NBA – The Sports Fan Project

Hoop There It Is! Visiting the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

August 24, 2026August 17, 2026DouglasTHillLeave a comment

**^{The exterior of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as seen from our room in the Hampton Inn.}**

Since it seemed a waste to fly to the northeast for one night and not try to sneak in two events, my traveling partner, Fran, and I made the hour trek north from Storrs, CT, to Springfield, MA, for the night with plans to tour the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame early the next day before flying back to Detroit in the evening.

But first … football!

Before the 2025 NCAA Football Season, the last time the Indiana Hoosiers played a meaningful college football game after New Year’s Eve was against the USC Trojans at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1968 (when I was six months old!).

So, yeah, I was gonna figure out a way to watch Indiana University – yes, that Indiana University – play for the stinkin’ National Championship.

After securing our room in the Hampton Inn directly across I-91 from the Hall, we made a beeline for the Rumbleseat Bar & Grill in Chicopee, which promised us sustenance, cooling beverages, and televisions to watch the game.

Check, check, and check!

The pizza was delicious, as was the local cider I selected, and there were plenty of televisions to choose from, though we had to deal with Detroit Pistons-Boston Celtics for screen time.

We lasted at the Rumbleseat until close to halftime when we made our way back to the hotel for the second half.

Even now, eight months later, it’s still hard to believe that the Indiana Hoosiers won the FBS National Championship. What did Verne Lundquist say when Tiger Woods chipped in on the 16th during the final round of the 2005 Masters?

“In your life have you seen anything like that!?!”

No, Verne, no, I have not.

Now, back to Event No. 40 of the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project: a visit to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

A Mountain of Memorabilia

^{Clockwise from upper top, this mural of basketball legends (and period baskets) greets visitors to the Court of Dreams; Hollywood’s Penny Marshall was one of the first fans honored in the SuperFan Gallery; a look to the top of the sphere; Marshall’s ring; my friend Fran showing off his form from the elbow; the namesake for the James F. Goldstein SuperFan Gallery.}

This may be unfair, but as this is the final of the four major North American sports halls of fame that I’ve visited, I couldn’t help but compare basketball to baseball, football, and hockey.

To be sure, all the halls have a tremendous number of artifacts and memorabilia on display, but it really seemed like basketball had more than the others. You couldn’t swing an elbow (appropriately, of course;-) without spotting something behind glass that was intriguing and warranted your attention. It may be recency bias, but the number of images on my phone tell adifferent story.

That said, this post will lean heavily into images, but before I get to them, two more things I really appreciated about Naismith:

First, there are occasional SuperFan inductees who are honored in the James F. Goldstein SuperFan Gallery. This year’s honoree was Matt Asen who supports the Indiana Pacers as “The Pacer Guy.” They get their own ring and everything which, as someone who curates a website called The Sports Fan Project, is pretty cool.
Second, the Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams is wonderful. It’s a full basketball court under the giant sphere seen in the exterior photo at the top and allows visitors to shoot, play some 1-on-1, or, if the mood struck and space was available, get a run in with nine of your friends. None of the other halls of fame have anything quite like it.

Some of my Favorite Finds

^{Clockwise from upper left, Julius Erving and Brittney Griner jerseys and shoes; a cap tip to my Indiana roots, this jacket commeorates the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons won three straight World Professional Basketball Tournaments (1944-46); Pete Maravich’s LSU jersey; a piece of wood flooring from the original Springfield YMCA basketball floor (circa 1890s); Diana Taurasi’s UConn jersey; the list of Hall of Fame inductees by year; I get the concept, but this Jerry Lucas jersey seems, um, uncomfortable; jerseys from Bill Walton and Wilt Chamberlain, balls from Walt Bellamy, John Stockton, and Robert Parrish, and Shaquille O’Neal sneakers; a lifesize cutout of Mugsy Bogues; Fran and I joined the “Inside the NBA” team on a fishing charter; Nolan Richardson gear from his days coaching the Arkansas Razorbacks; Kobe Bryant celebrates a championship; and, as far as I know, the only player from my alma mater (Eastern Michigan University) enshrined in the Naismith Hall.}

Bright Lights, Big City

^{I tried to earn my keep on the set of “Inside the NBA” with Kenny, Shaq, Charles, and Ernie.}

Speaking of Lights

^{Our capper to the overnight trip to the northeast featured a breathtaking glimpes at the aurora borealis (aka Northern Lights) outside right side of the Jet Blue flight. Many thanks to the crew for pointing it out and for fellow passengers for letting some of us get to a window to snap a photo.}

Fan Teaser: Week 192 Solution

June 28, 2026June 25, 2026DouglasTHill2 Comments

We went multiple choice for you this week in recognition of the recently completed NBA Draft. Your mission, should you accept it, was to pair the following NBA Draftees with their Draft Night Ensemble.

LeBron James
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Jalen Rose
Bol Bol

Here’s who wore what:

^{Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the 11th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets but was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Miles Bridges and draft capital. SGA, as he’s known, wore this floral suit by Los Angeles designer Jhoanna Alba.}

^{Bol Bol, the son of the late Manute Bol, was the 44th overall selection of the Miami Heat during the 2019 NBA Draft but was later traded to Denver Nuggets for future draft capital and cash considerations. Here he’s wearing a suit from hip-hop artist Young Thug‘s brand, Spider.}

^{LeBron James was the first-overall selection by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft. Just 18-years-old on Draft Night, he chose all-white, slightly oversized fit that has been credited to Elevee Lifestyle stylist, Sami Jenks.}

^{Jalen Rose was the 13th selection by the Denver Nuggets in the 1995 NBA Draft. Rose’s look was created by fellow Detroiter Ed Lews who owned Custom Clothing by Ed Lewis. The red was Rose’s nod to the Los Angeles Clippers whom he believed were going to draft him. Alas, the best-laid plans.}

Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.

The No. 3 Episode of Conversations – Don Drooker

June 3, 2026June 3, 2026DouglasTHillLeave a comment

**^{Don Drooker from 2015 with many of his baseball cards. (Photo by Dave Martinez/Daily News-Sun)}**

(Editor’s Note: As we close in on the fourth anniversary of the launch of Conversations with Sports Fans [June 9th] we’re counting down the top four most-listened-to episodes in the show’s history. This is the third most-listened to episode.)

My wife’s cousin, John Gola III, owns a wildly popular and successful sports card and collectible shop in Phoenix, AZ, aptly named, AZ Sports Cards. I thought John would make a fantastic Conversations’ guest as someone working in the ever-changing and growing sports collectible industry.

John was squeamish about joining me, but offered up a worthy substitute in one of his store’s employees: Don Drooker.

In parlance Don (and many others) will understand, as a guest he was a Gem Mint.

To that moment, his was the longest episode I’d done. It clocked in just under 90 minutes and I was worried how it would be received.

Turns out, it was received very well!

Don shared stories of his fandom dating back to the time he saw Hall of Famer Ted Williams make his triumphant return from service during the Korean War. Yes, you read that correctly, Don was in Fenway Park that day in 1953 and witnessed Williams receive a standing ovation for simply appearing as a pinch hitter and then again after popping out.

From there, the recollections continued to flow, including those of Bill Russell in Boston Garden, Lew Alcindor in Pauley Pavilion, Vin Scully calling Dodger Baseball, George Brett‘s 3,000th hit, and seeing the California Angels play in Wrigley Field … Los Angeles’ Wrigley Field!

No wonder this episode’s had so many listens!

Haven’t listened to the Don Drooker episode yet? Check it out below.

Similar episodes to Don Drooker:

Season 2, Episode 18 Dennis Hafeli – One of my former high school English teachers, Dennis Hafeli was heavily into sports collectibles (especially cards and autographs) and during our Conversation he shares tales from his 25 years attending the card show in Cooperstown, NY, each Hall of Fame Induction Weekend; being present for Hank Aaron‘s record-breaking 715th home run; popping in to visit Mark Fidrych when he and his family happened to be in Northborough, MA, on a vacation; and serving as entertainment for the Detroit Lions’ 1980 training camp.
Season 5, Episode 22 Conversations Live at AZ Sports Cards – This one actually features more Don Drooker and an assortment of other hobby heads when I took the show to a remote location for the first time.

^{My Conversation with Don Drooker.}

Fan Teaser – Week 188 Solution

May 31, 2026May 29, 2026DouglasTHill1 Comment

**^{The last time the New York Knickerbockers won an}**
**^{NBA Championship this fella was in the regular rotation.}**

Most modern-day NBA fans will know this week’s #FanTeaser solution – Phil Jackson – not from his playing days but from his stellar work on the sidelines coaching some of the game’s most successful franchises.

But before Jackson was the Zen Master helping guide the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers to a total of 11 NBA Championships, he was a 12-year player in the league, including the first 10 with the New York Knicks.

Phil Jackson during his playing days with the New York Knicks — **^{Before becoming known as an 11-time NBA Champion coach, Phil Jackson}**
**^{won two rings as member of the New York Knicks (1971 and 1973).}**
**^{(New York Daily News Photo)}**

It was there that he tasted his first professional success, winning an NBA title in 1973.

Jackson played his college ball at the University of North Dakota for a future Hall of Fame coach, Bill Fitch. He became a second-round pick of the Knicks in the 1967 NBA Draft. He immediately became a rotational player with the Knicks, averaging nearly 15 minutes a game as a rookie. And that, in a nutshell, was what Jackson was during the majority of his time in New York. Only once did he start more than 25 games in a season (1974-75) and he never averaged more than 30 minutes per game.

He did, however, nab a ring with the 1973 Knicks’ team when he chipped in an average of eight points per game over 17 minutes per contest during the Knicks’ 4-1 Finals victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. (New York also won it all in 1970, but Jackson missed the season while recovering from spinal fusion surgery.)

**^{Not a shabby top 12 for the 1972-73 Knicks.}**

As a coach, Jackson won three consecutive NBA titles three times! The 1991-93 Bulls, the 1996-98 Bulls, and the 2000-02 Lakers. He added a back-to-back with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010. Oh yeah, he also took two other Lakers’ teams to the Finals but wound up falling short (2004 and 2008).

One final amazing statistics. At the moment, there have been 80 NBA Championships. If you include Jackson’s two as a player (he was on that Knicks roster while recovering from surgery) that means he’s won 16.25% of those!

^{This video examines Jackson’s playing career.}

Inside Baseball – February Edition, Vol. III

February 23, 2026March 14, 2026DouglasTHill1 Comment

Conversations with Sports Fans – Shamit Desai

February 19, 2026February 19, 2026DouglasTHillLeave a comment

^{One of Shamit’s favorite spectator sports is MotoGP.}

I dive into the wayback machine for this episode of Conversations, tapping a long-ago work colleague of my wife, Carol, from her days at the old Gateway Computer stores.

Shamit Desai and Carol both worked at the Gateway store in Roseville, MI, at the turn of the 21st Century and, as life happens, sort of went down separate paths after their time together.

Shamit wound up in Washington, DC, London, Hong Kong, and India (twice!), which is where I caught up with him for this long overdue catch up on his life as a sports fan.

To say Shamit’s fan life is varied would be a tremendous understatement!

We talk about his introduction to American sports in the greater Houston area upon arriving as a youth with his family, his fondness for Hakeem Olajuwon, attending an Oilers’ game in the Astrodome, and then about his eventual move to the Detroit area where, as a parking valet at a downtown hotel, he had opportunities to hob-nob with many sports legends.

He loves all motor sports so there’s plenty of auto – and motorcyle – discussion and, of course, cricket, which he is actively playing as a bowler for a local team. Much like previous guest, Nikhil Kulkarni, Shamit oozes patience in attempting to continue educating me on the rules of the game.

^{My Conversation with Shamit Desai.}

The Fan Teaser: Week 157 Solution

October 26, 2025October 24, 2025DouglasTHill2 Comments

^{As the 2025-26 NBA season begins it’s worth remembering there have been only four recorded quadruple-doubles since blocks and steals became official NBA statistics (1973-74 season). Only one of those occurred on the Opening Night of the NBA season and it’s a great one to highlight because he was the first to do it. Who’s pictured above and, for extra credit, who were the other three? (Hint: Two played for the same franchise.)}

He was known during his playing days as “Nate the Great” but for at least the first night of the 1974-75 NBA season, Nate Thurmond was “Nate the Exceptional.”

An off-season acquisition by the Chicago Bulls, Thurmond shined before the raucus Chicago Stadium Opening Night crowd on October 18, 1974, when he recorded the first official quadruple-double in NBA history. Thurmond’s stat line that night included 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, and 12 steals in 45 minutes of action during the Bulls’ 120-115 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Full Disclosure: Blocks and steals didn’t become official NBA statistics until the 1973-74 season so the chances of either Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell having achieved this rarified air previously were fairly high.

To date, however, it’s only been accomplished three more times in the past 50 seasons and Thurmond’s is still the only one to occur on Opening Night.

Those other three members of this most exclusive of clubs:

Alvin Robertson, San Antonio Spurs, February 18, 1986 – Over 36 minutes, Robertson scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, made 10 assists, and 10 steals, during the host Spurs’ 120-114 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs, February 17, 1994 – Over 43 minutes, Robinson scored 34 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, made 10 assists, and blocked 10 shots, during the host Spurs’ 115-96 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets, March 29, 1990 – Over 40 minutes, Olajuwon scored 18 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, made 10 assists, and blocked 11 shots during the host Rockets’ 120-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. An interesting side note, one of Olajuwon’s Milwaukee opponents that night was none other than Alvin Robertson.

^{Nate Thurmond, seen here during the 1974-75 season with the Chicago Bulls, recorded the first quadruple-double in NBA history on October 18, 1974, against the Atlanta Hawks. (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE & Getty Images)}

Check out Thurmond’s Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame biography at this link.

Also of note, how in the heck did any opponent get a shot off against the San Francisco Warriors the season and a half Thurmond and Chamberlain were teammates (1963-64 and part of 1964-65)!?!

Finally, we mentioned that Thurmond had been newly acquired by the Bulls prior to the 1974-75 season. He was traded by the Warriors to Chicago for Clifford Ray and a 1975 first-round draft pick that wound up being Joe Bryant, who might be better known as Kobe Bryant‘s father.

^{Enjoy this two minute retrospective of Thurmond’s career produced by the NBA shortly after his 2016 death.}

Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.

Conversations with Sports Fans – Robert Boudwin

August 21, 2025August 21, 2025DouglasTHillLeave a comment

^{For 21 seasons, Robert Boudwin was Houston Rockets’ mascot Clutch the Bear.}

I had the good fortune this week to have Robert Boudwin join me on Conversations.

Perhaps the name’s not recognizable, but I’m willing to bet many sports fans will be familiar with Robert’s work. He was the original YoUDee the Delaware Blue Hen mascot and the original Clutch the Bear from the Houston Rockets.

That’s right, the man created a pair of Mascot Hall of Fame characters in two completely different environments.

He’s also a man of causes and if he gets a bit emotional discussing the importance of organ donation, well so be it. Robert’s father is still living today after receiving a double lung transplant more than a decade ago and Robert’s still as passionate an advocate as ever (check out the video below of him completing the Houston Half-Marathon in full costume to promote organ donation awareness). As he tells me during our Conversation:

Please don’t take your organs to heaven, heaven knows we need them here.

To register to donate your organs, please visit Donate Life America.

^{The story of Robert running the Houston Half-Marathon as Clutch.}

Robert was kind enough to sign a copy of his recent book, The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: Mascots, Marathons, and Mayhem – Twins, Transplants, and Tattoos, for us to give to one of our lucky supporters. To enter to win this signed copy, please follow this link and provide the information requested before the clock strikes midnight EDT, on September 1.

^{The Robert Boudwin episode.}

Conversations with Sports Fans – Dr. Nick Elam

July 17, 2025July 23, 2025DouglasTHillLeave a comment

I’m going to begin posting a link to our podcast, Conversations with Sports Fans.

Why I haven’t been doing it all along … who knows!?!

This week I’m rejoined by Dr. Nick Elam of basketball’s Elam Ending fame. Not only do we spend a moment or two learning what’s knew in Elam Ending land, but we also discuss his myriad other sports-related roles: Groundskeeper at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park, stats team member for the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, and part of the scoreboard crew at Lucas Oil Stadium. Did I mention the Winnipeg Sea Bears? Yeah, he does work for them too.

Three Sundays in June

June 28, 2025June 28, 2025DouglasTHill3 Comments

Earlier this week I was reflecting on what an incredible run it’s been to be a sports fan these past three Sundays. I wonder what’s in store for this, the final Sunday in June.

June 8 – Men’s French Open Singles Final

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz — **^{Jannik Sinner, left, and Carlos Alcaraz embrace following their epic French Open Men’s Singles Final at Roland-Garros in Paris. Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Associated Press}**

Like most iconic sporting events that have made my list for attending during the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project, I endeavor to tune in at least for a bit – for no other reason – to look longingly at the venue envisioning myself on the grounds some day.

That said, it seemed as though watching the Jannik Sinner–Carlos Alcaraz match might not consume too much time. If I’m being honest, like a lot of viewers, I was probably a point or two away from turning the match off and moving on with whatever Sunday had in store. And, in this case, it was birthday Sunday so there was a decent chance something might be in store.

But then Alcaraz won a point. And then another. And then another. And then the third set. And, suddenly, I was sucked in.

I began texting my tennis-loving friends to see if they were watching.

They were.

And then I posted the following on The Sports Fan Project‘s Facebook page:

The match remained on in the background during birthday lunch.

The match remained on in the background during birthday gifts.

And then I sat back and watched every point of the fifth set super tiebreaker in absolute admiration for what was occurring before me.

Five hours and 29 minutes these two fellas played!

Shoot, I could’ve driven from my home to Chicago’s Wrigley Field in that amount of time and maybe even had a cold one at Murphy’s Bleachers before returning home.

^{Highlights from the June 8, 2025, Sinner-Alcaraz French Open Men’s Singles Final.}

June 15 – First Elimination Day at the Men’s College World Series & the U.S. Open Final Round

**^{My view for the Arizona-Louisville MCWS elimination game.}**

The Arizona Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals played the first elimination game of the 2025 Men’s College World Series … and I was there!

At some point during the next couple of weeks I’ll put together all of my thoughts about the experience of being in Charles Schwab Field in Omaha to see some of the MCWS. For now, though, I’ll simply note that my father and I were in the upper deck roasting away on this 90-degree mid-Father’s Day afternoon watching the Cardinals eliminate the Wildcats, 8-3, as part of Event No. 19 of Around the World in 80 Sporting Events.

It was a darn good game for the first seven innings. Arizona clung to a 3-2 lead entering the bottom of the eighth when Louisville cashed in on fielding miscues and scored six runs to seize control.

Sweaty, tired, and a bit sun burned, we retreated to the air conditioned comfort of our accomodations in nearby Council Bluffs, IA, to recharge and tune into the finals of the U.S. Open. Of course this tournament is where Around the World in 80 Sportings Events had all begun a year ago with Event No. 1 at Pinehurst No. 2.

I flicked on my television just in time to see play resuming following what I later learned was a 90-minute rain delay. What I didn’t discover until much later, was how oddly J. J. Spaun‘s final round began (shooting a 5-over-par, 40 on his front side) and how the rain delay may have impacted the various players.

USGA Rules Official and Golfer Sam Burns — ^{Sam Burns, right, and a USGA Rules Official discuss his lie and standing water on No. 15. The decision went against Burns and he wound up double-bogeying the hole and lost his 1-shot lead. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)}

The tournament quickly devolved from a test of golf to a test of survival on the soggy Oakmont Country Club layout, especially for clubhouse leader Sam Burns and his playing partner, Adam Scott. While their scores went the wrong way following the resumption of play, Spaun and Rob MacIntyre (and to an extent, Scottie Scheffler) went in the correct direction. For a moment it looked like the 3-over-par Jon Rahm had posted earlier in the day (later matched by Scheffler) might be the number to beat.

Then MacIntyre finished at 1-over-par and suddenly it looked like his might be the number to beat. But Spaun sank a birdie putt at No. 17 and needed only to 2-putt from 64-feet on No. 18 to seemingly lock it up. Instead, Spaun went ahead and drained his birdie putt and jubilation ensued.

It also ensued in Room 108 at the Best Western Crossroads of the Bluffs as well. I let out a whoop that might well have been heard all the way back in Omaha.

Unbelievable!

^{J. J. Spaun drops a U.S. Open-clinching 64-foot birdie putt on his final hole.}

June 22 – MCWS Championship Game, Travelers Championship Final Round, & NBA Finals Game 7

I wasn’t even in the Continental U.S. for these events.

Having just witnessed the 120th Midnight Sun Baseball Game two nights earlier, I was spending an otherwise quiet early afternoon at my friend Tim’s Fairbanks, AK, house. And only because I’d been at Charles Schwab Field less-than a week earlier, I felt compelled to at least tune into the final between Coastal Carolina and Louisiana State.

That it was a 5-3 LSU when I dialed by in the seventh inning, I figured it was worth at least a looksee to discover if the underdog Chanticleers could muster a rally. About the time I began watching, LSU reliever Chase Shores entered the game and he was dealing. Fastballs in the upper 90s and touching 100 miles per hour, CCU could do little with it, though the lead-off batter in the bottom of the ninth inning reach, but a strikeout and a doubleplay ended it and led to a dog pile in the infield for the newly crowned champions, 5-3.

To this moment, I’m unsure what possessed me to flip the channel to the PGA’s Travelers Championship. I suspect it had something to do with potentially witnessing Tommy Fleetwood‘s first PGA Tour victory. Only that didn’t happen. Fleetwood left his approach on No. 18 short of the green and then failed to get up and down to, at worst, force a playoff. Keegan Bradley then calmly sank his birdie putt and celebratedthe way I had the week before in my hotel room.

The main event on this Sunday was, unquestionably, Game 7 of the NBA Finals. I’d made it known on Saturday that I’d hoped to see a good portion of the game.

Unlike the previous two events on this Sunday, I had a dog in this fight. I’m an Indiana native and had taken in my first-ever Pacers’ home game as part of Event No. 14 (the Indiana basketball experience). It turns out Tim had a dog in the fight as well. He’s a Seattle-area native and there are some things folks from his part of the Pacific Northwest don’t forget. In this case, it was the SuperSonics franchise being yanked out from under them and relocated to Oklahoma City.

Sadly, by the time we made our way to The Banks Alehouse for some spectating, perhaps the biggest event of the day had already occurred: Tyrese Haliburton‘s right achilles tendon snapped. With it, as it turned out, so too did the Pacers’ chances.

That didn’t prevent us – and most others in the surprisingly full Banks – from urging on the undermanned and scrappy Pacers against the Thunder until the bitter end. Alas, it was not to be.

^{What a Sunday! Clockwise from upper left, Keegan Bradley celebrates with his caddie, Scott Vail, after winning the Travelers Championship (photo by Jessica Hill/Associated Press). The LSU Tigers pile on after winning the Men’s College World Series in Omaha (photo by Getty Images). Indiana Pacers’ guard, Tyrese Haliburton, is comforted by teammate T.J. McConnell, the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Indiana’s trainer (photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images).}

I wonder what the sports gods have in store for me this week.