Anthony Gharib

Ja Morant will begin his new chapter in multiple ways after being dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers; he will rock a new number, too.

The two-time NBA All-Star is changing his uniform number from No. 12 to 1, the Trail Blazers announced Thursday. Morant had worn No. 12 throughout his career, starting at Crestwood High School in South Carolina, college at Murray State and in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies. Portland acquired Morant from Memphis in a trade Monday.

The Trail Blazers shared the news on social media with a caption that read: "12 turns to 1."

Ten players in Portland franchise history have worn No. 1, with Blake Wesley the latest to do so last season. Anfernee Simons (2020 to 2025) and Evan Turner (2017 to 2019) also wore the number. Portland traded Simons to the Boston Celtics in June 2025.

No Trail Blazer has donned the No. 12 since former seven-time All-Star big man LaMarcus Aldridge did from 2007 to 2015. Aldridge ranks third in points scored and fifth in games played in franchise history. After Aldridge's retirement in 2021, his former teammate and current Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard called for the franchise to retire Aldridge's No. 12.

This past season, Morant played 20 games (the second fewest in his career) and scored 19.5 points per game, his lowest scoring average since the 2020-21 season. Now, he'll look to jump-start his career with the franchise and with a new jersey number.

Saturday marks America's 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the nation's pastime is preparing accordingly.

Every MLB team will play on the holiday with home squads coming prepared with special giveaways for fans. There are patriotic caps, shirts and jerseys. The Houston Astros have two separate items for fans. The Kansas City Royals might steal the show with a Bobby Witt Jr.-themed bobblehead.

Due to schedules, some clubs don't have home games near July 4, therefore, their giveaways came earlier. For example, the Chicago White Sox handed out an America 250th homage T-shirt to the first 15,000 fans at their June 27 game. The New York Mets had a special America 250 Mr. and Mrs. Met T-shirt on the same day.

Regardless, teams made sure to add a festive feel to their holiday matchups. Here are all the 4th of July specific giveaways across the league, but not every team will participate.

Athletics
Giveaway: Country hat on July 3.

Boston Red Sox
Giveaway: Red Sox USA soccer jersey for first 7,500 fans on July 1.

Chicago Cubs
Giveaway: Fourth of July T-shirt for up to the first 10,000 fans on July 4.

Cincinnati Reds
Giveaway: USA themed hat on July 4.

Cleveland Guardians
Giveaway: Patriotic cap for first 15,000 fans on July 4.

Houston Astros
Giveaway: Josh Hader patriotic jersey for first 10,000 fans on July 3. Patriotic Orbit beach towel for first 10,000 fans on July 4.

Kansas City Royals
Giveaway: "Red, white and bobby" bobblehead for first 25,000 fans on July 4.


Los Angeles Angels
Giveaway: Patriotic hat on July 3.


Los Angeles Dodgers
Giveaway: America 250 commemorative coin on July 4.

Milwaukee Brewers
Giveaway: America's pastimes T-shirt with special theme night ticket on July 1.

New York Yankees
Giveaway: Fourth of July cap for first 18,000 fans on July 4.

Seattle Mariners
Giveaway: Patriotic bucket hat for first 10,000 fans on July 4.

Texas Rangers
Giveaway: America's 250th birthday jersey for first 10,000 fans on July 4.

Washington Nationals
Giveaway: Nationals patriotic shirt for first 20,000 fans on July 5.

Playing in Florida, the Dunedin Blue Jays had their fair share of battles with the weather last year. Now, they're embracing them with special uniforms.

The Single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays shared their "Rain Delay" jerseys Thursday, with a twist. They included a weather radar of their region, similar to what a local meteorologist would analyze on a news broadcast.

According to their post, the team faced 24 weather delays, 10 postponements and six cancellations in 2025. They wrote in their caption: "If you can't beat the weather, wear it."

The Blue Jays play at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, which is right near the Gulf. Living near the Gulf results in a climate that is "uncharacteristically hot and humid for its latitude," according to the U.S. national park service. Rainfall, thunderstorms, hurricanes and tropical storms are typical in the region.

It establishes an environment that could be challenging for an outdoor ballpark. But the Blue Jays are taking it in stride.

The club is part of the Florida League and will debut the uniforms against the Clearwater Threshers, the Phillies' Single-A affiliate, on July 18, if weather permits.

Names were called, dreams became reality and draft-night fashion once again turned heads.

The 2026 NBA draft delivered everything fans have come to expect: emotional reactions, potentially franchise-changing selections and plenty of memorable moments from inside Barclays Center.

But not every draft-night takeaway shows up in a box score or on a scouting report. Some moments are about personality -- and are simply too good to let pass without recognition.

Now that the final pick is in, we're handing out our NBA draft superlatives for the players, moments and trends that stood out most over the past two nights.

Most interesting jersey negotiation
AJ Dybantsa and Trae Young

Top pick Dybantsa is headed to Washington, but there's one small complication: the No. 3 jersey.

Dybantsa has long been associated with the number, but star guard Trae Young already wears it for the Wizards. Young welcomed the rookie to D.C. on social media and added, "We'll talk about that # soon," creating an offseason subplot before Dybantsa has even suited up ... which is perhaps just as well given the subject matter.

Most adept at trading places
Cameron and Carlos Boozer

Moments after being selected by the Memphis Grizzlies, Cameron Boozer and his family headed to ESPN's set for a group interview. It was a familiar situation for Cameron's father, Carlos, who played 13 years in the league.

However, Cameron had some prior NBA experience at the mic, too. A video surfaced of Carlos bringing his son to a news conference after a playoff game in 2010. They traded places over 15 years later with Cameron now answering the questions with his dad by his side.

Best reunion
Dusty May and Morez Johnson Jr.

Sometimes the draft brings people back together. After helping new Mavericks coach Dusty May capture a national title at Michigan last season, Johnson will reunite with his college coach in Dallas.

Easiest wardrobe change
Caleb Wilson

The Chicago Bulls selected a North Carolina star in the first round of a draft. It's a familiar move to Bulls fans as the team drafted another Tar Heels star in the first round of the 1984 draft: Michael Jordan.

Moments after the Bulls' No. 4 selection became official Tuesday, Wilson shared an old photo of himself in a Bulls hoodie. Wilson won't have to go too deep into the closet to fit in with Chicago.

Most likely to have extra rookie duties
Yaxel Lendeborg

Fresh off being drafted at No. 11 by the Golden State Warriors, Lendeborg fulfilled his media obligations. He called it a "full circle" moment to be able to team up with Stephen Curry, with the reason being tied to a not-so-fun fact.

"[In] 2016, I'm a big Kyrie [Irving] guy. So I used to hate Steph Curry," he said of the NBA stars who clashed in the 2016 NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. "So now that I'm actually able to be on the same team as him and play and actually learn so much from him, it means a lot."

Lendeborg went on to talk about how much of an honor it will be to watch Curry work in person. However, he might be saddled with additional rookie duties because of his Irving fandom.

Bringing the family name to the league
Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff Jr., Morez Johnson Jr., Christian Anderson Jr., Labaron Philon Jr., Tarris Reed Jr. and Chris Cenac Jr.

Seven players with "junior" in their names were selected in the first round (and one more in the second round, Jaron Pierre Jr.), from Mikel Brown Jr. at No. 6 by the Brooklyn Nets to Chris Cenac Jr. by the Boston Celtics at No. 27.

There were eight juniors who heard their names called in the first round from 2022 to 2025 combined.

Most likely to have a perfect one-legged fadeaway
Hannes Steinbach

The Charlotte Hornets took Steinbach with the No. 14 pick, adding him to an impressive list of German-born NBA players. Steinbach has a special connection with arguably the greatest German player to play in the NBA: Dirk Nowitzki.

Steinbach's father, Burkhard, played alongside the future Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer in Germany. Nowitzki sent a special message for Steinbach once he was drafted.

"Another kid from Würzburg [Germany] in the league. Incredible. I've known you since you were born. I've followed your journey," Nowitzki said. "And I'm super proud of you, how you handled everything. Enjoy this moment with your family. Speaking of, I'm so glad you didn't get your dad's athleticism and hands. Enjoy this moment. Congratulations."

If Steinbach pulls out a Nowitzki-esque fadeaway in a game, it won't be too much of a surprise.

Shortest commute
Braden Smith

It's always a draft win when a team adds local talent, and the Indiana Pacers did exactly that in the second round. The Pacers picked Purdue guard Smith at No. 38 via a trade with the Chicago Bulls.

Smith went to Westfield High School in Indiana and was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 2022. His high school is just 30 miles from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Pacers' arena, and Purdue is just under 60 miles away, making this one of the shortest commutes of any draft pick.

The Washington Wizards made AJ Dybantsa the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NBA draft Tuesday. Seemingly at the top of Dybantsa's list now that he's in the league? Securing his uniform No. 3 from his new teammate, Trae Young.

Washington acquired Young from the Atlanta Hawks in a trade in January. Young then changed his jersey number from 11 to 3, which he wore at Norman North High School in Oklahoma. No. 11 is retired by the Wizards in honor of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes.

During an appearance on Gilbert Arenas' podcast earlier in June, Dybansta spoke about potentially being drafted by the Wizards and claiming his number.

"If they draft me, I do need 3, Trae. If they draft me. You never know, we gonna see in like five weeks," Dybansta said.

The Wizards indeed drafted Dybansta, making him the third player Washington has taken No. 1 since the franchise moved to D.C. in 1973, according to ESPN Research. He joins a team with Young and 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis.

Young welcomed Dybansta to the team, with the caveat that discussions for the number would come at a later time.

Dybansta wore No. 3 during his lone season at BYU and throughout high school. That jersey would seemingly be a natural choice in the league for Dybantsa. But Young -- an eight year NBA veteran -- has the final say.

Young plans to sign a four-year deal worth approximately $212 million with the Wizards, with a player option in Year 4, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Monday. One unknown during those four years is what number Young will don with Dybansta probably part of the team throughout the stretch.

History says that the 19-year-old forward might have to endure some rookie duties to get his way.

Tyler Herro is headed back home to Wisconsin after being traded to the Bucks, but not before reflecting on his first NBA home: Miami.

Herro was dealt to the Bucks late Monday night in a blockbuster deal centered around two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Herro had spent his entire seven-year NBA career with the Heat, earning All-Star honors during the 2024-25 campaign.

Herro, 26, is from Greenfield, a Milwaukee suburb, where he played for Whitnall High School and played AAU basketball with the Wisconsin Playground. Herro decommitted from Wisconsin before signing to play for Kentucky. Miami drafted Herro No. 13 in 2019.

He acknowledged his change of scenery in various posts on his secondary Instagram account, sharing photos of him playing in Wisconsin.

Herro also posted an image of him and former Heat teammate Jimmy Butler III after they reached the 2020 NBA Finals, writing in the caption: "a time was had."

Butler is flashing a wide grin and rocking Herro's jersey, while the guard holds the Eastern Conference finals trophy. The two were teammates for 5½ seasons.

As a rookie, Herro played a key role in Miami's run to the Finals. He appeared in 21 playoff games and averaged 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, including a 37-point performance in the conference finals.

The Bucks acquired Herro alongside Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks (including No. 13 in Tuesday's NBA draft), one pick swap and one second-round pick from the Heat, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis headed to Miami in the deal.

Herro averaged 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists this past season.

Scotland's Tartan Army took over Boston last week for the national team's first two games of the 2026 World Cup. Now, ahead of Scotland's final fixture of the group stage, the Tartan Army are making their presence known at another destination: Miami, where the team will face Brazil on Wednesday.

The Marlins hosted Scotland's supporters organization at their game against the Texas Rangers on Monday. It was part of a "Tartan Army ticket package" the Marlins posted Sunday.

Festivities for the game included a pregame march, a performance by Nick Morgan -- who released "No Scotland, No Party" ahead of the 2024 Euro competition -- and a first pitch from injured Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour. However, one benefit for the Tartan Army came from being punctual. The first 250 members of the organization received a voucher for one free beer.

The Tartan Army showed up in bunches, with some even playing the bagpipes on the field before the game. They sang and chanted in the stands as starting pitcher Tyler Phillips took the mound. One member even caught a foul ball. Videos posted to social media showed the fans marching in Little Havana and playing bagpipes near the concession stands inside Loan Depot Park.

The attendance for the game was 20,008, the eighth highest for the club this season, according to ESPN Research. Miami lost 4-3.

Scotland's supporters received similar love while in Boston as the Red Sox hosted "Scotland Day" on June 14. That night included at least 5,000 fans at Fenway Park with the "The Flower of Scotland" sung following the U.S. national anthem.

The fans made their presence felt outside of sporting events, too. The parent company of Sam Adams said that its Boston Taproom ran out of Boston Lager following Scotland's first weekend in Boston.

The national team played two games in Boston, a 1-0 win vs. Haiti and a 1-0 loss vs. Morocco. Scotland face Brazil in Miami on Wednesday with a spot in the knockout stages still on the line. However, one thing is certain -- the Tartan Army will be ready for battle.

When the clock strikes midnight Friday, many people will already be in bed. In Fairbanks, Alaska, they'll still be at the ballpark, where the lights never come on.

Since 1906, the "Midnight Sun Game" has been held in Fairbanks, a city with a population just under 95,000 people. First pitch is typically at 10 p.m. and lasts past midnight. The catch? It takes place on the summer solstice, when the sun doesn't fully set for 24 hours.

"Here's this really crazy just contrast of a very American ballgame with all of the pageantry and flyovers of the military and singing, kids running the bases," said Dr. Katherine Ringsmuth, Alaska state historian, to ESPN. "Yet you look at your watch and it's midnight."

And of course, the lights at Growden Memorial Park, which hosts the game, don't work. They haven't since 2003.

"It's really not that much of a nuisance to not have them," Alaska Goldpanners general manager John Lohrke told ESPN. "... But they're pretty old, you know, before LEDs and all that. So I'm afraid what would happen if we turn the switch on and see what might take place."

The Goldpanners, a summer baseball team in Fairbanks, has hosted the game since 1963. This year, they play the Utah Yaks on Friday. Through the years, future Baseball Hall of Famers like Dave Winfield and Tom Seaver have played for the Goldpanners, the latter of which started in the Midnight Sun Game.

It's one of baseball's oldest traditions, a bucket list item for fans traveling from as far away as Japan and Australia. Attendees from at least 40 states and two to three countries are the norm for the crowd.

F-35s fly over following the national anthem. Once midnight comes around, members from SingUnited take the field to perform the Alaska flag song. It's all about building a fun, family atmosphere that would be challenging to replicate anywhere else. Alaska is one of the few places in the world to have the "midnight sun" phenomenon.

"You can't really describe it because it's just unique," Lohrke said. "We've had coaches and people come to our organization and ... they'll say, 'John, I've been involved in baseball a long time and I've never had an experience as cool as this.' There's really nothing like it."

The game began as a bar bet between miners searching for gold.

Following the California gold rush in the middle of the 19th century, the Klondike region in northwestern Canada had its own rush near the end of the 1890s. Then it was Nome in south Alaska before reaching Fairbanks, which brought miners, like Eddie Stroecker.

Deemed the "Father of the Midnight Sun Game," Stroecker was a ballplayer from California. Like many others, he came to Fairbanks to find gold. Stroecker worked for the California bar and, according to local legend, made a bet with the Eagle's Club involving a baseball game.

The gold rush is a key component of its origins. However, there are additional layers to the game's continuation early on.

"Yeah, it's this bar bet. Yeah, it's a reflection of the American society at that time moving into Alaska. But it's also a promotional thing, right? They're trying to get people to come to Alaska," Ringsmuth said.

Media began covering it, including the New York Times in 1914 and 1945, only adding to the impact for Fairbanks. Before the Goldpanners became the hosts, there were various participants. Local leagues kept the unique event alive, and during the two World Wars, military teams became part of them. The popularity increased decade by decade.

Stroecker was a key player, appearing in the game until 1918. Local sports aficionados credit him as a driving force behind it. The game is now appropriately named the "W.G. & Eddie Stroecker Midnight Sun Game" after Eddie and his son William George, who was also involved in the game.

In 1960, future Fairbanks mayor Red Boucher founded the Goldpanners. He focused his efforts on further promotion, taking the team to Wichita for a national tournament. That resulted in Boucher bringing a squad from Wichita to play in the Midnight Sun Game in 1963.

"That kind of created the whole kind of promotion around and aura really continued that legend of the Midnight Sun Game and filling the stands and making it into just an extraordinary global event, which it really is today," Ringsmuth said.

During Lohrke's tenure, he estimates that not too many players knew about the game before joining the team. But once they did, they thought it was cool and wanted to be there, he said. It has always been "a special night in Fairbanks," Lohrke added.

Growden Memorial Park typically holds 1,800 fans. It expands to 2,500 for the Midnight Sun Game with only about 130 seats reserved and the rest available for general admission. Reserved tickets for this year's contest sold out within an hour, Lohrke told ESPN.

Lohrke has been the general manager since 2016. The demand for the game has intensified every year. He said the game is "as much of a social experience as it is a baseball experience."

"It's almost like a concert. It's like people look for it. They look at our website and they get a feel [for] when are they available? When are they available? And it's just a frenzy," he said. "We're just sitting there watching our phones and it's you know, bing, bing, bing, and just it's pretty nuts."

This year's game will purposefully be played a day before Alaska's summer solstice. Fairbanks hosts a midnight sun festival on Saturday from noon to midnight, and there's a 10K run that begins at 10 p.m. the same day. Therefore, they avoid Saturday to not compete with each other.

Gates for the game open at 8 p.m. and more tickets will be sold 30 minutes before it starts, with the expectation that there probably won't be open seats.

"And they will not care," Lohrke said. "They will say, 'We want to be there. It's fun. We'll go to the beer garden and hang out or we'll be wherever, but we just want to be there.' They just want to be a part of it. The demand is greater than ever. It's really amazing."

A key result of that demand? For the first time, a jumbotron and five instant replay cameras will be in the park Friday provided by a production company from Anchorage.

So far, obstacles haven't gotten in the way during its 121-year history. It has been played through world wars and global pandemics. Over 200 major league players plied their trade with the Goldpanners.

Last June, Growden Memorial Park was added to the National Register of Historical Places, making it available to apply for funds. The Goldpanners are now financially strong enough where they could explore renovating the lights, Lohrke said.

Mother Nature has helped sustain the game for more than a century, and there are few signs of that changing anytime soon. All one has to do is listen to the famous lyrics of the song "Tomorrow" from the musical 1977 musical "Annie": "The sun'll come out, tomorrow." And with it, Fairbanks' summer solstice will include the Goldpanners shining on the field.

Ten years after their championship run, members of the 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers reunited in the United Kingdom.

LeBron James, Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, Richard Jefferson, Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye shared photos of themselves together Tuesday and Wednesday as they hit the golf links and sipped wine.

The group posed near Tower Bridge in London and played golf at Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland, one of the world's "finest private members clubs." They also bought watches and ate dinner as part of an itinerary that seemingly included five days of golf.

In a joint Instagram post Wednesday between James, Smith, Thompson and Frye, the caption read: "The group chat finally linked up." Another joint post between Jefferson, Love, Thompson and Frye included a video of Thompson delivering drinks to the group on the course, captioned: "We all have roles."

Notably absent was Kyrie Irving, who hit the go-ahead 3-pointer for Cleveland in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Smith seemingly addressed Irving's absence, commenting on a post about the reunion: "Missing none. He was invited and ghosted us all. So stop with that bs."

Irving was dealt to the Boston Celtics following the 2016-2017 season after he requested a trade.

Cleveland memorably came back from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Warriors. The 10-year anniversary of the Cavaliers' Game 7 victory is Friday. It marked the first 3-1 comeback in the NBA Finals and the first championship in Cavaliers history. Cleveland returned to the Finals the following two seasons, losing both to Golden State.

Jefferson began a 10-year anniversary series on his podcast, "The Richard Show," with Love, Thompson and Iman Shumpert each joining to reminisce. Smith -- whose episode on the show is set to release Thursday -- hinted at the group traveling in May, pinpointing Scotland and Northern Ireland for a golf trip.

"These boys want to play 36 [holes] a day. They locked in. I'm like OK, now we talking, now we talking," Smith, who played golf at North Carolina A&T, said. "I don't know how many holes they gone finish but we gone see."

Plans successfully made it out of the group chat, and the champions have been posting each stop on the itinerary.

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker is changing his jersey number from No. 1 to No. 15, honoring his USA Basketball uniform and the college number of his father, Melvin, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Booker wore No. 1 during his lone college season at Kentucky. He had stuck with it since being drafted 13th in 2015 by Phoenix. While playing at Moss Point High School in Mississippi, Booker repped No. 2, which was retired by the school in 2022. He also wore No. 2 with the Alabama Challenge in the Nike EYBL. Melvin Booker also played for Moss Point and had his No. 15 retired.

Devin Booker earned two gold medals with Team USA in the Tokyo and Paris Olympics while wearing No. 15.

Melvin Booker donned the same number during his four years at Missouri, earning men's consensus second-team All-America selection honors his senior year. He didn't wear No. 15 in the NBA, instead opting for Nos. 9, 14 and 5 in his two seasons with three teams.

Suns center Mark Williams donned No. 15 last season, though he is a restricted free agent. Therefore, any return to Phoenix would warrant a number change.

Booker becomes the 16th player in Suns franchise history with No. 15 on his jersey. Most notably, Danny Manning won Sixth Man of the Year in 1998 with the number.

Phoenix is coming off a surprising season that included a first-round sweep to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Booker played a key role in the 45-37 campaign, leading the team with 26.1 points plus six assists per game.

LOS ANGELES -- In the 63rd minute of their opening match of the 2026 World Cup on Monday, Iran midfielder Mohammad Mohebbi leapt into the air to meet Ramin Rezaeian's wonderfully whipped cross and guide his header in off the far post, giving New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe no chance. The goal was decisive, the fourth goal in a 2-2 draw, and it sent shock waves through the 70,108-strong crowd at SoFi Stadium.

Just over 9 miles from where the match was being played in Inglewood, Iran fans at a watch party near Westwood were just as jubilant. They were gathered hosted at Meymuni Cafe to watch Iran's first match, cheering, chanting and coping with all the drama that comes when you watch your team in the World Cup.

Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran, and this part of the city is appropriately nicknamed "Tehrangeles." Iranian Americans have found themselves in a conflicted position due to circumstances around the team. The U.S. and Israel began a war against Iran on Feb. 28, and the national team's participation in the World Cup had been in doubt ever since. But, as Team Melli played its opener in L.A., watch parties in the area felt a little closer to home.

"I always remind people: Persians are a very, very important part of the fabric of Los Angeles' society," Shaheen Ferdowsi, founder of Meymuni Cafe, told ESPN. "I don't even know what L.A. would look like without Persians.

"I think something that's really cool is that here in L.A., we're so proud of being Iranian and other Iranians who come to L.A. from other parts of the U.S. are always so happy to see this different pride and being Iranian."

Meymuni Cafe, known for its lavashak (Persian fruit leather) smoothie, sold tickets for reserved seating and walk-ins with a maximum capacity of about 75 people. Ferdowsi is no stranger to hosting events in his bustling space, and will do the same for each of Iran's World Cup games. Their next is on Father's Day, deemed as "BYOB -- Bring Your Own Baba."

"My main goal and my main mission has always been to serve as a unifying symbol for the Iranian community," Ferdowsi said. "And just given everything that we've been through this year and how devastating things have been, I think Meymuni Cafe has kind of served as that hub for the majority of people who follow us and are fans of us."

Iran is the first team to participate in a World Cup hosted by a country with which it was at war. The team has had to face unique and ongoing challenges due to this unprecedented situation.

The team requested to move its three group matches outside of the U.S. -- it has two in L.A. and one in Seattle -- but was denied. Iran's base camp moved from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, weeks before the tournament. In a last-minute change to its travel plans, the team was forced to travel back to Tijuana immediately after the New Zealand match instead of the following day.

It set up a unique atmosphere in L.A. with several hundred Iranian Americans protesting the Iranian government prematch outside the stadium. The national anthem prompted cheers and boos from those in attendance, while some even actively cheered against the team during the game. Flags of Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution could be seen within the stadium, despite FIFA's efforts to ban them. However, once the game kicked off, a vast majority of the noise turned to supporting the team.

"It was an incredible atmosphere in the game, all 90 minutes," Iran striker Mehdi Taremi said postmatch. "It was like at home for us."

At the café watch party, fans rallied behind the players and acknowledged the challenges they face.

"It's great to host them. I wish it was under better circumstances. I wish they felt more welcome, you know," Benyamin Dabiri told ESPN. "It sucks that they can't stay the night. That four-hour bus drive, I mean, I can tell it's f---ing with them psychologically. It's messing with them a little bit."

Dabiri was born in Tehran and moved to the U.S. at 8 years old. He feel a connection with the Iran players. "Those are our cousins, our brothers," he said.

That was the prevailing sentiment among those watching, and it spread beyond its walls as the game progressed. A group fitness center is attached to the café, and workouts began at kickoff and halftime of the match. Occasionally, people would push their faces on the glass door to peep the score -- often after yells were heard following big moments.

By halftime, only some standing room remained. The chance to support Iran while it played in their backyard became too good to pass up for Iranian Americans.

"L.A. has the biggest Iranian population outside of Iran," Pourya Banaee, who moved from Iran to Los Angeles at 9 years old, told ESPN. "So it's just honestly a surreal experience supporting them and watching them play. It's super cool."

Banaee's friend Nima Malek emphasized how surreal it is to have Iran play in Los Angeles, while presenting it as a huge opportunity. He wished Iran's participation in the region came under a different situation, but posited that the team would come out more motivated because of it. The results could be surprisingly positive -- especially in L.A.

"A majority of the time, they're underdogs and no one really expects anything out of them," Malek, who was born and raised in L.A. and visits Iran every four or five years to see family, told ESPN. "But I think with Tehrangeles here, it's a rare opportunity."

Tehrangeles made its presence felt at Meymuni Cafe. Rezaeian's opening goal led to an "insane" energy, Dabiri said. When Mohebbi scored, the place was filled with cheers and chants. As the match remained in the balance for the final half-hour, that excitement turned to tension. All that mattered at the moment for those there was supporting Team Melli.

"These guys are just trying to play soccer," Dabiri said. "It's a different thing than any political thing.

"They don't have control over whatever political circumstances they're under. They just have to deal with the cards they're dealt with and play the best football they can. So, as Iranians, I think we should all just be supporting them and hoping for the best."

Banaee called it "amazing" to have the local support of Iranian Americans in Los Angeles. Rooting for the sports teams is "part of our blood," Malek said.

Following the team is a way for the community to stay connected to their homeland. That's something Ferdowsi -- and surely other Persian cafés hosting watch parties across Tehrangeles -- hopes to encourage.

"As a small café here, founded by someone Westwood born and raised, we're just happy to bring the community together," Ferdowsi said. "I hope that people just come together because of this game."

With group matches against Belgium and Egypt to come on June 21 and 27, Tehrangeles have at least two more chances to unite behind Team Melli.

At each of their men's World Cup appearances since 1998, Japan's fans have made headlines for cleaning up their sections after matches. On Sunday, they received help from a special guest -- Jameis Winston.

The New York Giants quarterback is a Fox Sports World Cup correspondent and assisted with coverage of the Japan-Netherlands match in Dallas on Sunday. It marked the opening match for both countries in this tournament.

Before the game, Winston walked with Netherlands' "Orange Army" fanbase. Following a thrilling 2-2 draw, Winston headed to the stands and assisted Japan fans in cleaning up. It's a tradition the fans began in 1998 during their first World Cup appearance.

Winston rocked a custom Japan jersey with "No. 4" and "Winston" on the back and carried a blue bag to collect trash.

The explanation for Japan's tidiness is a simple one.

The Japanese are taught in school to clean their school classrooms and hallways with those basic behaviors then becoming habits for the population, Scott North, professor of sociology at Osaka University, explained to the BBC in 2018.

"In addition to their heightened consciousness of the need to be clean and to recycle, cleaning up at events like the World Cup is a way Japanese fans demonstrate pride in their way of life and share it with the rest of us," North said.

Japanese fans do the same at other major sporting events, including the Olympics.

But the change Sunday was the inclusion of Winston, the veteran quarterback who is entering his 12th NFL season.

"Go New York, Go New York, Go!"

The New York Knicks are NBA champions. After defeating the San Antonio Spurs on the road 94-90 in Game 5, the Knicks have broken a 53-year title drought.

New York came back yet again from a double-digit deficit to bring the title home. Jalen Brunson had the game of his life, scoring 45 points with three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The last time the Knicks won a championship was May 10, 1973, when they defeated Wilt Chamberlain and the Los Angeles Lakers on the road at the Forum in five games with a star-studded roster that included Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Earl Monroe and Phil Jackson.

It has been a long time coming for Knicks fans, exactly 19,392 days since New York won an NBA championship. Sure enough, times were a lot different back then. Here's what the world looked like the last time the Knicks won the title.

Miami Dolphins cap undefeated season

The Dolphins completed the only undefeated season in NFL history in 1973. Focus On Sport/Getty Images
Still the only undefeated campaign in NFL history, the Dolphins went 17-0 after a 14-7 victory over Washington in Super Bowl VII.

Miami scored in the first quarter on a 28-yard reception from Howard Twilley, and Jim Kick's 1-yard TD run in the second quarter extended the lead. Washington had a 49-yard scoop and score in the fourth, but it was too little, too late.

The Dolphins included iconic figures such as coach Don Shula and four first-team All-Pro members: quarterback Earl Morrall, Larry Little, Bill Stanfill and Dick Anderson.

'The Godfather' wins three Oscars, beginning franchise
"The Godfather" was released in March 1972, beginning a legendary film franchise. It received 10 nominations at the 45th Academy Awards, taking home three: "Best Picture," "Best Actor in a Leading Role" and "Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium."

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, "The Godfather" is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies.

Battle of the Sexes I
Fresh off the federal civil rights law of Title IX, 55-year-old former American tennis player Bobby Riggs faced off against women's tennis star Margaret Court, who was 35, in a match deemed "Battle of the Sexes."

Riggs was skeptical of women playing tennis and challenged Court to prove a point. He won May 13, 1973. However, it set the stage for "Battle of the Sexes II," a match against 29-year-old Billie Jean King, whom Riggs had also wanted to face. King defeated Riggs in three sets in September.

After Riggs' death in 1995, King said: "Our 'Battle of the Sexes' match helped to advance the game of tennis and women everywhere."

Secretariat in midst of Triple Crown run

Secretariat, with Ron Turcotte in the saddle, won the 99th running of the Kentucky Derby with a record time and capitalized two weeks later in the Preakness Stakes. Getty Images
Secretariat's Triple Crown quest was on full display as the Knicks won the title.

On May 6, 1973, he won the Kentucky Derby with a record time of 1:59.40. Two weeks later, he set another record with a victory at the Preakness Stakes. Secretariat capped his Triple Crown with a record time of 2:24 seconds at the Belmont Stakes.

Secretariat became the first horse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown.

Elvis says Aloha from Hawaii
There might not be a more consequential performance in entertainment history than Elvis Presley's in 1973.

"Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii" was a TV special that aired in January 1973 and, according to IMDB, "made history as the first televised event to be simulcast live to 40 countries worldwide." It received 1.5 billion views, still the most-watched entertainment show by a single person.

Presley's live concert was the first by a solo entertainer to be broadcast internationally via a satellite.

"Soul Train" in its second, third seasons

Some of the most iconic performances took place on the set of "Soul Train" in 1973, including the Jackson 5. Soul Train via Getty Images
Created by Don Cornelius in 1971 and officially hitting syndicated airwaves in 1972, the Saturday music program "Soul Train" was in its second season with a lineup for the ages.

Around the time the Knicks began their run to the Finals, the show held a special airing for Aretha Franklin, who performed her classic hits that included "Rock Steady" and "Day Dreaming."

A couple of days after the Knicks won the title, The Supremes and Lloyd Price appeared on the show.

Later that year, the iconic Jackson 5 performed on the show, and a young Michael Jackson debuted the famous robot dance to "Dancing Machine." The group also performed "Don't Say Goodbye Again," "Get It Together," "You're In Good Hands" (Jermaine) and "With a Child's Heart" (Michael).

Al Green, James Brown, Stevie Wonder and The Temptations were among the other performers featured that year.

The first mobile phone call was made
In the streets of New York City, Martin Cooper made the first mobile phone call on April 3, 1973. According to NPR, Cooper, then the head of communications at Motorola, was standing on 6th Avenue when he made a phone call -- and you wouldn't believe to whom.

At the time, car phones were believed to be the future. Cooper, though, thought past the portable device and wanted to create something that was more personal. He set out to create something that could fit in one's pocket in 1972. A year later, his team created the mobile device that was 10 inches tall, 1½ inches wide and 3 inches deep. It weighed 2½ pounds.

Bell Labs, which saw the car phone as the future, was Motorola's competitor. Cooper made the phone call to the competitor and said: "I'm calling you from a cellphone but a real cellphone -- the personal, handheld, portable cellphone."

The New York Knicks needed one stop to complete the comeback in Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals, and Ben Stiller had his iPhone ready.

Taylor Swift and Mariska Hargitay stood to his left. San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper and Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns were front and center. Thousands at Madison Square Garden and millions watching around the world had their own perspective of the play.

Yet, Stiller's courtside view proved the most engaging. He captured the moment when New York completed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, using a black-and-white filter and walking on the court to take a rapid 360-degree video of the pandemonium at the Garden as the buzzer sounded.

From slo-mo clips of Jalen Brunson isolations to practice before a Finals game, the lifelong Knicks fan has documented the team's run in the playoffs with videos on his X account. It's part of a rumored project around the Knicks' playoff run, something Stiller seemingly confirmed on ESPN's "Inside the NBA" before Game 4.

"There is a project in the works, but look, I'd be doing it anyway," he said. "But it is part of a bigger project. ... [The access] is insane. To be able to have that point of view, it's fun to be able to share it with people."

Stiller's clips have often gone viral on social media, offering a unique perspective of the Knicks' most prosperous postseason in half a century. Here's a look at the top videos from the lens of Stiller's iPhone.

Brunson buckets in slow motion
The Knicks' star had 28 points, seven assists and five rebounds in the team's opening game of the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks. Nineteen of Brunson's points came in the first quarter, including a floater over Atlanta center Zaccharie Risacher to end the frame.

Stiller tracked the moment with his camera, then turned it into a slow-motion view before posting it on X during the game.

A special cameo
Hours before the Knicks closed out the Hawks in the first round, Stiller shared a clip of a pregame intro at Madison Square Garden. Early in the video, actor and avid Knicks fan Timothée Chalamet jumped into the frame with a simple declaration: "Let's go, Knicks."

Anunoby triple gets the Garden -- and Stiller -- up
Stiller was sitting on the opposite side of the court when OG Anunoby rose for a 3-pointer in Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers. The score was tied 86-86 in the second-round matchup, and the Madison Square Garden fans rose to their feet after Anunoby's 3-pointer.

Similar to the Brunson play, Stiller captured it in slow motion. But as Anunoby tracked back down the court, Stiller stood up and brought it to regular speed, zooming in on the forward's stoic look after the big shot.

Lucky bounces for Shamet
As New York stormed back against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Stiller captured a key turning point. With 45 seconds remaining, Landry Shamet hit a 3-pointer to tie the score.

The shot first hit the back of the rim, bounced up, then off the front rim and settled into the basket for a remarkable bucket. The image slightly shook as Stiller stood up. But he got a perfect view of Shamet's poised expression as he got back on defense. A special filter dramatized one of the biggest plays of the postseason.

An emphatic block on Harden
The Knicks and Stiller were back at the Garden after the wild comeback win against the Cavaliers. During the game, he shared a defensive highlight.

Cleveland guard James Harden handled the ball against Mikal Bridges before getting Brunson to switch on him. Stiller zoomed in and out with his camera, while Harden dribbled between his legs before crossing to his left hand and driving toward the basket.

Harden then attempted a floater, but Knicks center Mitchell Robinson rotated over and blocked the shot. Stiller gave the play a simple caption: "Mitch said no."

Knicks celebrate trip to the NBA Finals
Stiller sat courtside near the Knicks' bench in Cleveland as New York had a chance to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. The Knicks got the job done emphatically, sweeping the Cavaliers after a 130-93 victory.

With the game in hand, starters and key rotation players were on the bench as the clock hit zero. Stiller captured the final seconds, even dapping up Shamet, before closing the video in cinematic fashion -- a shot of Brunson and Towns, the Knicks' two stars, standing side by side.

Another impressive Robinson stop
It seems like for every clutch Knicks play this postseason, Stiller has had his camera ready. That was the case in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

New York held a one-point lead with 7.5 seconds remaining in the game. San Antonio guard De'Aaron Fox and center Victor Wembanyama ran a pick-and-roll that resulted in a 20-foot jumper from Wembanyama. Robinson contested the shot and helped force a miss, securing the Knicks a 2-0 lead in the Finals.

Stiller again got the right shot, capturing Wembanyama's miss. As the buzzer sounded, however, Stiller celebrated and dapped up Bridges, causing his camera to go away from the action.

The Knicks are one win away from the NBA championship following the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.

New York stormed back against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, taking a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals following a 107-106 victory.

San Antonio led by as many as 29 points, including 15 points entering the fourth quarter. Prior to Wednesday, there had been one comeback of at least 15 points entering the fourth quarter in Finals history. In Game 6 of the 1992 Finals, the Chicago Bulls overcame a 79-64 deficit, according to ESPN Research.

The 29-point comeback by the Knicks is the largest in the NBA Finals since at least 1971 as well as the third 20-point comeback in this time, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Here are key numbers and reactions from around the sports world to New York's improbable victory.

76: San Antonio was firing on all cylinders in the first half, putting up 76 points. It marked the most points the Spurs -- or any team -- had scored on the road in the first half of an NBA Finals game.

It was also the most points the Knicks had ever allowed in the first half of a playoff game.

46: It was a game of two halves for the Spurs. After scoring 76 points in the first half, they had just 30 in the second.

Per Elias, that 46-point decrease ties the largest from a first half to a second by any team in a playoff game in the shot clock era (since 1954-55).

Spurs legend and four-time NBA champion Manu Ginobili didn't hide his pain following the Game 4 defeat.

36: Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 36 points on 12-of-25 shooting. He also added seven assists and five rebounds on the night. That followed up a Game 3 in which Brunson had 32 points plus five assists and five rebounds.

Brunson is the first player with consecutive Finals games in a single series with at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists since LeBron James had a three-game streak in 2017. He joins James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant as the only players to have consecutive Finals games of 30-5-5 since 2000 (streaks within a single Finals).

1.2: OG Anunoby put the Knicks ahead for good with a tip-in that left just 1.2 seconds in the game. He finished with a playoff career-high 33 points on the night. Brunson and Anunoby are the first Knicks duo with at least 30 points in the same NBA Finals game.

It marked Anunoby's second career go-ahead field goal in the final five seconds of a playoff game. He made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in Game 3 of the 2020 Eastern Conference semifinals. Per Elias, Anunoby is the fifth player in the play-by-play era (1998) to make his first two career go-ahead attempts in the final five seconds of a playoff game.

His game winner stunned the sports world.

1:22: New York had to battle back practically the entire game. It took its first lead with 1:22 left in the fourth quarter following a bucket from Brunson.

The Knicks led for just 2% of the game.

0.4% Early in the fourth quarter, it didn't seem like it would be in the cards for New York. It faced a 95-75 deficit with 9:33 remaining in the game.

According to ESPN analytics, the Knicks had just a 0.4% chance of winning the game.

Magic Johnson and Russell Wilson led the reaction to New York storming back to win the game.

The Knicks' NBA Finals run has touched every inch of New York City. From Coney Island to the Bronx to Central Park, watch parties have become as much a part of the postseason as a Jalen Brunson clutch bucket.

And in some cases, watch parties held in venues that you would never expect ... even in New York.

Erica Hill, the founder of Sparrow, a funeral home in Brooklyn, is hosting one for Game 4 of the Finals (8:30 p.m. ET on ABC). But its origins come from a place deeper than a typical watch party.

Hill was inspired by Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns, who has said that he feels the presence of his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, during the series.

"In a way I felt like I was seeing her in the stands and it was just fun. It was really fun. It was really comforting. ... I don't know," Towns said. "It felt like a certain presence was here that was very comforting and very loving."

Cruz-Towns died in April 2020 due to COVID-19 complications. Towns lost six other family members in 2020 because of COVID.

Towns' comments spread on Instagram in the "end of life world," Hill told ESPN.

"Because all we do here is deal with people who are and support people who are grieving," Hill told ESPN. "So that's really, he was the impetus. We would never be having a watch party if he hadn't been so open and talking about his mom."

Following an 18-point, 12-rebound performance in the Knicks' Game 1 win over the San Antonio Spurs, Towns spoke about a sense of calm and peace that "had to come from the woman above."

With the Knicks needing a stop to win Game 2, Towns said he prayed to his mother. When Knicks center Mitchell Robinson stopped Victor Wembanyama to secure the victory, Towns said he saw it as a sign that his mother was there.

He expanded further to ESPN's Malika Andrews in an interview Monday, saying that he feels his mother's presence "a lot."

"It's kind of unexplainable. I'm always looking for signs. I pray, I go to sleep and I have a dream with her or just something that resonates with her," Towns said. "And I always feel her presence."

Hill says both of her parents have passed, and she'll "still sort of talk" to her father, who died in 2001. She opened her funeral home four and a half years ago and has worked with families who look for signs of their loved ones, similar to Towns.

The six-time NBA All-Star's comments really resonated with her, she said.

"I thought a lot about that, and just how, here's this guy who is arguably one of the best athletes in the country, being very open and vulnerable about wanting his mom with him," Hill said. "And to me, that's basically ... he's talking about his grief, and that's not really a common thing, especially for men."

On Sunday afternoon, two days after the Knicks won Game 2, Hill texted her colleagues to get thoughts on a potential watch party before deciding to go for it. She posted information about the watch party Monday on Instagram, prompting a widespread reaction.

"It's been pretty bananas," Hill said.

She thought it would be 15 people at most to RSVP, most of whom she probably already knew. As of Tuesday afternoon, 60 people had reached out about attending. Hill admitted they'd likely have to cap the invites to 120 people.

Neighbors are stopping by, as well as families the funeral home has served, which is particularly special for Hill.

Hill has a feeling that naturally conversations will hover to family members who loved the Knicks, like Hill's own father. She hopes to put together a board for people to share who they are watching for in honor of the Knicks center.

"It's lovely for us to have a light shown on us. ... To me it's not just like, 'Oh, let's have a watch party at Sparrow because we have projectors and we can do it,'" she said. "It really came from somewhere else. And it's clear from at least some of the people that have RSVP'd that they were really happy to have a place to go with other people who potentially are grieving."

She explained that people in the end of life community, including herself, believe it's extremely healthy for people to talk more about loved ones who have died. There was something about listening to Towns speak openly, especially during one of the highlights of his career.

But Hill didn't sense sadness when he reflected about his mother. She sensed joy.

"Here he is, I'm going to assume, dealing with a lot of grief, which is heavy," Hill said. "But yet he still goes out there and he does his job, which is playing basketball. And then his mom is like this comfort and inspiration. ... I think it's pretty inspiring. It really has resonated with a lot of people, not just me."

On Wednesday, they'll cheer and hope their loved ones -- past and present -- can guide Towns and the Knicks closer to basketball immortality.

The cast of the NBA's grandest stage is always easy to identify. This year, there's Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson. The Spurs' Coyote and Spike Lee. The ex-Knicks and Spurs in the crowd. Head coaches Mike Brown and Mitch Johnson. And of course, New York's celebrity fans courtside.

But, the most avoidable yet arguably important supporting character of each NBA Finals? The 29.5-inch official Wilson-branded 100% genuine leather cover basketball.

Karl-Anthony Towns will grab it from the air. Stephon Castle could punch it through the basket. Josh Hart surely will dive in the stands to secure it. De'Aaron Fox can dash up the floor while dribbling it.

As New York and San Antonio face off in the 2026 NBA Finals (Game 2 on Friday) the basketballs in action have all had a winding trip to Frost Bank Center and Madison Square Garden. They've actually been thudding off the hardwood for months across the NBA.

It's how the league makes sure the game's biggest stage has the right bounces.

Every January, the NBA sends four Finals-branded basketballs to all 30 teams. The mission is simple: Break them in before the league collects and redistributes them for the NBA Finals.

"Obviously, this is the most pivotal series of games we have. And so, you want them to have, I keep using game-ready, but game-ready basketballs which is different than out-of-the-box basketballs," Christopher Arena, the NBA's head of on-court and brand partnerships, told ESPN.

Similar to Spalding, Wilson uses leather supplied by Chicago's Horween Leather Company. But one key difference emerged when Wilson became the NBA's official ball provider in the 2021-22 season.

Under Spalding, used game balls were sent back to be laser-engraved with the NBA Finals script. Wilson's Finals basketballs are pre-produced and distributed to teams months in advance to be broken in.

Wilson has a protocol at their Ada, Ohio, facility that Arena said the league calls "waking the windings of the ball." Wilson pre-balances them on a machine that dribbles rapidly, while another sends them against a wooden panel.

But there's nothing to substitute sweat, oils and dirt that can come from a player, court and environment.

What makes leather unique is that it's an organic material derived from a living thing (in the NBA's case, the leather comes from cowhides). Therefore, there's a natural aging process, referred to in the fashion industry as "patina" -- a fancy way of saying it gets stained.

"Those elements sort of break the ball in. It gives it its darker color. It gives it a little bit more tack over time," Arena said. "And so, it takes, depending on who you ask and how much play, like three to four weeks to get that right."

Any equipment manager around the league will explain that the veterans won't play with the new balls, Arena added. The job falls to rookies, G-League players or ball attendants. The Knicks' and Spurs' equipment managers were not made available for this story.

Unlike composite basketballs that are "made of synthetically produced material that feels like leather," the NBA's official game ball uses genuine leather.

Leather doesn't always have to be broken in either, Keanan Duffty, a professor at the University of Southern California, told ESPN.

Duffty, a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, explained the process of breaking in a basketball, which is "very much a utility. It's very practical.

"Leather reacts to humidity. ... It can stretch. Depending on the heat in its environment, it can change the way it behaves. So I would think that basketball players don't want to be surprised by that on the court," Duffty said. "They want it to go through this process of being utilized so they know how it's going to behave when they're actually on the court for a game."

Every time a ball bounces, it stretches, going through an aging process. Leather naturally softens, but the pressure it endures while hitting the court can cause it to soften, too.

Moisture impacts that process in a unique way. The friction that a ball goes through when feeling the court or rim would change according to the moisture in the skin of the ball, Duffty explained. The moisture too increases over time of a game with more people touching the ball, resulting in a different behavior.

All of these factors lead to a preferred game experience for the players, especially important on the heightened stage of the NBA Finals.

"If you take the new balls out of the box ... and you shoot for an hour, the tips of your fingers will be bloody, just because the thread is so new," the Golden State Warriors' then-equipment/travel manager Eric Housen told ESPN in 2015.

The league entrusts all 30 of its teams to approach the process their own way.

Most of the time, those basketballs remain hidden from public view. But occasionally they surface in the open, creating a rare, bizarre scene when teams are spotted shooting around with an NBA Finals basketball before the playoffs.

Someone saw basketballs for the 2025 series at a Denver Nuggets game that season, prompting theories that the NBA had "leaked its script." A 2024 version was found during warmups at a Memphis Grizzlies game in March of that year.

"Most of the time, I think the equipment managers are really good about trying to keep it in the practice facility. And it's not a secret," he said. "Like, it's not the end of the world. It's just a little weird to have it on a court on March 2 on a Tuesday, you know?"

The minute a team is eliminated from postseason contention or in the playoffs, they will begin sending the their Finals basketballs back to the NBA, and the league will designate them by conference.

The teams at the last stage keep their own basketballs. The league supplements the rest so that it can hopefully fill up a rack in a game and practice facility. That total reaches 38 basketballs.

"Through the months of April, May, we are just collecting them. And then as soon as we know who the Western, Eastern Conference participants are in the Finals, we ship them right to them," Arena said. "It's challenging when you get to Game 6s and 7s and there's a tight turnaround because we want them playing with them ASAP."

Case in point: the 2026 Western Conference finals between the Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.

With the Thunder up 3-2 in the series, the NBA sent Finals basketballs to Oklahoma City. Therefore, if the Thunder closed out the Spurs, they had theirs ready once they landed back home. If San Antonio sent it to seven, the basketballs would be ready for either team regardless of the winner since the series shifted to Oklahoma City.

The Spurs won in Game 7 and as they prepared to depart, one task remained: grabbing the basketballs. Oklahoma City's equipment manager handed them to San Antonio, which took them on the plane.

"We wanted to maximize the amount of time they had to play with those basketballs, knowing those were going to be the balls they were going to play the NBA Finals with," Arena said.

One more important bounce en route to the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

The 2026 NBA Finals pits the New York Knicks vs. the San Antonio Spurs, a rematch of the 1999 championship series. The uniforms will look familiar, too.

San Antonio is no stranger to the big stage -- 1999 marked the first of six during a stretch that ran until 2014. New York though hasn't been in the Finals since facing San Antonio. Not a lot has changed in the uniform department for either team during that span.

The Spurs' white and black threads are a staple, especially during the NBA Finals. Tim Duncan clinched his fifth ring while wearing San Antonio's white jerseys. His fourth came with the black ones on. It will be a similar rotation for the Spurs against the Knicks.

For New York, white and blue uniforms remain a key part of its closet. The Knicks rocked those colors in their previous two Finals appearances in 1999 and 1994.

Similar to the uniforms of Super Bowl LX in February, each jersey for the 2026 NBA Finals will have a special "USA 250" patch on the front of it, commemorating the 250th anniversary of America's independence.

Here's a look at New York's and San Antonio's uniform schedules for Games 1 through 4 of the NBA Finals, plus their records this regular season and postseason while wearing each uniform.

New York Knicks
Game 1, 3 and 4: Association

Regular-season record: 27-16

Postseason record: 6-0

Game 2: Icon

Regular-season record: 7-5

Postseason record: 4-1

San Antonio Spurs
Game 1, 3 and 4: Icon

Regular-season record: 15-3

Postseason record: 5-2

Game 2: Association

Regular-season record: 20-6

Postseason record: 6-3

Buzz for the Knicks' first NBA Finals run since 1999 is taking over New York City, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani is making sure the youth can enjoy it unimpeded.

The 112th mayor of New York City signed an executive order Monday with the title "repealing kids' bedtimes for Knicks Finals run." New York faces the San Antonio Spurs in a quest for its first NBA championship since 1973.

Mamdani signed the document with a group of young students around his desk, some of whom wore Knicks jerseys. Handprints of kids appeared on the opposite side of the order.

Details of the order include the importance for New Yorkers of all ages to support the team in its run for the title. A key hindrance for younger fans could be their bedtimes as each NBA Finals game tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET. However, Mamdani has that one covered.

He writes: "WHEREAS, bedtimes should not impede the ability of New York's Cutest to cheer for the Knicks and watch every second of this historic Championship series."

Section 1 puts it more definitively: "I hereby direct that bedtimes in the City of New York are repealed during the NBA Finals so that kids of all ages can root for their New York Knicks." Mamdani also added a section for "Go New York Go New York Go," lyrics from a popular team anthem released in 1993.

"As Mayor, you're forced to make many difficult decisions," Mamdani wrote on X. "This was not one of them."

The 34-year-old has been vocal during New York's road to the NBA Finals.

He jokingly blamed former Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young -- and noted Knicks villain -- for the high ticket prices of New York's first-round matchup with Atlanta. When the Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, Mamdani tagged New York City sanitation on social media and wrote: "I'd like to report a sweep." He also took in Game 2 of the series at Madison Square Garden.

San Antonio hosts Game 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals, which begin Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), before the series shifts to New York. Kids around the city will likely be tuned in late -- courtesy of Mamdani.

The 2026 NBA Finals tip off on Wednesday between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. The matchup will be a familiar sight for longtime NBA fans as it's a rematch of the 1999 Finals. However, the aesthetics will be reminiscent of another time, too: the mid-2000s.

Starting with the 2005 NBA Finals, the Larry O'Brien Trophy appeared in center court for each game. It heightened the importance of the final round, but the NBA stopped using the decals following the 2009 postseason.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver offered a simple explanation last year for the pivot.

"I've seen some of the chatter on social media around on-court decals," Silver said on ESPN during the 2025 NBA Finals. "People don't realize they went away a decade ago because there were claims that some of the players [were saying] they were slippery when we had the decals on the floor."

As the years and Finals passed, photos of the decal would surface and go viral on social media. The nostalgia led to an outcry from fans to bring it back, and the league did so digitally for Game 2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers matchup last year.

Sources told ESPN's Shams Charania in October that the trophy would indeed return for the upcoming Finals series. And on Sunday, the league made it official, sharing what the courts for the Spurs and Knicks will look like in the final round -- with the Larry O'Brien front and center painted on the hardwood instead of as a decal.

San Antonio is familiar with this design. It participated in the Finals in 2005 and 2007, winning both. However, New York hasn't been at this stage of the postseason since 1999.

As the trophy makes its return to the court, here's a look back at each previous NBA Finals series to feature the trophy design.

2005 NBA Finals: Spurs vs. Detroit Pistons

2006 NBA Finals: Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks

2007 NBA Finals: Spurs vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

2008 NBA Finals: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

2009 NBA Finals: Lakers vs. Orlando Magic

Arsenal suffered a heartbreaking loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday, and one of their biggest rivals -- Chelsea -- made sure to rub salt in the wound immediately.

The final play came down to a penalty shootout, which the Parisian side won 4-3 after a 1-1 scoreline after regular and extra time. Paris Saint-Germain became just the second team to win back-to-back Champions League titles.

For Arsenal, the loss extends their quest to win their first Champions League title. They've lost both of their final appearances in 2006 and 2026.

Therefore, the only team in London to win the Champions League remains Chelsea, who have won it twice (2012 and 2021). The Blues took to social media right as PSG won the title, advertising stadium tours at Stamford Bridge with the UCL trophy center stage.

The club wrote in the caption: "Come and visit London's Home of Trophies. Book your Stadium Tour at Stamford Bridge now."

Chelsea and Arsenal are fierce rivals in the English Premier League, with Chelsea in southwest London and Arsenal in the north.

Over 121 years, the two sides have met more than 200 times, including in the 2019 Europa League final, which Chelsea won. In four matches across all competitions this season, Arsenal defeated Chelsea three times and the clubs drew once.

The Champions League has been a common theme of trolling chants aimed at Arsenal fans by Chelsea followers -- and beyond. They often belt out: "Champions of Europe, you'll never sing that."

Arsenal won the Premier League last week for the first time since 2004. However, after Saturday, the Blues can still hold a prominent accomplishment over their rivals -- two Champions League final victories in 2012 and 2021.

And it didn't take long after the final whistle for Chelsea to show it off.