Draft’s Here, Timeout’s Over, Let’s Catch Up! 🍿
Smallball hit pause… and the sports world hit turbo.
The stories didn’t stop while we were away. They piled up. Oh, and the NBA Draft kicked off last night.
So while we watch teams pick their futures, we’re also catching up on the past… with 10 things every Smallballer should know from the last few weeks.
But first, to the NBA Draft!
🏀 Picks, Picks, Picks!
Last night was Round 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft!
Remember when we talked about the NFL Draft?
…the league’s annual event where teams select eligible college players to join their rosters. It consists of 7 rounds, with each of the teams receiving 1 pick per round.
The selection order is set based on the teams' records from the previous season, with the worst-performing team picking first and the Super Bowl champion picking last. Teams can trade picks and players, adding drama to the process.
Same vibe in the NBA, but only 2 rounds, which makes every pick extra meaningful.
Each team officially gets a pick in Round 1 and another in Round 2… unless they’ve traded them! That’s why the Denver Nuggets entered this draft with no picks while the Brooklyn Nets had 5 in the first round.
Plus, the top 14 picks are set by lottery order, not win-loss record, so teams like the Dallas Mavericks can get lucky and land the top pick.
🧩 The Dallas Mavericks Select…
As expected, the Mavs grabbed Cooper Flagg, a 6-foot-9-inch tall Duke University superstar. Here’s a quick refresher (from the spotlight we did after the Mavs won the “Be Poop for Coop” lottery):
Lightning-quick player who excels on both offense and defense
Only 18 years old… the second youngest top pick ever (LeBron was 9 days younger when he went first overall to the Cavaliers in 2003)
Experts call him a “franchise-altering talent” (a fancy way of saying they expect he’s going to make the Mavs A LOT better)
One of the other highlights from Round 1?
Flagg had 2 Duke teammates also selected in the top 10: Kon Knueppel, a smart, 6‑7 forward, landed at #4 with the Charlotte Hornets; and Khaman Maluach, a towering 7‑2 center, was taken #10 by Houston and traded to the Phoenix Suns (more on that trade soon…).
Tonight? Round 2… so who knows what surprises we’ll have for tomorrow!
🤯 So What’d We Miss?
Since we’re thinking about drafts… we decided to do one of our own!
Here’s Smallball’s pick of the 10 stories that shaped the sports world while we were away. Ready?
1. Epic Finals in Paris 🎾
A few weeks ago, we went on a French Open deep dive.
When the finals arrived, they gave us exactly what we hoped for: the #1 ranked player in the world vs. #2 in both the men’s and women’s championships!
On the men’s side, #2 Carlos Alcaraz didn’t just fall behind #1 Jannik Sinner… he practically tumbled into a canyon. Alcaraz dropped the first 2 sets, and then things got even scarier in the fourth set: Sinner had 3 championship points.
That means he was just 1 swing away from winning it all… 3 different times.
But Alcaraz? He didn’t blink.
🎥 Watch him fight off those championship points:
Finally, after 5 hours and 29 minutes, the longest French Open final ever, he’d climbed all the way back and stood smiling at center court, trophy in hand.
Now, he’s a 2-time champion in Paris, and still only 22 years old!
In the women’s final, #2 Coco Gauff was also losing early… but didn’t flinch.
🎥 Here’s what it looked like as she beat #1 Aryna Sabalenka to earn her first French Open title:
And get this… she’s just 21!
The next major tournament in the tennis world? Wimbledon, which begins on Monday.
It’s the oldest tennis tournament in the world, played on slick, green grass courts in London. Players dress in all white while fans eat strawberries and cream. It's fast, it's fancy, and it's full of history.
We’ll be watching to see how our Paris champions adjust to very different courts… and a whole new kind of pressure.
2. Golf Has Majors Too! ⛳
Like tennis, the golf season is highlighted by 4 major tournaments, including the US Open.
In a fun twist, the US Open rotates to a new golf course every year. This year we got a country club in Pennsylvania called Oakmont that is known for being TOUGH.
We also got one of the rarest shots in golf: an albatross. That’s when a golfer finishes a hole in 3 fewer strokes than expected.
Hold on, how do we know what’s expected?!?!
Par is the number of strokes a golfer should take to finish a hole. A short hole might be a par 3. A longer one? Par 4 or 5. Think of it like a target score… can you meet it… or beat it?
When golfers beat par, that’s good! Finishing 1 under is a birdie, 2 under is an eagle, and 3 under? That’s the ultra-rare albatross.
If they go over par instead, it’s called a bogey. 2 over is a double bogey. 3 over? That’s a triple bogey… and probably a tough walk to the next hole.
And if things really go sideways? Scoring an 8 on a hole is called a snowman… because 8 looks just like one. ☃️
🎤 POP QUIZ! If a golfer scores a 4 on a hole where par is 5, what do we call that?
Okay, back to the action. On Oakmont’s 4th hole, which is a par 5, Patrick Reed crushed his first shot down the fairway.
🎥 Here’s his second shot from nearly 290 yards out:
Only the fourth albatross ever at the US Open.
Even with that amazing shot, he didn’t win the tournament.
That honor went to JJ Spaun. After a rocky start to the final round on Sunday (he made 5 bogeys in his first 6 holes!), he steadied himself, battled back, and drained a 64-foot birdie putt on 18 to win his first-ever major.
🎥 Here’s the clinching putt:
Golf’s next major? The Open Championship in Northern Ireland later in July!
3. Hook ’Em History 🥎
We followed the start of the softball Women’s College World Series... but how’d it finish between Texas and Texas Tech?
Let’s just say: the Longhorns came ready in the final game.
First inning… 5 runs. Texas loaded the bases, knocked out Texas Tech’s star pitcher (who’d been lights-out all postseason), and never looked back. It was the kind of opening that felt like a thunderclap.
Final score: 10–4, and with it, Texas’s first-ever softball national championship. After 3 trips to the title series in 4 years… they finally finished the job.
One big reason why? Pitcher Teagan Kavan, who didn’t give up a single earned run in nearly 32 innings at the WCWS.
🎥 Here’s what it looked like from the stands:
4. LSU’s Baseball Crown ⚾
Just like softball, college baseball follows a winding path to the championship.
It starts with a field of 64 teams, whittled down through rounds that are called regionals, super regionals, and finally the 8 team College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. It’s double elimination until the last 2 teams standing… and then it’s a best‑of‑3 battle for the national title.
This year? The LSU Tigers made it happen.
They swept the championship series against Coastal Carolina: a 1–0 shutout in Game 1 and a 5–3 clincher in Game 2.
LSU pitcher Kade Anderson was named CWS Most Outstanding Player after allowing just 1 earned run in 16 innings.
Could there be a dynasty brewing? This was LSU’s second championship in the last 3 years.
5. Back‑to‑Back Stanley Cups 🏒
Did someone say dynasty? Now seems like a good time to check in on the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
This final series between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers was a thrill ride… 3 of the first 4 games went into overtime (1 even went to double overtime).
Then Florida seized control, outscoring Edmonton 10–3 combined in Games 5 and 6 to wrap up the title.
In Game 6, Sam Reinhart scored 4 goals… the first player to do that in a Cup-clinching game since 1957.
That’s back‑to‑back Stanley Cup wins for the Panthers!
🎥 Yeah… the Panthers knew exactly what to do when the clock hit zero. Let’s roll the tape.
🎤 Imagine winning a trophy so big you could drink from it… what would you fill it with to celebrate?
6. 7 Games, Thunder Triumph 🏀
It was NBA playoff magic that first sparked our Smallball adventure… and the Finals reminded us why.
The OKC Thunder had the league’s best record and a lineup full of rising stars. The Indiana Pacers had the heart of a 4-seed on a magical playoff run.
For 6 games, it was a tug-of-war. The teams traded momentum, miracle shots, and gutsy performances the whole way.
But Game 7 told the final story.
Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana’s engine all postseason, exited early with an Achilles injury… a devastating blow.
From there, SGA took control. He dropped 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder pulled away late for a 103–91 win and their first NBA title since…hmm, when exactly?
First title for OKC? Yes. First title for the franchise? Depends how you feel about whether the 1979 Seattle SuperSonics title counts. The Sonics left Seattle for OKC in 2008 and became the Thunder. Sports can be complicated!
🎤 What do you think: should the Thunder say this is their first or their second NBA title?
One thing we can all agree on? It was an epic season for SGA:
Scoring champion (most points per game of any player in the NBA)
Regular-season MVP
Finals MVP
He became just the fourth player in NBA history to earn all 3 honors in a single season. (One of the other 3? Michael Jordan, of course.)
7. The NBA Offseason’s Already Fire 🔥
The Thunder aren’t just champions… they’re loaded for the future, too. With one of the youngest teams in the league, plus a mountain of future draft picks, OKC looks ready to contend for years to come.
So now the question is… what’s everyone else going to do about it?
The draft is an important part of the offseason as teams look to improve their rosters. But we've also got our eyes on these big moves:
🧳 KD’s Next Stop
Since winning his last championship with Golden State in 2018, Kevin Durant has played for the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns. Now at 36, he’s headed to the Houston Rockets, traded from Phoenix in exchange for a mix of players and draft picks, including last night’s #10 pick.
The Rockets have been on the rise: they were the #2 seed in the West this year, and it took 7 games for Steph and the Warriors to knock them out. And now KD’s star power makes them a top-3 favorite to win next year’s title.
🍀 Celtics Hit the Reset Button
The Boston Celtics have a new owner. And with star Jayson Tatum expected to miss most of next season due to his Achilles injury… it looks like they’re going to take a reset year.
Over the last few days, the Celtics traded 2 players who were key to their 2024 championship: Jrue Holiday to the Trailblazers and Kristaps Porziņģis to the Hawks (just call him KP!).
The plan? Build smart, develop youth, and be ready when Tatum returns.
But it means the Eastern Conference is even more wide open next year… let’s see if the Cavs, Knicks, or Magic can make a move while Tatum and Haliburton recover.
⚾ New Hope in LA
Last week, the Lakers got a new owner, too.
He also owns the LA Dodgers.… one of the most successful teams in baseball.
LA fans were so excited, they started joking: could Shohei Ohtani suit up and play for the Lakers, too?
We’ll be watching closely over the next few weeks to see if the Lakers make any big decisions to better compete with OKC in the competitive Western Conference next year.
8. The W’s Summer Surge 🏀
The NBA may be done, but the WNBA is in full swing.
When we last checked in, the W’s regular season mini-tournament, the Commissioner's Cup, had just kicked off, the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx were undefeated, and Caitlin Clark was on the bench with a leg injury.
Here’s what happened next:
🎥 Caitlin returned with a bang. She had 32 points, including 7 threes, in a huge win over the Liberty.
Although Caitlin’s since cooled down shooting-wise, the Fever's season feels different with her back.
Thanks to that win, Indiana earned a spot in the Commissioner's Cup Final. On July 1, they’ll face Minnesota… who won the Cup last year.
We can’t wait to keep watching!
9. MLB Heats Up, Too ⚾
Just like the W, Major League Baseball’s season is steaming ahead with star players everywhere.
Here are a few of the key storylines to watch this summer:
🌟 Superstars = Strong Teams
Shohei Ohtani has been everything for the Dodgers, with 27 home runs and a .291 batting average. LA owns the second-best record in baseball behind the Detroit Tigers. And now Ohtani is healthy enough to start pitching again!
Aaron Judge leads the Yankees with 28 homers and a .361 average. New York sits seventh overall in the standings and looks playoff-ready.
🚀 Started at the Bottom...
After a slow start, the Houston Astros have rocketed into first place in the American League West division… even with their top slugger, Yordan Álvarez, sidelined by a fractured hand since early May.
With Álvarez out, shortstop Jeremy Peña has been on fire: hitting .325 and starting to show up in MVP conversations.
The Colorado Rockies also got off to a rough start. How are things going now in Denver?
Well, the Rockies still have the worst record in baseball… and they just achieved the worst 70-game start since 1899. Yikes.
10. Nintendo Goes Next Level 🎮
Alright, you made it this far. Let’s talk video games!
Nintendo just launched the Switch 2. It’s faster, sharper, and super fun. (Is super funner not a word?)
Here’s the best part for sports fans: Madden NFL is coming back to Nintendo for the first time since 2013!
🎤 Can you remember which player is doing an epic reverse hurdle on the Madden 26 cover?
The game’s out August 16… just in time to practice your jukes before the real NFL season begins.
That’s the catch-up.
We’re back. You’re ready. See you tomorrow!