New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel broke his silence Tuesday on the controversy surrounding his photos with NFL reporter Diana Russini, admitting that the photos led to “difficult conversations” with his family, organization, coaches and players.

New York PostPage Six published the photos and a related story on April 7. The images show Vrabel and Russini – who are both married – holding hands, embracing and relaxing together at the ambient adults-only resort.

Everyone involved pleaded innocent, even though everyone involved tried to debunk the story.

Speaking at a press conference at Gillette Stadium, Vrabel thanked the media for their patience on what he called a “personal and private matter.”

During Tuesday’s media availability, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel talked about the “difficult conversations” he recently had with his family and the team. pic.twitter.com/QbT0tzMu8X

– ESPN (@espn) 21 April 2026

Vrabel’s ‘difficult conversation’ does little to silence skeptics of Russini pictures

He began making comments that cast doubt on his original claim that the photographs “showed a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is ridiculous.”

Vrabel told reporters, “I’ve had some tough conversations with people I care about, my family, the organization, the coaches, the players. They’ve been positive and productive.”

He said, “We believe that to be successful on and off the field, you have to make good decisions. That includes me. It starts with me. I never want our actions to have a negative impact on the team.” “We never want to be a distraction.”

Vrabel vowed to be “the best version of me moving forward” as the Patriots prepared for the NFL Draft.

He said, “There are comments and questions that I have responded to and with the team. We will keep them private.”

Sorry, Mike, but this is nothing personal. A potential affair between an NFL coach and a prominent NFL reporter is newsworthy.

Notably, he was asked by a reporter whether he stood by his original claim that the photographs were “completely innocent”, but he shrugged it off.

He replied, “I appreciate the question.” “I’m going to focus on my football team. I think I focused on what I thought was important.”

These measured remarks have done little to silence the skeptics. As the Patriots await the draft, the lengthy investigation suggests the story may continue to loom over the organization despite Vrabel’s efforts to move on from it.

However, Russini cannot really move beyond this as easily as Vrabel is trying to. he was forced to resign athletic.

Rusty Weis is a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and Xavier Musketeers. He has been writing professionally… More about Rusty Weiss

The biggest takeaway from the New Jersey Devils exit interviews is that it didn’t happen.

Star defenseman Dougie Hamilton “politely declined” to interview with the media after his agent went public this winter with his displeasure over a healthy scratch he had been keeping under wraps.

This is not the first time that Hamilton has refused an interview. New Jersey Hockey Now has requested him on three prior occasions, and he has declined to speak each time.

In fact, the last we heard from Hamilton publicly was December 17, 2025.

Amidst speculation regarding a Quinn Hughes trade, news surfaced that a deal or two of Devils players were made in Tom Fitzgerald’s efforts to free up cap space.

“I believe the Devils have vetoed some deals. OK? I believe it. I don’t know who, I don’t know what, but I believe it happened,” Elliotte Friedman said at the time on an episode of 32 Thoughts. “There’s too much noise for that to happen.”

It was later confirmed that Hamilton had blocked at least one trade with the San Jose Sharks.

Sitting at his locker after practice on December 17, New Jersey Hockey Now asked Hamilton if he had been contacted about waiving the no-move clause. Hamilton’s response sidestepped the question.

“You know, nothing has changed for me from the beginning,” Hamilton told New Jersey Hockey Now. “I had the same comments at the beginning of the year. So, I’ll stick to what I said at the beginning and it’s as simple as that.”

Then, things reached a crescendo.

The Devils made it known that Hamilton was to sit as a healthy scratch on January 11 against the Winnipeg Jets.

Hamilton’s agent—JP Barrie—issued a fiery statement, criticizing the way the Devils tried to force a trade.

Barrie said, “In our view, this decision right now is about his business rather than his game. It seems a very deliberate decision to step aside at this stage.” “Dougie has a 10-team trade list, and there have been attempts to trade him going back to the draft last year. We have made it clear to the Devils that we will look at teams off our list and other creative ways to reach a mutually acceptable team.”

Fitzgerald denied the allegations, stating that it was performance related and just “the business of our lineup”.

Ultimately, Hamilton was never transferred. At the 2026 NHL trade deadline, Fitzgerald even said he was never thinking about moving the star defenseman, making the mess he created even more confusing.

In the remaining 37 games of the season, Hamilton’s play improved with seven goals and 28 points.

Nevertheless, he has remained silent since then and is unwilling to comment on any matter.

make no mistake. That’s squarely on Fitzgerald, who was fired as Devils GM 10 days ago.

However, Hamilton’s silence since the defeat indicates his unhappiness with his current position. In fact, it signals the near end of his Devils tenure.

Hamilton has two years remaining on his contract, which has a cap hit of $9 million. He will be given a $7 million signing bonus on July 1.

The Devils will soon have a new general manager in charge. Maybe he can mend the relationship.

However, that seems unlikely, as New Jersey Hockey is now reported to be open to a new opportunity.

Hamilton has a 10-team trade list, which has potentially been expanded as his agent has indicated he is open to more possibilities.

The silence speaks volumes as it appears Hamilton’s future with the Devils is all but over.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

For only the third time in his illustrious NBA career, LeBron James was held scoreless in the first half of a basketball game. The Los Angeles Lakers star missed all five of his attempts from the field and struggled overall, with the Detroit Pistons outscoring his team by 14 points during his 18 minutes of playing time.

Considering how high a scorer James is (he is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, after all), seeing him go scoreless can be a disturbing sight. But the Lakers star has saw his role changing Largely relative to his heyday, as Luka Doncic is now the undisputed number one scoring option for the purple and gold.

“This is the role I’m playing for the ball club. To win ball games, this is the role I’m playing. And that’s the way the game was going,” James told reporters after the Lakers’ 113–110 loss to the Pistons, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“This is the role I’m playing for the ball club. To win ball games, this is the role I’m playing. And that’s the way the game was going” – LeBron James on going scoreless in the first half for only the third time in his career and the first time since 2010 pic.twitter.com/W5HK2ThdPH

-Dave McMenamin (@mcten) 24 March 2026

James is actually playing more of a supporting role, which suits him better than ever, considering he’s already 41 years old. And it’s safe to say that this change is working for the Lakers, as they entered the night having won nine consecutive games. What this simply means is that James is fully on board with what the team is doing, although he needs to be better than he was on Monday to recover from this situation.

The Lakers have hit their stride

The Lakers have now managed to get the most out of Doncic after he faced some difficulties sharing ballhandling and playmaking duties to start his life in LA after the blowout trade last year.

Doncic being so impressive (he shot 32-6-7 in the loss to the Pistons) bodes well for their chances of making some noise in the playoffs, but James getting up and running will be key to their title hopes.

Washington DC – Steve Kerr wants to clarify that he is listed as executive producer for the Oscar-winning mini-documentary. all empty roomsHe had little to do with the actual production of the film.

“I want to make it clear that executive producer is a great way of saying I have nothing to do with it. Just to be very, very clear,” Kerr joked pregame before the Golden State Warriors’ Monday matchup with the Washington Wizards. “But I feel incredibly honored to be associated with it.”

all the empty rooms, Winner of the Oscar for Best Documentary Short, the film is a film that covers issues close to Kerr’s heart. The 35-minute mini-doc follows broadcast journalist Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp as they travel across the United States, capturing the untouched, empty bedrooms of children killed in school shootings.

As an outspoken advocate against gun violence and supporter of gun safety laws, Kerr was very happy to have his name attached to the film.

“About a year ago they asked me if I wanted to be an executive producer, and when I read about this project I was immediately ready, because it’s such an important film. Once I saw it, I was overwhelmed by the beauty, the sadness, the humanity, done so poignantly.”

Steve Kerr’s role in the film

For Kerr, the artistry of the film is an important catalyst in tackling this issue.

“I think that’s important, especially, you know, given my advocacy for gun violence prevention. It’s – you look for ways to touch everybody and avoid political discourse that boils the issue down. And I thought the film threaded that needle perfectly.”

While Kerr was not involved in the production of the film, he played a major role in its public relations campaign in the lead-up to the Oscars.

This included writing an opinion article in the Los Angeles Times in which he highlighted the gun-violence epidemic in America and how the issue has had a personal impact on his life. Kerr’s father Malcolm was shot dead in Lebanon in 1984. Kerr also hosted some screenings in San Francisco and Los Angeles, conducting a Q&A with director Joshua Seftel.

“My involvement was really putting my name on it and trying to help promote it,” Kerr explained. “But it was so beautifully done. “It was so touching. And how sympathetic and kind Steve and Lou were in the movie when they were visiting houses. It was very powerful.”

Steve Kerr wants people to skip the movie

Kerr said he hasn’t had the chance to add an Oscar trophy to his NBA championship cabinet. But in Kerr’s eyes the achievement is the least important part of the film. Kerr thinks this film can help start a change in the movement. Not only at the political, legislative level, but also at the grassroots level, from power to people.

“I’m trying to recommend everyone to see it,” Kerr said. “It’s 35 minutes, but you should watch it. It’s hard to watch, but it’s also unforgettable. And I think this issue…it’s the kind of movement that we need to move. Our country, our citizenry, we need to move this issue forward, because it’s obviously not happening at a political level. But we know the power of protests and movements, and I’m very hopeful that this film will help that cause.”

Kerr said, “This is not a political issue. This is a public health crisis. When you watch the movie, and you see the damage, and you see these innocent people’s lives being taken. And then [when] You start to focus on the issue, you realize there are a lot of things we can do to save lives.”

“And that can be challenging. A lot of people say to me, it’s frustrating. It’s not frustrating. We have legislation that has been passed over and over again that is already saving lives. We know that statistically, but it’s really the movement that’s most important to me. The consensus: We have to do something.”

all empty rooms Currently available to stream on Netflix.

Luka Doncic continues to impress for the Los Angeles Lakers as the team enters a crucial stretch of the season.

Doncic led the Lakers to a 142-130 win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night with a nearly triple-double performance that highlighted his offensive impact. The star guard finished with 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists while adding three steals and a block in 37 minutes.

He made 17 of 31 shots from the field, including 9 of 14 from three-point range, and converted 8 of his 9 free throw attempts. The performance marked one of Doncic’s most complete performances of the season and led Los Angeles to another impressive win.

The dominant night continued a remarkable stretch for Doncic, who has increased his production during the Lakers’ recent surge. Over the past four games, he has averaged 40.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists, while also contributing 2.5 steals per contest. During that span, he has shot 51 percent from the field, 45 percent from three-point range and 86 percent from the free throw line as Los Angeles has won four consecutive games.

Luka Doncic’s impressive season pushes Lakers to top seed in Western Conference

Doncic’s consistency has been central to the Lakers’ success this season. Through 54 games, the 27-year-old is averaging 32.9 points, 8.5 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game, while also recording 1.5 steals per contest. He is shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from three-point range and 77.6 percent from the free throw line while playing 35.5 minutes per game.

His offensive production has helped stabilize the Lakers as they push for position in the Western Conference standings. The win over Chicago improved Los Angeles to 41–25 on the season, moving the team into the third seed.

The Lakers will look to carry their momentum on Saturday when they host the Denver Nuggets (41-26) at 5:30 pm PT on ABC. The matchup could carry significant playoff implications as both teams sit at the top of the conference.

Following the home game, Los Angeles begins a six-game road trip Monday against the Houston Rockets (40-25) at 6:30 p.m. on NBCSN and Peacock as the team moves into a competitive Western Conference race.

Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis is still learning the game within the game in his second year in the NBA. They got a tough lesson in their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

In the second quarter, Buzelis started talking to Lakers guard Luka Doncic, hoping to get him off his game. However, it had the opposite effect. Doncic became excited and counterattacked Buzelis and scored 12 consecutive points.

From there it was all disappointment for the Bulls, as the Lakers won 142–130. Doncic finished with season highs of 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

After the game, the 21-year-old Bouzelis admitted that his biggest takeaway was to never talk trash about Doncic again, though he also displayed his mentality.

“Obviously, when I started talking to him he started hitting. But I don’t back down from anybody. It doesn’t matter who you are. I accepted the challenge, but it didn’t work out,” Bouzelis said in a video posted by Chicago Sports Network.

“I don’t back down from anyone. No matter who you are.”

Matas Buzelis reflects on his back-and-forth with Luka Doncic tonight pic.twitter.com/lbwNkrSQXj

– Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) 13 March 2026

Despite the tough lessons, Bouzelis played well, scoring 22 points, including four three-pointers, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

The Bulls fell to 27–39, while the Lakers improved to 41–25.

Doncic said that Bouzelis “woke me up”, adding that he was surprised that the young forward was chirping at him.

His mask may look innocent, but the six-time All-Star is notorious for running his mouth. Doncic has stunned several players, including Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Los Angeles Clippers guard Kris Dunn.

PHOENIX – Before his usual pregame press conference, Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott addressed the Dillon Brooks DUI situation as part of his opening statement.

“I know you’ll have questions about the Dylan program last night. That’s why we sent the statement. We will continue, I will continue to reference the statement,” Ott explained.

“My focus here is on the back-to-back. We obviously didn’t play well last night. All our energy and focus is on moving forward and trying to win tonight.”

On Thursday, the Suns suffered an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bulls. Although the 105–103 score suggested otherwise, it was one of the worst scores of the season.

Meanwhile, Brooks missed playing time with the Suns due to a fractured left hand. His presence on the field is missed. His scoring, assertiveness and willingness to generate energy at any cost have been overlooked.

Jordan Ott believes Suns not focusing on Dillon Brooks DUI

As Ott said, he would refer to the team’s statement regarding the incident.

“We are aware of the situation involving Dillon Brooks and are gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time,” the statement, courtesy of AZCentral’s Duane Rankin, read.

While it may be a topic of discussion at least for Friday’s game, Ott isn’t letting it become a distraction.

“This is the NBA. There are a lot of nights like this,” he said.

He further explained that this almost matches the completely healthy New Orleans Pelicans roster. No matter how the game script or anything in the game unfolds, in the short term all the conversation may center on Brooks’ DUI.

The Milwaukee Bucks have had an up and down season and sit at 26-35. The biggest story for the Bucks is what’s happening with Giannis Antetokounmpo. He was almost traded by the NBA trade deadline, but remained with Milwaukee for at least the remainder of the season. Now, the biggest story is that Doc Rivers decided to keep Kyle Kuzma on the bench as a coaching decision.

The Bucks were playing the Celtics, and Kuzma did not play due to a coaching decision. Doc Rivers said the goal for the overall lineup is to try different things to find a rhythm, but he did not directly address benching Kyle Kuzma.

Kuzma addressed The Athletic’s Eric Nehm and said that he did not know in advance that it was happening, but he took it seriously and trusted the coaching staff, especially Rivers, given their past success.

“You have to take it seriously,” Kuzma said. “At the end of the day, we trust our coaching staff to make the right decisions on this team or whatever they think can win us games, especially for a guy like Doc. You know, he’s in the top 5 all-time in wins, so he knows basketball.”

Kuzma’s benching did not affect the outcome of the game, as the Celtics defeated the Bucks 108–81, despite Giannis Antetokounmpo returning from injury.

The former Laker was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Bucks midway through the 2024–25 season. In his first full year with the Bucks, the 2020 NBA champion averaged 12.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest, while shooting 48.3% from the field and 34.2% from three-point range in 56 games.

The Bucks are currently the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference and face an uphill battle to make the postseason, even a play-in game. They have also lost four games in a row and don’t look like they are a playoff-caliber team.

It’s been a tough journey for Kuzma, and if he’s still part of the Bucks’ plans moving forward, he still has another season left on his current contract beyond 2025-26. The $20.3 million Kuzma is owed in 2026-27 is also nearly fully guaranteed.

Lou Dort has made a name for himself by being the heart and soul of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is the one who sets the level of physicality on defense, and his strong play helped make the Thunder a championship organization.

However, his intensity and physical play sometimes cross the line, as he did on Friday against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

Given the success of both organizations in the Western Conference, the Thunder and Nuggets have become intense rivals over the years, leading to some heated and emotional battles on the court. On Friday, tensions between these two teams reached a new level when he appeared to intentionally foul Jokic, sending the three-time MVP to the ground and leading to a scuffle between the two sides.

Nikola Jokic faces Lu Dort and Jaylin Williams

pic.twitter.com/GvHKxeJM28

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 28 February 2026

After a scuffle separated the two sides, the play was reviewed and Dort was ejected from the game after receiving two serious fouls. Dort has since been under heavy scrutiny from fans for his actions against the Nuggets, leading to him breaking his silence on the matter.

“It was a physical game the whole game,” Dort told Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic in Chicago on Tuesday night. “Obviously, there was unnecessary contact that I shouldn’t have made. Getting kicked out of the game hurt me the worst. But yes, it was a high-level game. I’m a competitor, so I compete.”

The 26-year-old wing claimed that the game against Denver was a physical battle with “his limits,” but he also said he “crossed the line” in regards to his play with Jokic.

Not only are NBA fans picking sides on what happened in last week’s game between the Thunder and Nuggets, but Denver head coach David Edelman also shared his thoughts on what happened, calling Dort’s actions “ridiculous.”

“For Dort to take that shot — and then I think from his perspective it was no big deal, how he saw it — is ridiculous,” Edelman said. “That was malicious. It was a cheap shot. Lou Dort is a great player, and I haven’t seen him do that before.”

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault responded to the criticism surrounding Dort’s ejection from Friday’s game, saying the incident was the result of a “chippy game” and “things escalate like that sometimes.” Daigneault did not comment on whether he felt Dort’s actions were unnecessary or excessive, leading officials to eject him from the game.

Speaking with Lorenzi in Chicago on Tuesday, Dort responded to the perception many people have of him calling him a dirty player.

“It’s a tough job for me to guard the best players every night,” Dort said. “I don’t think I’m dirty. I can’t control the media. The media always wants some kind of attention or something. They want that buzz. I can’t control it…

“I’m not dirty.”

No further action was taken by the NBA for what happened between the Thunder and Nuggets, as Dort played against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night, recording four points and five rebounds in a 116-108 Oklahoma City victory.

On Saturday, February 28, 2026, CM Punk defeated Finn Balor to retain his World Heavyweight Championship at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. While his wife, AJ Lee, won the Women’s Intercontinental Title from Becky Lynch earlier in the night, Punk’s entrance and victory became the talking point.

Before Punk entered the arena, he was shown backstage, where “Serious” by The Alan Parsons Project was played. The song was popularly used for the starting lineup introduction of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls during the time of NBA legend Michael Jordan. As Punk entered, he also received a Bulls-style introduction before his entrance theme “Cult of Personality” hit.

Later in the post-show at Elimination Chamber, Punk explained his Bulls-inspired entrance. “That song, The Alan Parsons Project, obviously belongs at the United Center as the introduction to the Bulls Dynasty. There’s a statue of a guy named Michael Jordan in the vestibule. It was also Ricky Steamboat’s entrance to much of his time in WWE.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a magical song and I get goosebumps just thinking about it and talking about it. But the best thing about that entrance is these people are behind me. And when I say people are behind me, I mean the entire city of Chicago, because they’re always behind me,” Punk said.

Following his victory over Balor, Punk ended his segment celebrating with the brand new Women’s Intercontinental Champion and his wife AJ Lee. “The Second City Saint” is now scheduled to fight Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42 with his world title intact.

The NBA world saw one of the greatest players in history hang up his sneakers last weekend when Chris Paul officially announced his retirement from professional basketball. From his stellar debut with the New Orleans Hornets to his final full season with the San Antonio Spurs, the guard who quickly became known as “CP3” finished his NBA career as arguably the greatest point guard of all time.

Chris Paul spent six full seasons with the LA Clippers franchise, from when he was traded to Los Angeles in 2011 until he was traded to the Houston Rockets in the 2017 offseason.

Of the 249 teammates Chris Paul shared the floor with during his 20-year NBA career, no one played more games with Paul than former Clippers All-Star center DeAndre Jordan. The two played 406 regular season games together in addition to 53 playoff games. The two had a .658 winning percentage, going 302–157 together in those 459 games.

Paul announcing his retirement in the middle of All-Star weekend was somewhat of a surprise, given that the guard was looking for a team to play for and was ending his NBA career. But no team formed and Paul decided to call it quits.

Just weeks after his former teammate announced his official retirement, DeAndre Jordan shared a touching message on Instagram on Friday.

“Can’t believe I’m making a retirement post for your old man! I still remember when we found out we were getting CP3 and the “Lob City” run was born. It still feels like yesterday. Some of the greatest years of my life.

Let me be the first to congratulate you on your amazing basketball career! You have won countless accolades and done a lot for the game. However, the greatest achievement that I have seen in you is your love and dedication towards your family.

Thank you for always encouraging me, even when I wasn’t trying to hear it. ??? You were teammates then and have become brothers forever and I’m grateful.

Enjoy this next chapter of life and the journey. Here’s to more pars and birdies! to encourage

– 6″

DeAndre Jordan was the full-time starter for the Clippers when Chris Paul arrived, but under head coach Doc Rivers, became a 34-minute-per-night player for the Clippers starting in the 2013–14 season. From the 2023–14 season where he played with CP3, Jordan averaged 11.8 points, 14 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game while being named to his first NBA All-Star team in the 2016–17 season. Jordan was also a two-time rebounding champion, a three-time All-NBA selection and a two-time All-Defensive Team selection.

Chris Paul finished his NBA career playing 1,370 career games in the regular season, averaging 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 37 percent from three. Paul finished his illustrious, 20-year NBA career as a 12-time NBA All-Star, 11-time All-NBA member, nine-time All-Defensive Team member, six-time steals champion, and five-time assists champion.

The Atlanta Hawks are in the midst of an important homestand that could help them clinch a spot in the Eastern Conference. That means they have to play some of their best ball, and that comes with making changes to the lineup to put them in the best position to win.

Head coach Quin Snyder did just that recently, inserting C.J. McCollum into the starting lineup and moving Zachary Reisacher off the bench. This is not new territory for McCullum, as he has been a consistent starter for most of his career. He was asked about the lineup change at the recent Hawks shootaround.

“It’s part of the game. I’ve played 840 matches in my career,” McCullum told reporters. “I’ve obviously started 10 years in a row, and I’m comfortable with that. When I came here I told them, whatever you need me to do, I’ll do. I’ve played a lot of different roles in my career. I’ve been a DNP guy to start. I’ve been to the 7th, 8th and 9th man. I’ve been a starter. So whatever’s needed to help the team, I’ll do.”

With what McCollum has brought to the Hawks since being traded, they may be looking to keep him in the starting lineup instead of coming off the bench. Meanwhile, Riescher has not performed particularly well in his second season and it is time for a change.

“That group of guys that finished the game, their Nets rating is 10 points higher than any other combination,” Snyder said after their game against the Brooklyn Nets. “This is our best lineup. Not starting CJ gives us ball handling and some scoring punch off the bench. But we don’t get that lineup as much.”

Not only would this move help the Hawks get off to a strong start to games, but it could also give Resacher a chance to regain his confidence in a new role.

“I think the biggest thing is that this in no way reflects our and my personal confidence in Zack,” Snyder said. “I thought being in a different phase of the game against different matchups with different guys could be really positive for him. And I was glad to see that I think that was the case. He looked relaxed, and he competed. Jack has all the right things. His development is something that will continue, whether he’s starting or coming off the bench.”

With the Golden State Warriors trading Jonathan Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline, it cannot be denied that it has been a up and down road for the player and the franchise. As fans were expecting the Warriors to trade Kuminga, owner Joe Lacob broke his silence to talk about the deal.

In the trade, Golden State also traded Buddy Hield and received Kristaps Porzingis in return, marking the team’s largest trade as they hope to advance in the playoffs. Lacob Kuminga will speak on the experiment, as his perspective is interesting as he is known to be a big supporter of young players, saying it was “not difficult” to agree to deal with the 23-year-old.

According to The San Francisco Standard, Lacob said, “Everyone believes a lot about it.” “Look, I like him as a player, I like him as a person. … And at times, he showed a lot of potential for us. Just never really worked out to his full potential. And he got injured at an inopportune time.”

Kuminga added, “I think we all knew we had to do something. But we couldn’t just leave it.” “Because he’s a talent, and a lot of people think so. It worked out – we found something we thought was worth doing. Otherwise, we would have kept him.”

Warriors’ Joe Lacob experiment on Jonathan Kuminga isn’t working

While the Warriors were also in Giannis Antetokounmpo talks, the trade with Kuminga and Porzingis was their main deal of the deadline. Kuminga had been with Golden State for five seasons, as Lacob explained how the relationship “didn’t work out.”

“I liked him. I like all of our players. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have gotten them if we didn’t all like them. But you know, it didn’t work out. It looked like it was going to work out. It was going to be that way for a long time,” Lacob said.

The Warriors are looking to improve as their record is 29-27, which will move them into eighth place in the West heading into their next game against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The LA Clippers begin the post-All-Star break portion of their season with a matchup against the powerful Denver Nuggets, led by three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. The game got off to a bad start for the Clippers. That is, until Benedict Mathurin checked in.

Denver blew a 13-4 lead over the Clippers in Thursday night’s contest, trapping Kawhi Leonard 30 feet from the basket and forcing him to make other players. Benedict Mathurin checked in midway through the third quarter and immediately contributed 11 points off the bench in six minutes of the first quarter.

This was a far cry from the Mathurin everyone saw debuting for the Clippers against the Houston Rockets a week ago, and it was exactly what the Clippers needed against the Nuggets.

“We had a conversation during the first game in Houston,” head coach Tyronn Lue said of Benedict Mathurin. “I thought he was really passive, turned down some shots, wasn’t aggressive. I pulled him to the sideline during a timeout and told him, ‘You’ve got to be aggressive, you’ve got to be who you are, and we’ll figure out the rest.’ We needed everything we got tonight. “He’s aggressive, getting to the basket, getting to the free throw line and making some big shots for us.”

Mathurin not only made a strong start to the Clippers’ offense and did not give up all night. In his third game since the trade deadline deal that traded him to the Indiana Pacers, Benedict Mathurin recorded a Clippers franchise record for points in a home debut. The Clippers guard led the way with 38 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the field and 12-of-13 from the free throw line.

“Man, this is going to be awesome [playing for Tyronn Lue],” Mathurin said after the win. He could be my best friend. He told me to be aggressive, man. He told me to be myself, and I feel like he really knows my game. He really knows what I can do. It’s been a pleasure to have him as a coach. And I think by bringing everybody together, we can do a lot of great things.”

Kawhi Leonard, who was battling an illness, recorded 23 points, four rebounds and three assists, but saw double-teams and traps all night by the Nuggets defense that made it difficult for him to find a rhythm. However, he had a 10-point third quarter that helped the Clippers clinch the win in the minutes that Benedict Mathurin was off the field.

“Business went so fast, man,” Mathurin said. “I found time to talk [Kawhi] A little bit, just to meet him after the All-Stars. Great boy! We’re trying to build that relationship as quickly as possible so we can make a deep run in the playoffs.

Mathurin started the game with 11 points in the opening period and finished his 38-point performance with 16 points in the final frame.

“It’s fun to see how happy my teammates were for me,” Mathurin said after the win. “Just winning, actually winning my second game with the team. So far, so good.”

Mathurin recorded his second straight game with double-digit free throw attempts, repeatedly displaying the ability to take contact, finish through contact and get to the free throw line.

“I think I’ve always been aggressive, just getting to the rim,” Mathurin said after the win. “That’s one of my biggest strengths. So I think, you know, just knowing when to take a shot or be aggressive is kind of the difference between those two.”

In three games so far with the Clippers, Benedict Mathurin has averaged 21 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.0 steals in 30 minutes per game.

The Clippers are back in action on Friday night when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers inside Staples Center, the second game of a back-to-back set.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been a topic of discussion in the NBA for the past few weeks due to the possibility that he could be traded. Once reports surfaced that he was staying put, Antetokounmpo expressed his joy on social media and said he did not want to be traded. After that, Antetokounmpo shared with the world that he had invested in Kalashi, a site that allows people to buy and trade predictions.

This raised eyebrows, especially since the NBA has come down hard on players who place bets.

During All-Star Weekend, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talked about Antetokounmpo’s involvement in the foul and basically said it was no big deal.

“As far as I know, it’s a modest investment, much smaller than 1%,” Silver said. “It does not violate the rules that govern how we bargain collectively with the players’ union. Obviously, it’s an issue I’m paying a lot of attention to. It’s rapidly evolving. We’re currently looking at prediction markets essentially the same way we’re looking at sports betting.”

Adam Silver discusses Giannis’ investment and the state of sports betting in the NBA with Kalshi. pic.twitter.com/chX3NPjsro

– Sportico (@Sportico) 14 February 2026

If Silver and the NBA prediction markets are looking alike, there should be cause for concern that Antetokounmpo is invested in Kalushi, regardless of how much he has invested in the company.

Although Kalshi is not considered a betting site, as more people start using it, it could become a much bigger site than expected. With a name like Antetokounmpo co-signing, there’s no question that sports fans will start using this platform, and that’s all it will take to promote it.

This might be a good time for the NBA to step up, but so far it doesn’t look like they’re planning on doing anything. Due to this, other players can also invest in the company, and then you will face a big problem.