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Orlando Magic HQ •

A Walk With Anthony Black, and the Ride He's Taken

Markus Black happened to wake up early this morning. Not even the sun appears to be awake — if it is, it’s hiding behind the gray clouds dimming the Nashville sky. No matter. He’s up now. Why not get this crucial day started a little earlier than usual?He grabs his important belongings and leaves his hotel room. As he heads down, the graduate assistant for the University of Arkansas men’s basketball program still can’t see any of his team’s players, coaches, or coworkers. Not until he reaches th...
Boston.com •

Why Red Sox draft pick Payton Tolle meant so much to former scout Chris Reilly

Nothing could take Chris Reilly away from this conversation. Not the Oklahoma sun scorching his skin. Not the buzzing of the bugs that infiltrated the Stillwater summer sky. Not even the swings of the high school baseball players on Allie P. Reynolds Stadium’s on-deck circle about 100 feet away from him. Chris’s eyes and ears were locked onto this remarkable friend he had just made.

Her name was Jina Tolle. She was the mother of one of the high schoolers playing at Oklahoma State’s ballpark tha...
Boston.com •

How Roman Anthony became one of baseball's brightest prospects

The windiest November afternoons in Stillwater, Okla. don’t greet you with a warm smile upon an unprepared arrival. A blast of chilly air saps the energy out of your skin and makes your knees tremble. Your brittle fingers feel as though they’re one gust of wind away from snapping off your palm. You’ll be at risk of losing a hat if it doesn’t sit perfectly on your head.

But Roman Anthony doesn’t need warm greetings. Any place that allows him to improve his game is warm enough to keep his passion...
Boston.com •

Kristian Campbell's unprecedented rise is no surprise to his former coaches

Kristian Campbell taps his toe on the ground right before he swings his bat. It’s a subtle, quick tap, but it’s very hard to unsee it once you notice it. Campbell’s teammates at Georgia Tech caught onto his unique quirk. At some point, they started calling him “Toe Tap.”

Even associate head coach James Ramsey’s then 3-year-old son, Brogan, referred to his favorite player by that moniker. “I want to talk to ‘Toe Tap!” Brogan would implore his father during road trips. He wasn’t the only one. Eve...
Orlando Magic HQ | •

Brand New Role, ‘Same Old Goga’: How Goga Bitadze Went From Struggling in Georgia to Starting in Orlando | Orlando Magic HQ

It didn’t take too long for six-year-old Goga Bitadze to decide that he hated basketball.

Even taking one step on that court felt like stepping on an emotional minefield. One wrong move and his coach would explode. And make him run. A lot. There was so much running, and for what? He already knew that he messed up. His heart would hurt from the mistake he had just made; did that mean his legs had to as well? How do the other kids not pass out midway through these running sessions? Do they find i
Orlando Magic HQ | •

‘He’s Got This Charm:’ How Dennis Salvagio Became The Fat Guy | Orlando Magic HQ

Dennis Salvagio rises from his seat and picks up a briefcase full of court documents that never once touched the defendant’s table. They didn’t need to. Most of the facts about his client’s possession of marijuana charge have already been seared into his brain. Now that his client’s time in front of the judge is over for the day, Salvagio starts to saunter toward the door. He turns his head toward the back of the courtroom and locks eyes with his son Chris, who gets up from the bench and joins his father in their walk toward the car.
Boston.com •

'It really stems from who he is as a person': WooSox' Ryan Fitzgerald embraced the Worcester community — and the city repaid him

The clubhouse located underneath Polar Park’s home dugout is a large, vibrant room adorned with several wooden lockers, most of which look like near-replicas of one another. If no one’s sitting in front of it, or if you don’t read the WooSox-themed nameplates attached to each one of them, it’s nearly impossible to tell which locker belongs to which player.

But one particular locker, located near the left corner past the room’s entrance, stands out from the rest. Taped just above its nameplate i
Boston.com •

How Payton Tolle's mother helped him become a Boston Red Sox

Payton Tolle is not a small man. At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, Tolle towers over most of the batters brave enough to face him. But much larger than Tolle’s stature is the amount of enthusiasm he carries with him. When you meet Tolle for the first time, he greets you with a booming, animated voice that can fill entire stadiums. Once you sit down with him, he’ll chat with you about anything under the Boston summer sun with a Green Monster sized smile on his face.

That sunny disposition runs in the...
Boston.com •

Here's what convinced Conrad Cason to join the Red Sox

“Positive thoughts, positive outcomes,” Aaron Cason reminded himself as he ate his blueberry pancakes and hashbrowns. He knew that would be his breakfast order even before he and his teenage son Conrad arrived at the Cracker Barrel in Snellville, Ga. That order was the only thing anyone could predict on July 15. Every other question the Cason family had that day could only be answered by fate.

The most pressing of these questions was one the Cason family would have scoffed at a few years ago: c...
Boston.com •

Red Sox prospect Brandon Neely is ready to take the ball

A 96 mile-per-hour fastball rocketed past Oklahoma State’s Carson Benge with one out in the fourth inning. Strike three. Colin Brueggemann swung at a 95 mile-per-hour pitch that was caught well above the umpire’s head with one out in the fifth inning. Strike three. Avery Ortiz then took the plate, received two strikes, and looked at a heater that whizzed past his eyes at 97 miles-per-hour. Strike three.

Those outs silenced a raucous O’Brate Stadium — except for University of Florida reliever Br...
Boston.com •

Players from the 2024 Red Sox draft class are excited to start their first full seasons

As “Dirty Water” blasted from every corner of Fenway Park on the night of July 26, Conrad Cason and Payton Tolle experienced what it feels like when the Red Sox win.

“That place was incredible,” Cason said a few days after the game. “It only holds 37,000 people, but it feels like 100,000. The chants, the cheers, the wave that we did — I think the wave went around four times that Friday night game. So, that was absolutely incredible to see.”

That win against the Yankees marked the beginning of...
Boston.com •

Wilyer Abreu talks about his breakout season and what it took to achieve it

Wilyer Abreu stared into the eyes of Buffalo Bisons pitcher Matt Wisler. He stood firm in the batters’ box with his bat held high, ready for whatever Wisler would throw at him next. He had no choice but to be. Wisler had already bested Abreu twice in that at-bat with two strikes. One more and he would be called for Worcester’s second out of the sixth inning, losing the chance to send teammate Enmanuel Valdez home from second base.

But that pressure didn’t mean much to Abreu. The left fielder wa
Case In Point •

Miles Brewster went from lockdown defender to heart and soul of BU men’s basketball. He’s back for one final year

BOSTON — Miles Brewster sprints over to the right side wing and waits for a pass from Michael McNair, who stays in the far left corner. He has no difficulties getting to this spot. He’s watched and participated in this exact transition drill several times over the past five years. What Brewster doesn’t see often is a pass like the one McNair throws to him. It’s a picture-perfect toss — a cross-court heave that somehow lands right in Brewster’s hands. The graduate guard dribbles the ball once. He...
Case In Point •

How Alex Giannaros grew into BU women's basketball's "everything person"

BOSTON — BU women’s basketball head coach Melissa Graves concluded practice on October 3 the way she usually does — she rounded up her Terriers and brought them into a huddle at center court, where she rattled off a few quick points and words of advice. After about a minute, Graves broke the huddle and the coaches said their goodbyes for the morning.But this huddle wasn’t over for the players. There were some things on the mind of senior guard Alex Giannaros, who told her teammates to stay. For...
Boston.com •

How a YouTube video and Massachusetts helped Dalano Banton reach the NBA

Dalano Banton would sit patiently in his elementary school classrooms, but he couldn’t resist looking at the clock every so often. After all, how could he? Each and every tick of that clock’s minute hand meant he was one minute closer to the start of his IT class. Banton could hardly wait to enter that classroom. The secret to improving his basketball skills lay just behind the room’s doors.

Once it became time for IT class to begin, Banton would waste no time in getting there. He’d race to the
Orlando Magic HQ - The Center of Magic Basketball •

“This Is My Home Now”: Michael Carter-Williams on His New Deal, His Time Away, and What Orlando Means to Him

Orlando, FL – Michael Carter-Williams spends much of his time working out. No matter what new city he visits, any place with a weight room, a basketball court and enough space to exercise feels like home to him. That feeling never falters, even when he has no team to play for. He’s still able to find perfect peace inside a gym even when he doesn’t have a place to travel to or even a city’s name to wear on his chest.

Such was the case in March 2019, when Carter-Williams would often take to a Cal
Boston.com •

In Luke Kornet, the Celtics have a big man who excels at the little things

Luke Kornet first arrived in Boston a few years ago unsure of what role he would play on the Celtics. He knew that he was responsible for making his new team better, but he would have to figure out how to do that with the meager playing time he was fortunate enough to receive.

Now, Kornet is the next big man up on a Celtics team with championship aspirations, being counted upon to replicate the production of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford should they become unavailable.

How did Kornet go fr
Boston.com •

'I'm an underdog': How Joe Jacques turned his childhood Yankees fandom into a love for pitching in Boston

Joe Jacques was sitting in a barber chair on a cold December day when he heard his phone ring.

As his barber sculpted his brand new haircut, Jacques took out his still vibrating phone and read the name at the top. What could his agent want from him?

The impending call could be about a number of different things, but Jacques already had a good idea of what he was about to hear. The 2022 Rule 5 Draft was just around the corner, and Jacques, a minor league pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organi
Boston.com •

What former Rule 5 Draft picks had to say about what it's like to be selected

As soon as the clock strikes 2 p.m. on Wednesday, the lives of multiple minor league baseball players are about to change.

That time marks the start of this year’s Rule 5 Draft, which will be held in Nashville, Tenn. to conclude the Winter Meetings. In this draft, each MLB team gets the opportunity to roster one unprotected MLB-ready prospect from another team for the price of $100,000 in round one — should they choose to do so and if their major league roster is not full — and several minor le
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Boston.com

Boston.com •

How Roman Anthony became one of baseball's brightest prospects

The windiest November afternoons in Stillwater, Okla. don’t greet you with a warm smile upon an unprepared arrival. A blast of chilly air saps the energy out of your skin and makes your knees tremble. Your brittle fingers feel as though they’re one gust of wind away from snapping off your palm. You’ll be at risk of losing a hat if it doesn’t sit perfectly on your head.

But Roman Anthony doesn’t need warm greetings. Any place that allows him to improve his game is warm enough to keep his passion...
Boston.com •

How Payton Tolle's mother helped him become a Boston Red Sox

Payton Tolle is not a small man. At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, Tolle towers over most of the batters brave enough to face him. But much larger than Tolle’s stature is the amount of enthusiasm he carries with him. When you meet Tolle for the first time, he greets you with a booming, animated voice that can fill entire stadiums. Once you sit down with him, he’ll chat with you about anything under the Boston summer sun with a Green Monster sized smile on his face.

That sunny disposition runs in the...
Boston.com •

Here's what convinced Conrad Cason to join the Red Sox

“Positive thoughts, positive outcomes,” Aaron Cason reminded himself as he ate his blueberry pancakes and hashbrowns. He knew that would be his breakfast order even before he and his teenage son Conrad arrived at the Cracker Barrel in Snellville, Ga. That order was the only thing anyone could predict on July 15. Every other question the Cason family had that day could only be answered by fate.

The most pressing of these questions was one the Cason family would have scoffed at a few years ago: c...
Boston.com •

What former Rule 5 Draft picks had to say about what it's like to be selected

As soon as the clock strikes 2 p.m. on Wednesday, the lives of multiple minor league baseball players are about to change.

That time marks the start of this year’s Rule 5 Draft, which will be held in Nashville, Tenn. to conclude the Winter Meetings. In this draft, each MLB team gets the opportunity to roster one unprotected MLB-ready prospect from another team for the price of $100,000 in round one — should they choose to do so and if their major league roster is not full — and several minor le
Boston.com •

How a YouTube video and Massachusetts helped Dalano Banton reach the NBA

Dalano Banton would sit patiently in his elementary school classrooms, but he couldn’t resist looking at the clock every so often. After all, how could he? Each and every tick of that clock’s minute hand meant he was one minute closer to the start of his IT class. Banton could hardly wait to enter that classroom. The secret to improving his basketball skills lay just behind the room’s doors.

Once it became time for IT class to begin, Banton would waste no time in getting there. He’d race to the
Boston.com •

Here's what Joe Mazzulla said about how he approaches in-season tournament games

ORLANDO, Fla. — The stage was set for an intense game of basketball. The Celtics spent their Friday afternoon in Orlando, playing the Magic in an in-season tournament game that both teams desperately wanted to win.

Fans of both teams packed Amway Center to watch these two hungry teams battle on the Magic’s gray and navy in-season tournament-themed court. The deafening sound of cheers seemed to fill the entire stadium whenever any play happened during the Celtics’ 111-95 loss to the Magic.

It w
Boston.com •

In Luke Kornet, the Celtics have a big man who excels at the little things

Luke Kornet first arrived in Boston a few years ago unsure of what role he would play on the Celtics. He knew that he was responsible for making his new team better, but he would have to figure out how to do that with the meager playing time he was fortunate enough to receive.

Now, Kornet is the next big man up on a Celtics team with championship aspirations, being counted upon to replicate the production of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford should they become unavailable.

How did Kornet go fr
Boston.com •

Luke Kornet says he doesn't know how he got his nickname

By day, he’s Luke Kornet, NBA basketball player for the Boston Celtics. But by night, he’s The Green Kornet, the superhero who strikes fear into the hearts of opposing basketball players around the league with his deadly defense and his trademark closeouts.

Despite The Green Kornet being one of his most popular alter egos, the center isn’t sure where the nickname comes from.

“The Green Kornet,” he told Boston.com, “that just sort of happened when I got traded. I honestly don’t even know.”

He
Boston.com •

'I'm an underdog': How Joe Jacques turned his childhood Yankees fandom into a love for pitching in Boston

Joe Jacques was sitting in a barber chair on a cold December day when he heard his phone ring.

As his barber sculpted his brand new haircut, Jacques took out his still vibrating phone and read the name at the top. What could his agent want from him?

The impending call could be about a number of different things, but Jacques already had a good idea of what he was about to hear. The 2022 Rule 5 Draft was just around the corner, and Jacques, a minor league pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organi
Boston.com •

Here's what Kristaps Porzingis said about his defensive impact and chemistry with new teammates

Miles McBride is very good at scoring around the basket. The New York Knicks’ point guard is quick and agile enough to slice through opposing defenses and get buckets at the rim despite his six-foot-two stature.

The Knicks know how good of an attacker McBride is, and so they tried to get him a clean runway to the basket during the third quarter of Tuesday’s game against the Celtics, as they’ve done multiple times prior. But Kristaps Porzingis saw that play coming. He dropped back from the top o
Boston.com •

'It really stems from who he is as a person': WooSox' Ryan Fitzgerald embraced the Worcester community — and the city repaid him

The clubhouse located underneath Polar Park’s home dugout is a large, vibrant room adorned with several wooden lockers, most of which look like near-replicas of one another. If no one’s sitting in front of it, or if you don’t read the WooSox-themed nameplates attached to each one of them, it’s nearly impossible to tell which locker belongs to which player.

But one particular locker, located near the left corner past the room’s entrance, stands out from the rest. Taped just above its nameplate i
Boston.com •

Meet Red Sox prospect Shane Drohan, a 'regular guy' having his breakout season

“Put some clothes on and come into Eppy’s office.”

Shane Drohan sat at his locker and wondered what pitching coach Sean Isaac’s demand meant. His Portland Sea Dogs had just defeated the Somerset Patriots in a game that he did not pitch in. He spent that game cheering on his teammates like any other rest day. Drohan had no significant role that day, so what could manager Chad Epperson want to tell him?

Drohan had no idea, but he did as he was told. He got dressed and walked over to Epperson’s o
Boston.com •

Enmanuel Valdez reflects on his first stint with the Red Sox, his childhood team

A young Enmanuel Valdez pictured himself stepping inside the batters’ box of Fenway Park all the time. He always wondered what it would be like to do so in real life, and he could only imagine the rush of euphoria that would fill his body just by being on that diamond.

That scenario was one of his favorites to recreate in his head. When he was a kid growing up in the Dominican Republic, Valdez would frequently fantasize about playing baseball for the Boston Red Sox, the team that made avid fans
Boston.com •

Wilyer Abreu talks about his breakout season and what it took to achieve it

Wilyer Abreu stared into the eyes of Buffalo Bisons pitcher Matt Wisler. He stood firm in the batters’ box with his bat held high, ready for whatever Wisler would throw at him next. He had no choice but to be. Wisler had already bested Abreu twice in that at-bat with two strikes. One more and he would be called for Worcester’s second out of the sixth inning, losing the chance to send teammate Enmanuel Valdez home from second base.

But that pressure didn’t mean much to Abreu. The left fielder wa

The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe •

Maine Celtics to host Lewiston Strong Night on Dec. 16 - The Boston Globe

The Boston Celtics organization will honor the victims of the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, later this month.

The Maine Celtics, the G-League affiliate, will host “Lewiston Strong Night” on Dec. 16 during a game against the College Park Skyhawks. Players from the Portland-based team will wear special uniforms and the club will organize charity opportunities leading up to the game.

The uniforms, blue with a white border, are the colors of Lewiston High School. They feature the word “Lewisto
The Boston Globe •

Jayson Tatum to star in two new SportsCenter commercials - The Boston Globe

“As the NBA season tips off, Jayson Tatum is the latest NBA great to star in the beloved This is SportsCenter campaign,” said Seth Ader, ESPN’s vice president of brand marketing.

Because of Tatum’s prominence as one of the NBA’s best players, ESPN made him a part of their ad campaign This is SportsCenter .

The Boston Celtics will tip off their season on Wednesday, beginning an 82-game journey that superstar forward Jayson Tatum is expected to lead.

The first This is SportsCenter ad aired in 1
The Boston Globe •

Masataka Yoshida thanks Red Sox fans for their support during his first season with team - The Boston Globe

Masataka Yoshida’s first season with the Red Sox has come to an end, and he appears to have enjoyed his first taste of Boston.

Yoshida took to Instagram on Tuesday and posted pictures of himself playing for the Red Sox and one photo of himself and his family standing in left field next to the Green Monster. He captioned the post with a heartfelt message expressing how grateful he was to play for the Red Sox in his rookie season, and he thanked Boston fans for cheering him on.

“Thank you to the
The Boston Globe •

NBA general manager survey: What do the Celtics’ opponents think of this team? - The Boston Globe

One-third of the NBA’s general managers picked Boston to take home the Larry O’Brien trophy this season in the league’s annual GM survey, which was released Tuesday. Boston tied the Denver Nuggets for first place.

The Celtics will begin this season as the envy of the league.

Over half of the GMs (54 percent) ranked the Celtics as the best team in the Eastern Conference, and 43 percent had them in second. The only other team that had nearly as many votes in the top two spots was the Bucks, who
The Boston Globe •

Watch: Mariners pitcher George Kirby throws knuckleball as tribute to Tim Wakefield - The Boston Globe

In the fourth inning of the Mariners’ 1-0 victory against the Rangers on Sunday, Seattle pitcher George Kirby threw a 73.2 mph pitch to Corey Seager, who swung and missed.

One special nod to Wakefield came on the field, from a player who never met the beloved knuckleballer.

On Sunday, the baseball world mourned Tim Wakefield, who died after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Tributes from his former teammates and other Boston notables poured in.

But this wasn’t just any pitch. It was a knuckl
The Boston Globe •

Meet Svi Mykhailiuk, the latest addition to the Celtics’ roster and a sharpshooter from beyond the arc - The Boston Globe

Prior to this signing, rumors had surfaced that Mykhailiuk was leaning towards signing with Panathinaikos Athens in Greece, but had been mulling over a minimum deal the Celtics offered.

Mykhailiuk started last season with the Knicks before he was dealt to the Hornets at the trade deadline. In total, he has played for six teams in five seasons in the NBA.

The Boston Celtics have bolstered their wing depth and rounded out their roster on Thursday by signing free agent Svi Mykhailiuk to a one-yea
The Boston Globe •

Former Celtic Tony Allen sentenced to community service in health care fraud case - The Boston Globe

Former Celtic Tony Allen was sentenced to community service and supervision for his role in a scheme to defraud the NBA, according to multiple reports. Allen was one of 18 players accused of defrauding the NBA’s health and welfare plan. The players allegedly took out fraudulent medical and dental claims from 2017-20, illegally taking a total of $5 million from the league. Allen reportedly stole $420,000 through these false claims. Allen pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to commit health care
The Boston Globe •

Four things to know about new Red Sox infielder Luis UrĂ­as - The Boston Globe

“We are pretty excited to add him to our mix,” Bloom told reporters. “He’s getting back to who he is at the plate. Fenway should be a good fit for him.”

It was the only move that Red Sox made on deadline day , but it’s one that chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom appears pleased with.

Minutes after the clock struck 6 p.m. on Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline, the Red Sox announced they acquired infielder Luis Urías from the Brewers in exchange for Bradley Blalock, a pitching prospect with a 4.27 ERA

Orlando Magic HQ

Orlando Magic HQ •

A Walk With Anthony Black, and the Ride He's Taken

Markus Black happened to wake up early this morning. Not even the sun appears to be awake — if it is, it’s hiding behind the gray clouds dimming the Nashville sky. No matter. He’s up now. Why not get this crucial day started a little earlier than usual?He grabs his important belongings and leaves his hotel room. As he heads down, the graduate assistant for the University of Arkansas men’s basketball program still can’t see any of his team’s players, coaches, or coworkers. Not until he reaches th...
Orlando Magic HQ •

Inside the Heart and Hustle of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

The Meriwether County Courthouse sits proudly in the middle of the town square. Turn on either side to find one of a few churches, and keep driving to see a small, triangular brick building that houses the public library. If you happen to spot a few people while on the road, there’s a good chance the second person you see knows that first person’s name, birthday, and how their children are doing.That’s probably what Mark Fox and Phillip Pearson saw on their first drive through Greenville, Georgi...
Orlando Magic HQ | •

‘He’s Got This Charm:’ How Dennis Salvagio Became The Fat Guy | Orlando Magic HQ

Dennis Salvagio rises from his seat and picks up a briefcase full of court documents that never once touched the defendant’s table. They didn’t need to. Most of the facts about his client’s possession of marijuana charge have already been seared into his brain. Now that his client’s time in front of the judge is over for the day, Salvagio starts to saunter toward the door. He turns his head toward the back of the courtroom and locks eyes with his son Chris, who gets up from the bench and joins his father in their walk toward the car.
Orlando Magic HQ | •

Brand New Role, ‘Same Old Goga’: How Goga Bitadze Went From Struggling in Georgia to Starting in Orlando | Orlando Magic HQ

It didn’t take too long for six-year-old Goga Bitadze to decide that he hated basketball.

Even taking one step on that court felt like stepping on an emotional minefield. One wrong move and his coach would explode. And make him run. A lot. There was so much running, and for what? He already knew that he messed up. His heart would hurt from the mistake he had just made; did that mean his legs had to as well? How do the other kids not pass out midway through these running sessions? Do they find i
Orlando Magic HQ - The Center of Magic Basketball •

“This Is My Home Now”: Michael Carter-Williams on His New Deal, His Time Away, and What Orlando Means to Him

Orlando, FL – Michael Carter-Williams spends much of his time working out. No matter what new city he visits, any place with a weight room, a basketball court and enough space to exercise feels like home to him. That feeling never falters, even when he has no team to play for. He’s still able to find perfect peace inside a gym even when he doesn’t have a place to travel to or even a city’s name to wear on his chest.

Such was the case in March 2019, when Carter-Williams would often take to a Cal
Orlando Magic HQ | •

How to Watch the FIBA World Cup as a Magic Fan | Orlando Magic HQ

Orlando, FL – The 2023 FIBA World Cup will tip off on Friday, and it will be a treat for Magic fans.

The Orlando Magic employ some of the best basketball players in the world, some of whom will face off against each other in this tournament. Five current Magic players will represent four different countries in this year’s international classic, and two more countries will have a beloved former Magic player on their roster.

Not sure who to root for? If you’re a Magic fan, you can support at lea
Orlando Magic HQ - The Center of Magic Basketball •

We don’t need Victor Wembanyama

Orlando, FL – On the night of December 7th, Magic fans across the country tuned in to watch their favorite team play the Los Angeles Clippers. Most of us were simply going through the motions, turning our devices on in support while fully expecting the Magic to elevate their nine-game losing streak into double digits. After all, we were the worst team in the NBA at that time, and it would take a miracle for us to contend for a play-in spot, much less make a playoff run. But to us, that was fine.
Orlando Magic HQ - The Center of Magic Basketball •

Franz Wagner: No One’s Little Brother - Orlando Magic HQ

That was all most Magic fans could think after Adam Silver announced who would move to Central Florida as the eighth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. And it wasn’t a name they wanted to hear. Instead of taking scoring weapon James Bouknight or the high-upside Moses Moody, they took
Franz Wagner? The kid from the University of Michigan who was projected to be nothing more than a role player? It seemed like a joke. Another draft pick that would find themselves warming up our bench and commandin
Orlando Magic HQ - The Center of Magic Basketball •

The sky is the limit: Magic draft Jalen Suggs - Orlando Magic HQ

It was a rainy evening in Orlando, Florida last Thursday. Dark, gloomy clouds penetrated the Central Florida skyline just before the 2021 NBA Draft, casting an atmosphere that Orlando Magic fans were used to. It was symbolic in a way. The Magic have seen little success in the Draft this past decade, as missing out on franchise-altering talent has recently become an annual tradition for our front office. Why wouldn’t it rain on draft night? The basketball gods have rained on Orlando for years.

B

Major League Table Tennis


A brutal loss couldn't stop 15-year-old Tashiya Piyadasa

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Fifteen-year-old Tashiya Piyadasa (SPINDEX: 2407) spent her Saturday night inside the dining area of the Elements Charlotte Uptown hotel. She sat at one of its tables with a hamburger in her hand and a distraught look on her face. Across from her sat Florida Crocs teammate Marc Duran (2732), who tried his best to lift her spirits. “It’s good that you’re sad,” he told her. “That means you care, and that you’re a winner.” In his eyes, she was. He just needed to convince his frien...

Jiwei Xia's special return to Portland, his city and his court.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Hundreds of people packed Hall A of the Oregon Convention Center on Saturday night and colored the stands in orange. The harmonious cacophony of these roaring onlookers drowned out the sound of every other conversation taking place. Anytime the noise would start to die down, the sound of a sold-out crowd chanting “JIWEI! JIWEI! JIWEI!” re-emerged as if silence was never an option.This commotion reached its apex at the start of doubles. Almost as soon as Jiwei Xia approached the...

Atlanta Blazers hiring Koji Itagaki as next head coach

The Atlanta Blazers have hired Koji Itagaki as their next head coach.Itagaki will replace Suzi Battison, who stepped down as the Blazers’ head coach on Monday. He will start Season 4 as the Blazers’ second head coach in two seasons.“MLTT is [a] young league, but it has many possibilities,” Itagaki said. “I try my best for players, for [my] team, [and] also for the league to develop.”Itagaki has coached TSV Bad Königshofen of Table Tennis Bundesliga since 2016. Under Itagaki, Bad Königshofen earn...

Atlanta Blazers select Quadri Aruna with the first overall pick in Season 4 MLTT Draft

‍The Atlanta Blazers selected Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna with the first overall pick in the Season 4 Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) Draft.Aruna becomes the fourth No. 1 pick in MLTT Draft history, joining a club that includes Enzo Angles (SPINDEX: 2766), Liam Pitchford (2897) and new teammate Yuya Oshima (2779). The Blazers selected Aruna with the mutual expectation that he will compete in all 18 of his team’s Season 4 matches, which was a key reason why Blazers head coach Koji Itagaki selected hi...

An Jaehyun declares for Season 4 MLTT Draft

South Korean superstar An Jaehyun has declared for the Season 4 Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) Draft.An is the No. 22 Men’s Singles player in the world, which is the highest current ranking of any player expected to compete in MLTT next season. The 26-year-old right-hander achieved his career-best ranking of No. 13 on Oct. 21, 2025 (Week 43).An is a two-time Asian Champion, a two-time World Cup silver medalist and a three-time World Championships bronze medalist. He represented South Korea in...

Portland defeats Carolina 21-18 to win Season 3 MLTT Championship

‍FREMONT, Calif. — Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) has a brand new champion.The Portland Paddlers defeated the Carolina Gold Rush in the Season 3 Championship Match, 21-18. They complete their historic 16-2 regular season by unseating MLTT’s defending champions in their first-ever postseason appearance.“If we finished fourth place in these playoffs, that’s normal,” Paddlers head coach Christian Lillieroos said on his mindset during Championship Weekend. “That we can make a win out of this is cr...

WTBU Game Recaps

Men’s Basketball: Terriers Lose to Holy Cross On Game-Winner | WTBU Radio

A game-winning buzzer-beater from Holy Cross (10-18, 7-8 PL) junior guard Bo Montgomery at Hart Center on Wednesday handed Boston University Men’s Basketball (12-16, 5-10 PL) its second straight loss, 71-69.

With less than two seconds left to play in the game, Montgomery was able to get past several BU defenders and get a shot up and over senior guard Miles Brewster just before the final buzzer sounded.

“Tough game,” BU Head Coach Joe Jones said. “But proud of the way our guys played.”

Gradua

Women’s Basketball: Terriers Demolish Loyola in a Historic Triple-Digit Game | WTBU Radio

Case Gymnasium erupted on Saturday when senior guard Liz Shean nailed a 3-pointer with six seconds left in Boston University Women’s Basketball’s (16-6, 11-0 PL) 100-57 win against the Loyola University Maryland Greyhounds (7-15, 2-9 PL).

Shean’s final 3-pointer marked the Terriers’ 100th point of the game, a feat the Terriers have not accomplished since Feb. 13, 1987.

“(Scoring 100 points) just makes it more of a statement win,” BU Head Coach Melissa Graves said. “I think I was one year old t

Men’s Basketball: Second-Half Showcase Leads Terriers to Victory Over Loyola Maryland | WTBU Radio

Boston University Men’s Basketball (10-11, 3-5 PL) defeated the Loyola University (MD) Greyhounds (7-14, 2-6 PL) today at Case Gym by a final score of 66-53.

Graduate forward Walter Whyte led the Terriers in scoring with 15 points after an electric second half. Senior guard Ethan Brittain-Watts had an impressive game as well, finishing with 13 points off of 66% shooting from both the field and from the 3-point line.

“He’s got a big hand in [our success],” BU Head Coach Joe Jones said of Britta

Men’s Basketball: Dominant second half from Terriers not enough to defeat American | WTBU Radio

Despite a tremendous second half effort, Boston University Men’s Basketball (9-8, 2-2 PL) lost a nail-biter to the American University Eagles (12-3, 4-0 PL) at Bender Arena in Washington D.C., by a final score of 76-74.

The Terriers kept this game close in large part due to the efforts of graduate forward Walter Whyte. Whyte finished the game with 23 points and 11 rebounds, leading BU in both categories.

“It was pretty impressive what he was able to do on the floor,” BU Head Coach Joe Jones.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: TERRIERS DEFEAT ARMY In Final Road Game of the Season

Despite a tremendous second half effort, Boston University Men’s Basketball (9-8, 2-2 PL) lost a nail-biter to the American University Eagles (12-3, 4-0 PL) at Bender Arena in Washington D.C., by a final score of 76-74.

The Terriers kept this game close in large part due to the efforts of graduate forward Walter Whyte. Whyte finished the game with 23 points and 11 rebounds, leading BU in both categories.

“It was pretty impressive what he was able to do on the floor,” BU Head Coach Joe Jones.

Women’s Basketball: Terriers Fall to Harvard Despite Late Surge | WTBU Radio

Boston University Women’s Basketball (5-5) fell to the Harvard University Crimson (6-5) on Wednesdsay by a final score of 73-58 at Case Gymnasium.

Leading the way for the Terriers was senior forward Maren Durant, who finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists on 6-for-10 shooting. BU Head Coach Melissa Graves praised Durant’s effort in this game, as well as how important her consistently strong performances and leadership has been throughout this season.

“[Durant] is valuable in