Victor Wembanyama could be the face of the NBA in a few years. For now, the 21-year-old San Antonio Spurs center is soaking up as much knowledge as he can get from the league’s active legends.

“I have a note on my phone with questions to ask the guys, KD [Kevin Durant], ‘Bron [LeBron James],” Wembanyama said on stage at Fanatics Fest in New York on Saturday. “I had the chance to talk to [Nikola] Jokić for 45 minutes at All-Star [weekend]. And I’m taking notes.”

Wembanyama added: “When I’m told something, I don’t forget it. It’s super precious, for sure.”

Wembanyama, a French native and soon-to-be third-year NBA player, shared the stage Saturday with James, as well as with seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady, in a live version of James’ talk show, “The Shop: Uninterrupted.”

The respect Wembanyama has for the future Hall of Famers he mentioned is certainly reciprocated.

When James was asked Saturday how much longer he would play before retiring, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar joked that the 7-foot-3 Wembanyama — who led the NBA this season with 3.8 blocks per game — might send him into retirement.

“I can’t play that much further,” James said. “And the more and more time that I play, as long as he keeps smacking my f***ing shots into the stands, he’s gonna make me retire.”

Wembanyama responded in jest that James, 40, might retire after him.

Earlier this season, Jokić heaped praise on Wembanyama.

“I think he’s better this year than last year, and I think he’s going to get even better,” Jokić said of Wembanyama on Jan. 4, after Wembanyama’s Spurs defeated Jokić’s Denver Nuggets. 

“I think he’s a special player. I think he’s one of a kind and is going to be remembered forever.”

That night marked the first dueling 35-point, 15-rebound performances in an NBA game since 2019. Wembanyama notched 35 points and 18 rebounds, plus a game-sealing steal off a pass from Jokić. Meanwhile, the three-time MVP recorded 41 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists.

When San Antonio announced Feb. 20 that Wembanyama would miss the rest of the season with a blood clot in his right shoulder, Durant imparted impactful words just hours later, following a Spurs win over his Phoenix Suns.

“I’m glad they caught this early,” Durant said at the time. “That can affect your overall health. … I’m glad they was able to catch that early. You’ve seen a few guys that had this and come back and play and finish their careers out. I’m thinking about Vic. I’m sure the whole basketball world is thinking about him right now. Somebody like that who has a strong mind, strong will to go out there and recover and get better, he’s gonna put his best foot forward every day. I don’t even know Vic well enough, but I can just tell that that’s what he’s about. … I’m looking forward to seeing him back out there.”

The Spurs expect to have Wembanyama back for the start of the 2025-26 season. He’s coming off his first All-Star appearance.

Wembanyama was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft and became NBA Rookie of the Year that season. 

With the NBA Finals going the distance and culminating with a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday in Oklahoma City, let’s look at some potential keys for the very last game of the 2024-25 NBA season.

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Indiana Pacers

Keep sharing the ball

The Pacers are a dynamic offensive group, and their ability to overwhelm an otherwise elite Thunder defense is more than noteworthy.

How does it work? By not forcing the ball one specific way. Every Pacer who has logged over 100 minutes in these Finals — that’s eight, if you are counting at home — is averaging double-digit scoring, and that’s very much by design.

Head coach Rick Carlisle has every interest in making his offense unpredictable, and with that many players all thoroughly involved in the scoring, that goal has been achieved.

Anadolu via Getty Images

Allow Oklahoma City’s core to take 3-pointers — at least initially

There’s no other way to say this. The Pacers have found themselves fortunate the Thunder’s three best players — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren — are all struggling mightily from beyond the arc, combining to make a grand total of 14 triples in the series on 61 attempts.

While the idea of letting players shoot is rarely a good one, the Pacers shouldn’t be outright fearful of letting that trio test out its range in Game 7. If the Big 3 miss early, stick with it. If they start to hit, make adjustments and force them into the mid-range area.

For the Pacers, keeping Gilgeous-Alexander out of the paint is a major boon, as that drastically limits his chances of drawing fouls on overly eager defenders biting on his shot-fakes near the rim.

Hang onto the ball at all costs

The Pacers have turned the ball over 99 times in this series, despite being one of the best teams in the league in limiting turnovers.

Tyrese Haliburton especially has struggled, as 21 of those have come at his expense. That means he, more than anyone, will have to be mindful of his surroundings, float away from traps and double-teams, and have teammates ready to help as soon he feels pressure.

If the Pacers can limit their mistakes, they stand a strong chance at identifying a more stable offensive flow.

Primary X-Factor

Myles Turner. If the big man starts hitting his 3-pointers and can give his team an offensive boost, that will make life much easier for the Pacers.

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Oklahoma City Thunder

It sounds simple, but: make shots

Look, even the most hardcore X’s and O’s coach who can think his or her way out of any situation, will lose games if players fail to convert on something as simple as shot attempts.

The Thunder have heavily underlined, this postseason, that their defense is much better than their offense, and that’s kicking them in the butt during these Finals, as the team is sporting a dreadful eFG% of 50.3%, almost a full 6 percentage points lower than during the regular season.

Holmgren in particular is struggling. He’s scoring 68 points on 68 shots in the series, and he’s made just 11.8% of his 3-point shots. The 7-foot-1 three-level scorer has only occasionally looked the part, and if the Thunder are to have any serious hopes of winning the title, Holmgren will have to step up and convert.

Lean into the depth, especially offensively

The Thunder’s offensive hierarchy is obvious, with Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren leading the charge. That much is fair, but no one else is coming close to averaging 10 shots per game. The fourth-highest shot-taker is Alex Caruso, who’s managed 43 shots in six games.

Head coach Mark Daigneault has been hesitant playing some of the players he relied on in the regular season, and while a tightened rotation is fair game for the most part, it might be wise to get guys like Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe some early court time to generate offense.

Having two or three rotation players get into double-figures is of utmost importance, unless Gilgeous-Alexander drops a 50-piece.

Control the tempo and the glass

When the Pacers run and they catch a rhythm, they become extremely difficult to stop. They will run after makes, get into early shots and put defenders on their heels.

The Thunder cannot allow anyone but themselves to dictate the tempo, and that starts by applying their well-known suffocating defense. They have to make every single offensive possession by the Pacers feel like minutes and force them into an ugly, sluggish performance.

By turning the game ugly and defensive in nature, the Thunder could benefit by utilizing Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein on the glass to secure vital possessions. Maximizing shot attempts has to be a major priority for the Thunder in Game 7, with more bites at the apple, the better.

Primary X-factor

Alex Caruso. The do-it-all defensive mastermind dramatically improves his team’s offense when he’s involved. The time is now to take and make open shots.

Overall

These two teams know each other quite well by now, so it seems doubtful anyone applies something brand new. So it comes down to lots of trickery, misdirection and perhaps even something as utterly simple as the best player embracing the game as his own and taking his team home.

With the NBA Finals going the distance and culminating with a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday in Oklahoma City, let’s look at some potential keys for the very last game of the 2024-25 NBA season.

---

Indiana Pacers

Keep sharing the ball

The Pacers are a dynamic offensive group, and their ability to overwhelm an otherwise elite Thunder defense is more than noteworthy.

How does it work? By not forcing the ball one specific way. Every Pacer who has logged over 100 minutes in these Finals — that’s eight, if you are counting at home — is averaging double-digit scoring, and that’s very much by design.

Head coach Rick Carlisle has every interest in making his offense unpredictable, and with that many players all thoroughly involved in the scoring, that goal has been achieved.

Anadolu via Getty Images

Allow Oklahoma City’s core to take 3-pointers — at least initially

There’s no other way to say this. The Pacers have found themselves fortunate the Thunder’s three best players — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren — are all struggling mightily from beyond the arc, combining to make a grand total of 14 triples in the series on 61 attempts.

While the idea of letting players shoot is rarely a good one, the Pacers shouldn’t be outright fearful of letting that trio test out its range in Game 7. If the Big 3 miss early, stick with it. If they start to hit, make adjustments and force them into the mid-range area.

For the Pacers, keeping Gilgeous-Alexander out of the paint is a major boon, as that drastically limits his chances of drawing fouls on overly eager defenders biting on his shot-fakes near the rim.

Hang onto the ball at all costs

The Pacers have turned the ball over 99 times in this series, despite being one of the best teams in the league in limiting turnovers.

Tyrese Haliburton especially has struggled, as 21 of those have come at his expense. That means he, more than anyone, will have to be mindful of his surroundings, float away from traps and double-teams, and have teammates ready to help as soon he feels pressure.

If the Pacers can limit their mistakes, they stand a strong chance at identifying a more stable offensive flow.

Primary X-Factor

Myles Turner. If the big man starts hitting his 3-pointers and can give his team an offensive boost, that will make life much easier for the Pacers.

---

Oklahoma City Thunder

It sounds simple, but: make shots

Look, even the most hardcore X’s and O’s coach who can think his or her way out of any situation, will lose games if players fail to convert on something as simple as shot attempts.

The Thunder have heavily underlined, this postseason, that their defense is much better than their offense, and that’s kicking them in the butt during these Finals, as the team is sporting a dreadful eFG% of 50.3%, almost a full 6 percentage points lower than during the regular season.

Holmgren in particular is struggling. He’s scoring 68 points on 68 shots in the series, and he’s made just 11.8% of his 3-point shots. The 7-foot-1 three-level scorer has only occasionally looked the part, and if the Thunder are to have any serious hopes of winning the title, Holmgren will have to step up and convert.

Lean into the depth, especially offensively

The Thunder’s offensive hierarchy is obvious, with Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren leading the charge. That much is fair, but no one else is coming close to averaging 10 shots per game. The fourth-highest shot-taker is Alex Caruso, who’s managed 43 shots in six games.

Head coach Mark Daigneault has been hesitant playing some of the players he relied on in the regular season, and while a tightened rotation is fair game for the most part, it might be wise to get guys like Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe some early court time to generate offense.

Having two or three rotation players get into double-figures is of utmost importance, unless Gilgeous-Alexander drops a 50-piece.

Control the tempo and the glass

When the Pacers run and they catch a rhythm, they become extremely difficult to stop. They will run after makes, get into early shots and put defenders on their heels.

The Thunder cannot allow anyone but themselves to dictate the tempo, and that starts by applying their well-known suffocating defense. They have to make every single offensive possession by the Pacers feel like minutes and force them into an ugly, sluggish performance.

By turning the game ugly and defensive in nature, the Thunder could benefit by utilizing Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein on the glass to secure vital possessions. Maximizing shot attempts has to be a major priority for the Thunder in Game 7, with more bites at the apple, the better.

Primary X-factor

Alex Caruso. The do-it-all defensive mastermind dramatically improves his team’s offense when he’s involved. The time is now to take and make open shots.

Overall

These two teams know each other quite well by now, so it seems doubtful anyone applies something brand new. So it comes down to lots of trickery, misdirection and perhaps even something as utterly simple as the best player embracing the game as his own and taking his team home.

Rafael Devers hit his first home run with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. Adding a footnote — or a punctuation mark — to the saga of being traded by the Boston Red Sox last Sunday, the homer came against his former team. 

Devers hit the homer in the third inning, smacking a 96 mph fastball left out over the plate by Brayan Bello to the opposite field. The ball came off Devers’ bat at 105.5 mph, according to Statcast, giving it plenty of fuel to go over the left-field wall at Oracle Park. The two-run shot gave the Giants a 3-0 lead.

At the very least, Devers hitting a homer against the Red Sox would appear to be some affirmation for him after being portrayed as the bad guy in his dispute with the team over reluctantly moving from third base to designated hitter and later refusing to play first base while criticizing Boston’s front office. 

Before Devers took Bello deep on Saturday, the scenario of facing his former team so soon after being traded looked as if it might lack the drama many craved. He batted 0-for-5 on Friday in his first game against Boston. Giants manager Bob Melvin said that Devers would not play first base without getting more practice at the position.

Devers expressing a willingness to play first base in San Francisco raised eyebrows, as did his assertion that he earned respect due to his production for Boston over eight-plus seasons. Red Sox executives Sam Kennedy and Craig Breslow trying to justify the trade by saying they “could not find alignment” with Devers indicated that the relationship had soured. 

However, it’s also clear that both sides want to move on from this now, based on Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s remarks after being asked if he would “clear the air” with Devers since the two were in the same ballpark this weekend. 

“Clear the air about what? It’s a trade. It’s baseball. It’s a business. That’s how it works,” Cora told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. “It’s not the first guy that’s gotten traded. It’s not the last guy.”

“People have their opinions about the whole thing,” he added. “Communication, first base, DH, third base, the manager, the GM, the owner, whatever. It’s a baseball trade. From my end, I turn the page.”

Devers hitting his 16th homer of the season, his first as a National League player, may have helped turn that page.

Rafael Devers hit his first home run with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. Adding a footnote — or a punctuation mark — to the saga of being traded by the Boston Red Sox last Sunday, the homer came against his former team. 

Devers hit the homer in the third inning, smacking a 96 mph fastball left out over the plate by Brayan Bello to the opposite field. The ball came off Devers’ bat at 105.5 mph, according to Statcast, giving it plenty of fuel to go over the left-field wall at Oracle Park. The two-run shot gave the Giants a 3-0 lead.

At the very least, Devers hitting a homer against the Red Sox would appear to be some affirmation for him after being portrayed as the bad guy in his dispute with the team over reluctantly moving from third base to designated hitter and later refusing to play first base while criticizing Boston’s front office. 

Before Devers took Bello deep on Saturday, the scenario of facing his former team so soon after being traded looked as if it might lack the drama many craved. He batted 0-for-5 on Friday in his first game against Boston. Giants manager Bob Melvin said that Devers would not play first base without getting more practice at the position.

Devers expressing a willingness to play first base in San Francisco raised eyebrows, as did his assertion that he earned respect due to his production for Boston over eight-plus seasons. Red Sox executives Sam Kennedy and Craig Breslow trying to justify the trade by saying they “could not find alignment” with Devers indicated that the relationship had soured. 

However, it’s also clear that both sides want to move on from this now, based on Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s remarks after being asked if he would “clear the air” with Devers since the two were in the same ballpark this weekend. 

“Clear the air about what? It’s a trade. It’s baseball. It’s a business. That’s how it works,” Cora told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. “It’s not the first guy that’s gotten traded. It’s not the last guy.”

“People have their opinions about the whole thing,” he added. “Communication, first base, DH, third base, the manager, the GM, the owner, whatever. It’s a baseball trade. From my end, I turn the page.”

Devers hitting his 16th homer of the season, his first as a National League player, may have helped turn that page.

Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt did not get a chance to see the eighth and ninth innings through after throwing a career-high 103 pitches in Saturday’s 9-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles, but his seven no-hit frames how good he can be.

“I kind of feel like Clarke’s one of the more underrated starting pitchers in the game,” said New York manager Aaron Boone. “It’s two years now of really, really good stuff and to be under three now after a little bit of getting his feet wet at the start.

“What stands out to me is not just solely leaning on cutter, cutter — because it’s such an important pitch, such a good pitch for him, but he can back himself into a little bit of a corner. … I like how he’s using his arsenal right now. Really, in the last few (starts).”

Schmidt (4-3, 2.84 ERA), who had five strikeouts to two walks and one hit batter, agreed with Boone.

“Every time I go out there, I’m trying to prove myself,” Schmidt said. “I’ve had a chip on my shoulder since I was a young kid. I always play with a chip on my shoulder. Every time I go out there, I have a chip on my shoulder.

“The lack of attention or attention to not being one of the top guys is a motivating factor for me and it’s something that I’m always thinking about. I find ways to motivate myself very easily, so being underrated is another way to put it.”

With three straight scoreless outings spanning 20.2 IP, Schmidt has kicked into another gear as he nears the halfway point of his third season in the Yankees’ starting rotation.

“I think he’s just getting better and better,” said catcher J.C. Escarra. “Every time he goes out there, he has a better game than he did the last. I’m excited to see what the season has for him.”

The Mets got some unfortunate news on Saturday after an MRI revealed that Max Kranick has a minor flexor strain which will cause the reliever to be shut down for 3-4 weeks, manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed.

With their pitching already in a tough spot due to mounting injuries, Kranick’s diagnosis puts even more strain on an already-beleaguered starting staff and bullpen.

“He’s shut down for 3-4 weeks and we’ll reassess at that point and then hopefully everything is good to go and then he’ll start his throwing progression,” Mendoza said. “But shut down from throwing fo 3-4 weeks.”

Kranick, 27, owns a 3.65 ERA in 24 appearances spanning 37 innings this season — his first with New York. The right-hander last pitched for the club on June 15 when he went two scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kranick’s role on the Mets has been that of a Swiss Army knife, able to go multiple innings whenever needed while also coming in during big spots.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York claimed the righty before the start of the 2024 season. Kranick didn’t make the team out of spring training, but he made 45 appearances in the minors and owned a 3.82 ERA over 70.2 innings.

While unfortunate, the fact that Kranick, who went on the IL with a right elbow strain on June 19, is able to avoid surgery is a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, especially a guy that has already one Tommy John [surgery], so the fact that the ligament is fine – he’s gonna be down for quite a bit, but relatively good news here,” the skipper said.

The injury news comes on the same day the Mets recalled RHP Chris Devenski and RHP Tyler Zuber, optioning RHPs Blade Tidwell and Justin Garza in their place as the team continues to look for pitching help.

The past, present and future greatness of sports was on stage at Fanatics Fest in New York on Saturday with LeBron James, Tom Brady and Victor Wembanyama among those participating in a live version of James’ talk show “The Shop: Uninterrupted.” 

Brady provided a quote to remember in praising James for his career achievements, particularly notable coming from the quarterback many consider the greatest in NFL history with seven Super Bowl championships. But to Brady, LeBron is the greatest of all time. 

“With the intensity that’s been on him, the Olympics, the different teams that he’s been on, he’s always done things the right way,” Brady said, via a video clip by Anthony Rivardo. “He’s always risen above all the noise and B.S. and continued to deliver.”

“So you’re witnessing the greatest ever and I hope you guys all appreciate that.”

James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, winning four NBA championships (and playing in 10 NBA Finals), four NBA MVP awards and three Olympic gold medals. 

But as Brady pointed out, James has faced a level of scrutiny during his career that might be unmatched, going back to him entering the NBA as an 18-year-old straight out of high school, while also enduring criticism for how he left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat by announcing the decision on ESPN. 

Slaven Vlasic via Getty Images

“The Shop” was always intended to feature unfiltered discussion from sports stars, emulating the conversations that would take place in a barber shop. Saturday’s panel did not disappoint in that regard, featuring several memorable sound bites in addition to Brady’s praise of James. 

Brady said that visiting New York always means taking jabs from New York Giants fans about the two Super Bowls that he lost to the team with the New England Patriots. 

“How does it feel to be Eli Manning’s son?” he said a Giants fan asked him while the two appeared at Fanatics Fest on Friday. 

James was asked how much longer he would play before retiring. The Los Angeles Lakers star has a $52 million player option for next season and can then become a free agent. After joking that Brady played football until he was 59 years old, James then said that Wembanyama — who led the NBA with an average of 3.8 blocks per game — might end up pushing him into retirement sooner than planned. 

“I can’t play that much further,” James said. “And the more and more time that I play, as long as he keeps smacking my shots into the f***ing stands, he’s gonna make me retire.”

The 21-year-old Wembanyama then responded that James might retire after him. The San Antonio Spurs center recently finished his second NBA season, which was cut short with two months to play due to a blood clot in his right shoulder.

The past, present and future greatness of sports was on stage at Fanatics Fest in New York on Saturday with LeBron James, Tom Brady and Victor Wembanyama among those participating in a live version of James’ talk show “The Shop: Uninterrupted.” 

Brady provided a quote to remember in praising James for his career achievements, particularly notable coming from the quarterback many consider the greatest in NFL history with seven Super Bowl championships. But to Brady, LeBron is the greatest of all time. 

“With the intensity that’s been on him, the Olympics, the different teams that he’s been on, he’s always done things the right way,” Brady said, via a video clip by Anthony Rivardo. “He’s always risen above all the noise and B.S. and continued to deliver.”

“So you’re witnessing the greatest ever and I hope you guys all appreciate that.”

James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, winning four NBA championships (and playing in 10 NBA Finals), four NBA MVP awards and three Olympic gold medals. 

But as Brady pointed out, James has faced a level of scrutiny during his career that might be unmatched, going back to him entering the NBA as an 18-year-old straight out of high school, while also enduring criticism for how he left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat by announcing the decision on ESPN. 

Slaven Vlasic via Getty Images

“The Shop” was always intended to feature unfiltered discussion from sports stars, emulating the conversations that would take place in a barber shop. Saturday’s panel did not disappoint in that regard, featuring several memorable sound bites in addition to Brady’s praise of James. 

Brady said that visiting New York always means taking jabs from New York Giants fans about the two Super Bowls that he lost to the team with the New England Patriots. 

“How does it feel to be Eli Manning’s son?” he said a Giants fan asked him while the two appeared at Fanatics Fest on Friday. 

James was asked how much longer he would play before retiring. The Los Angeles Lakers star has a $52 million player option for next season and can then become a free agent. After joking that Brady played football until he was 59 years old, James then said that Wembanyama — who led the NBA with an average of 3.8 blocks per game — might end up pushing him into retirement sooner than planned. 

“I can’t play that much further,” James said. “And the more and more time that I play, as long as he keeps smacking my shots into the f***ing stands, he’s gonna make me retire.”

The 21-year-old Wembanyama then responded that James might retire after him. The San Antonio Spurs center recently finished his second NBA season, which was cut short with two months to play due to a blood clot in his right shoulder.