After acquiring the star receiver from the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 15, the New York Jets could be looking to move on. The arrangement was brief and, so far, has ended up being just another forgetful chapter in the team’s continued desire to appease Aaron Rodgers.

Adams played in just 11 games with the green-and-white, posting 67 catches, 857 yards and seven touchdowns. He earned a whopping 114 targets over that span, finishing second on the team to just Garrett Wilson, who saw 154 over 17 games.

With New York announcing their plan to move on from Rodgers, Adams’ future with the team is in serious doubt. The duo looks to be a package deal moving forward, or at least that was the case with the Jets.

As the offseason heats up, here’s what the Jets could do with the star receiver.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Will the Jets cut Davante Adams?

The Jets cutting Adams looks to be the most likely outcome at this point. ESPN’s Rich Cimini reported that the receiver wouldn’t have to request his release since the Jets would grant it, given his $38.3 million cap hit for 2025.

With none of that guaranteed, New York can move on and continue cleaning up its salary cap situation in the wake of Rodgers’ eventual departure. The team would save $29.9 million by releasing Adams before June 1 and allow the receiver to test free agency for the first time.

If the team opted to designate Adams a post-June 1 cut, they would save $36.2 million in 2025 while being subjected to a dead cap charge of $2 million in 2025 and $6.2 million in 2026.

‘I came here with the hopes that I wouldn’t have to find a new home, so it’s kind of bittersweet, I guess,’ Adams said at the end of the season. ‘It’s cool to be able to control where you go, but I’ve done that (while) still under contract.’

Adams’ future was a common talking point after his arrival in October. He was noncommittal, especially regarding Rodgers’ uncertainty, saying, ‘I truly don’t have the answer to it right now.’

‘I would love to be a part of this football team,’ Adams said in early December. ‘I’d love to go to war with these guys, but it’s a business and there are a lot of pieces, contractually, and, obviously, with Aaron’s future – a lot of things that I can’t control.’

Given that he’d need to renegotiate his contract to stay and the lack of reported communication, Adams appears to be following his quarterback out the door and onto the free-agent market.

Will the Jets trade Davante Adams?

While the Jets would probably like to recoup some draft picks after their failed attempt to become the East Coast version of the Green Bay Packers, a trade involving Adams seems unlikely.

Cutting the receiver is a much cleaner break and allows him to chart his own path forward rather than having to rework his deal and find a team with the available cap space to take on the contract.

Regarding the salary cap, there is no difference between trading or cutting Adams.

Davante Adams contract

The 33-year-old Adams is currently set to enter the final two years of his five-year, $140 million deal that he signed upon his arrival in Vegas with the Raiders, according to Spotrac.

It carries an average salary of $28 million, but the cap charge is set to check in at $38.3 million in each of the last two seasons.

Adams is slated to become a free agent after the 2026 season, but that could come sooner if the Jets elect to release him this offseason.

Trash talking is nothing new for the sports world. Think of the long-running competition between the Yankees and the Red Sox on the diamond or battles between Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill on the college hardwood.These rivalries aren’t usually fueled by politics – or international trade policy. But in recent days, as U.S. and Canadian athletes have jockeyed for wins out on the court or the ice, Canadian fans have taken out their frustrations with America’s new administration in the stands.

Sports fans from America’s northern neighbor have used the playing of the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ at NBA and NHL games as a way to express their displeasure with President Donald Trump’s signature tariffs.

After initially waging a hefty 25% tariff against Canada at the end of last month, making good on a 2024 campaign promise, Trump reversed course and delayed the tariffs for at least 30 days. The president said he reached a deal with Canada to improve border security and designate drug cartels as terrorists.

Yet Trump has not let up in this growing trade war, announcing last week 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports. Canada is among the U.S.’ largest suppliers of steel.

And Thursday, the president instructed his administration to pursue reciprocal tariffs, instituting penalties against individual countries that have fees on U.S. goods. Not to mention, Trump has called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a ‘governor’ and talked about making Canada the 51st state.

His actions have frustrated Canadian officials. Trudeau called the duty on steel and aluminum ‘entirely unjustified.’

‘We are (the) U.S.’s closest ally. Our economies are integrated,’ Trudeau told reporters Tuesday. ‘Together, we make North America more competitive.’

Some Canadian consumers appear no less incensed.

America’s anthem, athletes booed across sports

The vocal protests began in Ottawa shortly after Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 1 that would have implemented tariffs. The U.S. anthem was booed at that evening’s NHL game between the Senators and Minnesota Wild.

The same thing happened the following day in Vancouver as the Canucks hosted the Detroit Red Wings.

‘It’s too bad,’ said Wings forward Patrick Kane, who hails from Buffalo, New York, on the Canadian border. ‘I guess you can maybe understand it from this side, but it seems like it’s a thing that’s going around the league right now.’

The booing spread to Toronto, where the NBA’s Raptors play.

And it has continued two weeks later, reaching the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament, which on Saturday had the USA facing Canada in Montreal. As both teams had famous athletes introduce them, American figure skating icon Michelle Kwan was booed as she took the ice.

Announcements have been made before games at the tournament asking fans to respect the singing of the national anthems, but there were still boos from the crowd at Bell Centre over the weekend, particularly as the ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ started and ended.

What are tariffs?

Tariffs are a tax on goods exchanged between countries. While the extra fee is placed on the importers, in this case American businesses, consumers oftentimes bear the burden in the form of higher prices and potential inflation to pay for the tariffs’ implementation.

Under Trump’s latest plan, his administration will impose tariffs against certain countries equivalent to whatever fee they are placing on American exports.

Some economists told USA TODAY that reciprocal tariffs are also expected to raise everyday costs. The president and his allies have argued the fees will spur companies to make products and other goods in the U.S.

‘Whatever they charge us, we’re charging them,’ Trump said Thursday. ‘It’s a beautiful simple system.’

One of hockey’s great rivalries delivered as the United States downed Canada 3-1 in a fiery 4 Nations Face-Off game Saturday night.

The first nine seconds of play saw no less than three fights, but ultimately Team USA’s three goals were enough to clinch a spot at Thursday’s tournament final in Boston. Jake Guentzel scored twice, while Dylan Larkin snapped home what turned out to be the game-winner in the second period.

That allowed the United States to come back after Canada — following the bizarre spectacle of a game beginning with three consecutive fights — struck first on a skillful goal from Connor McDavid. However, the early emotion at Montréal’s Bell Centre wasn’t enough for Canada, who played without key defenseman Cale Makar (who couldn’t play due to an illness).

The victory means the USA will play in the 4 Nations Face-Off final no matter what happens in Monday’s game against Sweden. Meanwhile, the Swedes, Canada and Finland are all tied on two points in the round-robin standings, leaving all three teams with a serious shot at a spot in the championship game.

Here’s what to know about Team USA’s impressive win over Canada:

USA vs. Canada highlights

Any set of highlights from USA vs. Canada would have to include the surprise development that was three fights in the first nine seconds of this 4 Nations Face-Off game.

Once the brawling stopped and the hockey started, it was Canada getting out in front after an excellent Drew Doughty pass found Connor McDavid on the move. From there, the Edmonton Oilers star carved through Team USA before burying a top-shelf shot past Connor Hellebuyck.

However, Jake Guentzel had a quick response, slipping a wrister past Canada’s Jordan Binnington less than five minutes later. In retrospect, the rather soft nature of this goal might have taken some energy out of the building, letting Team USA gain focus at a critical early moment.

Guentzel would go on to score an empty-netter to put the game away, but the winning goal came from Dylan Larkin, the man who got the assist on that late tally. Larkin’s second-period goal came as the U.S. pounced on a turnover while Canada was in the midst of a line change, with the Detroit Red Wings center giving Binnington no chance at a save.

Final score: USA 3, Canada 1

Team USA is going to the championship final of the 4 Nations Face-Off after claiming a gritty 3-1 win over Canada. Despite Canada pouring plenty of emotion into the game, the U.S. played an excellent game of defensive hockey, leaving goalie Connor Hellebuyck with relatively few big stops to make.

Jake Guentzel struck twice, while Dylan Larkin had the game-winning goal and the assist to ice the win. Team USA will still have to face Sweden on Monday, but no matter the result, they will take part in the tournament final next Thursday in Boston.

Canada, meanwhile, faces a must-win game against Finland on a few hours less rest. Canada, Finland, and Sweden all enter the final round of games with 2 points in the standings.

Goal USA: Guentzel buries empty-netter to make it 3-1

With two minutes to play, Canada has rolled the dice. Binnington has skated to the bench, and the power play unit (plus an extra man) is out there looking to make this 2-2.

However, there was no angle to create anything serious in front of Hellebuyck, and eventually the risk backfired. That saw Larkin control the puck in the neutral zone, finding the (barely onside) Jake Guentzel for an empty-netter.

Team USA efficiently killing this period off

Canada is working very hard to try and create more end-to-end play, but with just 2:54 to go, the U.S. is closing the angles and defending in layers, keeping the game between the blue lines for long spells.

Canada has fired a few pucks on net in this spell, but Hellebuyck has been able to handle everything with relative ease. At the other end, Canada’s risk-taking in pursuit of a leveler has left Binnington exposed, only for the St. Louis Blues goalie to come up with some solid saves to keep the score 2-1.

ABC: Tkachuk said ‘I can’t go’

Team USA has adjusted their lines without Matthew Tkachuk, with J.T. Miller now sharing a line with Brady Tkachuk and Jack Eichel. ABC’s Ray Ferraro has reported that he told the coaching staff ‘I can’t go.’

As we move into the final eight-plus minutes of regulation, Tkachuk has not come back into the game since communicating the issue to the bench.

Score remains 2-1, Matthew Tkachuk may be injured

With 13:16 to go, the third period has largely gone Canada’s way. They’re getting the jump on Team USA, particularly in the neutral zone, and their forecheck is forcing the U.S. to just clear and regroup on most occasions.

The U.S. did have one great look on the break, but an errant pass foiled Guentzel. As of now, Larkin’s goal was the last shot on net.

Meanwhile, a conversation on the U.S. bench seems to hint at an injury for Matthew Tkachuk. After an exchange with Team USA assistant coach John Tortorella, Tkachuk moved to the end of the bench and is looking on fairly grimly. It’s not clear what might be impacting him, but he hasn’t come back out since the conversation.

Third period underway

We have 20 minutes of regulation left between USA and Canada at Bell Centre.

A regulation win here would guarantee Team USA a place in Thursday’s 4 Nations Face-Off final, while a Canadian comeback could see this game’s hosts end the night atop the round-robin standings.

End of second period: Team USA leads 2-1

We’re through two periods, and the United States grabbed a 2-1 lead through Dylan Larkin’s goal.

With the brawling and squabbling of the opening minutes, this game could have become a running series of heavy hits and penalties, but it’s really gone in the opposite direction. The second period saw both teams focus on controlling zones and trying to get the puck into more promising positions. We could have gotten a game full of animosity and low on actual hockey, but all parties seem focused on trying to win the game.

Team USA probably deserves to have a lead at this point, as they’ve exerted slightly more control over the game and created more shooting chances. However, when Canada has gotten the puck in deep for sustained pressure, they seem to be able to work it into dangerous positions. The U.S. has done enough to escape those moments, but it’s clear that Canada could easily tie this one up.

Goal, Team USA: Larkin zips one past Binnington to make it 2-1

With this second period playing out evenly, Team USA has taken a 2-1 lead seemingly out of the blue thanks to Dylan Larkin.

In truth, there’s opportunism involved: Canada turned the puck over just as they started a line change, with Matt Boldy guiding his interception towards Larkin. Suddenly, the U.S. had a two-on-one, and Larkin used the extra man to freeze Travis Sanheim (who had hopped over the boards just three seconds earlier) before zipping a wrist shot into the bottom corner.

With 6:27 to go in the second, Team USA has the lead.

Noah Hanifin saves potential goal for Canada, Larkin hits post

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin just made a huge play to deny Canada the lead. Five minutes into the second period, McDavid caught Team USA’s Adam Fox, bringing the defenseman down without giving away a penalty.

Suddenly Canada had a three-on-one, but Hanifin used sharp positioning to prevent a McDavid shot, then intercepted a pass attempt that would have left Sam Reinhart with a wide-open shot from close range.

Play moved to the other end of the rink, where Dylan Larkin’s shot clanked off the post and bounced away. Binnington may or may not have gotten a touch on the shot, but either way Team USA was about two inches from taking the lead.

Brady Tkachuk: Fights ‘happened pretty organically’

In an interview with ABC during the intermission, Brady Tkachuk — a participant in the second of those three fights in this game’s opening nine seconds — said that there wasn’t a ton of planning involved.

‘I think it just happened pretty organically,’ the Ottawa Senators forward told ABC’s Emily Kaplan. ‘Matthew [Tkachuk] said he wanted to go first, and yeah, it just happened.’

Tkachuk added that his brother decided to approach Brandon Hagel when he saw the starting lineups. As for his fight? Just a matter of setting up an appointment, more or less. ‘I coordinated with Benny [Canada’s Sam Bennett],’ explained Tkachuk.

First period ends 1-1

Canada seemed to spend that entire power play on the cusp of a goal, but some sharp stops from Hellebuyck to deny Brayden Point twice (once from an angle, and once on the doorstep) keep this game 1-1.

Still, it feels like Canada recovered some momentum with the execution on that 5-on-4 sequence, with their first shots in over 10 minutes. Team USA will still feel like they’ve had the better of this game thus far, but Team Canada’s pushback late underlines how tight things have been in this first period.

Teams exchange power plays near end of first period

Sidney Crosby took a seat for two minutes after getting called for a hooking penalty, but despite three really good looks in front, Team USA will start off 0-for-1 on the power play after going scoreless.

Meanwhile, the big hits are flying, with both teams laying into one another. With 3:13 left in the period, it’ll be Canada back on the power play as Guentzel is caught tripping Josh Morrissey. Big moment for Canada to swing the momentum, as the United States has been having the better of the last few minutes.

Goal USA: Guentzel squeezes one past Binnington to make it 1-1

Jake Guentzel has this game level, and it’s one that Canada goalie Jordan Binnington might want back. Jack Eichel found Guentzel on the left, but the Tampa Bay Lightning left winger wasn’t exactly bringing the thunder with a low-angle wrist shot.

However, Guentzel did enough to slip that effort under Binnington’s pads, and at 10:15 in the first period the scores are even at 1-1.

Goal Canada: Connor McDavid with a smooth finish

Canada strikes first, with Connor McDavid showcasing his speed and stickhandling at 5:31 in the first period.

Drew Doughty scooped a pass towards center ice that met McDavid in stride, and the Edmonton Oilers center did the rest. At full speed, he cut through three Team USA before firing over Hellebuyck’s left shoulder to make it 1-0. It’ll be hard to produce a more clinical goal than that.

Canada power play doesn’t pan out

There’s a lot going on here, but amid the scuffling that turned into the third fight, Canada went on the power play.

Team USA kills it off pretty easily though, with a couple of timely interventions in front of goalie Connor Hellebuyck all that was really required.

USA vs. Canada: Puck drops, and we’re under way with several fights

At the puck drop, we have USA’s Matthew Tkachuk and Canada’s Brandon Hagel agreeing to drop the gloves and fight. No clean hits but a long scuffle ends with both players getting offsetting fighting penalties.

And now it’s Brady Tkachuk fighting Sam Bennett on the ensuing faceoff! ABC reports that Brady Tkachuk was calling Bennett out to set the fight up while the first fight was being sorted.

Team USA throws one on net once play resumes, but we’re now seeing a third fight. This time, it’s J.T. Miller for the U.S. and Canada’s Colton Parayko squaring off.

We are, to be clear, nine seconds into the first period. Here’s the full round-up of fights:

USA vs. Canada: ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ gets some boos

As was the case in the first round of games, a chunk of the crowd at Bell Centre booed the U.S. national anthem, particularly as it started and ended. Given the geopolitical realities at play following the election of Donald Trump, it’s not exactly a stunning development.

Following a rendition of ‘O Canada’ that was partially sung by the crowd, fans break out into chants for Team Canada and captain Sidney Crosby.

USA vs. Canada: Players on ice, Michelle Kwan booed

Both teams have an accomplished athlete introduce them to the crowd at Bell Centre. Michelle Kwan took the ice and — presumably due to her Team USA hockey sweater and not any animus towards her personally — was roundly booed while introducing Team USA.

MMA great Georges St-Pierre was received with more warmth by the crowd as he brought Canada out. Fans are wearing light-up necklaces, adding to the wild atmosphere in Montréal.

USA vs. Canada: Cale Makar confirmed out

Big news right as ABC’s broadcast of Saturday’s 4 Nations Face-Off meeting gets going: Canada defenseman Cale Makar, arguably one of the NHL’s best D-liners, has been ruled out of this game due to illness.

Emergency call-up Thomas Harley, who per ABC has not had time to get a practice session in with Canada, is in the lineup instead.

When is the 4 Nations Face-Off between USA and Canada?

The 4 Nations Face-Off pitting USA against Canada starts at 8 p.m. ET with coverage on ABC and ESPN+.

All times Eastern.

Game starts: 8 p.m. ET

USA vs. Canada 4 Nations Face-Off TV channel: How to watch

TV channel: ABC

USA vs. Canada 4 Nations stream: How to stream Face-Off event

The game will be carried on ABC as well as ESPN+. You can also watch on Sling.

Watch USA vs. Canada with Sling

4 Nations Face-Off schedule, TV and results

(Times p.m. ET)

Wednesday, Feb. 12:  Canada 4, Sweden 3 (OT)
Thursday, Feb. 13: USA 6, Finland 1
Saturday, Feb. 15: Finland 4, Sweden 3
Saturday, Feb. 15: USA vs. Canada at Montreal, 8, ABC
Monday, Feb. 17: Canada vs. Finland at Boston, 1, TNT
Monday, Feb. 17:  Sweden vs. USA at Boston, 8, TNT
Thursday, Feb. 20: Championship game at Boston, 8, ESPN

Team USA: 4 Nations roster

No., position, player, NHL team

12 F Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild
81 F Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
9 F Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights
59 F Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning
86 F Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
20 F Chris Kreider, New York Rangers
21 F Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
34 F Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
10 F J.T. Miller, New York Rangers
29 F Brock Nelson, New York Islanders
7 F Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
19 F Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
16 F Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers
14 D Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild
23 D Adam Fox, New York Rangers
25 D Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins
15 D Noah Hanifin, Vegas Golden Knights
85 D Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators
74 D Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
8 D Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
37 G Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
30 G Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
1 G Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins

Team Canada: 4 Nations roster

No., position, player, NHL team

9 F Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers
71 F Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning
87 F Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
38 F Brandon Hagel, Tampa Bay Lightning
24 F Seth Jarvis, Carolina Hurricanes
11 F Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
29 F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
63 F Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins
16 F Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
97 F Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
21 F Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning
13 F Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers
61 F Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights
89 Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings
8 D Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
44 D Josh Morrissey, Winnipeg Jets
55 D Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues
6 D Travis Sanheim, Philadelphia Flyers
27 D Shea Theodore, Vegas Golden Knights (suffered injury, out of tournament)
5 D Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche
50 G Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
33 G Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights
35 G Sam Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens

USA vs. Canada betting odds and moneyline:

Team USA is the favorite to beat Team Canada, according to the latest odds from BetMGM.

Spread: USA (-1.5)
Moneyline: USA (-110); Canada (-110)
Over/Under: 6.5

USA vs. Canada predictions

Sportsbook Wire: USA 3, Canada 2

Kevin Erickson writes, ‘The American power play was impressive, and the Tkachuk Brothers were red-hot. Expect Team USA to feed off of the energy, as the pro-Canada crowd creates a very hostile environment.’

New York Post: Canada 4, USA 2

Ethan Sears gives Team Canada the edge over the Americans among forwards and special teams and concludes, ‘Canada’s top-end talent and the home crowd give them a tightly fought win.’

Covers: Over 6 goals scored

Todd Cordell writes, ‘It’s probably unrealistic for Canada to hold this USA team to fewer than three goals. They will need to score to keep up and, with McDavid, Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, and Sidney Crosby leading the charge, there’s plenty of reason to believe they can do just that; even against Connor Hellebuyck.

‘This should be a high-pace, high-event game featuring a level of elite talent we haven’t seen share the same ice in a long, long, time.’

USA-Canada hockey history

The USA beat Canada at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey in a major moment for the U.S. hockey program. But Canada won when the two met in the gold medal games at the 2002 and 2010 Olympics. Canada also beat the USA in the Olympic semifinals in 2014 on the way to a second consecutive gold medal. — Mike Brehm

Travis Sanheim to make tournament debut

Canada defenseman Travis Sanheim, a scratch in the opening game, is scheduled to make his debut at the tournament because of an injury to Shea Theodore. The Vegas Golden Knights defenseman was injured on Wednesday when checked in the boards by Sweden’s Adrian Kempe. He has been ruled out of the tournament and is week-to-week. — Mike Brehm

Cale Makar game-time decision

Canada defenseman Cale Makar (illness) is a game-time decision, per NHL.com. If he can’t go, Dallas Stars defenseman Thomas Harley, an emergency addition to the roster, could suit up. — Mike Brehm

World Cup of Hockey returning in 2028

The World Cup of Hockey will return in February 2028, and the NHL and players association envision a continuing cycle of alternating Olympics and World Cups every two years.

Details are still to be worked out, but NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday it would involve ‘at least’ eight countries. Cities, including those in Europe, can start bidding in the coming months. Bettman said he didn’t foresee any melded teams, as happened in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey with smaller European countries forming one team and the North American 23-and-under ‘Young Guns’ forming another.

It’s up in the air whether Russian players can take part because of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. The International Ice Hockey Federation recently voted to ban Russian players from its championships for another year, through the 2025-26 season. — Mike Brehm

4 Nations Face-Off format

Each country will play one game against the other three nations during the round robin. Teams get three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime/shootout win and one point for an overtime/shootout loss. The two teams with the best records play each other in the championship game.

A tie in the standings between two teams will be decided by the head-to-head result between those tied teams.

Games will be played under NHL rules, except that overtime involves 10 minutes of 3-on-3 sudden death during the round robin rather than the NHL’s five minutes. If it’s still tied after 10 minutes, the game goes to a shootout. During the championship game, overtime is like NHL playoff overtime: 5-on-5 hockey for 20-minute periods until a goal is scored. — Mike Brehm

Team USA lineup

Team Canada lineup

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If you were signed by a major league team, how would you give your dad the news?

Ron Cruz was at work as a mechanic, standing in an office at a Southern California Firestone auto care center. He was eager, as always, to see his son walk into the room. RobertAnthony Cruz flashed his father a Washington Nationals cap.

There was a moment of confusion, then one of recognition. Father embraced son, Ron’s eyes clenching hard. He removed his glasses to try and hide his crying.

Nobody could have foreseen how far the video his wife, Cynthia, had captured would launch their son. RobertAnthony Cruz gained hundreds of thousands of followers overnight after he posted the video. Though his minor league career with the Nationals ended in less than a year, the seeds for a social media sensation had been planted.

Nearly four years later, youth athletes seek out Cruz’s baseball advice — delivered in quick takes on TikTok — while fans flock to watch him perform as one of the biggest stars for the Savannah Bananas, the traveling professional baseball team that has swept America.

The birth of the narrative of “Coach RAC,” as Cruz is known to his 1.5 million-plus followers, doesn’t just reside in that one viral moment.

Kids have become hooked on his honest, reassuring voice, one that lets them know it’s OK to struggle at sports. It’s the same one Ron and Cynthia once had for him.

 “They thought I was a success before I even showed up,” Cruz, 26, said recently via Zoom.

“RAC,” as you are free to call him, was sitting next to Cynthia in a studio. Ron was in another window, listening intently, as he has always done.

“When I was growing up, if I had a really bad stretch, if I didn’t have that support system, I might have quit,” their son continued, “but I had them there to encourage me to where quitting was never really on the table.”

I spoke with RAC and his parents as part of USA TODAY Sports’ new association with Youth Inc. Here are 10 tips they offered for young athletes and their parents that you can view in the story and video below.

Our shared goal is to help us better understand why our kids play sports, and how all of us can get the most out of them.

1. ‘We had no agenda’: Allow sports to begin and end with what your kid wants, not just what you want

“In the back of my heart, I wanted him to play baseball,” Ron Cruz says of his son.

Ron’s parents couldn’t afford to put him in organized sports. He still wishes he had played baseball in high school.

But his son dreamed of being an Olympic gymnast. He did the sport with his big sister, Sabrina, and he loved the backflips. It was only when long drives to the gym became too much of a family disruption that Ron had his kids write down a list of new activities they wanted to try.

RAC was eight when his father drove him to Reid Park in Riverside, California, to take in a Little League game for the first time.

“You think you could do that?” the father asked as they watched a kid make contact.

“He goes, ‘Yeah, I think I could hit the ball,’” Ron remembers, “not knowing anything about baseball. He didn’t even know whether he was going to be left-handed or right-handed.”

Cynthia laughed.

“Cleary, we had no agenda,” she said. “It was more led by what they wanted.”

2. ‘We were not good at this when we were born’: Think of yourself as the underdog. It gives you an edge.

Taking up a new sport at nine, Youth Inc.’s Greg Olsen kidded RAC last year, “is like starting at 30” in today’s super-specialized world. Even back then, the boy was three or four years behind the others.

“He was always the smallest kid,” Ron says. “And then coming into baseball, he got put on a team that was an All-Star team, and that’s the only way that he was going to be able to play at that park.

“He’s always been the underdog. His first day of school was in the 11th grade as far as public school. Most kids go into kindergarten when they’re four and five.”

Like his sister, RAC was homeschooled. Sitting with him as they went over his work one day, his mother realized an important lesson that also applied to his baseball career.

“We were trying to learn something difficult in school,” Cynthia said to her son during our call. “I think it was math. You were so frustrated, you didn’t even want to do it. And I realized that we are born thinking that everything is gonna be easy, and if it’s not, then that’s not what we’re supposed to do. And I feel like I had to encourage you that, no, we were not good at this when we were born. We had to learn it.”

COACH STEVE: How a coach can make or break your kid’s youth sports experience

3. Don’t buy into the ‘delusion’: ‘99% of the time it’s just because the kid should be batting ninth’

The way Ron and Cynthia looked it, when you joined a new team, you were automatically going to be hitting at the bottom of the lineup. It was your job to work your way up.

“In the limited coaching experience that I have had,” RAC says, “I’ve already seen how parents think their kids deserve the world, and so they’re like, ‘This coach has this thing against my kid. He doesn’t like my kid. That’s why he’s batting ninth.’ And, you know, 99% of the time it’s just because the kid should be batting ninth.

“If you’re a kid, one of two things will happen. One, you’ll buy into this delusion that your parents are spreading that everyone’s against you, or you’ll learn to kind of not fight your own battles.”

4. Allow your kid to have autonomy within their sport

As he and his son worked to catch up with the other kids, Ron would tell him, ‘You know what your teammates are doing now? They’re probably watching TV. We’re doing batting practice. It’s raining, the wind’s blowing.’”

Overly dramatic? Maybe. But he could tell by the eager calls for more batting practice he’d get from RobertAnthony that his strategy was working.

“It’s not like he’s dragging me out there,” RAC says. “I want to go try and try and hit baseballs over the fence. It was never forced on me in any way.”

When RAC swung and missed, though, his father would show nothing, even when the boy grew discouraged.

“If I asked him, ‘Hey, I feel like I’m doing this wrong,’ he would give his two cents,” his son says. “But if I didn’t ask, it was all up to me. It was an interesting process because there’s a lot of frustration on my part as I’m trying to get better and learn. But there was never frustration initiated by my dad.”

He would simply wait for his son to cool down, and throw another pitch.

‘He had some big goals, and he wanted to attain them and we didn’t have the money to go put him in some type of place where they can teach him everything that he knows now,’ Ron says. ‘So I just figured, ‘Hey, let’s just go hit the ball.’ He’s gonna figure it out. And he did.

‘We would go with the thought that, OK, we’ll be here for a couple hours, and three, four hours later, we’re beat up and tired, but we’re still going.’

5. Yelling coaching advice to your kid during a game makes him or her play worse

Over time, RAC learned the value of his parents being an audience – as opposed to participants – while he was playing.

“I thought it was just normal,” he says. “I definitely saw other kids and their parents always butting heads, and I saw the tension on the field, and I saw a lot of other players be really, like, scared to mess up.”

Our impulse is to instantly correct them. One of RAC’s fundamental instructions became: write it down and work on in practice.

RAC and his parents saw the toll it took on teammates whose parents did the opposite.

‘We ran a league for a little bit, and boy that was something; the parents were just wicked right from the stands,’ Ron said. ‘And you can see the kid as soon as the parents said something, and the kids are always watching their parents. I used to see as soon as they made a mistake, they’re looking at the parent for their reaction. I learned from that. The parents’ reaction right away, if it’s a bad reaction, it hurts the kid.’

6. Behaving during games takes a conscious effort on parents’ parts

Cynthia tried to always find positives even in her son’s worst days on the field, to the point where he’d have to tell her, “Mom, I stunk today.”

“I’m not sure where I picked it up. I can go negative, so I have to overcorrect,” she says. “You don’t become a parent and know everything. You just keep on trying, failing forward, right?”

COACH STEVE: 7 out of 10 kids quit youth sports before age 13. Why?

7. When parents embrace kids’ sports failures, those failures become an asset

When you’re watching your kid play, the number of outs they make in between hits can seem endless. Now think of how your kid feels.

He or she not only feels they aren’t playing well, but that they are letting you down.

It’s easy to be proud when they play well. As long as they gave their best effort, think of a bad game as the best opportunity to show them just how proud we are.

“I think that between the belief that they had in me and between the repeated encouragement that they’d give me, I think that developed more of a resilience, and I didn’t have as much fear of failure,” RAC says of his parents. “There was really nothing to fear on my part. I could have a few terrible weekends, and the worst consequences for that would just be me experiencing losing which, can actually be a good thing.

“The fear of failure was there at the higher levels, but growing up, it wasn’t there. They would encourage me every single day and so if I would ever be discouraged or I had a bad game, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s OK. You’re still good. Let’s go take batting practice.’”

8. ‘Keep your hands off’: Sometimes your kid needs a break from his or her sport

As parents of youth athletes, this thought can be terrifying. We think our kids will fall too far behind.

Now think of RAC, the future pro baseball player, taking a couple of months off from baseball at age 13 to play Minecraft.

“It kind of scared me a little, because I thought, ‘Is he going to want to play anymore?’ ” his mom said.

This is how Cynthia learned how kids also need space from us, especially when they’re teenagers:

 “One of my girlfriends has older sons, and I said, ‘What do I do?’ And she goes, ‘You need to keep your hands off. Don’t be the one hounding him to make him do what he needs to do.’ ”

RAC independently tried out photography and spent time with his sister, who helped him with his writing and speech for the debate team.

His parents allowed him to make more choices, such as when he did his homework. He wound up making a crucial one on his own when he realized he missed baseball.

9. ‘Less roadblocks’ from parents lead to more mental strength in kids

After high school, RAC received an offer to play at his dream school, UC Riverside. When he couldn’t muster even a .200 average his first year, he asked to be released from his scholarship.

He played at Division II baseball for Biola University and caught the Nationals’ attention. It was a point in his life when he could lean on his parents’ influence again.

“There was no pressure on me to perform and earn anything,” he says of their approach to his sports growing up. “I didn’t have to earn anything. I wanted to win because I wanted to win. And there was no other factors at play.

“So when I got to the higher levels and started having a lot more higher pressure situations, and now career’s on the line and all these things, I think I had more mental strength because I had less roadblocks.”

10. Apply ‘banana ball’ to your youth sports experience

When Ron was struggling to speak that day when his son came into office, he managed to get out one line:

“Where is that going?” he said, pointing to Cynthia, who was recording everything.

It turns out he and his wife were headed to Nationals Park, where they would watch their son hit a walk-off homer last summer to win an inning for Savannah before a sold-out crowd.

The Bananas are a professional-level team, a modern-day version of the Harlem Globetrotters. They play other traveling teams with set of zany rules designed to make light of what is supposed to be a fun game.

In many ways, the team’s carefree style is an attitude we want to foster with our kids’ sports careers.

“Stay humble, be willing to listen, love on them,” Cynthia Cruz says of what she has learned along the way. “It’s such a short season.’

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

When it’s all going right for Alabama and Mark Sears is splashing shots and Grant Nelson is getting under people’s skin and Nate Oats is shuffling in waves of explosive athletes and rim protectors off a bench that goes 10 deep, there is no scarier team in college basketball. 

They’re a team that could, maybe even should, win a national championship. 

When Alabama is good, they’re really that good. 

But here’s the problem for the Crimson Tide: As of today, Auburn is better. 

There’s no disputing it, no denying it: Auburn 94, Alabama 85 in the SEC’s first No. 1 vs. 2 matchup was a statement in Tuscaloosa. 

Auburn came in as the No. 2-ranked team and it left as an emphatic No. 1 that was better-coached, mentally tougher and more equipped to win this one-of-a-kind, in-state race for each school’s first basketball national title. 

That much was clear Saturday night. It’s a long way to the first weekend in April, and all the caveats apply in a one-and-done tournament, but Auburn looks like a team that’s got the goods to go all the way. 

As for Alabama? Well, sometimes they do. And other times — like Saturday night — they look destined to be one of the nation’s biggest disappointments. 

All that talent, all that speed, all that experience from a bunch of guys who played in a Final Four last year and they do…that? At home? With the No. 1 ranking on the line? Against their biggest rival? 

Not a good look, to be honest. 

Alabama fans will point to the shooting, and that’s absolutely why the Crimson Tide lost this game. A meager 5-of-26 from the 3-point line, 27-for-70 from the floor and nine missed free throws? That’s not going to get it done. And it’s highly uncharacteristic of a team ranked No. 2 in offensive efficiency at kenpom.com. 

But how many of those misses were truly great looks — the kind that you bank on highly accomplished shooters like Sears and Aden Holloway and Chris Youngblood making under normal circumstances? Not a whole lot. 

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl devoted their gameplan to making sure Alabama didn’t get clean looks from the 3-point line. Easy to say, not easy to do — but the Tigers did it and controlled the game because of it. 

Auburn made Alabama look almost a bit panicked in the first half as the stuff Sears normally generates with the ball in his hands just wasn’t there. That’s why Auburn went into halftime with a nine-point lead and pushed it to 59-45 with 13:43 remaining. 

Then, for a stretch, we got the good Alabama. Shots were going in. Their defensive intensity picked up. Sears started controlling the pace. And in the span of about six minutes, Alabama erased the entire deficit. 

Outside of that short stretch, though, Auburn pretty much did what it wanted to do. And the Tigers did it on the road, in what Pearl told ESPN was the best atmosphere he’d ever experienced at Coleman Coliseum. 

All in all, Auburn might not have a better night all season, unless they’re cutting down the nets in San Antonio on April 7. 

The only good news for Alabama is that it still has time and opportunity. The Crimson Tide will play Auburn again on March 8, perhaps one more time in the SEC tournament and maybe — hide the children if this happens — with something even more significant on the line down the road. 

If nothing else, Saturday showed Alabama the level it needs to reach this season if the national title is as realistic a goal as it should be given the talent and experience on this roster. 

Maybe Duke is a touch better than Auburn, or maybe the Tigers will suffer some type of devastating injury that takes them out of the mix, or perhaps they’ll simply blow it against an inferior opponent as so many top-ranked teams have done in March. 

But for now, they’re the standard in college basketball. They proved it in Tuscaloosa. And unless Alabama wants to watch its hated rival hang a banner, it must rise to Auburn’s level.

Alabama was well short of it this time. Let’s see if anything has changed when they meet again three weeks from now. 

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SAN FRANCISCO — Mac McClung brought out the props for the slam dunk contest – a car, a ladder, a hoverboard.

And despite his limited NBA experience – the 6-2 high-flyer from the G League jumped, floated and wowed the crowd with his creativity for another All-Star slam dunk contest victory Saturday at Chase Center. 

McClung is the first player to win the event three consecutive times and was asked if it would be fair to consider him the greatest dunker ever.

“That’s not for me to decide,” McClung said.

Miami’s Tyler Herro won his first 3-point contest and prevented Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard from winning the event for the third consecutive season.

Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley won the Skills Challenge and NBA commissioner Adam Silver explained why there was no rematch between Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu.

The league is debuting another All-Star Game format Sunday – a four-team, three-game mini-tournament that features three teams comprised of All-Stars and one team of young stars – the winners of the Rising Stars final Friday night.

Catch up on all of Saturday night’s action from the skills competition, 3-point shooting contest and slam-dunk fest:

Will Mac McClung inspire Ja Morant, others to join in dunk fun?

Mac McClung’s third consecutive slam dunk contest victory may have inspired NBA stars to return to the event that once featured the game’s top dunkers.

McClung’s performance caught the attention of Memphis star Ja Morant, a fierce in-game dunker who has never participated in the dunk contest.

Could we see Morant in the 2026 event?

What about Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo? If Morant is in …

Now that would be something, and it could draw McClung back for a shot at a fourth trophy.

NBA All-Star 2026 location

The 2026 NBA All-Star Game will be held in Los Angeles at the Clippers’ Intuit Dome. The 2027 NBA All-Star Game is headed to the desert in Phoenix at the Suns’ Footprint Center. The location of the 2028 NBA All-Star Game has not been announced yet. 

Mac McClung makes history, wins slam dunk contest

To start the final round, Spurs guard Stephon Castle needed several tries but his completed attempt was worth the wait. Castle had his dunk coach hit a layup off the backboard. And, as the ball was on its way down, Castle ran from under the basket, caught the ball as it was falling and hammered down an in-between-the-legs dunk. All but two judges gave him a perfect score, giving his first try a total of 49.6.

Again, Magic guard Mac McClung brought out props and pushed the limits. He had one person spinning on a hoverboard with a basketball held over his head. He had another person on a ladder with another ball positioned right in front of the rim. McClung ran, jumped over the person on the hoverboard, dunked the ball positioned in front of the rim first with his left hand and then slammed the other ball home. For the third time in the evening, McClung scored a perfect 50.

Afterward he said, ‘This might be it for me.’

For his second attempt, Castle appeared to complete a behind-the-back 360 with ease on his first attempt, getting a perfect score of 50. That gave him a final-round score of 99.6.

For his final attempt, essentially needing another perfect score, McClung had Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley — who is 6-foot-11 — stand on a short platform in front of the hoop. Mobley held a ball over his head and McClung jumped over Mobley, grabbed the ball, double-clutched by tapping it on the front of the rim and then slammed it home.

Again, McClung scored a perfect 50 to top Castle by 0.4 points. And, with that, he secured his third-consecutive Slam Dunk Contest championship, the first to do so.

Mac McClung, Stephon Castle advance to slam dunk final

Because he posted the lowest score in the first round (40), Bulls forward Matas Buzelis went first in the second dunk of the first round. Buzelis had a person glance the ball off the side of the backboard, while Buzelis grabbed it and put down a reverse dunk, though the ball clipped the rim on the finish. Buzelis scored 47.4 on that finish, giving him a first-round score of 87.4

As he did in his first attempt in the first round, Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. struggled to complete his first few tries. Jackson was trying to do a similar dunk to the one Buzelis did, but eventually altered his plan after three missed attempts and powered through a windmill. Jackson’s score of 45 gave him a first-round score of 88.8.

Spurs guard Stephon Castle, on his second attempt of his second dunk, caught a pass off the backboard and then seemingly easily did a 180 reverse dunk, finishing with power. Castle scored 47.8 on the attempt, giving him a first-round score of 95.

Magic G League guard Mac McClung, once again, netted a perfect score of 50 on his second attempt of the first round. This time, he had a person stand with the ball over his head. McClung then jumped over the person but almost appeared to float as he hesitated for a moment before turning and flushing home the dunk.

McClung, who is attempting to win his third consecutive dunk contest, will face Castle in the final.

Mac McClung dazzles with over-the-car jam

Rookie Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs opened the contest with a 360 windmill, perhaps as a tribute to Vince Carter, who flushed home a similar dunk in the 2000 contest that was in Oakland. Castle slammed the dunk down in his first attempt and compiling a score of 47.2 points.

Matas Buzelis of the Bulls, a fellow rookie, didn’t complete his attempt, trying several times to bounce the ball in between his legs as he jumped from under the basket. The ball, however, didn’t appear to bounce the way he wanted; each judge gave Buzelis a score of 40, the lowest possible score.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. appeared to be a little rushed in his attempts, and he missed his first three. Looking to just complete an attempt and get on the board, Jackson dunked a fairly  straightforward double-clutch jam. His average score was 43.8.

Then, defending two-time champion Mac McClung opted for sizzle, bringing a Kia sedan onto the floor. McClung had a person hold the ball while extended through the sunroof as McClung soared over the car, grabbed the ball and powering home a reverse dunk that worked up the crowd. McClung got 50s across the board, easily topping the rest of the field.

All four participants will have one more attempt in the first round.

Vince Carter’s 2000 Slam Dunk Contest performance feted

The NBA honored Vince Carter and his historic Slam Dunk Contest performance from 2000 in the Bay Area.

Kenny “the Jet” Smith, whose “It’s over!” call on the broadcast 25 years ago added to the moment, opened the tribute, followed by former Raptors teammate (and Dunk Contest opponent) Tracy McGrady and even Carter, who is working on the TNT broadcast as an analyst.

Then, a videoboard in the arena replayed all five of Carter’s dunks from the contest in 2000.

Carter is also introducing each of the four participants in the contest.

Tyler Herro wins 3-point contest

SAN FRANCISCO — Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro won his first 3-point contest, besting Golden State’s Buddy Hield and Cleveland’s Darius Garland in the final round. Herro totaled 24 points to edge Hield, who had 23 points and needed to make his final five shots to win. He made his first three on the final rack, missed the fourth and made the fifth.

‘I got lucky,’ Herro said after his win. ‘I thought Buddy (Hield) was going to run off the last five (shots).”

Competing in the event for the second time in his career, Herro made both Starry money balls – worth three points instead of two – and made six of seven shots during one stretch in the finals to get the victory. Herro is having an All-Star season, averaging 23.9 points and shooting 38% on 3s. He is tied for fourth in made 3s this season with 189.

Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard, the 2023 and 2024 3-point champion, New York’s Jalen Brunson, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson and Los Angeles Clippers’ Norman Powell were eliminated in the first round. Lillard was trying to join Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only three-time winners.

Damian Lillard cannot complete 3-point contest three-peat

SAN FRANCISCO — There will no three-peat for Damian Lillard in the All-Star 3-point contest. Lillard, the 2023 and 2024 winner, failed to advance to the finals.

So, there will be a new champ this year. Golden State’s Buddy Hield, the 2020 3-point contest champ, Cleveland’s Darius Garland and Miami’s Tyler Herro advanced to the finals. Hield had the best score in the opening round with 31 points, followed by Garland’s 24 points and Herro’s 19 points.

New York’s Jalen Brunson, Detoit’s Cade Cunningham, Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson and Los Angeles Clippers’ Norman Powell were also eliminated.

Watch: LiAngelo Ball performs viral song ‘Tweaker’

LiAngelo Ball, the brother of Chicago Bulls’ Lonzo Ball and Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball, performed his viral song “Tweaker’ at the 2025 NBA All-Star weekend in San Francisco on Saturday. LiAngelo Ball, who goes by the nickname Gelo, was introduced at Chase Center by his older brother Lonzo. 

“Some dominate the court by attacking the rim. Others dominate the stage by commanding the mic,” Lonzo Ball said on Saturday. “In my family, we do both.”

Following the song’s release on Jan. 3, ‘Tweaker’ sold 94,000 units in its first full week in the U.S., according to Chart Data. The official music video has nearly 9 million views on YouTube as of Saturday. The viral song even landed Gelo a music deal with Def Jam and Universal Music Group worth as much as $13 million, with $8 million guaranteed, ESPN reported.

Team Cavs win 2025 Kia Skills Challenge

Team Cavs, made up of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, captured the 2025 Kia Skills Challenge on Saturday. Team Cavs defeated Team Warriors (Draymond Green and Moses Moody) in the second and final round with a time of 1:00. Green got caught up on the chest pass obstacle with three consecutive misses, allowing Team Cavs to sail to the victory. 

“When we agreed to do this, I told Evan (Mobley) that I wouldn’t let him down,” Mitchell said after the win. “He’s already got a win so the pressure was on me. He already did his part.”

Said Mobley: ‘It was fun, honestly. I feel like the first (round) was a little rusty (and) had to get back used to it. Then the second round, got the flow of it and Donovan followed right behind and got the W.’

Team Rooks (Atlanta Hawks’ Zaccharie Risacher and Washington Wizards’ Alex Sarr) and Team Spurs (Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama) were eliminated after the first round. Team Spurs was disqualified for breaking the rules. (More on that below.) 

‘Definitely cheating’: Team Spurs disqualified from Skills Challenge

Team Spurs, comprised of Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, were disqualified from the 2025 Kia Skills Challenge after trying to circumvent the rules. 

The timed obstacle course consists of three bounce passes, a dribble downcourt, a chest pass, a 3-point shot from the top of the arc, an elbow jumper and a corner three, in addition to an outlet pass and a final shot from anywhere on the court. Each player on the team goes individually and contributes to a team score. Players can advance to the next obstacle after three shot attempts. 

That’s exactly what Paul and Wembanyama tried to take advantage of. Instead of trying to shoot the ball, they both quickly threw up ‘shots’ that looked more like passes in an effort to cut down time. 

Team Spurs finished with a time of 47.9 seconds, but the boo birds rang out at Chase Center. Donovan Mitchell of Team Cavs gave a big thumbs-down. Team Spurs was subsequently disqualified for not making valid shot attempts. Paul tried to argue his case to no avail and declined to be interviewed by TNT on the court afterwards. 

“We were confused, but I think once when we found out they were disqualified, we realized just go ahead and do our own thing,” Mitchell said. “Credit to them, they tried to find a way to win.” 

Mitchell added, “It was definitely cheating though.”

Jayson Tatum expresses interest in WNBA team investment

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum earned his first NBA Championship following the 2024 season and could be ready to fully express what he’s ready to champion next.

Tatum stated he would be interested in investing in women’s sports during his NBA All-Star Game weekend media availability.

The St. Louis native is prideful about where he is from and believes there would be value in him investing in a WNBA team in his hometown.

‘I have a sister that lives in St. Louis and is (11 years old),’ Tatum said. ‘So I understand the impact it will be for the city of St. Louis and a bunch of girls around my sister’s age.’

According to Sportico, Tatum had informally agreed to invest in a billionaire-backed bid to bring the women’s league to the city in 2024. Pro basketball players such as Tatum can have involvement in the WNBA after the latest NBA bargaining agreement allows for players to own up to 4% of the WNBA franchises. ‒ James Williams

NBA commish on Doncic-Davis trade: ‘Time will tell whether it’s the smart trade’

NBA commissioner Adam Silver also addressed big deals at the NBA trade deadline and addressed a trade that was rescinded.

On the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade, Silver said he understands the anger from Dallas fans while also trusting a team to do what it thinks is best for the future.

“I mean, I’ve known Nico Harrison for a long time from his prior tenure at Nike, and I’ve gotten to be close to Patrick Dumont, our new governor in Dallas,’ Silver said. ‘I can say one thing for sure, whether or not history will openly judge this as a smart trade, they did what they thought was in the best interest of their organization. I have absolutely no knowledge or believe there were any ulterior motives. There’s no doubt in my mind that Dumont-Adelson families bought that team to keep it in Dallas. I have no doubt whatsoever that they’re committed to the long-term success of that franchise.

“And in terms of the Dallas fans, all I can say to them is again, time will tell whether it’s the smart trade, but I think they should believe in their organization. Their organization truly made a trade that they believe was in the best interest of the organization. And in many cases, again, it doesn’t mean they were right or wrong, but it’s very difficult to put yourselves in their shoes. I mean, they are living with a situation. They have a philosophical belief on what’s necessary ultimately (to) win (the) champion(ship). And I’m not in a position to second guess that.”

● On the Jimmy Butler-Miami Heat saga, Silver said he does not believe the new collective-bargaining agreement will lead to more team-player acrimony.

“What the CBA was designed to do, honestly, is to force teams to make difficult decisions,” Silver said. “I think teams are still finding their way a bit through this new second apron and what it means. But for us, it’s no secret that part of the design of that CBA and pushing down high-end spending was to create more parity in the league and to do a better job distributing our best players around the 30 teams. And I think you’re seeing that to a certain extent already. I’ll note, I think new CBAs are always difficult to predict.”

● On the rescinded Mark Williams trade from Charlotte to the Los Angeles Lakers, Silver said the Hornets have not filed a protest, but the process will push the league to examine how it views player physicals.

“The larger issue in this day and age of sports science: is there a different standard of what we should be applying in terms of players passing physicals in trades and something we should look at as a league?” Silver said. “I would say this issue does not come up that often. I can’t even remember, and certainly I don’t think in my tenure there’s ever been a challenge because a player has failed (a) physical, but almost by definition you get into a certain level of subjectivity and where that standard is. But let’s see what Charlotte decides to do here. Either way, it’s gotten our attention.”

Curry vs. Ionescu, part 2? ‘We just weren’t feeling it,’ says NBA commish Adam Silver

SAN FRANCISCO — NBA commissioner Adam Silver said another Steph Curry-Sabrina Ionescu 3-point All-Star shootout didn’t materialize because it felt forced this year vs. the organic nature of the popular and energetic Curry-Ionescu showdown at last year’s All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.

“Last year was so magical, that competition, that it started to feel forced (this year),” Silver said. “And I think there was concern from all of us that we just weren’t feeling it … even though I had been public, I had said that I was very hopeful or said it was going to happen again. And I think that it just got to the point where, I don’t know how to say it other than we just weren’t collectively feeling it. That it was such a unique moment last year. …

“It just seemed like coming back here, as exciting as it might have been, that this just wasn’t the right time to do it. And there’s no more to it than that.”

Damian Lillard, Mac McClung go for rare three-peats

The Kansas City Chiefs weren’t able to complete a historic three-peat at Super Bowl 59, but Damian Lillard and Mac McClung have their chances at the 2025 NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco. 

Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks and McClung of the Orlando Magic and Osceola Magic are vying for a rare three-peat in the 3-point and slam dunk contest, respectively. 

Lillard became just the sixth player in league history to win back-to-back 3-point contests following his victories in Salt Lake City in 2023 and Indianapolis in 2024. If Lillard can pull off the feat, in his hometown nonetheless, he’ll join the Boston Celtics’ Larry Bird (1986-88) and the Chicago Bulls’ Craig Hodges (1990-02) with a 3-point contest three-peat. 

“The three-point shot … has made my career great, because I think I’m one of the best at it. It was that way when I stepped foot into the league,” said Lillard, who is fourth all-time in three-pointers made in NBA history. ‘Shooters shoot. That’s what it comes down to … I think it’s pretty simple. I know that I’m a great shooter and I’m a consistent shooter.’

No one has ever won the slam dunk contest three consecutive times. Can McClung be the first? 

McClung is the fifth player to win back-to-back slam dunk titles, following Michael Jordan (1987-88), Jason Richardson (2002-03), Nate Robinson (2009-10) and Zach LaVine (2015-16).

New NBA All-Star game format 

The 2025 NBA All-Star Game will be a tournament format with four teams: Team Chuck, Team Shaq, Team Kenny, and Team Candace, created by the Rising Stars event winner.

The four teams will battle it out in two semifinal games, with the winners advancing to the championship. The main event will take place Sunday and will be broadcast on TNT. — Elizabeth Flores

NBA All-Star skills competition: How to watch showcase

TV channel: TNT, 7 p.m. ET

Saturday’s All-Star festivities, including the dunk contest, will be broadcast on TNT, starting at 7 p.m. ET with a tipoff show. The night will be hosted by the network’s ‘Inside the NBA’ crew – Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith with Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller and Allie LaForce providing commentary and reporting. Events begin at about 8 p.m. ET. You can stream it on Sling.

NBA All-Star skills competition: How to stream basketball event

NBA All-Star weekend welcomes a few events tipping off across networks that include ESPN and TNT, which you can stream on Sling.

Watch NBA All-Star weekend events with Sling

Who is participating in the Slam Dunk contest?

Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung
Bulls forward Matas Buzelis
Spurs guard Stephon Castle
Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr.

Prize money for Slam Dunk contest

First place: $105,000
Second place: $55,000
Third place: $20,000
Fourth place: $20,000

Who are Slam Dunk contest judges?

Former NBA players Baron Davis, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and Jason Richardson are this year’s dunk contest judges. Richardson won the event twice (2002, 2003).

Slam Dunk contest winners, by year

2024: Mac McClung, Philadelphia 76ers
2023: Mac McClung, Philadelphia 76ers
2022: Obi Toppin, New York Knicks
2021: Anfernee Simons, Portland Trail Blazers
2020: Derrick Jones Jr., Miami Heat
2019: Hamidou Diallo, Oklahoma City Thunder
2018: Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
2017: Glenn Robinson III, Indiana Pacers
2016: Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves
2015: Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves
2014: John Wall, Washington Wizards
2013: Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors
2012: Jeremy Evans, Utah Jazz
2011: Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
2010: Nate Robinson, New York Knicks
2009: Nate Robinson, New York Knicks
2008: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
2007: Gerald Green, Boston Celtics
2006: Nate Robinson, New York Knicks
2005: Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks
2004: Fred Jones, Indiana Pacers
2003: Jason Richardson, Golden State Warriors
2002: Jason Richardson, Golden State Warriors
2001: Desmond Mason, Seattle SuperSonics
2000: Vince Carter, Toronto Raptors
1997: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
1996: Brent Barry, Los Angeles Clippers
1995: Harold Miner, Miami Heat
1994: Isiah Rider, Minnesota Timberwolves
1993: Harold Miner, Miami Heat
1992: Cedric Ceballos, Phoenix Suns
1991: Dee Brown, Boston Celtics
1990: Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta Hawks
1989: Kenny Walker, New York Knicks
1988: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
1987: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
1986: Spud Webb, Atlanta Hawks
1985: Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta Hawks
1984: Larry Nance, Phoenix Suns

What are Slam Dunk contest rules?

In the final round, the dunker with the lowest score from the first round will go first. The same scoring rules apply, and the contestant with the higher score will be the champion. In the case of a tie, there will be a one dunk dunk-off. If there is a tie following the dunk-off, the judges will vote to break the tie, as in the tiebreaking scenario from the first round.

Who is participating in the NBA All-Star 3-point contest?

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham
Cavaliers guard Darius Garland
Heat guard Tyler Herro
Warriors guard Buddy Hield
Nets forward Cam Johnson
Bucks guard Damian Lillard
Clippers guard Norman Powell

NBA All-Star 3-point contest winners by year

2024: Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
2023: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
2022: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
2021: Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
2020: Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings
2019: Joe Harris, Brooklyn Nets
2018: Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
2017: Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
2016: Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
2015: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
2014: Marco Belinelli, San Antonio Spurs
2013: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
2012: Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
2011: James Jones, Miami Heat
2010: Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
2009: Daequan Cook, Miami Heat
2008: Jason Kapono, Toronto Raptors
2007: Jason Kapono, Toronto Raptors
2006: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
2005: Quentin Richardson, Phoenix Suns
2004: Voshon Lenard, Denver Nuggets
2003: Peja Stojakovic, Sacramento Kings
2002: Peja Stojakovic, Sacramento Kings
2001: Ray Allen, Milwaukee Bucks
2000: Jeff Hornacek, Utah Jazz
1998: Jeff Hornacek, Utah Jazz
1997: Steve Kerr, Chicago Bulls
1996: Tim Legler, Washington Wizards
1995: Glen Rice, Miami Heat
1994: Mark Price, Cleveland Cavaliers
1993: Mark Price, Cleveland Cavaliers
1992: Craig Hodges, Chicago Bulls
1991: Craig Hodges, Chicago Bulls
1990: Craig Hodges, Chicago Bulls
1989: Dale Ellis Seattle SuperSonics
1988: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
1987: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
1986: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

What is prize money for winning 3-point contest?

First place: $60,000
Second place: $40,000
Third place: $25,000
Fourth place: $15,000
Fifth place: $15,000
Sixth place: $15,000
Seventh place: $15,000
Eighth place: $10,000

What are the NBA 3-point contest rules?

Ball racks are stationed at five locations around the 3-point line, and four of the racks contain four orange basketballs and one money ball. The orange basketballs are worth one point, and the money ball, which has to be the last ball shot on each rack, is worth two points. The fifth rack will be an all money-ball rack and each competitor gets to choose where this rack will be among the locations. Each money ball on this rack is worth two points. Two pedestals are placed deeper than the 3-point line, edging closer to the center court logo, and each pedestal holds a white basketball. A made shot from deep range is worth 3 points.

What’s the future of ‘Inside the NBA’? Details still need to be worked out

SAN FRANCISCO – The idea of not working NBA All-Star Weekend didn’t register with TNT’s Kenny Smith until a friend asked him a question this week.

“My friend asked, ‘Are you going to come to All-Star Weekend next year?’ Smith told USA TODAY Sports from the green room at Pier 48, down the street from Golden State’s Chase Center. He was preparing to appear with TNT’s popular “Inside the NBA” crew for a show before the Minnesota-Oklahoma City game.

“I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He says, ‘Well, NBC does it after this season.’ When my friend asked me that question, I had never thought about it.’ Read the full story here.

Opinion: NBA’s winning social media strategy comes at expense of All-Star Game

Despite the NBA’s best efforts over the last decade to juice up its All-Star Game to a vague level of competitiveness and credibility, it’s hard to see the league’s newest gimmick generating significantly different results this weekend than the Elam Ending or having LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo drafting the teams. 

If that’s the case, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will likely see it as a failure. He has made it clear he wants the All-Star Game to be something other than a glorified pickup run, and the league hopes that this year’s format — dividing players into four teams and having a first-to-40 tournament — will be more satisfying for fans in the arena and more attractive for those watching on television. 

But the real problem with the All-Star Game is not something the NBA can fix with a new format, or even shoveling money into the bank accounts of the players.

The problem is us. Or, to be more precise, the way our collective consumption of the NBA has evolved. Read Dan Wolken’s column here.

Opinion: NBA All-Star Game on life support? Format change may save it

NBA commissioner Adam Silver wants a more competitive All-Star Game. His broadcast partners domestically and globally want a more competitive game. Fans – and their seething, disgusted, and worse, apathetic emails dropped into my inbox – want the same. I, too, prefer a more competitive All-Star Game.

Yet, I am skeptical that there is a long-term solution to making it a better product for the league, its partners and fans. Read Jeff Zillgitt’s column here.

Steph Curry teases new film ‘Goat’

Golden State Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry is weighing in on the NBA GOAT conversation, sort of.

‘A lot of debate but there can only be one GOAT,’ Curry shared on social media Saturday during the 74th NBA All-Star Weekend, which returned to the San Francisco, Bay Area for the first time since 2000. Instead of mentioning the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James or Kobe Bryant, Curry teased his upcoming film, ‘Goat.’

Curry released the official movie poster for ‘Goat,’ which is set to hit theaters on Feb. 13, 2026. The release date coincides with the 75th NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles next year. Curry will serve as the producer of the original animated sports comedy, which features an actual goat playing basketball.

‘This kid’s got game,’ the film’s poster reads.

Carmelo Anthony, Sue Birds finalists for 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame class

A group of 17 finalists were announced for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 on Friday as part of the NBA’s All-Star Game weekend, including former Nuggets and Knicks icon and 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, eight-time All-WNBA point guard Sue Bird, three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard and four-time WNBA champion Maya Moore.

The group of finalists was whittled from a list of 95 nominees that were announced in mid-December. Nominees are sorted through six categories: North America, Women’s, Contributor, International, Women’s Veteran and Veteran. Read the full list of finalists here.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Mac McClung of the Orlando Magic secured his place in NBA history Saturday night by becoming the first player to win the NBA Slam Dunk contest for the third consecutive year.

The reigning G-League MVP wasn’t ready to rest on those accomplishments coming into the competition. He made a statement – by jumping over a car – in the first round to impress the judges and help secure his early positioning.

The judges for the contest included Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Baron Davis, Jason Richardson and Jesser.

Here’s how the defending champion secured his historic third title:

Mac McClung jumps over a Kia to take early lead

McClung jumped in the air and took the ball out of the hands of a person standing out of the sunroof of a Kia. McClung floated over the car, turned and slammed the ball in behind his head before landing on the other side. His choice could have been a tribute to Blake Griffin.In 2011, Griffin received a lob pass from teammate Davis, who was standing out of the sunroof of a Kia, while in midair jumping over the car.

McClung seems to hang in air for second perfect 50

For his second dunk of the night, McClung again enlisted help; this time, he had a man stand near the basket, holding a ball over his head. McClung then ran along the baseline before he jumped, grabbed the ball and then hesitated, appearing to hang suspended in the air. He then turned his body and flushed home a two-handed dunk.

Mac McClung double dunks

McClung performed a dunk with the help of two men to help put two balls into the basket.The defending champ took the first ball out of the hands of a man spinning on a hoverboard as he jumped over him. Then, he showed the coordination to slam in another ball held near the basket by a man on a ladder before putting home the first ball.

Mac McClung puts the Slam Dunk contest out of reach

McClung secured the victory by jumping over Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley and tapping the ball on the rim.The dunk resulted in a perfect score (50 points) from the judges.