Tag: nytimes.com

With the 2026 men’s World Cup kicking off on June 11, we asked some of The Athletic’s writers who don’t normally cover soccer for the one thing they would like to know about the beautiful game. And that’s the thing about The Athletic — we have the experts to answer those questions! We know this…

The NBA announced the court designs for the NBA Finals on Sunday. The designs will feature the return of a large Larry O’Brien Trophy on the court. The intention to re-add the trophy to the finals court was announced in October, but it was officially unveiled on Sunday. Both the Frost Bank Center in San…

The stage is set for one of the most anticipated NBA Finals of the decade. Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs facing the red-hot New York Knicks brings massive star power and one of the league’s marquee franchises into the 2026 NBA Finals. While San Antonio is ahead of schedule in its Wembanyama championship…

OKLAHOMA CITY — Sam Presti knew this might happen. The architect of this Oklahoma City Thunder team had a dynasty in the making, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander having remained so patient during the rebuilding years en route to the 2025 NBA title. But Victor Wembanyama happened. These San Antonio Spurs happened. And after this season, in…

OKLAHOMA CITY — Pressure can bury people. A mountain of expectations makes the burden of the moment harder to carry. Usually. But that is where Victor Wembanyama found his comfort zone. Jamal Crawford remembers learning that over dinner with Wembanyama two years ago. As Wembanyama cut into a piece of salmon, the NBC commentator and…

OKLAHOMA CITY — No one is more audible than the victor in the loser’s building. The raucous fills the 24-year-old halls of the Paycom Center and reverberates through its creaky corners. Doors of hushed rooms swing open, and the celebration permeates deafening silence. Their hoots and hollers drown Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s explanation of how a title…

OKLAHOMA CITY — Chet Holmgren stood tall, one hand in the air, feet off the ground — tall and helpless to what was about to come. Victor Wembanyama didn’t pause. And why would he stop? Wembanyama is tall like Holmgren, only taller. He’s a defensive cheat code like Holmgren, only scarier. He’s skilled with the…

The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! What’s life if not just a long string of series? Inside: 🏀 The Finals are set 🏆 PSG repeats 🎾 Gauff ousted Basketball: Spurs vs. Knicks, starting Wednesday We have our NBA Finals.…

All Victor Wembanyama did was earn the right to play four more games. There wasn’t a ring to hand him at the end of the game. There was a trophy, but it wasn’t the trophy. There was a series MVP trophy for him, but not that series MVP trophy. Judging by the tears on his…

The defending champs have been dethroned. Facing a hostile crowd in Oklahoma City, the San Antonio Spurs showed no sign of nerves, using a balanced attack, excellent 3-point shooting and a stingy defense to pull out a 111-103 victory in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals Saturday night. The Spurs now advance to the…