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Kyle Larson won his first of six NASCAR Cup Series races this past season in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 3.
Larson capped off his triumph at the 1.5-mile tri-oval with a memorable celebration in which his son Owen joined him on the track. Owen, 10, ran onto the track and jumped on the roof of his dad’s No. 5 Chevrolet, hyping up the crowd in the process.
That’s a moment Owen will never forget, one he documented in a letter as relayed by NBC Sports.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) December 27, 2024
WHOLESOME CONTENT ALERT.
Owen Larson wrote a letter about celebrating with his dad after Kyle won at Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/NQBtLyi9yw
Owen later joined Larson for a victory lap following his dominant victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Round of 16 finale in September. It was indeed a memorable year for Owen, and for Larson too, though a Cup Series championship is the ultimate goal.
Kyle Larson ‘excited’ for 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season
Larson came up short at capturing his second championship, eliminated in the Round of 8. For a driver who led 1,700 laps, 555 more than the next closest driver (Christopher Bell), there’s added motivation to finish the job in 2025.
“It was a great year,” Larson said, via NASCAR.com. “I was super happy with the performance of our race team all year long. We had a ton of speed from Race 1 to Race 38 [including two exhibition races], really. I was happy. Obviously, you want to make the final four and have a shot at the championship, but I also understand the format and know how crazy it can be, so I don’t let finishing sixth in points take anything away from our season.
“We led the series in most every category, so I’m really proud of the team and their hard work. And I think we left some out on the table, so I’m excited about next year and hope we can continue to evolve and get stronger as a team and win some more races and lead more laps. … I’m hoping for more good things for next year and I’m already excited to get the year started.”
More must-reads:
- Family man Bubba Wallace enjoying 'cool hobby' of winning in NASCAR
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Bears GM speaks out after superstar goes down with injury
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is expected to miss most of training camp due to a leg injury, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. Johnson was placed on the non-football injury list when veterans reported to Chicago for camp. He suffered the injury during offseason training, according to Bears general manager Ryan Poles. Johnson is coming off his second consecutive Pro Bowl and is headed into the second year of a four-year, $76M deal. He has dealt with a number of injuries over his career, playing no more than 15 games in a season over the first four years of his career. In 2024, he played a full season for the first time, starting all 17 games with a career-high 1,032 snaps. An extended absence into the regular season would force Chicago to find another starting cornerback among their veteran depth, but Poles said that the team is not “overly concerned” about a long-term injury. “We’ve got a lot of faith that he’s going to put in the time to rehab and be his full self when he comes back,” said Poles on Tuesday. 2023 fifth-rounder Terell Smith will likely step into a first-team role in Johnson’s absence. Chicago largely relied on a cornerback trio of Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon last year; Smith is the only remaining defensive back on the roster who played at least 150 snaps on the boundary for the Bears in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. Offseason signings Nick McCloud and Tre Flowers may also see a bump in reps over the coming weeks as Johnson rehabs his leg with his eyes on returning for the Bears’ Week 1 opener against the Vikings.
Rangers Sign Former Stanley Cup Champion to Tryout Agreement
The New York Rangers are adding to their forward depth ahead of their upcoming training camp. The Rangers are entering a new chapter of their organization under new head coach Mike Sullivan. After missing the postseason last year, the organization is trying to rebound and respond accordingly in 2025 and 2026. Former Stanley Cup champion forward Conor Sheary is the latest player to join the new-look Rangers. The veteran forward agreed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the club and will look to earn an NHL deal with his performance in training camp and the preseason. Sheary is a veteran of 593 NHL games. Originally an undrafted free agent, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins after completing his collegiate career. Following a year with the Penguins' AHL affiliate, he forced his way onto the NHL squad after posting 36 points in his first 30 games of the 2015-2016 season at the AHL level. His debut NHL season went better than ever expected, and he was a key part of the Penguins' lineup that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Sheary's coach at the time, both at the AHL and NHL levels, was Mike Sullivan. Now, he'll get the chance to reunite with the coach under whom he won two championships. In addition to playing for the Penguins, Sheary has played for three other NHL franchises. The Pens dealt him to the Buffalo Sabres before the 2018-2019 campaign, but he would return to Pittsburgh the following season at the trade deadline. After his second stint with the Penguins, he joined the Washington Capitals. He played three seasons in Washington, D.C. before landing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he spent the past two years. Over his 593 career games, he's compiled 124 goals and 143 assists for 267 points. His best NHL season came during the 2016-2017 campaign, his second in the league. He scored 23 goals and added 30 assists for 53 points in 61 regular-season games.
Can LeBron James Be Traded to the Dallas Mavericks?
This year’s NBA offseason could see a lightning strike in the near future. The Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus has suggested a new, three-team trade between the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets that would send LeBron James, alongside his son Bronny James, to Dallas in a dramatic, yet significant deal to reshape all three teams’ futures. Here’s why. LeBron James to the Dallas Mavericks LeBron James opted into his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 NBA season. However, James’ decision was met with skepticism by several NBA executives. Some NBA insiders expected James, 40, to opt out and sign a one-plus-one deal. The decision drove chatter of possible discontent and a potential end to his Lakers run. James holds one of the NBA’s rare no-trade clauses. Therefore, James can decide where he would land. Multiple NBA insiders have said that the Dallas Mavericks are high on James’ list. Joining the Mavericks would allow James to reunite with Kyrie Irving, join forces with Anthony Davis again, and play under Jason Kidd, who served as an assistant coach during the Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship run. James, Mavericks Outlook LeBron James is 40 years old and will turn 41 on December 30, 2025. However, James is still playing like a top-tier NBA player. If the Dallas Mavericks acquire James, the Mavericks could receive star power, shot creation, and veteran leadership. A Mavericks goal appears to be winning while the team’s NBA championship window is still open. The Mavericks would receive LeBron James (via Lakers), Bronny James (via Lakers), Drew Timme (via Nets), Tyrese Martin (via Nets), a $1.8 million trade exception, and a $1.1 million trade exception. The Mavericks could benefit from a solid core of James, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively II. The Lakers would receive Daniel Gafford (via Mavericks), PJ Washington (via Mavericks), Naji Marshall (via Mavericks), Caleb Martin (via Mavericks), Jaden Hardy (via Mavericks), a 2030 Los Angeles Lakers second-round pick (via Nets), a 2031 Los Angeles Lakers second-round pick (via Nets) and a $24.1 million trade exception. The Lakers could start the Luka Doncic era. The Brooklyn Nets would receive Dalton Knecht (via Lakers), Maxi Kleber (via Lakers), Olivier-Maxence Prosper (via Mavericks) and Dwight Powell (via Mavericks). The Nets would serve as a facilitator, as the team would acquire assets while helping two contenders shift money around, and perhaps cash considerations. Final Thoughts It’s highly unlikely that LeBron James will be traded to the Dallas Mavericks. However, nothing can be ruled out. The NBA world saw the Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers this past February, and if they’re old enough to remember, the Jason Kidd trade to the Phoenix Suns in December 1996. If and when James is traded to Dallas, James’ presence can help the Mavericks succeed. James can help improve team chemistry, instill confidence in the team, and build a winning culture. James can play multiple positions as a forward, but a huge concern would be James’ declining gameplay and shooting stats.
3 Burning Questions For Celtics Heading Into 2025-26 Season
The Boston Celtics have won 18 NBA championships, the most in league history. However, they aren’t just a franchise with a rich back tapestry. They’ve been one of the better teams in the NBA for the past several years, all but smoothly transitioning from one era of dominance to another. Unfortunately, at least for them, Boston’s era of peace and prosperity may now be at an end. Due to truly unforeseen circumstances, they enter the 2025-26 season in a precarious position that’s quite unfamiliar to them. Now, faced with several burning questions, it’s anyone’s guess what the future holds. 3 Burning Questions For Celtics Heading Into 2025-26 Season What’s Next For Jayson Tatum? Of course, the elephant in the room is the Achilles injury that Jayson Tatum sustained in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. A six-time All-Star and the face of the Celtics franchise, Tatum’s health is directly tied to the team’s success. In fact, Boston is 392-193 with Tatum since he entered the league in 2017-18; a .670 win percentage. Conversely, they’re 29-22 without Tatum since he entered the league; a .568 win percentage. Essentially, they’re a playoff team without the 27-year-old but a certified title-contender with him. Given the typical recovery time for an Achilles tear, it’s possible that Tatum won’t play at all next season. However, if Boston is good enough and he looks healthy enough, he could come back by or for the playoffs. That being said, even if he does suit up, history has shown that most players will experience a dramatic decline after rupturing their Achilles. The Celtics will hope that Tatum is an exception but in reality, the situation isn’t promising. Will They Be In Playoff Contention? Piggybacking off the previous question, because of Tatum’s health status, there’s serious doubt that the Celtics can reach the playoffs. With that in mind, the last time Boston didn’t clinch a postseason berth was 2013-14. More importantly, as they’ve gone 29-22 without Tatum since he was drafted, there’s evidence that they can stay afloat while he’s on the mend. Offensively is where they’ll miss Tatum the most, as he’s averaged 26.8 points and 4.6 assists per game over the past six seasons. The gap between he and Jaylen Brown wasn’t too large during that stretch. To that point, Brown has averaged 23.5 points and 3.4 assists per game over the past six seasons. However, even if Brown steps into Tatum’s shoes, someone has to step into his. Fortunately for Boston, Brad Stevens has been even better as president than head coach. While trading away Jrue Holiday dented the defense, acquiring Anfernee Simons helps them survive life without Tatum. After all, Holiday averaged 11.8 points per game with the Celtics over the past two seasons. In that time, Simons has averaged 20.6 points per game. Can Jaylen Brown Be The Guy? When Brown signed a $304 million supermax extension in 2023, there were many that felt he didn’t deserve that type of dough. Forget the fact that he had just averaged a career-high 26.6 points per game while locking players down defensively. There were all those clips of him having a weak left hand. Remember? In response, Brown let his play do the talking. In 2023-24, he earned his third All-Star selection then went on to win the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals MVP and 2024 NBA Finals MVP awards. So much for that left hand. All of that being said, Brown is preparing for a different challenge than he’s faced before. For the first time, he’s going to be expected to be the No. 1 option for the Celtics throughout the season. This doesn’t just mean he’ll have greater responsibility but that he’ll face even more defensive pressure. How he responds to the elevated role will determine whether the Celtics sink or swim in 2025-26.
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