Basketball
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Caitlin Clark is continuing her partnership with Wilson by dropping all-new Clark-branded basketballs in colorful styles.
Created to inspire aspiring basketball stars everywhere, the collection includes four new balls available to pre-order now on Wilson’s website. All the signature styles will be available starting June 23. Prospective buyers can be notified when the collection drops by plugging in their email and first name via Wilson’s website. Prices range from $124.95 to $27.95.
The four styles are made of game-ready materials with Clark’s signature embossed on the front along with Wilson branding. You’ve got the Caitlin Clark Evo NXT Embrace Game Basketball, Caitlin Clark WNBA Oasis Basketball, Caitlin Clark Aspire UV Basketball and Caitlin Clark Envision Basketball. With so many styles to choose from, we’re breaking down the collection to help you make an educated decision before adding to cart.
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Caitlin Clark Evo NXT Embrace Game Basketball
An orange and black basketball with sound wave graphics.
Retailing for $124.95, this ball features a slew of unique performance tech to up your game including a micro-touch grip, pebbled composite channels to enhance grip and control during dribbling and a super soft core for elite control. The ball is a standard orange hue, equipped with co-branding featuring decibel meter graphics in purple and blue reflecting in-game decibel levels from an audio file of the sound from an Indiana Fever game. Black contrasting stripes offer the ball visual interest.
Wilson
Caitlin Clark WNBA Oasis Basketball
A blue and white basketball with colorful abstract graphics.
A colorful addition to Clark’s signature collection, the Oasis model features hand-drawn, abstract patterns of water, fairways and sand traps in colorful hues meant to reflect the basketball star’s “happy places.” From the golf course to the court, this ball comes equipped with a Pure Feel indoor/outdoor cover to take your games anywhere, along with pebbled composite channels and WNBA-inspired alternating panels. This model is meant to inspire athletes to find their own “oasis” whatever that may be.
Wilson
Caitlin Clark Aspire UV Basketball
A gray and red basketball that changes in the sunlight.
Meant for pickup games out in the sun, the Aspire model changes before your very eyes. When exposed to sunlight, the ball transforms to reveal inspirational pre-game pep talks, sharing her words of wisdom and encouragement to athletes everywhere ahead so you can get your head right ahead of a game, pro or otherwise. Like the other balls in this collection, the Aspire is fixed with game-enhancing tech like deeper channels between the panels of the ball that allow for more grip and better ball control, along with a durable all-surface cover that makes the ball suitable to use on any court surface.
Wilson
Caitlin Clark Envision Basketball
A light blue and dark blue basketball with inspirational graphics.
Retailing for $27.95, the Envision model is the simplest of the bunch, but don’t let that stop you from snagging it. This ball’s design channels Clark’s “Dream Big” mantra thanks to abstract hidden messages featured throughout. This ball includes the aforementioned durable all-surface cover, along with deep channels and a unique air retention lining. The model is a pastel blue with darker blue accents and logo detailing that creates contrast. One or all of these basketballs would make a great gift for the basketball fan in your life. Even better if they love Clark.
If you can’t wait for the drop, Clark’s other collaborative balls are just as good and still available to shop now on Wilson’s website.
Wilson
Caitlin Clark Fever Rising Basketball
A deep blue and red basketball with contrasting white graphics.
This basketball is intensely striking, sure to catch your eye during a game. The ball is navy and red with yellow accents that harken to Clark’s team Indiana Fever. The back panels feature a triple-stacked Caitlin Clark graphic, with her name and number 22 integrated into the Indiana Fever-inspired pattern. This basketball features deep channels to improve grip and control accompanied by an all-surface cover that’s perfect for spontaneous games outdoors.
Wilson
Caitlin Clark Journey Series Basketball
A black ball with confetti-like graphics.
Retailing for $21.95, this basketball model is celebratory in nature. The Journey Series style is made to honor the stops along the way of Clark’s basketball career that has shaped her into the star she is. The all-black silhouette visually captures Caitlin’s shooting chart from her college career where she’s scored every point, with each dot symbolizing a colorway from Caitlin’s teams from high school to college to pro. Like the other models in Caitlin’s collection, this ball comes equipped with a durable all-surface cover along with deep channels and a specialized inflation retention lining.
Source: Getty Images / Indiana Pacers / New York Knicks
It’s no longer orange and blue skies after the NBA’s “most overrated player,” Tyrese Haliburton, and the Indiana Pacers once again sent New York Knicks, Ben Stiller, Timothee Chalamet, Spike Lee, and the rest of the diehard Knickerbocker fans on summer break.
The New York Knicks and their fans thought their 52-year championship drought was coming to an end, but unfortunately, the Indiana Pacers had other plans.
Last night, in a game that started close, the Pacers eventually cruised to a 125-108 Game 6 win over the Knicks, punching their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, where they hope they can win the franchise’s first NBA title.
Out of the gate, the Knicks didn’t let the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd affect them, keeping the contest close, trailing by only four points at halftime. But it was clear they couldn’t keep pace with the Pacers, who turned it on in the second half, ending the third quarter with an 11-point lead that the Knicks couldn’t overcome.
It didn’t help that the Knicks’ offense was stifled by the Pacers’ defense in the second half. The clutch player of the year and Knicks’ top offensive weapon, Jalen Brunson, was held to just 19 points and shot 4/10 at the half because Andrew Nembhard locked him down.
In Games 1-5, Andrew Nembhard defended Jalen Brunson for 49 match-ups, allowing 51.0 player points per 100 match-ups
In Game 6, Nembhard defended Brunson for 55 match-ups, giving up just 9.1 player points per 100 match-ups
He was sensational. pic.twitter.com/VQNoJSo22x
— Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) June 1, 2025
Turnovers Killed The Knicks’ Chances
The Pacers also forced 18 Knicks turnovers, scoring 25 fastbreak points, a recipe for disaster for any team trying to win an Eastern Conference Finals series.
After being stifled in Game 5, Tyrese Haliburton returned to form, scoring 21 points and dishing out 13 assists. However, it was Pascal Siakam’s 31-point performance that helped put the Knicks away for good, earning him the series MVP award, which also provided a classic meme moment.
Tyrese Haliburton thought that Larry Bird ECF MVP trophy was his🤣#NBA #Pacers pic.twitter.com/59eF189mNI
— Caleb Nixon (@calebnixonmedia) June 1, 2025
Jalen Brunson Still Has Confidence In This Knicks Team
Despite solid offensive efforts from OG Anunoby, who led all Knicks scorers with 24 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns with 22, it just wasn’t enough.
It didn’t help that Josh Hart, who has been reliable all season, didn’t leave his mark on the game, scoring only 4 points.
Following the game, Brunson says he still believes in this Knicks team as it is constructed, telling reporters he has “The most confidence, overconfident, seriously,” Brunson said. “There’s not an ounce of any type of doubt that I’m confident with this group.”
Jalen Brunson was asked if he has confidence that Tom Thibodeau is the right coach for the Knicks moving forward:
“Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe if he’s the right guy. Yes.” pic.twitter.com/FRjCO8genL
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 1, 2025
A Magical Season Comes To A Bitter End
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks looked like they were on the verge of a special season after two big playoff series wins, including knocking off the defending champion Boston Celtics.
But it would turn out their biggest test would be the franchise’s longtime rivals, the Indiana Pacers, who have played boogeyman to the Knicks franchise for many years.
Coming into the series, the Knicks had all the momentum, especially after pulling off one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history en route to denying the Celtics the opportunity to defend their 2023-24 NBA championship.
It would turn out that the Knicks would get a taste of their own medicine after they dramatically blew a significant lead in game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, which led to an insane Tyrese Haliburton buzzer-beater to force overtime, where the Knicks came up short, and eventually would go on to lose the series.
TYRESE HALIBURTON BUZZER BEATER FORCES OT 🤯🤯🤯
AND HE DID THE CHOKE SIGN TO THE KNICKS!!! pic.twitter.com/0jufr6naNl
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 22, 2025
As you can imagine, Knicks fans’ emotions are all over the place. Some are proud of their Knickerbockers, while others feel a change is needed, calling for the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau, whose rotations and refusal to use his bench were once again the subject of discussion.
Tom Thibodeau is just Doc Rivers but plays his stars 48 minutes a game. pic.twitter.com/d2fVTya9Cj
— chickenfried🍗 (@realzachbrown) May 26, 2025
Welp, there’s always next year.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. A proud Knicks fan
I don’t care I’m damn proud of this team.A season full of memoriesTwo All Star startersBack to back 50 win seasonsGreat series win vs DetroitAn upset for the ages vs BostonFirst ECF in 25 yearsIt was an amazing season pic.twitter.com/JWJipMcEsq— KNICKS BEAST (@KnicksBeast) June 1, 2025
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Source: Al Bello / Getty
For the past few weeks the New York Knicks playoff run has had all of New York in a chokehold as last second shots and big time comeback wins have given New Yorkers reason to celebrate and act-a-fool, but one particular fan has taken his love of the team to a new and entertaining level.
According to Page Six, a Brooklyn-based audio engineer and musician by the name of Doug Berns has been making a name for himself on social media by releasing his own remixed versions of New York Knicks game recaps that feature some music performed by the Brooklyn dad. Breaking down how each game stirred up emotions in his Knicks loving soul that millions of New Yorkers have been dealing with for the past few weeks, Berns has been going through the motions for months now and said the inspiration for his idea came due to “The emotional roller coaster of investing in this team is really, really intense. My songs tell the stories of those roller coasters, I hope.”
Page Six reports:
While Berns started the project with the goal of writing one original metal song inspired by a Knicks game, he found that musical parodies of ‘90s rock and hip hop tunes resonated deeply with audiences – and his videos have since drawn over 15,000 Instagram followers and millions of views since he began the series on Nov. 13 after a win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
“My wheelhouse is music that I grew up listening to, and a lot of my millennial contemporaries are Knick fans that grew up in the last golden age of Knicks basketball,” Berns told The Post. “Most of [the parodies] are songs that swirl around in our emotional hearts and minds.”
In the months since Berns launched the endeavor, he’s found fans in filmmaker Spike Lee, as well as Knicks players Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart — who showcased one of Berns’ songs on their podcast Roommates Show.
The musical recaps really are hella entertaining and hilarious.
While most New Yorkers may be scared to look silly or even ridiculous by expressing their love of the Knicks in such a way, Berns has no issue with such judgement from others and is proud to have gone this route for the team he truly loves.
“I feel like I’ve been searching for a way to express my talent and fandom and personality for a long time, and I found it with this thing,” he added. “My goal is to continue giving fans this thing that makes them happy: win or lose.
“It’s a little microcosm of [the team’s] successes and failures and triumphs and rejection,” he added. “Music is a way of telling stories of people’s lives, and I think doing both is a meta way to look at all of that.”
Check out some of Doug Bern’s Knick game musical recaps and let us know your thoughts about his clips in the comments section below.
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Source: Boston Globe / Getty / Jayson Tatum
It’s not looking good for the Boston Celtics right now. After a strong regular season, they were heading into the playoffs with a high chance of repeating as NBA champions. Now, they are on the brink of elimination and will likely have to pull off the impossible without their star player, Jayson Tatum.
The Boston Celtics came into their Conference Semifinals matchup with the New York Knicks as prohibitive favorites. However, they flopped in both home games, surrendering 20-point leads, allowing Jalen Brunson and the Knicks to steal two games in TD Garden.
The Celtics did find their form in Game 3 and didn’t relinquish their massive lead, smoking the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, leaving many to believe they have found their groove.
Then came Game 4, which was a repeat of Games 1 and 2, but this time the Celtics will limp back to Boston down 3-1 and likely without superstar Jayson Tatum, who left the game with what looked like a serious non-contact leg injury, an unfortunate end for what was one of his best games in the series.
After he was taken off the court, a visibly emotional Tatum was wheelchaired back to the Celtics locker room, covering his face to hide his tears.
The Sports World Reacts To Jayson Tatum’s Scary Injury
The reactions to the scary injury, many speculate, could be a torn Achilles, were instant, with names like LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, and more all throwing up prayers for the NBA champion.
There’s still no word on the severity of Tatum’s injury, with his head coach, Joe Mazulla, saying his star player will undergo an MRI. But if the Celtics can extend it, chances are very high we will not see Big Deuce for Game 4 or the remainder of this series.
The sports world is awaiting the results of that MRI. Until it comes, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Julian Edelman
2. Grant Williams
3. Isaiah Thomas
4. Jalen Brunson speaks on the injury following the game
5. Karl-Anthony Towns
6. Josh Hart
7. Kendrick Perkins
8. Ben Stiller
9. Skip Bayless
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Source: Nike Basketball / Nike Basketball
Years after the Nike Kobe sneaker line was a scarce product out on these streets, Nike has been giving Kobe fans all the kicks that they can handle (lots of them are sitting on shelves). Now, they’ll be re-releasing the sneaker that started it all at the Swoosh brand. We’re sure fans can’t hardly wait.
According to Sneaker News, Nike will be retroing the classic Nike Kobe 1 “81 Points” in 2026 in honor of the 20th anniversary of Kobe’s classic game against the Toronto Raptors in which he dropped a historic 81 points on Jalen Rose (sorry, man, but he did). Featuring the classic white, purple and gold Lakers colorway, the first Kobe silhouette that Nike released following his departure from adidas, the Kobe 1 “81 Points” will most definitely become a must-have for hardcore Kobe fans who witnessed his greatness during his historic 20-year NBA career.
Per Sneaker News:
The Nike Kobe 1 “81 Points” was released as a limited PE in 2007 and then again as a Protro in 2019. Importantly, Kobe’s 81-point game preceded the wide release of the Nike Kobe 1 by about a month. No images of the 2026 Protro have surfaced yet, but the sneaker is expected to feature the same “White/Black/Court Purple” blocking alongside modern performance upgrades.
The only question is whether the sneakers will be a limited release (as Nike is once again keeping production numbers low of their classic silhouettes in 2025) or if it’ll be a big rollout so they can cash in on the hype. Either way, we expect these to be a hard cop.
Check out pics of the original Kobe 1 “81 Points” below, and let us know if you’ll be checking for these when they drop in 2026.
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New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson proved why he was named this year’s Kia Clutch Player of the Year after delivering a huge three-point make against the Detroit Pistons in their first-round series. Despite a spirited performance from the upstart Pistons, Jalen Brunson, who seemingly lives for these moments, dropped the dagger from beyond the arc and sank the hopes of Detroit.
The Knicks visited the Pistons with a 3-2 advantage in their best-of-seven series, which got testy in game 4 with the Pistons showing plenty of fight in the contest and coming away with the win. It appeared that the Pistons were on their way to capturing the win on their home court, but the tight defense of the Knicks and their hot shooting tied things up towards the end of regulation.
Brunson faced yet another round of boos and insults from fans and a relentless onslaught of speed, offense, and defense from Detroit’s young core of Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren. However, with the game tied 113-all and just 20 seconds on the clock, Brunson tied the cape around his neck and went to work.
With the much taller Thompson guarding him, Brunson shrugged off the coverage, hit a crossover dribble, and drained one of the biggest three-pointers of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. After hitting the shot, Brunson blew kisses to the crowd, and the Pistons made an effort to score, but the Knicks’ defensive scheme headed off their plans.
Brunson and the New York Knicks will now face the defending champion Boston Celtics in what’s expected to be a must-see series.
On X, Jalen Brunson’s clutch heroics were the top-trending topic. We’ve got reactions below.
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Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty
Playing one-on-one with Kobe Bryant was a hooper’s dream while growing up, but that quickly turned into a nightmare for Bow Wow, who got shut out 10-0 when facing the Mamba Mentality.
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Bow Wow joined Club Shay Shay for an interview on Thursday (April 30), during which he reflected on having the chance to play Bryant one-on-one back in 2011 when Bow pulled up to the Lakers superstar’s day camp.
As far as the stakes, Bow had to pay $1,000 in cash if he lost, but if he could’ve just scored a single bucket on Bryant, the Hall of Famer would’ve gifted the Like Mike star a pair of floor seats to every home game for an entire season.
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“He took it for real. I left that gym and I said, ‘I will never play in the NBA, nor do I want to,’” Bow said before being pressed by Shannon Sharpe about how many points he scored. “None! He smothered me. He had his thumb in my waist. He was hand-checking.”
Bow continued: “He was telling me, ‘You’re gonna go wherever the f–k I want you to go.’ … What was so dope about the one-on-one was people got to see Kobe in a light that they never got to see Kobe in. You hear about the Mamba Mentality, but it’s tough to hear on TV. You hear ’em in the one-on-one … He talking to me crazy like I’m not Bow.”
Even though it’s been 14 years, Bow Wow still recalls the one chance he had to make an open jump shot, but Bryant’s 6’6″ frame closed quickly, and the glance at a clean basketball was gone within seconds. “By the time I raised up, it was no time. The way he closed out, that 6’6″ turned into 7’1,” he said.
Bryant ended up dishing out the $1,000 to his campers, and even with the loss, Bow has a memory he’ll cherish for a lifetime.
“That right there is like a bucket list [goal],” Bow Wow said. “Every kid would love to play Kobe Bryant one-on-one. And then for [his death] to tragically happen, that’s something I’m going to hold dearly to my heart.”
Bryant, his daughter Gigi and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. Bow Wow paid tribute to Kobe shortly after his death by posting a photo with his own daughter along with the hashtag “Girl Dad,” which went viral as Bryant was a father to four girls himself.
Watch the full interview and one-on-one game with Bow Wow below.
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Source: Getty Images / Giannis Antetokounmpo / John Haliburton
If this is the final time we see Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform, he went out fighting, both literally and figuratively.
Things got extremely chippy at Gainbridge Fieldhouse after final buzzer of the Indiana Pacers stunning 119-118 overtime victory over the Bucks, eliminating the Bucks from the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo got into it with Pacers guard Ben Mathurin at center court first, which led to the hoopers having to be separated. It looked, at first, as if the players were exchanging pleasantries, as players always do at the end of the game, but. Mathurin pushes Giannis, who had his hand on the back of Mathurin’s head.
Then Antetokounmpo got into it with Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John Haliburton, after his son sealed the Pacers’ win with a game-winning drive past the Greek Freak. Antetokounmpo shook hands with John Haliburton before two butted heads and began screaming at each other before they each had to be separated.
Following the game, Tyrese Haliburton spoke about the incident, saying that his father was in the wrong, adding that a conversation would be had.
“I don’t think that my pops was in the right at all there. … We will have a conversation and I’ll talk to Giannis, it’s unfortunate we’re all grown men,” Haliburton said during the post-game press conference.
Antetokounmpo was also asked about the incident, and he added during his post-game press conference that “I believe like being humble in victory, ” and that he felt “disrespected,” but noted that all parties involved talked, adding “I think we’re in a good place.”
Social Media Is Reacting To The Chippy End
As expected, the two incidents have social media talking, especially if this is Giannis’ final game as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks franchise.
Many believe the NBA champion will be traded and sent to a contender because it’s not looking suitable for the Bucks next season. The team has no first-round picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, and outside of Damian Lillard, who suffered a torn Achilles in his last game, putting an asterisk on his career, and whether he will play next season, there isn’t much to lure Antetokounmpo back.
Damn.
We won’t find out any time soon, but until then, you can view more reactions in the gallery below.
5. Nah chill
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Sedona Prince, a standout player for Texas Christian University’s women’s basketball team, was thought to be a valuable WNBA prospect due to her size and experience. However, Sedona Prince went undrafted in this year’s WNBA draft amid abuse allegations and other concerns.
As reported by Page Six, Sedona Prince, who played her seventh and final year at TCU, did not have her name called in the WNBA draft despite helping the Horned Frogs reach the Elite Eight in this past NCAA women’s basketball tournament. At 6-foot-7, Prince averaged 17.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
However, the reports of a January altercation between Prince and a woman she was dating at the top of this year hung over the player’s head. Taking to TikTok, Olivia Stabile accused Prince of several instances of physical and emotional abuse, prompting Prince to fire back with her account countering the claims. They both filed charges of domestic violence against one another as well.
Beyond the altercation with her former partner, Prince has been dogged by injuries, and at 24, she would be coming in as one of the older players in the WNBA as a rookie. Still, Sedona Prince’s size and abilities are sure to be in demand for teams, and she may be able to earn a tryout.
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Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Want to drop 45 points and become a local legend at your local basketball court? Well, we can’t help with that, […]