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All-Star issues statement on suicide revelation in Red Sox doc

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran and his parents both issued statements after Duran revealed in the docuseries ‘The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox,’ currently streaming on Netflix, that he attempted suicide.

The 28-year-old Duran said he was thinking about taking his own life when he wasn’t playing the way he was capable. But he has played strongly the past couple of years, including becoming an All-Star in 2024, and was named the MVP of that game after hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to give the American League the lead.

‘I was already hearing it from fans,’ Duran said in the docuseries. ‘And what they said to me, [it was like], ‘I’ve told myself 10 times worse in the mirror.’ That was a really tough time for me. I didn’t even want to be here anymore.’

“Talking about this wasn’t easy, but it felt important,’ Duran added in a statement on Tuesday. ‘I trusted the Netflix crew, and I knew that if I was going to share this, I had to be real about it. A few years ago, I found myself in a dark place, but I’m still here, and I’m so lucky I am. And if my story can help even one person, then it was worth telling. It’s that ability to help, to reach those who feel alone, that motivated me to tell my story. Right now, my focus is on the field. We have a postseason to chase, and that’s where my head is. I’ve shared what I needed to share, and I appreciate everyone’s understanding that my focus right now is on baseball and helping my team win a World Series. I am grateful for the tremendous support I’ve received. If you’re struggling, please know there’s help. You can call a friend, a trusted person, your doctor, or an organization like Samaritans. And, if you’re in immediate danger, call 988.”

Duran’s parents, Octavio and Dena Duran said in a statement that there’s ‘nothing harder than knowing your child was in pain.’ and it was ‘heartbreaking to hear’ their son going through those struggles.

‘We are beyond grateful that he is still here, that he has found the courage to keep going, and that he is using his voice to help others,’ the Durans said. ‘If his story can help even one person, then it was worth sharing. We are incredibly proud of the man he is today and love him more than words can say. We will always be in his corner.”

Jarren Duran is batting .245 with seven RBI in 11 games this season.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online.

Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.

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NBA MVP power rankings: It’s Gilgeous-Alexander’s year

The race for NBA Most Valuable Player is coming down to the slimmest of margins.

And, despite massive performances from players like Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, this continues to be a two-man race between Nikola Jokić of the Nuggets and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder.

Both players have legitimate, if different, arguments to support their case: Gilgeous-Alexander has been consistent and steady and is just as valuable on defense as he is with his scoring. Jokić has been a dominant offensive force in the paint and continues to be one of the game’s best passers — at any position.

All of this is leading up to what could be the closest MVP race since 2004-05, when Suns guard Steve Nash topped Heat center Shaquille O’Neal by 34 points.

USA TODAY’s NBA MVP power rankings (stats and team records before Tuesday’s games):

5. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum has solidified himself as one of the league’s best players, and he’s headed for his fifth consecutive All-NBA selection. He’s been in and out of the lineup recently protecting a sprained left ankle, and the Celtics have the luxury of letting that heal with the No. 2 seed secured in the Eastern Conference. He plays on a loaded roster that relies on a certain style so his stats are tempered compared to what they could be if he were on another team. Still, Tatum averages 26.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals, and there aren’t many players in the league who deliver that game by game.

4. Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards

Anthony Edwards, who has missed just three games this season, averages 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals and shoots 44.6% from the field, 39.7% on 3-pointers and 83.5% on free throws. Those are career highs in scoring and 3-point percentage, plus his effective field goal percentage (.545), which takes into account made 2s and 3s. In the past three weeks as the Timberwolves try to stay out of the play-in game format, Edwards has scored at least 30 points four times, including 41 points against Utah, 38 against Indiana and 37 against Philadelphia.

3. Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo

He is having the misfortune of producing monster numbers in a historic season, but remaining wholly out of reach of his third career MVP. With Damian Lillard’s continued absence (deep vein thrombosis), Antetokounmpo has taken on an even bigger load offensively, both as a scorer and distributor; his 35-point, 17-rebound, 20-assist triple-double Thursday against the 76ers was the first time in NBA history that a player recorded that stat line. Yet, in the face of the consistent greatness Jokić and Gilgeous-Alexander have shown, Antetokounmpo remains a distant third.

2. Nuggets center Nikola Jokić

You could make a sound argument that Jokić has had the better week individually, with two triple-doubles, including a 61-point effort April 1, in his past three games. In fact, it marked the highest-scoring triple-double in league history. The issue is that Denver has hit a rough patch and is on a four-game losing streak, though Jokić sat out last Wednesday’s loss against the Spurs. Yet, in the five games since returning from an ankle injury suffered in late March, Jokić is averaging 40.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 9.6 assists per game. The Nuggets are sliding, yes, but they would be utterly lost without him.

1. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

For the team with the best record in the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander is the Thunder’s best player, leading the league in scoring at 32.6 points per game (career high) while also averaging 6.4 assists (career high), 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks while shooting 51.9% from the field, 37.1% on 3s and 90% on free throws. Having the best season of his career, Gilgeous-Alexander is a two-way performer, helping the Thunder to the No. 3 offense, No. 1 defense and No. 1 overall net rating. They are just one of two teams ranked in the top five in offensive and defensive rating, and Gilgeous-Alexander is a major reason.

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Florida beat Houston at own game and staged another comeback for national title

SAN ANTONIO – What wasn’t said won Florida its first national championship in 18 years Monday night.

The No. 1 seed Gators, stubborn and battle-worn, wiped away a 12-point second-half deficit on their way to a 65-63 defeat of Houston that wasn’t supposed to end like this if it looked like this.

If styles make fights, this one matured as Houston wanted. Tempo, complexion, even atmosphere — inside a Cougar-friendly Alamodome — all favored the team in red and white. Even Houston coach Kelvin Sampson admitted as much postgame.

This was supposed to be the way the Cougars won, not the way Florida won. And yet, when the final seconds expired Monday night with Alex Condon stretched out on the floor and Walter Clayton Jr. leaping into Micah Handlogten’s arms, it was the Gators who could celebrate because they’d done what no one was supposed to be able to do:

They’d out-toughed Houston.

“Our guys knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Didn’t panic when it got tough,” Florida coach Todd Golden said. “We got rewarded because of that toughness.”

For long stretches of both halves, fellow No. 1 seed Houston looked like it had outmaneuvered the Gators, as well as outworked them.

Florida turned the ball over seven more times in the first half. Clayton, the NCAA Tournament’s most outstanding player, didn’t score for the first 25 minutes. Houston stuck Florida’s free-flowing Ferrari of an offense in heavy traffic, eventually stretching its lead to 12 points early in the second half.

The Gators’ last lead was 8-6, with 15:37 remaining in the first half. Their first lead of the second half was 64-63, with 46 seconds left in the game.

UPS AND DOWNS: Winners and losers of NCAA men’s tournament

In between, Florida endured the same dark night of the soul Houston inflicts on so many of the teams it beats. Playing Sampson’s team at its best must feel like being pulled slowly down into a pool of quicksand, and for long stretches of Monday night, Florida looked like it was sinking.

And that never fazed the Gators. They’d been in the muck before.

“We like to give the fans a scare,” sophomore forward Thomas Haugh said on the court afterward, smiling. “We like to keep it interesting sometimes.”

Buy Florida championship book, gear

In a tournament criticized for its lack of unpredictability, Florida delivered the excitement.

The Gators trailed UConn by six with less than 10 minutes left in the second round. They erased a late nine-point deficit against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight, in 87 seconds. Auburn led by as many as nine in Saturday’s semifinal, and Houston looked for all the world like it had a first-ever national championship in sight Monday.

“The way we looked tonight, we’ve won a lot of games like that,” Sampson said. “Some nights we struggle offensively. We usually find a way to win. Tonight, we didn’t.”

Because Florida said no. Because Florida came back. Because against the toughest team in America, Florida was tougher.

Per ESPN, the Gators are the only national champion in the last 20 years to overcome deficits of at least nine points in the Elite Eight, Final Four and national championship game.

Their opponents’ win probabilities crested at 94.4% (Texas Tech), 81.2% (Auburn) and 89.8% (Houston) in that stretch. Monday’s comeback was the joint-third largest in national title game history.

“Our guys have been really good all year staying the course,” Golden said. “In this tournament, especially after the first round, every team you play is going to be really, really good. You’ve got to have incredible toughness.”

Which is why, in those crucial moments when the cliff edge came into view, and Florida could have been forgiven some panic, none showed. The Gators’ silence spoke volumes.

No impassioned speeches in huddles. No come-to-Jesus during media timeouts. No pointed pep talks when Clayton (who came alive late and finished with 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds) struggled, or when those turnovers mounted, or when a team with one technical foul on its ledger all season picked up two in one game.

Just the marrow-deep belief that eventually, Florida’s quality would show, and the determination to keep going until it did.

Houston was supposed to win this way. Houston was built to win this way. On Monday night, America found out Florida was built just a little bit better.

“We didn’t have to pump those guys up,” Golden said. “It was more just, let’s get back to being ourselves and do what we do. They don’t need those words of encouragement. It’s embedded in their DNA.”

Now, so is a national championship.

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on X: @ZachOsterman.

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House Republicans worry even Trump can’t save them as tax cuts, budget bill hang in balance

House Republicans are in disarray ahead of an expected Wednesday afternoon vote to advance the Senate’s version of a massive bill advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda. 

Several people who spoke with Fox News Digital said they were concerned that even the president may not be able to sway holdouts ahead of a planned Wednesday vote – despite Trump’s ability to do so on key pieces of legislation on multiple occasions this year.

‘This one is tough to tell,’ one senior House Republican said when asked if Trump could persuade enough critics to pass the legislation. ‘There’s a level of distrust, historically – that from [$1.5 trillion] to $4 billion, it’s like, why did we go so low?’

Fiscal hawks’ chief concerns with the bill lie in the differences between minimum mandatory spending cuts. 

The House’s version, which the chamber passed in late February, calls for at least $1.5 to $2 trillion in federal spending cuts to offset the new spending for Trump’s priorities on defense, the border and taxes. 

The Senate passed an amendment to the House version over the weekend that, while closely mirroring the lower chamber, called for at least $4 billion in spending cuts.

Sources told Fox News Digital that there are as many as 30 to 40 people who have at least shared serious concerns about the bill.

Some skeptics are expected to be part of a group of House Republicans heading to the White House on Tuesday afternoon to meet with Trump.

But at least three lawmakers who have shared concerns about the bill – Reps. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Keith Self, R-Texas – said they were not invited.

Meanwhile, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., signaled to reporters that he turned the invitation down.

‘There’s nothing I don’t understand about this issue. So, you know, let the president spend time with people who maybe will change their mind,’ Harris said. 

He said of Trump’s influence, ‘It’s not going to help getting enough votes to pass this week. It’s just, there too many members who are just not going to vote for it, no matter what.’

‘I don’t see it happening,’ a second House Republican told Fox News Digital when asked if Trump could get the legislation over the line.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., said, ‘I love the president,’ but similarly doubted whether the legislation could pass a Wednesday afternoon vote.

‘I think that because what the Senate sent over is so financially immoral, that it doesn’t matter how much pressure, there’s so many of us that can’t swallow it,’ he told reporters.

Congressional Republicans are working on a massive piece of legislation that Trump has dubbed ‘one big, beautiful bill’ to advance his agenda on border security, defense, energy and taxes.

Such a measure is largely only possible via the budget reconciliation process. Traditionally used when one party controls all three branches of government, reconciliation lowers the Senate’s threshold for passage of certain fiscal measures from 60 votes to 51. As a result, it has been used to pass broad policy changes in one or two massive pieces of legislation.

Trump publicly called for House Republicans to fall in line to pass the Senate version on Monday night.

‘There is no better time than now to get this Deal DONE! The House, the Senate, and our Great Administration, are going to work tirelessly on creating ‘THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL, BILL,’ an appropriate name if Congress so likes. Everyone is going to be happy with the result,’ he wrote on Truth Social. ‘THE HOUSE MUST PASS THIS BUDGET RESOLUTION, AND QUICKLY – MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’

House GOP leaders have argued that passing the Senate’s version is a critical step to unlocking the main portion of the reconciliation process, where the relevant committees find ways to enact conservative policy goals in line with the funding set out by Republicans’ reconciliation framework.

They’ve also insisted that passing the Senate’s version does not impede the House from working toward its more conservative goal.

‘The budget resolution is not the law, OK? All this does is it allows us to continue the process, begin drafting the actual legislation that really counts. And that’s the one big, beautiful bill. Number two, the Senate amendment makes no changes to the reconciliation instructions that we put into the budget resolution. So our objectives remain intact,’ Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said during his weekly press conference.

‘Number three, any final reconciliation bill has to include historic spending reductions that we included in our, resolution while also safeguarding essential programs.’

But fiscal hawks critical of the bill, like Harris, are pushing Republican leaders to allow the House to begin working on its reconciliation bill now and forcing the Senate to reckon with that proposal.

And some Republican holdouts are optimistic that Trump could get them to a point where they can support the legislation Wednesday.

‘I sure hope he can,’ Norman told Fox News Digital. ‘We’re in favor of what he’s doing.’

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Supreme Court rules on status of tens of thousands of fired probationary employees

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with the Trump administration and upheld the mass firing of tens of thousands of probationary federal employees, granting a request for an emergency administrative stay on a lower court order blocking the firings.

The majority of the high court ruled that the plaintiffs, nine non-profit organizations who had sued to reinstate the employees, lacked standing to sue. 

‘The District Court’s injunction was based solely on the allegations of the nine non-profit-organization plaintiffs in this case. But under established law, those allegations are presently insufficient to support the organizations’ standing,’ the court said in an order. 

Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson would have denied the application for a stay.

In their final brief to the Supreme Court, government attorneys argued that lower courts overstepped their authority by ordering the reinstatement of probationary employees last month.

The legal battle stems from the termination of an estimated 16,000 probationary federal employees since President Donald Trump took office, prompting a wave of lawsuits from Democrat-led states and former workers.

Probationary employees are particularly vulnerable to termination because they lack the civil service protections granted to full-time federal workers, which typically take effect after a designated period of service.

Justice Department lawyers have warned that forcing the government to rehire those employees would create ‘chaos’ across federal agencies. They have also maintained that the firings were tied to poor performance – an allegation the dismissed employees strongly dispute.

Last month, a federal judge in Baltimore ordered the Trump administration to reinstate probationary employees who had been fired from multiple government agencies.

Chief Judge James Bredar also directed the administration to return within seven days with a list of the affected employees and an explanation of how the agencies were complying with the reinstatement order.

In their Supreme Court filing, the plaintiffs argued that the Trump administration’s ‘decimation’ of probationary staff had caused deep and lasting harm to key federal agencies.

At the Department of Veterans Affairs – already plagued by chronic understaffing – the layoffs have ‘already had and will imminently continue to have’ serious negative consequences for those who rely on its services, the plaintiffs wrote.

‘Similarly, cuts to the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have already harmed and will continue to harm the ability of Respondent environmental and outdoor organizations to enjoy and protect a wide range of federal lands and resources,’ they said.

The plaintiffs, represented by the American Federation of Government Employees, argued that the terminations have already caused significant disruption across the federal government, impairing agencies’ ability to carry out critical functions.

Most recently, a federal judge in Maryland expanded an order this week requiring the Trump administration to rehire terminated probationary federal employees. The ruling also barred the administration from carrying out future mass firings of probationary staff unless done in accordance with federal laws governing employee removals.

That includes providing affected employees with a 60-day notice period, as required under current civil service regulations.

In a Supreme Court filing, Solicitor General John Sauer argued that the lower court’s injunction had forced the Trump administration to rehire federal workers ‘despite agencies’ judgments about what best serves their missions.’

‘Courts do not have license to block federal workplace reforms at the behest of anyone who wishes to retain particular levels of general government services,’ the government wrote in its brief.

The administration argues that reinstatement is not an appropriate remedy in this case, claiming it exceeds the court’s authority – and that even if the terminations were deemed ‘unlawful,’ that still would not justify such a sweeping order.

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SCOOP: Treasury Secretary Bessent to huddle with key Republican caucus as Trump enacts tariff plan

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be on Capitol Hill again on Wednesday to meet with a key Republican caucus, Fox News Digital has learned.

A source familiar with the planning told Fox News Digital that Bessent is among the speakers at the Republican Study Committee’s weekly lunch on Wednesday. Discussions are likely to focus on tariffs and the budget reconciliation process, the source anticipated. It comes as House Republicans wrestle with a way forward on both fronts.

On tariffs, some Republican lawmakers have said they would like more clarity from the White House on President Donald Trump’s plans – including whether his sweeping import taxes on friends and foes are a negotiation tactic or a matter of long-term policy.

One GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital that Trump’s messaging has been ‘well-received’ but added, ‘It would be nice to have more information.’

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who is leading a bipartisan bill to retake Congress’ power on tariffs, told reporters on Tuesday, ‘I don’t like the thought of waging a trade war with the entire world, and that’s what we’re doing right now.’ 

‘I mean, I surely support tariffs on China. It’s not that I oppose all tariffs, I think there are some countries that would need it. But I question why on Canada,’ Bacon said.

Others, like Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., were more supportive – though he also signaled he saw it as more of a negotiating tool.

‘I believe in fair and free trade, I really do, but what we have right now is not fair, and it’s not free – we pay a disproportionate tax to other nations,’ Haridopolos told Fox News Digital. ‘Whatever you tax me, I’ll tax you. Even better, if there’s no tax between the two countries, that’s a win for the United States in general.’

‘I think the president has taken a strong position to say, ‘We’re a very generous country, and….all we’re asking for is for our trading partners to treat us the way they want to be treated.”

The Republican Study Committee has more than 170 members and acts as the House Republican conference’s de facto think tank at times.

Bessent, meanwhile, opened the door to using tariffs as a hardball tactic in trade talks with other countries – likely welcome news for Republicans who were concerned about the long-term impact on their districts.

He told CNBC on Tuesday morning that he and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer were tapped to lead talks with Japan. He also said Trump himself would be ‘directly involved in those negotiations.’

‘There are 50, 60, maybe almost 70 countries now who have approached us. So it’s going to be a busy April, May, maybe into June. And Japan is a very important military ally,’ Bessent said. ‘And the U.S. has a lot of history with them, so I would expect that Japan’s going to get priority, just because they came forward very quickly. But it’s going to be very busy.’

On the other end, the White House is working with House GOP leaders to convince critics of the Senate’s version of a sweeping bill to advance Trump’s agenda.

Republicans are aiming to use their majorities to pass a massive piece of legislation dealing with border security, energy and defense, as well as extending Trump’s 2017 tax policies. 

Fiscal hawks are angry that the Senate’s version of the bill mandates a minimum of $4 billion in cuts, whereas the House plan calls for at least $1.5 trillion.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Treasury Department but did not immediately hear back.

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China says JD Vance’s comments about ‘peasants’ are ‘words that lack knowledge and respect’

China is pushing back Tuesday after Vice President JD Vance told Fox News last week that the U.S. borrows ‘money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture.’ 

Vance, during an interview with ‘Fox & Friends,’ made the remark while speaking about the effects of the Trump administration’s tariffs. 

‘I think it’s useful for all of us to step back and ask us, ask ourselves, what is the globalist economy gotten the United States of America? And the answer is fundamentally, it’s based on two principles — incurring a huge amount of debt to buy things that other countries make for us, and to make it a little bit more crystal clear, we borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture,’ Vance said.  

When asked about Vance’s comments on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said, ‘To hear words that lack knowledge and respect like those uttered by this Vice President is both surprising and kind of lamentable. 

‘China has made its position perfectly clear on its trade relations with the U.S.,’ he added. 

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

China’s criticism of Vance on Tuesday comes as the U.S. and China are involved in an escalating dispute over tariffs. 

‘Remember the during the first Trump administration, everybody said that Trump’s tariffs were going to be inflationary back then. What actually happened — we had 1.5% inflation, we had the fastest growing economy in a generation. And we had the beginning of a manufacturing renaissance in the United States of America,’ Vance told Fox News. ‘Then, of course, we had four terrible years of the Biden administration.’ 

‘We’ve seen closing factories. We’ve seen rising inflation. We’ve seen the cost of housing so high that most Americans can’t afford to buy a home right now,’ he also said. ‘President Trump is taking this economy in a different direction. He ran on that. He promised it. And now he’s delivering.’ 

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Musk spars with White House trade advisor Peter Navarro: ‘Dumber than a sack of bricks’

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk sparred on social media Tuesday with White House Senior Counselor Peter Navarro, after Navarro said in an interview Monday that Tesla was a car ‘assembler’ rather than a manufacturer. 

‘Tesla has the most American-made cars. Navarro is dumber than a sack of bricks,’ Musk said in an X post on Tuesday. 

‘Navarro is truly a moron,’ Musk said in a separate post. ‘What he says here is demonstrably false.’ 

Both Navarro and Musk are two of Trump’s closest advisors, and Navarro previously served in Trump’s first administration as the director of the White House National Trade Council and the director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy. 

Musk is currently spearheading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative to curb government waste and spending as a ‘special government employee.’ 

The executive or legislative branches are permitted to take on temporary employees to address short-term projects for up to 130 days in a single 365-day period, which will expire at the end of May for Musk. 

The tension between the two advisors comes days after the Trump administration unveiled a host of tariffs Wednesday. The policy sets out a baseline duty of 10% on all imports to the U.S., in addition to customized tariffs for countries that have higher tariffs in place on American goods.

Meanwhile, Musk is an advocate for free-trade policies. 

Navarro told CNBC in an interview Monday that Musk is a ‘car person’ who wants ‘cheap, foreign parts.’ 

‘When it comes to tariffs and trade, we all understand in the White House, and the American people understand, that Elon is a car manufacturer, but he’s not a car manufacturer,’ Navarro said. ‘He’s a car assembler.’ 

Musk and Navarro could not be reached for comment by Fox News Digital. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off the disagreement as a sign of the administration’s transparency. 

‘Whatever,’ Leavitt said, according to CNBC. ‘We are the most transparent administration in history, expressing our disagreements in public.’

 

The White House referred Fox News Digital to Leavitt’s comment to CNBC when asked to weigh in on the matter. 

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the episode exposed the ‘chaos’ within the Trump administration. 

‘The chaos within the Trump administration was shown a few minutes ago when Elon Musk called Peter Navarro, the chief architect of these tariffs, a moron,’ Schumer said on the Senate floor Tuesday. ‘That’s Musk’s word. He called him a moron. Their plan is so crazy, so controversial, that this administration cannot get its act together with them calling names about each other to against one one another about this tariff plan.’ 

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Kelvin Sampson: ‘Incomprehensible’ final possession in national championship game

As painful as it is to lose in the final seconds of the national championship game, it’s even worse when you can’t even get a potential game-tying or game-winning shot off.

It happened twice for Houston on Monday night. Down by one with 30 seconds left, guard Emanuel Sharp drove to the basket and lost the handle of the ball. It went off his knee and gave Florida possession and a chance to extend the lead. Houston received life when Florida’s Denzel Aberdeen made one of two free-throw attempts, keeping the window open for a championship-winning shot.

Instead, the ball never went up. Florida pressured the perimeter as Houston looked for a shot. Sharp was about to pull up for one when Walter Clayton Jr. closed out and caused hesitation. Sharp’s feet left the floor as the ball left his hands, unable to touch it again or it be a turnover. Florida pounced on it and the clock hit zero to secure the national championship, and end Houston’s season in heartbreaking fashion.

A national championship was in Houston’s sight when it led by 12 points in the second half, and even when it had the ball last. It ended with two turnovers and zero shot attempts.

Now, the end of the game will be the biggest ‘what if?’ in program history.

‘I’m just going through those last two possessions,’ said head coach Kelvin Sampson. ‘Incomprehensible in that situation, we couldn’t get a shot. Gotta get a shot.

‘We didn’t score it well enough to win. We scored it well enough to be in a position to win. It comes down to those at the end. You got to get a shot. Got to do better than that.’

It’s a moment that likely will haunt Sharp and the Cougars for quite some time. Sharp remained on the court as Florida celebrated the national championship, and even though he caused it, Clayton made sure to check in on the Houston sharpshooter afterward.

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Sampson elaborated his team was struggling to score the entire second half despite having clean looks, but the plan for the final possessions was for Sharp to get a shot fake and drive toward the basket. He was comfortable with going for the tie to force overtime. Sharp did try the fake, only he committed too much and left his feet and Clayton went for a potential block. He credited the defensive pressure for forcing Sharp into the costly mistake.

‘Clayton made a great play on that, but that’s why you got to shot fake and get in the paint,’ Sampson said.

If you heard Clayton made the critical play at the end to get Florida its third national championship, most would assume it would’ve been a game-winning shot given his incredible offensive output this tournament. He spent most of Monday night unable to score and his late flurry propelled the comeback, but the close out sealed the victory for the Gators.

Forward Alex Condon said it was a great defensive play by Clayton to force Sharp into the blunder. Condon was the one that dove on the ball and got the ball away as the buzzer went off.

Clayton said he saw ‘a lot going on’ on the final possession, but he saw a back screen set up and called for it, but Sharp ended up getting open. Clayton then took it in his own hands to defend the shot, and relied on something the team practiced on.

‘We work on it in practice. Kind of closing out, jumping to the side, so you don’t foul foul the shooter. He kind of pumped fake, threw the ball down, ended up being a good play,’ Clayton said.

Once the ball touched the floor, Clayton said he knew Sharp couldn’t touch it again. So did the rest of the Gators, as Condon dove on the floor and shut the door on Houston’s last chance.

‘We was just trying to get a stop, and we ended up getting it, getting a win,’ Clayton said.

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FIFA touts economic impact of World Cup, Club World Cup in US

FIFA estimates its next two summer tournaments – primarily hosted in the United States – will generate $47 billion in economic impact and provide 290,000 jobs in the country, with $62 billion in gross domestic product globally, the soccer governing body said in a news release this week.

FIFA and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat released two studies to showcase potential socioeconomic impact in the U.S. and globally from this summer’s Club World Cup 2025 and next summer’s World Cup 2026. 

The Club World Cup could help generate up to $21.1 billion in global GDP, including $9.6 billion in the U.S. 

It could also generate $17.1 billion in gross output and unlock $3.36 billion in social benefits across the U.S., while supporting the creation of approximately 105,000 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs. 

World Cup 2026 could help drive up to $40.9 billion in GDP, with $8.28 billion in social benefits and the creation of nearly 824,000 jobs globally. Specifically for the U.S., OE estimates 185,000 FTE jobs could be created, with $30.5 billion in gross output and $17.2 billion in GDP. 

The analysis also estimates 3.7 million fans will attend Club World Cup matches this summer, while 6.5 million people are expected to attend World Cup matches in 2026. 

FIFA says the studies aim to capture both tangible and intangible benefits through structured and comprehensive analysis that includes direct, indirect and induced contributions. The studies were developed by OpenEconomics (OE), an independent body that supports institutions and companies in designing policies and investment projects. 

The analysis adopts both the Impact Analysis methodology and Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology aligned with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines, to evaluate the value generated relative to the investments made. 

To provide a comprehensive picture, the analysis uses an inter-country social accounting matrix (SAM) with a breakdown into 45 productive sectors and 76 different countries. Key data comprised of international benchmarks from organizations such as the World Bank, OECD, ILOSTAT, UNECE, WTO and UNWTO. The same methodology has been applied across both reports.

When is the 2025 Club World Cup, 2026 World Cup?

The 2025 Club World Cup begins with Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on center stage against Egyptian club Al Alhy on June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The final will be July 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Club World Cup matches will also be hosted in Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Orlando, Nashville, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington D.C.

The World Cup begins June 11, 2026 and ends with the final at MetLife Stadium July 19, 2026. World Cup games in the U.S. will be played in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle and near the Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. World Cup games will also be played in Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey in Mexico, and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. 

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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