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As the San Antonio Spurs headed to Paris to take on the Indiana Pacers in two games in Victor Wembanyama's hometown, third-year guard Malaki Branham had a lot to celebrate. The former Ohio State Buckeye watched his alma mater beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff championship game, 34-23, winning their first national title since 2015.
Branham played for the Buckeyes from 2021-22 before being drafted 20th overall by the Spurs in 2022. This season, he has played a reduced role, averaging five points in ten minutes per contest.
In college, he played Chicago Bulls forward EJ Liddell, and the pair took OSU to the second round of March Madness before falling to the Villanova Wildcats.
While the game ended in the early morning hours in Paris, Branham was thrilled to see his team win.
We know someone who's excited about that @OhioStateFB championship @MalakiBranham | @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/vLvIGSOZCh
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 21, 2025
Branham's teammate, guard Blake Wesley, played a single college season at the same time as Branham, although he suited up for Notre Dame. It's unclear if the two had a friendly bet going on, but Branham certainly gets to talk some trash for the remainder of the road trip.
Wesley and the Fighting Irish made it to the second round as well before falling to Texas Tech. Both are playing fewer minutes this season than they have in years past, but the Spurs have picked up both of the options in their contract, meaning Wesley and Branham will be on the Silver and Black next season as well, barring a trade.
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Kings Predicted to Send Malik Monk to Lakers for $66 Million Duo in Offseason Trade
As the 2025-26 NBA season nears, one team that continues to be the subject of trade rumors is the Sacramento Kings. Of course, the Kings elected to keep their core of Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVien together this offseason despite many around the league expecting them to begin a rebuild. Sacramento also made some notable additions to their roster this summer as they selected Nique Clifford and Maxime Raynaud in the 2025 draft and added Dennis Schroder in free agency. While the Kings have upgraded their roster this offseason, some of their players continue to be in trade rumors, primarily for Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga who Sacramento is reportedly targeting. For the Kings, multiple players have come up in trad rumors this summer but none more than Malik Monk who is coming off the best season of his NBA career. Despite this, the Kings have elected to keep Monk thus far but that could change as they continue to look for ways to upgrade their roster even more this offseason to chase a playoff spot next season. Kings predicted to trade Malik Monk to Lakers With this in mind, SB Nations’ Jacob Rude recently released a mock trade that would send Malik Monk to the Los Angeles Lakers for two players. In the trade, the Kings would land Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber and a lottery protected 2031 first-round pick from the Lakers in return for Monk. This trade does not make a ton of sense for the Kings as they would swap one of the best scorers on their roster for two veterans who struggled last season and a lottery protected first-round pick. Both Vincent and Kleber would be solid additions to the Kings’ roster as they would fill two glaring holes in their rotation, but Sacramento would likely want more in return for Monk, especially with him coming off the best season of his career. Because of this, it is highly unlikely that the Kings would agree to this trade as they could possibly receive a larger return for their veteran guard from another team this offseason.
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Vikings WR gets brutal injury news for second straight season
A Minnesota Vikings wide receiver's season is already over. The Minnesota Vikings announced on Tuesday that wide receiver Rondale Moore is being placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a leg injury that he suffered in the team's first preseason game against the Houston Texans this past weekend. It is a devastating blow for Moore who is now being sidelined for an entire season, before it even begins, for the second year in a row. Moore signed a one-year, $2 million contract in free agency with the Vikings this offseason in the hopes he could return from a different injury that cost him the entirety of the 2024 season. Moore was a member of the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 after being acquired in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for backup quarterback Desmond Ridder. This is now two different teams that Moore has been a part of but will never play a game for them due to injuries. Moore was injured while returning a punt. He began his career with the Arizona Cardinals, catching 135 passes for 1,201 yards over three seasons before being traded. He was never going to be counted on to be a key contributor for the Vikings offense this season, especially given the superstars they already have at wide receiver in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but he still had a chance to be an interesting depth player. Now it is fair to wonder what the rest of his career might even look like. Missing two full seasons due to two different leg injuries is going to be a brutal thing to try to come back from. Missing two seasons for any reason is difficult, but when you add the leg injuries to the equation, it makes the obstacle even steeper.
Dolly Parton gives advice to Kelly Clarkson after Brandon Blackstock death
Dolly Parton has urged Kelly Clarkson to "remember the very best" of her time with Brandon Blackstock. The 79-year-old music icon has offered some advice to her friends Kelly and Reba McEntire following the death of Blackstock - who was Kelly's ex-husband and Reba's stepson - and touched on her own experiences with grief after her husband Carl Thomas Dean died earlier this year aged 82. She told Entertainment Tonight: "I think you just have to be grateful for the years that you’ve had with someone. “And you just try to remember the very best of all that. And take their energy that they had given you then and kinda just recycle that and let that become a part of you. "Just honour their memory." Blackstock - a former music manager turned full-time rancher - died aged 48 from melanoma on 7 August. His 18-year-old son Seth Blackstock - who he had with first wife Melissa Ashworth Wells - recently took to Instagram to share his devastation at the passing of his beloved father and "best friend". He wrote on Instagram over the weekend: “I lost my hero yesterday, words can’t describe how proud of you I am on raising me and your 3 other kids. “You were a father, a son, a brother, and most importantly my best friend. “You’ll have to watch me grow up from a Birds Eye view now but that’s OK with me. There’s no one else on this earth that I would want to be my dad because no one can be half the man you were to me. “I’ll see you everyday when the sun rises and falls. I can confidently say all the deer and elk took a sigh of relief when the best hunter I’ve ever known laid his rifle down for the last time.” He concluded: “I love you so much and can’t wait to throw a line in the water with you again. Love you dad. Be good or good at it -love your son Seth." Kelly, 43, is yet to address his death publicly. She and Blackstock were married for seven years before divorcing in 2022, and despite their split, Kelly prioritised his relationship with their two children, River Rose, 11, and Remington, nine, rearranging her schedule to allow them frequent visits during his illness. A source has now told UsWeekly about how she is dealing wit the fallout from his death from cancer: “It has been draining, exhausting, emotional (and) devastating. “(But) her children have always come first. “A big part of (her care for Brandon) was making her schedule available for transporting the children to visit Brandon.”
Steelers insider shares Aaron Rodgers’ impact that goes beyond the stat sheet
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers may be in the twilight of his career, but his impact remains invaluable. He’s entering what could be his final season in the NFL, and he’s making sure that he will leave his mark in Pittsburgh. Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Steelers worth $13.65. While not many agreed with the team’s decision, general manager Omar Khan stressed that the veteran signal-caller could still lead them to a deep run. Experience counts, after all. Time has slowed down the 41-year-old Rodgers. He’s not as dangerous and mobile as he was during his peak years with the Green Bay Packers. But for Steelers insider Mark Kaboly, Rodgers’ value isn’t solely hinged on productivity. “What Aaron Rodgers brings to the Steelers offense is this: They don’t want to let him down. You can see it, hear it, and feel it,” said Kaboly on X. Clearly, the four-time MVP can still command a squad. He has inspired many players to become better, helping them reach their full potential and earn lucrative contracts. While his eccentric behavior has been questioned several times, his leadership aura remains absolute. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has been nothing but impressed with Rodgers, touting the “fire that still burns” on the 10-time Pro Bowler. “All he wants to do is win. All he wants to do is have fun within the game. He wanted to be a component of the process of development for young players. Everything that we talked about through our conversations in the spring, I’m watching him live out right now in this training camp setting. I believed him when he said it, but it’s fun to watch it play out. I think that’s why I’m excited. I think that’s why I was comfortable,” said Tomlin recently on “The Pivot Podcast.” After an empty two-season stint with the New York Jets, Rodgers is looking for a perfect final hurrah.
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