Front Row Seat: Knicks win the NBA Cup over Spurs
The Knicks formula earns them a trophy in Las Vegas, Adam Silver talks NBA expansion, Terence Crawford calls it quits, Yu Darvish working with Yuki Matsui, and an explanation for the recent fog in California.
Section 1904 is a community-supported media company. If you like our content, considering either subscribing to support our work for as little as $5/month or dropping a tip in the jar.
Section 1904
Darren Smith
NBA
The Knicks won the NBA Cup without a hero, and that should frighten the league - Yahoo Sports
New York can make a strong claim as the deepest, most talented team in the East — and perhaps the NBA as a whole. How many teams can match the sheer offensive brilliance and leadership of Brunson? The two-way skill set of Anunoby and Bridges? Towns’ unicorn-like gravity? Josh Hart’s glue? Jordan Clarkson’s instant scoring off the bench? The guidance and tactical astuteness of Brown?
This is why the Knicks should be feared. Brunson is the head of the snake, a likely MVP candidate and rightfully so; his ability to command complete control of a team filled with vibrant personalities, all while understanding how to navigate situations, is admirable. But take a stroll into Madison Square Garden and think that slowing Brunson down is a surefire way to victory, and your mistakes haven’t even begun. New York is deep. New York is dangerous. New York is champion. And it’s just getting started.
As Victor Wembanyama grieves grandmother’s passing, Spurs process NBA Cup loss - The Athletic
There was a moment in the NBA Cup Final when the Spurs were winning, but Victor Wembanyama was sitting on the bench, looking dejected. Hours later, when Wembanyama answered the opening question of his news conference, tears began to well in his eyes.
He paused, looking down to the floor with his hand resting on his brow. What at first appeared to be disappointment over losing to the New York Knicks, 124-113, had clearly revealed itself to be something worse. Then his attention returned to the media gathered in front of him and the cameras broadcasting him out to the world.
“Sorry, I just lost somebody today,” he said through tears.
On Tuesday morning, Wembanyama learned that his grandmother passed away in France, a team source told The Athletic.
Inside the ugly Chris Paul-LA Clippers divorce - ESPN
The reunion began with alignment. Paul flew to Phoenix directly from Carmelo Anthony's Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts, to attend an offseason camp with Harden and other teammates, sources said. Once he returned to L.A., he invited players to his workouts and to his suite at SoFi Stadium to watch Los Angeles Rams games.
At media day, Paul was put forth as a credible voice as the franchise dealt with the fallout from a salary-cap-circumvention investigation. It was precisely the type of role it seemed he'd been brought back to play.
But once Paul began playing it, the Clippers seemed to recoil. When he offered suggestions to a player about training methods, he was warned not to undermine the staff, sources said. When he'd challenge players on or off the court, or tell them how to run a play, there were complaints from players and coaches that he was abrasive.
"That's how Chris is," one executive with another team said. "He wears you out. He's convinced he's right – and he often is right, which kind of pisses you off – and he'll go around to everyone until you agree with him."
Adam Silver says NBA expansion decision coming in 2026, with Las Vegas and Seattle the focus - The Athletic
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league would decide in 2026 whether to add two teams, and if it happens, Las Vegas and Seattle are the most likely expansion cities.
Silver, speaking ahead of the NBA Cup championship in Las Vegas, said the league had looked at several markets for expansion, including Vegas and Seattle, and clarified to The Athletic after his news conference that those two American cities are the ones upon which the league is most focused.
The league almost surely, based on Silver’s comments and math, would add two new markets if it were to add any, which means if there is NBA expansion, it would likely reach both Las Vegas and Seattle.
