The ESPN Daily: Everything NBA, a tragic end to a 10-team parlay, and LaMelo shows off the handles
Fwd. Fwd. Fwd.: Today’s Daily will prep you for the NBA’s opening day like nothing else. If you have a friend who likes to stay in the know, why not send them this newsletter? You can do so right here.
Battle for L.A. … In today’s episode of the ESPN Daily podcast, host Mina Kimes talks to Ramona Shelburne about the growing feud between the Lakers and the Clippers — and it’s all due to how Kawhi Leonard pulled the greatest coup in free-agent history. Now, on the eve of what could be the NBA’s next great rivalry, Ramona digs deep on the details behind Leonard’s decision and the tension between him and LeBron. You can listen to the full episode right here.
Your guide to all the action … It’s finally here! Pour one out for the NBA offseason because it’s time to get back to ball. Need a refresher on the biggest trades that’ll matter? Want to get up-to-date on who’s on top in the competitive landscape? Unfamiliar with even the basic concept of the NBA and somehow stumbled upon this newsletter in an effort to educate yourself? You already know, we’ve got you. Read More
SO. CLOSE. A bettor this Sunday had a 10-team parlay that was juuuust about to pay out. All that needed to happen was a Chargers victory, and considering that they were on the 5-yard line needing a touchdown to win, that seemed like a sure thing. What happened instead? Three straight failures followed by a fumble. Game over, and the bettor lost … quite a bit of money. But that still wasn’t the biggest betting loss this weekend. Blame the Bears for that one. Read More
The weirdest Week 7 in a while … Aaron Rodgers had his best game ever. Jared Goff juked a guy. The Dolphins led for a bit! All NFL weeks have their share of strange and unusual circumstances, but Week 7 was odder than most. You might not have noticed that series of events. But you know who did? Bill Barnwell, obviously. He has a rundown of all the weirdness. Honestly, we’re a little disappointed this didn’t happen next week, so we could use a lot of SPOOKY Halloween puns. Like … Bill BOOrnwell. Eh? Eh? We’ll workshop this and get back to you. Read More
Investing in a player’s contract? Spencer Dinwiddie is doing something a little odd with his current contract. For the low, low price of $150,000, you can invest in Spencer Dinwiddie as a kind of debt security, which would allow you to kind of cash in on him when he makes good on his potential. Confused? So are we. We didn’t go to school for this type of thing. Fortunately for you (and us), there’s a pretty good explanation, in case you have a spare couple hundred thousand dollars that you don’t know what to do with. Read More
LaMelo Ball sheds his defender with a behind-the-back dribble, then he goes behind his back again with a pass to set up a dunk.
“I watched Pokemon for five hours.”
— Nikola Jokic, on what he did this weekend Read more
On this date in 2011, Michigan State upset Wisconsin on a Hail Mary from Kirk Cousins — and not just a Hail Mary, as it was a catch off a deflected pass that the receiver was barely able to bring past the plane of the end zone. Watch
Maple Leafs at Bruins (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+); Penguins at Panthers (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+): We have two NHL matchups for you tonight, with Toronto and Boston fighting toward the top of the Eastern Conference and the Panthers looking to turn things around against a very good Penguins squad.
Pelicans at Raptors (8 p.m. ET, TNT): A few months ago, this matchup could have, in theory, featured Zion Williamson and Kawhi Leonard. Now it does not.
Nationals at Astros (8:08 p.m. ET, Fox): Max Scherzer vs. Gerrit Cole. You could not ask for a better matchup for Game 1 of the World Series than these two aces. The Nationals will be riding a wave of momentum from their surprise playoff run, and the Astros are likely still on the emotional high of Jose Altuve’s series-winning, walk-off home run in the ALCS. Here’s a guide to the upcoming action. Read more
Lakers at Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET, TNT): People are already touting this as a potential Western Conference finals matchup, and no wonder: LeBron and AD vs. Kawhi and Paul George? We could be seeing the birth of the greatest rivalry of the next decade.