Russell Westbrook recorded his second triple-double of the season this week, posting 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists while making all seven of his shots.

The 36-year-old Westbrook has had a big effect on the Nuggets this yr, turning back time at times and getting the Nikola Jokic boom. He's all the time been a hyperactive player, nevertheless it was fun to look at him give you creative ways to assist the Nuggets.

When Denver acquired Westbrook, much of the expert class opposed the move. He was on 4 teams over time and his weaknesses became more pronounced as he got older.

But Westbrook was extremely productive for the Clippers last yr and was a gem for Denver. He starts supporting her within the non-joking minutes (any buoyancy aid is useful) and pushes the pace. With a career-high 53.1% 2-point shooting performance, Westbrook had arguably his best season since his last All-Star season in Houston.

Development isn't all the time linear, and Westbrook is just certainly one of several guards across the league doing a Geno Smith take (“They wrote me off; I'm not writing back”).

In Atlanta, Trae Young has reduced his appetite for points and the outcomes have been unbelievable. Young is all the time a fantastic passer, and that’s his best skill, leading the Hawks to an 18-17 record. He is making 17 field goals per game, his lowest number since his rookie season. His approach has helped Jalen Johnson turn into a legitimate All-Star candidate.

Remember how brutal last season was for Jordan Poole? Well, he's playing rather a lot more freely now and though the Wizards are bottom of the league, he's helped them look rather a lot more competitive. One of the worst players within the league last yr, Poole made a career-high 40.6% of his 3s and averaged 25.1 points in his last 10 games. Somehow, despite his four-year, $128 million contract, he's beginning to grow to be an asset again.

They're not all pure reclamation projects, but Young, Poole and Westbrook's stocks were each trending within the incorrect direction before this yr. Now they’re gathering like Nvidia.

Before he moved to the Warriors, Dennis Schroder was a special person. The Celtics couldn't wait to eliminate him a number of years ago, and his profession appeared to be entering a special phase. But with the ball in his hands more, the veteran looked rejuvenated in Brooklyn. Integration into the Warriors' system wasn't an overnight success story, but midseason acquisitions were rare.

Zach LaVine and James Harden – two veterans with checkered careers, to say the least – are also going strong this yr.

How a couple of Bounceback Player of the Year award?

To Jimmy Butler

After Jimmy Butler not-so-quietly quit, the Heat suspended him for seven games for conduct detrimental to the team. Miami is open for business for the disgruntled star.

Butler holding his team hostage should diminish his trade value. And if that's the case, it could open up the chance for the Warriors to make a proposal without involving Jonathan Kuminga.

It is not sensible to trade Kuminga for Butler. But a package around picks, Andrew Wiggins and other salaries would likely be competitive in comparison with what other teams are putting on the table.

The Athletic reported The Warriors usually are not a viable option for Butler right now. I feel that might change as its market develops.

Philly within the danger zone?

After looking like they might put their 2-10 start behind them, the Sixers are once more on the verge of defeat.

A brutal collapse in Sacramento – the Kings finished the sport with a 15-0 run – after which a humiliation at Chase Center capped the Sixers' 2-2 game on the West Coast. This is as brutal as possible.

Your schedule shall be way more relaxed. Their next five games are against the Nets, Suns, Wizards, Pelicans and Magic.

How hot will Nick Nurse's seat be if the 76ers lose two or three of those games? They're 13-19 with a comparatively weak Eastern Conference of their favor, but in the event that they're still that far under .500 around halftime…

Warriors New Year's Resolutions

In conversations with the team on and across the New Year, resolutions ranged from learning golf, taking things less personally, reading more books and, in Jonathan Kuminga's case, “winning.”

Here are a number of more things the Warriors should strive for in 2025:

– Take the time to learn and really do some more of Terry Stotts' stuff. They brought within the assistant to enhance their offense, but dropped his actions after per week since the team wasn't getting up to the mark with it in training camp. The idea of ​​mixing Stott's Portland plays and Golden State's sets makes an excessive amount of sense to pass up.

– Integrate Schroder. He seemed a bit of more comfortable with each game. If he’s going to be involved in closing games, the Warriors have to keep that process going.

– Find some bags for Steph Curry to rest in. The 36-year-old is not going to play each games in a row on account of bilateral knee tendonitis. If the Warriors have enough of a lead within the standings again like they did in November, they might give him additional days off.

Originally published: January 5, 2025 at 5:00 am PST

For the second time in his profession, the Lakers are trading D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets.

The Lakers agreed to a trade with the Nets on Sunday that might send Russell, together with second-year winger Maxwell Lewis, to Brooklyn for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.

The Lakers may even send the Nets three of their very own second-round draft picks (2027, 2030 and 2031) as a part of the trade. which was first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania.

“We would like to thank D'Angelo for his second stint with us, during which we celebrated some great moments and successes on the field together,” general manager Rob Pelinka said in an announcement. “We wish him and Maxwell Lewis all the best in their future endeavors with the Brooklyn Nets.

“With this trade, we are excited to add the physicality, toughness and elite shooting that Dorian Finney-Smith will bring to our core.” We also highly value the play of Shake Milton. We are happy that our fans are bringing these two players onto the pitch.”

The 6-foot-2 Finney-Smith is a player the Lakers (18-13) have coveted for a while. His name is an element of trade rumors about his recent team dating back to last season.

The nine-year NBA veteran averaged 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20 games with the Nets this season.

Finney-Smith, 31, is shooting a career-best 43.5% from 3-point range (5.4 attempts), including a career-best 43.3% on catch-and-shoot attempts, which ranks 14th. -The best value among the many 64 NBA players is a median of no less than 4 catch-and-shoot three-pointers per game.

After battling his shot early in his profession with the Dallas Mavericks as an undrafted player out of Florida in 2016, Finney-Smith has developed a status as a formidable 3-and-D forward.

Since the 2019-20 season, he’s shooting 37.5% from 3-point range (five attempts per game), including 37.9% on catch-and-shoot threes (633 for 1,668).

The Memphis Grizzlies also reportedly desired to trade Finney-Smith. HoopsHype NBA Inside Michael Scotto reported that the Grizzlies offered the Nets a top-15 protected 2025 first-round pick, Luke Kennard and John Konchar, for Finney-Smith and second-round draft picks, however the Nets traded Finney-Smith to the Lakers.

First-year Lakers coach JJ Redick, who played within the NBA for 15 seasons (2006-21), was previously teammates with Milton with the Philadelphia 76ers (2017-19) and Finney-Smith (2021).

Redick expressed his admiration for Finney-Smith during his previous profession as a podcaster/broadcaster, tweeting on May 8, 2022, “How can you not love?” [Finney-Smith]” and gave high praise in his podcast “The Old Man And The Three”.

“The one guy I just have to yell at because I love watching him play and I've been playing against him for a few years now and he does so many things that just don't show up in a box score and “This is Dorian Finney.” -Smith,” Redick said on the time. “Or as he is affectionately called, Doe-Doe. Doe-Doe is just a great player. He is a player who could fit on any team in the NBA. He is incredibly valuable, a great defender, hardworking and makes all the plays.”

Finney-Smith could add elements of toughness and defensive versatility which have been missing from the Lakers' frontcourt, especially given Jarred Vanderbilt's continued absence attributable to offseason surgery on each feet.

The Lakers announced in early December that Vanderbilt was targeting a return in early January after experiencing swelling in his left knee during his return to play.

The team's long-term starting lineup may very well be something to control given the acquisition of Finney-Smith, who has began 350 of 365 regular-season games (and all 35 playoff games) since becoming a full-time starter in 2019–20 – as his 3-point shooting accuracy began to extend.

Max Christie has elevated his game since being named the fifth starter alongside Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. In his last eight games as a starter, he averaged 11 points (46.4% shooting, 45.2% from behind the arc), three rebounds and 1.3 steals. The Lakers are 4-1 within the five games wherein they’ve began Reaves, Christie, Hachimura, James and Davis together.

A couple of weeks ago, Redick said Hachimura “has been our most consistent player, just in terms of what we asked him to do and then what he did.”

Sunday's trade ends a tumultuous saga for the 28-year-old Russell, the No. 2 pick within the 2015 draft who the Lakers reacquired before the February 2023 trade deadline.

Russell, who has been traded five times within the last 7½ years, had many highlights during his second stint with the Lakers.

He was instrumental in turning things around within the 2022/23 season, resulting in a visit to the Western Conference Finals. Russell had the most effective seasons of his profession in 2023-24, setting the Lakers' single-season record with 226 3-point baskets.

But there have been also low points: his performances within the 2023 Western Conference finals and last yr's playoffs; his subpar defensive play, which led to an imbalance within the starting lineup next to Reaves.

Russell began this season as a starter before moving to the reserve role after eight games within the Lakers' 4-4 start.

He entered Sunday with a career-low 12.4 points in 26.3 minutes, which was his lowest minute average since his third season.

Russell, who has an expiring $18.7 million contract, will return to the Brooklyn franchise that the Lakers traded him to in 2017, with Russell making his only All-Star appearance with the Nets in 2018-19.

With Russell's departure, Gabe Vincent is the one true point guard remaining on the Lakers' roster, although James often takes on the role of initiator of their offense.

Milton, a seven-year NBA veteran, has averaged 8.5 points (45.2% shooting, 36% from 3-point range), 2.5 assists and a pair of.2 rebounds, including 7.4, for his profession Points and a pair of.4 assists in 27 games with the Nets this season. Milton joins his sixth NBA team in lower than two years, including his third move in 11 months.

Lewis, the Lakers' 2023 second-round pick, has played primarily with the organization's affiliate, the South Bay G League, since being drafted.

The trade also brings financial advantages for the Lakers.

Because the Lakers are paying out more in salaries ($20.6 million) than they received ($18 million), they are actually about $3 million below the second apron threshold ($188.9 million). , having previously been only about $400,000 below the edge. Teams above the second frontcourt are severely limited of their ability to sign/trade players.

The Lakers have gained more wiggle room under the second frontcourt in the event that they must receive more salary for this season in a future deal before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Finney-Smith has a $15.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season as a part of the four-year, $55.6 million contract he signed with the Mavericks in February 2022. Milton has a salary of $3 million for next season and $3.3 million for 2026-27, but each seasons are non-guaranteed.

Originally published: December 30, 2024 at 5:32 am PST

Celtics

The city of Boston plans to immortalize Celtics legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell.

Boston announced Friday that it can rename the North Washington Street Bridge after Russell, changing it to the William Felton “Bill” Russell Bridge.

According to town, the bridge has been under reconstruction since 2018 and the work is predicted to be accomplished within the spring. The bridge connects Charlestown and North End and spans the Charles River.

An Oct. 21 ceremony attended by Russell's widow Jeannine, former and current Celtics players and Mayor Michelle Wu will make the renaming official.

Wu says the renaming isn't meant to honor his basketball legacy. Rather, town would love to honor his civil rights work.

“Renaming the bridge will honor his commitment to civil rights and the advancement of Boston’s youth and young athletes.” Wu's office said.

Russell was known for speaking out against racism against himself and others. He staged a strike during a game in 1961 when a Southern cafe refused to serve two of his Celtics teammates. Russell also marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and attended the 1967 Cleveland Summit to indicate support for Muhammad Ali after the boxer refused to enter the Vietnam War draft.

Even at his peak as a highly successful athlete in Boston, residents on the time didn't want him living of their neighborhood. Fans often hurled racial insults at him and his teammates, and so they were separated from their white counterparts in some hotels when traveling to away games.

“Bill endured insults and vandalism for decades, but that never stopped him from standing up for what was right,” President Barack Obama said after Russell’s death in 2022. “I learned so much from the way the way he played, the way he coached, and the way he lived his life.”

Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.

Russell won 11 NBA championships as a Celtics player between 1956 and 1969. He won his last three titles when he was also Boston's head coach. Russell became the primary black head coach of a significant sport within the United States when he took the position in 1966.

In addition to his double-digit championships, he was a 12-time All-Star and five-time MVP and his No. 6 was retired by all NBA teams. The NBA Finals MVP award can also be named after Russell.

He died on July 31, 2022 on the age of 88.

On September 9, 2024, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will host a broadcast to rejoice the “life and teachings” of Russell M. Nelsonits president and prophet. Nelson, who celebrates his a centesimal birthday today, has asked Church members to rejoice by helping someone in need.

The centenarian was a reactionary reformer: an brisk leader who lean bureaucracy and finished the church centuries-long relationship with the Boy Scoutswhile reiterating his opposition to LGBTQ+ relationships and identitiesHe steered the Church unrepentantly through the storms of public criticism, including accusations that the Church had the worth of its investmentsFor the believers, Nelson God's mouthpiece on earth.

But one in every of his initiatives had an impact that went far beyond the church. In 2018, he surprised observers by explaining his use of the word “Mormon.” a “great victory for Satan”, insisting on using the total name of the church. Individuals must be recognized in line with their institutional affiliationas “members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

The church's name was given by God, and the shortening “erases everything that Jesus Christ has done for us,” Nelson argued. But adherents have long called themselves Mormons, so the renaming felt like a novelty to some members.

As a university lecturer As an instructor of courses on American religion and Mormonism, I used to be one in every of many who struggled with this modification in terminology—and saw the confusion it caused amongst my students and colleagues. For nearly two centuries, the word “Mormon” has shaped the best way Americans take into consideration and discuss the religion.

Birth of a church

The name Mormon comes from the title the Book of Mormona spiritual text unique to the religion. Founder Joseph Smith, who founded the church in 1830, believed he was commissioned by God to revive the true church of Jesus. He claimed an angel led him to find and translate ancient gold plates that detailed the religious history of an ancient civilization within the Americas founded by Israelites who had fled Jerusalem.

Early critics derisively associated the word Mormon with the movement, but Smith insisted that in the unique language of the book The word literally means “more good.'” By the time Smith was killed by a mob in Illinois in 1844, his followers had already adopted the word.

After Smith's death, Mormons split into various factions, with the biggest group traveling by foot and wagon to the far western United States. However, the group's evolving practices continued to generate controversy. Polygamy and the church's political and economic influence contributed to many years of hostility between Mormons and the remainder of the nation.

The United States began to confiscate church property and the imprisonment of polygamous leaders, which forced church president Wilford Woodruff to finish his official support of polygamy in 1890.

A brand new debut

Three years later, on the World Exhibition in Chicago, The church renamed Mormonismby which the Mormon pioneers are portrayed because the embodiment of the values ​​of the American frontier.

Woodruff, then 86 years old, spoke of himself as Utah's oldest living pioneer and of Mormons as a individuals who built the American WestThe Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed on the fair, introducing the Mormons to most people as a cultured and artistic people. The crowd chanted, “Three cheers for the Mormons!” The Chicago Herald wrote, “Mormons and Gentiles came together as friends.”

Nevertheless, many Americans still distrusted the Mormons. In 1903, high-ranking church official Reed Smoot was elected to the U.S. Senate, sparking nationwide outrage and led to hearings within the Senate that lasted until 1907. The hearings substantiated the allegations that the practice of polygamy continued, but exonerated Smoot as a person. As Smoot argued, Mormons were independent of the institutional church and subsequently trustworthy Americans. He convinced his fellow senators that as a Mormon, he would uphold the latter when the church's teachings conflicted along with his conscience or his oath of office.

The church followed Smoot’s example and adopted the characteristics of American patriotism and stepped up its efforts against polygamy. These moves brought the Latter-day Saints powerful political allies, including Theodore Roosevelt, who opposed the institutional church but viewed the Mormons themselves as deeply moral and patriotic.

“Meet the Mormons”

From Jenkins, a racing driver whose records made him a global celebrity within the Thirties, capitalized on this latest image of Mormon individuality and decency. The “Mormon Boy” attributed his success to his clean, church-approved lifestyle. On his automobile, the Mormon Meteor, Jenkins rejected advertisements for alcohol and cigarettes, as an alternative waving an indication that read “Yes, I'm a Mormon.”

For several many years, other Mormon celebrities comparable to the family band The Osmonds and golfer Johnny Miller continued to shape positive public opinion about Mormons – a high point was in 1977, when Gallup found that only 18% of Americans had an unfavorable opinion.

The Church’s efforts to influence social issues, comparable to its decades-long opposition to the equal rights amendmentfinally took its toll. By 1991, public opinion about Mormons had fallen dramaticallywith 37% of Americans having a negative attitude toward them – and officials decided that one other renaming was so as.

The previous 12 months, senior leader Gordon B. Hinckley had admonished members to make use of the word Mormon “shine with additional shine.” When he became president in 1995, Hinckley worked to vary the general public perception of Mormonism, arguing on the tv program “60 Minutes” that Mormons are “not a strange people”.”

The 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics thrust Mormonism into the national highlight, and that very same 12 months the church launched its flagship website, Mormon.org, whose articles and headlines liberally used the term “Mormon.” A media campaign followed a decade later, by which outstanding members declared, “I am Mormon.” Regular members were then encouraged to upload their very own “I am Mormon” profiles to this website and share them on their very own social media accounts.

The nomination of Mitt Romney because the Republican candidate for the 2012 presidential election and the recognition of the satirical musical “Book of Mormon” have brought Mormons back into the national highlightIn 2014, the Church produced a documentary film called “Meet the Mormons,” which was shown in theaters across the United States. Apostle Jefferey R. Holland explained that it was designed to “Show people what we really are like.”

In 2017, the “feeling thermometer” of a Pew Research Center survey found that public opinion of Mormons was at the extent of “somewhat warmer“ rating of 54, a rise of 6 points from 2014.

“More good”?

However, the Church's relationship with the word Mormon has all the time been complex. As early as 1990, Nelson warned his fellow brothers that Mormon was “no suitable alternative” for the full name of the church. During the 2002 Olympic Games, the church told the media that The nickname was acceptable for people but not on the institution itself.

Overall, nevertheless, I’d argue that the church has been using the word Mormon to influence public opinion for over a century. Part of this branding downplayed popular fears in regards to the church and its influence – and allowed outsiders to develop positive views of Mormons even in the event that they disliked the institution itself.

In March 2023 a survey by the Pew Research Institute reported a low point in public opinion of Mormons, who for the primary time fell behind all other groups measured. 1 / 4 of Americans had “unfavorable views of Mormons,” while only 15% held a “favorable” opinion.

Mormon was a very important term for appealing to people outside the religion, especially to counter negative perceptions. Nelson's legacy will subsequently have less to do with whether the term disappears from common usage and more to do with how much outsiders associate it with “greater good” – each institutionally and individually.

ST. LOUIS – The San Jose Earthquakes are the worst team in Major League Soccer, by far.

Facing a St. Louis City team that hadn't won a game in nearly two months and had allowed 20 goals in its last nine games, the Earthquakes suffered a 2-0 loss on Wednesday, extending their losing streak to seven games.

San Jose's next game is at home against Chicago on Sunday.

Hosei Kijima scored his first MLS goal and Eduard Löwen also scored for St. Louis, which ended a nine-game winless streak.

Löwen fired a ball between two defenders on the left side, past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Will Yarbrough and into the web to provide St. Louis (4-7-10) a 1-0 lead within the twenty eighth minute.

Kijima made it 2-0 with a volley from a set piece within the forty first minute. Indiana Vassilev curled a wonderfully placed free kick over a line of defenders to Kijima, who needed to slot it home.

On Monday, St. Louis fired head coach Bradley Carnell and temporarily replaced him with technical director John Hackworth.

But in San Jose, a change of coach could hardly change the team's turnaround.

With a record of 3-14-2, the Earthquakes fired Luchi Gonzalez on June 24. At the time, San Jose was on a seven-game winless streak and had a league-worst 51 goals against and a minus-22 goal differential.

Assistant Ian Russell temporarily took over as head coach from Gonzalez, but in his first game on June 29, San Jose lost 3-0 to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

San Jose (3-16-2) is now winless in 10 straight games – with only one draw – and has the fewest points in MLS with 11. Kansas City has 17 points and is thirteenth within the Western Conference.

Yarbrough finished with six saves for the Earthquakes.

Roman Bürki, who blocked a shot, recorded his sixth shutout of the season for St. Louis.

St. Louis had 57% possession and outscored San Jose in shots 23-7, with the goal being scored 8-1.

DETROIT — Miles Russell's pants don't fit. He didn't want to indicate his ankles through the first round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Thursday. It's just that the inseam he measured recently now not matches. He had a growth spurt shortly after and is now 5-foot-7, but he has to wear pants designed for a petite 5-foot-3 frame. His waist, meanwhile, is practically nonexistent. At 120 kilos, he sports a 28-inch waist “with a scrunched-up belt.”

So there Russell was on Thursday, walking across the Detroit Golf Club, showing his ankles with every step.

That's the lifetime of a 15-year-old.

Russell made his PGA Tour debut on the Rocket Mortgage and shot 2 over par. Born in 2009, he signed autographs for 7-year-olds, 10-year-olds, 15-year-olds and a number of adults. A PGA Tour live camera was just feet behind him on every shot. He held a press conference the day before and after his first round. He played from 7,370 yards of tees. He played in a field with 10 of the highest 50 players on the earth.

And the strangest thing concerning the whole thing?

It felt strangely normal.

This 12 months, two 16-year-olds have already made the cut on the PGA Tour – Kris Kim on the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and Blades Brown on the Myrtle Beach Classic. Last 12 months, 15-year-old Oliver Betschart survived a 54-hole qualifier for the Bermuda Championship to change into the youngest player in nearly a decade to compete in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. He was three months younger than Russell is now.

First birdie on the TOUR for 15-year-old Miles Russell pic.twitter.com/5tLfnf5HuW

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) 27 June 2024

Now Russell is with Rocket Mortgage. In April, he played within the Korn Ferry Tour's LECOM Suncoast Classic and shot rounds of 68 and 66, making him the youngest player in the event tour's history to make the cut. Headlines followed. Then Russell followed with rounds of 70 and 66, ending T20. The winner, Tim Widing, was 11 years his senior.

Tournament organizers at Rocket Mortgage took notice of Russell and contacted him after his appearance on the Suncoast Classic, hoping to capitalize on the story. That's exactly what a tournament just like the Rocket needs: attention, nonetheless it could possibly get it. Big names are scarce in Detroit, so stories are needed. The Nos. 2, 4 and 5-ranked amateurs on the earth – Jackson Koivun, Benjamin James and Luke Clanton – are all in the sphere this 12 months. Clanton is making his PGA Tour debut, as is Neal Shipley, the lowest-ranked amateur on the Masters and U.S. Open who recently turned pro. As Shipley was leaving the course on Thursday, he was told there was a spot available for him in next week's John Deere Classic, one other low-ranking PGA Tour event.

However, these names all at the very least discuss with the faculty or are already there.

Russell just finished his freshman 12 months of highschool, although he doesn't attend an actual school. The Jacksonville Beach, Florida native began playing at age 2, broke par at age 6, and has been on an incredible trajectory ever since. He is homeschooled and already runs a small business. He has an agent and has Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals with TaylorMade and Nike.

Because the number 15 sounds so strange, some tend to contemplate Russell a novelty.

In reality, that is becoming increasingly rare.

Russell didn't come to Detroit like a child wanting to high five his heroes.

Rico Hoey, one in every of Russell's playing partners on Thursday, stood on the practice green after their round still in disbelief. At 28, he was attempting to break 80 at Russell's age. Going into the primary round, he assumed he and Pierceson Coody, a 24-year-old PGA Tour rookie with three Korn Ferry victories, would should take it easy and simple for the young star. Then they met him.

“As a 15-year-old, I'd probably be pretty nervous out here, so we tried to make it easy for him and make him feel good, but I really don't know how much he needed that,” Hoey said. “He was cool. His short game is really good. He's got a lot of length for his size. His game is just really good and he's really calm.”

Some will at all times be uncomfortable with young super-talents playing amongst professionals in any sport. But that has never stopped it. And golf appears to be growing in popularity and getting younger and younger. It's reasonable to assume that somebody will soon emerge who will surpass Michelle Wie West because the youngest player ever to tee off in a PGA Tour event. She was 14 years, three months and 7 days old when she played within the 2004 Sony Open.

What's most telling shouldn’t be the age, but how small the gap is between the children and the professionals. Russell is not any pumped-up bomber. Rather, he's elastic and, together together with his coach, former Korn Ferry player Ramon Bascansa, has developed a swing that generates enough clubhead speed to maintain up with the professionals. On Thursday, he averaged 292 yards off the tee, rating 78th in the sphere of 156.

But that doesn't mean every thing around him isn't right. He's not actually sufficiently old to make use of the lads's locker room at Detroit Golf Club, although exceptions are being made this week. He's not allowed to drive, let alone rent a automobile or check right into a hotel on his own. A gaggle behind Russell's, 36-year-old Rafael Campos played his round while smoking a number of cigarettes – a vice Russell won't have the ability to legally buy for one more three years.

Afterward, Russell joined in and asked questions on his experience, but really he was just talking concerning the game of golf. He talked about unforced errors and missing a number of makeable putts. He said he learned how tour pros manage to “hang in there and play a few shots under par” by watching Coody and Hoey. He said in fact he was nervous when he began the round. How nervous was he? “I'd probably give it a seven.” But he someway shook off the thought of ​​being intimidated.

Russell's voice was soft and he was obviously still a bit upset. A missed 3-foot putt on the ultimate hole gave him a final bogey.

“We live, we learn, we move on,” he said, sounding like someone who shouldn’t be only used to playing on tour, but actually expects it.

Maybe, for higher or worse, this isn't so crazy anymore.

Celts

With Bill Russell's NBA Finals MVP trophy next to him, Celtics star Jaylen Brown answered quite a few questions from the media after Boston won its 18th championship late Monday night at TD Garden.

Here are some highlights from the Finals MVP's press conference after the Celtics' title run ended.

Go home as MVP of the ultimate

Brown was candid after the Celtics booked their ticket to the NBA Finals with a four-game win over the Pacers last month.

“I didn't expect that at all. I never win [expletive],” Brown said after taking home the Larry Bird Trophy as MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals. “I was just happy we won.”

A few weeks later, Brown can now add another trophy to his resume: Bill Russell’s NBA Finals MVP title.

The 27-year-old swingman delivered throughout Boston's series against the Mavericks, scoring 21 points and grabbing eight rebounds in Boston's decisive Game 5 on Monday night.

In five games against Dallas, Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game – and played elite defense against one of the league's best scorers, Luka Doncic.

Brown was one of several deserving candidates for Finals MVP, with teammate Jayson Tatum launching a spirited offensive in Game 5 with a masterpiece of 31 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists in the last minute.

“I can't even put into words the emotion,” Brown said. “I'm just blessed and thankful. This was a team effort. We had an excellent team. My teammates were great. They let me lead on each ends of the ball and we just got here out and placed on an excellent performance on our home floor. It's just unbelievable. You know, it could have gone to anybody.”

“It could have gone to Jayson. Jayson, I can't speak enough about his selflessness. You know, I can't speak enough about his attitude. It's just the way in which he approached not only this series or the Finals, however the playoffs on the whole. And we did it together as a team, and that was a very powerful thing.”

Given their shared history and important role in Boston's competitive window, Brown expressed relief that he and Tatum will finally be able to share a title after repeated doubts about it.

“We've been through quite a bit,” Brown said of himself and Tatum. “We've been playing together for seven years now. We've been through quite a bit, the losses, the expectations. The media has said all types of things: If we are able to't play together, we'll never win.”

“We heard all the things. But we just blocked it out and just kept going. I trusted him. He trusted me. And we did it together. To get thus far and share this experience with JT is just amazing, you recognize what I mean? It's incredible and it feels amazing.”

Brown gives Russell his best

Considering how much Brown has placed emphasis on social justice and community involvement throughout his time with the Celtics, being the first to take home the NBA Finals MVP trophy – named after legend Bill Russell – had special meaning for him.

“To be honest, I can't even put it into words,” Brown said. “Just Bill Russell and what he meant to me on my trip to Boston and his spirit. You know, all the things he stood for, only for this to be the Bill Russell MVP Award, it's just – I actually have nothing, man. I don't even know what to say. It's unreal.”

Back to back?

It didn't take long for Brown to answer the question of whether this Celtics core has the tools to play running back in 2024-25. Questions about Al Horford's age aside, the Celtics are expected to keep all of their starters and key players on the roster next year, including Brown, Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White.

“I feel we now have a probability,” Brown said. “I feel we definitely have a window of opportunity. We're taking it day-to-day. We definitely should ensure that we stay healthy. But you recognize, we're going to benefit from the summer, benefit from the moment after which get right back into it next 12 months.”

“I do know she was watching.”

Brown was moved to tears at the end of his press conference as he remembered his grandmother, Dianne Varnado, who passed away in March 2023. Earlier this week, he wore a T-shirt with a photo of her during practice at TD Garden.

“I wish my grandmother was here with me to experience this moment,” Brown said. “But I woke up from my pregame nap and had a dream, and my grandmother was within the dream and she or he hugged me this afternoon. I just knew all the things was going to be OK.”

“But I wish she might be here. But she was so essential and pivotal in my life. And that's just great. I do know she could be happy with me. Grandma, I do know she was watching, and I like you a lot.”

Jaylen Brown is moved to tears as he talks about what his late grandmother means to him, saying she was in his dream this afternoon.

“She hugged me and I knew everything would be okay.” pic.twitter.com/1w9vEviIoF

— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzellNBA) June 18, 2024