The French Open will have a new television partner beginning in 2025.
The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported Friday that Warner Bros. Discovery—the home of TNT Sports— have agreed to a 10-year deal worth $650 million to televise the French Open in the United States. The deal starts in 2025 and runs through '34.
NBC has broadcast the French Open in the United States every year since 1975, aside from 1980 to '82 when CBS aired the event.
TNT Sports is best known for its NBA coverage, although the future of that partnership is in jeopardy as the league searches for a new television rights contract after the 2024-25 season. Multiple reports in recent months indicate the NBA is preparing to leave TNT behind as ESPN, NBC and Amazon will become its new broadcast partners.
Tennis isn't the only sport Warner Bros. Discovery has splurged on outside of basketball in recent weeks. Last month, ESPN agreed to sublicense coverage of select College Football Playoff games to TNT for the next five years.
While the future of TNT's beloved Inside the NBA show featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal hangs in the balance, the network is set to head to the clay courts next spring.
When Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic walks on to a basketball court, he immediately becomes a threat to put up a triple-double.
In six years in the NBA, Doncic has been nothing short of a triple-double machine. He is already tied for eighth all-time in that category with 77—18 more than Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird, and 49 more than Hall of Fame guard Michael Jordan.
As he makes his NBA Finals debut, it's worth looking back at the history of players reaching double figures in three of basketball's five major counting statistics (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks) on the sport's biggest stage.
A triple-double, in basketball, is when a player hits three of the following statistical benchmarks in a single game: 10 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks or 10 steals. Hitting two is a more common double-double, while hitting four is an extraordinarily rare quadruple-double.
The NBA record for most career triple-doubles is held by Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook with 199.
Since the advent of the NBA Finals, 23 players are known to have accomplished the feat, per StatMuse.
PLAYER
NUMBER OF TRIPLE-DOUBLES
LeBron James, Heat/Cavaliers/Lakers
11
Magic Johnson, Lakers
8
Draymond Green, Warriors
3
Larry Bird, Celtics
2
Jimmy Butler, Heat
2
Wilt Chamberlain, 76ers
2
Bob Cousy, Celtics
2
Walt Frazier, Knicks
2
NIkola Jokić, Nuggets
2
Bill Russell, Celtics
2
Charles Barkley, Suns
1
Elgin Baylor, Lakers
1
Dave Cowens, Celtics
1
Stephen Curry, Warriors
1
Tim Duncan, Spurs
1
Kevin Durant, Warriors
1
Jason Kidd, Nets
1
Jamal Murray, Nuggets
1
Scottie Pippen, Bulls
1
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
1
Wes Unseld, Bullets
1
Jerry West, Lakers
1
James Worthy, Lakers
1
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, with 11. James is the only player to accomplish the feat with three different teams, having registered triple-doubles with the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Lakers. He is also one of three players, along with ex-Los Angeles guard Jerry West and forward James Worthy, to record a triple-double in Game 7 of the Finals.
James spread his triple-doubles out, too: he recorded one in his much-maligned 2011 Finals, one in the 2012 Finals, two in the 2013 Finals, two in the 2015 Finals, one in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals, two in the 2017 Finals, one in the 2018 Finals, and one in the 2020 Finals.
It took just one game -- one quarter really -- of the 2024 NBA Finals for the Boston Celtics to show why they had the best record in the NBA in the 2023-24 season and led the league in net rating.
Boston jumped out to the biggest first quarter lead in a Game 1 in NBA Finals history, and it didn't let Dallas get closer than eight points the rest of the way in a blowout win.
The C's came into this series as -210 favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, giving them an implied probability of over 60 percent to win the title. That has already changed drastically after Boston's Game 1 win.
Based on the latest odds at DraftKings, Boston has an implied probability of 80 percent to win the NBA Finals this season. While it was only one game, it's clear that Boston's dominance has altered the betting market in a big way.
A historical trend that dates back to the 1996-97 season also favors Boston, as no team that has finished outside the top eight in net rating during the regular season has gone on to win the NBA Finals since then.
Dallas is attempting to break that trend this season.
Since the 1996-97 season, every team that won the NBA Finals finished inside the top 8 in net rating during the regular season.
For bettors that still believe in the Mavericks, there is something to hang your hat on after Game 1.
Jason Kidd was just 1-5 (now 1-6) in Game 1s as the Mavericks' head coach, but he's led his team to a 5-1 series record so far in two playoff runs. Kidd has made the adjustments -- and his team has responded -- after other poor showings in series openers in the playoffs this season.
As a bettor who already has a Celtics future from the preseason in pocket, I'm standing pat ahead of Sunday's Game 2 based on the latest odds movement.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
The Boston Celtics commemorated the late Bill Walton ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, honoring the Hall of Famer with a touching tribute video and a moment of silence prior to tip-off.
Walton passed away on May 27 at age 71.
The two-time NBA All-Star won a championship with the Celtics in 1986, when he was the team's sixth man. Walton's family was in attendance for Game 1 at TD Garden on Thursday.
"Bill was a champion at every level and the embodiment of unselfish team play. He derived great joy from basketball and music and deeply cherished his moments with teammates, friends and family. We are proud to call him one of the greatest Celtics to ever live," said Celtics stadium PA announcer.
Before Game 1, the Celtics held a tribute and moment of silence for NBA legend Bill Walton. pic.twitter.com/8KmLWihnT2
In addition to the video and moment of silence, players donned a Walton-themed warmup shirt, which were distributed by the league ahead of the game. Additionally, Boston's coaching staff are wearing tie-dye pins with "WALTON" written in black letters.
Stunning news in the basketball world was announced on Thursday morning and it had nothing to do with Game 1 of the NBA Finals which is set for tonight.
At 6:50 am et, Adrian Wojnarowski announced the Los Angeles Lakers are targeting UConn head coach, Dan Hurley, to become their team's next coach.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers are targeting Connecticut’s Dan Hurley to become the franchise’s next coach and are preparing a massive, long-term contract offer to bring the back-to-back national champion to the NBA, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/6WPrigPvAW
Hurley is fresh off leading the UConn Huskies to back-to-back National Championships, which hadn't been done in men's college basketball since Florida achieved the feat in 2006-2007. After their first championship in 2023, Hurley signed a six-year, $31.1 million contract with the school.
As a result of the news, the Huskies' odds to three-peat in 2025 have taken a dramatic hit.
Before the Woj Bomb dropped this morning, UConn was set as the co-favorite alongside the Kansas Jayhawks to win the 2025 National Championship at +1000. As of writing this article, they have fallen to fourth on the odds list at +1400 behind Kansas (+1000), Duke (+1200), and Arizona (+1200).
If you translate the odds to implied probability, their chance of a 2025 National Championship fell from 9.09% to 6.67%, a fall of 2.42% which is a significant drop in the futures market with the season still months away.
The signing has yet to be made official therefore there's still a chance Hurley returns to UConn. Wojnarowski followed up the original tweet with another one saying;
"The Lakers have had preliminary contact with Hurley and sides are planning to escalate discussions in coming days. Hurley’s been at the forefront of the Lakers’ search from the beginning of the process, even while the organization has done its due diligence interviewing other candidates."
If the signing is finalized and made official, don't be surprised if UConn's odds for a threepeat, something that hasn't been done since UCLA from 1967-1973, continue to drop.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Kendrick Perkins wasn't thrilled with LeBron James's recent statement about former teammate Kyrie Irving ahead of the 2024 NBA Finals.
On his Mind the Game podcast with JJ Redick earlier this week, James said he is "so f------ mad" that he's not Irving's running mate anymore in the NBA.
“Here we go again,” Perkins said Thursday on ESPN. “Bron weaseling his way into somebody else’s moment … This is not about you! Your team is at home. This is about the Mavs and the Celtics, but yet you’re so mad and disappointed that you’re not Kyrie Irving’s running mate anymore. Here we go again.”
“Here we go again, [LeBron James] weaseling his way into somebody else’s moment… This is not about you! Your team is at home... You’re so mad & disappointed that you’re not Kyrie Irving’s running mate anymore."
Irving and James played three seasons together on the Cavaliers from 2014 to '17 and brought an NBA championship to Cleveland in 2016.
In 2017, Irving asked the Cavaliers for a trade, and he ended up in Boston for two years. When that didn't work out, Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 and later requested another trade in 2023, where he landed with the Mavericks.
Seven years after departing James in Cleveland, things have finally come together for Irving. He and backcourt mate Luka Doncic have proven to be the NBA's best scoring duo throughout the fifth-seeded Mavericks' run to the NBA Finals.
Irving and the Mavericks tip off the NBA Finals in Game 1 on Thursday night at TD Garden.
When most sports fans picture the NBA Finals, they picture iconic moments in close games. Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan's iconic shot in Game 6 in 1998. Los Angeles Lakers guard Magic Johnson's so-called "junior, junior skyhook." Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James's block in 2016.
These memories obscure the fact that there has been a lot of slop on basketball's biggest stage. Did you know, for example, that there have only been five NBA Finals Game 7s in the last 30 years?
This article is a celebration of the Finals's unsightlier moments. Here are a few questions about the NBA's championship series beatdowns, answered.
On June 7, 1998, the Bulls smashed the Utah Jazz 96–54 in Game 3 of the NBA Finals to take a 2–1 series lead.
Pretty much out of nowhere! Chicago and the Jazz had played in the 1997 Finals and the series was competitive, with no game decided by more than 12 points. Utah won Game 1 in '98 88–85 in overtime, and the Bulls won Game 2 by five.
Chicago led just 17–14 after the first quarter in Game 3 but pushed its lead to 49-31 at the half. The Jazz's final total of 54 points represented, at the time, the lowest point total of the shot-clock era in any game—regular season or postseason.
The Bulls' 42-point margin of victory is an NBA Finals record. Predictably, Jordan led both teams with 24 points.
The second-most lopsided game will be more familiar to younger fans: the Boston Celtics' 131–92 win over the Lakers in Game 6 of the 2008 Finals. That game gave the Celtics their most recent title, and remains basketball's most lopsided championship clincher.
Rounding out the top five biggest Finals margins of victory: Game 3 in 2013 (San Antonio Spurs 113, Miami Heat 77), Game 6 in 1978 (Washington Bullets 117, Seattle SuperSonics 82), Game 1 in 1985 (Boston 148, Los Angeles 114; the so-called Memorial Day Massacre), and Game 1 in 1961 (Celtics 129, St. Louis Hawks 95).
The Minnesota Timberwolves just wrapped up their best season in decades, earning the third seed in the West and making the franchise's second-ever conference finals appearance. What's more, the roster seems set to succeed for many years with Anthony Edwards emerging as a fully-blown superstar. Now a former New York City mayor wants to get in on the action.
On Thursday, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Michael Bloomberg is going to join the ownership group headed by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez attempting to purchase majority control of the Timberwolves. Bloomberg was listed by Forbes as one of the 15 richest individuals in the world in April.
Lore and Rodriguez's efforts to acquire control of the franchise has been fraught with issues over the last few months. Their group had an agreement with current owner Glen Taylor to gradually purchase stakes in the team in chunks, with the payout for the final chunk to take control away from Taylor coming this year. However, in late March, Taylor claimed the team was no longer for sale because Lore and Rodriguez missed the deadline to do so.
According to Charania, the two sides are currently in arbitration to settle the dispute and it could stretch throughout most of the summer.
Per the report, Bloomberg is a big name but is not expected to be providing significant capital to get the deal done. Lore and A-Rod have brought in a lot of deep pockets to finance the purchase of the team. However, Bloomberg's wealth could end up important down the road as the Wolves aim to build off this season, which will require paying rather significant luxury tax penalties.
The key point, per Charania, is that adding Bloomberg means Lore and Rodriguez can complete the final $300 million payment to secure control of the franchise immediately as opposed to waiting until the end of next season, assuming the arbitration ends with a favorable ruling.
Either way, it seems Bloomberg might have a presence in Minnesota since the ownership group he's joining already controls nearly 40% of the team. An unexpected face, to say the least.
After one of the longer breaks in recent memory, the 2024 NBA Finals have finally arrived. The Boston Celtics will battle the Dallas Mavericks for the crown. There is so much at stake and the two teams present a fascinating matchup. The series has all the ingredients necessary to be an all-timer if things break right for us fans.
One of the many, many subplots that will begin starting at tip-off is who will win the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award. Both teams just want to win a title, but earning Finals MVP is a further immortalization of one player's name. Additionally, it is the kind of measure used to decide legacy conversations and Hall of Fame inductions down the line. The fine details of this Celtics-Mavericks series will be forgotten years down the line, but whoever brings home the Finals MVP trophy will always be remembered for the play that earned it.
Oftentimes the choice is clear-cut. The best player from the winning team is usually in pole position to take home the honor because, well, when the best player plays well their team usually wins. Last year, for example, Nikola Jokic earned the honor after averaging 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per contest in the Denver Nuggets' five-game series win over the Miami Heat.
Other times, a role player will work their way into consideration with an outstanding sequence of games. The best example of that in recent memory is 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, who averaged all of 7.8 points per game but played excellent defense on LeBron James in the Golden State Warriors' first championship win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But how does it all work? Here's everything you need to know about NBA Finals MVP voting heading into this year's exciting title bout.
Every year, the Finals MVP is determined by 11 media members chosen ahead of the series. After the final game, those 11 individuals will cast their vote for who they feel is the most deserving Finals MVP. The Finals MVP voters are usually a grouping of respected reporters from national and international brands along with local institutions. By polling 11 media members, there's no chance for a tie, either.
Last year, for example, the voters were: Sam Amick of The Athletic, Malika Andrews of ESPN, Doris Burke of ESPN Radio, Miguel Candeias of Portugal's A Bola, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo! Sports, Mark Jackson of ESPN/ABC, Shaun Powell of NBA.com, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, Mike Singer of the Denver Post, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel, and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
The voters for the 2024 NBA Finals will be unveiled after the final game but it's safe to assume it will be a similar ratio of assorted reporters from the print, broadcast, and digital coverage world.
The first NBA Finals MVP award was given to Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers. Interestingly, West was actually on the losing side of that Finals too, the only instance of a losing player earning Finals MVP in the history of the NBA. Every player since has won both the Finals and the Finals MVP.
In sum total, 55 Finals MVP awards have been given out to 34 players. Michael Jordan, to the surprise of nobody, holds the all-time record with six Finals MVP trophies. Behind him is LeBron James, who has won four.
From 1969 to 2008, the Finals MVP trophy did not have an official title. However, in the middle of the 2008-'09 season, the NBA announced the Finals MVP trophy was now to be named after Bill Russell. Thus, the Bill Russell Finals MVP Award was born; the first winner was Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, earning the honor after defeating the Orlando Magic in the Finals that year.
Below you'll find a complete list of all the NBA Finals MVP winners, from West in '69 to Jokic last year.
FINALS MVP WINNER
YEAR
TEAM
Jerry West
1969
Los Angeles Lakers
Willis Reed
1970
New York Knicks
Lew Alcindor
1971
Milwaukee Bucks
Wilt Chamberlain
1972
Los Angeles Lakers
Willis Reed
1973
New York Knicks
John Havilcek
1974
Boston Celtics
Rick Barry
1975
Golden State Warriors
Jo Jo White
1976
Boston Celtics
Bill Walton
1977
Portland Trail Blazers
Wes Unseld
1978
Washington Bullets
Dennis Johnson
1979
Seattle SuperSonics
Magic Johnson
1980
Los Angeles Lakers
Cedric Maxwell
1981
Boston Celtics
Magic Johnson
1982
Los Angeles Lakers
Moses Malone
1983
Philadelphia 76ers
Larry Bird
1984
Boston Celtics
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1985
Los Angeles Lakers
Larry Bird
1986
Boston Celtics
Magic Johnson
1987
Los Angeles Lakers
James Worthy
1988
Los Angeles Lakers
Joe Dumars
1989
Detroit Pistons
Isiah Thomas
1990
Detroit Pistons
Michael Jordan
1991
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
1992
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
1993
Chicago Bulls
Hakeem Olajuwon
1994
Houston Rockets
Hakeem Olajuwon
1995
Houston Rockets
Michael Jordan
1996
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
1997
Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
1998
Chicago Bulls
Tim Duncan
1999
San Antonio Spurs
Shaquille O'Neal
2000
Los Angeles Lakers
Shaquille O'Neal
2001
Los Angeles Lakers
Shaquille O'Neal
2002
Los Angeles Lakers
Tim Duncan
2003
San Antonio Spurs
Chauncey Billups
2004
Detroit Pistons
Tim Duncan
2005
San Antonio Spurs
Dwyane Wade
2006
Miami Heat
Tony Parker
2007
San Antonio Spurs
Paul Pierce
2008
Boston Celtics
Kobe Bryant
2009
Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe Bryant
2010
Los Angeles Lakers
Dirk Nowitzki
2011
Dallas Mavericks
LeBron James
2012
Miami Heat
LeBron James
2013
Miami Heat
Kawhi Leonard
2014
San Antonio Spurs
Andre Iguodala
2015
Golden State Warriors
LeBron James
2016
Cleveland Cavaliers
Kevin Durant
2017
Golden State Warriors
Kevin Durant
2018
Golden State Warriors
Kawhi Leonard
2019
Toronto Raptors
LeBron James
2020
Los Angeles Lakers
Giannis Antetokounmpo
2021
Milwaukee Bucks
Stephen Curry
2022
Golden State Warriors
Nikola Jokic
2023
Denver Nuggets
We'll find out soon who from the Celtics or Nuggets will join this illustrious grouping of players. Enjoy the games!
When the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks begin on Thursday night, ABC/ESPN's Doris Burke will be making history of her own.
Burke, who was named to the lead NBA broadcasting crew for ABC/ESPN ahead of the 2023–24 season, is officially the first woman to call any major men's championship in the United States in history.
The long-time reporter will join Mike Breen and J.J. Reddick courtside for the game as they've done throughout the entire NBA season.
Burke is set to work all of the NBA Finals games this season as ABC is the primary broadcaster for the games.
Tonight, Doris Burke is set to make history as the first woman to call any major U.S. men’s championship on TV. pic.twitter.com/jR7ujRJgq0
This isn't the first time Burke's name will be written in the history books. One of her other significant career moments came in 2017 when she was named a regular NBA game analyst for ESPN, making her the first woman to hold this position for a full season. She called the NBA Finals for ESPN Radio back in 2020, making her the first woman to do so.
