Legendary San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich won’t return to the team’s bench. Popovich will continue serving as the franchise’s president of basketball operations while interim head coach Mitch Johnson will get the job on a permanent basis.

Popovich suffered a mild stroke in November and stepped down from coaching as he focused on recovering. He initially intended to return for 2025-26 but later decided to prioritize his health instead of committing to the grueling task of coaching in the NBA.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said in a statement released by the team. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff, and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach, and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

Gregg Popovich initially joined the Spurs in 1988 as an assistant and served in the role until 1992. He returned to the franchise as a general manager in 1994 and named himself as the Spurs’ head coach in 1996 after he fired Bob Hill.

Since taking over as Spurs head coach, Popovich became the winningest coach in NBA history with 1,422 career wins. He led San Antonio to five NBA titles and was named NBA’s Coach of the Year three times. Popovich also won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the head coach of Team USA.

Mitch Johnson joined the Spurs’ organization in 2016 as an assistant with G League affiliate Austin Spurs. He quickly rose through the ranks and became one of Popovich’s most trusted assistants. Johnson led the Spurs to a 31-45 record during his interim stint.

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Marcus Rashford’s successful loan spell with Aston Villa has reportedly prompted La Liga giants Barcelona to renew their interest in the English striker.

Rashford joined Villa in January on loan from Manchester United and has played well since then. He has two goals and two assists in 10 Premier League games while also receiving praise from head coach Unai Emery for his other contributions on the field.

Barcelona is currently looking to fortify its attack and sees Rashford, who was on their radar in 2023 before he signed a new contract with Manchester United, as a suitable option.  The only issue is that the Catalan club isn’t keen on paying his £40 million ($53.3 million) price tag due to their poor financial situation.

It is unclear whether Man United would be willing to give them a discount at this moment considering that Aston Villa can turn Rashford’s loan into a permanent transfer for the same fee.

Rashford, on the other hand, isn’t interested in returning to Manchester United due to a strained relationship with Ruben Amorim. While staying with Aston Villa is an option, he is reportedly excited about the opportunity to play at Camp Nou and would be willing to take a significant pay cut from his current £300,000 per week to facilitate a move to Barcelona.

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Real Madrid’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti is expected to leave the La Liga powerhouse in June. According to Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, Ancelotti already accepted a new job and will become the head coach of Brazil’s national team.

Ancelotti initially intended to fulfill his contract with Real, which runs until 2026, but the club’s struggling form has caused both sides to agree to part ways. Real has been eliminated in the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League, lost the Copa del Rey finals against bitter rivals Barcelona, and is currently trailing the Catalan club by four points in La Liga with five games to play.

Reportedly, Ancelotti will take over Brazil on a one-year deal and lead the country at the 2026 World Cup. He will succeed Dorival Júnior, who was fired in March after a string of disappointing results that included an embarrassing 4-1 loss to Argentina.

Real, on the other hand, is already putting together a shortlist of candidates to replace Ancelotti. At the moment, Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is considered the leading candidate. Alonso spent five years with Real as a player, winning La Liga in 2011–12 and UCL trophy in 2013–14.

Carlo Ancelotti will leave Real Madrid as one of the most accomplished head coaches in the team’s history. During his two stints with the club, Ancelotti won 15 trophies including two La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies.

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Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, finally heard his name being called at the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders was drafted in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns took Sanders with the 144th overall pick, which they acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

Sanders was expected to be a first-round pick, being rated as the second-best quarterback prospect in this year’s draft after the University of Miami’s Cam Ward. However, Sanders experienced an unexpected slide, with Ward, who was selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans, and four other quarterbacks being selected before him.

Reportedly, the reason why Sanders waited so long was that the teams had questions about his arm strength, athleticism, and ability to adjust to the NFL after playing in a simple offense during his time at Colorado. Additionally, he had several bad interviews, and some franchises believed he would be a distraction considering his celebrity status and outspoken father.

Despite being in need of a quarterback, Cleveland passed on the opportunity to draft Sanders multiple times and even selected signal-caller Dillon Gabriel in the third round. But with Sanders still available in the fifth round, the Browns finally decided to roll the dice.

“We felt like it wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks, but we do believe in the best player available, we do believe in positional value. We didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round,” said Brown’s general manager Andrew Berry.

Sanders led Colorado to a 9-4 record in 2024, throwing for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He was honored as Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and had his No. 2 with the Buffaloes retired.

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The Green Bay Packers haven’t had a true No. 1 wide receiver ever since Davante Adams left the Lambeau Field in 2022. After failing to find one through the draft, the franchise is now reportedly ready to make a big swing and trade for Pittsburgh Steelers’ mercurial wideout George Pickens.

According to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, the Packers have engaged in talks with the Steelers about Pickens and are “serious” in their interest. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has been open to calls about the 2022 second-round pick.

Schultz adds that Pickens is “more available than people think” and that several other teams are considering making a move.

Pickens emerged as the Steelers’ top wideout in recent seasons but there are plenty of reasons why the franchise might be keen on letting him go. The most obvious reason is that they are not ready to pay him at the top of the market after they acquired Pro Bowler DK Metcalf earlier in the offseason and signed him to a lucrative extension. 

Additionally, Pickens showed flashes of great talent but has been inconsistent at times and drew criticism for his behavior on the field.

The Packers likely believe that Pickens can thrive and reach his full potential with a change of scenery. He would become a part of one of the NFL’s youngest teams and have a stable quarterback situation unlike the Steelers’ veteran-driven roster and questions surrounding the signal-caller position.

Since entering the league, Pickens caught 174 passes for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns.

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The experience of Golden State Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler proved to be a determining factor in a 95-85 win over the young Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series between the two teams.

The Rockets relied on aggressiveness and physicality to deliver a strong first quarter that saw them lead by 13 points at one point. However, the Warriors quickly settled into the rhythm to slow down their opponents with smart defense while Curry and Butler took turns making one big shot after another.

Golden State took a commanding lead by the end of the first half and was up by 23 points in the third quarter. Houston eventually managed to cut down the lead to nine entering the fourth quarter but couldn’t complete a comeback.

Curry led the way for the Warriors with a game-high 31 points while adding six assists and six rebounds. Butler had 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.

“In order for us to win basketball games it requires Steph Curry to be great,” Golden State’s Draymond Green said after the game. “And he was just that.”

“(Curry) just made some amazing plays and obviously carried us offensively along with Jimmy,” Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr added.

Game 2 between the seventh-seeded Warriors and second-seeded Rockets is scheduled for Wednesday before the series moves to San Francisco for Games 3 and 4.  

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LAFC’s head coach, Steve Cherundolo, announced that he will step down from his position with the MLS team after the end of the 2025 season.

In a statement released by the club, Cherundolo explained it was a family decision.

“It is an honor to be the head coach of LAFC,” Cherundolo said in a statement. “After much reflection and discussion with my family, we made the decision that at the end of this year we will return to Germany.”

Cherundolo, who had 87 caps for the United States men’s national team, spent his entire professional career with German club Hannover 96. After retirement in 2014, he remained with the club in a coaching role, overseeing its academy teams.

Steve Cherundolo took over as LAFC’s head coach in 2022. He clinched the Supporters’ Shield and won the MLS Cup, the first in the team’s history, in his first season at the helm. LAFC also lifted the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2024 under Cherundolo.

LAFC has struggled at the beginning of the 2025 season, having four wins and four losses in their first eight MLS matches. They are currently sitting at No. 7 in the Eastern Conference and are seven points behind the leading Vancouver Whitecaps. The LA team was also eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

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The New Orleans Pelicans announced on Wednesday that the franchise is hiring Hall of Famer Joe Dumars to serve as their new executive vice president of basketball operations. Dumars will step in for David Griffin, who was fired on Monday after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

Willie Green is expected to remain the coach of the Pelicans, although Dumars will reportedly have the final say on his fate.

The Pelicans endured a rough and injury-riddled season that saw them finish with a 21-61 record, fourth-worst in the league.

“There is a lot of talent on this roster,” Dumars, who is a Louisiana native, said in a statement. “My vision is to build a disciplined team that is built on toughness, smart decision-making, and a no-excuses mindset. I am proud to have grown up in Louisiana and know how passionate, resilient, and tough we are as a community. Our fans deserve a team that represents that spirit, and those characteristics will be the foundation of our team’s culture.”

Joe Dumars played 14 seasons in the NBA, spending all of them with the Detroit Pistons. He helped the franchise to two NBA titles and was named NBA Finals MVP in 1989. Dumars also earned six NBA All-Star selections and was named to NBA All-Defensive First Team four times. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Dumars transitioned to an executive role after retirement, becoming Pistons’ president of basketball operations prior to the 2000-01 season. He held the position for 14 years and constructed the team that won the 2004 NBA championship. After leaving the Pistons, he served in executive roles with the Sacramento Kings and the NBA League Office.

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Rory McIlroy was agonizingly close to winning the Masters one too many times before, but just couldn’t get across the finish line. That was until Sunday, when he finally got the elusive green jacket, winning the 2025 edition of the famed tournament and completing a career Grand Slam.

In the final round, McIlroy appeared to be headed to another heartbreak. He had a lead of three shots from the third round before seeing it melt away after he shot a 73, one over par. Meanwhile, Justin Rose managed to make up significant ground and tie him after finishing the round with 66, six under par.

Rose missed a birdie putt on the first playoff hole, while McIlroy made his to cap off an emotional win.

The win at the 2025 Masters was McIlroy’s fifth major championship and first since 2014. It also made him just the sixth player in the Modern Era to complete a Grand Slam, having previously won the U.S. Open in 2011, PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, and The Open Championship in 2014.

“This is my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time,” McIlroy said after the tournament. “I think the last 10 years coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that, yeah, I’m sort of wondering what we’re all going to talk about going into next year’s Masters.”

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The Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic will average a triple-double in the 2024-25 NBA season, becoming the third player in NBA history to achieve this feat.

Jokic secured the triple-double average for the season with his fourth assist in the Nuggets’ 117-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. At that point, the Serbian center reached the mark of 700 assists in 69 games, meaning that he will average at least 10.0 assists even if he doesn’t get a single one in the regular season finale.

Fittingly, Jokic finished the game with a triple-double, scoring 26 points to go with 16 rebounds and 13 assists. He is now averaging 29.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.3 assists for the season. 

Before Jokic, only Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and his teammate Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double for a season. Robertson did it in 1961-62, while Westbrook had four such seasons, with the last one coming in 2020-21.

“It’s nice. I didn’t do that before. I don’t know what to say. It’s good, ” said Jokic after the Grizzlies game.

On the other hand, Nuggets’ interim head coach David Adelman championed for Jokic to win his fourth MVP award.

“If he doesn’t win the MVP, it’s the greatest season of all time not to win the MVP,” Adelman said.

It remains to be seen whether Jokic’s historic season equates to another MVP win. Despite his achievement, he is currently seen as an underdog in the race with Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being the favorite.

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Legendary San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich won’t return to the team’s bench. Popovich will continue serving as the franchise’s president of basketball operations while interim head coach Mitch Johnson will get the job on a permanent basis.

Popovich suffered a mild stroke in November and stepped down from coaching as he focused on recovering. He initially intended to return for 2025-26 but later decided to prioritize his health instead of committing to the grueling task of coaching in the NBA.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said in a statement released by the team. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff, and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach, and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

Gregg Popovich initially joined the Spurs in 1988 as an assistant and served in the role until 1992. He returned to the franchise as a general manager in 1994 and named himself as the Spurs’ head coach in 1996 after he fired Bob Hill.

Since taking over as Spurs head coach, Popovich became the winningest coach in NBA history with 1,422 career wins. He led San Antonio to five NBA titles and was named NBA’s Coach of the Year three times. Popovich also won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the head coach of Team USA.

Mitch Johnson joined the Spurs’ organization in 2016 as an assistant with G League affiliate Austin Spurs. He quickly rose through the ranks and became one of Popovich’s most trusted assistants. Johnson led the Spurs to a 31-45 record during his interim stint.

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Marcus Rashford’s successful loan spell with Aston Villa has reportedly prompted La Liga giants Barcelona to renew their interest in the English striker.

Rashford joined Villa in January on loan from Manchester United and has played well since then. He has two goals and two assists in 10 Premier League games while also receiving praise from head coach Unai Emery for his other contributions on the field.

Barcelona is currently looking to fortify its attack and sees Rashford, who was on their radar in 2023 before he signed a new contract with Manchester United, as a suitable option.  The only issue is that the Catalan club isn’t keen on paying his £40 million ($53.3 million) price tag due to their poor financial situation.

It is unclear whether Man United would be willing to give them a discount at this moment considering that Aston Villa can turn Rashford’s loan into a permanent transfer for the same fee.

Rashford, on the other hand, isn’t interested in returning to Manchester United due to a strained relationship with Ruben Amorim. While staying with Aston Villa is an option, he is reportedly excited about the opportunity to play at Camp Nou and would be willing to take a significant pay cut from his current £300,000 per week to facilitate a move to Barcelona.

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Real Madrid’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti is expected to leave the La Liga powerhouse in June. According to Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, Ancelotti already accepted a new job and will become the head coach of Brazil’s national team.

Ancelotti initially intended to fulfill his contract with Real, which runs until 2026, but the club’s struggling form has caused both sides to agree to part ways. Real has been eliminated in the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League, lost the Copa del Rey finals against bitter rivals Barcelona, and is currently trailing the Catalan club by four points in La Liga with five games to play.

Reportedly, Ancelotti will take over Brazil on a one-year deal and lead the country at the 2026 World Cup. He will succeed Dorival Júnior, who was fired in March after a string of disappointing results that included an embarrassing 4-1 loss to Argentina.

Real, on the other hand, is already putting together a shortlist of candidates to replace Ancelotti. At the moment, Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is considered the leading candidate. Alonso spent five years with Real as a player, winning La Liga in 2011–12 and UCL trophy in 2013–14.

Carlo Ancelotti will leave Real Madrid as one of the most accomplished head coaches in the team’s history. During his two stints with the club, Ancelotti won 15 trophies including two La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies.

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Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, finally heard his name being called at the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders was drafted in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns took Sanders with the 144th overall pick, which they acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

Sanders was expected to be a first-round pick, being rated as the second-best quarterback prospect in this year’s draft after the University of Miami’s Cam Ward. However, Sanders experienced an unexpected slide, with Ward, who was selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans, and four other quarterbacks being selected before him.

Reportedly, the reason why Sanders waited so long was that the teams had questions about his arm strength, athleticism, and ability to adjust to the NFL after playing in a simple offense during his time at Colorado. Additionally, he had several bad interviews, and some franchises believed he would be a distraction considering his celebrity status and outspoken father.

Despite being in need of a quarterback, Cleveland passed on the opportunity to draft Sanders multiple times and even selected signal-caller Dillon Gabriel in the third round. But with Sanders still available in the fifth round, the Browns finally decided to roll the dice.

“We felt like it wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks, but we do believe in the best player available, we do believe in positional value. We didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round,” said Brown’s general manager Andrew Berry.

Sanders led Colorado to a 9-4 record in 2024, throwing for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He was honored as Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and had his No. 2 with the Buffaloes retired.

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The Green Bay Packers haven’t had a true No. 1 wide receiver ever since Davante Adams left the Lambeau Field in 2022. After failing to find one through the draft, the franchise is now reportedly ready to make a big swing and trade for Pittsburgh Steelers’ mercurial wideout George Pickens.

According to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, the Packers have engaged in talks with the Steelers about Pickens and are “serious” in their interest. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has been open to calls about the 2022 second-round pick.

Schultz adds that Pickens is “more available than people think” and that several other teams are considering making a move.

Pickens emerged as the Steelers’ top wideout in recent seasons but there are plenty of reasons why the franchise might be keen on letting him go. The most obvious reason is that they are not ready to pay him at the top of the market after they acquired Pro Bowler DK Metcalf earlier in the offseason and signed him to a lucrative extension. 

Additionally, Pickens showed flashes of great talent but has been inconsistent at times and drew criticism for his behavior on the field.

The Packers likely believe that Pickens can thrive and reach his full potential with a change of scenery. He would become a part of one of the NFL’s youngest teams and have a stable quarterback situation unlike the Steelers’ veteran-driven roster and questions surrounding the signal-caller position.

Since entering the league, Pickens caught 174 passes for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns.

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The experience of Golden State Warriors stars Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler proved to be a determining factor in a 95-85 win over the young Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series between the two teams.

The Rockets relied on aggressiveness and physicality to deliver a strong first quarter that saw them lead by 13 points at one point. However, the Warriors quickly settled into the rhythm to slow down their opponents with smart defense while Curry and Butler took turns making one big shot after another.

Golden State took a commanding lead by the end of the first half and was up by 23 points in the third quarter. Houston eventually managed to cut down the lead to nine entering the fourth quarter but couldn’t complete a comeback.

Curry led the way for the Warriors with a game-high 31 points while adding six assists and six rebounds. Butler had 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.

“In order for us to win basketball games it requires Steph Curry to be great,” Golden State’s Draymond Green said after the game. “And he was just that.”

“(Curry) just made some amazing plays and obviously carried us offensively along with Jimmy,” Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr added.

Game 2 between the seventh-seeded Warriors and second-seeded Rockets is scheduled for Wednesday before the series moves to San Francisco for Games 3 and 4.  

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LAFC’s head coach, Steve Cherundolo, announced that he will step down from his position with the MLS team after the end of the 2025 season.

In a statement released by the club, Cherundolo explained it was a family decision.

“It is an honor to be the head coach of LAFC,” Cherundolo said in a statement. “After much reflection and discussion with my family, we made the decision that at the end of this year we will return to Germany.”

Cherundolo, who had 87 caps for the United States men’s national team, spent his entire professional career with German club Hannover 96. After retirement in 2014, he remained with the club in a coaching role, overseeing its academy teams.

Steve Cherundolo took over as LAFC’s head coach in 2022. He clinched the Supporters’ Shield and won the MLS Cup, the first in the team’s history, in his first season at the helm. LAFC also lifted the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2024 under Cherundolo.

LAFC has struggled at the beginning of the 2025 season, having four wins and four losses in their first eight MLS matches. They are currently sitting at No. 7 in the Eastern Conference and are seven points behind the leading Vancouver Whitecaps. The LA team was also eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

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The New Orleans Pelicans announced on Wednesday that the franchise is hiring Hall of Famer Joe Dumars to serve as their new executive vice president of basketball operations. Dumars will step in for David Griffin, who was fired on Monday after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

Willie Green is expected to remain the coach of the Pelicans, although Dumars will reportedly have the final say on his fate.

The Pelicans endured a rough and injury-riddled season that saw them finish with a 21-61 record, fourth-worst in the league.

“There is a lot of talent on this roster,” Dumars, who is a Louisiana native, said in a statement. “My vision is to build a disciplined team that is built on toughness, smart decision-making, and a no-excuses mindset. I am proud to have grown up in Louisiana and know how passionate, resilient, and tough we are as a community. Our fans deserve a team that represents that spirit, and those characteristics will be the foundation of our team’s culture.”

Joe Dumars played 14 seasons in the NBA, spending all of them with the Detroit Pistons. He helped the franchise to two NBA titles and was named NBA Finals MVP in 1989. Dumars also earned six NBA All-Star selections and was named to NBA All-Defensive First Team four times. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Dumars transitioned to an executive role after retirement, becoming Pistons’ president of basketball operations prior to the 2000-01 season. He held the position for 14 years and constructed the team that won the 2004 NBA championship. After leaving the Pistons, he served in executive roles with the Sacramento Kings and the NBA League Office.

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Rory McIlroy was agonizingly close to winning the Masters one too many times before, but just couldn’t get across the finish line. That was until Sunday, when he finally got the elusive green jacket, winning the 2025 edition of the famed tournament and completing a career Grand Slam.

In the final round, McIlroy appeared to be headed to another heartbreak. He had a lead of three shots from the third round before seeing it melt away after he shot a 73, one over par. Meanwhile, Justin Rose managed to make up significant ground and tie him after finishing the round with 66, six under par.

Rose missed a birdie putt on the first playoff hole, while McIlroy made his to cap off an emotional win.

The win at the 2025 Masters was McIlroy’s fifth major championship and first since 2014. It also made him just the sixth player in the Modern Era to complete a Grand Slam, having previously won the U.S. Open in 2011, PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, and The Open Championship in 2014.

“This is my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time,” McIlroy said after the tournament. “I think the last 10 years coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that, yeah, I’m sort of wondering what we’re all going to talk about going into next year’s Masters.”

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The Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic will average a triple-double in the 2024-25 NBA season, becoming the third player in NBA history to achieve this feat.

Jokic secured the triple-double average for the season with his fourth assist in the Nuggets’ 117-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. At that point, the Serbian center reached the mark of 700 assists in 69 games, meaning that he will average at least 10.0 assists even if he doesn’t get a single one in the regular season finale.

Fittingly, Jokic finished the game with a triple-double, scoring 26 points to go with 16 rebounds and 13 assists. He is now averaging 29.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.3 assists for the season. 

Before Jokic, only Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and his teammate Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double for a season. Robertson did it in 1961-62, while Westbrook had four such seasons, with the last one coming in 2020-21.

“It’s nice. I didn’t do that before. I don’t know what to say. It’s good, ” said Jokic after the Grizzlies game.

On the other hand, Nuggets’ interim head coach David Adelman championed for Jokic to win his fourth MVP award.

“If he doesn’t win the MVP, it’s the greatest season of all time not to win the MVP,” Adelman said.

It remains to be seen whether Jokic’s historic season equates to another MVP win. Despite his achievement, he is currently seen as an underdog in the race with Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being the favorite.

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