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🤯 Five things to know Thursday
- Russell Westbrook has announced his retirement. One of the best playmakers of his generation has called it a career. On Wednesday, Westbrook announced his retirement after 18 seasons. Westbrook walks away as the all-time leader in triple-doubles, and he ranks fifth on the all-time assists list. The rest of his resume includes the 2017 MVP Award, nine All-Star nods and seven All-NBA honors. To commemorate Westbrook’s retirement, we compiled the top five moments in his impressive career.
- The Lakers have been sold for a record-breaking price. Just over a year since they were last sold, the Lakers are changing hands again. The franchise was once again purchased for the record-breaking price of $12.5 billion with former Disney CEO Bob Iger and Josh Kushner taking over as new owners. For some context, the sale price is slightly more than the GDP of Monaco. In the wake of this sale, the Lakers face some major questions about their future.
- The FedEx Cup Playoffs begin at the St. Jude Championship. The first leg of the Tour Championship begins this morning with Scottie Scheffler at the top of the standings. Can he hold onto that lead or will someone soar up the leaderboard in the coming weeks, like Tommy Fleetwood did last year? Our golf experts have logged their predictions and sleeper picks to take home the title and a large sum of money. Here’s how you can watch all the action in Memphis this weekend.
- Christian Gonzalez and the Patriots continue their standoff. The All-Pro cornerback is awaiting a contract that will reset the market at that position, but Gonzalez remains unsigned and has shown signs of frustration. Gonzalez posted a cryptic message on Instagram after missing Tuesday’s practice with a minor injury. As the wait for a new deal continues, here are the factors that could be holding up the process.
- Paris Saint-Germain defeated Aston Villa to win the 2026 UEFA Super Cup. For the second year in a row, PSG are your Super Cup champs. This time, it came in the form of a 2-1 win over Aston Villa. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was the standout for PSG as his club’s depth simply overwhelmed Aston Villa. The Super Cup also means that the major European leagues are about to resume, and we have a complete English Football League guide for those tuning in for the first time.
👀 Do not miss this: CBS Sports 138 unveiled
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The start of the 2026 college football season is only 16 days away — and that means it’s time to unveil the first edition of the CBS Sports 138 — which has grown by two this year with the additions of North Dakota State and Sacramento State.
There were many differing opinions about teams inside the top 25, but there seemed to be a consensus about one team in particular. The 2025 season was a train wreck for LSU, but the hire of Lane Kiffin and a transfer portal haul has the Tigers at No. 10 to begin the season. As Chip Patterson explains, the folks in Baton Rouge are hoping for even more than that in 2026.
- Patterson: “The Lane Kiffin effect has taken over all of college football, and here, it includes a massive jump from where the Tigers sank at the end of last year to the expectations of contending for a College Football Playoff in Year 1 of the new regime. LSU’s investment in Kiffin and the roster has made it easy for our experts to place LSU in a top 10 or top 15, but Tigers fans are hoping the results on the field lead to moves up closer to that national title contention that comes with being the coach in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.”
Here are some interesting notes from the initial ballot:
- Ohio State and Oregon were among five different teams receiving first-place votes.
- Defending national champion Indiana was not one of those five.
- Florida was the biggest riser from the final 2025 rankings.
- On the other end of the spectrum, North Texas sank like a stone.
If you promise to check out the full rankings, I’ll give you a sample of the top 25.
16. BYU
17. Tennessee
18. Penn State
19. Washington
20. SMU
For those wanting deeper analysis on our top 25 teams, you’re in luck. Brad Crawford has found reasons for optimism and pessimism for each program in 2026.
🏈 10 biggest NFL preseason storylines
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With the Hall of Fame Game serving as an hors d’oeuvre, the preseason begins in earnest tonight with six games on the slate. There won’t be many MVP candidates on the field this weekend, but there will still be plenty of intrigue.
Carter Bahns has highlighted the 10 preseason storylines that will shape the 2026 season, and it should come as no surprise that the No. 1 overall pick will be must-watch television over the next few weeks. The Raiders plan to ease Fernando Mendoza into his NFL career, but how long will they be able to keep him behind Kirk Cousins if he shreds defenses in the preseason?
- Bahns: “The two likeliest rookie quarterbacks to see meaningful playing time in 2026 are Fernando Mendoza and Carson Beck. If the former makes waves with his preseason opportunities, there will be calls for him to quickly uproot Kirk Cousins as the face of the Raiders’ offense, particularly because he carries tremendous upside as this year’s No. 1 overall pick.”
Jayden Daniels and Stefon Diggs probably won’t get much game action this preseason, but it will be worth keeping an eye on their chemistry throughout camp. The new Commanders teammates have already formed a rapport and cooked the Dolphins defense in joint practice on Wednesday.
Finally, as the preseason kicks off, some fans are feeling better than others. Bryan DeArdo has the data on the NFL’s most optimistic fan bases, and No. 32 shouldn’t shock anyone.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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📺 What we’re watching Thursday
⛳ St. Jude Championship: First round, 9 a.m. on ESPN
🏈 Packers at Steelers, 7 p.m. on NFL Network
⚾ Phillies vs. Twins, 7:30 p.m. on Netflix
🏀 Sparks at Liberty, 8 p.m. on Prime Video
🏈 Titans at 49ers, 9 p.m. on NFL Network
🏀 Mystics at Aces, 10 p.m. on Prime Video
⚽ Tijuana at Portland, 10:30 p.m. on FS1
