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The NBA world is on the precipice of history. One of the four remaining teams in the 2025 NBA playoffs will become an NBA champion, creating a scenario never seen before in the history of the league.
The Eastern Conference finals matchup consists of the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers. These teams met in last year's playoffs, with the Pacers advancing to the 2023-24 Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks, who find themselves in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000, look to make it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
While the Knicks haven't graced the NBA Finals with their presence in 26 years, they are the only remaining team whose franchise has won an NBA championship (1970 and 1973).
The Indiana Pacers along with the Western Conference finals matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves are three franchises who are seeking their first ever NBA championship.
Throughout the history of the NBA, dynasties continuously pop up, with teams generally becoming repeat champions or winning multiple titles in the span of a few years.
The most recent list of NBA champions has told a different story. Upon the moment when one of the four remaining teams is crowned champion of the NBA world, history will be set.
The NBA will have seven different NBA champions over the past seven years. As per @statmuse on X, this has never occurred in the history of the NBA.
For the first time in history, there are 7 different champions in 7 NBA seasons.
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 18, 2025
Parity, baby. pic.twitter.com/wctqSoe3rE
Ever since the Toronto Raptors won the NBA Finals in 2019, the league has seen a different champion ever year:
The Los Angeles Lakers (2020), the Milwaukee Bucks (2021), the Golden State Warriors (2022), the Denver Nuggets (2023), and the Boston Celtics (2024).
The path to history begins on Tuesday when the Thunder take on the Timberwolves in Game 1 at 8:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN. The Knicks vs. Pacers series begins on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. EDT on TNT.
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- The '2024 NFL rushing TD leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
'Double It': Anthony Edwards Caught In Explosive $500K Saga After Ex Ayesha Howard’s Shady Post
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is once again the hot topic as his ex-girlfriend made a cryptic social media post that fans deduced to be a shade towards the NBA star. In a story on Instagram, Ayesha Howard, ex of NBA star Anthony Edwards, made a cryptic post using the lyrics of one Cardi B song titled “Imaginary Playerz.” Howard highlighted the lyrics: “Whatever you was gon’ pay her, you gotta double it.” The post came after Howard recently reportedly made a demand of $500,000 from Edwards, as part of their long-running legal battle for child custody and support. Anthony Edwards is embroiled in a complicated legal battle involving his former partner, Ayesha Howard, the mother of his child, over claims of unpaid debts. Recently filed documents detail Howard claims Edwards failed to make the agreed-upon support payments, allegedly with one missed payment that’s built into a claimed much larger debt. Howard’s public displays of angst over undisclosed financial matters on social media reportedly hastened the conflict, and led to speculation from the media and fans. Representatives for both parties confirmed the dispute is active and both legal teams have been battling it out in private, without making the claims public as litigation is ongoing. Howard’s representatives are seeking to enforce the financial terms they assert were agreed upon. Edwards has not responded to the allegations, which is being interpreted as a failure to mount a defense. Consequently, this issue is proceeding to the courts rather than being handled through the media. Anthony Edwards’ Weakness Analyzed by Former Warriors Star As Anthony Edwards continues his ascent into NBA superstardom, former Memphis Grizzlies guard Gilbert Arenas has pinpointed what he believes could be the young Timberwolves star’s Achilles heel. Despite Edwards leading the league in made three-pointers and guiding Minnesota to back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances, Arenas argues that Edwards’ tendency to engage with outside noise—especially during moments of peak performance—could hinder his growth. “Every time he gets poppin, he sticks his head out there,” Arenas said, suggesting that Edwards’ penchant for trash talk and media attention might distract from his on-court focus. Former NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin echoed Arenas’ concerns, warning that if Edwards wins a championship, his off-court distractions could intensify. Edwards has already faced scrutiny for personal matters, including a widely reported $1 million child support payment. With Anthony Edwards entering the second year of a five-year, $244 million contract, expectations from Minnesota’s new ownership group are sky-high. The Timberwolves have retained key players like Julius Randle and Naz Reid, positioning themselves for another deep playoff run.
Green Bay Packers: Slo-Mo Video of Malik Willis’ TD Bomb to Matthew Golden Unleashes Wild Reactions
Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden just keeps on turning heads in the offseason. On Monday, Golden grabbed attention again after making a sensational grab for a touchdown off a pass from quarterback Malik Willis. Matched up against defensive back Keisean Nixon, the former Texas Longhorns star wideout secured a deep throw from Willis and took the ball to the house for a 46-yard touchdown. Nixon couldn’t help but joke about Golden while praising the first-year downfield weapon. “He sometimes acts like he’s a vet but I try to remind him that he’s a rookie,” Nixon said (h/t Mike Spofford of the Packers’ official website). “Other than that, M.G., helluva player. You can tell why he went first round. Strong at the catch point, strong hands, strong upper body. I think he’ll have a really good year.” Green Bay Packers fans react to Golden’s touchdown score in practice The Packers shared a slo-mo video of that connection between Willias and Golden, leaving fans with all sorts of excited reactions to it. “malik is the guy ️ no one wants to admit it,” said a fan on X. Another one said: “Malik for starting QB” From a commenter: “IVE SEEN ENOUGH MALIK WILLIS 4X MVP” “Finally we might have a 1000+ yard receiver,” a social media user posted. Via a different commenter: “@eamaddennfl He ran 4.2 how tf is he a 91 speed on madden boost his speed.” Said another: “Hey 2 throwing it to 22 might be the answer.” Willis and Golden could have more magic in store for the Packers, as there’s a chance they could see action this coming Saturday’s NFL preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks at home.
What teams are asking about Commanders’ Brian Robinson Jr. amid trade interest
After reports surrounding Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr.’s imminent exit amid trade interest, that notion was confirmed this week. Coach Dan Quinn confirmed the Commanders’ plans for Robinson Jr. as he was also inactive in Monday’s 31-17 preseason loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. After the loss, Quinn released a statement that the Commanders and Robinson Jr. would be going their separate ways, which means a potential trade should be coming down the pike soon, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. “Brian Robinson Jr. did not play, and Dan Quinn pretty much, confirming that they’re going to move on from Robinson here,” Garafolo said. “He is set to make a total of $3.5 million per this season in the final year of his deal. So, it’s looking like a potential trade. Both sides agreed he’s not going to play to play in that game to keep a trade alive — didn’t want him to get hurt in that case.” Still, there isn’t an apparent reason why the Commanders are actively shopping Robinson Jr. for potential suitors. “I know there’s interest because, as I’ve reported this, I’ve heard from teams that are saying, “What happened there?” How did he fall out of favor? Does he want a new contract? Yeah, I mean, eventually he does,” Garafolo added. “But this is a contract year, and right now, given this situation, my understanding is he wants the best possible situation for him to have the best possible season to set him up for a payday this offseason as a free agent. “So, right now, all about fit for Brian Robinson. I believe he’s going to have a new home. If it’s not via trade and they got to cut him, he’ll have a new home in short order,” Garafolo concluded. Dan Quinn hints at Brian Robinson Jr’s Commanders exit The plans to sit Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. against the Bengals only fueled trade interest until head coach Dan Quinn’s public interest confirmed suspicion. “There’s just a lot of moving parts this time of year,” Quinn said via a team transcript. “Those things take place. And so I just wanted to make sure that’s my responsibility to let the team know whenever I can, so they’re not hearing any information from anywhere else. So that was all more of the standard operating procedure for me.” Quinn added that he has too much respect for Robinson Jr. to reveal what led to the Commanders’ decision to part ways with their veteran running back.
Jon Rahm's $18 million payday highlights flawed system
Jon Rahm captured the season-long LIV Golf individual championship to cash in on an $18M bonus, and he has the league's nonsensical point system to thank. It's hard to argue that Rahm deserves the most lucrative season-long prize on the LIV Golf League in 2025. The Spaniard didn't win a single event in 13 LIV starts this year. He did finish runner-up four times, but was edged out in those tournaments by Adrian Meronk, Talor Gooch, Dean Burmester and Sebastian Munoz. Rahm had golden opportunities to win the last two events in Chicago and Indianapolis, but he fell short in a playoff both times. Despite going winless in 2025, Rahm still earned more points than Joaquin Niemann, who won five times and finished T4 at the final individual event in Indianapolis. No other player on LIV Golf won more than once this season. Somehow, winning nearly 40% of the league's tournaments this season wasn't enough to earn Niemann the individual championship. Instead, Rahm walked away with the top spot and an $18M bonus, while Niemann took home the $8M prize for second place. This highlights a major flaw in LIV's season-long individual competition. Rahm shouldn't have even had a chance to surpass Niemann in the standings with no wins on his resume. Wins need to matter more. For reference, Scottie Scheffler has also won five times this season, giving him 7,456 FedEx Cup points heading into the Tour Championship. Rory McIlroy, the next-closest player to Scheffler, has only 3,687. If the PGA Tour crowned a season-long champion based on points, which is how LIV Golf operates, no one would be able to come close to Scheffler at the season finale. Considering how much he dominated the PGA Tour this season, that would be a just conclusion that rewards the best player. Niemann was the best player on LIV Golf in 2025, but he lost out on $10M due to the league's unfair point system. If all Rahm cares about is money, he sure made the right decision to ditch the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. The 30-year-old didn't win a tournament all year and still banked $31.6M in prize money from LIV Golf alone. Last year, he made $34.8M in the rival league.
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