Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! SI’s Brigid Kennedy here, back to recap what turned out to be an extremely uneventful, completely boring few days of headlines. Nothing big happened. Nothing big at all, actually.
In fact, I spent the weekend doing my best impression of 3M Open winner Jackson Koivun (I was on a golf trip), but it was a terrible impression because I am also a terrible golfer. At least #WeTried. Forward this to a friend who is also down to fudge the scorecard.
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IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
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π΅THE MAN ON THE SIXERS π΅: Remember how I said nothing big happened? Well, I was trying a little something called sarcasm. Because in case you were somehow unaware (and if you were, I honestly aspire to that level of unplugged), the King made his purportedly last and final Decision this weekend, when he announced that he would be taking his talents to—drum roll, please—PHILADELPHIA! Talk about a dark horse in the LeSweepstakes. … In the end, the 41-year-old superstar was apparently waffling between the Sixers, the Warriors, the Heat and the Cavs, but decided at 1 a.m. on Friday that he was really craving a cheesesteak, and—BOOM—that was that. … Will the fit work? As SI’s Chris Mannix pointed out, this is a team with a lot of ball-eager talent, and LeBron will most certainly have to take a backseat. But surely he knows that. … In fact, his choice was about just one thing at the end of the day—winning—so it seems he’ll do whatever he can to make that happen, even if it means stepping into role-player mode. … Kevin Durant is certainly about it, although Steph Curry, who was pushing to bring Bron to the Bay, has got to be at least a little bit disappointed (he shared some brief thoughts on Saturday). … Indeed, the Warriors could have used a splashy move, but now, they’ll have to find another way forward as they face down a future without Steph. … Anyway, here are the other winners and losers from the King’s ruling, as well as a look at the newly revamped Eastern Conference. … Oh, and if you’re wondering about the brass tacks of Bron’s deal, it includes a notable provision on the matter of a trade.
GRIDIRON GOSSIP: We inch closer and closer to football season with each passing day. In the meantime, let’s dissect some headlines. … For starters, CBS analyst and former NFL QB Tony Romo was arrested on Thursday night on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence. Yikes. … Meanwhile, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan suffered multiple injuries in a car accident on July 14, and will be limited during training camp as he recovers from a severe concussion and over 40 stitches in his face, among other serious wounds. Wishing him a speedy recovery. … Elsewhere, former ESPN analyst Ryan Clark broke down in tears on the most recent episode of his podcast, The Pivot, where he candidly discussed what he believes was a firing, not a layoff, from the Worldwide Leader. … Remember Brendan Sorsby? Apparently, he had some interest from a surprising team before the NFL declined to hold the supplemental draft that would’ve ushered him into the league. … Also, the Cardinals rewarded Jacoby Brissett with a new deal on Sunday. … Eager to stay up to date as training camps begin? Our NFL team will be running a live blog later this morning, so be sure to check back when you can.
O.K., NOW LADIES: It was WNBA All-Star Weekend, baby! And the crowd in the stands at Chicago’s United Center was 19,783 people deep—a record for the event. File that under “Things We Love to See.” … We’ll also add “Caitlin Clark Vibing With Barack Obama,” and “Ellie the Elephant Being Fabulous” to that list, no problem. … Not making the cut, however, is W commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who continues to frustrate despite her hand in the league’s historic growth. … For more takeaways from the weekend (Wings rookie Azzi Fudd won the three-point contest, Team Spoon beat Team Coop, etc.), Emma Baccellieri has got you covered. … Also, you’d be wise to check out the allegations from ex-Fever player Brianna Turner, who claimed in a post on X that the organization fired a male employee last season for sexual harassment, and that the players were encouraged to keep quiet about it. Her comments were in response to Sophie Cunningham’s recent remarks about transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
ONE MORE: And another link because I couldn’t leave this one out: on Saturday, the Red Sox dealt pitcher Connelly Early to the Nationals in exchange for Washington third baseman Curtis Mead. Our Karl Rasmussen and Ryan Phillips have the grades.
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Screengrab on Instagram/@vj.edgecombe
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The internet is so amazing in times like these ...
SMILING THROUGH IT ALL: LeBron James may view himself as the king of basketball, but he is the king of memes, as well. That in mind, there really is no better way to celebrate his move to Philadelphia than with some internet humor. We saw a lot of good stuff on Friday, and thankfully, SI:CYMI’s Kristen Wong compiled some of the best posts in one place. Take a read and have a laugh.
SNAPPED, BY JAMES!: It’s hard to believe LeBron is about to play a record-extending 24th season in the league … I mean, he’s been hooping almost as long as I’ve been alive. But it follows, then, that we have a lot of photos of him in our SI archives. In honor of his purportedly final decision, Eva Geithem did a little walk down memory lane and threw together the best of those shots at this link here.
HE’S ALIVE: In July of 2018, right after James signed with the Lakers, the X account @IsBronA76erYet wrote that James would “never” be coming to the City of Brotherly Love and that the recruitment mission tied to the account's purpose was therefore impossible. Regrettably, the admin then logged off. But on Friday, in the wake of the big news, the admin logged back on.
DOM DUNKS: The Storm’s Dominique Malonga gave the crowd what they wanted and threw down a gorgeous dunk in the WNBA’s All-Star Game on Saturday, a day-making highlight that headlined the 6’6” center’s 12-point, 13-rebound effort. So good. Check it out.
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πΊ What we’re watching tonight ... |
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MLB:
Blue Jays @ Nationals—6:45 p.m. ET; MLB.TV
This is not tonight’s nationally televised game (that would be Guardians-Reds), but it is certainly a game worth watching—the Blue Jays’ Max Scherzer is coming off the injured list to start, and on his 42nd birthday, no less!
All in all, it really was not a quiet weekend in the world of sports, but honestly, I think we all needed that. A little excitement is a good thing. And I’m looking forward to all the Bron content still to come. See y’all on Wednesday!
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