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The NBA Finals will officially go to Game 7, after the Indiana Pacers put on a dominant performance to keep their season alive. When it comes down to it, players like Tyrese Haliburton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will have their careers viewed significantly differently depending on whether they can win their first ring.
On a recent episode of 'Mind The Game' with LeBron James and Steve Nash, James discussed the discourse around "ring talk" in the NBA. James made references to players like Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, and Nash, saying that people care too much about winning rings in player debates. Seeing this, ex- New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors star DeMarcus Cousins responded.
Boogie Cousins agrees with LeBron James:
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) June 20, 2025
"Ring culture is very toxic."@boogiecousins | @MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/m9YUVNCGwJ
"I think ring culture is very very toxic," Cousins said on Run It Back. "I think the message is overlooked because of who the messenger is. Obviously, the guy that's heavily criticized for anything he says, good or bad...You're basically considered a bust, you're considered a failure if you don't win a ring."
As previously mentioned, both Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton will be judged heavily based on who is able to get the win in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. A win for Gilgeous-Alexander would solidify his NBA season, capping off one of the best guard seasons in NBA history. As for Haliburton, adding a ring to his resume would give him an argument for being a Top 10 player.
LeBron James fully understands “Ring culture”. He’s carefully curated his career around it, but his issue is with “more rings” culture. It’s one of the primary oppositions to his campaign.
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) June 20, 2025
If James debunks greatness’ connections to rings then his accumulation of accolades &… pic.twitter.com/vlskMO1APW
However, when looking at careers in totality, Cousins seems to agree with James that it's not fair to punish players who weren't able to get the job done.
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Ex-NBA Big Kendrick Perkins Makes a Bold Claim About LA Lakers Duo
The Los Angeles Lakers are thriving, and LeBron James hasn’t even stepped foot on the court yet. Nobody expected a collapse for a LeBron-less Lakers team, especially considering Luka Doncic is leading the charge. But the NBA has seen plenty of scoring outbursts this year, and both Doncic and Austin Reaves are responsible for a handful of them. In Kendrick Perkins’ eyes, the Lakers have the hottest duo in the league with Doncic and Reaves. via @KendrickPerkins: I think it’s safe to say that Luka and Reaves are the Best Duo in Basketball right now It’s very early in the year, so it’s difficult to truly crown a top player, duo, or team this season. However, Perkins’ opinion once again shines a light on just how dominant Doncic and Reaves have been, and they haven’t even done it all together. Through the Lakers’ first seven games, Doncic has appeared in four matchups. In his first two games of the season, Doncic scored over 40 points in each of the games, logging double-doubles in both outings. He missed three games due to a minor setback, and then returned to the floor with a 44-point outing, marking his third-straight 40-point effort, along with a double-double. Sunday’s action against the Miami Heat didn’t feature a 40-point game, but Doncic was still quite productive. The star guard produced 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 10-point win. Looking over at Austin Reaves the star guard has played in all seven games for the Lakers this year. He started the season off with showings of 26 points and 25 points. Reaves went off with a 51-point double-double against the Sacramento Kings. He followed that performance up with a 41-point outing against the Portland Trail Blazers. Reaves didn’t continue rattling off 40-plus-point efforts, but he maintained productive scoring as Doncic returned to the lineup. Against the Memphis Grizzlies last Friday, Reaves scored 21 points in 36 minutes. In the following game against the Miami Heat, he dropped 26 points and 11 assists in 37 minutes of action. When it comes to point totals, Doncic and Reaves are the top two teammates in that category so far. Reaves is second in the NBA with 218 points, trailing the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Doncic comes in at 12th, with 165 points, trailing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donovan Mitchell, just outside of the top 10. Want to read more about the daily ripple effects of the NBA? Make sure you bookmark Fastbreak on SI for the top hoops stories of the day from a league-wide scope. The Latest on Fastbreak on SI
Seahawks GM's comments offer clue at potential NFL trade deadline partners
If there was any question about whether the Seattle Seahawks should be buyers or sellers going into the NFL trade deadline, last night's crushing victory over the Washington Commanders answered it. After eight games played, Seattle has a top-five scoring offense, a top-five scoring defense and a special teams unit that's making high-impact plays routine. That gives the Seahawks all the reason in the world to be aggressive at the trade deadline, and the latest reporting suggests that's exactly what they're going to do. General manager John Schneider may have offered a hint in his pre-game radio hit with KIRO, saying that the Seahawks spoke with teams at the Maryland-Indiana game on Saturday. That give us an idea of who they might be dealing with, based on the reports of the other teams who sent personnel to that game. That includes the San Francisco 49ers, the New York Jets, the Carolina Panthers, the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Commanders, who may have had some extra face time with the Seahawks during last night's game. We can safely cross the 49ers off the list of potential trade partners, but we can't do that with any others. The one question mark is the Panthers - and nobody seems to know which way they're leaning. Carolina is a surprise 5-4 after shocking the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but the gap between the Panthers and the NFC teams currently on pace for a playoff spot is pretty massive. That makes the Jets, Browns and Commanders the most likely candidates to make a deal with the Seahawks from this list but we also have to assume they're talking with other teams. Pete Carroll's Raiders are another obvious potential trade partner based on their relationship and the fact that they're 2-6 going into the deadline. The Seahawks have also had a long history of making deals with the Philadelphia Eagles, who need cornerback help an have reportedly been considering a deal for Riq Woolen. On that note, the math may have changed last night due to the injuy to Josh Jobe, who was ruled out early with a concussion. Woolen responded with his best game of the season - which might be just enough to convince the Seahawks to keep him around for the playoffs.
Jerry Jones reveals Cowboys made surprise trade ahead of MNF vs. Cardinals
During an appearance on SiriusXM, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed Dallas made a trade Monday. However, Jones reportedly refused to reveal who the Cowboys had acquired. “Cowboys owner Jerry Jones @SIRIUSXM just said Dallas has made a trade and could possibly make a couple of more before tomorrow’s deadline,” The Athletic‘s Jon Machota wrote on X. “He declined to share who is involved in the trade. Jones: ‘Immediately it will have him on the field and it will address some of the things that have been our shortcomings.'” The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. With a 3-4-1 record, the Cowboys are a middling NFL team this season thus far. Perhaps a trade could help the Cowboys hit their stride as they head into the back half of the season. Nonetheless, many Cowboys fans expressed their anxieties online about Jones’ comments. In fairness, Jones left fans shell-shocked earlier this fall when he traded star EDGE Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, in exchange for two first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark. “We have two kinds of capital or currency in the NFL,” Jerry Jones said at the time. “One of them is draft picks. The other is the financial because every team is limited to the same amount of resources to spend, and having said that, Micah enabled us to have four, possibly as many as six players, for the future. That’s a good trade when you need numbers. I’ll take the numbers every time.” As of this report, it’s not only unclear who the Cowboys traded for, but what they gave up in the deal. The team needs defensive assets. The Cowboys are allowing 404.6 yards per game, the second-most in the NFL, only better than the Cincinnati Bengals. While the Arizona Cardinals are entering Monday’s contest on a five-game losing streak, Dallas shouldn’t overlook the matchup. The Cardinals have lost their last five games by a combined 13 points. Moreover, the Cardinals held fourth-quarter leads in all five games. If Dallas isn’t prepared on Monday, Arizona will be ready to pounce on the opportunity. The Cowboys and Cardinals will square off at 7:15 p.m. CT on Monday. The game will air live on ABC and ESPN. Dallas fans will keep their ears peeled for any mention of a new name on their team’s roster.
Dolphins’ Jaelan Phillips trade draws sobering Mike McDaniel reaction
The Miami Dolphins’ season has not gone as planned. Through nine weeks, they are 2-7 and near the bottom of the AFC. Any aspiration of playing in the postseason is a thing of the past. That reality prompted the stunning trade of Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. The Dolphins landed a 2026 third-round pick for Phillips, whom they drafted in the first round in the 2021 NFL Draft. After the trade was announced, Miami head coach Mike McDaniel was asked for his thoughts. He did a great job putting it into perspective, as captured by ESPN reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques. “That part of the business, I absolutely despise in terms of having to say goodbye to a player,” McDaniel said. “It was a very healthy conversation, and it was understood that sometimes the best interests of a team long term doesn’t overlap with the interests in one game for one player.” McDaniel did address how you can avoid this type of scenario, and that is by winning. Unfortunately, that is something Miami has not done much of. After being drafted 18th overall four years ago, Phillips had an immediate impact. He posted 8.5 sacks and 42 total tackles during his rookie season. The former Miami Hurricane edge rusher then had seven sacks the following season. But over the last few years, injuries have derailed his ability to help the Dolphins’ defense. Phillips played in a total of 12 games over the course of the 2023 and 2024 NFL seasons. But thus far this year, he has remained healthy and played each week, racking up a trio of sacks. The Eagles have a clear need on defense: edge rusher. So, this move makes a lot of sense for Philadelphia. Unlike recent seasons, the Eagles rank near the bottom in sacks. Phillips will be a free agent after the season. But even if he leaves after this year, the Eagles will receive a compensatory third-round draft pick. So, it seems like a win-win for Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the Dolphins kick off their rebuild.
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