Tag: Pickleball

Titans legend Eddie George shares his thoughts on modern NFL

Tennessee #Titans legend Eddie George shares his thoughts on the modern NFL w/ @EdEastonJr

This week, Touchdown Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Tennessee Titans legend and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George.

In his interview with Easton Jr., George discussed his support for The Wuerffel Foundation at the Pickle Bowl: Heisman Edition event at Life Time Pickleball NYC and his thoughts on the changes in the NFL today.

“Oh yeah, I mean, it’s (the NFL) changed over the years to become safer, and I get it,” George explained. “but the quality of the game is still the same. I love it.”

George supported the Pickle Bowl: Heisman Edition event, which brought together Heisman legends, including Danny Wuerffel, Tim Tebow, Charlie Ward, Eric Crouch, and others, for an action-packed day of pickleball exhibitions. Pickleball pros Ryan Sherry and Kate Fahey joined them on the court, ensuring a high-energy experience supporting the Wuerffel Foundation.

George, who won the 1995 Heisman Award, shared some advice for this year’s trophy winner (Travis Hunter) ahead of the event.

“It’s a once-a-lifetime opportunity to embrace every moment with your family, friends, and teammates, regardless of who wins tonight,” said George. “It’s an honor and an accomplishment to have made it to this fall at this point, and once you are a Heisman Trophy winner, it gets better with time. So it’s about relationships and honoring your great season, but more importantly, the great coaches, teammates, and support staff who helped you get to this point.”

The following links provide more information on Pickle Bowl and The Wuerffel Foundation.

Eric Crouch discusses modern NFL’s embrace of athletic quarterbacks

Eric Crouch discusses today’s NFL embracing athletic quarterbacks w/ @EdEastonJr

This week, Touchdown Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Nebraska Cornhuskers legend and 2001 Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch.

In his interview with Easton Jr., Crouch discussed his support for The Wuerffel Foundation at the Pickle Bowl: Heisman Edition event at Life Time Pickleball NYC and his thoughts on the versatility in the NFL today.

“It’s quite the honor to be invited to come to New York City to be a finalist for the Heisman trophy,” Crouch explained. “Your name is etched in that history forever, and I always tell them to enjoy yourself while you’re here. It’s a short trip. It will go by fast, but just enjoy the moment, look around, and be thankful for what you can give.“

Crouch joined Cam Newton, Tim Tebow, Charlie Ward, and Johnny Rodgers for an action-packed day of pickleball exhibitions, VIP play, and fan engagement. Pickleball pros Ryan Sherry and Kate Fahey joined them on the court.

“Pickle Bowl: Heisman Edition event is something that we really love to do. The overall foundation’s mission is to inspire greater service and unity in the world,” said Blair Wortsmith, Director of Programs and Operations for the Wuerffel Foundation. “This event will go towards raising funds where Danny (Wuerffel) gets to invest in other nonprofit leaders, especially those that have their foundations, athletes that are up and coming in the area. We’re also very excited to be here and grateful for Life Time for the Heisman Trophy Trust’s partnership on this event.”

Crouch was initially drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2002 as a wide receiver but still wanted to play quarterback. Teams, however, saw Crouch as too short. He displayed fantastic athleticism for Nebraska and finished his college career as one of three quarterbacks in Division I-A history to rush for 3,000 yards and pass for 4,000 yards.

“I was more of an athlete, and so I think a lot of guys that have come through this Heisman trophy ceremony and are going to the next level have had struggles too, like, ‘Hey, where do they put us?’ because we’re all really great athletes,” Crouch explained. “We come here, and sometimes it doesn’t translate to the NFL, other times it does.

“If I was coming out of college, now I might have a better chance in the NFL. But, you know, things happen for a reason. So I felt like where I went to school was running option football, which was very unique and I was just lucky to be part of that era in Nebraska.”

The following links provide more information on Pickle Bowl and The Wuerffel Foundation.

Danny Wuerffel discusses his foundation, offers advice to future NFL stars

Danny Wuerffel discusses his foundation, offers advice to future NFL stars w/ @EdEastonJr

This week, Touchdown Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to retired NFL quarterback and Heisman Award winner Danny Wuerffel.

In his interview with Easton Jr., Wuerffel discussed his inspiration for ‘The Wuerffel Foundation’s The Pickle Bowl: Heisman Edition at Life Time Pickleball NYC gathered past winners for a good cause. He also shared advice to today’s college football stars heading into bowl season and potential careers in the NFL.  

“Well, during COVID, I started playing with my son to have something to do, and I’ve fallen in love with the sport,” Wuerffel explained. “I play a lot and enjoy it, but I’ve also been leveraging this sport of pickleball to support our work at the foundation. This event came together in a really fun way in New York City with the Heisman guys here. So we got a bunch of Heisman guys out playing and having fans jump in and hit some balls with us, and just a really fun, exciting way to gather and celebrate and, you know, raise money for a good cause.”

Wuerffel recruited fellow Heisman award winners Tim Tebow, Cam Newton, Eric Crouch, Charlie Ward, and Johnny Rodgers, along with pickleball pros Ryan Sherry and Kate Fahey, for the event. His foundation’s mission is to inspire greater service and unity in communities.

“We’re a very blessed group, and to come back to this group every year to celebrate in New York has been fantastic. And then to add this pickleball event. A lot of the guys play and enjoy it,” said Wuerffel. “So this gives us an opportunity to add one more fun event. We’re grateful to the Heisman Trust for helping support it and making it happen in a lifetime. Just really excited.”

After being drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1997, Wuerffel played six years in the league with four teams, including the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins. He shared some advice for the many college players ending their collegiate careers over the next month with hopes of making it to the NFL.

“I mean, enjoy it. It’s a really unique time. Everybody’s usually dreamt their whole life of playing in the NFL, but there’s something special about college.” said Wuerffel. “Enjoy it. Finish strong, and I hope the guys stick and do the bowl games, and we have a great ending to a great college football season.”

The following links provide more information on Pickle Bowl and The Wuerffel Foundation.

A pickleball player viciously kicked his opponent in the face in wild video

What happened here?!

I have played the fast-growing sport of pickleball, and while I did get nailed in the face, it was because I hit myself in the face with my own racquet.

But, no, pickleball is not a contact sport.

Which brings us to a video shared by a Twitter account called The Kitchen Pickleball, which explained that a man named Peter Shonk shared the clip “and wants everyone to know that he is ok.”

That’s because he was kicked in the face by his opponent after what seems like someone — might be Shonk? — yelling “[Expletive] yeah!” We don’t have any details beyond that, but the video is all kinds of shocking.

Check out the clip below (WARNING: as you might have guessed, it’s violent and has some NSFW language in it):

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Nick Foles adds Pickleball gold medals to Super Bowl MVP honor

Nick Foles is a Pickleball gold medalist and a Super Bowl MVP

Nick Foles is not only special in Philly. The Eagles’ Super Bowl MVP quarterback is pretty talented at PickleBall.

Foles won a pair of gold medals in the PPA finals in San Clemente, CA, last weekend.

He played alongside his wife Tori in one event, and friend Jim Davenport, in the other.

“There are plenty of shots where you dink it into the net, and there’s nothing more demoralizing than doing that, but you’ve got to move on and play the next point and just hit the next shot,” he told pickleball.com. “You get a lot of those plays that you want back, but you have to move forward.”

Former Super Bowl champion wide receiver Golden Tate also competed in the men’s 4.5 doubles division, according to the site.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by CARVANA PPA TOUR (@ppatour)

Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons among NFL players to join ownership group for pro pickleball team, the Texas Ranchers

Scottie Scheffler, C.J. Stroud, Bijan Robinson and Kendra Scott among those joining the Texas Ranchers ownership group.

It seems everywhere you turn, there’s new news about pickleball.

The tennis-like paddle game has been the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. for three straight years, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s Topline Participation Report. Additionally, the sport has grown 159 percent over that same three-year span.

Major League Pickleball (MLP) emerged on the scene in 2021, with the Texas Ranchers being one of the first eight teams in the league. Now, they’re getting a shake up at the top with a sparkling new ownership group that includes some big names in the world of football, golf, music and fashion.

Entrepreneur Evan Floersch is now the president and part-owner of the Ranchers and is joined by NFL players Micah Parsons, Myles Garrett, C.J. Stroud and Bijan Robinson, as well as golfer Scottie Scheffler, designer Kendra Scott and country singer Zach Bryan, among others.

“It just naturally gets competitive with me and friends, and then it just becomes an addiction,” Garrett said of pickleball in a phone interview with For The Win. “It’s a simple game, but that pulls you in even more sometimes when it’s that simple and you feel like you should be getting it and you want to be really good at it.”

The quartet of NFL players all have some connection to the state of Texas as Stroud (Texans) and Parsons (Cowboys) are both currently signed to Texas-based teams, and Garrett (Texas A&M) and Robinson (Texas) played their college ball in the state.

“As a native Texan I was happy to be connected with Texas Ranchers, but also, I genuinely love pickleball and have been playing during my off-season” Garrett, who now plays for the Cleveland Browns, said in the press release. “Each person that makes up this ownership group brings a little something different to the table and we’ve all come together because of a passion for the sport and to inspire community on and off the court.” 

The idea of community was present in comments from both Garrett and Floersch.

“We want our focus on community building and doing social good to be our differentiator — and strength — for our positioning in the league,” Floersch told For The Win.

“Given how approachable and wildly popular pickleball has become, we believe it can be a sport that is inclusive and brings people of all walks of life together.”

The Ranchers are not the first pro squad to look to celebrity athletes for investments as LeBron James, Tom Brady Michael Phelps, Kevin Durant and other stars have all joined co-ownership groups across the league. With individual team valuations reaching the double-digit millions, pickleball seems to be a sport that will continue to grow.

Boston’s Jayson Tatum is reportedly an investor in Major League Pickleball

Yes, you read that right — read this to learn more.

Star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is diversifying his investments, according to a new article by the Boston Globe’s Michael Silverman. Per Silverman, Tatum is now part-owner of a Major League Pickleball team, the Los Angeles Mad Drops, in the popular tennis-like sport that features a soft shot called a “dink.”

The St. Louis native joined chess master Magnus Carlsen, fellow NBAer Zach LaVine and others as investors in the Mad Drops as the sport’s popularity has begun to take off in recent months. The Professional Pickleball Association and the Association of Pickleball Professionals are the two pro leagues in the sport. Both feature singles and doubles tournament formats.

Among the fastest-growing sports worldwide, the interest and investment from high-profile investors and owners such as Tatum, Carlsen, and even Los Angeles Lakers star (and Celtics nemesis) LeBron James has helped fuel that popularity.

No word at present on whether the Duke alum has any plans to try his hand at the sport after he leaves the NBA.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Kevin Durant buys Pickleball team

Kevin Durant is picking up the pickleball craze. The Nets star and Rich Kleiman, his business partner, have purchased an expansion team in Major League Pickleball. 35V, their investment company, will also serve as strategic partners for the league, …

Kevin Durant is picking up the pickleball craze. The Nets star and Rich Kleiman, his business partner, have purchased an expansion team in Major League Pickleball. 35V, their investment company, will also serve as strategic partners for the league, while running their team. “35V is committed to investing in the future of sports and emerging opportunities, and Major League Pickleball is a league we are incredibly excited about,” Kleiman said in a statement. “We can’t wait to build this team from the ground up as well as work to elevate the sport and the league to unprecedented heights. As an avid pickleball player and fan, the interest in the sport was a natural fit.”

Source: Mike Vorkunov @ The Athletic

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Jake Madison @NOLAJake
Locked On Pelicans is live!
🏀 Zion Williamson looks great in first game in 533 days
🏀Brandon Ingram looks like Kevin Durant, CJ McCollum made plays
🏀 HUGE rebounding advantage for the Pels
🎧 https://t.co/BETlDzBFEv
Watch on YouTube!
📺 https://t.co/4DBES9YyFq pic.twitter.com/LUwR4mipkC – 8:25 AM

J. Michael Falgoust @ThisIsJMichael
Took Brooklyn 4 min to get a half court bucket and that came on a broken play. Playing in traffic. Can hide Zion on Simmons and then use his big body to help clog the paint on KD or Kyrie off the pitch. … 6 min in, yet to get 2nd FG in half court #netsvspelicans 🤦🏽‍♂️ – 11:46 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
Top 10 NBA scoring leaders after Game 1:
1. DeRozan 37
2. Harden 35
Brown 35
Tatum 35
5. Ja 34
6. Curry 33
7. SGA 32
KD 32
9. LeBron 31
Mitchell 31
Nine All Stars and SGA. – 10:57 PM
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
So, good thing the Pelicans didn’t trade Brandon Ingram for Kevin Durant huh? – 10:50 PM
Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Kevin Durant on Zion Williamson: “He looked healthy to me.” #Nets #Pelicans – 10:33 PM
Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
KD on Zion’s night: “At this point it’s just typical for him.” – 10:32 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Kevin Durant on Zion Williamson: “Looked healthy to me.” – 10:32 PM
Barbara Barker @meanbarb
“I thought I was locked in but I got to play better, “ says Durant who scored 32 points. pic.twitter.com/CCs90hJhVz – 10:32 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Final: Nets fall to the Pelicans 130-108 to start the year off 0-1. Kevin Durant with 32 points in as many minutes. Brooklyn looked like a team that never played together before. Raptors come to town Friday. – 10:00 PM
Andrew Lopez @_Andrew_Lopez
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving head to the bench with 4:30 left in the 4th.
Pels with a great start to the season. – 9:47 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
Steve Nash just pulled Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with 4:30 left in the 4th. Brooklyn officially waving the white flag. – 9:47 PM
Barbara Barker @meanbarb
Why is Kevin Durant still in this game? – 9:46 PM
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
Brandon Ingram is a bad man.
Faked Kevin Durant out at the 3-point line and then glided by three Nets for the lay-in. – 9:41 PM
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
Kevin Durant had hoped the Nets would beat the snot out of the Pelicans.
Well, the Pelicans are beating the snot out of the Nets. – 9:38 PM
StatMuse @statmuse
Kevin Durant after 3Q:
27 PTS
27 MINS
-27 pic.twitter.com/KaYBg7vFT3 – 9:29 PM

Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
Nets were down 25 to NOLA in the 3rd, rolling with Patty Mills, Edmond Sumner, Yuta Watanabe, KD, and Day’ron Sharpe.
Kyrie isn’t hitting and nobody outside KD has 10+ points. Ugly – 9:19 PM
Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
Pelicans have expanded it to 87-62. Kevin Durant has 25 points and the rest of the Nets have 37. – 9:13 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Brandon Ingram has packed the Nets up. His three gives him 21, but puts the Pelicans up 25 points with an 87-62 lead at the 4:09 mark of the 3rd quarter. Kevin Durant (25 PTS) is the only Nets player to score in double figures. Ben Simmons has 2 points, 5 rebounds, 5 fouls. – 9:12 PM
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
“He just hit Kevin Durant with a Kevin Durant.”
Great call by @adaniels33 on that tough jumper by Brandon Ingram. – 9:11 PM
Jake Madison @NOLAJake
Brandon Ingram doing his Kevin Durant impression over Kevin Durant. Get’s the and 1 – 9:11 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
They not supposed be replaying BI’s and-one on KD at Barclays – 9:10 PM
Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
Brooklyn is explosive but its offense just isn’t very imaginative. It’s a couple of passes, maybe a screen and then rely on the superior skills of KD/Kyrie to make a play. Pels were a bottom third defense last season. Nets can’t do much with them. – 9:04 PM
Jake Madison @NOLAJake
Herb has done everything he can and KD is still getting his – 8:57 PM
Mike Prada @MikePradaNBA
Kevin Durant’s greatness is the only reason this Nets-Pels game is remotely close. Vintage performance. – 8:52 PM
Peter Vecsey @PeterVecsey1
I tweet it at least once a season so I might as well get off in G1 of the Nets’ season: Durant’s shot blocking ability is vastly unidentified. Moreover, like Bill Russell was famed for, KD keeps the snuff in bounds. – 8:48 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
The Nets, who trailed by as many as 18, find themselves down to the Pelicans, 58-50, after a scrappy second quarter. Kevin Durant has 21 points on 6/12 shooting, and everyone else is feeding off his energy. His plays got Barclays Center rocking: a one-footed jumper & block on BI. – 8:47 PM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
Half: Pelicans 58, Nets 50
Durant: 21 pts, 6-12 shooting
Claxton: 9 pts, 6 reb, 2 bk
Irving: 4 pts, 2/9 shooting
Simmons: 2 pts (1/1), 5 reb, 3 ast
Brooklyn outscores New Orleans 36-26 in the second. KD gets hot, Clax plays strong. Simmons and Kyrie have yet to get going. – 8:43 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
End of the 1st half: Pelicans 58, Nets 50
Valanciunas 13 pts & 8 rebs
Williamson 11 pts & 4 rebs
Ingram 11 pts & 3 assts
McCollum 11 pts & 4 assts
Durant 21 pts (15 in the 2nd)
Offensive rebounds (pts off):
NOP: 12 (17)
BKN: 5 (7) – 8:41 PM
Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Incredible block by KD on Brandon Ingram pic.twitter.com/lYvGus5zMe – 8:41 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
KD blocks Brandon Ingram’s dunk attempt right at the summit. He has 21 points at the half. The #Nets – who couldn’t have found a way to play worse in the first quarter – have cut an 18-point deficit to 58-50. – 8:41 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
The Nets, who trailed by as many as 18, find themselves down to the Pelicans, 58-50, after a scrappy second half. Kevin Durant has 21 points on 6/12 shooting, and everyone else is feeding off his energy. His plays got Barclays Center rocking: a one-footed jumper & block on BI. – 8:40 PM
Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
Nets get it down to 58-50 at halftime. Durant has 21. Zion and Ingram both with 11. Valanciunas with 13 in 13 minutes. – 8:40 PM
Jake Madison @NOLAJake
Kevin Durant. Still good at basketball. What a play by him – 8:40 PM
Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
KD came on strong to close the half — he’s got 21 points and is carrying the Nets offensively — but he also just made a hell of a defensive play with a great block at the rim on Ingram. He’s given the Nets a little momentum heading into the 2nd half. – 8:40 PM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
KD just absolutely sent Ingram’s dunk attempt at the summit. That’s a highlight block if I’ve ever seen one.
Brooklyn cuts the deficit to 8 at the half. – 8:40 PM
Barbara Barker @meanbarb
KD with a massive block of Brandon Ingram two-handed dunk at rim. He’s doing it all for the Nets as they try to claw back into the game. Has 21 points at the half. – 8:39 PM
Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
It boggles my mind watching this first half that nobody ante’d up to trade for Kevin Durant this summer. – 8:39 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Halftime: Pelicans lead the Nets 58-50. Took the Nets a while to wake up but they go into half within striking distance. Everyone is guilty on the turnover front. Durant and Claxton heated up in the second quarter. BK could use an answer for Zion, like the rest of the NBA. – 8:39 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
Incredible block by KD at the rim on a BI dunk attempt.
KD has dominated in the 2nd quarter. – 8:39 PM
Mike Vorkunov @MikeVorkunov
Kevin Durant got all ball on Brandon Ingram at the rim – 8:39 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Kevin Durant just rejected Brandon Ingram’s two-handed dunk at the rim. What a block. – 8:38 PM
Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
KD with the block on Ingram. #Nets – 8:38 PM
Andrew Lopez @_Andrew_Lopez
Kevin Durant just blocked a Brandon Ingram dunk attempt. – 8:38 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
HELL of a block by Kevin Durant. – 8:38 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Zion goes through KD’s chest, misses the layin but Valanciunas cleans it up. – 8:36 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Claxton blocks Zion and KD responds with a 3. NOLA lead down to nine and the crowd is getting into it. – 8:35 PM
Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
This is not second guessing. Having Ben & KD in the frontcourt vs. Valanciunas and Zion is a recipe for disaster. Or fouls, Or both. – 8:33 PM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
Nic Claxton has kept Brooklyn in this game.
9 points and 5 rebounds. Playing hard defense and attacking the boards. KD has been very off. – 8:24 PM
Yaron Weitzman @YaronWeitzman
Cam Thomas just shot over a triple team with KD calling for the ball out on the top.
To be fair, the shot went in – 8:23 PM
Jim Eichenhofer @Jim_Eichenhofer
Just like Jose Alvarado has a list of PGs he’s getting one of his “out of nowhere” steals against, Herb’s list of blocked three-pointers keeps expanding. Getting KD on a corner three is some serious big-game hunting – 8:23 PM
Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Herb Jones just blocked a KD 3-pointer… you do NOT see that a lot pic.twitter.com/ytblB2plit – 8:22 PM

Jake Madison @NOLAJake
It is so hard to block a 3-point attempt let alone one from Kevin Durant. Just an insane play – 8:21 PM
Christian Clark @cclark_13
Never seen a player who can block 3s like Herb. He just got KD. – 8:21 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Not sure how many players can block a KD jumper but Herb Jones is certainly one of them – 8:20 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
Herb Jones just blocked a KD jumper.
Oh my. – 8:20 PM
Andrew Lopez @_Andrew_Lopez
Herb Jones just blocked a Kevin Durant 3-pointer. – 8:20 PM
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
Well, that first quarter went exactly how I dreamt it last night.
Pelicans up 32-14 on the Nets after one. Ball movement, energy and talent all present. Every single Pel who took the floor scored. Meanwhile 10 of Nets’ 14 points came from Durant & Irving. – 8:11 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
End of the first quarter: Pelicans lead the Nets 32-14. That’s a football score. Durant and Irving have 10 of the Nets’ points. NOLA leads 18-8 on the boards so far. Woof. BK is 0-for-7 from 3 and shooting just 30 percent from the field. – 8:08 PM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
I can’t say Sumner, Mills, O’Neale, Durant, Sharpe is a lineup I expected in the season opener. – 8:01 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Pelicans lead the Nets 20-8. KD has half their points. They’re already up to eight turnovers. – 8:00 PM
J. Kyle Mann @jkylemann
herb flipping from the kyrie assignment to KD seamlessly, no big deal, carry on, nothing to see here – 7:59 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Lol Nash took Simmons and Kyrie out which means it’s KD’s time to cook – 7:58 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Edmond Sumner is the third sub of the year. He’s out there with Durant, Mills. O’Neale and Sharpe. – 7:57 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Kevin Durant introduced at Barclays to roars. Same with Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving. – 7:42 PM
Nick DePaula @NickDePaula
KD breaks out a new KD15 for opening night in Brooklyn 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/CdbSGbzQzx – 7:27 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Same starters for the Nets from the preseason: Simmons, Claxton, Durant, Irving and O’Neale. – 7:06 PM
Erik Slater @erikslater_
Same starters for the Nets tonight: Simmons, Irving, Durant, O’Neale and Claxton – 7:03 PM
Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Nets starters tonight vs the Pelicans:
– Ben Simmons
– Kyrie Irving
– Kevin Durant
– Royce O’Neale
– Nic Claxton
#NetsWorld – 7:01 PM
Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Simmons, Irving, Durant, O’Neale and Claxton start as expected for the #Nets vs. the #Pelicans in tonight’s opener. – 7:01 PM
Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving warming up together. Kyrie usually warms up before everyone comes in so a change of pace here. pic.twitter.com/6vKud5AWex – 6:44 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Former Knick Allonzo Trier is in the house tonight. He’s close with Kevin Durant. – 6:14 PM
Paul Pierce @paulpierce34
Most excited to watch this Cleveland Cavaliers team tonight . Brooklyn is another team I wanna see how Ben Simmons fits in with KD and Kyrie. Let the games begin “That’s the Truth “ – 5:41 PM
Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
Brooklyn Nets season opener❕
• Ben Simmons plays his first game since June 2021
• Kyrie Irving is playing on a full-time basis
• Kevin Durant is coming off his 3rd-best scoring szn (29.9 PPG)
Who are you most excited to watch? pic.twitter.com/0WhQjSheGU – 10:26 AM

Alan Hahn @alanhahn
We can all agree that Pels-Nets should be on the @NBA on ESPN doubleheader tonight. But when you make the broadcast schedule, you can’t count on who will be available among them (Zion, KD, Kyrie) but you can always count on the NY market and Ja. So, nation, you get Knicks-Grizz. 🤷‍♂️ – 9:38 AM
Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Part 2 of Kyrie Irving on @Stadium: “I’m going for every piece of hardware that I could possibly get out of the NBA.” On the Nets post-KD trade request, his team bonding event, admitting “I don’t think it was my time to ask for a trade” with Cavs, Uncle Drew, meaning of A11Even. pic.twitter.com/TI4IKfOBEs – 9:16 AM

More on this storyline

The 35V team will debut next year during the 2023 season as part of the league’s expansion. The league will grow from 12 teams to 16. “Kevin Durant, Rich Kleiman and 35V are going to be game-changing partners for Major League Pickleball,” Steve Kuhn, the league’s founder and CEO, said. “They not only bring passion for the game, but also unrivaled expertise to help us to continue to grow. We’re especially excited about their plans to bring pickleball to underserved communities – something they have done with basketball for years.” -via The Athletic / October 20, 2022
New Orleans Pelicans: When asked about Kevin Durant complimenting him before the game, Brandon Ingram joked: “I think he was trying to butter me up a little bit so I would come out there a little soft” Ingram appreciated the praise from KD, and called him “probably the best player in our league” -via Twitter @PelicansNBA / October 20, 2022
“[We’ve got to] box out, put a body on people, not let them get in our paint on defense,” Durant explained after the game. “You let a team get in your paint, you leave your guys on the perimeter, now they’re crashing for the glass, so we’ve got to keep the ball out the paint. [If] they’re shooting over us, then their team’s got no choice but to get back on defense instead of crashing, so we’ve just got to keep teams out of the paint.” -via New York Daily News / October 20, 2022

8 big-name athletes from LeBron James to Tom Brady who have invested in pickleball teams

From LeBron James to Kevin Durant to Tom Brady, some big names are investing in pickleball.

Pickleball is off-the-charts scorching hot as a sport right now, with facilities sprouting up everywhere and lots of people young and old taking up the paddle sport (and some of us are, uh, hitting themselves in the head with paddles).

We’ve gotten to the point where some big-name athletes are starting to invest in it, specifically with Major League Pickleball and their teams. It feels like a big deal, if some superstars are using their money to invest in a sport that’s exploded in the last few years.

So let’s run through the big names who have gotten involved in pickleball:

Jordan Spieth experiences what it’s like to be the worst player in a foursome (welcome to our world!) and makes subtle dig at Michael Greller

Jordan Spieth is like one of us. Sort of.

RIDGELAND, S.C. – During an off week spent at home in Dallas, Jordan Spieth experienced something he wasn’t used to – being the worst person in a foursome.

This wasn’t golf – that would be near impossible for the three-time major winner and former World No. 1 – but a doubles pickleball match with partner Scottie Scheffler in the Celebrity Battle of the Paddle exhibition in Frisco, Texas on Thursday. The PGA stars took on former Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki and John Isner, one of the top American tennis players during the Professional Pickleball Association’s PPA Tour Round Up.

“It was a really weird feeling going in front of a big crowd knowing you were the worst on the court, and I didn’t like that at all,” said Spieth, noting that Scheffler plays pickleball, a combination of tennis, Ping-Pong and badminton, nearly every day and he had played less than 10 times. “I’m fine in front of a crowd if I know that I’ve practiced and I’m good at what I’m going to do. But I wouldn’t say like I’m bad, but when you’re the worst of the ones that are going to be on there and there’s like 500 people there, you’re like this kind of stinks, I don’t really enjoy this.”

CJ Cup: Best bets

In case he didn’t make it clear, Spieth shared a conversation he had with caddie Michael Greller and a no-to subtle dig at his caddie’s golf abilities.

“So I asked Michael, is that what it’s like when you’re hitting shots at like 17 at Sawgrass or 16 at Phoenix? I’m like, is this kind of how it feels? He’s like, ‘Yeah.’ He’s like, ‘That’s why I’ll either hit it really close or I’ll miss the green.’”

The good news is, Spieth’s golf game has been trending in the right direction as he prepares to make his season debut at the CJ Cup in South Carolina at Congaree Golf Club. When he last competed, Spieth was a perfect 5-0 in leading Team USA to victory at the Presidents Cup, including his first victory in singles at either the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup. (He was previously a combined 0-6-1.) Spieth, who won an hour’s drive away in April at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island and enters the week at No. 13 in the world, said he has found more joy in the actual work involved in improving than he has in the past while conceding there is more work to be done to achieve the lofty goals he still has for his career.

“I had some inconsistencies this year. Sorry, this last season. I didn’t have a great putting season by any means, but I also felt that ball-striking was a little more inconsistent than the previous year, and I knew why and I just needed a few weeks at home to try and figure it out. I kind of got to work right after East Lake and really tried to nail a lot in pre-Presidents Cup,” he explained. “Then kind of the week leading in, I really started to kind of have things click a bit.”

He continued: “In the last couple years, I’ve really enjoyed the process, really enjoyed the work more than ever. Now I’m more enjoying my day-to-day work in getting to a place of freedom, getting to the feels where I’m like, man, I’m going to get there and then I’m going to stripe it all day. It’s that kind of excitement that I’m kind of finding in the ground that’s in the work, that’s probably what I see the biggest difference from even rookie year to when I was struggling to more recently. I’m appreciating the work and trying to maximize the time that I have when I am working and enjoying that process more than I would say the end benefit of winning a tournament or winning matches.”

Spieth said he plans to play a limited schedule this fall – he has committed to the Hero World Challenge and PNC Championship, both unofficial events in December – and chose to play the CJ Cup in order to try to jumpstart his 2022-23 season.

“I don’t want to start really behind like I have last two years come Kapalua (Sentry Tournament of Champions, the first event in January),” he said, “so it would be really nice to get off to a good start and have a strong finish here because I think this is probably the only FedEx Cup event that I’m able to play this fall.”

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