Preston Byers Articles - Page 23

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are undoubtedly a big part of the rise in popularity of women’s basketball and the WNBA. The two rookies battled in college against each other in a national title game in 2023 and an Elite Eight game in 2024, setting the stage for their WNBA arrival. And former NBA players […]

Matthew Stafford is a highly respected player and one of the top quarterbacks of the last 15 years, but his team success, particularly when he was with the Detroit Lions, led many to question just how good he was. Fortunately for him, he won his first Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams in […]

The Philadelphia Phillies have been white-hot through the first two months of the MLB season, and despite co-holding the best record in the majors, the Phillies will reportedly be “all over the outfield market” as the trade deadline approaches. While Philadelphia’s offense has been a massive point of strength this year, its outfield’s production has […]

The Indiana Pacers fell well short of the NBA Finals, losing in four consecutive games to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, three of the series’ four games proved to be very winnable for Indiana, which could make the playoff loss sting a little bit more than usual considering the Pacers’ relative […]

The Boston Celtics are heading back to the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons after a four-game sweep of the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. And while the Celtics were likely always seen as the favorite to make it out of the East, especially once it became clear the Milwaukee […]

The Indiana Pacers fell in a sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics, but it was not without some controversial calls and close games. In Game 4, in particular, there was a foul by Jaylen Brown on Pacers guard TJ McConnell that many at home and certainly in the arena in Indianapolis felt was […]

Paul Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, was finally called up to the majors by the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this month, and since then, he has already shown his potential on the mound. Skenes has started three games so far in his MLB career, including a six-inning outing against the […]

Earlier this offseason, Jason Kelce retired from the NFL and turned his full attention to the burgeoning media career he kickstarted during the final years of his career. In his biggest move since retiring, Kelce joined ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” pregame show. This news led some fans, and even Kelce’s brother Travis, to question if […]

PGA Tour golfer Grayson Murray died Saturday at the age of the 30. Murray, who had withdrawn from the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on Friday during the second round, was a two-time winner on the PGA Tour and a “remarkable player,” according to the Tour’s commissioner Jay Monahan. Bubba Watson, now a […]

Jaylen Brown has been one of, if not the, most important player for the Boston Celtics this season. After signing a massive contract extension, with Boston, Brown has proved his worth to a team that appears destined for the NBA Finals. But according to a Stephen A. Smith source, his “attitude” is holding him back. […]

Despite a four-game losing streak, the Los Angeles Dodgers hold the top spot in the NL West, and a big part of why that is has been the incredible versatility of Mookie Betts. Betts, who had played in the outfield for most of his career, had planned to become the Dodgers’ second baseman coming into […]

It’s no secret Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James would prefer to play alongside his eldest son Bronny James in the NBA. But after Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest last summer and underperformed during his freshman season at USC, there were some doubts Bronny would be capable of making a jump to the league quick […]

The Super Bowl on Netflix? That’s probably not happening anytime soon, at least according to one NFL executive. Mike North, the vice president of broadcast planning for the NFL, said he doesn’t foresee America’s largest annual sporting event completely abandoning television for a while, but that doesn’t mean the NFL isn’t rapidly adopting streaming in […]

The Indiana Pacers are back in the Eastern Conference Finals. After defeating the New York Knicks in Game 7 in their tough second-round series, the Pacers have seemingly exceeded all expectations in their first playoff appearance since 2020. But while there was always potential with the team’s roster, Pacers big man Myles Turner said he […]

By most standards, Penny Hardaway had a very successful NBA career. He was a four-time All-Star and a three-time All-NBA selection, but it’s clear that Hardaway could have been even better had things went just a bit differently for him. Hardaway, who formed one of the most promising duos in NBA history with Shaquille O’Neal […]

The Vancouver Canucks fell short in Game 7 of their Stanley Cup playoff second-round series, losing the final game at home to the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 last night. Vancouver, which had a 3-2 lead after a Game 5 victory, was forced to play Game 7 without its leading goalscorer, Brock Boeser. Boeser, who scored a […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are without a head coach or even a coaching staff after the team cleaned out house and fired Darvin Ham and his staff following a first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Playoffs. While resentment had seemingly been growing in the Lakers locker room in regards to Ham, Anthony […]

The Dallas Mavericks are moving on to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in three years. And while Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving deserve immense credit for leading the Mavs back to the WCF, a lot of deserved praise is being thrown on the team’s rookie center, Dereck Lively II. Lively, who was […]

On Friday morning, ahead of the second day of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, the top-ranked golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler, was arrested by Louisville Metro Police and charged with a felony and several misdemeanors. And as it pertains to any potential bodycam footage of the arrest, there is none. […]

Juan Soto is pretty good at baseball. All right, that’s a pretty big understatement, but what can’t be understated is how much his performances this season have helped the New York Yankees superstar in potential contract talks. The Yankees, who acquired Soto from the San Diego Padres in the offseason, have Soto under contract for […]

The Toronto Blue Jays have underperformed, to say the least, through the first quarter of the 2024 MLB season. And general manager Ross Atkins, facing increasing media and fan outcry, addressed the press today for more than 20 minutes. Atkins, who has been the team’s GM since 2015, repeatedly stressed during his media session that […]

Jalen Brunson has had an incredible postseason stretch, and considering his diminutive stature, his performances throughout these NBA Playoffs have earned him high praise from many, including but unsurprisingly, gigantic New York Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith. Smith, who has long been outspoken about his Knicks fandom and likely should not be considered an unbiased […]

The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers, old playoff rivals, are heading to a Game 7. After the Pacers defended their home court and won Game 6 in Indiana 116-103, the series will shift back to New York City and Madison Square Garden one final time. Jalen Brunson, who scored a game-high 31 points in […]

After his retirement from the NFL, Jason Kelce will be sticking around the league, but on the media side rather than on the field. As the newest member of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” pregame show, Kelce is set to parlay his successful playing career into what he hopes to be an equally successful media career. […]

After an embarrassing Game 2 defeat, the Denver Nuggets found themselves down 2-0 and like a team sleepwalking into a shocking sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. But then they went to dinner, all but Aaron Gordon anyway, and completely turned their second-round series on its head. Gordon, whose career has been revitalized […]

After three straight victories to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, the Florida Panthers failed to close out the Boston Bruins at home yesterday. The 2-1 defeat means Paul Maurice and the Panthers will have to travel back to Boston on Friday in hopes of closing the series out or risk a Game 7. Maurice […]

The New York Knicks jumped out to a 2-0 series lead with home wins at Madison Square Garden, but the two-game road trip in Indiana ended with the Knicks returning to New York with a tied series and seemingly a must-win Game 5. Well, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and the shorthanded Knicks blew out the […]

Tiger Woods is one of the greatest golfers ever, but all but one of his major titles are 15 years old or older now. And with how many injuries he has sustained throughout his career, it is a fair question to ask if Woods can ever achieve the glory of winning another Major or non-Major […]

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has an interesting relationship with the NBA’s officials, to say the least, and things probably did not improve after Gobert made a familiar gesture during Minnesota’s Game 4 loss to the Denver Nuggets that is going to cost him a bit of money. Gobert, who was memorably fined and handed […]

A surprising figure is reportedly assisting the Los Angeles Lakers in their search for a head coach: former Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski. And that news could possibly be a welcome sign for those who hope longtime NBA player JJ Redick lands the Lakers job this offseason. Krzyzewski, commonly referred to as “Coach K,” […]

A lot of eyes — even more than usual — are on LeBron James right now. The four-time NBA Champion can opt out of the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and become a free agent this offseason, and with the prospect of his son Bronny James being drafted next month […]

Draymond Green has been known to be an antagonist of sorts throughout his NBA career, but one of the newer rivalries for the Golden State Warriors veteran is with Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic. While both players’ teams aren’t playing anymore at this point in the season, Green used his platform on TNT’s “Inside the […]

Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft enjoyed an uber-successful quarter-of-a-century together as key figures in the New England Patriots’ dynasty. However, no good thing lasts forever, and it appears there are harsh and awkward feelings left between Belichick and Kraft, if a moment between the two at former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s roast is any indication. […]

On ESPN’s “First Take” yesterday, Stephen A. Smith said Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tweeted an image of the now infamous trade between OKC and Los Angeles Clippers in which SGA, an NBA MVP finalist, and a whole lot more were traded by the Clippers in exchange for Paul George. But Gilgeous-Alexander never tweeted […]

Derrick White has proven his value to the Boston Celtics over and over again, with his play even garnering a push from fans and media members for him to be named an All-Star or All-NBA player this season. And White’s teammate Jaylen Brown gave his efficient and hard-working teammate a shoutout after the Celtics’ dominant […]

During the offseason, Shohei Ohtani signed a historic contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but just as he was making his debut for the Dodgers, he found himself near the center of a gambling scandal that involved his finances and former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. And despite a bizarre set of circumstances involving his new star […]

Throughout his NBA career, Patrick Beverley has built a reputation for being a pesky, competitive, and what some would call a “dirty” player. And Beverley did little to quiet his critics near the end of and after a season-ending loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 last week. Beverley, who recorded 6 points, 2 […]

Rudy Gobert missed Game 2 of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ second-round series against the Denver Nuggets as he flew from Denver to Minneapolis for the birth of his son. While many lauded Gobert for being present for a special moment in his and his family’s lives, others did not agree with it, including Gobert’s longtime rival, […]

After a Game 1 loss that saw the Denver Nuggets fall behind in a series for the first time in two years, Nuggets coach Michael Malone hoped his team would respond with a win in Game 2 to tie the series. Instead, Denver came out flat and was blown out by the overwhelming Minnesota Timberwolves. […]