Abhinav Kini Articles - Page 26

As far as the MVP debate is concerned, Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is quite simply fed up of it. The MVP conversation has been an especially heated and much-debated topic this year with Jokic being the frontrunner to win it for a third year in a row for much of the regular season. However, […]

Negotiations over a heavyweight title showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have officially collapsed. It appeared boxing fans would finally get the dream fight slated to take place April 29 at Wembley Stadium after Usyk accepted Fury’s demands of a 70/30 purse split. However, Fury later had issues over a rematch clause (which Usyk […]

Jorge Masvidal may never recover from his knockout defeat to Kamaru Usman, mentally at least. Masvidal challenged Usman in a rematch for the welterweight title in the UFC 261 headliner in April 2021. Unlike their first encounter in 2020 that resulted in a dull unanimous decision win for Usman, Masvidal wouldn’t be fighting on short […]

Mesut Ozil has called time on his football career at the age of 34. The former German international made the announcement on social media stating that he made the decision after careful consideration following recent injury problems. “After thoughtful consideration, I’m announcing my immediate retirement from professional football,” Ozil wrote on Twitter. “I’ve had the […]

ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins believes it’s time for the New Orleans Pelicans to move on from Zion Williamson. Although Williamson recently received a positive injury update in that he will be re-evaluated in two weeks for his hamstring injury, there is still no real guarantee he will be back in action for the Pelicans. It’s […]

Chicago Bulls point guard Patrick Beverley’s spell on the Los Angeles Lakers was frustrating to say the least. The former Los Angeles Clippers guard signed to play alongside LeBron James and company this past summer, but was ultimately part of a Lakers team that endured one of the worst starts to the regular season. He […]

Boston Celtics point guard Malcolm Brogdon gave his take on the MVP debate and had a surprising omission. For most of the regular season, fans and media alike believed Nikola Jokic would run away with the award and become a three-time NBA MVP. However, recent poor results for the Denver Nuggets coupled with Joel Embiid’s […]

Another year, another lost season for Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers suffered their sixth defeat in a row after losing to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. And with the team now four games behind the final play-in spot in the Western Conference and talk of Portland potentially shutting Lillard down, […]

The Chicago Bulls earned a huge double overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers Monday night. It sees them sit in 10th with a 34-37 record while they are also just a game behind the eighth-placed Atlanta Hawks. Overall, they are notably 8-4 since the arrival of Chicago native Patrick Beverley and while he’s been a […]

UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards is against the idea of defending his title against Colby Covington next, and he has a valid argument for it. Covington hasn’t competed since March last year when he outpointed Jorge Masvidal over five rounds. It’s his only win since losing his welterweight title rematch to Kamaru Usman in November […]

Carlos Alcaraz returned to the summit of the ATP rankings this week following his win at the Indian Wells Open. The youngest World No. 1 in tennis history further reminded everyone why he is a future superstar in the sport while comparisons with Rafael Nadal only increased. In fairness, other than their shared nationality, there […]

Despite some heated words going into the game as well as a post-game jersey snub, Memphis Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks could only heap praise on Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving. Before Irving missed the Mavs’ defeat to Memphis earlier this month, Brooks had some strong words for him in anticipation of their matchup. That set the […]

The ATP rankings definitely felt different on Monday morning and that’s because the top 10 no longer featured Rafael Nadal. With Nadal being unable to defend his 600 points from winning the Indian Wells Open last year due to injury, it meant the Spaniard dropped down to 13 in the rankings. As a result, he […]

It’s fair to say Lionel Messi’s stint with PSG hasn’t exactly gone according to plan. While it looks like it will be two straight Ligue 1 titles for the French super team, it’s the Champions League both Messi and PSG mainly desire. Unfortunately, their defeat to Bayern Munich earlier this month marked the second straight […]

Kamaru Usman was undefeated in the UFC until he faced Leon Edwards a second and third time. While Edwards managed to outwork him in a competitive trilogy fight at UFC 286 this past weekend, one can’t help but wonder if age played a role. Usman turns 36 in May and was a relatively active champion […]

There’s still work to be done if the Los Angeles Lakers are to not miss the postseason for the second year in a row. However, they are confident in their chances against the potential top seeds should they make the playoffs. The Lakers hold a 35-37 record and currently occupy the final play-in spot in […]

Baker Mayfield is ready to get going with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The former Cleveland Browns quarterback signed a one-year contract with the Bucs worth up to $8.5 million earlier this month. And having now officially gotten pen to paper, the 27-year-old had a message for the Tampa fans. “Hey Bucs fans, Baker Mayfield here. […]

Carlos Alcaraz is back on top of the mountain. The Spaniard won his first-ever Indian Wells Open title following a 6-3, 6-2 win over Daniil Medvedev in just over an hour on Sunday. It was all the more impressive considering Medvedev was on a 19-match winning streak going into the final as Alcaraz reclaimed the […]

With the Miami Open set to be the last tournament Novak Djokovic misses due to his decision not to take the COVID-19 vaccine, the full financial cost of his controversial move can now be revealed. In a series of setbacks that began with his deportation from Australia last year that saw him miss out on […]

UFC 286 is in the books, and it was a very successful night in London for the leader in mixed martial arts. In the main event, Leon Edwards defended his welterweight title for the first time after outpointing Kamaru Usman over five rounds on home soil. Despite a point deduction in the third round, Edwards […]

Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant does all he can to make an effort to appreciate the fans that show him support. Durant has developed a reputation for being one of the more outspoken players in the NBA but whether you like him or not, it’s admirable that he’s willing to debate, argue or simply respond […]

Stephen A. Smith isn’t buying the notion that rap music or culture influenced Grizzlies star Ja Morant amid the latter’s recent gun scandal. Morant has been all over the news in recent weeks after showing off a gun during an IG Live while he was in a Denver nightclub. Add in the photos of him […]

UFC president Dana White doesn’t make fights the night of an event, but he seems to have a clear idea on who Leon Edwards will face next. Edwards successfully earned his first title defense in a majority decision victory over Kamaru Usman in their trilogy fight in the UFC 286 headliner last night in London, […]

Russell Westbrook has shut a lot of critics up with his recent performances for the Clippers. Things didn’t get off to a good start as the the team’s winning run eventually turned to a five-game losing streak once Westbrook joined the Clippers. To make matters worse for Westbrook, teams weren’t guarding him anymore as he […]

It’s time for Sixers star Joel Embiid to win the NBA MVP. That’s according to current free agent DeMarcus Cousins who believes Embiid should win it over Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. For much of the regular season, the general consensus was that Jokic was well on his way to becoming a three-time MVP with […]

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo achieved his dream when he became an NBA champion in 2021. However, he’s not just satisfied with that or his MVP crowns. While he keeps his trophies in his office, he wants to create more art and essentially, add more achievements in his resume similar to Golden State’s Stephen Curry. […]

Conor McGregor may be looking to be active going forward, but his UFC comeback fight could be delayed. The former two-weight champion is expected to return to action against Michael Chandler later this year once The Ultimate Fighter finishes airing. Ideally, the month of August or September makes sense and would fit with the six-month […]

Napoli star forward Victor Osimhen refused to rule out a potential move to Manchester United. The Nigerian international has attracted interest from a number of top sides thanks to his exploits this season. The Partenopei currently lead Serie A by 18 points with 12 games remaining as they look set for a first Scudetto since […]

Will we see an NBA player score 100 points in today’s game like Wilt Chamberlain once did? Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard certainly believes it’s possible. Lillard made headlines last month when he dropped a monster 71 points against the Houston Rockets, becoming the first player to score 70 in less than 40 minutes […]

Napoli continue to massively exceed expectations this season. The Partenopei advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League following a 3-0 second-leg victory over Eintracht Frankfurt at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples on Wednesday. A brace from the red-hot Victor Osimhen and a goal from Piotr Zieliński ensured a comfortable night in the […]

Conor McGregor is hoping for consistency once he returns inside the Octagon. The Irish superstar last competed in July 2021 when he suffered a broken leg at UFC 264 resulting in a TKO defeat to Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight. McGregor is now gearing up for his comeback as he is set to fight […]

Could PSG star Lionel Messi be joining Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia? According to various reports, that could be a possibility later this year. Messi’s PSG contract expires in the summer and rumors about his future have been rife of late. While PSG were previously said to be the only team discussing a proposal with […]

It only came to light recently, but it turns out the Los Angeles Clippers’ charter flight was struck by lightning last month. The incident occurred on the afternoon of Feb. 25 with the team Denver-bound as shaking and rattling occurred before a big bang was heard. “The plane dropped in altitude several times and shrieks […]

It’s clear to everyone in the basketball world that Kevin Durant and Charles Barkley don’t see eye to eye. The pair have gone back-and-forth throughout the years, but things got especially heated after Barkley’s infamous comments stating Durant was more of a bus rider rather than a bus driver when it came to championship winning […]

Daniil Medvedev continued to complain about the slowness of the hard courts at the Indian Wells Open; only this time, it was even wilder. The Russian previously complained about the hard court conditions during his third-round win over Ilya Ivashka on Sunday. And it only continued further in his round of 16 match against Alexander […]

Carlos Alcaraz continues to show why he is one of the most talented players in tennis today. The 19-year-old Spaniard advanced to the last 16 at Indian Wells following a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 win over Tallon Griekspoor on Monday. In the process, Alcaraz achieved his 100th professional win on tour — a feat he achieved […]

Canelo Alvarez has his next fight booked, and it will be taking place in his native Mexico. Alvarez confirmed on social media Tuesday that he will be defending his super middleweight titles against John Ryder on May 6. The Cinco de Mayo weekend clash, which will be live on pay-per-view, will notably be taking place […]

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is itching closer to a return to the court. The four-time NBA champion hasn’t featured since the Lakers’ comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 26. Following that game, it was revealed James had a foot injury and would be sidelined for three weeks before being re-evaluated. However, […]

Is Francis Ngannou or Deontay Wilder the biggest knockout artist in combat sports? We may just find out soon. Ngannou is currently a free agent since vacating his heavyweight title and departing from the UFC earlier this year. It’s no secret that “The Predator” is looking to test himself in boxing next. And it appears […]