NBA 101

Max Verstappen’s final Dutch Grand Prix ends on the opening lap

This weekend marked the “Final Lap” for the Dutch Grand Prix, as the race will drop off the Formula 1 schedule after this season. That also makes it the final home race for living legend Max Verstappen, in front of the Sea of Orange that would welcome him at every Dutch Grand Prix.

Unfortunately for the Red Bull driver, his personal final lap at the Dutch Grand Prix came on the opening lap of Sunday’s main event.

With wet conditions facing the grid Sunday at Zandvoort, as the rain eased in the hours leading up to the start, the Formation Lap took place behind the Safety Car, but race officials did call for a standing start. But on the opening lap Verstappen was squeezed to the inside, found the kerb on the final corner, and suffered a massive shunt as he then slide up the banked track and into the outside wall:

Max Verstappen crashes out at Zandvoort 🎥

Here’s what happened 👇#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/cu1R80ISZv

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 23, 2026

Verstappen immediately radioed in that he was okay, with several drivers including his teammate for the weekend Liam Lawson reporting that it was a “huge” crash from their vantage point:

Liam Lawson on the radio: “Is he ok? That was f*** huge. Is he alright?”

— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) August 23, 2026

Here is a look at the shunt from Pierre Gasly, who was running behind Verstappen on the opening lap:

Super-fast reflexes from Gasly who managed to avoid Verstappen 😮#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/j7EJzd2I57

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 23, 2026

Here is another look at Verstappen’s trip into the wall:

Max Verstappen crashes out of the Netherlands Grand Prix

— JM =^D (@jm539581.bsky.social) 2026-08-23T13:09:36.278Z

The crash brought out the red flag, putting the final Dutch Grand Prix on pause for the moment.

Bill Chisholm Not Ruling Out Celtics Owning Arena

Boston Celtics controlling governor Bill Chisholm was a recent guest on WEEI radio in Boston. Chisholm touched on a number of topics, including his feeling that the Celtics need their own arena.

“No, but I do think we need to have an arena that is consistent with the quality and the excellence of the Celtics. We need to create the best fan and player experience we can,” Chisholm said when asked if his team needs a new arena.

The Celtics share TD Garden with the Boston Bruins, whose parent company, Delaware North, owns the arena. Chisholm hinted that doesn’t always allow the Celtics to build the experience they’d like for fans.

“Do we need to own the building to do that?” Chisholm said. “No, but we certainly need to have the ability to influence that agenda.

“If we need to own the building, we’ll do that, but I think the other thing is when you do that you’ve got to make sure you’re not losing focus of what matters. You’re in the business of running a world-class basketball team that is putting up banners. That’s the true north. That’s what we need to work towards.”

Dejounte Murray ‘Attacked Rehab’ To Get Back To Help Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray understands that many thought he shouldn’t have returned last season. Murray said despite the draw of getting ready for the 2026-27 season, he wanted to help the Pelicans chase a spot in the Play-In Tournament last season.

“Even coming back last year to play 14 games, it was really just like, now, we were 14th in the West, so we really didn’t have anything to play for, but it’s like we could reach 10 to get in the play-in, so it gave me something to play for. So that’s my reason for coming back,” Murray said. “Or I would have just sat out and got ready for this year. But it was like, nah, I wanted to go. I felt ready, obviously.

“Preparation is key; preparation is everything. And I worked my tail off to even be in a position to play. So I was just excited to go out to not only show my team and the people that support me, my family, but just anybody that you can fall and get back up … as long as you got the mental part down pat. It’s not easy, but you can do it. Anything’s possible.”

Murray went on to describe how hard the rehab process was, but how he attacked it and will continue to work to get himself back to his previous form.

“And again, it’s all mental, right? That’s just the process. Once you read up on the Achilles and you learn about the injury and why the injury happens and all these different things, it’s like the only thing is to learn and enjoy your process and go through your process,” Murray said. “My process was different from a bunch of guys, just like theirs was different from mine. And it’s just like, that’s for sure the hardest one, because I was hopping everywhere; I’m on a scooter, you can’t walk. But at the end of the day, I attacked everything like no other. And I’ll continue to do that.”

Dunc’d On: Nuggets and Cavs Offseason Grades, Wolves Sold

Sylvain Francisco Missed Opportunity To Sign With Bulls

Veteran EuroLeague guard Sylvain Francisco thought he would be making the jump the NBA this season. However, transaction holdups around the NBA, while teams waited on LeBron James to make a decision, led to Francisco missing his window.

In particular, the 6-foot-2 guard said he missed out on signing with the Chicago Bulls. Unfortunately for Francisco and the Bulls, his deadline to exercised his NBA out with ASVEL came before James decided to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.

“Yes, in the NBA, there were openings, at least five or six teams, many on guaranteed two-year contracts,” Francisco said. “I had the opportunity with the Chicago Bulls, but the trade they wanted to make before stalled because in the NBA, everyone was waiting for LeBron’s decision. However, my deadline (to active his NBA out clause from ASVEL) was until July 20, and LeBron signed… four days later.

“So, that’s where all the teams really started to transfer players, make more trades. It’s a shame,” Francisco continued. “I was a little angry, let’s say. But it’s something I don’t have control over. In the end, it can be a blessing in disguise. I stay in Europe.”

Francisco has since moved to Panathinaikos in Greece. He’s happy to be with the EuroLeague power now.

IndyCar qualifying results: Who takes pole at the Freedom 250?

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two practice sessions are in the books on the streets of the nation’s capital.

But who will take pole position for the IndyCar Freedom 250?

Kyle Kirkwood topped the timing sheets during the first practice session, ahead of Alex Palou, the driver he is chasing in the IndyCar standings. But it was Palou who led the way in the second session, just 0.0766 seconds ahead of Kirkwood.

Scott Dixon and the Arrow McLaren pair of Nolan Siegel and Pato O’Ward rounded out the top five from the second practice session. Their Arrow McLaren teammate Christian Lundgaard posted the sixth-fastest time.

Speaking with the media, including SB Nation, following the first practice session Palou talked at length about the 1.7-mile track that winds around the National Mall, with landmarks such as the Washington Monument and the United States Capitol Building helping to round out the backdrop.

“It’s a blast, super fun. Very bumpy, huge bumps heading into turn two and turn six. Massive bumps that are going to spice things up,” described Palou.

“I think it’s actually going to create good racing just because it’s quite tough to go over there and have good braking and also have good traction when the bumps are on exits. Yeah, really fun. Incredible to see the Capitol Hill, exit of seven, just incredible experience. Yeah, so far super happy.”

Now focus turns to the qualifying session later today. How will the grid line up at the start tomorrow? We will find out in a few short hours.

Freedom 250 provisional starting order

Here is the provisional starting order for the Freedom 250, which will be filled in throughout the session:

Position	Driver	Team
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Klay Thompson To Sign With Heat After Buyout With Mavericks

Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks have agreed to a contract buyout. Thompson will become a free agent once he clears waivers and plans to sign with the Miami Heat.

Thompson joined the Mavericks during the 2024 offseason on a three-year, $50 million sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors. With the Mavericks’ trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers to 2025 and subsequent injuries to Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, the team quickly went from a Finals contender to a rebuilding one around Thompson.

Thompson was on a $17.46 million contract for the 2026-27 season.

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong Not Selling Lakers’ Stake Amid Buss Family Dispute

Los Angeles Lakers minority owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong has no plans to sell his stake in the franchise, according to his attorney. The announcement comes as a dispute unfolds within the Buss family following Mark Walter’s agreement to sell his majority ownership to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner.

“Dr. Patrick is absolutely not selling his minority share of the Lakers,” family attorney Chuck “Tiger” Kenworthy told ESPN Thursday. “Bob Iger and Josh Kushner are good friends, and we will be joining them as supportive, active and engaged partners once they close the transaction with Mr. Walter. We are extremely excited about the Lakers’ future and look forward to many more championship years.”

Soon-Shiong, 74, purchased a four percent stake in the team from Magic Johnson in 2010. The businessman and surgeon holds a net worth exceeding $15 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The Buss family retains a collective 17.8 percent ownership stake following their earlier sale of majority control to Walter, a deal ratified by the NBA board of governors in October. Five of the six siblings, Johnny, Jimmy, Janie, Joey and Jesse, have voted to sell their remaining shares to Iger and Kushner at the $12.5 billion valuation.

“Johnny, Jimmy, Janie, Joey and Jesse have made the decision to sell the family’s remaining stake, and we remain united in that decision,” the siblings said in a joint statement provided to ESPN’s Shams Charania. “We intend to move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and through the appropriate process.”

Jeanie Buss, the team’s current governor, remains the lone holdout and is contesting the planned sale. Her attorney has cited a 2017 court ruling requiring co-trustee approval, specifically from Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss, before any family shares can be sold.

Iger indicated he intends to honor Walter’s prior agreement keeping Jeanie in her governor role for at least five years, though he left room for future changes.

“If something changes, then it changes,” Iger told the California Post.

Should the siblings’ sale proceed, Jeanie would retain just under 3 percent ownership and would need to acquire an additional 12 percent to meet the NBA’s 15 percent threshold for governance.

The Athletic reported Wednesday that Buss would be interested in pursuing that path, though doing so could prove difficult without cooperation from Iger, Kushner or her own siblings. With Soon-Shiong’s shares now off the table, Ed Roski Jr., who owns roughly 3 percent of the team, would be the only other minority owner available to approach.

Stefan Joksimovic Emerges As Contender For No. 1 Pick In 2027 NBA Draft

Baskonia guard Stefan Joksimovic gained more momentum than any other 2027 NBA Draft prospect this summer, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo. Evaluators around the league now view him as a legitimate contender for the No. 1 overall pick next year. In June, Woo identified Tyran Stokes as the early favorite for No. 1 in 2027.

Joksimovic has clearly separated himself as the top international prospect in his class following a standout stretch of performances. He won MVP honors at Adidas Eurocamp in the spring before leading Slovenia to a gold medal at the FIBA Under-18 EuroBasket earlier this month.

The 6-foot-7 guard earned tournament MVP at EuroBasket, averaging 23.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 54.2 percent on twos, 35.6 percent on threes and 78.1 percent from the free-throw line. He also scored 22 points against Sweden while playing for Slovenia’s senior national team in a World Cup qualifier in June.

Joksimovic is the son of former Slovenian national team player Nebojsa Joksimovic. He projects as a jumbo playmaking guard capable of facilitating offense and navigating ball screens at an NBA level, with left-handed scoring ability, strong vision and smooth changes of speed.

While not an explosive athlete, Joksimovic uses his size advantage effectively driving downhill. He will need continued development as a shooter and finisher around the rim to sustain heavy offensive usage long-term.

Scouts remain uncertain what role Joksimovic will carve out at Baskonia, where he made his senior debut last year on a team that finished third in Spain’s ACB and is unlikely to prioritize his individual development. Regardless, teams seeking a lead playmaker are expected to continue closely tracking him in a draft class currently lacking a clear consensus top prospect.

Kansas’ Tyran Stokes Remains Atop 2027 NBA Draft Board Despite Polarizing Evaluations

Kansas freshman Tyran Stokes remains a candidate for the top pick in the 2027 NBA Draft, though evaluators continue to view him as a complicated case. Stokes was identified by ESPN as the early leader to go No. 1 in 2027 back in June, but his evaluation has grown more polarizing among NBA executives since then.

The 6-foot-8 small forward showed a different side of his game at Nike Academy this summer, focusing heavily on distributing the ball rather than dominating individually as he did at the same event a year earlier. Scouts noted his ability to handle the ball and make reads despite his powerful frame.

Stokes’ draft trajectory will hinge on his performance at Kansas, where he will lead a supporting cast that does not currently project as particularly strong. Evaluators see him as a potential supersized shot creator with two-way versatility, an uncommon archetype that has kept him near the top of early draft boards.

Scouts have also flagged concerns about consistency in Stokes’ game, including his shooting, turnovers, defensive engagement and on-court demeanor. His ability to address those issues while helping Kansas win will play a significant role in determining where he ultimately lands in the draft.