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The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, NASCAR, UFC and WWE have unveiled an agreement with Fanatics, the White House and America250 that will see an exclusive USA 250 patch and logo featured on athlete uniforms and performance gear, as well as in the venues where they compete during marquee moments throughout 2026.
Tyrese Haliburton attended John Cena’s final WWE match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C., watching alongside his father as the legendary wrestler closed the book on a historic career. Cena’s farewell match came against Gunther, with the WWE icon putting his body on the line one last time in front of a packed Capital One Arena. Cena was driving the match and the night valiantly, but the moment that stunned fans, and Haliburton, came when he ultimately tapped out of Gunther's sleeper hold, in his final appearance, with Haliburton’s visible reaction reflecting the shock felt throughout the arena.
This time, no pretense: The NBA Cup is about the money. Yes, Tuesday night’s game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center also counts in the regular-season standings. But for the Miami Heat, the coming week-plus could borrow a trademark from the WWE, because this also will be a Money in the Bank main event. “I think $500,000 is $500,000 for anyone,” guard Pelle Larsson said. For the rare time in team sports, cold, hard cash will be at center stage, no posturing necessary. In advancing to the knockout round of the NBA’s in-season tournament, each Heat player under standard contract already has received $53,093.
When Thanasis Antetokounmpo asked whether the league feels a bit like WWE — full of “fake beefs” — Myles Turner didn’t hold back. “Do you see all these cameras right here, bro,” Turner said, gesturing around the podcast studio. “At the end of the day, bro, that’s what it’s all about. Guys have egos. Guys have brands. Guys have stuff they want to protect. Some guys got to be the tough guy. Then you go outside and see them on the courts, and it’s, ‘Hey man, how’s it going?’ That’s how it is, bro, for real. Now don’t get me wrong, there are some guys who are really ’bout it. But it’s very few. It’s maybe 5 percent of this league — smaller than that — that’s really going to do something. One, no one’s throwing a punch in an NBA game. You do that, you know you’re suspended. You know you’re fined. No one wants to pay that bread.”
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“Now that’s going to be my question—do you really think the NBA is like WWE? Like... fake beefs sometimes?” Myles Turner *“Bro... you see all these cameras right here, right? At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. Guys have egos. Guys have brands. Guys have stuff they want to protect. Some guys feel like they’ve got to be the tough guy. Then you go outside and see them on the court, and it’s like—‘Hey, man, how’s it going?’ It’s just like that, bro. For real.* Now, don’t get me wrong—there are some guys that are really about it, you know what I mean? But it’s very few. It’s like... maybe 5% of the league. Maybe even smaller than that. And one—no one wants to punch somebody in an NBA game. You do that, you’re suspended. You’re fined. No one wants to pay that bread, right? Why would you?
Rick Carlisle: He [Tyrese Haliburton] is completely in on it — WWE, that is. It’s interesting to me, the whole culture of it. I think it's amazing what those guys and women do, how they throw their bodies around, the drama... I have great respect for that industry. I’m not as invested as him, but I’ve learned a lot.” “Pat McAfee has been such a great advocate for the Pacers. His presence at games — he gets on the mic and fires up the crowd in the fourth quarters — it's helped us win way more games than it’s caused us to lose. We need Pat McAfee doing what he’s doing.”
WWE star and social media influencer Logan Paul filed an injunction against Heritage Auctions in Texas district court Thursday, alleging authenticity concerns over a Michael Jordan-signed piece of United Center floor that Paul won at auction. Paul says he was not allowed to investigate the floor's authenticity before Heritage solicited payment, which was originally due Sept. 25, according to court records. Per court records, Paul was told by Heritage that he would lose his rights to the floor if he did not meet the deadline. Paul's winning bid was for $562,555.42 including buyer's premium. Josh Bernstein of Akerman LLP, Paul's counsel, has asked for a temporary restraining order and temporary injunction against Heritage Auctions; the TRO was granted on Thursday morning. A court date regarding the temporary injunction has been set for Oct. 9. "It goes without saying that authenticity is everything in the collectibles community," Bernstein said in a statement to ESPN. "Collectors like Logan deserve, and are entitled to, proof of authenticity that holds up under scrutiny and addresses glaring holes and inconsistencies."
Scott Agness: With the WWE in Indy this weekend, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is scheduled to appear on an ESPN2 special at 3pm ET from Morris Bicentennial Plaza — just outside the arena. And you can be sure he’ll be at #Wrestlepalooza
"For me it's about getting my mental right," Haliburton said. "I try to figure out things to do." He said he has been to several Indiana Fever games, is improving his WWE video game skills and that he bought a turntable to learn a few DJ skills. "When I'm alone, I sit there and think about everything that's happened, and it's kind of like, 'That sucks,'" he said. "I'm going to fight like hell to get back. All I can do is attack that rehab the best I can."
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Bravo's new dating series Kings Court is putting a twist on a familiar favorite. The show serves as a spin-off of the Peacock original series Queens Court, and will follow three celebrity kings — supermodel Tyson Beckford, NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, and WWE legend Thaddeus “Titus O’Neil” Bullard — as they attempt to find "the one," aka their queen.
Andy Larsen: In other Jazz news, a reality-show-watching coworker has just informed that Jazz scout Carlos Boozer will be on "Kings Court," a Bravo dating show debuting next week in which Boozer, model Tyson Beckford, & WWE's Titus O'Neil will seek to find love among 21 single women.
We will be getting Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, and WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair is not happy about it. She took to X, formerly Twitter, to share her thoughts on the upcoming series-deciding matchup. “Are we really about to get a [NBA] Finals Game 7 on Sunday? The Lord's day?”