbacks to wear the number.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers announce Aaron Rodgers will wear jersey No. 8