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Needless to say, the Slam Dunk contest should be reserved for actual All-Stars. Get a sponsor to provide a $1 million prize for the winner’s favorite charity if that’s what it takes to get better contestants. The 2022 event was about as bad as it gets, and if the NBA doesn’t realize that after all the negative social media reaction, then Commissioner Adam Silver has his shiny, bald head in the sand.
Fans were kept guessing whether Jordan — who earlier in the day attended the Daytona 500, where his driver, Bubba Wallace, finished second — would make it to the ceremony hours later. Jordan’s introduction as the last player in the NBA 75 earned the loudest cheer.
Moore, a 25-year-old Liverpool defender, was on New Zealand’s 2015 World Cup roster but didn’t get into a match, then missed the 2019 World Cup after an Achilles injury. Making her 50th international appearance, she was replaced in the 40th minute.
“I think it’s nice now that we all can sit down and say, ‘Look, we’re all on the same page here,’” McIlroy said. “Are there things the tour could do better and they’re working on? Of course, but that’s the same in any business, in any sports league around the world.”
“I always kid him. I say, ‘You’ve got to be a little more excited,’” Penske said. “Well, he was excited today, really. He even got out of his cool, calm way today. I think he said, ‘I’m going to really celebrate; my boy won the Daytona 500.’ ”
With less than a minute left in the second, Calvin de Haan was issued a two-minute minor penalty for a hit that sent Mason Marchment reeling backward. Reinhart jumped in to defend his teammate, and he and de Haan were penalized five-minute majors for fighting.
“It wasn’t something that I came to the university as a goal,” Finley said before the game. “My main focus was to win as many basketball games as I could, put the Wisconsin basketball program on the map, and whatever happened after that, happened.”
“I told Zach when I came — you win, everything comes,” DeRozan said. “Only thing that matters is winning. Everything else that you could dream of or ask for will come. You don’t even got to worry about that. It’s gonna be hard, but if we really want it, damn everything else. It’s all about winning.”
By many mechanical measures, these Games were a success. They were, in fact, quite safe — albeit in the carefully modulated, dress-up-for-company way that authoritarian governments always do best. The local volunteers, as is usually the case, were delightful, helpful and engaging, and they received high-profile accolades at the closing.
While the Russians looked like the new favorites when the NHL withdrew because of pandemic-related schedule disruptions in late December, the Finns were actually the big winners. With recent NHL players such as captain Valtteri Filppula, forward Leo Komarov and defensemen Sami Vatanen and Mikko Lehtonen on the team, Finland had the firepower to go along with its hallmark of strong structure, defense and goaltending.