Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving proving Stan Van Gundy right. That’s how the Mavericks can win this year’s NBA championship over the Boston Celtics. The Mavs are one win away from setting up a Mavs-Celtics matchup in the NBA Finals as they lead the Timberwolves 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals.Doncic and Irving are playing at an elite level so far in the playoffs, so much so that Van Gundy said during a broadcast that Doncic and Irving are “the most talented backcourt in the history of the NBA.”That will be tested against a Celtics team that has options when it comes to throwing various defensive looks against the Mavs’ backcourt. The Celtics have four players capable of defending Doncic and Irving, starting with arguably the best perimeter defender in the game with Jrue Holida…

This World Cup is setting up as either a treatise or a coronation for Lionel Messi. He recently collected his first major trophy with Argentina — 2021’s Copa America — but still needs the World Cup to stand on the same pedestal as Diego Maradona in most’s eyes. He’s coming to Qatar with unquestionably the best team around him that he’s ever had. He may be getting old, but can still turn a match with a simple twist or feint, just maybe not quite as often. It feels like this is Messi at the gates, waiting for St. Peter to grant him access to the most exclusive VIP room. It is one last checkmark to truly walk with the gods. So why is it any different for Neymar, who still is in his prime? The situation at home is no different. Nothing but the trophy will do for Brazil every to…

The NCAA issued yet another response in its convoluted back-and-forth with the University of North Carolina over the institution’s response to UNC’s sham Afro-American Studies department, which funneled athletes through paper classes. The latest entry in the saga comes from Sept. 19 letter, made public today, sent to UNC by the NCAA’s director of enforcement. This letter was a response to UNC’s claim that the NCAA couldn’t crack down on the school for teaching sham classes because the issue concerns the academic side of the university and not athletics. In addition to the NCAA’s response, UNC also released a recent batch of correspondence between the university and NCAA, all of which can be found here on UNC’s website. In its official response, the NCAA made plain that…

Some people are fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This 2016 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the previews so far here. And buy Drew’s new book here. Your team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Your 2015 record: 6-10, including that one game where they blew a 24-0 lead to Washington and allowed THIS to happen… LOOK WHAT YOU ASSHOLES DID. Thanks to your nincompoopery, Dan Snyder and the motherfucking Redskins have a reason to feel good about themselves. Great job. Why don’t you go ahead and campaign for Trump while you’re at it? That miserable defensive showing helped lead to the ouster of head coach Lovie Smith ( which they fucked up) and the hiring of… Your coach: Dirk Koetter…

Some people are fans of the Houston Texans. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Houston Texans. This 2013 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the 2013 NFL previews so far right here. Your team: Houston Texans Your 2012 record: 12-4. Only four of those victories came against teams with winning records. When you win the AFC South, you amass the majority of your wins in the bowels of CBS's Sunday afternoon schedule, with Bill Macatee on play-by-play and some sort of talking walrus doing the color commentary. Whenever the Texans were let out of that broadcasting spiderhole to play a REAL team (Packers, Patriots) last season, they were obliterated. Your coach: Gary Kubiak, who always makes sure to tip his hairdresser a little something …

Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer told reporters that he was aware of former receiver coach Zach Smith’s 2009 domestic violence arrest while Smith was working for Meyer as a grad assistant at Florida. Smith was fired by the Buckeyes on Monday, three days after his ex-wife filed a protective order against him for trespassing on her property in May. Speaking at his Big Ten media day press conference on Tuesday, Meyer said firing Smith was done “in the best interest of our team.” Meyer continued that while he was not aware of Smith’s most recent actions, he was notified when Smith was arrested for the felony charge of aggravated battery back in 2009. “Zach was an intern, a very young couple. As I do any time, that I imagine most coaches or people in leadership positions, yo…

data-mm-id=”_ib5tqzou3″>This year's NFL Draft will be unlike previous editions for obvious reasons. Teams will not have their traditional war rooms and will have to adapt via video conference. The novel challenges extend to the broadcast space as well, meaning rivals may have to join forces for the greater common distraction. To that end, ESPN and NFL Network may do a combined telecast instead of operating in separate silos, NBC Sports' Peter King reports this morning. This would allow Rich Eisen, Daniel Jeremiah, and others to work out of the Bristol studios as the NFL's facilities in California and New Jersey are unlikely to be open for business under state decrees. King also reveals: “The league is closing in on plans to weave a fundraising element into all three days…

data-mm-id=”_8r2f8ern6″>Matt Haarms shocked college basketball by entering the transfer portal on Monday. While he had been supplanted in Purdue's starting lineup by Trevion Williams, the center was still a huge part of the team. The massive Haarms (7-foot-3, 250 pounds) has immediately become the best big man on the transfer market. A defensive specialist, he averaged 8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 20.5 minutes per game during the 2019-20 season. When he was on the floor, Purdue's opponents shot 49.1 percent at the rim, versus 58.1 percent when he was off the floor. He was one of the better rim protectors in college basketball. Haarms will be a senior and is immediately eligible as a graduate transfer. He should have plenty of suitors. Here's a look at four …

data-mm-id=”_mc54zz542″>Keenan Allen doesn't seem happy about being the No. 77-ranked player on the NFL Top 100 list. Apparently even more distressing to the Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver is his place amongst his peers. He's ahead of fellow standout wide receivers Allen Robinson, Cooper Kupp and D.K. Metcalf, but the list of wide receivers who have yet to be ranked (only 100-70 were posted yesterday) is long and distinguished.Taking to Twitter to voice his displeasure, Allen tagged Tyreek Hill, Mike Evans and (the wrong) Chris Godwin as examples of wide receivers who are not as good as him. He admits they are faster but says his ability to create separation is what separates him from the best. The only issue is he didn't even mention the best. Ok I’m tired of bite…

data-mm-id=”_g7y585x26″>The Los Angeles Lakers struck early in free agency, landing Wes Matthews on an entirely affordable one-year, $3.6 million deal. Matthews will likely step in to replace the hole Danny Green left in LA's lineup and, frankly, it's a perfect fit. Wes Matthews is signing a one-year, $3.6M deal with the LA Lakers, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. https://t.co/fYHthoXFjE— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 20, 2020Matthews is coming off a solid season with the Milwaukee Bucks during which he averaged 7.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 24.4 minutes per game. He started 67 games as a complementary piece and, most importantly for the Lakers, he's a career 38.1 percent 3-point shooter. He's also a plus-player on the defensive end…