Welcome Back 👋 Two all-star events and college basketball rivalries had our attention all weekend, then the NBA trade deadline blew up. It was three years ago when the Nets signed Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant with NBA Finals expectations. Now, the stars are aligned for a new team to make a run. This Week: It's Super Bowl LVII (Sunday) and the NBA trade deadline (Thursday) while we track LeBron James chasing the scoring record. Don't blink. Each day will have something special. Letter Rip! |
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Wild West: Mavericks Make Moves |
Photo: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images |
Two Days After Requesting Trade From Nets, Mavericks Land Kyrie Irving to Pair With Luka Doncic
Well, that escalated quickly. Shortly after we sent out Friday’s newsletter, Nets star point guard Kyrie Irving requested a trade. With the NBA trade deadline looming (Thursday, 3:00 pm ET), he got his wish. The Mavericks acquired Irving in a package that sent two players and three picks to Brooklyn, including former Nets player Spencer Dinwiddie. Kevin Durant is now the last man standing in the Barclays Center, and Luka Doncic just found an electric co-star. Is Dallas the new favorite in the West?
Trade Details Mavericks Get: G Kyrie Irving, F Markieff Morris
Nets Get: G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Dorian Finney-Smith, 1st-Round Pick (2029) & Two 2nd-Round Picks (2027, 2029) No Faith in Brooklyn
It was three years ago when the NBA reeled at the thought of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving teaming up in Brooklyn. Then came James Harden. A super team if there ever was one. After two failures to reach the Eastern Conference Finals and a litany of off-the-court drama, from Irving’s COVID-19 vaccination stance to hard-headed media silence and controversial tweets, the Nets marriage started to break. Brooklyn traded Harden to the 76ers before canning head coach Steve Nash after a 2-5 start this season. And even after the Nets appeared to turn the 2022-23 campaign around, Irving still wanted out. Wish granted.
Kyrie is on the final year of his 4-year, $136.5 million contract and could become a free agent again this offseason. The Mavericks aren’t expected to offer him a contract extension until the rest of the season plays out. Additional Storylines SI: Grading the Trade: Mavericks Land Kyrie Irving NY Post: Kyrie Irving ‘Ecstatic’ About Nets Trading Him to Mavericks
B/R: Nets Chose Mavericks Offer for Kyrie Irving Over Lakers Deal
FOX: LeBron James Fires Off 3-Word Tweet After Nets Trade Kyrie Irving to Mavs |
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Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
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Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
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NFC Tops AFC (35-33) in NFL’s First-Ever Flag Football Pro Bowl -- Which Should Be Here to Stay
In a word: Different. The NFL Pro Bowl has long been a snooze-fest with a watered down version of football’s violent game, but that wasn’t the case this year. The league’s solution? The Pro Bowl Games — a series of events concluding with 7-on-7 flag football on a 50-yard field. The linemen got to showcase their skills in a variety of ways leading up to Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas, but that’s where the league’s best skill players took over.
The NFC vs. AFC got a little extra flavor with the Manning brothers as acting head coaches. Eli Manning coached the NFC to a win over Peyton Manning and the AFC. It was a high-octane display of elite speed and great plays as the NFL’s most explosive athletes flew around a short field without the weight of pads to slow them down. Ultimately, the NFC won the game (35-33) after Kirk Cousins — who rallied for the win — took a knee to run out the clock much to Peyton’s dismay.
Stats were different. The vibe was different. Basically everything about the Pro Bowl as we know it looked different, and I think many would agree it was an upgrade.
From Trevon Diggs intercepting Stefon Diggs to Derek Carr’s potential goodbye to Vegas, here are the best highlights and moments from a unique twist on the Pro Bowl. Pro Bowl Games Highlights
Game 1: NFC def. AFC (33-27) Game 2: AFC def. NFC (18-13)
Game 3: NFC def. AFC (20-12) Aggregate Total: NFC def. AFC (35-33) Additional Storylines
FOX Sports: Pro Bowl Confidential: 27 Players Pick MVP, Most Underrated, Coaches & Other Questions
NFL: 2023 Pro Bowl Games: What We Learned From Sunday’s Flag Football Games & Skill Competitions |
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Rivalry Recaps: Hoosier Hysteria |
Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
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🏀 NBA: 40-Point Barrage Continues in NBA
Five different players scored 40-or-more on Saturday alone in the NBA, including Damian Lillard (Blazers, 40), Jamal Murray (Nuggets, 41), Jalen Brunson (Knicks, 41), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder, 42) and Cam Thomas (Nets, 44). With LeBron hunting the scoring record this week, the league-wide mark for 40-point games should also fall in the coming days. ⛳️ PGA: Aaron Rodgers Wins Pebble Beach Pro-Am
The Pebble Beach Pro-Am still has some golf left to play today, but Aaron Rodgers and Ben Silverman captured the pro-am portion of the event with a one-stroke victory. As for the full tournament, Justin Rose (-15) currently leads in the final round after play was suspended yesterday.
⚽️ EPL: Harry Kane Breaks Tottenham Scoring Record
Among the major Premier League highlights of the weekend was a 1-0 win for Tottenham over Manchester City, and that one goal was historic. Harry Kane’s lone strike for Spurs was a milestone goal that gave him 267 total in a Tottenham kit, passing Jimmy Greaves for the most in club history.
🏎️ NASCAR: Truex Jr. Captures Clash at the Coliseum
Welcome back, NASCAR! The first race of the season was the second ever rendition of the Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles — a 37.5-mile dogfight on a short track. Martin Truex Jr. won the race in a chaotic finish. Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively. |
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Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder
Product Manager: Matthew Cahill Lead Designer: Joe Stella Technical Lead: Kevin Lonergan
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