Sports
Holiday gift guide 2024: What to get the sports fan who already has everything
Shopping for sports fans can be harder than one might think. Chances are the fan in your life already has a variety of hats, jerseys and who knows what else to rep their favorite teams and players. But there’s a massive array of sports related items out there that the person on your list may not even know about. So to help you find that perfect gift, we’ve enlisted help from around The Athletic’s newsroom to put together a list of ideas and recommendations to consider. Happy holidays!
—Brooks Peck and David Betancourt, The Athletic’s memorabilia and collectibles editors
(Updated 11/28 with additional items.)
Starting small
Riddell mini football helmets
Riddell has an extensive selection of mini helmets of both NFL and NCAA teams (the University of Colorado section alone is pretty impressive). There are current looks, alternative styles (such as the Washington Commanders’ Hail Mary Black helmets) and throwbacks (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ creamsicle helmets are always a good look).
Other minis: Rawlings MLB mini batting helmets, Franklin NHL mini goalie helmets, PWHL mini sticks, NBA mini retro basketballs
Sports art
Landing Pond by Jacob Trouba
Jacob Trouba’s hockey art
There’s beauty in the physicality of hockey. New York Rangers defenseman and captain Jacob Trouba knows that more than most. Trouba, known for his hard hits, is also an artist. But he doesn’t use a paint brush. Instead, he slathers paint all over himself — in his hockey equipment — and charges toward a canvas. The collision results in paintings that portray power and dynamic movement. A small print of some of Trouba’s works can be purchased directly from his website for $150. Larger, signed prints go for $1,000 apiece. —Alex Iniguez, NHL Senior Editor
GO DEEPER
How Jacob Trouba, one of the NHL’s most vicious open-ice hitters, found his artistic side
Other sports art: John Battalgazi’s circular athletes, The Golden Hexagon: Where basketball meets geography, Literally Balling: Very fancy basketball, Shelton Art Company, Triple Play Design Company’s retro prints and more
Sports books
The Basketball 100
A comprehensive look at the greatest players, past and present, in NBA history. From a surprising choice at No. 100 to a sprint to the finish at the top of the list by LeBron James and Michael Jordan, “The Basketball 100” features 100 full-length profiles of the game’s greats. Written by David Aldridge and John Hollinger with The Athletic’s NBA staff and a foreword by Charles Barkley, “The Basketball 100” is “guaaar-uuunnn-teeeed!” to satisfy the basketball fan in your life this holiday season. —Rob Peterson, NBA Deputy Managing Editor
The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process.
The story of the greatest plays in NBA history.
Buy
Other sports books from The Athletic and its writers: The Football 100 by Mike Sando, Dan Pompei and The NFL Staff; Undeniable: The Kansas City Chiefs’ remarkable 2023 championship season; Garden Party: Inside the Boston Celtics’ run to the 2023-24 NBA Championship; Caitlin Clark: Raising the Game; Extra Time Beckons, Penalties Loom by Adam Hurrey; Who Owns Football? by Nick Miller; The Franchise: The Business of Building Winning Teams by Craig Custance
Did this with BtB and it was really fun, especially when people told me exactly what to write. If you want to give a signed, personalized copy of The Franchise over the holidays as a gift, DM or email me craig [at] theathletic .com and we’ll make it happen. pic.twitter.com/MC3z99vOEv
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) November 27, 2024
Throwbacks
Homage x Starter jackets
The satin bombers represents ’80s sideline sophistication while the pullovers were the coolest thing on the playground in the ’90s. Nostalgia never goes out of style, right?
Other throwbacks: Ebbets Field Flannels, Mitchell and Ness, Classic Football Shirts
Lionel Messi Inter Miami Archive Jersey
On any given day in any given elementary school there are seemingly dozens of kids wearing the pink and black of Inter Miami with Messi’s name and No. 10 on the back. There is no doubt Messi’s move to MLS has an outsized impact on youth fashion, but the next level look is the minty retro third kit that dropped midway through this season. (The only thing more ubiquitous among kids these days might be Stanley cups, and they have a new Messi “Goat” Collection releasing Dec. 3 — complete with mate mug)
GO DEEPER
Five MLS clubs get retro third kits for the remainder of 2024
San Diego Wave Home Jersey
It was the most popular NWSL jersey in the U.S. this year and it’s a design that will still be talked about for years to come.
Other gifts for kids: Shohei Ohtani T-shirt, Little People NFL sets, Lego Formula 1 sets, Future Fans — teach kids about sports in a creative new way
Gifts for WNBA fans
Wilson x Caitlin Clark basketballs
The WNBA surged in popularity this year, bringing in a slew of new fans who are likely still getting up to speed in the gear department. Wilson has had a hard time keeping Caitlin Clark’s signature basketball collection in stock, but if you can snag one it would make a good gift for anyone looking to emulate the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Other gifts for WNBA fans: Reebok Angel Reese Collection, Kate Martin socks, Playa Society x WNBA
Sports…scents?
For the tennis obsessive in your life — or even the friend who can’t stop talking about Challengers — this is a luxury candle that even the pickiest person will fall in love with. Vacation’s Ball Boy candle combines the sweet smells of uncanned tennis balls with sunscreen and cotton sweatbands. And Otherland’s Matchpoint candle takes you straight to Wimbledon with cut grass and cucumber scents. —Jordan Cohen, Executive Director of External Communications
Cool baseball gear
Victus Pencil Bats
The Pencil Bat became a sensation last year when the Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryson Stott used it in an MLB game and remains a wildly popular twist on the standard baseball bat (it’s available in a variety of sizes for different levels of play). But if that’s not colorful enough, Victus also has a collection of Crayon Bats too.
ARiA Sliding Mitts
Sliding mitts have become a regular part of baseball equipment at this point, and Absolutely Ridiculous has turned something that was frankly rather silly looking into an item on the cutting edge of baseball creativity. Their imaginative designs are enough to make you want to lean into a fastball just so you can get on base and put one on.
For sports/movie fans
Grays Sports Almanac prop replic
OK, so Back to the Future Part II isn’t exactly a sports movie, but the Grays Sports Almanac is an iconic cinematic sports items. This prop replica is filled with actual scores and stats from 1950-2000 (which, sadly, is now the distant past) and comes with a futuristic receipt and shopping bag, just like the one Marty McFly pulled it out of after making his purchase in 2015. It even has the dust jacket!
Other sports movie gifts: Penfold Golf: James Bond’s ball of choice in Goldfinger, The Sandlot Babe Ruth Replica Autograph Baseball (after Hercules got to it)
Home decor
25-layer StadiumView lighted end table
Available for a variety of college and processional stadiums and arenas, these end tables provide a unique way to bring home a favorite team’s home. The tables cost several hundred dollars, but there are also five-layer wall art and 3D coasters available from the same company (YouTheFan) at lower price points.
Other home decor gifts: Golf pencil display cases, NASCAR car hood wall signs
Pickup by Gameflo
If you like Marvel Snap, you will like this. Basketball strategy and chance, as you look to win matchups against your opponent’s weaknesses.
Philters
Non-alcoholic liquor, which we used for cooking, but I’m sure others can find tons of uses for, even just to enjoy alcohol free mixed drinks.
Zora’s Best
Slow-roasted and freeze-dried dog treats. Barkley goes crazy for them, and they’re super nutritious and healthy.
A Very Kelce Christmas
A Philly Special Christmas
Hugely popular among fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Taylor Swift, the New Heights podcast, television commercials, breakfast cereal and a dizzying array of other things, the Kelce brothers are everywhere. Perhaps their most endearing endeavor has been Jason’s series of holiday albums that benefit a variety of Philadelphia charities and includes a surprising mix of notable musicians alongside his former Eagles teammates, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. This year’s edition is the third and supposedly final one they’ll produce and it includes a Jason Kelce and Stevie Nicks duet!
Other Kelce related gifts: McFarlane Toys Super Bowl LVII Kelce brothers figures, Garage Beer Employee of the Month shirtless Jason Kelce chugging T-shirt
eBay insights
The four athletes who were among the 10 most searched on eBay every month so far this year:
So gifts relating to those four should be decent bets.
Other athletes who saw big jumps in searches this year:
- “Anthony Edwards card” had a 1,850 percent increase in searches in May compared to the start of that NBA season as he led the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals.
- Paul Skenes searches increased 620 percent in July, when he was named an MLB All-Star Game starter, compared to when he was called up in April. He remains a hot commodity after being named NL Rookie of the Year and with the Pittsburgh Pirates offering a unique bounty for his Topps Debut Patch card.
- Searches for Freddie Freeman increased almost 1,500 percent the day after his walk-off grand slam to win Game 1 of the World Series for the LA Dodgers on his way to becoming series MVP.
Also, “PSA 10” searches increased 30 percent in October compared to the same time last year, perhaps showing a growing focus for trading card collectors on cards deemed to be in gem-mint condition by the industry largest grading company.
Offbeat sports gifts:
A patron holds a Masters Gnome during the first round of the 2024 Masters Tournament. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Interest in The Masters annual garden gnome continues to grow — the only item in the official Masters gift shop to carry a purchase limit. The only place to buy them at their retail price of $50 is on site at the tournament each year, but on eBay the full-size 2024 edition is selling for around $250-$300.
Searches for vintage NFL gear spiked after Taylor Swift wore an old Chiefs jacket that was bought on eBay to a game in early November.
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and Decoy bobblehead giveaway was arguably one of the most coveted (and cutest) sports-related items of the year — the day after the giveaway eBay users searched for “Shohei Ohtani bobblehead” at a rate of more than 1,750 times per hour. There’s even a rare gold variation.
The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission.
Follow our sports memorabilia and collectibles coverage for more gift ideas (even if they’re gifts for yourself).
(Top photo: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images)
SACRAMENTO — The team that can’t stop dancing won’t stop dancing.
The top-seeded UCLA women’s basketball team beat Duke 70-58 in the Elite Eight. It wasn’t balletic, but beautiful.
Sunday’s game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento wasn’t a fun, free-flowing joy ride that so many of the Bruins’ wins have been this season.
It was a rattling, teeth-gritting, heart-thumping roller-coaster ride — weeeeee!
The Bruins weren’t having fun, exactly. They were having the time of their lives.
And in the end, they shoved their way to the front of the stage — and back to the Final Four.
Now the TikTok countdown is on before final exams in Phoenix, where redemption and legacy and a rematch await with either winner of the No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Michigan tussle in the Fort Worth Regional final.
And any questions — ahem, mine — about how the barely-battled-tested boogie-down Bruins respond to a significant stress test were answered.
The Bruins are built for this.
They’re not just talented. And they’re not just talented dancers (and postgame, Lauren Betts, Charlisse Leger-Walker and Gabriela Jaquez reprised the routine that went viral when they did it with the UCLA Dance Team during halftime of a men’s game this season).
They’re tough. And they’re locked in.
And unlike last season, when their program’s Final Four debut ended in a 85-51 national semifinal blowout loss to eventual champion Connecticut, they’re ready for what comes next.
They let us know in the second half Sunday.
Duke came floating in, still buzzing from Friday’s buzzer-beater in the Sweet 16. That slow-motion-in-real-time three-pointer by Ashlon Jackson that rolled around and around the rim as though the basketball gods needed just a little more time to determine UCLA’s opponent Sunday.
UCLA’s Lauren Betts, left, Gabriela Jaquez celebrate after the Bruins defeated Duke on Sunday to advance to the Final Four.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
It was to be Duke, who proved a dangerous No. 3 seed. The Bruins weren’t prepared for the Blue Devils to be so prepared for them, trailing at the break for just the second time this season. The first time was in November against Texas, when the Bruins — now a program-record 35-1 — suffered their only loss this season.
Still their only loss.
Even a fool could read the determination on the Bruins’ faces as they roared back from a 39-31 halftime deficit; they’d come so far together, but they so badly wanted to go further.
No one was ready to get off the ride, not least the six seniors who played the entirety of the second half, seizing momentum and the moment and hitting the Blue Devils (27-9) with a white-knuckled flurry of activity.
“Compliment them,” Duke coach Kara Lawson said, “for turning up their defensive intensity.”
There were 50-50 balls in name only, because UCLA seemed to be winning 100% of them.
UCLA players were ripping away passes. They were diving all over the floor and were all over the boards. They ratcheted up the intensity so much it spread into the stands, where the largely pro-Bruins crowd of 9,627 cheered deliriously.
Shots started falling. Turnovers stopped cascading. UCLA found its rhythm.
And UCLA’s 6-foot-7 star center Betts did what she does, with 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in the second half, of which she played all 20 minutes.
“I was just pretty mad,” she said. “You know, my senior season is on the line, so I kind of got to wake up a little bit.”
Angela Dugalic continued to be the matchup nightmare she has been all March; the 6-4 sixth woman scored 15 timely points to take some pressure off Betts.
UCLA coach Cori Close watches play during the Bruins’ win over Duke on Sunday.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
“I’m just so proud of her,” Betts said. “The confidence and her poise … you could get in your head in moments when we’re down … but she did all the right things and what we needed at the time.”
It was an entertaining Elite Eight clash that was brought to you by two coaches who staged, like up-and-coming chefs, under two of the greatest leaders the sports world has known.
UCLA coach Cori Close and Lawson committed to making sure we won’t lose John Wooden’s and Pat Summitt’s recipes — never mind all the seismic, disorienting shifts happening in college sports.
A former Tennessee star, Lawson brings Summitt’s brand crackling intensity to Duke, a mindset that she’s said calls for supreme confidence, chasing excellence and holding oneself to an all-around standard of success.
UCLA’s bench was uplifted all season by Close’s warm intentionality, learned from years of mentorship from Wooden. The main ingredients, she’ll tell you, requiring a dollop of growth, gratitude, of giving and not taking.
“[Our] team culture is not this nebulous thing or phrases on a wall,” Close said. “It’s a group of people that are willing to be committed to the hard, right behaviors over and over again. I cannot tell you how many times throughout that game we referred to our values, who we are, what our identity was, what we had to get back to.
“… I’m just really humbled and thankful to be a part of a team and staff that cares about things from the inside out. What you saw on the court is a reflection and a byproduct of what’s happened on the inside.”
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Max Verstappen snatched the torch from Lewis Hamilton and became one of the most unstoppable Formula 1 drivers in the sport from 2021 to 2024.
The 2025 and 2026 seasons have been a struggle for the Red Bull racer. He finished second to McLaren’s Lando Norris in the drivers’ standings last season, ending his streak of world championships, and has yet to finish in the top five this year.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at Suzuka in central Japan, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
After finishing eighth in the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen suggested he was contemplating retirement at the age of 28.
“Privately I’m very happy,” Verstappen told the BBC. “You also wait for 24 races. This time it’s 22. But normally 24. And then you just think about is it worth it? Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you’re not enjoying your sport?”
He made clear he was suggesting that 2026 could be his final season.
“I want to be here to have fun and have a great time and enjoy myself. At the moment that’s not really the case,” he said. “Of course I do enjoy certain aspects. I enjoy working with my team. It’s like a second family. But once I sit in the car it’s not the most enjoyable unfortunately. I’m trying. I keep telling myself every day to try and enjoy it. It’s just very hard.”
ISRAELI RACING STAR ‘NERVOUS’ AS FAMILY DEALS WITH IRAN’S RETALIATORY STRIKES, EXPRESSES HOPE FOR REGION
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, right, of the Netherlands and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of Italy talk during the drivers parade ahead of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at Suzuka in central Japan, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Part of the struggles for Verstappen has been trying to get acclimated to the regulation changes.
“I can easily accept to be in P7 or P8 where I am,” he said. “Because I also know that you can’t be dominating or be first or second or whatever, fighting for a podium every time. I’m very realistic in that and I’ve been there before. I’ve not only been winning in F1.
“But at the same time when you are in P7 or P8 and you are not enjoying the whole formula behind it, it doesn’t feel natural to a racing driver,” he continued. “Of course I try to adapt to it, but it’s not nice the way you have to race. It’s really anti-driving. Then at one point, yeah, it’s just not what I want to do.”
Maybe a break in the schedule will help clear Verstappen’s head.
Formula 1 will have a few weeks off as two races that were set for April in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were canceled because of military operations in Iran.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands leaves during the qualifying session of the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (Franck Robichon/Pool Photo via AP)
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The next race is set for May 3 in Miami.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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It’s an hour before Monroe High’s baseball team takes infield practice. In the dugout dressed in his uniform, Miguel Gonzalez has his scissors out giving a free haircut to a teammate.
“Ten out of 10,” infielder Alexander Hernandez said when describing Gonzalez’s barber skills.
His pitching skills aren’t bad either. He struck out 12 in six innings in his season debut. He’s 5-0 with a 0.69 ERA. He’s a four-year varsity player for the surprising Vikings, who are 13-1 to start this season under second-year coach Eddie Alcantar.
The fact that Gonzalez is still playing might come as the biggest surprise if you knew all the responsibilities he faces as an 18-year-old.
Alcantar was getting worried last January when Gonzalez didn’t show up for winter workouts.
“I have a rule if you don’t show up for practice, you don’t play,” Alcantar said.
They finally met and Gonzalez revealed he’s been too busy working as a barber. And then came the big news: He’s going to become a father in July.
The Monroe High baseball team is off to an 13-1 start.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
It’s a delicate balancing act between work, school, baseball and the seriousness of being a parent as a teenager.
“I’ve been able to figure scheduling little by little,” Gonzalez said. “I do sleep. Maybe five hours.”
Gonzalez said he worked seven days a week as a barber during the summer. He’s been saving for his future while also making sure he did not have to ask his parents for money. He works weekends and sometimes has to leave practice after an hour for work.
As far as baseball, he added a slider this season, picked up some velocity and tries to throw three pitches for strikes.
Against Eagle Rock, he struck out 10 and gave up two hits in a 3-1 win. Against Arleta, he struck out 10 in six innings during a 6-1 victory with one walk. Against Westchester, he got two outs — both strikeouts — in a 3-1 win. Against Vaughn, he gave up two hits in six innings of a 2-0 victory..
Monroe, which used to be a City Section powerhouse in the 1970s when Denny Holt was head coach, also has received a strong season from junior Luis Martinez, who has 21 hits and is batting .500.
Pitcher Miguel Gonzalez has helped Monroe to an 13-1 start with a 5-0 record and 0.69 ERA.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
He said his parents have been supportive: “They have told me it’s a really big responsibility.”
After high school, he plans to go to an occupational school to learn more about being a barber. He’d love to continue playing baseball, but that will depend on his development and his priorities. So far, his balancing act is keeping him levelheaded and determined.
He’s been working since he was 5 when he helped his father in landscaping. He switched to cutting hair and loves it. His clients swear by him.
“He’s a good kid,” Alcantar said.
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