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Giannis blockbuster: The Bucks have finally traded away Giannis Antetekounmpo, sending the two-time MVP to the Heat (alongside Bobby Portis) in a massive deal for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis, three first-round picks, one second-round pick and one pick swap. A timeline of Giannis and the Bucks' unraveling.
️ All-Star voting update: Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani (2.3M votes) remains MLB's top vote-getter as of Monday's All-Star ballot update, while Blue Jays 2B Ernie Clement (2.1M) has the most votes in the AL. Phase 1 of voting ends on Thursday at noon ET.
Call to the Hall: Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He's joined in the Class of 2026 by Brian Burke, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne and Keith Tkachuk, all of whom will be inducted in November.
Banned: Markéta Vondroušová, who stunned the tennis world in 2023 when she became the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon, has been suspended for four years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency after refusing to submit to a drug test.
️ Signing off: Broadcasting trailblazer Linda Cohn is retiring from ESPN at the end of the month after a 34-year career in which she's anchored over 5,500 editions of "SportsCenter," more than anyone else in the show's history.
See what else is trending on Yahoo Sports.
(Yahoo Sports)
Baseball fans of the late-1990s know: American summers are better with a record chase. It's only fitting, then, that a World Cup on North American soil is producing a clash of global titans embroiled in pursuit of the tournament's most vaunted individual achievement.
The crowning moment: Lionel Messi entered Monday needing only one goal to eclipse Miroslav Klose as the World Cup's all-time leading scorer. Naturally, he scored two.
The chase is on: As if Messi's record-breaking brace weren't enough, Kylian Mbappé followed with two goals of his own in France's waterlogged 3-0 victory over Iraq, giving the young superstar a tally of 16 — or just two shy of the Argentine legend's still-growing total. This despite being 12 years younger, and three World Cups behind, the all-time great. Game on! C'est parti!
Mbappé plays through the rain in Philadelphia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Don't forget the Golden Boot: Playing in his first World Cup, Erling Haaland is not yet a factor in the all-time goals race, but he poses a serious threat for this year's Golden Boot. The Norwegian superstar capped Monday's sensational flurry of goals with two more in a 3-2 win over Senegal, joining Mbappé in second place with four apiece as the sport's three biggest stars — again — delivered a day we won't soon forget.
Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports:
You hear about the Eiffel Tower from childhood, you see images of it on TV and in movies, but until you're standing before it, you can't quite understand how immense and impressive it is. And when you're standing before it, no matter how many times you've seen it before, you realize that somehow it's even more spectacular than you'd imagined.
If you're remotely soccer-aware, you'd already heard of the majesty of a Leo Messi-led Argentina, the artistry of a Kylian Mbappé-led France, the relentlessness of an Erling Haaland-led Norway. But until you see those nations, and those stars, in action, you can't really comprehend how amazing they truly are.
America is now getting the full Messi-Mbappé-Haaland experience, and it's every bit as astounding as we've been told. How lucky are we, to get to see generational glory play out right in front of us?
In terms of pure wattage, Monday has to rank as one of the most radiant days in World Cup history. Three of the greatest players on earth, each creating multiple-goal magnificence, each leading their nation forward through to the knockout stage. And here's what's even more impressive: This is the second time they've pulled off the feat during this World Cup.
Keep reading.
(Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
Dusty May, fresh off winning a championship with Michigan, is making the leap to the NBA as the Mavericks' next head coach. Historically it's a move with extremely limited success, leaving us with one immediate question: Will the 49-year-old be the exception, or the rule?
The cautionary tale: The last time a college coach took the top job for an NBA team was in 2019, when John Beilein — also an "innovative basketball mind" plucked straight from Ann Arbor — joined the Cavaliers. He went 14-40 before stepping down midseason, and he's hardly the only example of a guy whose legitimate bona fides failed to translate at the next level.
The potential blueprint: The lone legitimate success story in recent memory is Brad Stevens, whose Butler-to-Boston blueprint should be the north star of any coach making the leap. And for May, who's looking to continue a truly remarkable rise, it's one that looks legitimately attainable.
Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports:
May understands, like all of his contemporaries, that dynasties aren't going to exist in college basketball the same way they used to. Yes, May just won a national championship and is good enough to win more. But in this era of college basketball, gaining that status as a coach doesn't mean what it used to.
Every year it's a new team, a new fight to outbid your rivals for talent, a new gamble on whether you've spent your money on the right people.
Winning national titles doesn't buy you much credibility anymore with prospects or agents who approach recruiting as business deals. There won't be any more Coach Ks landing five-stars by flashing rings or getting Grant Hill to make a phone call.
That's not necessarily why May left. If anyone has proven that they could adapt and thrive under the ever-changing conditions of college sports these days, it's the guy who made it work at Florida Atlantic and then did it even bigger and better when he had power conference resources.
This is more a case of a coach climbing the mountaintop slowly and then very quickly. And after he checked off the biggest box in college basketball, he was intrigued by another challenge — one that Stevens conquered both as coach and then as a Celtics' president of basketball operations who put together an NBA champion.
After May's success at FAU and Michigan, he could have chosen practically any destiny for the next decade of his basketball life. And even though he'd have been as likely as anyone to be the face of college basketball in this era, it's unsurprising given his personality, curiosity and adaptability that he's taking the same route as Stevens.
And it shouldn't shock anyone if he's just as big of a success.
What a feeling. (Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)
Oklahoma routed North Carolina, 13-2, on Monday night in Omaha to clinch their third College World Series title — the culmination of a stunning run through the postseason during which they transformed into an unbeatable baseball machine.
What a ride: The Sooners finished 11th in the mighty SEC after dropping eight of their final 12 regular-season games. They lost their SEC tournament opener, too, before embarking on a three-week mission that saw them defeat every power conference champion in succession.
MVP: Oklahoma's Jaxon Willits was named Most Outstanding Player of the CWS after the junior infielder batted .500 (13-for-26) with five extra-base hits, six runs and seven RBIs across six games, including a 3-for-4 performance (plus two walks) in Monday's clincher.
Conference of champions: The SEC was already the first league to produce six consecutive baseball national champions. Now, they're the first to produce seven.
Scottish fans march through Little Havana to Loan Depot Park. (Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
The Marlins rarely draw a big crowd, but they had no such trouble on Monday night when thousands of Scottish soccer supporters — known as the Tartan Army — descended on Loan Depot Park for a game against the Rangers.
(Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Welcome to Miami: After spending last week in Boston to watch Scotland's first two World Cup games, the Tartan Army arrived in Miami ahead of Wednesday's group stage finale against Brazil. And just as they did in Beantown — where the Globe published a full-page thank you letter for "the laughter, the bagpipes and the memories" — they've already endeared themselves to the community in their new, temporary home.
(Sam Navarro/Getty Images)
Scottish Heritage Night: The Marlins rolled out the red carpet for their guests, inviting a pipe band to lead the Tartan Army from the field with a pregame bagpipe performance and giving injured Scottish national team player Billy Gilmour the honor of throwing out the first pitch.
(Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
8,000 strong: Though the Marlins couldn't muster a win on the field, the atmosphere was unmatched and the crowd was about as big as it gets, with the Fish nearly doubling their average attendance thanks to the more than 8,000 members of the Tartan Army who came to cheer them on.
(Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)
NBA Draft, Round 1
The Wizards are on the clock with the first pick tonight in Brooklyn (8pm ET, ABC/ESPN), where 30 young men will begin their journeys into professional basketball when Barclays Center hosts the first round of the NBA Draft. Here's our latest mock.
Pre-draft reading:Don't make the Brunson second-gen mistake again. Draft Cameron Boozer No. 1(Tom Haberstroh, Yahoo Sports)
️ World Cup, Day 13
The action continues today with Portugal vs. Uzbekistan in Houston (1pm, Fox), England vs. Ghana in Foxborough (4pm, Fox), Panama vs. Croatia in Toronto (7pm, Fox) and Colombia vs. DR Congo in Guadalajara (10pm, FS1).
Ronaldo's drought: Cristiano Ronaldo has not scored in his last 10 major tournament games (World Cup, Euros) for Portugal. His last such goal came in the 2022 World Cup opener, and his last such non-penalty goal came in June 2021 at Euros.
More to watch:
Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. Get tickets now!
(Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)
Trae Young, who is signing a four-year, $212 million extension with the Wizards, has averaged 9.8 assists per game across his career — the third-best mark in NBA history.
Question: Which two players are ahead of him on that list?
Hint: No. 32, No. 12
Answer at the bottom.
China's Yufei Pan competes during World Climbing Series qualifiers in Innsbruck, Austria, over the weekend. (Photo by Marco Kost/Getty Images)
On belay? Belay on. Climbing. Climb on.
Trivia answer: Magic Johnson (11.2 apg) and John Stockton (10.5 apg)
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
Continue reading...
HEADLINES
Giannis blockbuster: The Bucks have finally traded away Giannis Antetekounmpo, sending the two-time MVP to the Heat (alongside Bobby Portis) in a massive deal for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis, three first-round picks, one second-round pick and one pick swap. A timeline of Giannis and the Bucks' unraveling.
️ All-Star voting update: Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani (2.3M votes) remains MLB's top vote-getter as of Monday's All-Star ballot update, while Blue Jays 2B Ernie Clement (2.1M) has the most votes in the AL. Phase 1 of voting ends on Thursday at noon ET.Call to the Hall: Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He's joined in the Class of 2026 by Brian Burke, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne and Keith Tkachuk, all of whom will be inducted in November.
Banned: Markéta Vondroušová, who stunned the tennis world in 2023 when she became the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon, has been suspended for four years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency after refusing to submit to a drug test.
️ Signing off: Broadcasting trailblazer Linda Cohn is retiring from ESPN at the end of the month after a 34-year career in which she's anchored over 5,500 editions of "SportsCenter," more than anyone else in the show's history.
See what else is trending on Yahoo Sports.
️ MESSI VS. MBAPPÉ: THE CHASE IS ON
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(Yahoo Sports)
Baseball fans of the late-1990s know: American summers are better with a record chase. It's only fitting, then, that a World Cup on North American soil is producing a clash of global titans embroiled in pursuit of the tournament's most vaunted individual achievement.
The crowning moment: Lionel Messi entered Monday needing only one goal to eclipse Miroslav Klose as the World Cup's all-time leading scorer. Naturally, he scored two.
- Late in the first half, Messi slotted a Facundo Medina cross to rise to the top of the record books, before punctuating Argentina's 2-0 victory with a rebound threaded through the Austrian defense in the 95th minute.
- The latter goal, his 18th, broke a tie with Marta for most career goals in both the men's and women's World Cups. Messi has also now scored in a record-tying six consecutive World Cup matches, because of course he has.
The chase is on: As if Messi's record-breaking brace weren't enough, Kylian Mbappé followed with two goals of his own in France's waterlogged 3-0 victory over Iraq, giving the young superstar a tally of 16 — or just two shy of the Argentine legend's still-growing total. This despite being 12 years younger, and three World Cups behind, the all-time great. Game on! C'est parti!
You must be registered for see images attach
Mbappé plays through the rain in Philadelphia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Don't forget the Golden Boot: Playing in his first World Cup, Erling Haaland is not yet a factor in the all-time goals race, but he poses a serious threat for this year's Golden Boot. The Norwegian superstar capped Monday's sensational flurry of goals with two more in a 3-2 win over Senegal, joining Mbappé in second place with four apiece as the sport's three biggest stars — again — delivered a day we won't soon forget.
Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports:
You hear about the Eiffel Tower from childhood, you see images of it on TV and in movies, but until you're standing before it, you can't quite understand how immense and impressive it is. And when you're standing before it, no matter how many times you've seen it before, you realize that somehow it's even more spectacular than you'd imagined.
If you're remotely soccer-aware, you'd already heard of the majesty of a Leo Messi-led Argentina, the artistry of a Kylian Mbappé-led France, the relentlessness of an Erling Haaland-led Norway. But until you see those nations, and those stars, in action, you can't really comprehend how amazing they truly are.
America is now getting the full Messi-Mbappé-Haaland experience, and it's every bit as astounding as we've been told. How lucky are we, to get to see generational glory play out right in front of us?
In terms of pure wattage, Monday has to rank as one of the most radiant days in World Cup history. Three of the greatest players on earth, each creating multiple-goal magnificence, each leading their nation forward through to the knockout stage. And here's what's even more impressive: This is the second time they've pulled off the feat during this World Cup.
Keep reading.
DUSTY MAY TAKES THE LEAP
You must be registered for see images attach
(Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
Dusty May, fresh off winning a championship with Michigan, is making the leap to the NBA as the Mavericks' next head coach. Historically it's a move with extremely limited success, leaving us with one immediate question: Will the 49-year-old be the exception, or the rule?
The cautionary tale: The last time a college coach took the top job for an NBA team was in 2019, when John Beilein — also an "innovative basketball mind" plucked straight from Ann Arbor — joined the Cavaliers. He went 14-40 before stepping down midseason, and he's hardly the only example of a guy whose legitimate bona fides failed to translate at the next level.
- Rick Pitino had one good NBA season and five pretty bad ones; Billy Donovan had an excellent debut (it helps to have prime Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook) whose success he never again matched; former Iowa State coaches Fred Hoiberg and Tim Floyd combined for a .322 winning percentage across eight seasons in Chicago.
- The list goes on, writes Yahoo Sports' Dan Devine: "John Calipari, Reggie Theus, Mike Montgomery and Lon Kruger didn't make it through three seasons. Leonard Hamilton and Mike Dunlap didn't make it to a second. Hall of Famer Jerry Tarkanian, God bless him, didn’t make it to Christmas. The leap is dark and full of terrors."
The potential blueprint: The lone legitimate success story in recent memory is Brad Stevens, whose Butler-to-Boston blueprint should be the north star of any coach making the leap. And for May, who's looking to continue a truly remarkable rise, it's one that looks legitimately attainable.
Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports:
May understands, like all of his contemporaries, that dynasties aren't going to exist in college basketball the same way they used to. Yes, May just won a national championship and is good enough to win more. But in this era of college basketball, gaining that status as a coach doesn't mean what it used to.
Every year it's a new team, a new fight to outbid your rivals for talent, a new gamble on whether you've spent your money on the right people.
Winning national titles doesn't buy you much credibility anymore with prospects or agents who approach recruiting as business deals. There won't be any more Coach Ks landing five-stars by flashing rings or getting Grant Hill to make a phone call.
That's not necessarily why May left. If anyone has proven that they could adapt and thrive under the ever-changing conditions of college sports these days, it's the guy who made it work at Florida Atlantic and then did it even bigger and better when he had power conference resources.
This is more a case of a coach climbing the mountaintop slowly and then very quickly. And after he checked off the biggest box in college basketball, he was intrigued by another challenge — one that Stevens conquered both as coach and then as a Celtics' president of basketball operations who put together an NBA champion.
After May's success at FAU and Michigan, he could have chosen practically any destiny for the next decade of his basketball life. And even though he'd have been as likely as anyone to be the face of college basketball in this era, it's unsurprising given his personality, curiosity and adaptability that he's taking the same route as Stevens.
And it shouldn't shock anyone if he's just as big of a success.
OKLAHOMA COMPLETES EPIC RUN
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What a feeling. (Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)
Oklahoma routed North Carolina, 13-2, on Monday night in Omaha to clinch their third College World Series title — the culmination of a stunning run through the postseason during which they transformed into an unbeatable baseball machine.
What a ride: The Sooners finished 11th in the mighty SEC after dropping eight of their final 12 regular-season games. They lost their SEC tournament opener, too, before embarking on a three-week mission that saw them defeat every power conference champion in succession.
- First they went 4-1 to win their Regional, capped off by a do-or-die sweep of ACC regular season and tournament champion Georgia Tech.
- Then they went 2-0 in their Super Regional, sweeping Big 12 regular season and tournament champion Kansas.
- Then, after winning their CWS opener, they swept SEC regular season and tournament champion Georgia to advance to the Final, where they took down fifth-seeded North Carolina in three games to complete their epic run. I believe that's what you call a buzzsaw.
MVP: Oklahoma's Jaxon Willits was named Most Outstanding Player of the CWS after the junior infielder batted .500 (13-for-26) with five extra-base hits, six runs and seven RBIs across six games, including a 3-for-4 performance (plus two walks) in Monday's clincher.
Conference of champions: The SEC was already the first league to produce six consecutive baseball national champions. Now, they're the first to produce seven.
- 2019: Vanderbilt
- 2021: Mississippi State
- 2022: Ole Miss
- 2023: LSU
- 2024: Tennessee
- 2025: LSU
- 2026: Oklahoma
IN PHOTOS: THE TARTAN ARMY INVADES MIAMI
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Scottish fans march through Little Havana to Loan Depot Park. (Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
The Marlins rarely draw a big crowd, but they had no such trouble on Monday night when thousands of Scottish soccer supporters — known as the Tartan Army — descended on Loan Depot Park for a game against the Rangers.
You must be registered for see images attach
(Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Welcome to Miami: After spending last week in Boston to watch Scotland's first two World Cup games, the Tartan Army arrived in Miami ahead of Wednesday's group stage finale against Brazil. And just as they did in Beantown — where the Globe published a full-page thank you letter for "the laughter, the bagpipes and the memories" — they've already endeared themselves to the community in their new, temporary home.
You must be registered for see images attach
(Sam Navarro/Getty Images)
Scottish Heritage Night: The Marlins rolled out the red carpet for their guests, inviting a pipe band to lead the Tartan Army from the field with a pregame bagpipe performance and giving injured Scottish national team player Billy Gilmour the honor of throwing out the first pitch.
You must be registered for see images attach
(Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
8,000 strong: Though the Marlins couldn't muster a win on the field, the atmosphere was unmatched and the crowd was about as big as it gets, with the Fish nearly doubling their average attendance thanks to the more than 8,000 members of the Tartan Army who came to cheer them on.
WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, JUNE 23
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(Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)
NBA Draft, Round 1
The Wizards are on the clock with the first pick tonight in Brooklyn (8pm ET, ABC/ESPN), where 30 young men will begin their journeys into professional basketball when Barclays Center hosts the first round of the NBA Draft. Here's our latest mock.
Pre-draft reading:Don't make the Brunson second-gen mistake again. Draft Cameron Boozer No. 1(Tom Haberstroh, Yahoo Sports)
️ World Cup, Day 13The action continues today with Portugal vs. Uzbekistan in Houston (1pm, Fox), England vs. Ghana in Foxborough (4pm, Fox), Panama vs. Croatia in Toronto (7pm, Fox) and Colombia vs. DR Congo in Guadalajara (10pm, FS1).
Ronaldo's drought: Cristiano Ronaldo has not scored in his last 10 major tournament games (World Cup, Euros) for Portugal. His last such goal came in the 2022 World Cup opener, and his last such non-penalty goal came in June 2021 at Euros.
More to watch:
- ️ MLB: Dodgers at Twins (7:40pm, TBS) … L.A. youngster Justin Wrobleski (8-2, 2.72 ERA) is in the midst of a breakout season.
- WNBA: Liberty at Aces (10pm, USA) … Two of the league's best teams go head-to-head in Sin City.
Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city. Get tickets now!
NBA TRIVIA
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(Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)
Trae Young, who is signing a four-year, $212 million extension with the Wizards, has averaged 9.8 assists per game across his career — the third-best mark in NBA history.
Question: Which two players are ahead of him on that list?
Hint: No. 32, No. 12
Answer at the bottom.
PHOTO FINISH
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China's Yufei Pan competes during World Climbing Series qualifiers in Innsbruck, Austria, over the weekend. (Photo by Marco Kost/Getty Images)
On belay? Belay on. Climbing. Climb on.
Trivia answer: Magic Johnson (11.2 apg) and John Stockton (10.5 apg)
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
Continue reading...
