FIFA President Gianni Infantino (L) alongside US President Donald Trump at the 2026 Wprld Cup final (FRANCK FIFE)FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that the proposed launch of a private subsidiary to expoit the commercial benefits of the World Cup was "an opportunity but not an obligation".A proposal to sell stakes in FIFA's major competitions sparked disbelief and outrage globally since it was revealed Tuesday, but Infantino defended the idea, saying too little of football's commercial value reached the parts of the game that need it most."FIFA Forward Enterprise, or FFE, is actually a proposal, an offer. It's part of a democratic process a consultation process and, above all, it is an opportunity but not an obligation," Infantino said in a video released Wednesday evening."It is a golden opportunity to turbocharge the development of the game globally. But again, it is just an offer, not an obligation."Infantino insisted the proposal was centred on unlocking "previously uncaptured commercial value" and was conditional on a democratic vote of FIFA's 211 member associations and approval by the FIFA council."Capturing that value requires additional expertise, additional insight, distinct from governing and developing the sport," he said."It would simply commercialise and organise all FIFA-owned competitions along with sponsorship, broadcast, licensing and new ventures for the benefit of FIFA's 211 member associations."Infantino said the game would not change and the fans would be happier."Fans from everywhere in the world would gain immeasurably from this game-changing potential because it will transform football in their countries," he said.ah/dmc/lp

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Roberto Mancini issued an apology in his first public comments Wednesday after being rehired to coach an Italy squad in crisis three years after he abandoned the same job for a lucrative contract with Saudi Arabia. "Im very sorry," Mancini said. "It was like losing the woman of your life. And it means you did something that shouldnt have been done. So Im sorry, very sorry also for everything that happened over these last three years. Im going to try to bring the national team back where it belongs." Italy failed for a third straight time to qualify for the World Cup, prompting the resignations of federation president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso in April, shortly after a playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 61-year-old Mancini led the Azzurri to the European Championship title in 2021 but shockingly resigned as Italy coach in August 2023, taking over Saudi Arabias national team two weeks later. "It was completely my fault," Mancini said, referring to a lack of communication with Gravina. Mancinis first match back in charge will be against Belgium in the Nations League on Sept. 25 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. He was asked about what type of reception fans might give him. "I realize some people will be against me," Mancini said. "Im hoping the squad plays well enough that maybe people will forgive me." Mancini was a fourth-choice option after Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola turned the job down and Andrea Pirlo was dropped as a candidate amid political concerns over a sponsorship deal with a Russian betting firm. Italy's Players Italy will also face France and Turkey in its Nations League group. Mancini can rely on players like Pio Esposito, Moise Kean and Nicolo Zaniolo in attack; Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Barella in midfield; Riccardo Calafiori and Marco Palestra at fullback; and Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal. Center back has been an issue due to problems with Alessandro Bastoni and Francesco Acerbi. "I dont think were in such a bad state: between center forwards and wingers were have a lot of options," Mancini said. "And Im talking about young players who can still improve. I gave Kean his debut, so I know him very well." Mancini also called Zaniolo up to Italy for the first time before he had made his debut in Serie A. Less Tactics; More Skills Former Leicester and Roma coach Claudio Ranieri was hired as the federation's technical director. Ranieri said making soccer schools less expensive and more appealing for young Italians, who are gravitating toward other sports like tennis, inspired by top-ranked Jannik Sinner would be a priority. "We need to bring kids back to soccer," Ranieri said. "Our national youth teams are performing well. We need to work on enabling players on the under-21 team to make the jump to the first team; and making sure that the Italy coach has players to choose from." Ranieri also suggested a move away from Italy's historic devotion to tactics. "Were great tactically, others are good technically. Abroad, theres not so much attention on the tactical aspects like there is here," Ranieri said. "We need to go back to developing individual skills." Unbeaten Run Between 2018 and 2021, Mancini coached Italy to a world-record 37-match unbeaten run. However, a 1-0 semifinal playoff loss to then-67th-ranked North Macedonia at home in 2022 meant that the Azzurri again missed out on the World Cup. Mancini nevertheless kept his position before surprisingly quitting in August 2023. He left Saudi Arabia in 2024 and was most recently coach at Al-Sadd in Qatar, before departing last month. Mancini also previously steered Inter Milan and Manchester City to league titles. Reporting by The Associated Press.

The Philadelphia 76ers figure to be at or near the top of the Eastern Conference after a busy offseason that brought in Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and a slew of others to join Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe on a talented roster. The Sixers now have one of the best rosters in the league and should be contending for a title in the upcoming season.That doesn't mean it will be a walk in the park. The East is tough with a number of teams that have the talent to reach the finals. The New York Knicks are the defending champs. The Detroit Pistons won 60 games. The Indiana Pacers are getting Tyrese Haliburton back from injury. The Miami Heat have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. The Toronto Raptors acquired Kawhi Leonard and so on, and so on.With that being said, the Sixers should still be at the top of the East. However, when asking former champion Jason Williams, he isn't buying the Sixers:The Knicks are going to be better. Miami is going to be better. Orlando Magic will finish higher than the Sixers...Atlanta will finish higher.Please be advised that the clip below contains language that some might consider offensive.The Knicks going to be better, Miami is going to be better, Orlando Magic will finish higher than the Sixers.- Jason Williams (h/t @NBA__Courtside ) pic.twitter.com/WFZb5SWImp NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 28, 2026One has to wonder if Williams is just trolling, but he does have a point about a team like the Knicks, for example. That's a team that has been together through all of the playoff wars and just won a championship. The Sixers will have to eventually match up with them in terms of chemistry and such.However, the Magic is a big stretch. Orlando has a ton of talent led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and have a new coach in Sean Sweeney, but that duo has yet to really figure it out. They probably have more chemistry, but the Sixers are the supremely talented team. It's hard to really envision the Magic finishing ahead of the Sixers in the 2026-27 season.This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Former NBA champion has Magic, other teams finishing ahead of Sixers

When the NBA unveiled its much-discussed NBA 75 list, we borrowed the concept and built on it by turning the selections into an actual ranking and updating it annually.This week, we returned with the HoopsHype 80. LeBron James remains firmly entrenched at No. 1, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made his debut.Now, were looking at the next 12 players most likely to earn a spot. The group includes Victor Wembanyama, whom we believe has a GOAT-level ceiling, as well as several other future Hall of Famers.Jayson TatumCareer accolades: One NBA title, one Eastern Conference Finals MVP, four All-NBA 1st Team selections, six All-Stars, one All-Star MVP, two Olympic gold medalsOne of just 38 players in NBA history to have made four straight 1st Team All-NBA appearances, a streak that came to an end last season due to his late-campaign return from injury, six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum was on a historic run prior to blowing out his Achilles. The good news for Tatum and Celtics fans is that the former Duke standout has seemingly picked up close to where he left off, averaging 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists on 41.1 percent shooting in 2025-26 over 16 appearances following his return from the devastating injury.It'll be important to see how Tatum continues to look as he gets further away from the Achilles injury, though early returns look promising. Plus, just look at how Kevin Durant returned to elite form following the same injury. Once Tatum looks fully like Tatum again, it won't be surprising to see him crack one of our future lists, as his level of scoring, rebounding and playmaking has him in rarified air in the NBA as one of the league's best players.Jalen BrunsonCareer accolades: One NBA title, one Finals MVP, one Eastern Conference Finals MVP, three All-NBA 2nd Team selections, three All-Stars, one NBA Cup, one NBA Cup MVP, one Clutch Player of the Year awardWith the way New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson has racked up the accolades over the past few seasons, he's making a strong charge at one of our future GOAT rankings. Brunson is as clutch as they come in the modern NBA, quick, can draw fouls and hit free throws at a high level, and when his shot isnt falling, he still makes an impact as a playmaker, making him a load to defend, even at his somewhat diminutive size.Since 2023-24, Brunson has won an NBA championship, doing so in the Big Apple, New York City, meaning with just about as much pressure as possible considering how starved that basketball-loving city was for a title, as well as winning an NBA Cup, picking up three 2nd Team All-NBA honors in a row, as well as making three straight All-Star teams.The former Villanova standout is only just now about to turn 30 years old, and his game isnt super predicated on high-level athleticism, meaning we expect his output to age quite well, giving him plenty of time to add to his quickly growing list of impressive accolades, and thus continue his charge at our all-time-great rankings.Karl-Anthony TownsCareer accolades: One NBA title, six All-Stars, three All-NBA 3rd Team selections, Rookie of the Year award, one Centrobasket gold medalUnlike Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns has been an elite player for longer, winning Rookie of the Year off the bat and earning All-Star and 3rd Team All-NBA honors by his third season, his age-22 campaign back in 2017-18. However, hes experienced some ups and downs in his career, posting some non-All-Star seasons in what should have been his prime.Regardless, Towns has plenty of time to make up for that, as hes still just 30 years old. And, similar to Brunson, Towns game isnt super dependent on athleticism; the former No. 1 pick is as skilled as they come for modern NBA bigs, a capable ball-handler with a quick first step and strong shoulder driving to the basket, a fantastic outside shooter (Towns is nearly 40 percent from three for his career) and an effective post-up player with a strong nose for rebounding.Towns is the only player in NBA history to average 22 points and 11 rebounds per game for their career while shooting over 39 percent from three (minimum: two nightly three-point attempts), showing just how unique he is historically with his mix of strength down low and skill from the perimeter.And as long as he keeps his current impact and production for at least the next half-decade, we could easily see a world in which Towns makes a real move towards earning a spot in our GOAT rankings.Paul GeorgeCareer accolades: Six All-NBA selections, nine All-Stars, four All-Defensive Team selections, one Most Improved Player award, one Olympic gold medal16-year NBA veteran Paul George receives more love from the younger generation of players than he does from fans and on social media, with Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets calling George his GOAT, and AJ Dybantsasaying he likes to emulate George's game.George's blend of three-level athletic scoring, tough shot-making prowess and elite defending (in his prime, at least) made him one of the best wings of his generation, and even though he hasn't been able to, at least to this point, win a championship, that shouldn't take away from his historic contributions to the game. George will undoubtedly be in the Hall of Fame one day, and if he's able to help Tatum and Boston win another title, don't be surprised to see him crack our GOAT ranking someday, too.Draymond GreenCareer accolades: Four NBA titles, two All-NBA selections, four All-Stars, one Defensive Player of the Year award, five All-Defensive 1st Team selections, two Olympic gold medalsDespite not being the most likable figure on the court, Draymond Green has come close in the past to cracking our all-time-great rankings. And how could you blame us for nearly honoring him in such a way? After all, Green has four championships to his name, one Defensive Player of the Year award, and even made a couple of All-NBA teams in his prime. Although Green was never much of a scorer, he did possess a unique ability to create scoring opportunities for teammates, a skill that head coach Steve Kerr did well to maximize in Golden State, so Green's offensive output was still somewhat solid even without him having much of an offensive bag at all.A modern-day Dennis Rodman, Green will go down as one of the greatest role players and defenders of all time, but his lack of an offensive game may prevent him from ever joining our GOAT rankings.Still, for him to be as close to cracking the list as he is, despite averaging fewer than 9.0 points per game for his career, is impressive in its own right.Devin BookerCareer accolades: Two All-NBA selections, five All-Stars, two Olympic gold medalsAt one point considered potentially the best 2-guard in basketball before the arrival of Anthony Edwards, who's also included on this list, Devin Booker has enjoyed a strong peak, one that has seen him average 26.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists since 2017-18, a nine-year stretch.However, the fact that Booker hasnt been able to add to his list of accolades much over recent years, not since helping Team USA win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, hurts his case as far as eventually breaking into our GOAT rankings. Booker hasnt made it out of the first round of the playoffs since 2022-23 and will enter his age-30 season in 2026-27, a campaign that doesnt hold that much promise for the Phoenix Suns as far as being legitimate title contenders.Even so, Bookers game should age well, as he isnt overly reliant on athleticism, and the owner of his team, Mat Ishbia, is clearly all-in on building a contender, so its entirely possible Bookers 30s look differently than his 20s did, as far as team success. And if that is the case, he has the individual numbers to make for a quite strong resume, so as long as more team success eventually takes place for him, its not that much of a long shot to see him crack our ranking eventually.Jimmy ButlerCareer accolades: One Eastern Conference Finals MVP, five All-NBA selections, six All-Stars, five All-Defensive 2nd Team selections, one Most Improved Player award, one Olympic gold medalIt'll be interesting to see how history looks back on Jimmy Butler once his career wraps up. On the one hand, he deserves credit for a lot. For starters, he was a late first-round pick who averaged 2.6 points per game as a rookie, and eventually developed into an All-Star wing, one of the top two-way forces in the game and a high-level playoff riser. He even led the Miami Heat to not only two surprising trips to the NBA Finals, but also to another Eastern Conference Finals Game 7. And don't be mistaken, that was absolutely a carry job by Butler, who didn't have much help on those Miami teams outside of Bam Adebayo.On the other hand, he turned into a bit of a diva once he did become a star, forcing his way out of multiple teams. He also started regularly missing regular-season time, and even when he did play in the regular season, it was clear he wasn't giving as much effort as he would in the postseason, when he'd at times have Michael Jordan-type performances.And now that Butler has to recover from a torn ACL at 36 years old, does he still have the ability to play first or second fiddle on a team that can reach the NBA Finals? We'll find out this upcoming season in Golden State, but it certainly won't be easy. So if Butler's accolade list is done adding honors to it, as is, has he done enough to break into our GOAT rankings eventually? Probably not.Donovan MitchellCareer accolades: Three All-NBA selections, seven All-StarsAnother one of the NBA's best 2-guards, Donovan Mitchell has added a 1st and 2nd Team All-NBA to his mantle over the past couple of seasons, as well as two All-Star appearances and two Top 7 finishes in the MVP vote. If Mitchell is able to keep up that level of fantastic form, as well as add some sort of postseason hardware in his early 30s, he'll be a lock to eventually crack our ranking.However, it's far from a guarantee that Mitchell will be able to accomplish the latter, as we're not entirely sure how far the Cleveland Cavaliers can go with an almost-37-year-old James Harden as Mitchell's top sidekick. On the other hand, Cavs big man Evan Mobley still has a ton of upside he has yet to tap into, so if he's able to actually live up to his massive ceiling, that could change Cleveland's fortunes and give Mitchell a shot at cracking our GOAT rankings one day.Mitchell impressively ranks seventh all-time in playoff points per game at 27.8, ahead of various all-time greats like Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, so if he can just get some help, we can see him giving Cleveland a deep playoff run or two in the future.Anthony EdwardsCareer accolades: One All-NBA 2nd Team selection, four All-Stars, one All-Star Game MVP, one Olympic gold medalConsidering his ascension over recent seasons, it's surprising former No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards' list of accolades isn't longer. The fact he has yet to earn a 1st Team All-NBA distinction is downright shocking, but the fact Edwards missed 21 games last season and fell short of the league's 65-game rule for end-of-year awards is what prevented him from adding to his list of accolades, as his numbers in 2025-26 - 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game on 39.9 percent shooting from three - screamed 1st Team All-NBA. Edwards is a player we're quite high on, as evidenced by us ranking him ahead of now two-time league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in our Future Player Rankings, an exercise in which we ranked the NBA's top players five years down the road. If he ends up proving us right, then there's no doubt he'll make his way into our all-time rankings at some point, as he has yet to show signs of stagnation over recent campaigns. Edwards simply keeps getting better. and better.His level as an explosive scorer, tough shot-maker, good three-point shooter and athletic finisher around the rim gives him all the makings of a future Hall-of-Fame player.Victor WembanyamaCareer accolades: One Western Conference Finals MVP, one All-NBA 1st Team selection, two All-Stars, one Defensive Player of the Year award, two All-Defensive 1st Team selections, Rookie of the Year award, one Olympic silver medalWembanyama came into the NBA with a ton of hype and expectations, and even then, he's on a historic pace early on in his career. The French big man is already the youngest Defensive Player of the Year ever, a feat he accomplished in the same season in which he shockingly led the San Antonio Spurs all the way to the NBA Finals. And even though both Wembanyama and the Spurs finally showed their age and fell in the championship series, the fact that at 22, he was already able to lead San Antonio so far, including past the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, was nothing short of astounding. Lest we forget, San Antonio was 22-60 the season prior to Wembanyama's arrival, and now it's competing for championships just three years later.Wembanyama is a two-way force, a player who can make tough shots from all over the floor at 7-foot-4, thanks to his high-release point and solid ball-handling craftiness. He's also a monster defender, who opposing teams choose to bypass going at when he's camped near the paint. Wembanyama has led the NBA in nightly blocks all three years of his career and is currently averaging 3.5 swats nightly in his time in the NBA. Simply put, if he stays healthy, Wembanyama will undoubtedly crack our all-time NBA GOAT rankings, and probably sooner rather than later at this rate.Cade CunninghamCareer accolades: Two All-NBA Team selections, two All-StarsOver the past two seasons, former No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham has really blossomed into the player many thought he would be, a do-everything lead guard with fantastic size and IQ. Since 2024-25, Cunningham is averaging 25.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game on 46.6 percent shooting from the floor and 34.9 percent from three.Cunninghams play has been impactful, too, as Detroit has gone from laughingstock to leading the Eastern Conference in regular-season wins last season at 60-22. The Pistons came within one game of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, proving that their regular season was far from a fluke.And that was almost entirely thanks to Cunningham, who had to carry Detroit in the playoffs considering Jalen Durens disappointing postseason. Cunningham averaged 28.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in the 2026 playoffs on 40.2 percent shooting from three.Making things even more exciting for Pistons fans, and scary for Pistons rivals is the fact that Cunningham is still just 24 and coming off the first 1st Team All-NBA honor of his career. That means there could be an even higher level for the former Oklahoma State standout to tap into. If that does prove to be the case, dont be surprised to see Cunningham eventually crack our all-time rankings.Cooper FlaggCareer accolades: Rookie of the Year awardAlthough it seems premature for us to be saying a 19-year-old like Cooper Flagg has a shot to crack our GOAT rankings at some point, maybe were just being forward-thinking, as Flagg just had one of the most impressive seasons for a teenager the NBA has ever seen.Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks as a rookie, shooting a solid 46.8 percent from the floor in the process. Thats the second-highest single-season scoring average for a teenager in NBA history (minimum: 25 games played), trailing only Luka Doncic in 2018-19, who put up 21.2 points per game that year. And Doncic had the advantage of playing years of pro ball overseas prior to his arrival in the NBA, a luxury Flagg did not have.Flagg set a multitude of youngest ever records last season, including youngest player to score 35 points in a game, taking the record from LeBron James; Flagg also became the first 18-year-old to have at least 11 assists in a game; and he became the youngest player to score 40 points in a game, likewise taking that record from James. As if taking two records from James wasnt enough, Flagg also took one from Kobe Bryant, becoming the teenager with the most 20-plus-point games in NBA history.Well see if Flagg is able to make a Wembanyama-type impact on winning as he continues to develop over the coming seasons, but so far, the early returns on Flagg have been extremely promising.This content may be blocked in parts of Europe due toGDPR. To use it, connect yourVPNto a non-EU country and try again.We highly recommend you add HoopsHype as a preferredsourceon Google. You just have toclick here.This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: NBA GOAT ranking: The next players in line to crack the list

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: Cayden Boozer #2 of the Duke Blue Devils attempts a shot during the second half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2026 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesDukes preseason basketball schedule is set, with visits from Belmont (October 8) and Tennessee (October 20), and a trip to Kansas (October 25). Belmont is classified as a scrimmage, which is why Duke has three opponents, rather than the two traditionally allowed in preseason. Presumably, the scrimmage is a favor to new Belmont coach Evan Bradds, who was at Duke last season. As for Tennessee, thats a rematch after last years visit to Knoxville. And its been a long time since Duke visited Allen Field House in 1988 for an overtime win. Hopefully next year, well see the Jayhawks in Cameron. As usual, Jon Scheyer is scheduling tough opponents, but as UConns Dan Hurley pointed out recently, scheduling buy games now takes money away from the potential NIL pot, so the bigger programs are now scheduling more for profits than easy wins. We dont know if thats why Scheyer has been putting together killer schedules, and honestly, we dont care. Its just fun to see Duke play good teams on the regular. Duke Announces Three-Game Preseason ScheduleTennessee basketball schedules exhibition game at Dukes Cameron Indoor Oct. 20Go to the DBR Boardsto find Blue Healer Auctions||Drop us a line

Last season ended in turmoil for the Green Bay Packers as they lost five straight games, including blowing a 21-3 halftime lead against their sworn nemesis in the playoffs. Its the closest Matt LaFleurs coaching seat has ever come to being lukewarm, but the Packers head coach remains one of the most feared offensive play callers in the NFL.The Athletics Ted Nguyen had defensive coordinators and defensive coaches rank the top 10 offensive play callers in the NFL. LaFleur came in at No. 4, up two spots from 2025.I think he does a good job of tailoring their game plan, said an AFC defensive coordinator. Its a great testament to his play-calling abilities with what he was able to do when Jordan Love was out, and Malik Willis is in and kind of tailoring the offense to the different skill sets that both of them had. You know, because they were doing some different things in the run game when Malik Willis was in versus Jordan Love. And even some of the pistol, you know, run game was different than kind of the under-center run game.Nguyen also noted Green Bay dealt with a bevy of injuries but still finished sixth in offensive DVOA and eighth in points per drive (2.36).You dont have a Mike Evans, another defensive coach said. Hes out there using jet motion and scheming guys open with Jordan Love, whos been developing over the past three years.His creativity and putting players in position to succeed are two of LaFleurs greatest strengths. Love has blossomed into a quarterback that you can not only win with, but because of, while Malik Willis signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract to be the starter for the Miami Dolphins, a testament to LaFleurs ability to develop the most important position in sports.The Packers have won a ton of games under LaFleur, but havent hoisted the Lombardi Trophy since 2010. On Wednesday, they kicked off training camp with arguably the best group of weapons theyve had around Love since he took over as the starter in 2023. Those pieces have the highly-touted play caller excited about whats to come this season.I told the team yesterday this is as excited as I have ever been coaching this football team in my time here, and its because of the people we have in the room, LaFleur said.All eight defensive coaches ranked LaFleur in the top 10, and his lowest ranking was No. 9. Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers ranked as the best playcaller, with Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams coming in second. Both are former coaching teammates and friends of LaFleur. Ben Johnson, now the playcaller of the rival Bears, landed directly above LaFleur at No. 3.This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Matt LaFleur ranked top 5 among NFL's top offensive play callers

Subscribe to The Big NumberApple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeTom Haberstroh and Dan Devine discuss the New York Knicks repeat hopes and whether the dreaded post-championship decline is inevitable next season. Does LeBron signing with the Philadelphia 76ers dash their dream?The duo also spotlights why contenders like the Boston Celtics and the 60-win Detroit Pistons remain serious threats despite offseason changes.Later, the focus shifts to the Golden State Warriors: Can Stephen Curry expect another deep playoff run, or is Golden State headed the way of the late-era Dirk Nowitzki Mavericks?(1:49) The Big Number: Can Knicks survive championship hangover?(18:14) Can 76ers win the East?(23:51) Can Celtics win the East?(29:02) Can Pistons win the East?(37:12) What now for the Warriors?INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 13: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks looks on against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 13, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)Justin Casterline Watch this full episode on the Yahoo Sports NBA YouTube channelCheck out all episodes of The Big Number and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

France entered the 2026 World Cup as one of the favorites to lift the trophy after two consecutive appearances in the final (including the 2018 victory). The quest fell short of Kylian Mbapp and Co. as Les Bleus reached the semifinals where it lost to eventual champions Spain. In the bronze final, it lost once again in a 6-4 thriller to England to finish the tournament in fourth place. The two losses to close out the tournament were a bitter way to end what had been a showcase of talent for France. It opened up group stage with a 3-1 win over Senegal and then a 3-0 victory over Iraq. A 4-1 win over Norway clinched Group I, followed by a round of 32 win over Sweden by a scoreline of 3-0. That followed a tough 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16 and then a 2-0 win over Morocco in the quarterfinals. So what's next for France's top players after the 2026 World Cup? It was a record-breaking summer for Mbapp even if he fell short of winning his second career World Cup. With 10 goals, he secured the Golden Boot Award for the tournament's most prolific goalscorer. And with 22 World Cup goals across his three appearances, he is the all-time leading goalscorer at the tournament. Mbapp now returns to Real Madrid for his third season at the Spanish powerhouse. He'll play under Jose Mourinho, who is back for his second stint as the man in charge in Madrid. Mbapp has yet to win either the LaLiga title or the Champions League, which he hopes he can finally do this season. Michael Olise may not have found the back of the net at the World Cup, but he definitely helped his teammates do so. Olise finished with seven assists this summer, by far the top contributor of any player in that category. That mark surpassed Pel's record in 1970 for the most assists in a single World Cup since records began in 1966. Olise was linked to a move to Real Madrid prior to the tournament but instead will remain at Bayern Munich, where he has thrived and become one of the team's top performing players. He's also led the squad to two straight Bundesliga titles. Ousmane Dembl was another one of France's attacking stars who shined during the summer. He scored a hat trick against Norway, becoming the third player (Just Fontaine, Kylian Mbapp) to do so. He finished the tournament with five goals only Fontaine and Mbapp have reached that mark. Dembl returns to Paris Saint-Germain, where the winger has finally realized the potential that he showed in flashes at both Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund. He's helped PSG win consecutive Champions League titles and won the 2025 Ballon d'Or. Look for PSG to dominate the French league once again and eye a third straight Champions League crown.