| | | | | | | | | | | Axios Sports | | By Kendall Baker · Jun 03, 2022 | | π Happy Friday! These NBA Finals are going to be a blast. Today's word count: 1,734 words (7 minutes). Let's sports... | | | | | | 1 big thing: π Boston's stunning comeback |  | | | "The Al Horford Game." Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images | | | | The Celtics stunned the Warriors on Thursday night in San Francisco, ending the game on a 20-5 run to take Game 1 of the NBA Finals, 120-108. Why it matters: The Celtics are the first team to win a Finals game by double-digits after trailing by double-digits entering the fourth quarter. - Their win probability fell as low as 4% when they were down 15 near the end of the third. Then came the most lopsided fourth quarter in Finals history (40-16).
- The Celtics made their first seven threes to open the fourth. Overall, Boston (21) and Golden State (19) made a Finals record 40 threes.
Standouts: Al Horford, playing in his first NBA Finals game, had 26 points and a career-high six threes. He hit all four shots he took in the final frame, sparking Boston's run. - Derrick White, who arrived midseason from the Spurs, continued his brilliant play since the birth of his child early in the East Finals, scoring 21 points off the bench.
- Steph Curry led the way for the Warriors, scoring 34 points and hitting seven threes. Andrew Wiggins poured in 20 points and Klay Thompson added 15.
The big picture: This is just the third time the Warriors have lost Game 1 of a playoff series under Steve Kerr (21-3 overall). The winner of Game 1 of the NBA Finals has gone on to win the championship 71% of the time. Go deeper: |     | | | | | | 2. π΅ LeBron joins the three comma club |  | | | Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images | | | | LeBron James' net worth has surpassed $1 billion after the Lakers superstar earned $121.2 million last year, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. Why it matters: He's the first active NBA player to reach that milestone, per Forbes (subscription). Michael Jordan became a billionaire, too, but only in retirement. A breakdown of his lifetime earnings and holdings... NBA salary ($387.4 million): Look at this progression through his 19-year career: - Cavaliers (2003–10): $62 million
- Heat (2010–14): $64 million
- Cavaliers (2014–18): $107.9 million
- Lakers (2018–present): $153.5 million
SpringHill Company ($300 million): He sold a "significant minority stake" of his multimedia production company last year at a $725 million valuation, but is still the largest individual shareholder. - Projects include 2021's "Space Jam: A New Legacy," the upcoming HBO Max reboot of the 1990 cult classic, "House Party," and athlete empowerment platform Uninterrupted.
- Fun fact: The company was named for the Akron apartment complex where James and his mom settled into when he was in sixth grade.
Fenway Sports Group ($90 million): He's had a minority stake in Liverpool since 2011, which he exchanged last year for ~1% of parent company Fenway Sports Group. - In addition to Liverpool, FSG's holdings include the Red Sox, Penguins, Fenway Park, NASCAR's Roush Fenway Racing and the New England Sports Network.
- ICYMI: LeBron supported Liverpool in person at last weekend's Champions League final loss to Real Madrid.
Off-court earnings ($610 million): Between real estate, endorsements and savvy investments, LeBron could retire tomorrow and be just fine. - Real estate: He owns mansions in Akron, Los Angeles and Beverly Hills that Forbes estimates are worth ~$80 million.
- Nike: He earns $32 million annually from the apparel giant, which signed him to a lifetime deal in 2015.
- Blaze Pizza: Since investing less than $1 million in 2012 for 10% of the Chipotle-style pizza chain, James' stake in Blaze has grown to $30 million.
- Beats by Dre: LeBron's investment became a $30 million profit when Apple bought the headphone company for $3 billion in 2014.
- Beachbody: LeBron and Arnold Schwarzenegger's sports nutrition company Ladder was acquired by Beachbody in 2020 for $28 million in stock.
- Other endorsements and partnerships include Walmart, GMC, AT&T, Rimowa, Chase, Upper Deck, 2K Sports and Calm, per his website.
The bottom line: It's good to be the king. | | | | | | | | 3. πΎ Coco in Paris: An epic graduation trip |  | | | Screenshot: @CocoGauff (Twitter) | | | | Coco Gauff celebrated her high school graduation two weeks ago at the Eiffel Tower. Now she's one win away from the French Open title, Jeff writes. Why it matters: The 18th-ranked 18-year-old is the youngest woman to reach a major final since Maria Sharapova in 2004 (Wimbledon), and the youngest American woman to do so since Serena Williams in 1999 (U.S. Open). What they're saying: The Atlanta-born teen who lives and trains in Florida displays a maturity that belies her age. - "I'm in a mindset now like: 'It doesn't matter,'" she said after cruising to a 6-3, 6-1 semifinal win over Martina Trevisan. "I'm going to be happy, regardless. My parents are going to love me, regardless."
- "Yeah, it's a Grand Slam final," she continued, "but there are so many things going on in the world right now ... it's not important to stress over a tennis match."
Photo: Adam Pretty/Getty Images The big picture: Gauff's breakthrough has felt like a long time coming. - She won the junior French Open in 2018, and a year later at 15 became the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon history.
- Since then she's been consistently good but hasn't gotten over the hump, reaching the quarterfinals of a major just once (2021 French Open).
What's next: Gauff has won all 12 sets at Roland Garros but has faced just one seeded opponent (No. 31 Elise Mertens). Now comes perhaps the biggest challenge of her career: red-hot Iga ΕwiΔ
tek. - The 2020 French Open champion and world No. 1 has won 34 straight matches and five titles dating back to February.
- A win on Saturday would tie ΕwiΔ
tek, 21, with Venus Williams for the longest streak this century.
The bottom line: Coco Gauff's senior year somewhat mirrors my own, as we both turned 18 and took trips to Europe right after graduating. One key difference? She's playing in a Grand Slam final tomorrow. | | | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Get smarter, faster on Cryptocurrencies | | |  | | | | Axios Crypto brings you daily updates on the most consequential trends in cryptocurrency and the blockchain Subscribe for free | | | | | | 4. ⚡️ Lightning round |  | | | Illustration: Megan Robinson/Axios | | | | π WNBA expansion: The WNBA could announce up to two expansion cities this year. The most probable markets, per The Athletic (subscription): Nashville, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco and Toronto. π Blazers bid: Nike founder Phil Knight and Dodgers part-owner Alan Smolinisky have made an offer of more than $2 billion to buy the Trail Blazers. The team says it "remains not for sale." π $13 million: Ohio State coach Ryan Day says the Buckeyes will need $13 million in NIL money just to keep their roster intact, putting a specific dollar amount on this murky new world. | | | | | | | | 5. ⚾️ Nestor is nasty |  | | | Photo: Dustin Satloff/Getty Images | | | | Nestor Cortes pitched another gem on Thursday, throwing seven shutout innings in the Yankees' 6-1 win over the Angels to lower his ERA to 1.50, which ranks second in all of baseball. The backdrop: Cortes was selected by the Yankees in the 35th round of the 2013 MLB draft. He put up good numbers in the minors but was never considered a great prospect due to his mediocre "stuff" (low-90s). - He had brief stints with the Orioles and Mariners before returning to the Yankees in December 2020 on a minor league contract.
- He pitched well in 2021, going 2-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 22 appearances (14 starts). Now, the 27-year-old left-hander is looking like one of the best pitchers on the planet.
By the numbers: In 10 starts this season, Cortes is 5-1 with a 1.50 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 68 strikeouts in 60 innings, and an opponent batting average of .178. All while making just over the league minimum ($727,500). | | | | | | | | 6. πΊπΈ America in photos | | Photo: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images DENVER — In an impressive all-around effort, the Avalanche shut out the Oilers, 4-0, to take a 2-0 lead in the West Finals. Steve Gleason holds his daughter while watching his son throw out the first pitch before the Cubs-Cardinals game. Photo: Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images CHICAGO — MLB ballparks marked Lou Gehrig Day with ceremonial first pitches, 4-ALS arm bands and a focus on raising awareness of the disease. Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — Mina Harigae sits atop the leaderboard at the U.S. Women's Open, where golfers are competing for a record $10 million payout, including a $1.8 million winner's take. | | | | | | | | 7. πΊ Watchlist: Ukraine on the doorstep |  | | | Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images | | | | Wales hosts Ukraine on Sunday with a World Cup berth on the line (9am ET, ESPN2), as the Ukrainians look to follow up their improbable win over Scotland with an even bigger victory. - What they're saying: "We are going through a bloody war," Ukrainian journalist Illia Novikov, 25, told SI. "And every victory — sports or otherwise — aids us to reach victory on the battlefield."
- The other side: No European country has a longer World Cup drought than Wales. They last made the field in 1958, missing out on the last 15.
More to watch: - π NBA Finals: Celtics (up 1-0) at Warriors (Sun. 8pm, ABC)
- π NHL playoffs: Lightning (down 1-0) at Rangers (Fri. 8pm, ESPN); Avalanche (up 2-0) at Oilers (Sat. 8pm, TNT); Rangers (Game 3) at Lightning (Sun. 3pm, ESPN)
- πΎ French Open: No. 3 Zverev vs. No. 5 Nadal (Fri. 8:45am, Tennis); No. 8 Ruud vs. No. 20 ΔiliΔ (Fri. 11:30am, NBC); No. 1 ΕwiΔ
tek vs. No. 18 Gauff (Sat. 9am, NBC) ... Men's final is Sunday (9am, NBC)
- π₯ WCWS: Six games (Fri.–Sun., ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
- ⚾️ NCAA tournament: Regionals (Fri.–Sun., ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPN+)
- ⛳️ LPGA: U.S. Women's Open (Fri.–Sun., USA/NBC/Peacock)
- ⛳️ PGA: Memorial Tournament (Fri.–Sun., Golf/CBS/ESPN+)
- π₯ PLL: Week 1 in Albany, New York (Sat.–Sun., ESPN/ESPN+)
- ⚾️ MLB: Tigers at Yankees (Fri. 7pm, Apple TV+; Sun. 11:35am, Peacock); Braves at Rockies (Fri. 8:40pm, Apple TV+); Angels at Phillies (Sat. 7:15pm, Fox); Cardinals at Cubs (Sat. 7:15pm, Fox; Sun. 7pm, ESPN)
- π WNBA: Sun at Mercury (Fri. 10pm, CBSSN); Mystics at Sky (Sun. 6pm, Prime); Sparks at Mercury (Sun. 6pm, Facebook)
- ⚽️ Friendly: USMNT vs. Uruguay (Sun. 5pm, Fox)
- ⚽️ NWSL: Six games (Fri.–Sat., Paramount+/Twitch)
- π₯ Boxing: George Kambosos Jr. vs. Devin Haney (Sat. 9pm, ESPN)
- π NASCAR: Enjoy Illinois 300 (Sun. 3:30pm, FS1)
- π USFL: Week 8 (Fri.–Sun., USA/Fox/Peacock)
- π Fan Controlled Football: Playoffs (Sat. 6pm, DAZN)
- π½ Cornhole: Pro Shootout Series (Fri.–Sat., 7pm, CBSSN)
| | | | | | | | 8. π The Ocho: Kite foil racing | | Source: Giphy Kite foil racing will debut at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Heck yeah. Watch a video. | | | | | | | | 9. π NFL trivia |  | | | Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images | | | | Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is retiring after 17 seasons, has started games at QB for nine different NFL teams. - Question: Can you name them all?
- Hint: Six AFC, three NFC.
Answer at the bottom. | | | | | | | | 10. π 1 bee thing: Spell-off!!! |  | | | Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images | | | | Harini Logan, 14, won the first-ever spell-off Thursday night at the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Details: Logan went head-to-head with Vikram Raju, 12, in the spell-off, which tested how many words they could correctly spell within 90 seconds. - She spelled 21 out of 26 words correctly, while Raju went 15 for 19.
- The San Antonio native received a trophy and a check for $50,000.
| | | | | | | | A message from Axios | | Get smarter, faster on Cryptocurrencies | | | | | | | | Axios Crypto brings you daily updates on the most consequential trends in cryptocurrency and the blockchain Subscribe for free | | | | Enjoy the weekend, Kendall "Just breathe" Baker Trivia answer: Bills (53 starts), Jets (27), Dolphins (20), Bengals (12), Texans (12), Buccaneers (10), Titans (nine), Rams (three), Commanders (one) π Thanks for reading. Follow us on Twitter: @kendallbaker and @jeffreytracy. Tell your friends to sign up. |  | It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 200 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications. | | | | | | Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here.
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