[{"id":4749628,"date":"2026-04-07T23:20:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/?p=4749628"},"modified":"2026-04-07T23:20:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:50:07","slug":"golf-news-scottie-schefflers-ultimate-tribute-to-late-golf-legend-at-augusta-national-wins-the-golf-fans-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/golf-news-scottie-schefflers-ultimate-tribute-to-late-golf-legend-at-augusta-national-wins-the-golf-fans-over\/","title":{"rendered":"Scottie Scheffler&#8217;s Ultimate Tribute to Late Golf Legend at Augusta National Wins the Golf Fans Over"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After an impeccable run last season, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/tag\/scottie-scheffler\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Scottie Scheffler<\/strong><\/a> made a strong start to the 2026 season with his 20th career victory at the American Express. And this season brought in more good news for the world number 1 golfer as he welcomed his second son to the family. Now, as he prepares to bag a win at Augusta, he has sparked nostalgia by paying a tribute to a legend, Seve Ballesteros.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the Augusta National Golf Club, Scheffler turned heads by sporting a double-Nike logo on his shoes as he began his practice round. The gesture traced back to Seve Ballesteros, one of the sport\u2019s most iconic figures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Scottie rocking the double-Nike logo on his shoes this morning.<\/p>\n<p>A throwback to Seve&#8217;s visor at Augusta, 40 years ago. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/pbZTeJZo22\">pic.twitter.com\/pbZTeJZo22<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jamie Kennedy (@jamierkennedy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jamierkennedy\/status\/2041177335810932821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 6, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The gesture seems fitting because both stars have won the Masters twice. Ballesteros first won in 1980, becoming the youngest winner at that time at just 23. Scottie Scheffler, on the other hand, was just 25 when he won his first green jacket back in 2022. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts, including former coaches, have noted similarities in their &#8220;BalleScheffler&#8221; style. Both have a high-level, creative ability to get up and down from anywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, after watching Scheffler&#8217;s shoes, golf fans could not keep calm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Fans hail Scottie Scheffler\u2019s Seve Ballesteros tribute with Nike flair<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One fan resonated with the act and excitedly commented, \u201cThat\u2019s a tribute! Grande Seve!!!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Thanks to Seve Ballesteros, European golf reached unprecedented levels when he became the first European to triumph at the Masters in 1980. He became the youngest British Open champion of the twentieth century and made history for Europe when it won its maiden Ryder Cup in 1985. The following year, Seve Ballesteros became the first professional golfer to sign with Nike, and it is a style that he invented that has been reborn after four decades.<\/p>\n<p>Despite failing to emerge victorious at the 1986 Masters, Seve Ballesteros found himself only one stroke behind Greg Norman in the last round. Realizing that he was going to attract attention, Ballesteros innovated an impressive method of advertising his brand. By taking a visor from the Masters and cutting logos of Nike from two polo shirts, he layered them on top of the famous yellow logo.<\/p>\n<p>Things appeared to have been going perfectly well until the eagle on the 13th gave him a lead, which was immediately threatened when he found water on the 15th. That led to another victory by Jack Nicklaus, who clinched his sixth Green Jacket, one of the most remarkable moments at the Masters finish. However, the unique headgear that Ballesteros sported during this week has become an iconic symbol of golfing fashion.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"elk-98d05160-2cfd-4b34-ba14-978af96304fa\" class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout \" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\"><picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zqqjX98EptkTgWHozUk2QM-1920-80.jpg.webp 1920w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zqqjX98EptkTgWHozUk2QM-1600-80.jpg.webp 1600w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zqqjX98EptkTgWHozUk2QM-1280-80.jpg.webp 1280w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zqqjX98EptkTgWHozUk2QM-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zqqjX98EptkTgWHozUk2QM-768-80.jpg.webp 768w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zqqjX98EptkTgWHozUk2QM-415-80.jpg.webp 415w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zqqjX98EptkTgWHozUk2QM-360-80.jpg.webp 360w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/zqqjX98EptkTgWHozUk2QM-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" type=\"image\/webp\" sizes=\"(min-width: 710px) 670px, calc(100vw - 30px)\" \/><\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another fan chimed in, \u201cI hope they release a version of these with the neon, would be v nice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>As part of the refresh for its golf line in 2026, Nike has brought back some nostalgic elements and continued its evolution towards more of a lifestyle look for its gear.<\/p>\n<p>What makes this collection special is the debut of two new shoes \u2013 the Pegasus G and the Tempo G. The former is essentially the Pegasus running shoe adapted for golf use, featuring spikes and a foam midsole, along with an Air Zoom unit under the forefoot for additional push-off energy. The latter is a more sporting model incorporating the Nike Free midsole technology for better flexion.<\/p>\n<p>However, the essence lies in the line&#8217;s visual identity inspired by Ballesteros. This collection recreates the stacked Futura logo in white and neon yellow color schemes. The lineup also includes an updated Nike Next% Tour 3, which will be worn on course by Brooks Koepka.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This version is a tip of the cap to Seve&#8217;s masterful bit of improvisation 40 years ago,&#8221; the Nike website states. And t<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">he shoes appeared so lucrative to a fan that they immediately wrote, \u201cThese are so sick, I need them!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4740862\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4740862\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4740862 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago742555.jpg-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago742555.jpg-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago742555.jpg-473x315.jpeg 473w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago742555.jpg-1200x800.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago742555.jpg-225x150.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago742555.jpg-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago742555.jpg-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago742555.jpg-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4740862\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bildnummer: 00742555 Datum: 07.10.1993 Copyright: imago\/HJS<br \/>Severiano Ballesteros (Spanien) schaut seinem Abschlag hinterher; Seve, Vdia, quer, close, Drive, Driver Mercedes German Masters 1993, PGA-Tour, Golfen, Berlin \/ Motzen Golf Herren Einzel Deutschland Einzelbild Aktion Personen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-N7dVAgcScCrtCCEuAwNJti\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-N7dVAgcScCrtCCEuAwNJti slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\" data-hydrate=\"true\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<p>\u201cSeve had swag before it existed\u201d, added another fan as they went down memory lane.<\/p>\n<p>Well, as one digs deeper into memory lane, one may consider checking out Javier Ballesteros, son of Seve Ballesteros, post from Nike house this week, featuring shelves with double logo caps next to an image of his dad hitting a golf ball from a tree with \u2018No Problema\u2019 tagline.<\/p>\n<p>The image was first featured on one of the early marketing campaigns launched by Nike Golf in the mid-80s, just around the time when Ballesteros joined Nike as its first player signing up. On the original poster, we have a Spanish golfer sitting atop a tree branch surrounded by tree leaves and dressed in Nike\u2019s orange shirt and blue trousers as he casually addresses a golf ball.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another X user wrote, \u201cChanneling Seve is the best prep to win his 3rd Masters.\u201d And if that holds true, Augusta could well be <em data-start=\"1292\" data-end=\"1305\">No Problema<\/em> for Scottie Scheffler.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After an impeccable run last season, Scottie Scheffler made a strong start to the 2026 season with his 20th career victory at the American Express. And this season brought in more good news for the world number 1 golfer as he welcomed his second son to the family. Now, as he prepares to bag a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215074,"featured_media":4730200,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"0.899","footnotes":""},"categories":[2803,11847],"tags":[26965],"class_list":["post-4749628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-golf","category-pga-tour","tag-scottie-scheffler"],"acf":{"post_history":"Scottie Scheffler&#8217;s Ultimate Tribute to Late Golf Legend at Augusta National Wins the Golf Fans Over###Scottie Scheffler\u2019s Ultimate Tribute to Late Golf Legend at Augusta National Wins the Golf Fans Over###Scottie Scheffler\u2019s Ultimate Tribute to Late Golf Legend at Augusta National Wins the Golf Fans Over","sentiment_score":"0.899","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false,"newsletter_description":"","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["Social Media - Twitter"],"source_article_link":"https:\/\/x.com\/jamierkennedy\/status\/2041177335810932821?s=20","article_summary":"","editor_name":{"ID":215225,"user_firstname":"Shreya","user_lastname":"Singh","nickname":"shreya.singh","user_nicename":"shreya-singh","display_name":"Shreya Singh","user_email":"shreya3005singh@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2024-02-16 06:32:03","user_description":"Shreya Singh is a WNBA and NCAA Basketball Editor at EssentiallySports, with a strong passion for women\u2019s basketball ignited by Paige Bueckers. Her editorial work is backed by a strong understanding of economics, player contracts, and detailed statistics. As a contributor to the WNBA Newsletter, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shegotgame.eu\/\" rel=\"noopener\">She Got Game<\/a>, Shreya excels at discovering and developing storylines that others might miss.\r\n\r\nHer personal experience as an air rifle shooter gives her unique insight into the life of an athlete. She combines statistical analysis, comparative studies, and charts to provide in-depth and clear coverage of key players and trends within women's basketball.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_6750-141x150.jpeg' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"allotted_by":{"ID":215107,"user_firstname":"Khambe Huda","user_lastname":"Imran","nickname":"khambe.imran","user_nicename":"khambe-imran","display_name":"Khambe Huda Imran","user_email":"hudakhambe43@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2023-09-12 21:45:22","user_description":"Huda Khambe is a Golf Writer for EssentiallySports. Growing up watching Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam bag one major after the other, Huda Khambe set herself on a path to becoming a sports writer early on. \r\nWith a year of prior experience in writing, Huda now brings the greens to life with her unique insights on her favorite storylines, such as Jack Nicklaus's record rivalry with Tiger Woods and its impact on both stars. \r\nOff hours too, Huda's life involves sports, with her either reading athletes' biographies or immersing herself into livestreams of Valorant and Counterstrike.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Khambe-Huda-Imran-96x96.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["OffCourt","FanReactions"]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Scottie Scheffler&#039;s Ultimate Tribute to Late Golf Legend at Augusta National Wins the Golf Fans Over - 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She has a strong eye for record-breaking performances, world leads, and moments that carry long-term significance across individual sports. Whether tracking a leaderboard swing on Sunday afternoon or breaking down a career-defining Olympic routine, Disita approaches stories with speed, clarity, and context. Her golf coverage focuses on form, momentum, and pressure situations, translating technical excellence into engaging narratives for a wide audience. She was a key contributor to EssentiallySports\u2019 24\/7 Paris Olympics coverage, delivering real-time reports and feature stories during one of the busiest news cycles. That experience strengthened her ability to balance immediacy with depth, earning her a place in the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program. 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Over the last fifteen games, both guards have controlled the pace, created shots, and carried the scoring load. That shift has helped the Purple and Gold climb the Western Conference standings, but it has also forced James into a lower-usage role.<\/p>\n<p>As the Lakers leaned into that new hierarchy, the chemistry between the three stars looked seamless. James stepping back wasn\u2019t a weakness, it became the system. The offense flowed cleaner, roles were defined, and the results followed almost immediately.<\/p>\n<p>That evolution didn\u2019t happen by accident. Speaking on Mind The Game with Steve Nash, James revealed that he personally reached out to JJ Redick and the coaching staff with a message that defined his mindset during this stretch.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI texted JJ, I texted one of our assistant coaches, and told them I want to talk to them,&#8221; James told Nash. &#8220;I told them, \u2018I will figure it out.\u2019 I\u2019m a winner, and I know what I can do for this ball club for us to win and for those guys to be the best that they can be\u2026 I guess I\u2019m not an idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">LUKA DONCIC TONIGHT:<br \/>\n29 PTS &#8211; 8 REB &#8211; 9 AST<\/p>\n<p>LEBRON JAMES TONIGHT:<br \/>\n25 PTS &#8211; 6 REB &#8211; 8 AST<\/p>\n<p>AUSTIN REAVES TONIGHT:<br \/>\n31 PTS &#8211; 7 REB &#8211; 8 AST<\/p>\n<p>BIG 3. \ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PhfT0Oodc8\">pic.twitter.com\/PhfT0Oodc8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheHoopCentral\/status\/1906172910735401327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 30, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The numbers backed it up. The Lakers went on a dominant run through March, with Doncic averaging around 36 points and Reaves adding over 21 per game while the supporting cast settled into defined roles. James saw that rhythm developing and made a conscious decision to preserve it, leaning into facilitation and off-ball impact instead of forcing control.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just think it\u2019s simple, just not be an idiot and I\u2019m not an idiot,&#8221; LeBron James reasserted. &#8220;First of all, I am well aware of my game and what I can do for a basketball team. I\u2019ve never had a position, so I know I have the ability to be put in any position that can see a team win, even if it&#8217;s taking away some of the things I\u2019ve always done.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo understanding that, and having the little injury that I had, watching the team play and watching the team have some success, I\u2019m sitting back, and I\u2019m like &#8216;AR and Luka look like they\u2019re just playing free.&#8217; They look like when LeBron is not playing, they look like they don\u2019t have to cater to me\u2026 So when I was making my way back and coming back to the lineup, I went to both of them and said, \u2018Listen, don\u2019t worry about me on the floor, whatever mindset y\u2019all been in while I was not playing, just stay there. Be aggressive, y\u2019all got the ball in your hands, I will figure it out,&#8217; don\u2019t confuse it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t new for James. Throughout his career, he has adjusted to fit winning environments, whether it was sharing control with Dwyane Wade in Miami or handing primary scoring duties to Kyrie Irving in Cleveland. That same adaptability is showing up again in Los Angeles, reinforcing why his basketball IQ has always outweighed ego.<\/p>\n<p>That balance, however, has now been disrupted. Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, while Reaves was diagnosed with a Grade 2 oblique strain after multiple scans. Both are expected to miss the remainder of the regular season, removing the very structure that fueled the Lakers\u2019 recent surge.<\/p>\n<h2>With Doncic and Reaves out, the spotlight returns on LeBron James<\/h2>\n<p>With Doncic and Reaves sidelined, the Lakers felt the impact immediately in a 134-128 loss to Dallas. Even a vintage 30-point, 15-assist performance from James wasn\u2019t enough to offset the offensive void, as the team struggled to replicate its previous rhythm.<\/p>\n<p>But the defensive repercussions of these injury setbacks will be evident in the coming weeks, especially in the first round of the playoffs. The Lakers led the NBA in clutch defensive efficiency, holding opponents to a league-low 35.1% FG in the final five minutes of close games.<\/p>\n<p>With Doncic and Reaves out, James will no longer feature as the connective facilitator spotting up for step-backs or kickouts; instead, King James must reclaim alpha usage.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was a shot to the heart and to the chest and to the mainframe with Luka \u2026 I woke up from my nap yesterday, and then saw that [Austin] news and I was like, &#8216;Sh*t,&#8221; James said last week.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4749400\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4749400\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4749400\" src=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28667497.jpg-scaled.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1610\" srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28667497.jpg-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28667497.jpg-501x315.jpeg 501w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28667497.jpg-1200x754.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28667497.jpg-239x150.jpeg 239w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28667497.jpg-768x483.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28667497.jpg-1536x966.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28667497.jpg-2048x1288.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4749400\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Apr 5, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Currently on a two-game losing streak, the Lakers have already slipped to fourth in the Western Conference standings. They host the defending champions OKC Thunder, at the Crypto.com Arena tonight. James is listed as &#8216;questionable&#8217; for Tuesday&#8217;s matchup due to injury management on a foot injury. <span class=\"T286Pc\" data-sfc-cp=\"\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\"><span class=\"N9Q8Lc\">While not considered a new acute injury, his status is day-to-day as the Lakers navigate a shorthanded roster.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"uJ19be notranslate\" data-sfc-root=\"c\" data-wiz-uids=\"aykB6d_15,aykB6d_16\" data-sfc-cb=\"\" data-complete=\"true\"><span class=\"vKEkVd\" data-animation-atomic=\"\" data-wiz-attrbind=\"class=aykB6d_14\/TKHnVd\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The remaining schedule offers little room for error, with matchups against the Warriors, Jazz, and Suns looming. Redick\u2019s system will lean heavily on pick-and-rolls and isolation sets to maximize James\u2019 playmaking, but the bigger question remains durability. At 41, carrying that workload into the postseason will test even him. And with the structure that once empowered Doncic and Reaves now gone, the Lakers are right back where they started \u2014 relying on LeBron to figure it out again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the last month, the Los Angeles Lakers have started to look less like a one-man LeBron James operation and more like a dual-engine offense driven by Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Over the last fifteen games, both guards have controlled the pace, created shots, and carried the scoring load. That shift has helped the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":213247,"featured_media":4460304,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"-0.122","footnotes":""},"categories":[3332,19618,19209],"tags":[27962,20617,683,16949,21415],"class_list":["post-4749880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball-2","category-los-angeles-lakers","category-nba","tag-austin-reaves","tag-jj-redick","tag-lebron-james","tag-luka-doncic","tag-steve-nash"],"acf":{"post_history":"\u201cI\u2019m Not an Idiot\u201d: LeBron James Reveals Private Text to JJ Redick on Taking Backseat to Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves###\u201cI\u2019m Not An Idiot\u201d: LeBron James Reveals Private Text To JJ Redick On Taking Backseat To Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves###\u201cI\u2019m Not An Idiot\u201d: LeBron James Reveals Private Text To JJ Redick On Taking Backseat To Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves###\u201cI\u2019m Not An Idiot\u201d: LeBron James Reveals Private Text To JJ Redick On Taking Backseat To Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves","sentiment_score":"-0.122","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["YouTube Video"],"source_article_link":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=aDeWeWoL2nY","article_summary":"","newsletter_description":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["CoreSport"],"msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","editor_name":{"ID":215437,"user_firstname":"Ved","user_lastname":"Vaze","nickname":"ved.vaze","user_nicename":"ved-vaze","display_name":"Ved Vaze","user_email":"vedvaze.biz@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2024-12-02 22:09:20","user_description":"Ved Vaze is the NBA Editor at EssentiallySports, where he leads coverage of the league with a blend of fan passion and insider insight. A devoted Lakers follower, he reported on the breakup of the Orlando Bubble-winning team and the pivotal front-office moves that followed.\r\n\r\nAs part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, Ved honed his skills under industry mentors, sharpening his ability to deliver timely analysis on trades, roster shifts, and season developments. He recently attended a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/essentially-sports_journalisticexcellence-sportsmedia-personalbranding-activity-7370893099893448704-eGKf?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAACVUjSQBqwUOWvtFsNn3sXJuofOow42lsQA\">session with broadcaster Matt Prieur<\/a>, reinforcing the values of honesty, integrity, and fact-driven storytelling. A tech graduate and former player, Ved combines on-court experience with data expertise to break down advanced stats and uncover the stories behind the numbers.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ved-Vaze-NBA-Active-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"allotted_by":{"ID":215565,"user_firstname":"Jay","user_lastname":"Lokegaonkar","nickname":"jay.lokegaonkar","user_nicename":"jay-lokegaonkar","display_name":"Jay Lokegaonkar","user_email":"jay.loke710@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2025-02-26 14:12:23","user_description":"","user_avatar":"<img alt='' src='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1b74a466ae8af138f29bac8d6776288e7d586ab09a01772f8fc143db2a55392?s=96&#038;d=mm&#038;r=g' srcset='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b1b74a466ae8af138f29bac8d6776288e7d586ab09a01772f8fc143db2a55392?s=192&#038;d=mm&#038;r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' loading='lazy' decoding='async'\/>"},"is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - 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He covers trade rumors, game-day matchups, and long-form NBA features, with a particular knack for spotlighting underdog narratives and momentum-shifting storylines. A journalism graduate with a postgraduate certificate in Strategic Marketing and Communications from Conestoga College, Ontario, Daniel blends statistical context with sharp, opinion-led analysis. His professional journey spans content strategy, paid media, editorial oversight, and quality analysis, giving him a rare end-to-end understanding of how sports stories are researched, positioned, and delivered at scale. Over the years, he has worked across SEO-driven publishing, audience growth initiatives, and performance-focused editorial environments, sharpening his ability to balance speed with accuracy and depth. At EssentiallySports, Daniel applies this multifaceted background to NBA coverage that is informed, structured, and reader-centric. Known for his analytical clarity and narrative instinct, he approaches the league with a storyteller\u2019s eye and a strategist\u2019s discipline, consistently aiming to add perspective beyond the box score. Based in Ontario, a city once home to NBA champion Jamal Murray, he harbors a long-term ambition to sit down for an exclusive conversation with the hometown star.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/daniel-arambur-3ba705157\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/DanielArambur"],"url":"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/author\/daniel-arambur\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4749880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/213247"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4749880"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4749880\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4750140,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4749880\/revisions\/4750140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4460304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4749880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4749880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.staging.essentiallysports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4749880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":4749527,"date":"2026-04-07T22:58:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:28:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/?p=4749527"},"modified":"2026-04-07T22:58:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:28:31","slug":"mlb-baseball-news-take-one-of-them-out-willson-contreras-warns-brewers-to-watch-out-after-twenty-four-th-hbp-snubbed-by-christian-yelich","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/mlb-baseball-news-take-one-of-them-out-willson-contreras-warns-brewers-to-watch-out-after-twenty-four-th-hbp-snubbed-by-christian-yelich\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cTake One of Them Out\u201d- Willson Contreras Warns Brewers to Watch Out After 24th HBP, Snubbed by Christian Yelich"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There&#8217;s no historic rivalry between the <strong>Boston Red Sox<\/strong> and the <strong>Milwaukee Brewers, <\/strong> but Willson Contreras and the Brewers have been at each other&#8217;s throats for a long time. After his 24th hit-by-pitch, that long-simmering feud has finally exploded. And none of the players are holding back while talking about the incident.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They always say, &#8216;I&#8217;m not trying to hit you.&#8217; That gets old. So next time they hit me again, I\u2019m going to take one of them out. That\u2019s a message,&#8221; <strong>Willson Contreras<\/strong> came out and said, after the Red Sox-Brewers game.<\/p>\n<p>The Brewers and the Red Sox were a part of a high-tension game, which the Brewers ended up winning 8-6. But things got hot in the 4th inning when <strong>Brandon Woodruff<\/strong> hit Willson Contreras on the hand. Contreras was very angry and immediately started shouting at Woodruff and walked to first.<\/p>\n<p>The moment shifted energy as both dugouts reacted, and tension stayed high throughout the game.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Willson Contreras has a message for the Brewers after being hit by them for the 24th time in his career <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FFUiZofl30\">pic.twitter.com\/FFUiZofl30<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JomboyMedia\/status\/2041345202728685632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>What angered <strong>Willson Contreras<\/strong> was not the fact that he got hit, but the fact that it was the 24th time the Brewers hit him, and Woodruff alone has hit him six times in total.<\/p>\n<p>Contreras almost kept his word about &#8220;taking out&#8221; a player in the same inning.<\/p>\n<p>While running from 1st to 2nd, Contreras slid so hard that some part of the studs caught Brewers&#8217; shortstop, <strong>David Hamilton<\/strong>. Although it was legal, you could see the intent behind the slide.<\/p>\n<p>But Contreras did not just talk with his mouth, but also proved it with his bat. Willson Contreras went 3-3 with a walk, a homer, and 2 RBIs. He reached base 5 times, showing that he can walk the walk. But <strong>Christian Yelich<\/strong> added another layer of tension after the game ended.<\/p>\n<p>When a reporter asked him about the reaction from Red Sox and Contreras, Yelich said, &#8220;We\u2019ve seen that skit for the last 10 years. It\u2019s nothing new.&#8221; But Yelich is not the only one who reacted to this; even pitcher Brandon Woodruff chimed in.<\/p>\n<p>Woodruff said, &#8220;We\u2019ve been through that \u2014 nine years for me. It seems like every year. He\u2019s trying to play a game, and he\u2019s trying to get his side fired up, which is fine. Once I knew what was going on, I wasn\u2019t going to let it affect me on the mound.&#8221; He later continued and said he had a job to do, especially with the Brewers looking a little thin.<\/p>\n<p>With the Series starting on a fiery note, it is going to be interesting to see how the rest of the games are going to play out.<\/p>\n<h2>Willson Contreras vs. Brandon Woodruff: History and beef<\/h2>\n<p>With the tensions between the <strong>Boston Red Sox<\/strong> and the <strong>Milwaukee Brewers<\/strong> at an all-time high, it is a good time to see if Willson Contreras is right about him getting hit a lot.<\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">The HBP by Brandon Woodruff caused a major stir among the players, and it went on for the full game. But what added more tension to this was the fact that Willson Contreras&#8217;s brother, William Contreras, was the one catching for the Brewers when this incident happened.<\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">When you look at things from a statistical point of view, <strong>Willson Contreras<\/strong> gets hit often, with 131 HBPs over 4,318 career plate appearances. That equals roughly a 3 percent rate, triple the league average since 2018.<\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Looking deeper, Woodruff has hit 33 batters across 755.2 innings, slightly above league average. He has a 0.044 HBP rate per inning, and that barely exceeds the typical pitcher&#8217;s average of 0.04.<\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">In the six times that <strong>Brandon Woodruff<\/strong> has hit Contreras, Pitch data shows that 4 of his 6 pitches were sinkers, 2 were fastballs. Those balls naturally move in, so hitters who choose to stand close to the plate are mostly in the firing line.<\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Against the Milwaukee Brewers, Contreras has been hit 24 times in 468 plate appearances. That equals a 5.1 percent rate, notably higher than his already elevated career hit rate. And when you consider this, maybe Contreras is right to be angry at the Brewers.<\/p>\n<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">But did Woodruff hit him intentionally? Only Woodruff <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/mlb-baseball-news-alex-cora-steps-in-after-fierce-red-sox-fans-mercilessly-booed-twenty-six-yo-star\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">can answer that<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There&#8217;s no historic rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers, but Willson Contreras and the Brewers have been at each other&#8217;s throats for a long time. After his 24th hit-by-pitch, that long-simmering feud has finally exploded. And none of the players are holding back while talking about the incident. &#8220;They always say, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215490,"featured_media":4749877,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"-0.223","footnotes":""},"categories":[10500,35879,20105,35164],"tags":[58886,30221,81183,32845],"class_list":["post-4749527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-baseball","category-brewers","category-mlb","category-red-sox","tag-brandon-woodruff","tag-christian-yelich","tag-david-hamilton","tag-willson-contreras"],"acf":{"post_history":"\u201cTake One of Them Out\u201d- Willson Contreras Warns Brewers to Watch Out After 24th HBP, Snubbed by Christian Yelich###\u201cTake one of Them Out\u201d- Willson Contreras Warns Brewers to Watch Out After 24th HBP, Snubbed by Christian Yelich###\u201cTake one of Them Out\u201d- Willson Contreras Warns Brewers to Watch Out After 24th HBP, Snubbed by Christian Yelich###\u201cTake one of Them Out\u201d- Willson Contreras Warns Brewers to Watch Out After 24th HBP, Snubbed by Christian Yelich","sentiment_score":"-0.223","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"newsletter_description":"","msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["Social Media - Twitter"],"source_article_link":"https:\/\/x.com\/JomboyMedia\/status\/2041345202728685632","article_summary":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["CoreSport"],"editor_name":{"ID":214439,"user_firstname":"Arunaditya","user_lastname":"Aima","nickname":"arunaditya.aima","user_nicename":"arunaditya-aima","display_name":"Arunaditya Aima","user_email":"arun.aima.195@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2021-09-21 11:17:32","user_description":"Arunaditya Aima is an editor at EssentiallySports, where he works to bring clarity and depth to sports storytelling through the pieces he edits. With a Master\u2019s degree in Sports Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in the field, he combines newsroom discipline with a deep-rooted passion for sports.\r\n\r\nDuring his time at EssentiallySports, Arunaditya has taken on multiple roles across the editorial pipeline. He began as a writer covering Ultimate Fighting Championship before transitioning into editorial responsibilities, including serving as the primary editor for National Basketball Association coverage. His experience across writing and editing allows him to approach stories from both a narrative and structural perspective.\r\n\r\nBefore his editorial work in digital sports media, Arunaditya worked as a producer at Firstpost under the Network18 Group umbrella, gaining experience in newsroom production and broadcast-oriented storytelling.\r\n\r\nAcross roles, he focuses on refining sports coverage through strong editorial judgment, attention to detail, and a commitment to presenting the game in ways that resonate with readers.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Arunaditya_Aima-1-96x96.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"allotted_by":{"ID":215267,"user_firstname":"Rupam","user_lastname":"Shukla","nickname":"rupam.shukla","user_nicename":"rupam-shukla","display_name":"Rupam Shukla","user_email":"rupam0717@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2024-05-22 20:31:03","user_description":"Rupam Shukla is a Tennis Writer at EssentiallySports. Having pursued his Bachelor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s degree in Journalism, Rupam's passion for sports is immense. A vigilant follower of Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic since a young age, Rupam brings a unique perspective to his writing. With experience working in some of the top newsrooms in the country, Rupam is eager to explore more in the arena of sports. His adventurous spirit extends beyond his professional life; as an avid traveler, he often embarks on thrilling trips when away from work. You may also find him in bookstores, immersed in English Literature during his downtime.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rupam-Shukla-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u201cTake One of Them Out\u201d- Willson Contreras Warns Brewers to Watch Out After 24th HBP, Snubbed by Christian Yelich - EssentiallySports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Willson Contreras clashes with the Brewers during a tense game, sparking reactions from Christian Yelich as the rivalry intensifies further.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/mlb-baseball-news-take-one-of-them-out-willson-contreras-warns-brewers-to-watch-out-after-twenty-four-th-hbp-snubbed-by-christian-yelich\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cTake One of Them Out\u201d- Willson Contreras Warns Brewers to Watch Out After 24th HBP, Snubbed by Christian Yelich\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Willson Contreras clashes with the Brewers during a tense game, sparking reactions from Christian Yelich as the rivalry intensifies further.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/mlb-baseball-news-take-one-of-them-out-willson-contreras-warns-brewers-to-watch-out-after-twenty-four-th-hbp-snubbed-by-christian-yelich\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EssentiallySports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/essentiallysports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T17:28:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Willson-Contreras-and-Christian-Yelich.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Karthik Sri Hari KC\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Karthik_KC10\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@es_sportsnews\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/mlb-baseball-news-take-one-of-them-out-willson-contreras-warns-brewers-to-watch-out-after-twenty-four-th-hbp-snubbed-by-christian-yelich\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/mlb-baseball-news-take-one-of-them-out-willson-contreras-warns-brewers-to-watch-out-after-twenty-four-th-hbp-snubbed-by-christian-yelich\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Karthik Sri Hari KC\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/98f89e6012d31d1af778db81877cc1e1\"},\"headline\":\"\u201cTake One of Them Out\u201d- Willson Contreras Warns Brewers to Watch Out After 24th HBP, Snubbed by Christian Yelich\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-07T17:28:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-07T17:28:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/mlb-baseball-news-take-one-of-them-out-willson-contreras-warns-brewers-to-watch-out-after-twenty-four-th-hbp-snubbed-by-christian-yelich\/\"},\"wordCount\":736,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Brandon Woodruff\",\"Christian Yelich\",\"David Hamilton\",\"Willson Contreras\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Baseball\",\"Brewers\",\"MLB\",\"Red Sox\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/mlb-baseball-news-take-one-of-them-out-willson-contreras-warns-brewers-to-watch-out-after-twenty-four-th-hbp-snubbed-by-christian-yelich\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/mlb-baseball-news-take-one-of-them-out-willson-contreras-warns-brewers-to-watch-out-after-twenty-four-th-hbp-snubbed-by-christian-yelich\/\",\"name\":\"\u201cTake One of Them Out\u201d- Willson Contreras Warns Brewers to Watch Out After 24th HBP, Snubbed by Christian Yelich - 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According to NFL Rumors, the team is eyeing <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">veteran tight end David Njoku, who previously signed a four-year, $54.7 million contract with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/category\/nfl\/cleveland-browns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cleveland Browns<\/a> and played for nine seasons there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe Miami #Dolphins and former #Browns TE David Njoku have MUTUAL INTEREST,\u201d NFL Rumors wrote on X.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The Miami <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Dolphins?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Dolphins<\/a> and former <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Browns?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Browns<\/a> TE David Njoku have MUTUAL INTEREST <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GrxrAdCczb\">pic.twitter.com\/GrxrAdCczb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NFL Rumors (@nflrums) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nflrums\/status\/2041350842977022429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Dolphins have added key players during free agency and also parted ways with many this offseason. While Eric Sullivan\u2019s team will likely focus on boosting depth through the draft, they can still make post-draft additions. And that\u2019s why there are good chances that the team could show interest in Njoku. In February, the player took to Instagram to announce his departure from the Browns ahead of the 2026 season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCleveland, first off, I love you,\u201d his note read. \u201cThese 9 years have been a beautiful journey. I\u2019m so grateful for all the memories we shared together. Thank you to the Haslams, Andrew Berry, and the whole Browns organization for everything!! All my teammates I shared the battle with, I\u2019m so grateful for you guys. The time for me to find a new home has come, and all I can think of is just the gratefulness in my heart. The city of Cleveland will forever be home\u2764\ufe0f\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His journey in Cleveland had been full of ups and downs. His best season came in 2023, which earned him his first Pro Bowl selection. But things went downhill after that due to injuries. He missed eleven games in the last two seasons due to injuries, and his production dipped drastically in 2025, recording only 33 catches for 293 yards and four touchdowns. The worst part? He has yet to play all seventeen games in a single season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But despite his injury-riddled journey, he was a central piece of Cleveland\u2019s offense. He stood second in franchise history in touchdown receptions (34) and total catches (384). After Julian Hill\u2019s exit, Miami has only Greg Dulcich as its best option for the starting role at tight end. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Dulcich can stretch the field (12.9 yards per catch), but recurring soft-tissue injuries make him risky as Willis&#8217; top target in 2026. At 6&#8217;4&#8243;, 245 lbs, he is mainly a big receiver and lacks the point-of-attack power Njoku offers to replace Hills&#8217; heavy blocking. A young QB like Willis needs a reliable res-zone target. Dulcich just had one touchdown in 2025. showing the team needs a more serious threat.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, it wouldn\u2019t hurt the team to add another reliable piece at the position. Njoku&#8217;s <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">arrival can really help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-will-malik-willis-dolphins-signing-lead-to-a-career-turnaround\/\">the still-developing Malik Willis.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How David Njoku&#8217;s presence can aid Malik Willis<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Miami signed Malik Willis to a three-year deal worth $67.5 million on the first day of free agency last month. It was shocking because the team suffered over $100 million in dead cap hits following the release of Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, and others. This was a calculated move by new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, who wanted to create significant draft capital and move on from expensive veterans to create a &#8220;draft and develop&#8221; culture.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But with Julian Hill and Jaylen Waddle gone, Njoku will be required to fill large gaps with offensive depth.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4486252\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4486252\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4486252 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1053066656.jpg\" alt=\"Malik Willis\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1053066656.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1053066656-472x315.jpg 472w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1053066656-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1053066656-225x150.jpg 225w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1053066656-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1053066656-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1053066656-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4486252\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jacksonville, FL &#8211; OCTOBER 27: Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis 2 walks the field after an NFL, American Football Herren, USA football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 27th, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL. Photo by Chris Leduc\/Icon Sportswire NFL: OCT 27 Packers at Jaguars EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon241027057<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Waddle had posted 910 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns on 64 receptions last year. Without him to pull coverage from Tyreek Hill, defences can &#8220;bracket&#8221; Hill. Willis loses a receiver who excelled at making something out of nothing on broken plays.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile,\u00a0 Jullian served as the team&#8217;s primary blocking tight end, taking over 300 in-line snaps last season to support a struggling offensive line. He gave Willis protection in max-protect sets, but with just 140 yards and no touchdowns in 2025, the Dolphins&#8217; tight end lacks elite blocking and a vertical threat.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even the team\u2019s wide receiver group suffers from the same issue, as players such as Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, and Malik Washington lack significant starting experience. Hence, Njoku could be the guy who can mentor Tua\u2019s replacement while offering support. Recently, CBS Sports\u2019 Jordan Dajani echoed a similar belief.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe Miami Dolphins offense is going to look very different with Malik Willis replacing Tua Tagovailoa, and Njoku would provide a versatile security blanket for a young quarterback who is getting his first shot to be a full-time starter,\u201d Dajani wrote.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From a financial standpoint, the team has only $2 million in cap space after Jaylen Waddle\u2019s trade and tweaking the contracts of Aaron Brewer and De&#8217;Von Achane. With Njoku\u2019s market value projected at $10 million per year, Miami would need to make plenty of financial adjustments to bridge that wide gap. However, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">his track record of injuries and reduced production in recent seasons could bring the figure down during negotiations. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Miami would still need to make plenty of adjustments to land the tight end. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dallas Goedert of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/category\/nfl\/philadelphia-eagles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> agreed to a one-year deal worth $7 million this offseason. If that\u2019s the benchmark, the Dolphins could offer Njoku a similar one-year contract.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a team desperate for a reliable veteran and a player looking to rebuild his legacy, the potential pairing in Miami seems like a risk worth taking for both sides.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Miami Dolphins may have found the perfect veteran security blanket for new quarterback Malik Willis, and he&#8217;s a former Pro Bowl tight end. According to NFL Rumors, the team is eyeing veteran tight end David Njoku, who previously signed a four-year, $54.7 million contract with the Cleveland Browns and played for nine seasons there.\u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215757,"featured_media":4085597,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23493,22063,14551],"tags":[23244,31339],"class_list":["post-4748854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cleveland-browns","category-miami-dolphins","category-nfl","tag-david-njoku","tag-malik-willis"],"acf":{"post_history":"NFL Rumors: $54.7M Ex-Browns Star Attracting Interest as Dolphins Look to Help Malik Willis","sentiment_score":"","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["Social Media - Twitter"],"source_article_link":"https:\/\/x.com\/nflrums\/status\/2041350842977022429?s=20","article_summary":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["CoreSport"],"editor_name":{"ID":215879,"user_firstname":"Abhimanyu Gupta","user_lastname":"","nickname":"abhimanyu.gupta","user_nicename":"abhimanyu-gupta","display_name":"Abhimanyu Gupta","user_email":"Abhimanyugupta_12345@yahoo.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2026-03-17 04:57:40","user_description":"Abhimanyu Gupta is an Associate Editor at EssentiallySports, contributing to the U.S. editorial desk. 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His work focuses on delivering content that is both engaging and aligned with a fan-first approach.\r\n\r\nBefore joining EssentiallySports, Abhimanyu worked as a U.S. Sports Editor at Sportskeeda and Vitale Sports Media, where he edited a wide range of sports content and provided structured feedback to improve quality and readability. His background in academic editing further strengthens his precision, helping him maintain clarity, structure, and accuracy in fast-paced publishing environments.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Abhimanyu-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"allotted_by":{"ID":215725,"user_firstname":"Nithin","user_lastname":"Joseph","nickname":"nithin.joseph","user_nicename":"nithin-joseph","display_name":"Nithin Joseph","user_email":"joseph.nithin@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2025-08-13 06:39:45","user_description":"Nithin Joseph is an expert NFL Content Specialist at EssentiallySports with nearly a decade of professional sports journalism experience. Nithin brings comprehensive analytical skills and deep football knowledge to deliver authoritative NFL content. A dedicated Baltimore Ravens enthusiast inspired by elite quarterback Lamar Jackson, Nithin combines his extensive sports reporting background, which spans multiple sports including the NBA and WWE, with a genuine passion for the game. His multi-sport journalism experience provides unique perspectives that help readers understand football's broader cultural impact beyond traditional statistics.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Nithin-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false,"newsletter_description":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>NFL Rumors: $54.7M Ex-Browns Star Attracting Interest as Dolphins Look to Help Malik Willis - EssentiallySports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dolphins eye $54.7M ex-Browns star to support Malik Willis, as NFL rumors heat up over potential roster moves ahead of the season.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-browns-nfl-rumors-fifty-four-point-seven-million-dollars-ex-browns-star-attracting-interest-as-dolphins-look-to-help-malik-willis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NFL Rumors: $54.7M Ex-Browns Star Attracting Interest as Dolphins Look to Help Malik Willis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dolphins eye $54.7M ex-Browns star to support Malik Willis, as NFL rumors heat up over potential roster moves ahead of the season.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-browns-nfl-rumors-fifty-four-point-seven-million-dollars-ex-browns-star-attracting-interest-as-dolphins-look-to-help-malik-willis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EssentiallySports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/essentiallysports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T17:05:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T17:13:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Miami-Dolphins-Logo.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2160\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1215\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Muskan Lodhi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/x.com\/muskaaann_?t=4gZNb8L_XmtxoBYEbtlXLg&amp;s=08\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@es_sportsnews\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-browns-nfl-rumors-fifty-four-point-seven-million-dollars-ex-browns-star-attracting-interest-as-dolphins-look-to-help-malik-willis\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-browns-nfl-rumors-fifty-four-point-seven-million-dollars-ex-browns-star-attracting-interest-as-dolphins-look-to-help-malik-willis\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Muskan Lodhi\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a6bb8a2d112c547d005dce60f973e9bd\"},\"headline\":\"NFL Rumors: $54.7M Ex-Browns Star Attracting Interest as Dolphins Look to Help Malik Willis\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-07T17:05:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-07T17:13:27+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-browns-nfl-rumors-fifty-four-point-seven-million-dollars-ex-browns-star-attracting-interest-as-dolphins-look-to-help-malik-willis\/\"},\"wordCount\":962,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"David Njoku\",\"Malik Willis\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Cleveland Browns\",\"Miami Dolphins\",\"NFL\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-browns-nfl-rumors-fifty-four-point-seven-million-dollars-ex-browns-star-attracting-interest-as-dolphins-look-to-help-malik-willis\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-browns-nfl-rumors-fifty-four-point-seven-million-dollars-ex-browns-star-attracting-interest-as-dolphins-look-to-help-malik-willis\/\",\"name\":\"NFL Rumors: $54.7M Ex-Browns Star Attracting Interest as Dolphins Look to Help Malik Willis - 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Jay Gruden recently jumped on The Fan and seemed to focus on one name in particular: Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJeremiyah Love, for me, is the best playmaking player in the draft, so I think if he&#8217;s there, which I don&#8217;t think he&#8217;ll be there, I think Tennessee takes him, but if he&#8217;s there, I think Washington will scoop him up,\u201d Gruden said.<\/p>\n<p>He went on to say that this year&#8217;s wide receiver class is pretty deep, particularly in the middle to later rounds, where teams have often discovered reliable players. Plus, Gruden reinforced that idea by mentioning the Commanders\u2019 strong draft position.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have seven and seventy-one,\u201d Gruden added. \u201cYou look at the depth of the receiver position in the draft. Is there enough guys you get in the third, the fifth, or the sixth round? You know, there&#8217;s a lot of good receivers in the history of the NFL that have come through the third, fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds, so not a lot of backs like Jeremiah Love will be there that late.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, things are getting complicated at the top of the draft. The Titans are still considering their choices at No. 4, but a lot of people in the league think Love is definitely a possibility for them. Some predictions even say Tennessee might trade up to No. 3 just to secure him, which would leave the Burgundy and Gold in a tough spot or needing to look for a trade.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Jay Gruden thinks Jeremiyah Love might special enough that the Commanders should plan on finding a WR in Round 3. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EIq5XCHPxA\">pic.twitter.com\/EIq5XCHPxA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/granthpaulsen\/status\/2041263600753390043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 6, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s easy to see why everyone is talking about Love.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s clear why Love is attracting so much buzz. He had an impressive 2025 season, running for 1,372 yards on 199 carries. The means he averaged 6.9 yards each time he touched the ball. He also scored 21 total touchdowns, with 18 of them coming on the ground.\u00a0 What stands out even more is his ability to break off big runs; he hit 24 yards or more in eight games and topped 56 yards in four of those.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the Commanders need to think about a few things before making a big move, as they got a big warning on Love.<\/p>\n<h2>Commanders get a warning about Jeremiyah Love<\/h2>\n<p>Jeremiyah Love is gaining a lot of attention as a potential pick for the Washington Commanders at No. 7, but not everyone is convinced. On The Team 980, Kevin Sheehan expressed some skepticism about the excitement and cautioned the Burgundy and Gold against making a hasty decision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is some part of Jeremiyah Love\u2019s success that you go back, and you say, &#8216;Yeah, it was kind of gaping holes against some pretty bad defensive teams, and when they played some really good defensive teams, it wasn\u2019t necessarily the same,'&#8221; he said last month.<\/p>\n<p>That concern, in simple terms, puts a spotlight on how much of Love\u2019s production came when the competition wasn\u2019t at its best.\u00a0Then, Sheehan went even deeper into specific moments that raised eyebrows.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow, if you wanna go back to 2024 and talk about those playoff games, he played some very good teams, and the results were very average and less than average. You know, against Ohio State in that national championship game, four carries, three yards, two catches, five yards. They completely shut him down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This pattern continued when he faced stronger defenses. Against Penn State, he managed 11 carries for 45 yards in the semi-finals. In the first-round win over Georgia, he had six carries for only 19 yards. When you look at these numbers, it becomes obvious. Many of his best plays happened against less competitive teams, and his performance dropped when the competition got tougher.<\/p>\n<p>Still, this is a tricky decision when it comes to evaluating a top prospect in this draft. Many believe Love is the most exciting running back out there, and that potential is tough for Washington to overlook.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While most analysts are mocking a wide receiver or offensive lineman to the Commanders, one of the team&#8217;s former coaches is pounding the table for a different, more explosive path. Jay Gruden recently jumped on The Fan and seemed to focus on one name in particular: Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. \u201cJeremiyah Love, for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215298,"featured_media":4630692,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"0.008","footnotes":""},"categories":[14551,31263],"tags":[75334],"class_list":["post-4748998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl","category-washington-commanders","tag-jeremiyah-love"],"acf":{"post_history":"Ex-Commanders HC Urges Dan Quinn and Co. to Draft Notre Dame Prospect and Delay WR Selection","sentiment_score":"0.008","msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["Social Media - Twitter"],"source_article_link":"https:\/\/x.com\/granthpaulsen\/status\/2041263600753390043?s=20","article_summary":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["CoreSport"],"editor_name":{"ID":214439,"user_firstname":"Arunaditya","user_lastname":"Aima","nickname":"arunaditya.aima","user_nicename":"arunaditya-aima","display_name":"Arunaditya Aima","user_email":"arun.aima.195@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2021-09-21 11:17:32","user_description":"Arunaditya Aima is an editor at EssentiallySports, where he works to bring clarity and depth to sports storytelling through the pieces he edits. With a Master\u2019s degree in Sports Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in the field, he combines newsroom discipline with a deep-rooted passion for sports.\r\n\r\nDuring his time at EssentiallySports, Arunaditya has taken on multiple roles across the editorial pipeline. He began as a writer covering Ultimate Fighting Championship before transitioning into editorial responsibilities, including serving as the primary editor for National Basketball Association coverage. His experience across writing and editing allows him to approach stories from both a narrative and structural perspective.\r\n\r\nBefore his editorial work in digital sports media, Arunaditya worked as a producer at Firstpost under the Network18 Group umbrella, gaining experience in newsroom production and broadcast-oriented storytelling.\r\n\r\nAcross roles, he focuses on refining sports coverage through strong editorial judgment, attention to detail, and a commitment to presenting the game in ways that resonate with readers.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Arunaditya_Aima-1-96x96.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"allotted_by":{"ID":215725,"user_firstname":"Nithin","user_lastname":"Joseph","nickname":"nithin.joseph","user_nicename":"nithin-joseph","display_name":"Nithin Joseph","user_email":"joseph.nithin@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2025-08-13 06:39:45","user_description":"Nithin Joseph is an expert NFL Content Specialist at EssentiallySports with nearly a decade of professional sports journalism experience. Nithin brings comprehensive analytical skills and deep football knowledge to deliver authoritative NFL content. A dedicated Baltimore Ravens enthusiast inspired by elite quarterback Lamar Jackson, Nithin combines his extensive sports reporting background, which spans multiple sports including the NBA and WWE, with a genuine passion for the game. His multi-sport journalism experience provides unique perspectives that help readers understand football's broader cultural impact beyond traditional statistics.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Nithin-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"auto_post_fb_channels":[],"is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false,"newsletter_description":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ex-Commanders HC Urges Dan Quinn and Co. to Draft Notre Dame Prospect and Delay WR Selection - EssentiallySports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ex-Commanders coach urges Washington to target Jeremiyah Love in the 2026 Draft and wait on wide receiver help later.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-commanders-ex-commanders-hc-urges-dan-quinn-and-co-to-draft-notre-dame-prospect-and-delay-wr-selection\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ex-Commanders HC Urges Dan Quinn and Co. to Draft Notre Dame Prospect and Delay WR Selection\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ex-Commanders coach urges Washington to target Jeremiyah Love in the 2026 Draft and wait on wide receiver help later.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-commanders-ex-commanders-hc-urges-dan-quinn-and-co-to-draft-notre-dame-prospect-and-delay-wr-selection\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EssentiallySports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/essentiallysports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T17:02:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1073377244-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Pritish Ganguly\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@PritishGanguly_\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@es_sportsnews\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-commanders-ex-commanders-hc-urges-dan-quinn-and-co-to-draft-notre-dame-prospect-and-delay-wr-selection\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-commanders-ex-commanders-hc-urges-dan-quinn-and-co-to-draft-notre-dame-prospect-and-delay-wr-selection\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Pritish Ganguly\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d8e25ec17e1edb3d686dc84dbcd8ecaa\"},\"headline\":\"Ex-Commanders HC Urges Dan Quinn and Co. to Draft Notre Dame Prospect and Delay WR Selection\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-07T17:02:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-07T17:02:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-commanders-ex-commanders-hc-urges-dan-quinn-and-co-to-draft-notre-dame-prospect-and-delay-wr-selection\/\"},\"wordCount\":720,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Jeremiyah Love\"],\"articleSection\":[\"NFL\",\"Washington Commanders\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-commanders-ex-commanders-hc-urges-dan-quinn-and-co-to-draft-notre-dame-prospect-and-delay-wr-selection\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-commanders-ex-commanders-hc-urges-dan-quinn-and-co-to-draft-notre-dame-prospect-and-delay-wr-selection\/\",\"name\":\"Ex-Commanders HC Urges Dan Quinn and Co. to Draft Notre Dame Prospect and Delay WR Selection - 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Of course, their status in football is debatable. But after the NCAA basketball championship win over UConn, the Wolverines sealed their 2026 basketball national title. However, for UM, the bragging rights don&#8217;t end there. With the second basketball national title, they have become the only D1 school to achieve a rare feat.<\/p>\n<p>With this latest victory, Michigan stands alone as the only D1 school to secure multiple national championships in three different major sports. They won the football Natties in 1948, 1997, and most recently in 2023 under Jim Harbaugh, among others. The Wolverines have also won two baseball national championships in 1953 and 1962. Finally, they won their first basketball championship in 1989, and after their win over the Huskies, they added another trophy to the cabinet. Is UM the most prolific sporting school in the nation?<\/p>\n<p>Michigan is already the all-time winningest program in college football history with over 1,012 wins. They have a total of 12 national championships in football and have more Big 10 titles across the sport than most peers. As for this year&#8217;s basketball title, Michigan dominated the whole season and then won the championship, a rare feat in NCAA basketball.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The best college basketball team all season won the NCAA Tournament,&#8221; The Athletic&#8217;s Ralph Russo said. &#8220;Doesn\u2019t happen all the time, but I like it when it does.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Michigan is the first D1 school ever to win multiple National Championships in Football (1948, 1997, 2023), Baseball (1953, 1962), and Men\u2019s Basketball (1989, 2026). <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cYk3xFZDjn\">pic.twitter.com\/cYk3xFZDjn<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RedditCFB\/status\/2041355407063650476?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The 2026 title for Michigan came after a dominant tournament run. Coached by Dusty May, the team went 36-3 in the regular season and earned a No. 1 seed. They not only beat strong opponents like Arizona in the final four, but also defeated powerhouse UConn 69-63 to seal the championship win at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. In doing so, Michigan ended its 37-year-old basketball championship drought with the title. Maybe coach Kyle Whittingham&#8217;s message did boost some morale.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Hey, Michigan fans, here at the final four. Go blue. Michigan\u2019s going to get it done tonight. Here we go,&#8221; Whittingham said at the Lucas Oil Stadium before the game. &#8220;It\u2019s incredible. We have so many good programs in the athletic department, and we\u2019re going to make you proud of the football team as well.&#8221; But that&#8217;s not where UM&#8217;s dominance ends.<\/p>\n<p>Michigan is among 4 teams left in the NCAA Hockey championship. The team faces Denver in the Frozen Four, while Wisconsin is set to face North Dakota in the other game. If UM wins that game and finally goes on to win the hockey championship against North Dakota or Wisconsin, it will win its 10th hockey championship, which will be its first in 29 years.\u00a0 Can Michigan do that? It remains to be seen. However, according to a Michigan loyal, the debate finally ended about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/ncaa-college-football-news-kyle-whittingham-sends-strong-message-as-dusty-may-leads-michigan-to-mbb-championship-game\/\">&#8216;best school&#8217; in college football.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Dave Portnoy makes a historic statement for Michigan&#8217;s status in NCAA<\/h2>\n<p>Barstool Sports&#8217; founder, Michigan booster, and a die-hard UM fan, never leaves a chance to flex his UM muscle. Despite Michigan going through troubled times in football <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/ncaa-college-football-news-woman-sherrone-moore-allegedly-had-inappropriate-relationship-with-no-longer-at-michigan-report\/\">amid Sherrone Moore&#8217;s firing<\/a>, he still calls UM football the best in the nation. He takes on Ohio State fans like a sport, and this time, when Michigan won the NCAA basketball tournament, he didn&#8217;t hold back.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Everyone&#8217;s throwing all these stats, throw stats out the window. This is the best team in the history of college basketball,&#8221; Portnoy said. You have to just start looking at the entire school and what Michigan does. Next weekend&#8217;s the hockey finals. And they&#8217;d be the first team in the college football era in the playoff era to capture a basketball and a football championship. So these are lofty days for the Block M. There&#8217;s always been a lot of &#8216;Yo Hey, we&#8217;re the best school.&#8217; Well, this ends that debate for now.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>One thing, however, was still missing in this year&#8217;s basketball national title: beating their arch-rivals, Duke. Michigan faced Duke in February, but lost the game 63-68. After that, though, the Wolverines were overpowered just once by Wisconsin and toppled teams like Tennessee, Alabama, and Howard to win the championship. It&#8217;s, of course, the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/ncaa-college-basketball-news-barack-obama-weighs-in-as-dusty-may-leads-michigan-to-first-title-since-nineteen-hundred-eighty-nine\/\"> golden days for Michigan right now<\/a>. And if they win the hockey championship, too? Well, Portnoy will have another reason to irk OSU fans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Michigan is officially the best team in the country right now. Of course, their status in football is debatable. But after the NCAA basketball championship win over UConn, the Wolverines sealed their 2026 basketball national title. However, for UM, the bragging rights don&#8217;t end there. With the second basketball national title, they have become the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215497,"featured_media":4696190,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"0.943","footnotes":""},"categories":[74261,26112,8839,26084],"tags":[34634,75105,29411,75199],"class_list":["post-4749621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-college-football","category-michigan-wolverines","category-news","category-uconn-huskies","tag-dave-portnoy","tag-dusty-may","tag-jim-harbaugh","tag-kyle-whittingham"],"acf":{"post_history":"Michigan Makes NCAA History as First D1 School to Achieve Rare 3-Sport Feat","sentiment_score":"0.943","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"newsletter_description":"","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["Social Media - Reddit"],"article_summary":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false,"msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","editor_name":{"ID":215773,"user_firstname":"Aatreyi","user_lastname":"Sarkar","nickname":"sarkar.aatreyi","user_nicename":"sarkar-aatreyi","display_name":"Aatreyi Sarkar","user_email":"sarkaraatreyi@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2025-11-10 06:36:07","user_description":"Aatreyi Sarkar is a Multisports Editor at EssentiallySports. 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One of the first teams linked was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/category\/nfl\/chicago-bears\/\"><strong>Chicago Bears<\/strong><\/a>. But as quickly as that narrative picked up, it also faced pushback as the former Giants executive Greg Gabriel shut it down.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I worked for the Giants for 17 years and still have several friends that are very high in the chain of command,&#8221; Gabriel wrote on X. &#8220;First, Dexter Lawrence is not available and second the Bears DID NOT inquire. These are typical engagement posts that wanna be\u2019s put out for views. Happens all the time. Do not pay attention to them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Yesterday <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/davebftv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@davebftv<\/a> posted that the Bears have reached out to the NYG about Dexter Lawrence. His \u201cinfo\u201d came from <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Easton__Butler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Easton__Butler<\/a> who is a known Bears troll and not anyone who knows anything.<br \/>\nI worked for the Giants for 17 years and still have several friends that are very high\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Greg Gabriel (@ggabefootball) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ggabefootball\/status\/2041490180243140723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>That response came just a day after Adam Schefter reported that Lawrence had requested a trade and would skip the team\u2019s upcoming offseason program. Naturally, that opened the door for league-wide speculation. Multiple reports quickly connected Chicago as a potential landing spot, but Gabriel directly called out names like Easton Butler and Davebftv, insisting the interest simply isn\u2019t real.<\/p>\n<p>Now, his first claim that Lawrence is not available feels debatable given the trade request itself. But his second point carries more weight. There is a difference between a player being discussed and a team actually making a call. And right now, there is no confirmed indication that Chicago has formally reached out.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the logic behind the speculation is easy to follow. The Bears gave up 2,287 rushing yards at 5.0 yards per carry in 2025. That is a structural issue in the run defense, not a minor gap. A player like Lawrence directly addresses that weakness. So, from a roster-building perspective, the link makes sense even if it is not grounded in reality yet.<\/p>\n<p>But then you flip the lens to New York. The Giants were 31st in run defense themselves. Even with Lawrence coming off a down year, moving him now creates another hole in an already struggling unit. That context matters explains why Gabriel believes the team is not actively shopping him despite the request.<\/p>\n<p>There is also the value conversation. A year ago, Lawrence might have commanded multiple first-round picks. Now, according to Jordan Raanan, the expected range is closer to a late first or a second. That shift changes how teams approach negotiations, and it increases the likelihood of competition if he is truly available.<\/p>\n<p>So where does that leave things? Somewhere in the middle. Gabriel is pushing back on the noise, but the underlying factors still keep the door slightly open. For now, what is confirmed is this: Lawrence has made his stance clear. What happens next depends less on speculation and more on whether the Giants are actually willing to move him.<\/p>\n<h2>Dexter Lawrence either seeks a value he deserves or a way out of New York<\/h2>\n<p>Back in February, John Harbaugh made his stance on Dexter Lawrence very clear. The Giants&#8217; head coach didn\u2019t just call him important. He framed him as the &#8220;middle-stone&#8221; of the defense, explaining:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;How important is he (Lawrence)? He\u2019s super, super important. He\u2019s a cornerstone football player\u2026not really a cornerstone, more like the middle stone. He\u2019s right in the middle. He\u2019s a very big stone, and he\u2019s a very active, athletic one.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At that point, there was a sense that the new regime could align with Lawrence and eventually meet his expectations. But with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-giants-john-harbaugh-faces-first-offseason-blow-as-eighty-seven-point-five-million-dollar-giants-star-dexter-lawrence-eyes-exit\/\">defensive tackle now requesting a trade<\/a>, it suggests that alignment never really materialized.<\/p>\n<p>From a contractual standpoint, the situation explains a lot. The Giants had extended Lawrence on a four-year, $87.5 million deal with $60 million guaranteed, per Spotrac. Then, ahead of the 2024 season, they restructured it to create $7.5 million in cap space by converting $10 million of his base salary into a signing bonus after entering the offseason over the cap.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the structure has shifted. There is no guaranteed money left, and Lawrence is looking for a deal that reflects his current value. That becomes more relevant when you consider recent contracts around the league, where players like Milton Williams and Jordan Davis have landed deals averaging around $26 million per year.<\/p>\n<p>That gap is essentially where the tension lies. Lawrence is coming off three Pro Bowl selections and two Second-Team All-Pro nods, which supports his case. But at the same time, his 2025 season complicates the picture.<\/p>\n<p>He finished with just half a sack, eight quarterback hits, and an 8.3% pass rush win rate while the Giants went 4-13. That dip gives the team leverage in negotiations, even if it doesn\u2019t fully reflect his overall impact.<\/p>\n<p>So this is where things stand. A player seeking value, a team weighing recent production against long-term performance, and a contract structure that no longer offers security. Whether this ends in a new deal or a trade now depends on how both sides interpret that balance in the coming days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once Dexter Lawrence reportedly requested a trade from the New York Giants, the speculation didn\u2019t take long to follow. One of the first teams linked was the Chicago Bears. But as quickly as that narrative picked up, it also faced pushback as the former Giants executive Greg Gabriel shut it down. &#8220;I worked for the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215412,"featured_media":4178510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"-0.583","footnotes":""},"categories":[23505,23502,14551],"tags":[28581],"class_list":["post-4750015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chicago-bears","category-new-york-giants","category-nfl","tag-dexter-lawrence"],"acf":{"post_history":"\u201cNot Available\u201d: Ex-Giants Exec Shuts Down Dexter Lawrence Trade Talk After DT\u2019s Trade Request","sentiment_score":"-0.583","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"newsletter_description":"","content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["Social Media - Twitter"],"article_summary":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","editor_name":false,"allotted_by":{"ID":215662,"user_firstname":"Aryan","user_lastname":"Mamtani","nickname":"aryan.mamtani","user_nicename":"aryan-mamtani","display_name":"Aryan Mamtani","user_email":"futbolleraryan@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2025-05-28 05:37:52","user_description":"Aryan Mamtani is an NFL writer at EssentiallySports with a strong analytical background and a deep passion for football. A former player and lifelong sports fan, Aryan brings a mix of football knowledge and emotional insight to his coverage. He specializes in breaking down complex plays, team strategies, and league dynamics in ways that resonate with both die-hard fans and casual readers. His work includes detailed analysis of games such as Sunday Night Football and storytelling that highlights the personal journeys behind the players.\r\n\r\nAryan has experience in research and data analysis, which he skillfully incorporates into his writing. This approach allows him to deliver insightful, data-driven sports content that connects with diverse audiences through clear and engaging storytelling.","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Aryan-Mamtani-150x150.png' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"},"is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false,"source_article_link":"https:\/\/x.com\/ggabefootball\/status\/2041490180243140723","sub_tag_within_current_news":["OffCourt"]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u201cNot Available\u201d: Ex-Giants Exec Shuts Down Dexter Lawrence Trade Talk After DT\u2019s Trade Request - EssentiallySports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The former New York Giants&#039; exec cleared his stance on the Chicago Bears&#039; rumored interest to trade for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-giants-not-available-ex-giants-exec-shuts-down-dexter-lawrence-trade-talk-after-dts-trade-request\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cNot Available\u201d: Ex-Giants Exec Shuts Down Dexter Lawrence Trade Talk After DT\u2019s Trade Request\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The former New York Giants&#039; exec cleared his stance on the Chicago Bears&#039; rumored interest to trade for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-giants-not-available-ex-giants-exec-shuts-down-dexter-lawrence-trade-talk-after-dts-trade-request\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EssentiallySports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/essentiallysports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T16:57:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/imago1064387402-395x315.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"395\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"315\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Keshav Pareek\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Purohitkeshav02\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@es_sportsnews\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-giants-not-available-ex-giants-exec-shuts-down-dexter-lawrence-trade-talk-after-dts-trade-request\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-giants-not-available-ex-giants-exec-shuts-down-dexter-lawrence-trade-talk-after-dts-trade-request\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Keshav Pareek\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f4aa925c8e70f563d9a31427c1a67598\"},\"headline\":\"\u201cNot Available\u201d: Ex-Giants Exec Shuts Down Dexter Lawrence Trade Talk After DT\u2019s Trade Request\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-07T16:57:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-07T16:57:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-giants-not-available-ex-giants-exec-shuts-down-dexter-lawrence-trade-talk-after-dts-trade-request\/\"},\"wordCount\":879,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Dexter Lawrence\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Chicago Bears\",\"New York Giants\",\"NFL\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-giants-not-available-ex-giants-exec-shuts-down-dexter-lawrence-trade-talk-after-dts-trade-request\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nfl-active-news-giants-not-available-ex-giants-exec-shuts-down-dexter-lawrence-trade-talk-after-dts-trade-request\/\",\"name\":\"\u201cNot Available\u201d: Ex-Giants Exec Shuts Down Dexter Lawrence Trade Talk After DT\u2019s Trade Request - 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She continued her ascent, defeating formidable opponents such as Helen Maroulis and Risako Kinjo, ultimately securing Olympic gold in Paris. Yet, after reaching that summit, the fire that once burned so brightly flickered out. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For 24-year-old Tsugumi Sakurai, it is now time to walk away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Japanese wrestler has announced she has effectively retired from the sport, citing a <strong>struggle<\/strong> to reach the same level of determination she had before the 2024 Paris Olympics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter 21 continuous years, I feel I have reached the cutoff point of my wrestling career, so I have decided to retire,\u201d Sakurai said at a press conference, as per UWW.org.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI gave everything I had for the Olympics, and I was able to experience the feeling of achievement and the ultimate joy. It&#8217;s difficult to win the Olympics without determination. I couldn&#8217;t get back to the mindset I had before Paris. That is the biggest reason [for retiring].\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOver the past year, this decision was made after talking to many people, fretting about it, and thinking things through.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This comes as a massive shock to wrestling fans, especially since the 24-year-old was considered a rising star in the discipline. She was practically unbeaten in major events, including winning three consecutive world championships. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To add to that, Sakurai had also won two back-to-back Asian Games gold medals before suffering only the second of just two career international losses at the 2024 Asian Championships.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DWqi8tHkeIT\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DWqi8tHkeIT\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by \u6afb\u4e95\u3064\u3050\u307f\uff0fTsugumi Sakurai (@tuuuu_uuchan)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But she bounced back spectacularly five months later, to win her first and only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/category\/olympics\/\">Olympic<\/a> gold at the 2024 Paris Games in the women\u2019s 57kg. However, post the tournament, Tsugumi Sakurai took time off to relax and recover, even returning to Kochi to start her graduate studies. She eventually made her comeback in October 2024, winning the 57kg title at the second-tier Japan Women\u2019s Open.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That qualified her for the Emperor\u2019s Cup, i.e. the starting point for domestic qualification for major tournaments, although Sakurai never made the event and instead took another route.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;From now on, I want to start a classroom in Kochi Wrestling Club, Konan City, and do my best to spread and strengthen wrestling,\u201d Sakurai wrote on her Instagram page. \u201c<\/span>Also, Kochi&#8217;s special envoy for agricultural support, prefecture&#8217;s special envoy for migration support, and sports support ambassador, and I hope to continue to participate in various activities so that many people can learn about the good things of Kochi.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While that Olympic run cemented Tsugumi Sakurai as one of the sport\u2019s brightest stars, it also showed fans a chance to peek into the pressure and nerves she carried on the biggest stage, something she would later reflect on in detail.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Tsugumi Sakurai reflects on winning her 2024 Olympic gold medal<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because Tsugumi Sakurai entered the 2024 Paris Olympics as one of the favourites, not the favorite for the 57kg title. That\u2019s because she would have to overcome several hurdles, including her recent loss at the 2024 Asian Championships. But the then 22-year-old did it effortlessly as she swept aside some favorites for the medal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That includes 2016 Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis in the semi-finals and Anastasia Nichita in the final. That also happened to be a rematch of their 2023 World Championship final, where Tsugumi Sakurai beat the Moldavian wrestler 3-2, despite being nervous during the bout.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I was too nervous,&#8221; Sakurai said, according to Japan.forward.com. &#8220;But I heard the cheers of the crowd and was able to relax and enjoy the match.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet once her nerves had calmed down, the 22-year-old led 4-0 after two take downs in the first period and then proceeded to add to that by landing a third in the second to seal the deal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;It was very tough for all of us, and for me as well,&#8221; Sakurai added as per Reuters. But I was thinking only about the gold medal, and that&#8217;s what I fought for.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And now, after reaching the top and thinking about the journey to get there, Tsugumi Sakurai has decided to step away on her own terms. While her time on the mat may be over, her next chapter in supporting the sport will ensure her influence on wrestling continues.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A teenage prodigy from the wrestling mats of Kochi Prefecture surprised the wrestling community by winning the U17 world title in 2016. She continued her ascent, defeating formidable opponents such as Helen Maroulis and Risako Kinjo, ultimately securing Olympic gold in Paris. Yet, after reaching that summit, the fire that once burned so brightly flickered [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215844,"featured_media":4746570,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"-0.004","footnotes":""},"categories":[2161,37548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4746536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-olympics","category-us-sports"],"acf":{"post_history":"24-Year-Old Olympic Champion Announces Retirement After Honest Admission","sentiment_score":"-0.004","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["External Link"],"source_article_link":"None","article_summary":"","newsletter_description":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","sub_tag_within_current_news":["OffCourt"],"msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","editor_name":false,"allotted_by":{"ID":214580,"user_firstname":"Murtaza","user_lastname":"Bharmal","nickname":"murtaza.bharmal","user_nicename":"murtaza-bharmal","display_name":"Murtaza Bharmal","user_email":"mbk786110@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2022-06-03 16:22:53","user_description":"Murtaza is a seasoned WWE writer at EssentiallySports with a passion for storytelling in journalism. His love for pro wrestling began during the legendary Randy Orton-John Cena feud in the 2010s, and his enthusiasm for the sport reached new heights after witnessing the masterful performance of Sasha Banks and Bayley in NXT.\r\n\r\nAs an expert in the field of pro wrestling, Murtaza epitomizes the fans' perspective at ES. He combines his extensive knowledge of the sport with the emotional side of storytelling. Murtaza's coverage portfolio at ES includes marquee events such as WrestleMania 38, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble, as well as coverage of other major events from AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling. \r\n\r\nIn addition to his passion for wrestling, Murtaza has a keen interest in music and pop culture. He brings a diverse range of perspectives and interests to his writing.","user_avatar":"<img alt='' src='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2bcc0a2e63ce0198e1c71956854014613ca0bbe807fee37183df284d0e256a14?s=96&#038;d=mm&#038;r=g' srcset='https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2bcc0a2e63ce0198e1c71956854014613ca0bbe807fee37183df284d0e256a14?s=192&#038;d=mm&#038;r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' loading='lazy' decoding='async'\/>"},"is_headline":false,"storyline":false,"lead_story":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.1 (Yoast SEO v22.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>24-Year-Old Olympic Champion Announces Retirement After Honest Admission - EssentiallySports<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"24 year old Olympic champion announces retirement after honest admission as Japanese star steps away from wrestling following career high.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-24-year-old-olympic-champion-announces-retirement-after-honest-admission\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"24-Year-Old Olympic Champion Announces Retirement After Honest Admission\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"24 year old Olympic champion announces retirement after honest admission as Japanese star steps away from wrestling following career high.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-24-year-old-olympic-champion-announces-retirement-after-honest-admission\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EssentiallySports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/essentiallysports\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T16:55:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Tsugumi-Sakurai-1-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Siddhant Lazar\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@SiddhantAnush\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@es_sportsnews\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-24-year-old-olympic-champion-announces-retirement-after-honest-admission\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-24-year-old-olympic-champion-announces-retirement-after-honest-admission\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Siddhant Lazar\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ce486b98ce1a420d7220a54c24d90361\"},\"headline\":\"24-Year-Old Olympic Champion Announces Retirement After Honest Admission\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-07T16:55:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-07T16:55:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-24-year-old-olympic-champion-announces-retirement-after-honest-admission\/\"},\"wordCount\":740,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Olympics\",\"US Sports\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-24-year-old-olympic-champion-announces-retirement-after-honest-admission\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/olympics-news-24-year-old-olympic-champion-announces-retirement-after-honest-admission\/\",\"name\":\"24-Year-Old Olympic Champion Announces Retirement After Honest Admission - 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Instead, injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves flipped that excitement into concern almost overnight. When Lakers legend Magic Johnson reacted to the news, it wasn\u2019t just the injuries that grabbed attention. Fans quickly turned their focus to when he reacted.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson took to X on Tuesday, posting his reaction to Luka Doncic\u2019s injury. \u201cI\u2019m devastated about Luka Doncic\u2019s injury because he was having an MVP season and he should definitely be first-team All-NBA!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">I\u2019m devastated about Luka Doncic\u2019s injury because he was having an MVP season and he should definitely be first-team all NBA!<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MagicJohnson\/status\/2041506761090482285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 7, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>He then followed on that minutes later: &#8220;Just when I thought Luka\u2019s injury was devastating for my Lakers we got the news that Austin Reaves will also be out with an oblique injury. The timing of these injuries couldn\u2019t be worse with the NBA Playoffs a week away,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MagicJohnson\/status\/2041507185965125925?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">he tweeted<\/a>, accompanied by a sad emoji reaction.<\/p>\n<p>Both injuries came during a 139-96 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday. Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and ruled out for the remainder of the regular season. Meanwhile, Reaves\u2019 situation took an unusual turn. After an initial MRI scanned the wrong area, head coach JJ Redick confirmed a second scan revealed a Grade 2 oblique strain on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-basketball-news-nba-to-delay-post-season-award-voting-process-over-luka-doncic-injury-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">timing couldn\u2019t be worse<\/a> for both the player and the team. Doncic was averaging 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds, leading the league in scoring before going down. While that puts his individual awards at risk, the bigger concern is what it means for the Lakers heading into the postseason.<\/p>\n<p>Doncic\u2019s absence immediately shifts the burden onto LeBron James, who now has to carry even more in his 23rd season. At the same time, Reaves was in the middle of a breakout year, averaging 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds on efficient splits, emerging as one of the team\u2019s most reliable scoring options.<\/p>\n<p>Doncic is already pursuing an accelerated recovery, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-basketball-news-luka-doncic-undergoing-injection-treatment-in-spain-to-save-los-angeles-lakers-season-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reportedly traveling to Spain<\/a> for specialized treatment, according to his agent Bill Duffy. However, Reaves\u2019 4-6 week timeline likely rules him out for most, if not all, of the first-round series, with the playoffs set to begin April 18.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the reaction itself wasn\u2019t what caught fans off guard. It was the timing.<\/p>\n<h2>Fans Push Back on Magic Johnson\u2019s Timing on Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves\u2019 Injury<\/h2>\n<p>The replies came in instantly. One user summed up the mood bluntly: \u201cU a lil late unc.\u201d The frustration stemmed from the fact that Johnson\u2019s tweets arrived nearly four days after the injuries were first reported. Another fan echoed the sentiment, posting: \u201cBro are you living in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4593477\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4593477\" style=\"width: 1312px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4593477\" src=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_8677823.jpg\" alt=\"Lakers legend Magic Johnson\" width=\"1312\" height=\"1968\" srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_8677823.jpg 1312w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_8677823-210x315.jpg 210w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_8677823-533x800.jpg 533w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_8677823-100x150.jpg 100w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_8677823-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_8677823-1024x1536.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1312px) 100vw, 1312px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4593477\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">June 4, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Magic Johnson during the fourth quarter in game one of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 108-100 in overtime for a 1-0 series lead. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Another fan took it further, joking: \u201cYou\u2019re so late with this news that you must have tweeted this from the far side of the Moon.\u201d Others leaned into the confusion, with one user writing, \u201cMagic tweeted so late I thought there was more bad news on Luka and AR.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t the first time Johnson\u2019s posts have sparked this kind of reaction. Over the years, fans have built a reputation around what they call \u201cMagic tweets\u201d \u2014 straightforward or delayed observations that often state what\u2019s already widely known. That history only amplified the reaction this time, turning a routine injury response into a viral moment.<\/p>\n<p>None of the reactions questioned how damaging the injuries were for Los Angeles. The Lakers, sitting near the top of the Western Conference after winning 16 of their last 18 games, suddenly face a completely different reality heading into the playoffs.<\/p>\n<p>Redick made it clear the goal hasn\u2019t changed. \u201cWe\u2019re going after the 3-seed and we\u2019re going to try to win a playoff series.\u201d LeBron echoed that urgency. \u201cThere\u2019s no way you can replace that type of impact\u2026 we all have to do a little bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Whether Johnson\u2019s timing missed the moment or not, his concern reflects the bigger picture. The Lakers are heading into the postseason with two of their most important players sidelined, and no margin for error left.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fans of the Purple and Gold were gearing up for a playoff run without the stress of the play-in. Instead, injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves flipped that excitement into concern almost overnight. When Lakers legend Magic Johnson reacted to the news, it wasn\u2019t just the injuries that grabbed attention. Fans quickly turned their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":215867,"featured_media":4749716,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sentiment_score":"-0.814","footnotes":""},"categories":[3332,30693,29264,94683],"tags":[27962,16949,20262],"class_list":["post-4749562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball-2","category-la-lakers","category-nba-basketball-2","category-nba-legends","tag-austin-reaves","tag-luka-doncic","tag-magic-johnson"],"acf":{"post_history":"Magic Johnson Gets Called Out by Fans After Reacting to Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves Injuries","sentiment_score":"-0.814","auto_post_fb_channels":[],"content_type":["Trend Setting"],"article_source":["Social Media - Twitter"],"article_summary":"","newsletter_description":"","current_news_or_throwback":"CurrentNews","msn_publish":"No","yahoo_publish":"Yes","editor_name":{"ID":215437,"user_firstname":"Ved","user_lastname":"Vaze","nickname":"ved.vaze","user_nicename":"ved-vaze","display_name":"Ved Vaze","user_email":"vedvaze.biz@gmail.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2024-12-02 22:09:20","user_description":"Ved Vaze is the NBA Editor at EssentiallySports, where he leads coverage of the league with a blend of fan passion and insider insight. 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The MVP noise is there for a second time, sure. But it&#8217;s also his effortless dominance and unreal efficiency that really stick. It is the kind that makes you pause mid-game. Therefore, when someone like Steve Nash calls it &#8220;Jordanesque,&#8221; with LeBron James right there agreeing, it suddenly feels even bigger.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I would say my favorite for MVP is Shai, and just the totality of the season, the efficiency. He&#8217;s a good defender. Yeah. I think he&#8217;s a great leader. His efficiency is Jordanesque,&#8221; Nash said on the Mind the Game podcast. Amidst a series of conversations, the 2005, 2006 MVP mentioned that players have tough nights where they just have to keep shooting.<\/p>\n<p>To this, James said, &#8220;We all have our nights where we don&#8217;t shoot to our capabilities. That just comes with the game. But yeah, that&#8217;s one of the things I love about Shai.&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/aDeWeWoL2nY?si=X-BhMfSwj7DA3M8z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">He further went on<\/a>, &#8221; just for him to play on the perimeter as much as he does, playing at mid range as much as he does, and still be as super efficient as he is. Like you said, it&#8217;s Jordan for sure. <strong>Michael Jordan, in a slightly different way, numbers in a slightly different way<\/strong>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Michael Jordan and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander belong to two completely different eras of balling. Yet, when names like LeBron James and Steve Nash draw comparisons, or rather give the ultimate praise to the rising star, it truly turns heads. Now, let&#8217;s look into the stats:<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100.27%; height: 228px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 24px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 24px;\"><strong>Metric<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 24px;\"><strong>Michael Jordan<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 24px;\"><strong>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 24px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 24px;\"><strong>Career field goal percentage<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 24px;\">49.7%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 24px;\">50.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 48px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 48px;\"><strong>Career effective field goal percentage<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 48px;\">50.9%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 48px;\">54.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 48px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 48px;\"><strong>Career true shooting percentage<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 48px;\">56.9%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 48px;\">61.6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 48px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 48px;\"><strong>Current season true shooting percentage<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 48px;\">&#8211;<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 33.3333%; height: 48px;\">67.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Meanwhile, Nash continued, &#8220;The accuracy and efficiency is crazy. The body control, his stop-start, change direction. This might sound weird, but I noticed his spine mobility is crazy, one, to slither into gaps; two, to finish in situations.&#8221; According to the 2-time MVP, SGA is so good that the Thunder can simplify everything around him. They space the floor and let him take control, which puts huge pressure on one player, yet he still delivers with elite efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>He also credits the coaching, trusting Shai\u2019s brilliance instead of overcomplicating things, and forcing opponents to adjust first. Then, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/tag\/lebron-james\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LeBron James<\/a> chipped in, &#8220;Every time you look at the efficiency, you look at the box scores, and you see Shai, 38, it&#8217;s like 13 for 17 from the floor. The night he had 40 something, I think it was like 15 for 19.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Then drawing a comparison with himself, the 41-year-old added, &#8220;That&#8217;s one of my favorite things about players. That&#8217;s how I am. I love efficient players who can go out, do things on the floor, be efficient, not take too many bad shots. If you get on a heater, you want to take a heat check or two, I get it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>What else did they say about SGA?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Not explosive lift, but tricky, herky jerky movement with elite control and pace<\/li>\n<li>Dominant left-hand scorer who manipulates defenders with hesitation and angles<\/li>\n<li>Elite footwork, stop on a dime ability, and an advanced dribble package<\/li>\n<li>Reads defenders instantly, attacks weight shifts, and creates separation with strength<\/li>\n<li>Has counters for everything, spin, step back, foul drawing, scoring both directions<\/li>\n<li>Extremely efficient despite high usage, making his overall season stand out as elite<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All of these qualities and more make the 27-year-old Canadian point guard a true MVP candidate. And his stats this season only confirm his place in the elite race.<\/p>\n<h2>SGA for MVP again?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/tag\/shai-gilgeous-alexander\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> has taken complete control of the MVP race. His odds jumped from -600 to a massive -2000 since Friday, leaving Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic trailing. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic\u2019s hamstring injury ruled him out for the regular season, wiping him off betting boards.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, ESPN\u2019s Tim Bontemps\u2019 final straw poll showed SGA taking 88 first-place votes, while no one else crossed eight. As you can guess, the gap is widening in the race. Wemby slipped to +900 after the Spurs fell to Jokic and the Nuggets, now sitting three games behind the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/category\/nba\/new-york-knicks\/ https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/category\/nba\/oklahoma-city-thunder\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OKC Thunder<\/a> with four left. Jokic stands at +7500, while Jaylen Brown lags at +30000.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4706703\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4706703\" style=\"width: 1091px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4706703\" src=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28572270_168414837_lowres.jpg.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1091\" height=\"727\" srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28572270_168414837_lowres.jpg.jpeg 1091w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28572270_168414837_lowres.jpg-473x315.jpeg 473w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28572270_168414837_lowres.jpg-225x150.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/image-cdn.essentiallysports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/USATSI_28572270_168414837_lowres.jpg-768x512.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1091px) 100vw, 1091px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4706703\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mar 23, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives past Philadelphia 76ers forward Dalen Terry (14) during the third quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Meanwhile, SGA\u2019s numbers tell the story. He\u2019s averaging 31.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.5 assists, shooting 55.2% from the field and 38.3% from three. Add 62 wins and OKC holding the league\u2019s top spot despite Jalen Williams missing most of the season, and the race feels all but decided.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, maybe, LeBron James&#8217; Michael Jordan praise for the Thunder superstar doesn&#8217;t feel made up. The numbers tell the story, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is simply sitting at the center of all the conversation. Stealing every spotlight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already established himself as the face of the OKC Thunder&#8217;s rise. The MVP noise is there for a second time, sure. But it&#8217;s also his effortless dominance and unreal efficiency that really stick. It is the kind that makes you pause mid-game. 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