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PJ Washington: ‘I just hate losing. Even as a kid I was always like this’

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PJ Washington: ‘I just hate losing. Even as a kid I was always like this’


“I was in a restaurant with my wife when I found out,” PJ Washington tells me. “We were just happy and screaming.” This is surely not the typical NBA player’s recounting of the moment he finds out he’s been traded. But the Dallas Mavericks forward isn’t on the typical NBA player’s trajectory. Five years after he was drafted in the first round by the longtime cellar-dwelling Charlotte Hornets, Washington got a call at the trade deadline in February that was life-changing: he was headed home to Texas.

We sat down with Washington ahead of the Mavericks’ opening game against the red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night in the Western Conference finals, a best-of-seven-games battle for a place in the NBA’s championship round. The 25-year-old Washington is actually a Dallas native, who says he grew up going to Mavericks games as a kid “all the time” and watching present-day coach Jason Kidd run the point alongside Dirk Nowitzki. Looking back on those formative years on Tuesday morning, shortly before boarding a plane to Minneapolis, Washington acknowledges that circuitously finding his way back to DFW – especially on a team with championship potential – is immensely fortunate. “It’s a full-circle moment,” he tells the Guardian. “Being able to come back home, play for the home team. Not a lot of guys get that opportunity.”

What Washington has done with the opportunity is remarkable. The 6ft 7in, 230lb power forward has been a seamless fit in Dallas, plugging effortlessly into the team’s newfound identity as defensive stalwarts and serving as an ideal supporting cast member for Luka Dončić, the runner-up in this season’s MVP balloting, and born-again-into-relevancy All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. “I was a little nervous at first,” says Washington, having never dealt with the upheaval of being traded. “But when I got here, everybody welcomed me with open arms, encouraged me to be myself each and every day.” Soon enough Washington was comfortable, and finding himself with the opportunity every young, talented player in the league dreams of: to blossom. “When I got here, it was always my mentality to go out there and do anything I had to do to help my team win,” Washington says. “That’s just who I am as a player.” The winning for Dallas commenced almost immediately, as they won 31 of 49 games following the deadline to vault to the fifth spot in the West standings.

The Mavericks’ PJ Washington, right, high-fives Kyrie Irving during last week’s Game 5 win over the Thunder in the Western Conference semi-finals. Photograph: Joshua Gateley/Getty Images

While Washington has always possessed something of a pedigree, as a McDonald’s All-American and one-and-done at the vaunted University of Kentucky, some onlookers worried that four and a half years in a losing environment like Charlotte could spoil his winning habits. But for Washington, that was never a concern. “I just have a love and passion for the game. I’ve always wanted to go out and win every game I played.” That hasn’t wavered, he says. He’s just gotten a different opportunity in Dallas. “It was easy for me to go out and compete [even under the circumstances in Charlotte], because I just love being able to say I’m even in the NBA, playing against guys like LeBron, the better guys in the league.” He is quick to add that he wasn’t alone in his desire to win in Charlotte, that other players on the team had the same talent and hunger, but just simply weren’t lucky enough to be life-rafted to a better situation. “I feel like a lot of the younger guys there have that same mentality,” he says. “[Winning] just didn’t happen.”

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That’s not to say that it wasn’t a relief for Washington to be back to playing consequential games. He’s proven to be among those special players who are able to ascend to their ultimate potential the brighter the lights become. He attributes this trait to his competitiveness – “I just hate losing. As a kid, even, I was always like this.” – and it shows. He’s been the Mavericks’ third-most important player through two rounds of postseason play. He was, in fact, the team’s second-leading scorer in their pivotal second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, ahead of Irving, sealing the series with a pair of game-winning free throws.

Asked what was going through his mind then, feet on the stripe, seconds left in the contest, his hometown team’s ticket to the Western Conference finals hanging in the balance, Washington said his comfort and preparation awarded him the necessary calm called for by the moment. “I just thought about all the work I’d put in [up to that moment] trying to get better, being able to calm myself down, to just focus.” Another important factor? “I knew my team-mates would be happy with me either way.”

Washington, who is represented by Lift Sports’ Kevin Bradbury and in the first season of a three-year, $46.5m contract, says that the Mavericks have “great leaders” and a team full of guys who just want to win. Beyond that, the chemistry is off the charts. “We’re all excited for each other, we all want to see each other be happy,” he says. “We’re there for each other on the court and off the court.” Therein might lie the lesson for any team hoping to swipe their own PJ-in-the-rough on the trade market from a lottery team. Of course, it’s paramount to find someone like Washington, a player with innate passion, talent and fire. But bringing him into the right situation is what will ultimately differentiate the successes from the disappointments in the second-chances department.

Washington says he hasn’t had much time to reflect yet on his star turn. “Everything’s happened so fast, I’m still trying to soak everything in,” he says. “But if I do look back, right now, I think I would be proud of myself, as a kid. Just being able to reach this point in my career, in my life. A lot of people don’t get this opportunity, so just being able to say that I’ve been here, I’m forever grateful for that.”





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Washington Lottery Powerball, Cash Pop results for May 11, 2026

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The Washington Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 11, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from May 11 drawing

24-30-37-56-64, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 11 drawing

09

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 11 drawing

7-6-9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Match 4 numbers from May 11 drawing

07-12-18-19

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Check Match 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Hit 5 numbers from May 11 drawing

07-09-11-32-42

Check Hit 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Keno numbers from May 11 drawing

05-07-15-27-30-32-35-36-40-43-45-47-49-58-59-62-64-65-72-76

Check Keno payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Lotto numbers from May 11 drawing

01-18-28-34-37-48

Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 11 drawing

09-13-34-42-59, Powerball: 01

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Washington Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Washington Lottery’s regional offices.

To claim by mail, complete a winner claim form and the information on the back of the ticket, making sure you have signed it, and mail it to:

Washington Lottery Headquarters

PO Box 43050

Olympia, WA 98504-3050

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For in-person claims, visit a Washington Lottery regional office and bring a winning ticket, photo ID, Social Security card and a voided check (optional).

Olympia Headquarters

Everett Regional Office

Federal Way Office

Spokane Department of Imagination

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Vancouver Office

Tri-Cities Regional Office

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Washington Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Washington Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 7:59 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 8 p.m. PT Tuesday and Friday.
  • Cash Pop: 8 p.m. PT daily.
  • Pick 3: 8 p.m. PT daily.
  • Match 4: 8 p.m. PT daily.
  • Hit 5: 8 p.m. PT daily.
  • Daily Keno: 8 p.m. PT daily.
  • Lotto: 8 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Powerball Double Play: 8:30 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Washington editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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19-Year-Old Transgender University of Washington Student Fatally Stabbed

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19-Year-Old Transgender University of Washington Student Fatally Stabbed


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This story contains descriptions of fatal violence against a transgender person.

The Seattle Police Department are searching for a suspect after a 19-year-old University of Washington student was stabbed to death in an off-campus student apartment complex on May 10.

Seattle Police Department Detective Eric Muñoz told NBC News that the victim is “believed to be a 19-year-old transgender female” who was enrolled at the university. The victim has not yet been publicly identified by name. She was found in the housing complex laundry room shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday night.

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The housing complex, Nordheim Court, is privately managed but affiliated with the university, located near an upscale shopping center in Seattle’s U-Village neighborhood. According to NBC News, residents received an official alert from UW to stay inside their homes and lock all windows and doors — an alert that was lifted around 1 a.m. with the acknowledgment that “a death investigation remains ongoing.”

According to SPD detective Eric Muñoz, police and the fire department attempted lifesaving measures but ultimately “pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.”

“Officers are actively searching for the suspect, believed to be a black male with a beard, 5’6-8” tall, wearing a vest with button up shirt, and blue jeans,” Muñoz wrote in a blotter report.

Muñoz noted that the victim would be identified by the medical examiner’s office in “the coming days.” The SPD did not immediately respond to Them’s request for comment.

This is the seventh known trans person to be violently killed in 2026. In mid-April, 39-year-old transmasculine farmer Luca RedBeard was fatally shot in rural New Mexico. Last week, police in Marion County, Florida opened a homicide investigation into the shooting death of a 29-year-old who went by multiple names and referred to “transitioning” on social media. In Kentucky, an investigation into the disappearance of 22-year-old trans college student Murry Foust remains ongoing.

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Police are asking anyone with information about the University of Washington case to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000, emphasizing that anonymous tips are accepted.

This is a developing story.

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How the Sea Mar Museum Is Preserving Latino History in Washington

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How the Sea Mar Museum Is Preserving Latino History in Washington


On a quiet stretch of Des Moines Memorial Drive in South Seattle, the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture rises like a long‑overdue acknowledgment. Its brick exterior doesn’t shout; it invites. Inside, the rooms hum with the stories of families who crossed borders, harvested fields, organized classrooms, and built communities across Washington state—often without seeing their histories reflected anywhere on a museum wall.

For Rogelio Riojas, founder and CEO of Sea Mar Community Health Centers, the museum is a promise kept. “We wanted to make sure the contributions of Latinos in Washington state are recognized and preserved for future generations,” he told The Seattle Times when the museum opened in 2019. It was a simple statement, but one that captured decades of work—both visible and invisible—by the region’s Latino communities.


Walking through the galleries feels like stepping into a living archive. One of the most arresting sights is a pair of original farmworker cabins, transported from Eastern Washington. Their narrow wooden frames and sparse interiors speak volumes about the migrant families who once slept inside after long days in the fields. The cabins are not replicas or artistic interpretations; they are the real thing, weathered by sun, dust, and time. They anchor the museum’s narrative in the physical realities of labor that shaped the state’s agricultural economy.

Sea Mar describes the museum as “dedicated to sharing the history, struggles, and successes of the Latino community in Washington state,” a mission that plays out in photographs, letters, student newspapers, and oral histories contributed by community members themselves. These aren’t artifacts chosen from afar—they’re family treasures, personal archives, and memories entrusted to the museum so they can live beyond the kitchen tables and shoeboxes where they were once kept.

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The story extends beyond the museum walls. Just steps away is the Sea Mar Community Center, a sweeping, light‑filled gathering space designed for celebrations, performances, workshops, and community events. With room for nearly 500 people, a full stage, a movie‑theater‑sized screen, and a catering kitchen, the center was built with one purpose: to give the community a place to see itself, gather, and grow. Sea Mar describes it as “a welcoming space for families, organizations, and community groups to gather, celebrate, and learn,” and on any given weekend, it lives up to that promise.

Together, the museum and community center form a cultural campus—part historical archive, part living room for the region’s Latino communities. Students come to learn about the Chicano activists who reshaped the University of Washington in the late 1960s. Families come to see their own histories reflected in the exhibits. Visitors come to understand a story that has long been present in Washington, even if it wasn’t always visible.

The Sea Mar Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., offering free admission to anyone who walks through its doors. For many, it’s more than a museum—it’s a recognition, a gathering place, and a testament to the people who helped shape the Pacific Northwest.

Preserving Latino History and Community Life in Washington was first published on Washington Latino News (WALN) and republished with permission.



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