Sports
Expectations for Victor Wembanyama in Season 2? Use your imagination
P.J. Carlesimo can’t remember the exact play, but he can’t forget how helpless it made him feel. It took place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day last season, in the second half of an Atlanta Hawks home game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama reached back, using his 7-foot-4 frame and massive wingspan to grab a pass, hanging in the air as if in slow motion, completing a remarkable catch with an improbable finish.
Carlesimo, a former NBA head coach and current ESPN radio analyst, turned to broadcast partner Marc Kestecher and said: “Kesty, I feel terrible. I can’t describe this. What he just did was absurd, and he made it look so easy.”
The No. 1 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, Wembanyama arrived last season billed as a generational player who could one day join the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić as faces of the league. After a strong first season, in which he won NBA Rookie of the Year and was first-team All-Defense, that day might come sooner than expected.
At the recent 12th annual Jerry Colangelo Basketball Hall of Fame Golf Classic in Phoenix, The Athletic asked former players and head coaches about where expectations should start for Wembanyama entering Year 2. No one preached patience. After just one season, they see a player positioned for a significant jump.
Former Los Angeles Lakers guard and NBA head coach Byron Scott said he expects Wembanyama, who turns 21 in January, to be an All-Star this season, maybe first- or second-team All-NBA, and for the Spurs, who went 22-60 last season, to sniff, if not make the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
“If he’s everything that I keep hearing about as far as his work ethic — and I’ve heard the kid is extremely humble and works extremely hard — he’ll be the best player in the NBA in three years,’’ Scott said of the French product.
GO DEEPER
NBA all-21-and-under mock draft: Wemby, Paolo Banchero top the list
As a rookie, Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Although he shot 32.5 percent on 394 3-point attempts, his shooting touch suggested he’s capable of better accuracy. Wembanyama hit five 3s three times, including twice in the season’s final three contests. He also blocked a league-best 3.6 blocked shots, most since Miami’s Hassan Whiteside rejected 3.7 per game in the 2015-16 season.
The MLK game Carlesimo referenced offered a strong reflection of the big man’s first season. The rebuilding Spurs fell behind early, sleepwalking on both ends. At halftime, Atlanta led 69-34. To start the second half, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich benched Wembanyama, who was scoreless with four rebounds, as well as two other starters. He wanted better effort.
Wembanyama watched as the Spurs tried to cut into Atlanta’s lead. TNT broadcasters wondered if he’d sit the rest of the game. Finally, Popovich inserted Wembanyama with 6:03 left in the third quarter. Over the game’s final 18 minutes, Wembanyama put on a show.
He grabbed an offensive rebound and dunked. He grabbed a defensive rebound and started a break that led to a transition 3. He blocked a shot. Swished a 3. Caught the ball on the wing, dribbled behind his back and soared for a strong one-handed dunk. In a 109-99 defeat, Wembanyama finished with 26 points (on nine dunks), which included the play that Carlesimo struggled to describe.
“And he does something like that — I don’t want to say every game, he doesn’t do it 82 times — but if you watch three games, you’re going to see something you’re not going to see in any other game in the league,’’ Carlesimo said.
Wemby flashes the handle and rises up for the monstrous finish 😱
📺 Hawks-Spurs is LIVE on TNT pic.twitter.com/I5zKTNIT5V
— NBA (@NBA) January 15, 2024
Hall of Famer Spencer Haywood had a heads-up on this. His brother, Floyd, who played and coached in France, told him a good one was coming. Haywood watched Wembanyama closely this summer during the Olympics, and what he saw was a player growing “by leaps and bounds.” Not just from the end of his rookie season to the Olympics, but from his first game in Paris to his last, the championship game in which France lost to a loaded Team USA.
Wembanyama reminds Haywood of Ralph Sampson, a natural comparison because of size. Sampson also stood 7 foot 4. And like Wembanyama, he was the No. 1 pick of the NBA Draft, nearly 40 years to the day San Antonio selected Wembanyama.
“Ralph had that stuff,” Haywood said of the big man’s skills. “He could handle (the ball) that way, but we had a cap on our handle so we couldn’t take shots. We couldn’t do certain things.”
In a side room at the Arizona Biltmore, where former players and coaches registered for the Colangelo event, Haywood spotted Sampson walking outside in the lobby. He pulled him in and brought him into the conversation.
“Tell him,” Haywood instructed, pointing to a reporter.
Sampson wasn’t having it. He didn’t want to talk about himself in such a way.
“I let others say it,” he said.
In 1983, Sampson, a three-time national player of the year at Virginia, was considered the best big man to enter the draft since Bill Walton in 1974. Leading up to his first season with the Houston Rockets, one NBA writer called him the “most graceful 7-4 man alive.” The great Pete Newell said Sampson would be a different type of center, one who didn’t have to be anchored in the post.
After a rocky start, Sampson blossomed, earning 1984 NBA Rookie of the Year honors and making the All-Star team his first four years in the league. Teamed with Hakeem Olajuwon to form the famed “Twin Towers,” Sampson memorably hit a catch-and-shoot jumper at the buzzer to eliminate the Showtime Lakers in the 1986 Western Conference finals. From there, however, Sampson struggled to stay on the court because of knee and back issues. He lasted nine seasons and was out of the league before his 32nd birthday.
At the Colangelo event, Sampson joked about Wembanyama ending up with the Spurs. “He couldn’t be in Detroit,” he said sarcastically. But Sampson said it’s fun to see the evolution of the 7-footer, as well as all the things Wembanyama can do — things he tried 40 years ago, things big men were not supposed to do.
“He’s going to be spectacular if he can stay healthy,’’ said Sampson, enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012. “And he can’t do it by himself. They have to put some people around him that he can play with.”
Per NBA.com, San Antonio had the NBA’s youngest team last season with an average age of 23.52 years. The Spurs selected versatile guard Stephon Castle with the No. 4 pick of the 2024 draft. Perhaps more importantly, they also signed veteran point guard Chris Paul to a one-year deal. Among the best point guards in NBA history, Paul has worked with players of all types, running pick-and-rolls with Tyson Chandler, throwing lobs to Blake Griffin and finding Devin Booker for open jumpers. He should work well with Wembanyama.
“Chris Paul is going to make him a lot better,’’ Hall of Fame point guard Gary Payton said. “He’s going to get him in the right places and get him the ball at the right time, and then once (Wembanyama) gets stronger and a little bit more seasoning, it’s going to be hard to stop him.”
Not long ago, The Athletic asked Colangelo about Wilt Chamberlain and if the four-time MVP gets overlooked in the “Greatest of All-Time” debate. Colangelo understood the question. He realizes he’s one of the few who have been around the game long enough to talk intelligently about Chamberlain and Jerry West as well as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Plus, as the former managing director of USA Basketball, he’s seen the best that basketball offers.
But Colangelo has learned this is an impossible exercise. There’s always a next wave, he said. Chamberlain, West and Oscar Robertson. Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Bryant and James. And now here comes Wembanyama.
“I mean, how good is he going to be?” Colangelo said. “That’s a little eerie. The skill level. What he’s already accomplished. If he stays healthy, he could be one of the most dominant players, obviously, of all time.”
Praising a young player like this makes Carlesimo a little uncomfortable. He knows how the NBA hype machine works. The chase for greatness never stops. If Wembanyama wins a first championship, everyone will wonder when he will win a second. But Carlesimo also knows this is a unique situation. The off-the-charts expectations aren’t hype; they’re deserved. And Wembanyama seems capable of handling the pressure.
“You’re happy for him, but …” Carlesimo said, stopping as he began to laugh. “The expectations are, I mean, my God. Because there hasn’t been anybody like him.”
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(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
Sports
John Daly calls himself a ‘jacka–‘ after falling down desert hill during tournament
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Golf great John Daly shared a hilarious moment that may have been more serious after watching a video he posted on social media, calling himself a “jacka–” in the process.
Daly was in desert terrain at the La Paloma Country Club for the Cologuard Classic, when he was trying to hit a shot onto a green when he lost his footing.
As he tried to gain traction in the sand, Daly’s feet fell from under him, and he slid down a long desert hill. Multiple people got involved, voluntarily jumping down the hill to see if Daly was all right.
John Daly of the United States plays a tee shot on the first hole during the second round of the Cologuard Classic 2026 at La Paloma Country Club on March 21, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Daly left unscathed, but he did enjoy putting the theme music to the “Jackass” franchise over the video to share to the masses.
“Bellyfloppin’ in the desert,” Daly captioned the video, while shouting out his caddie, Joel Cooley, who sprang to action to see if his partner was doing fine at the bottom of the hill.
“On today’s episode of ‘jacka**’” was also seen on top of the video.
BROOKS KOEPKA RUNS TO COMFORT YOUNG GILR HIT BY GOLF CART DURING HIS VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP
While he doesn’t usually show off his bellyflopping, Daly remains a key figure in golf.
John Daly of the United States plays his second shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the Cologuard Classic 2026 at La Paloma Country Club on March 20, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
He spends most of his time on the course for the Champions Tour, which is former PGA Tour players 50 years and older. His most recent round came on Sunday, where he finished tied for 29th with a 6-under tournament in the Cologuard Classic.
Daly was just named the 2026 Ambassador of Golf Award honoree ahead of the Kaulig Companies Championship at the signature Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. The award recognizes those making an impact on the course as well as in their communities off the course.
“I’ve always loved this game and what it’s given me,” he said in a press release for the award. “Golf has taken me places I never imagined and introduced me to incredible people along the way. To be recognized with the Ambassador of Golf Award is truly an honor, and I’m proud to support the meaningful work being done here in Northeast Ohio.”
John Daly hits his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the PNC Championship 2025 at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on Dec. 21, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Daly’s impact on the sport is quite iconic, whether it’s his monstrous drives from the tee box, winning the 1991 PGA Championship as the ninth alternate in the field, or taking home The Open Championship in 1995 at St. Andrews, forever marking himself as a multi-time major winner.
His larger-than-life personality has always been on display, even today in silly moments like these on and off the course.
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Sports
Lauren Betts scores career-high 35 as UCLA powers past Oklahoma State and into Sweet 16
There were always going to be tears. In the final game at Pauley Pavilion for six UCLA seniors, it was going to be a stunning defeat or a cathartic release before the next step in the NCAA tournament mission.
It was the latter, as the decorated group of Bruins took their final stroll around the perimeter of the court and waved to the fans, tears glistening and smiles wide.
The top-seeded Bruins led wire-to-wire, beating No. 8-seed Oklahoma State 87-68 in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Monday night to advance to the Sweet 16. The Bruins will face No. 4 seed Minnesota on Friday in Sacramento.
One of UCLA’s seniors, Lauren Betts, put together the best game of her career with 35 points while shooting 15 of 19 at the moment her team needed it most.
“That’s really cool,” Betts said. “I mean, I can’t deny, like, that is really cool. I feel like the points, they really don’t mean anything to me. To me, like, I really just want to win games with this team. The fact that we won today is what matters most to me, and that we’re moving on to the Sweet 16.”
UCLA center Lauren Betts fends off Oklahoma State players while shooting in the paint during the Bruins’ win in the second round of the NCAA tournament Monday at Pauley Pavilion.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
While UCLA (33-1) started much better than it did in the opening-round game, there were still elements to nitpick. The Bruins were outscored 21-18 in the third quarter, Oklahoma State (24-10) won the offensive rebounding battle and outside of Betts, the offense fell flat at points in the second half.
But with arguably the best post player in the country, the Bruins could overcome all of that, get their final Pauley moment and advance. It was the last time Gabriela Jaquez, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Kiki Rice, Gianna Kneepkens, Angela Dugalic and Betts will play on UCLA’s home floor.
“I cannot wrap my head around that it was the last time,” said Jaquez, who had 10 points and seven rebounds. “That effort from Lauren, too. I’m super proud of her doing that tonight.”
UCLA has arguably the deepest lineup in the country, with four of its five starters averaging double-digit scoring and six WNBA draft hopefuls, but when the Bruins needed a scoring boost, the squad turned to Betts.
Betts scored 11 consecutive UCLA points in the last four minutes of the third quarter to put the Bruins back ahead by 19 while the rest of the offense went cold.
After building a commanding lead in the first half, they survived the lull.
“I think we just learned our lesson,” Betts said. “We don’t want another halftime with Coach Cori [Close] walking in there. We’re trying to avoid that at all costs. I think it starts defensively. Like, we’re going to score. Obviously, we know that. But I think just being the aggressors and taking things away is a really big point that we wanted to make this game.”
UCLA did apply early pressure, jumping out to an 11-2 lead while the Cowgirls went the final 4:26 of the first quarter without scoring, going 0-for-8 from the field during that span. UCLA turned that into a 25-point lead and was up 46-26 at halftime.
UCLA guard Kiki Rice, left, fights for the ball with Oklahoma State forward Achol Akot during the Bruins’ win Monday.
(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
It was an inverse of the slow start against California Baptist on Saturday, when the Bruins held a measly 10-point lead at the half over the No. 16 seed.
“That was one of the takeaways after last game, everyone saw that,” said Leger-Walke, who had six points and a team-high eight assists. “We know that we play our best when we come out and hit first and be aggressive and take the game to them and not let it come to us.”
The Cowgirls shot 51.4% from the field in the second half to stay within striking distance. But Oklahoma State’s leading scorer, Achol Akot (23 points), had four fouls by the start of the fourth quarter and had to spend much of the final period on the bench.
“Each time you get further and further in [the NCAA tournament,] teams are gonna get better and better,” said Rice, who scored 10 points. “So they came out in the second half fighting. We expected that. We knew that, but got some tough shots and just got to be able to weather the storm.”
Kneepkens, who finished with 15 points, made a couple of key shots in the fourth quarter to help revive the Bruins’ shooting, but it was still Betts’ dominant showing that kept UCLA well ahead. Of UCLA’s 87 points, 50 came in the paint.
UCLA’s next opponent, the Golden Gophers (24-8) advanced on a buzzer beater against No. 5 seed Ole Miss on Sunday. The Bruins beat Minnesota 76-58 on the road during conference play earlier this season.
“They’re very confident,” Close said of Minnesota. “I fully expect it to be a great battle.”
The Bruins have to win four games before they could claim the first NCAA title in program history, and the road there only gets tougher. First it’s Minnesota, then a potential matchup with LSU or Duke for the regional title. Formidable No. 1 seeds Texas, South Carolina and UConn still loom on other portions of the bracket.
There is little time to reflect with such a perilous path ahead, but on Monday, there was the first sense of finality.
“My arm still hurts [from waving,]” Jaquez said with a laugh as she recalled acknowledging fans. “But I didn’t want to miss anybody.”
Sports
Giants valued at $10.8B as Tisch family seeks equity transfer with Epstein investigation looming: report
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As New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and his siblings look to transfer an equity stake to a children’s trust, the overall value of the franchise has been revealed.
An NFL memo obtained by ESPN earlier this month found the Tisch family — Steve, Jonathan and Laurie — are seeking a transfer of their collective equity stake in the franchise to their children. The proposed stake was 23.1% of the team.
The proposed transfer of equity values the team at $10.8 billion, according to Sports Business Journal, which would put a 23.1% stake at roughly $2.5 billion.
New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch arrives for NFL owners meetings in New York City, New York on Oct. 21, 2025. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)
For comparison, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross sold 1% of his team to billionaire entrepreneur Lin Bin with the valuation at a record $12.5 billion.
Julia Koch, a board member with Koch Industries, also bought a 10% stake in the Giants with a valuation at $10.3 billion in October 2025.
GIANTS CO-OWNER STEVE TISCH, SIBLINGS LOOK TO TRANSFER EQUITY STAKE TO CHILDREN’S TRUSTS, NFL MEMO SHOWS
It’s also worth noting that the NFL memo stated, “Following the transactions, the Sellers will no longer own any interest in the Club.”
It is unknown if the transfer requests have anything to do with Steve Tisch’s name appearing in the Epstein files released by the U.S. Justice Department in January. His name appeared more than 400 times in the files, and while he said at the time he knew of Epstein, he denied visiting Epstein’s infamous island.
Steve Tisch executive vice president of the New York Giants looks on before pre-season football game against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium on Aug. 18, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
“We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments,” Steve Tisch said in a statement on Jan. 31. “I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”
The U.S. Justice Department released more than 3 million documents related to the Epstein investigation, which included email exchanges from April 2013 and June 2013 between Tisch and Epstein. Some of those exchanges appear to show conversations about women.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in February the league would look into Steve Tisch’s association with Epstein.
“Absolutely we will look at all the facts,” Goodell said at a news conference in San Jose, California, during Super Bowl week. “We’ll look at the context of those and try to understand that. We’ll look at how that falls under the (league personal conduct) policy. I think we’ll take one step at a time. Let’s get the facts first.”
New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch during warms up prior to the National Football League game between the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants on Oct. 28, 2018 at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Tisch family has been involved in Giants ownership since 1991 alongside the Mara family, which founded the franchise in 1925.
Fox News’ Chantz Martin and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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