Rumors

Breakfast Ball: "If we were going into a Super Bowl and it was Packers vs. Steelers you guys would celebrate that. People wouldn't talk about Pittsburgh being a small market. It's been intentional to create a CBA that allows more teams to compete." — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Thunder vs. Pacers in the #NBAFinals

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And it fueled a parting shot from James when he finished an on-court interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters at the end of the Lakers-Warriors TV broadcast. "I love the NFL," James said. "But Christmas is our day." The NFL had two games on Christmas -- the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10 and the Baltimore Ravens beat the Houston Texans 31-2 -- even though Wednesday games are rare in the league. "That's a good answer," Curry said when informed about James' declaration. "Basketball, I've been watching it since I woke up this morning. All five games. I'm probably going to watch the second half of the Phoenix-Nuggets game and I know our game stood out so, you feel privileged to be in those types of situations, for sure."

ESPN

Even a Hall of Fame player and highly successful NBA coach wanted to take time out of his offseason to observe Mike Tomlin in Latrobe. As usual, several Steelers alumni were on hand for Tuesday’s practice, but the biggest surprise guest was Jason Kidd, the current Dallas Mavericks head coach and one of the best point guards of all time.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“As a coach, you always want to get better, and when you talk about the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tomlin is the best,” said Kidd, who coached the Mavericks to the NBA Finals this past season.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Kidd sheepishly admits he grew up a Raiders fan in the Bay Area, but he might be a “free agent” now that his childhood team is in Las Vegas. He wanted to get a firsthand look at the Steelers’ culture, which is a testament to Tomlin’s reputation.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Despite those offensive woes, though, the Lakers are still 3-3 on the season, good for eighth in the Western Conference. They have beaten teams like the Phoenix Suns, Clippers and Magic. With that said, LeBron couldn't help but compare the team to the Steelers, a team that also struggles offensively but has found ways to win games in the NFL. “We're like the Pittsburgh Steelers right now. The Pittsburgh Steelers right now have not out-gained or out-scored any of their opponents in this season right now and yet they've got a winning record,” James told reporters postgame.

Clutch Points

"It's opportunistic," Jimmy Haslam said of the impending purchase. "I mean listen, we never thought we'd own 10% of the Steelers. Never thought we'd own the Browns. Dee and I had never been, beside watching (daughter) Whitney play high school soccer, had never been to a soccer game. So it's just opportunistic. It was straightened set of circumstances; we were called on this opportunity. Business, sports, you tend to be optimistic. I have no idea what will happen next. First thing's first, let's get this done and then let's get the Browns winning games."

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Harris has visited the Commanders’ facility, two people familiar with the situation said this month. Harris was co-founder of Apollo Global Management and is a general partner of the English Premier League’s Crystal Palace. He is a limited partner in the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. Harris grew up in Chevy Chase and attended the Field School in Northwest Washington.

Washington Post

The former NBA champion, who won the Finals with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, is expected to be the starting point guard for the Steelers. "His presence on the court improves the ball movement as well as player movement," Steelers coach Cheng Chih-lung said. "The team's rhythm has completely changed, which opened everyone's eyes." Despite the team’s downward trend, Lin -who last played for Guangzhou Loong Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association - is still sending encouraging messages to his teammates and the fans. "If you focus on the process, you can accept the result," he said. Lin added that even if results are not satisfactory, the team does not have to be ashamed if they can establish '100 percent commitment' in every aspect.

BasketNews

The first act of teamwork from the Cavaliers’ new backcourt duo of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland will come four days before training camp. Mitchell and Garland will serve as Dawg Pound captains for Thursday’s night’s nationally televised game between the Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Akron Beacon Journal

“That 30-second clip of how the players responded to him coaching that game — it looked like a World Series Game Seven victory celebration in the locker room,” Carlisle told The Athletic in an interview about Mosley. “I see him as the basketball version of a young Mike Tomlin from the Pittsburgh Steelers: a natural leader of men who builds strong, meaningful relationships,” Carlisle added. “Players will love his energy and his enthusiasm and knowledge for the game. I just had this belief that players will not allow him to fail.”

The Athletic

Sikka, who also directs the Timberwolves' COVID-19 procedures, pushed the Wolves to innovate on how to scout and analyze players virtually. For guidance, he connected with franchises in other sports that have drafted virtually. The Wolves spoke with the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Yankees, among others. They talked to one NFL team about how it handled trade scenarios, taking note of the rarity of zero trades in the first 13 picks of this year's NFL draft.

ESPN

Haslam, whom Forbes says is worth about $2.9 billion, is one of several people eyeing a purchase of the Timberwolves, the people said, adding that Straus was still in talks to acquire the team. Haslam is the chief executive officer of truck stop company Pilot Flying J, which was founded by his father in 1958. A former investor in the Pittsburgh Steelers, Haslam and his wife, Dee, acquired control of the Browns in 2012. Dee Haslam is chair of the Haslam Sports Group.

Sportico

Earlier this week, Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons joined FaZe Clan as a content creator under the name "FaZe Simmo". Other athletes currently on the FaZe Clan creator roster include Pittsburgh Steelers wide received JuJu Smith-Schuster (FaZe Juju) and Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard (FaZe Hammer).

ESPN