Today in sports history, November 4

Today in sports history, November 4

<div assetid=”591176002″ assettype=”video”></div>

Nov. 4

Today in sports history

Today is Nov. 4. On this date in:

1923: Chicago Bears founder, co-coach and player George Halas returned a Jim Thorpe fumble 98 yards for a touchdown in a 26-0 victory over the Oorang Indians, setting an NFL record that stood for 49 years.

1951: The United States captured the Ryder Cup at Pinehurst, defeating Great Britain 9½-2½ with a team led by Sam Snead.

1959: Chicago Cubs slugger Ernie Banks was named National League MVP for the second consecutive season after another power-filled year at shortstop.

1961: Philadelphia Warriors star Wilt Chamberlain began an NBA-record streak of 65 consecutive games scoring at least 30 points.

1962: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Bill Gadsby recorded his 500th career point in a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, becoming the first defenseman in NHL history to reach the milestone.

1965: Johnny Kerr played his 844th consecutive NBA game, then a league record, as the Baltimore Bullets lost 108-107 to the New York Knicks.

1971: Los Angeles Lakers star Elgin Baylor retired because of persistent knee injuries, ending a 14-season career in which he scored 23,149 points and made 11 NBA All-Star teams.

1976: Major League Baseball conducted its first free-agent reentry draft, a landmark business event in the sport’s labor history that included stars such as Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Joe Rudi and Willie McCovey.

1977: New York Rangers star Phil Esposito scored his 600th career goal in a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, becoming the third player in NHL history to reach the mark.

1980: Japanese home-run king Sadaharu Oh retired after a legendary career in which he hit a professional-record 868 home runs.

1987: Edmonton Oilers star Wayne Gretzky recorded his 1,000th career assist in his 645th NHL game, adding a hat trick in a 7-2 victory over the New York Rangers.

1988: The Charlotte Hornets played the first game in franchise history, losing 133-93 to the Cleveland Cavaliers before a sellout crowd at Charlotte Coliseum.

1989: David Robinson made his long-awaited NBA debut after fulfilling his U.S. Navy commitment, scoring 23 points and grabbing 17 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 106-98.

1989: The Orlando Magic played the first regular-season game in franchise history, losing 111-106 to the New Jersey Nets at Orlando Arena.

1993: The NBA Board of Governors awarded the league’s 28th franchise to a Toronto ownership group headed by John Bitove Jr., creating the Toronto Raptors, who began play in 1995.

1996: Houston Rockets forward Charles Barkley became the fourth player in NBA history to compile at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 3,500 assists as Houston defeated Utah 75-72.

2000: Grove City running back R.J. Bowers became the first player in NCAA history to surpass 7,000 career rushing yards, reaching the milestone during a 14-10 win over Carnegie Mellon.

2001: Luis Gonzalez singled home the winning run off Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees 3-2 in Game 7 to win the first World Series championship in franchise history.

2003: The Big East announced a major expansion during a wave of college conference realignment, adding Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida in all sports and DePaul and Marquette in sports other than football.

2003: New York Rangers captain Mark Messier scored twice in a 3-0 victory over the Dallas Stars to pass Gordie Howe and move into second place on the NHL’s career points list with 1,851.

2006: Carolina Hurricanes captain Rod Brind’Amour collected the 1,000th point of his NHL career during a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators.

2007: Minnesota Vikings rookie Adrian Peterson rushed for an NFL-record 296 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-17 win over the San Diego Chargers.

2009: Hideki Matsui drove in six runs, tying the World Series single-game record, as the New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 to win their record 27th championship. Matsui was unanimously selected World Series MVP.

2012: Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck threw for 433 yards against Miami, setting an NFL rookie single-game passing record in a 23-20 victory.

2016: Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry’s NBA-record streak of 157 consecutive games with at least one made 3-pointer ended.

— USA TODAY Network

This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Today in sports history, November 4

by Editor

Las Vegas Expansion Fee Could Exceed $10 Billion As Final Bids Due Soon

Las Vegas Expansion Fee Could Exceed $10 Billion As Final Bids Due Soon

The NBA are in “deeper and deeper stages” of the expansion process, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania on NBA Today. The next rounds of bids for the Las Vegas franchise are due on Thursday and final bids are expected to be due at some point shortly after that.

The Las Vegas expansion conversations have moved at a faster pace than Seattle and could exceed $10 billion.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported earlier on Tuesday that Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Lurie and Bill Lurie are considered the favorites to receive the Las Vegas team.

Josh Kushner and Bob Iger were previously involved in the bidding process for Las Vegas, but instead purchased a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers at a $12 billion valuation.

The Seattle expansion process hasn’t received as many bidders as Las Vegas.

by Editor

Adam Silver doesn't want Trail Blazers leaving Portland amid tense negotiations over new arena: 'It would be a failure'

Adam Silver doesn't want Trail Blazers leaving Portland amid tense negotiations over new arena: 'It would be a failure'

Adam Silver does not want the Trail Blazers leaving Portland. 

That, the NBA Commissioner said on Tuesday, would be considered a “failure.”

“I would see it as a failure if we did not keep the team in Portland,” Silver said at his press conference following the Board of Governors meeting in New York. “I’ve spent a lot of time in that community over the years, they’ve shown amazing support for the Trail Blazers. … We need a state of the art arena. I think by any objective measure, the current building there is in the bottom measure of any arena in the league.”

The Trail Blazers were purchased earlier this year by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, who landed the team from the estate of late owner Paul Allen. The team was sold at a valuation of more than $4 billion.

Since then, Dundon has been in negotiations for massive renovations on the Moda Center, the city-owned arena that the Trail Blazers lease to play their home games in. Framework for a deal that would have brought in more than $586 million had been agreed to by Oregon, Portland and Multnomah County, according to The Athletic, but terms have still not been agreed to with the city and the county. 

There is a city council vote scheduled for December, but the $365 million that Oregon has committed to the project will expire at the end of the year. If the deal is reached, the Trail Blazers will agree to a 20-year extension on the lease that would keep them there through 2050. If it’s not, their future in the city after the current deal expires after 2030 is very much in doubt. 

“It’s my hope that we can lower the temperature, honestly, a bit in these negotiations,” Silver said.

The Moda Center is one of the most outdated arenas in the league, and is undoubtedly due for major renovations — especially with the WNBA’s Portland Fire now calling it home, too. According to The Athletic, it’s the “behind-the-scenes” areas of the arena that need the most work, including loading docks, locker rooms and more. 

There is speculation that Dundon would move the team out of Portland if a new arena deal isn’t reached. Where the team would go, however, is still unknown. The NBA is still talking about expanding in both Seattle and Las Vegas, Silver confirmed on Tuesday, and there is already a team in North Carolina, where Dundon’s other sports franchise is located. 

“It is my hope and belief that the Trail Blazers can be successful in Portland, Oregon,” Silver said. “It is important at the same time that Tom Dundon reaches a deal with the city officials and the state elected officials that makes operating in Portland viable for the long term.”

Regardless, the NBA wants things in Portland to be settled sooner rather than later. Relocation for the Trail Blazers is not something Silver wants to see happen.

But whether or not his comments on Tuesday do anything for negotiations in Portland remains to be seen.

by Editor

Clippers Draft Pick Sanctions Were Modeled By NBA On Wolves’ Precedent

Clippers Draft Pick Sanctions Were Modeled By NBA On Wolves’ Precedent

Adam Silver said the NBA examined past precedent before stripping the Los Angeles Clippers of five first-round draft picks for violating salary cap rules, calling the decision painful given its effect on the franchise’s supporters.

Silver made the comments Tuesday following a two-day board of governors meeting. Silver cited the Minnesota Timberwolves’ prior forfeiture of five picks for cap circumvention as the guiding example for the Clippers’ punishment.

“I think that’s, in some ways, the most difficult part of adjudicating these disputes,” said Silver. “While there have to be competitive consequences, in our view, if these rules are violated we still want to be a 30-team league and we recognize that in some ways we’re unfortunately punishing the fans of that team as well.”

The remarks marked Silver’s first public statements since the league concluded the Clippers had circumvented cap regulations connected to Kawhi Leonard, an allegation the franchise had strongly disputed throughout a year-long league investigation. Earlier this month, the NBA issued severe penalties following that inquiry, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for a full season, levying a $30 million fine and forcing the club to surrender five future first-round selections.

The deal returning Leonard to the Toronto Raptors was finalized on Monday. Ballmer confirmed this week that he intends to comply with the sanctions, abandon a legal pursuit, and noted the fine had already been paid.

Silver added that the Clippers had no representative present at the board meeting, since the organization is still searching for an interim governor.

by Editor

Fantasy Fallout: Raptors, Clippers reportedly finalize Kawhi Leonard trade

Fantasy Fallout: Raptors, Clippers reportedly finalize Kawhi Leonard trade

After seven seasons in Los Angeles, Kawhi Leonard is headed back to the city where he won his second NBA title. The Raptors initially agreed to this trade in late June, but paused it while the NBA investigated Leonard’s contract with the Clippers. That investigation has since been completed, with Leonard receiving a $700,000 fine and the Clippers being fined $30 million and losing five first-round picks.

Team governor Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year, while lead executive Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months. Despite needing to finalize their front office structure for the upcoming season, the Clippers have reportedly finalized a deal that sends Leonard to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and future draft capital.

With Miami (Giannis Antetokounmpo) and Philadelphia (LeBron James and Jaylen Brown) making major moves to improve their rosters this summer, bringing Leonard back into the fold is Toronto’s “big swing.” Meanwhile, the Clippers will move forward with a core likely to be led by Ingram and Darius Garland. Let’s take a look at the fantasy fallout from the most recent major trade in the NBA.

Toronto receives:

Kawhi Leonard

When healthy, Leonard is one of the best all-around players in the NBA. However, since leaving Toronto after the 2019 NBA championship, staying on the floor has been a challenge. He played 57 games or fewer in four of his seven seasons in Los Angeles, including missing the entire 2021-22 campaign with a knee injury.

However, he has played at least 65 games in two of his last three seasons. 2025-26 ranked among the best of Leonard’s career, as he averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.9 steals and 2.6 three-pointers while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 89.2 percent from the foul line. Add in a 38.7 percent mark from three, and Leonard was not far off from a 50/40/90 season.

His production from a season ago is likely to boost Leonard’s ADP considerably, after many managers waited until the third or fourth round in standard league drafts to select him last fall.

As for how his return to Toronto affects the other fantasy mainstays on the roster, Leonard had a considerably higher usage (33.5) than Ingram did with the Raptors last season (26.9). That may not significantly affect Scottie Barnes, who remains a cornerstone, but Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett bear watching.

Quickley’s superior three-point shooting to Barrett may give him a better chance of preserving his fantasy value next season. Also, does Ja’Kobe Walter see his opportunities take a hit after a promising end to his second NBA season? That won’t change much in how he’s viewed in dynasty leagues, but his redraft-league value may take a hit.

LA Clippers receive:

Brandon Ingram
Gradey Dick
Two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033)
One pick swap (2027)
Two second-round picks (2030 and 2033)

In the short term, Ingram finds himself in a situation where he should be an offensive focal point alongside Darius Garland. However, given his injury history and current contract, it’s fair to question Ingram’s long-term fit with the Clippers. He’s coming off a season in which he surpassed 70 regular-season games for the second time in his career, but heel surgery sidelined him for most of the playoff series against the Cavaliers.

In 77 games, Ingram averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 three-pointers while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 82.0 percent from the foul line. In eight-cat formats, his production aligned with his ADP (61), so there wasn’t much for fantasy managers to complain about. However, while the move to Los Angeles and last season’s production may convince some to reach for Ingram earlier in drafts, the injury history may prevent others from doing the same.

Leonard’s exit raises Garland’s fantasy ceiling, provided he remains healthy. As for Gradey Dick, a change of scenery may do him some good after he offered limited production for most of his three seasons in Toronto. His best year in Toronto, 2024-25, was one in which the Raptors were hit hard by injuries. Unless he has a monster preseason, the trade won’t change his outlook in fantasy drafts, even with the Clippers losing Bennedict Mathurin in free agency.

The biggest long-term winner in this deal may be rookie Keaton Wagler, whether he projects to play on or off the ball as his career progresses. The Clippers may not go all-in on a rebuild right now, but a realistic look at the Western Conference suggests this trade moves them closer to the lottery than to title contention.

And it should be noted that, thanks to the Paul George trade, Oklahoma City can swap 2027 first-round picks with the Clippers.

by Editor

Taj Gibson retiring from the NBA after 17 seasons, reportedly set to join Bulls staff as assistant coach

Taj Gibson retiring from the NBA after 17 seasons, reportedly set to join Bulls staff as assistant coach

Taj Gibson is headed back to the Chicago Bulls, just this time on the other side of things. 

Gibson announced Monday he was retiring from basketball after spending 17 seasons in the NBA. Gibson will now join the staff in Chicago, where he got his NBA start, as an assistant under new head coach Tiago Splitter, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

“Today is a very emotional day for me. After 17 seasons in the NBA, I can honestly say I gave this game everything I had,” Gibson wrote on social media. “Basketball gave me the opportunity to live a dream. As a kid from Brooklyn, NY, I was lucky to get a chance to display my talent on the biggest stage. From Fort Greene Projects to USC, to the Chicago Bulls, and every team and city that came after, I’m grateful for every moment, every teammate, every coach, and every person who believed in me.

“I wanted to be the guy my teammates could count on someone who brought toughness, energy, leadership, and heart every time I stepped on the court … After 31 years of basketball, I can walk away with no regrets, knowing I left everything on the floor. God has truly blessed me.”

The Bulls first selected Gibson with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of USC. He earned All-Rookie honors in Chicago and finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year race. Gibson spent more than seven seasons with the Bulls, and was the runner-up as the Sixth Man of the Year during the 2013-14 campaign while averaging 13 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. 

Gibson jumped around a lot in the back half of his career, and ended up playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets and most recently the Memphis Grizzlies. Gibson appeared in 10 games for the Grizzlies last season, and became just the 35th player in history to make an NBA appearance while in his 40s.

Gibson was actually traded earlier this month to the New Orleans Pelicans, too. But at 41, Gibson opted to call it a career instead of fighting for an 18th season.

Gibson will now join Splitter’s staff in Chicago. The Bulls hired Splitter earlier this summer to replace Billy Donovan after a front office shakeup that saw both general manager Marc Eversley and vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas fired. Splitter spent last season as the Portland Trail Blazers’ interim head coach after Chauncey Billups was placed on leave and arrested for his alleged involvement in rigged poker games. Splitter led the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

Splitter and Gibson are tasked with turning the Bulls around, which has been a tough task over the last decade or so. The Bulls went just 31-51 last season, and they’ve only been to the playoffs twice in the past 11 seasons. They’ve not won a playoff series since 2015, and have had only two winning campaigns over that span.

While it’s been a struggle in Chicago lately, it’s hard to argue there’s a better place for Gibson to start his coaching career.

by Editor

Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto, agreed to in June, finally going through

Kawhi Leonard trade to Toronto, agreed to in June, finally going through

After being on hold for months awaiting a resolution in the Clippers salary cap circumvention investigation, the trade of Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors — agreed to back on June 30 — is finally going through, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

This comes one day after Clippers owner Steve Ballmer released a statement saying he and the franchise would not fight the harsh penalties handed down by Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA.

While the sides agreed to this trade in June, the Raptors put finalizing the deal on hold, waiting to see the outcome and punishments from the NBA’s investigation (they would have been on the hook if Leonard were suspended). Now that the report is done, the punishments have been handed down and accepted, and the Clippers have figured out who is heading basketball operations (though they haven’t officially announced it), the trade can and will move forward, as expected.

As a reminder, the trade details are:

• Toronto receives: Kawhi Leonard
• The LA Clippers receive: Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033), a 2027 first-round pick swap, two second-round picks (2030 and 2033).

This is a win for Leonard, who gets out of the glare of the Los Angeles spotlight and lands in a city where he helped win a title and is beloved. Leonard is expected to reach terms for an extension with the Raptors, although the timing is unclear.

While some pundits wanted to stir up the idea that the Clippers might try to hold up or change the trade — as punishment to Leonard, who got off with a slap on the wrist in all this — league sources had told NBC Sports (and we consistently reported) the deal was going to go through. Beyond the damage to reputations there would be for backing out of an agreed-to deal, this trade also works for both sides.

The Raptors get Leonard, an All-NBA player last year, averaging 27.9 points and 6.4 rebounds a night in 65 games. Putting Leonard at forward with Scottie Barnes (almost an All-NBA player last year, 18th in voting), RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley in what is a potentially dynamic and dangerous roster (if Leonard can stay healthy).

While the Clippers get a quality player in Ingram, the real draw here is the picks — Los Angeles lost five first-round picks in the punishment from the NBA, this brings a couple in the door. Whatever internal frustrations they may have with Leonard, the Clippers needed those picks and with that needed this trade.

by Editor

Taj Gibson retires after 17-year NBA career, joining Bulls as assistant coach

Taj Gibson retires after 17-year NBA career, joining Bulls as assistant coach

Taj Gibson has decided it was time to retire as a player after 17 seasons — but he is not stepping away from the NBA.

Gibson has announced his retirement on social media and will join the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach under Tiago Splitter.

“I wanted to be the guy my teammates could count on someone who brought toughness, energy, leadership, and heart every time I stepped on the court.”

Gibson certainly was that.

Gibson was drafted in the first round in 2009 by the Chicago Bulls and played eight seasons for the franchise, finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting and being top-10 in Sixth Man of the Year voting three times (including second in 2014). With the Bulls he averaged 9.4 points and 6.4 rebounds a game.

After leaving Chicago he played in New York, Minnesota, Washington, Charlotte, Oklahoma City, Memphis and Detroit. This summer, the Grizzlies traded Gibson to the Pelicans, who then waived him.

Now he returns to Chicago, where he is beloved. Gibson made his mark in Bulls history and ranks fifth all-time in blocks (695), sixth in offensive rebounds (1,336), 10th in defensive rebounds (2,250), 10th in games played (562) and 12th in total rebounds (3,586).

Gibson has always had the basketball IQ and demeanor of a coach, and now he will learn under another former NBA big man turned coach in Tiago Splitter.

by Editor

Deshaun Watson’s awful interception on Browns’ first 2026 drive is a bad but predictable sign

Deshaun Watson’s awful interception on Browns’ first 2026 drive is a bad but predictable sign

Deshaun Watson won the Cleveland Browns’ starting QB job by default even after a terrible training camp filled with interceptions and a combative preseason press conference where he chastised the home fans for booing him. Expectations are extremely low for both Watson and the Browns entering the season, especially with a tough Week 1 matchup on the road against the rising Jacksonville Jaguars. Watson really needed a strong start to create some positive momentum, and big surprise, it didn’t happen.

On the Browns’ first offensive possession of the season, Watson threw an absolutely atrocious interception straight into the waiting arms of Jaguars defensive back Foyesade Oluokun. Some interceptions are excusable, but this one wasn’t. How did Watson not see Oluokun lurking to break up the route? A bad decision and a bad throw for Watson was not the way he wanted to begin the season.

Watch Watson’s interception here:

Watson’s interception came on the fifth play of the season for the Browns. I already feel bad for Cleveland fans if this is what they have to sit through all year. It’s never too early to start looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft, Browns fans.

It sure feels like Watson doesn’t even deserve to be in the league anymore. He definitely isn’t a starting caliber quarterback. It’s going to be a long season for the Browns.

by Editor

NetsDaily Off-Season Report – No. 22

NetsDaily Off-Season Report – No. 22

BROOKLYN, NY – JUNE 29 : Fans outside Brooklyn Basketball Training Center during an introductory Press Conference for the 2026 Brooklyn Nets Draftees on June 29, 2026 in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Albert Ghim writes for No Ceilings, one of the more sophisticated NBA sites, and last week, he got a rare chance to check up on veteran players working out on the West Coast, particularly those charges of personal trainer Zach Gonzalez. Among those who he’s been focusing on in Gonzalez workouts and the runs at the NBPL’s new training facility in Playa Vista, an L.A. suburb. has been Egor Demin. To say Ghim is enthusiastic about the Nets second year guard would be an understatement. He just raves about him!

Ghim described how the 20-year-old has been working out in L.A.

“He is absolutely locked in, laser-focused, a man on a mission,” Ghim began. “He is so hard and ferocious on himself. I asked him what is your day-to-day look like right now. He’s working out with Zach in the morning, he playing the pro-runs at the new NBPA facility, getting in a lift. He’s doing extra workouts at night when possible.

“He’s going so hard. He is truly a man on a mission. This is a guy who knows where he needs to grow, spending a ton of time on his ball-handling, a ton of time on physicality, his jumpers, different types of jumpers — jumpers off movement, jumpers off the dribble. jumpers from the mid-range, from the outside, playing through physicality, embracing physicality. Initiating physicality is a big one to watch as well.

Ghim also spoke about how Demin has bulked up.

“For Brooklyn Nets fans who are watching this right now, I want you to know that Yegor’s body is absolutely destroyed. It is beaten. He is so hard on himself. He does not care if he’s hurt or if he’s slightly hurt or not feeling well, he is looking himself in that gym and to watch him work.”

And like Ben Saraf in an interview with the Jerusalem Post last week and Julius Randle’s Q-and-A at the Brooklyn Basketball Training Center Saturday, Demin told Ghim he and his teammates are dismissing the naysayers. Ghim recounted what Demin told him about how commentary about last season

“He said, ‘look we get it. We’re not idiots. We hear what people are saying on TV, saying we don’t want to win, we don’t care. We care,” Ghim quoted Demin.

Ghim also relayed what may have been the most interesting point of his 12 and a half minute commentary, how veterans are respecting Demin in the pro runs.

“Initially, early on, some of the veterans didn’t want him to play. They were like ‘he’s too young. we want to keep the younger guys off, keep it to veterans.‘ Then, he got in and he absolutely started torching guys. Guys like Norman Powell and Kyrie Irving have had a lot of praise for Egor. And in one of the games, he was playing with Norman Powell and he went off for like 30 plus and they won. And as he walked off the floor and they were all saying, ‘this kid is going to be an absolute problem’ and they are very, very impressed with him…

“He looks like a guy who absolutely wants to turn the narrative of the Brooklyn Nets. He’s already spent time in Texas with Julius Randle, working out with him, building that rapport, that relationship and he is a man on a mission that wants to bring Brooklyn back to winning basketball.” Ghim added. “He wants to be a leader. He wants to be a leader by example.

Finally, Ghim offered a little intel on the relationship between Demin and Mikel Brown Jr. who’s only a month younger than Demin.

“He’s telling me about Mikel and he’s saying, ‘Mikel is a freak.’ And the stuff Mikel cares about — his intel, his knowledge, his IQ of the game is extremely, extremely high. He feels like the fit between him and Mikel is going to be like a glove.

“It’s going to be a perfect pairing between the two and he’s talking about how Mikel has so much ability, on and off ball, which makes their pairing so interesting as Egor continues to grow as a ball-handler, as a creator himself. If I was a Brooklyn Nets fan, I’d be absolutely through the moon with the young core they’re building over there … Egor looks like a man on a mission and he’s coming for blood.”

Ghim’s No Ceilings colleague, Corey Tulaba, added that there’s other aspects of what’s going on with Brooklyn that need to be understood like the addition of Julius Randle who, despite Michael Porter Jr.‘s jump last year, is something the Nets — and Demin — didn’t have last year: an established NBA star.

“This is an all-NBA player who can make an impact on winning and has done that at multiple stops,” Tulaba argued. “So now, you’ve got a chance to go other there not just with a bunch of guys who are maybe learning how to play together or guys who are playing for themselves. You’re going to play with veterans who know what to do. They’re really building something cool in Brooklyn and it feels organic.”

To that point, Ghim noted that Demin shouted out other members of the Flatbush5, specifically Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf moving forward.

The two writers agreed that there’s not much likelihood that things in Brooklyn will take a big leap this year but as Ghim concluded, continuity should be a big help as they move along their NBA careers.

“The team feels they are building out a team of guys that can do stuff,” he noted. “Bring different layers, different styles as a team and them being so young as they are and building together and them really believing in themselves and the group that they have, obviously it won’t be this year, but in the next couple of years this may be a real team to watch in the East.”

But, wait, there was more!!

David Thorpe of True Hoop this week did a list of Ten guys who might make a big difference and he raved about the possibility that the Nets eighth youngest player, barely 22-year-old Noah Clowney, could have a breakout season. (We’ve written about Clowney several times this summer, most recently in these pages just a week ago but Thorpe’s analysis is new.)

The take has one fun fact we were unaware of which we highlighted as well as a possibility we hadn’t thought much about. Thorpe starts off by noting that he thought Clowney may have made a mistake declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft where the Nets took him with the 21st pick, making him the fourth youngest player in the NBA. He was also their first return on the Kevin Durant trade with Phoenix. But as he also notes, that’s what over the dam:

I thought it odd that Clowney left a terrific program at Alabama, fresh off a Final Four appearance, after one season. He was probably too young to succeed in the NBA, and could have made a ton in NIL money!

So last season he entered this tier of players from whom I had no idea what to expect. And out of those players … he impressed me more than anyone when I got to see him play in games. Only three players 21 or younger averaged at least 12 points and took at least 3.4 or more free throws per game: Clowney, Cooper Flagg, and Stephon Castle And he did that in only 27 minutes per game.

He is not a good shooter. But at 33 percent from 3, where he’s been for his two seasons, he’s not bad and there’s every reason to think he is due for a big improvement. He has a lot of game cutting, driving, slashing, and drawing fouls off those attacks. If his shot improves, I doubt it’ll be too long before he gets a chance to start ahead of Julius Randle. His defense will have to keep improving, but to me Clowney has the look of a starting level power forward who might even play some small ball five.

For the record, Clowney averaged 12.3 points on 40/33/80 shooting to go along with 4.3 boards, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks. As every Nets fan knows, there have been games or series of games where he’s gotten us all excited, like the final week of the 2023-24 season when he had games of seven and four blocks and the 14 games last season where had four or more 3-pointers go in, including games of seven and six in a 10-day, five-game stretch.

He does that consistently and his restricted free agency will be interesting come July. The Nets can match any offer he might get (and there were rumblings last season that the San Antonio Spurs might have interest.) Still, it was good to see the Thorpe analysis. He did not include rookies or second year players, it should be noted.

That’s your weekly dose of optimism. Now you can read what Channing Frye has to say about the Nets being “straight garbage.” We won’t. We’ve been inundated with the negative. We trying for balance.

Hair style updates

Combing the Internet this week, we found video of both Mikel Brown Jr. and Grant Nelson in barber chairs. No, nothing escapes the ND Dragnet…

We found the first on HoopChina…

And the second onFargo, N.D. barber Landon Lopez’s Instagram account…

Are these the final cuts? What you think?

Final Note

You won’t see Pooch’s byline on ND for a while. He and his new wife, Gabrielle Galluzzi, are on a honeymoon in the Caribbean! Anthony and Gabrielle were married Saturday afternoon at St. Francis de Chantal R.C. Church in Wantagh, N.Y.

The happy couple have known each other since childhood, attending the same schools.

We like all their friends wish the couple all the best! So congratulations!

by Editor