“With 20 wickets falling and the genuine possibility of a second two-day Test in the space of four Ashes matches, questions have to be asked about the state of the playing surface.” Tim Spiers and James Wallace dissect a remarkable day of cricket at the MCG ⤵️ 🔗 theathletic.com/6918885/?sou...

Nikola Jokić is the first player in NBA history with 55 PTS, 15 REB and 15 AST in a triple double 🎄 H/T @optastats.optajoe.com

For some reason The Athletic sent me to Hot Springs, Ark., with a set of hundred-year-old golf clubs and a spot in the field at the 2025 U.S. Hickory Open. 😬 Here, for your holiday, is what happened. www.nytimes.com/athletic/689...

JETTAS ✈️ Justin Jefferson has passed Randy Moss (8,375) for the most receiving yards through his first six seasons in the NFL.

Baby, it’s coal-d outside. With their loss to the Vikings today, the Lions have been eliminated from postseason contention.

Many thought the Thunder couldn’t be beat and would cruise their way into another championship. But in less than a week’s time, the Spurs have dismantled the idea.

Cooper Flagg's first NBA Christmas 🎅

Making a splash on Christmas 🎁 Steph Curry is wearing former Splash Brother Klay Thompson’s Anta brand shoes today.

Suni Lee can really do it all 📸 The Olympic gold medalist is a guest photographer for today's Christmas NFL game between the Lions and Vikings.

Tonight’s plans: 🏈 Lions vs. Vikings 🏈 Broncos vs. Chiefs 🏀 Mavericks vs. Warriors 🏀 Rockets vs. Lakers 🏀 Timberwolves vs. Nuggets I can’t cancel on me again.

The Christmas Spur-it. The Spurs beat the Thunder for the third time in 13 days.

Let it snow ❄️

Wear Caitlin Clark’s upcoming shoes and you can make it from anywhere. That was the message on Christmas morning when Nike Basketball posted its first commercial for her debut signature shoe.

When the NFL planned its slate of Christmas Day games, it was expecting a showcase of playoff-bound teams led by marquee quarterbacks. It’s getting something much different. So who are the backup quarterbacks starting on Christmas Day?

For years, Timberwolves fans were caught in the middle of a messy divorce between the team and Kevin Garnett. But Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez finally delivered the long-awaited reconciliation. "It was crystal clear that was one of the most impactful things we could do."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he apologized to Draymond Green after a heated argument on Monday that saw Green leave the bench for the majority of the third quarter. "Over the 12 years we’ve been together, this has happened occasionally, and I’m not proud of it.”

James Nnaji, the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has committed to Baylor 👀 He has been granted four years of eligibility and becomes available immediately.

The NBA has turned Christmas into an all-day event — even LeBron feels the pull between work and family. Is the league overdoing it?

A lawyer for Heat guard Terry Rozier asked a court judge to dismiss the federal government’s case against him after prosecutors charged him as part of an expansive sports gambling indictment. He argues that the crimes they alleged are governed by state law. www.nytimes.com/athletic/691...

Five NBA games are on the menu this Christmas. That’s a lot of basketball. In fact, it’s too much basketball. The NBA and NFL are dreaming of a green Christmas. Never mind the TV overload. Think of all the people working them. www.nytimes.com/athletic/691...

British climber Oscar Onley has signed for INEOS Grenadiers in one of the biggest transfers of the cycling offseason so far. 📝 @jacobwhitehead.bsky.social 🔗 theathletic.com/6917014/?sou...

The Thunder have lost four games this season. Two were by the Spurs.

COOPER THE HOOPER. ◻️ 33 PTS ◻️ 14/21 FG ◻️ 4/6 3-PT ◻️ 9 REB ◻️ 9 AST The Dallas Mavericks rookie turned 19 years old two days ago.

Ben Simmons has purchased an ownership stake in the South Florida Sails Angling Club, a team in the Sports Fishing Championship, the league announced Tuesday. He now serves as the team’s controlling operator.

As winners of the Boca Raton Bowl, Louisville celebrated by eating baked beans out of the trophy 🫘🏆 Only in college football...

DK Metcalf has an appeal hearing Tuesday regarding his altercation with a Lions fan during Sunday’s game. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin declined to discuss specifics until the appeal is decided, but emphasized his support for his WR.

A new era is starting in the NHL, and there’s plenty for hockey fans to be excited about in the year ahead. The ‘Quinnesota era’ is one of them.

Is there a Steph Curry without Steve Kerr? The Warriors coach gives his take on The Athletic Show, live now on Amazon Fire TV. 📺 www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKkj...

“Ethical basketball” was born as a talking point in an ideological battle waged online for years now. It’s an ode to a straight-up version of the game most people grew up playing. And now, it’s a movement that Victor Wembanyama, a student of the game, is preaching to the masses.

Cameron Boozer is on pace to become the first Division I player in 40 years to average at least 23–10–4 😳

The NFL Pro Bowl rosters are here. 29 teams were represented in the selections, with the Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints left out of the mix.

The National Women’s Soccer League has introduced a roster mechanism to allow teams to pay certain players up to $1 million above the current salary cap.

Jake Chatzky (Jets Jake) is the director of social media for “New Heights,” the podcast featuring Jason and Travis Kelce. Before a Chiefs game in January, Chatzky walked into the Kelces’ suite and met Taylor Swift for the first time. She, somehow, already knew his name.

Trevor Lawrence is back in control. The Jaguars franchise quarterback is riding the hottest four-game stretch of his career.

What a year it’s been for women’s basketball in 2025 🏀 Let’s hand out some gifts (winners) and coal (losers) 🎁: http://dlvr.it/TPzNQp

Philip Rivers, in case you haven’t heard, is a father of 10 and grandpa of one. He’s packed on a few pounds around his midsection. And yet, this much is undeniable: The dude can still play.

Ten teams have already clinched playoff berths, but a lot remains up in the air after some crazy finishes in Week 16. With two weeks of the regular season remaining, the race for the top seed in each conference is still wide open.

Nikola Jokić didn’t show much emotion after leading the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 NBA championship. However, when it comes to horses…

Despite the loss, Philip Rivers turned back the clock for the Colts in primetime 🔥 ◽️ 23/35 comp/att ◽️ 277 pass yards ◽️ 2 pass TD ◽️ 1 INT

BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa put up the first triple-double of his collegiate career. ◽️ 33 PTS ◽️ 10 REB ◽️ 10 AST ◽️ 11/13 FG

The last three 49ers QBs to throw 5+ TDs in a single game: ◽️ Brock Purdy ◽️ Steve Young ◽️ Joe Montana

With the Colts' loss, three teams officially punch their ticket to the NFL playoffs: ◽️ Jacksonville Jaguars ◽️ Los Angeles Chargers ◽️ Buffalo Bills

NEWS: The Kansas City Chiefs will be moving from Missouri to a domed stadium in Kansas in 2031, Gov. Laura Kelly confirmed.

Michael Jordan was likely the first NBA player to have his own private trainer. Now, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr tells @zenakeita.bsky.social that most of his roster does. Watch the full interview on The Athletic Show here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKkj...

NEWS: Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is considered day to day after suffering a back injury in Sunday night’s loss to the Patriots. Following an MRI on Monday, coach John Harbaugh said Jackson had no damage beyond a “significant” back contusion. Details: www.nytimes.com/athletic/691...

Winter is here. How’s your NBA team doing?

The Notre Dame-USC series will go on hiatus for at least the next two seasons after the schools failed to reach an agreement on a new deal to keep one of college football’s most historic intersectional rivalries active.

The Athletic spoke with more than 20 people, including current and former staff members, players, school officials and women who interacted with Sherrone Moore on social media, on the condition of anonymity so they could speak candidly about him.

For one of college football’s most polarizing programs, that path from red-hot title hopeful to first team out left a scar. “Getting snubbed, this hurt more than losing the national championship game, I can confidently say that.”

Michigan fired head coach Sherrone Moore for cause Dec. 10, alleging “credible evidence” that he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a female staff member. Interactions with women over social media shed light on Moore’s behind-the-scenes behavior.