With the 2025-26 NBA season just around the corner, the league’s media days began this week with the Philadelphia 76ers holding sessions on Friday. 

Among those from the Sixers’ organization who spoke Friday were Paul George and Joel Embiid. George provided a status update on the injury he suffered during an offseason workout in July, confirming he will not be able to practice initially during 76ers training camp, being held Saturday and Sunday in Camden, New Jersey. 

“I’m getting better and better,” George said. “I’m feeling stronger and stronger. I feel a lot better now than I did at this point last year.”

George had a down year in his first with Philadelphia. In 41 games, George averaged just 16.2 points per game, which is one the lowest marks of his career. George’s season was cut short due to knee and groin injuries. The team shut him down in early March. George is a nine-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA and four-time All-Defensive team selection. 

Embiid did not provide much in terms of when he may return to the court, according to Jeff Borzello of ESPN. 

“There’s not necessarily an expectation. … The goal is to play consistently and not be in a position that we were last year,” Embiid told the media Friday. 

Embiid appeared in just 19 games for Philly last season, missing most of the year with a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery in April. There is no current timetable set for the 31-year-old’s return. When Embiid did play last season, he averaged 23.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, his lowest numbers since his second active year in the NBA. Embiid missed his first two seasons after being drafted in 2014 due to a fracture in his foot. He didn’t debut for the 76ers until the 2016-17 season.

[Get more Sixers news: Philadelphia team feed]

The third member of Philadelphia’s big three, Tyrese Maxey, also spent some time talking to the media on Friday. Maxey was asked about the team’s struggles last season and also talked about culture and the franchise moving in the right direction. 

“I’ve never lost in my career,” Maxey explained. “It was good for me to go through that and become a better leader … this year we definitely plan on being better, and we’ve been working our tails off to be better.

“I think the biggest thing that this team and this organization need to work on is ourselves … right now we’re just trying to find ways to get better every day, make sure the culture is right and make sure that we’re all stepping in the right direction.” 

Maxey stepped into a bigger leadership role last season with Embiid and George sidelined. He set a new career high in points, averaging 26.3 a year after winning the league’s Most Improved Player award. However, despite Maxey’s overall improvement, he was only on the court for 52 games due to multiple injuries. 

Philadelphia kicks off its NBA preseason schedule Oct. 2 with an international game against the New York Knicks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Sixers begin the regular season Oct. 22 against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston.

With the 2025-26 NBA season just around the corner, the league’s media days began this week with the Philadelphia 76ers holding sessions on Friday. 

Among those from the Sixers’ organization who spoke Friday were Paul George and Joel Embiid. George provided a status update on the injury he suffered during an offseason workout in July, confirming he will not be able to practice initially during 76ers training camp, being held Saturday and Sunday in Camden, New Jersey. 

“I’m getting better and better,” George said. “I’m feeling stronger and stronger. I feel a lot better now than I did at this point last year.”

George had a down year in his first with Philadelphia. In 41 games, George averaged just 16.2 points per game, which is one the lowest marks of his career. George’s season was cut short due to knee and groin injuries. The team shut him down in early March. George is a nine-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA and four-time All-Defensive team selection. 

Embiid did not provide much in terms of when he may return to the court, according to Jeff Borzello of ESPN. 

“There’s not necessarily an expectation. … The goal is to play consistently and not be in a position that we were last year,” Embiid told the media Friday. 

Embiid appeared in just 19 games for Philly last season, missing most of the year with a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery in April. There is no current timetable set for the 31-year-old’s return. When Embiid did play last season, he averaged 23.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, his lowest numbers since his second active year in the NBA. Embiid missed his first two seasons after being drafted in 2014 due to a fracture in his foot. He didn’t debut for the 76ers until the 2016-17 season.

[Get more Sixers news: Philadelphia team feed]

The third member of Philadelphia’s big three, Tyrese Maxey, also spent some time talking to the media on Friday. Maxey was asked about the team’s struggles last season and also talked about culture and the franchise moving in the right direction. 

“I’ve never lost in my career,” Maxey explained. “It was good for me to go through that and become a better leader … this year we definitely plan on being better, and we’ve been working our tails off to be better.

“I think the biggest thing that this team and this organization need to work on is ourselves … right now we’re just trying to find ways to get better every day, make sure the culture is right and make sure that we’re all stepping in the right direction.” 

Maxey stepped into a bigger leadership role last season with Embiid and George sidelined. He set a new career high in points, averaging 26.3 a year after winning the league’s Most Improved Player award. However, despite Maxey’s overall improvement, he was only on the court for 52 games due to multiple injuries. 

Philadelphia kicks off its NBA preseason schedule Oct. 2 with an international game against the New York Knicks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Sixers begin the regular season Oct. 22 against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston.

They didn’t dogpile on the mound. They were animated but relatively reserved in an abbreviated clubhouse champagne shower.

It was no doubt a celebratory moment for the Dodgers, capturing their 12th division title in the last 13 years with an 8-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.

But it was accompanied by moments of internal reflection, as well. About a regular season that has posed challenges at every turn. About a six-month slog in which frustration and adversity were around every corner.

“This has been a tough year,” third baseman Max Muncy said.

“Not the smoothest of rides to get here,” first baseman Freddie Feeman added.

The reasons why are numerous, from early-season injuries in the rotation to an extended second-half slump from the lineup to a string of bullpen collapses that made the division race unexpectedly close.

Through it all, however, ran one common thread.

While there is no universal consensus over the veracity of a so-called “World Series hangover,” some team members have acknowledged the unique obstacles that have come with trying to repeat as champions.

There is the physical toll. The mental exhaustion. The threat of complacency and stagnant satisfaction.

Read more:Dodgers defeat Diamondbacks to clinch their 12th NL West title in 13 seasons

In their bid to win a second consecutive World Series this year — something no team has accomplished since the New York Yankees’ three-peat from 1998-2000 — the Dodgers at various times seemed to battle each one.

“Baseball is different than any other sport,” manager Dave Roberts said. “The psyche part of it, the battle of attrition, all that stuff kind of matters. There’s probably many reasons why [repeating as World Series champions] hasn’t been done since the Yankees did it [from 1998-2000]. But that’s something we’re trying to do. We have an opportunity to make history. It hasn’t been easy. But that’s part of it.”

The question now: Have the obstacles of the regular season steeled them for another championship run? Or will this prove to be a campaign that in some ways was ill-fated from the start?

“This was as tough a path as we’ve been through,” Roberts said, amid Thursday’s clubhouse celebration. “But the old adage — iron sharpens iron. I do think we’re better for the adversity … I’m excited for what’s to come.”

The “World Series hangover” conversation has followed the Dodgers since they reported for spring training. It slowly revealed itself in ways that were both obvious and small.

Start with the bullpen, where every impact reliever who returned from last year’s title-winning team either regressed in their performance, spent time sidelined with an injury, or in several cases endured both after the heavy workload they shouldered in last year’s playoffs.

“I think it would be probably trying to fool ourselves if we said it didn’t have anything to do with it,” right-hander Michael Kopech, who has been limited to just 14 appearances this year and will begin the playoffs on the injured list with a knee problem, said last month. “But at the same time, that’s what we all sign up for. Any team that was in the position that we were last year would have done the same.”

“There probably is some mental fatigue and some physical [carry] over,” fellow right-hander Blake Treinen echoed. “But to say it’s an effect on the whole year, I don’t know. I think getting caught up on excuses and reasons is a dangerous thing.”

The bullpen has pointed elsewhere in explaining its season-long struggles. As Treinen noted, “at the end of the day, we get paid to handle” the burdens of bouncing back from whatever happened the previous fall.

The Dodgers also tried to mitigate such factors, bolstering the group with the veteran offseason signings of Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates. But as they flopped, the unit as a whole suffered one calamity after another. The more they spiraled, the harder it became for speculation about the after-effects of last October to be blocked out.

Read more:Shaikin: Dodgers fans should take a moment to appreciate team’s success before anxiety returns

“You don’t try to lean on the what-ifs and maybes and this could be and that couldn’t be,” Treinen said. “We just have a job, and it’s been weird [this year].”

On the other side of the ball, the Dodgers dealt with a different dynamic in the wake of last year’s triumph. For an offense usually predicated on a disciplined daily approach and ability to work quality at-bats, there were long stretches of the season in which that edge would seemingly soften. When consistent execution at the plate looked like a puzzlingly difficult task.

“This is not an excuse, but we started the year last year really early, we played until November, and then this year we started early again,” infielder Miguel Rojas said, citing not only the Dodgers’ grind to get through last postseason but also their two international trips to Japan and South Korea over the last 18 months.

“We’re human beings. And sometimes you get tired, especially mentally. You got a lot of things going on in your life, and your year. It’s not easy to be locked in every single time.”

That was especially evident during the team’s second-half slide, when a common contrast could be drawn between the Dodgers and their upset-minded opponents.

“When you’re the defending champions … we definitely got everyone’s best shot this year,” Muncy said.

And, too often, the Dodgers struggled to conjure the intensity to match.

“That’s part of what we signed up for, but it takes a tax,” Roberts said. “It’s tough every day to bring your best when you know that other teams are bringing their best … You try to put forth every game is the same, April is just as important as September and October. That in theory is great. But it’s hard to do that in practice.”

Add in the fact that “when you make deep playoff runs every year, it takes a toll on guys’ bodies. And this year, I think you saw it more than ever,” noted Muncy, who missed time with knee and oblique injuries.

Despite all that, of course, the Dodgers still rang in what has become a nearly annual tradition on Thursday night. They sprayed bottles and smoked cigars in a division-clinching clubhouse celebration. They doused Shohei Ohtani with all manner of liquid and “MVP” chants. They turned the booze-soaked plastic lining on the floor into a slip-and-slide for members of their training and support staff.

“This never feels old,” Freeman said from behind champagne-drenched ski goggles.

“It’s still the best feeling in the world,” a shirtless Clayton Kershaw added.

Read more:Roki Sasaki and Clayton Kershaw boost bullpen, Dodgers magic number reduced to 1

Amid the scene, however, was also a business-like understanding.

Winning the division was what the Dodgers always expected to accomplish.

Repeating as World Series champions, and overcoming all the hangover effects that have followed them to this point, remains the ultimate challenge.

“We’ve been battle-tested,” Muncy said, framing the ups and downs of this year as building blocks to lean on in the postseason.

“The thing that I think is pretty telling is, [with] all that we’ve gone through, this team stayed connected,” Roberts similarly declared.

The path ahead still isn’t simple. The team will have to take the long route through October — starting with a best-of-three wild card round next week, rather than a bye to the division series.

But lately, they’ve seen signs that their hangover might be subsiding, winning 12 of 17 games behind a more consistent offense, a dominant surge from the starting rotation, and a bullpen that is getting new reinforcements from the likes of Kershaw, Roki Sasaki and (likely starting in the playoffs) Emmet Sheehan.

Read more:Can Roki Sasaki’s return provide Dodgers trustworthy relief? Early signs were promising

“Yeah, we won the division,” Roberts said. “But on top of that, more important, we’re playing good baseball.”

The goal now is to maintain that momentum, embrace the lessons this regular season provided, and avoid any further pitfalls that have tripped up so many previous defending champions before them.

After all, winning consecutive World Series might not be easy. But next year, they’d love to give it yet another try.

“It’s more about playing for each other, trusting each other,” Roberts said. “The rest of it will take care of itself.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

With the 2025-26 NBA season around the corner, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson will be missing time to start the year. The team announced Friday that Henderson suffered a left hamstring tear during an offseason workout.

As a result of the injury, Henderson will be out 4-8 weeks. The team says Henderson can return to basketball activities in that time, though an exact timeline for his return is unclear.

Portland begins preseason Oct. 8 with a matchup against the Golden State Warriors. The Trail Blazers’ season opener is set for Oct. 22, as the team hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Henderson, who was drafted No. 3 overall by Portland in 2023, was set to start his third season with the team. The 21-year-old point guard averaged 12.7 points, three rebounds and 5.1 assists per game last season, leading the team in assists per game.

Henderson was likely to come off the bench this season behind veteran point guard Jrue Holiday, an offseason acquisition for the Trail Blazers. With Henderson out, Dalano Banton will likely get more time off the bench behind Holiday.

Henderson is the latest NBA player to suffer an injury during the offseason. Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain’s injury woes continued after tearing a ligament in his thumb Thursday. Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet suffered a season-ending ACL tear during a team workout in the Bahamas, with the veteran guard successfully undergoing surgery.

With the 2025-26 NBA season around the corner, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson will be missing time to start the year. The team announced Friday that Henderson suffered a left hamstring tear during an offseason workout.

As a result of the injury, Henderson will be out 4-8 weeks. The team says Henderson can return to basketball activities in that time, though an exact timeline for his return is unclear.

Portland begins preseason Oct. 8 with a matchup against the Golden State Warriors. The Trail Blazers’ season opener is set for Oct. 22, as the team hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Henderson, who was drafted No. 3 overall by Portland in 2023, was set to start his third season with the team. The 21-year-old point guard averaged 12.7 points, three rebounds and 5.1 assists per game last season, leading the team in assists per game.

Henderson was likely to come off the bench this season behind veteran point guard Jrue Holiday, an offseason acquisition for the Trail Blazers. With Henderson out, Dalano Banton will likely get more time off the bench behind Holiday.

Henderson is the latest NBA player to suffer an injury during the offseason. Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain’s injury woes continued after tearing a ligament in his thumb Thursday. Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet suffered a season-ending ACL tear during a team workout in the Bahamas, with the veteran guard successfully undergoing surgery.

This is not how the Detroit Tigers drew it up at the beginning of the season. After leading the American League Central for the better part of the past five months, the Tigers’ playoff hopes and the outcome of the division come down to one weekend in Boston.

The Tigers’ pressure-packed series against the Red Sox, which begins Friday, arrives after a mostly disastrous three-game series in Cleveland, in which the Guardians took two of three from Detroit, capturing the all-important tiebreaker in the process. The Tigers were able to escape Cleveland with a win in the series finale, once again tying things up atop the division.

Overall, September has been a catastrophic month for Detroit as they’ve tried to stave off a historic collapse. At the beginning of this month, the AL Central was the division in which it was clearest who the winner would be.

Or we thought.

Detroit led Cleveland in the Central by a whopping 15.5 games on July 8. The Tigers led the division by 12.5 games on Aug. 25. But with their loss to Cleveland on Wednesday, Detroit trailed in the division for the first time in months.

At the same time, Cleveland has gone on an amazing run since the trade deadline, with a hot streak that has been both incredible and methodical. Since Aug. 25, the Guardians have gone 22-8, while Detroit is 8-19 in that span. That has put Cleveland on the verge of setting the record for the largest deficit ever overcome to win a division in MLB history.

Beyond the tally of wins and losses, where has Detroit’s season gone so very wrong?

[Get more Detroit news: Tigers team feed]

To start, over the past month, Detroit’s offense has been almost nonexistent. The Tigers are 26th in baseball in runs scored across their 8-19 stretch, and the team’s most reliable bats, Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene, have gone ice-cold.

Meanwhile, the starting pitching — which, beyond Cy Young front-runner Tarik Skubal, has been a question for the Tigers all season — has struggled along with the offense. You know what you’re going to get every five days from Skubal, but behind him, things haven’t been going well for a while. Detroit’s team ERA ranks 16th in baseball entering Friday, and that’s with Skubal’s 2.21 significantly lowering the collective average.

At this point, Detroit’s moves — or lack thereof — at the trade deadline have come back to haunt them. In July, the Tigers acquired 41-year-old Charlie Morton, who has been one of the worst starters in baseball in the second half, leading to his release. They also added right-hander Chris Paddack from the Minnesota Twins, and he was moved to the bullpen after just six starts. Meanwhile, after an All-Star first half, Casey Mize has regressed, with a 5.17 second-half ERA.

So with three games left to play, what can happen this weekend?

The Tigers go into Friday tied with the Guardians in the AL Central, but because Cleveland holds the tiebreaker, the Tigers are essentially one game back. That means Detroit needs to win more games this weekend than Cleveland in order to win the AL Central. If the Tigers have the same result as the Guardians, who host the Rangers this weekend, Cleveland will be the division winner.

The other scenario for the Tigers involves the Houston Astros, the only team who could still sneak into the postseason. Entering Friday, the Astros are one game back for the final wild-card spot, so it’s a real possibility that Houston could knock Detroit out entirely. If Cleveland takes care of business against Texas, the Astros win their series against the lowly Angels and the Tigers lose two of three to the Red Sox, Cleveland will win the Central, the Astros will take the final wild-card spot, and the Tigers will be watching October baseball at home.

Long story short, the Tigers are in must-win mode over their final three games, staring down the possibility of missing the postseason entirely and making the worst kind of MLB history. Given the way things are lining up, it seems likely they’ll have Skubal on the mound in the regular-season finale with the stakes about as high as they could possibly be.

Buckle up, Detroit. It could be a long weekend.

This is not how the Detroit Tigers drew it up at the beginning of the season. After leading the American League Central for the better part of the past five months, the Tigers’ playoff hopes and the outcome of the division come down to one weekend in Boston.

The Tigers’ pressure-packed series against the Red Sox, which begins Friday, arrives after a mostly disastrous three-game series in Cleveland, in which the Guardians took two of three from Detroit, capturing the all-important tiebreaker in the process. The Tigers were able to escape Cleveland with a win in the series finale, once again tying things up atop the division.

Overall, September has been a catastrophic month for Detroit as they’ve tried to stave off a historic collapse. At the beginning of this month, the AL Central was the division in which it was clearest who the winner would be.

Or we thought.

Detroit led Cleveland in the Central by a whopping 15.5 games on July 8. The Tigers led the division by 12.5 games on Aug. 25. But with their loss to Cleveland on Wednesday, Detroit trailed in the division for the first time in months.

At the same time, Cleveland has gone on an amazing run since the trade deadline, with a hot streak that has been both incredible and methodical. Since Aug. 25, the Guardians have gone 22-8, while Detroit is 8-19 in that span. That has put Cleveland on the verge of setting the record for the largest deficit ever overcome to win a division in MLB history.

Beyond the tally of wins and losses, where has Detroit’s season gone so very wrong?

[Get more Detroit news: Tigers team feed]

To start, over the past month, Detroit’s offense has been almost nonexistent. The Tigers are 26th in baseball in runs scored across their 8-19 stretch, and the team’s most reliable bats, Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene, have gone ice-cold.

Meanwhile, the starting pitching — which, beyond Cy Young front-runner Tarik Skubal, has been a question for the Tigers all season — has struggled along with the offense. You know what you’re going to get every five days from Skubal, but behind him, things haven’t been going well for a while. Detroit’s team ERA ranks 16th in baseball entering Friday, and that’s with Skubal’s 2.21 significantly lowering the collective average.

At this point, Detroit’s moves — or lack thereof — at the trade deadline have come back to haunt them. In July, the Tigers acquired 41-year-old Charlie Morton, who has been one of the worst starters in baseball in the second half, leading to his release. They also added right-hander Chris Paddack from the Minnesota Twins, and he was moved to the bullpen after just six starts. Meanwhile, after an All-Star first half, Casey Mize has regressed, with a 5.17 second-half ERA.

So with three games left to play, what can happen this weekend?

The Tigers go into Friday tied with the Guardians in the AL Central, but because Cleveland holds the tiebreaker, the Tigers are essentially one game back. That means Detroit needs to win more games this weekend than Cleveland in order to win the AL Central. If the Tigers have the same result as the Guardians, who host the Rangers this weekend, Cleveland will be the division winner.

The other scenario for the Tigers involves the Houston Astros, the only team who could still sneak into the postseason. Entering Friday, the Astros are one game back for the final wild-card spot, so it’s a real possibility that Houston could knock Detroit out entirely. If Cleveland takes care of business against Texas, the Astros win their series against the lowly Angels and the Tigers lose two of three to the Red Sox, Cleveland will win the Central, the Astros will take the final wild-card spot, and the Tigers will be watching October baseball at home.

Long story short, the Tigers are in must-win mode over their final three games, staring down the possibility of missing the postseason entirely and making the worst kind of MLB history. Given the way things are lining up, it seems likely they’ll have Skubal on the mound in the regular-season finale with the stakes about as high as they could possibly be.

Buckle up, Detroit. It could be a long weekend.