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The league collection includes NBA and MLB sports teams from L.A. (Dodgers and Lakers), Chicago (Bulls, Cubs and White Sox) and New York (Mets and Knicks), offering Mitchell & Ness Jerseys, hoodies, t-shires and hats repping the teams and Blackpink.
Phoenix Suns rookie forward Ryan Dunn had a memorable off day on Wednesday watching his older brother, Justin, pitch in MLB spring training for the Chicago White Sox in Phoenix. Joining Ryan Dunn in the stands was Kevin Durant, a perennial NBA All-Star that he also now views as a mentor and big brother. “Kevin coming to my brother’s game meant a lot,” Dunn told Andscape. “It shows how much he supports not only me, but my family. And it’s a good relationship that we have that he’s able to come and support one of my family members and with what he has going on. We’re all professional athletes and for [Durant] to be able to come see Justin’s game and be able to talk after was great and very cool.”
DeBusschere had experience in balancing two jobs. Up to that point in his career, he’d spent his offseasons pitching for the Chicago White Sox and their minor league squads. But he had no coaching experience, and was still learning the ropes as an NBA player. Taking on the role of player-coach was a whole new challenge. “[Wattrick and Zollner] thought that he had the ability or the acuity to operate in both positions. … But it was a disaster,” says Scott. “I thought that Dave should have been working on his game at 24 years old, not being concerned about the game of others, and substitutions, and rotations, and scheduling, and all of those things.” According to Thorn, DeBusschere’s coaching limited the team’s best player … DeBusschere. “I think it took away from him as a player,” says Thorn. “To me, he didn’t play himself at the minutes he should have played. During those days, top-flight players played close to 40 minutes a game.” DeBusschere averaged 35 minutes per game in his first season as player-coach.
DeBusschere gave up playing baseball after his relationship with the White Sox soured. This allowed him to be present at the beginning of training camp, which helped him to get in full basketball shape as the campaign tipped off. That season, he became an All-Star for the first time, but the Pistons were even worse, with a record of 22-58. The Pistons picked some help in the draft in the form of Dave Bing, the All-American guard out of Syracuse University. Bing would go on to become a Hall of Fame player, but his career did not start smoothly. Bing was not given a spot in the starting five, and he couldn’t understand why. “He was not a good communicator,” Bing says of his early days playing for DeBusschere.
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In some ways, it was mystifying that NBC Sports Chicago was bottoming out. “That’s the third-largest media market in the country, so if you can’t do it in Chicago, what’s that tell you?” an NBA team executive said. But Jerry Reinsdorf and Michael Wirtz — craving a TV home for their Bulls, Blackhawks and White Sox — pooled resources. With their NBC Sports Chicago contracts expiring in October 2024, they launched their own RSN in triplicate, branded Chicago Sports Network, all while ignoring the lesson of Monumental and Space City: Have airtight distribution.
Anthony Edwards: 'If I win a ring in the next three to four years, I'm going to play football'
In 1993, Jordan retired after winning his third NBA championship and attempted to play professional baseball with the Chicago White Sox. The attempt ultimately failed before he reached the major leagues, and he returned to the NBA in 1995. In an interview with ESPN ahead of Tuesday's Cover Story release, Edwards claimed that, he, too, wants to try a second sport... but with a caveat. "I told my buddies, I said, if I win a ring in the next three to four years, I'm going to play football," Edwards said.
In a recent season, while addressing new employees, Reinsdorf was asked which matters more: the Bulls or White Sox winning? Rather than answer diplomatically, Reinsdorf, without hesitation, said the White Sox. A baseball-obsessed Brooklyn native, he fills his office with autographs and sports memorabilia and loves chatting with scouts, talking about the game and its history. Reinsdorf will proudly tell you he went to Jackie Robinson’s first game in a Dodgers uniform, and he values his friendships with Hall of Famers such as La Russa, Dennis Eckersley and George Brett.
The newly-formed Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) announced an agreement with Millenial Telecommunications on Monday to broadcast Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox games over-the-air beginning this October on Millenial’s WJYS digital broadcast channels. The deal comes after the trio of Chicago teams chose not to renew media rights agreements with NBC Sports Chicago.
While in Los Angeles recently, sources told me there was no way the Lakers would let Bronny live in the G League for an entire season. I think that’s a huge mistake—almost like Michael Jordan insisting that he should have started for the White Sox before seeing a single minor-league pitch. That’s how far away amateur basketball is from the NBA; they share rims, courts, balls—but that’s about it. And just as MJ was famous for reasons other than baseball, Bronny is famous for reasons unrelated to his ability to play at an NBA level.
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Bobby Manning: Brad Stevens said the Jaylen Brown told him Joe Mazzulla is probably going to take something from the Sox game and “have them play shortstop or something.” “He’s really creative and he has a really high motor … he is always on … I actually hope he can take a couple of weeks and turn it off.”
Julia Poe: NEW: The Chicago Bulls will have a new local broadcast home for the 2024-25 season — the Chicago Sports Network, which will launch this fall. The network will also carry local broadcasts for the White Sox and Blackhawks.
Jevon Carter throws first pitch for White Sox
Maywood, Illinois native Jevon Carter threw out the first pitch for the Chicago White Sox Friday night. The Milwaukee Bucks guard spent his high school days in the suburbs of Chicago for Proviso East High School, also contributing on the baseball field as a shortstop.
Major League Baseball just held a highly successful “Field of Dreams” game between the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox in an Iowa cornfield. Why doesn’t the NBA play Knicks-Nets in Rucker Park or Lakers-Clippers at Venice Beach? NBA Executive Vice President of Basketball Strategy & Analytics Evan Wasch on “The Crossover” podcast: The biggest concern is the basketball one you highlight, that whether it’s blacktop and injury concerns or a wooden court outside with humidity concerns and moisture that can get on the court, being beholden to rain, all of those of things become a consideration. We’ve explored it, and we’ll continue to talk about it. Obviously, the “Field of Dreams” game was incredibly successful. So, no surprise it has sparked some discussions, and it’s worth exploring. But the logistical challenges of a basketball game outside are just significantly more than a baseball game, which, of course, is already outside.
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