Sports
A Shai Gilgeous-Alexander version of Operation? Board game mocks ability to draw fouls
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s penchant for getting to the free-throw line has been praised. It’s also been cited as what’s wrong with basketball, as he’s been labeled a player who embellishes contact, resulting in opportunities at the free-throw line.
In three Western Conference finals games against the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder guard and reigning NBA MVP has attempted 27 free throws; he’s only missed once and made all 12 of his attempts in Friday’s Game 3 victory. In four games against the Phoenix Suns, Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 49 free throws (and made 44), including a 15-of-17 performance in Game 1, and in four games against the Los Angeles Lakers, he attempted 34 from the stripe (made 27), including a 12-for-15 effort in the closeout.
Daily sports fantasy and betting site Underdog is having fun with Gilgeous-Alexander’s reputation and created a board game called Unethical Hoops, based on the board game Operation. Underdog even called on Suns forward Dillon Brooks to play the game, in which each time a player touches Gilgeous-Alexander on the board, the buzzer sounds.
Among the nine labels that can trigger a buzzer are the “Head Snap,” the “Lean In,” the “Don’t Reach” and the “Leg Kick.”
Underdog announced Friday it would give 100 Unethical Hoops games to fans who enter the contest to win them. Underdog also announced it would give $100 to a random fan each time Gilgeous-Alexander fell on a shot attempt in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.
“It’s elevating the conversations that fans have that make things worth talking about,” said Michael Posner, head of executive development at Underdog. “We have sort of like a daily stand-up where we just reflect on the zeitgeist and what’s happening, and we ideate fun, clever ways to bring those stories to life and elevate them.”
Posner, who was hands-on with the project, said it was a good time to premiere the game with Oklahoma City winning Game 2. Gilgeous-Alexander only attempted six free throws in Game 2, but critics who check the box scores often look at his free-throw totals first to see how much of an advantage he gained from the charity stripe.
The board game is Underdog’s latest promotion in its efforts to take a hot topic among sports fans and have lighthearted fun with it. In March, Underdog was in the news for its mural depicting Kobe Bryant passing a torch to Bam Adebayo after Adebayo scored 83 points against the Washington Wizards, surpassing Bryant’s 81 for the second-most points in a game in NBA history.
Brooks, a teammate of Gilgeous-Alexander on the Canadian national team, was fitting for this promotion. Calling himself “the villain” in the game advertisement, Brooks has never been afraid to needle opponents, and his appearance courtside for Game 4 of the Thunder’s sweep against the Lakers and LeBron James — who Brooks has tried to antagonize for years — has made him a viral meme for trolling a rival.
“We’ve been doing some smaller things just to see how to build this muscle, and this was sort of like a bigger stunt, if you will,” Posner said. “A lot went into it. We had to go and figure out how to manufacture a board game. We created a website. We made a commercial. We tied it into promos. And we were able to get in touch with Dillon Brooks, who is the consummate villain and I think is quite good at making things more fun.”
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will play the Spurs in Game 4 of the series Sunday night.
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Sports
How Chargers’ Tarheeb Still is looking to unlock his potential in third NFL season
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Third-year Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still is familiar with the fanfare of training camp.
When the post-practice huddle breaks, fans in attendance flock to the barriers, handing over hats, jerseys and posters they’d like to turn into souvenirs personalized by one of their favorite players. Still typically signs a few things, as was the case on Saturday, even when he didn’t participate in practice for an undisclosed reason. But for all the fans whose days Still has helped make, one from this summer stands out.
Sitting on his couch, scrolling social media during the first week of camp, Still came across a video of a fan asking for Justin Herbert’s signature. The fan said it was his third year attending camp and trying to get the quarterback’s autograph. He said his speech disability had made it difficult in the past.
Still responded to the post, saying that he would help the fan out. The next day, Still went up to Herbert before practice and asked him to sign a hat. When practice ended, Still knew who he was looking for in the crowd.
“That specific experience was kind of … it was kind of emotional,” Still said. “You could tell it really meant a lot to him. I almost shed a tear.”
tarheeb made it happen 🥹 pic.twitter.com/g8k6ZhVjw1
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) July 29, 2026
The Chargers posted the fan’s reaction to their social media, where he cheers with excitement and then comes to the front of the crowd to meet Still. That shot of him and Still smiling together is his new profile picture.
“It was the best experience ever,” Still said. “It was an amazing feeling that I got to help him do that, and also he was so passionate and so grateful. It was just amazing.”
Still enters a pivotal third season in 2026, and in camp he’s been vying for snaps at outside corner next to veteran Donte Jackson and fellow 2024 draft pick Cam Hart. Jackson, who has played eight NFL seasons, gave props to Still for his versatility in the secondary.
“The sky is the limit for Tarheeb. He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever played with, and that says a lot for a Year 3 guy,” Jackson said. “He’s going to be one of the guys that you see on the ticker making a lot of money.”
As a rookie, Still was eager to step up when the veteran starters battled injuries, and it turned into a standout season for the fifth-round pick. He led the team with four interceptions, one of which he returned for a 61-yard touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons.
“Tarheeb’s a player who established he belonged right away,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “He’s in the process of seeing how far he can take it.”
Reflecting now, Still attributed his early success to a simple mindset.
“It wasn’t really much thinking, none of that,” Still said. “Just going out there, being young, having fun. Just embracing it, being in the league, but also really just trying my best to see the team succeed.”
The stats didn’t jump off the page for Still as much in Year 2. He ended the season with seven pass deflections, 53 tackles and without a takeaway, all fewer than the year prior.
“Last year, I was trying to be right about everything, instead of just being like how I was my rookie year, just limit the thinking,” Still said. “I’m prepared. I’m in the playbook. I scout the team. I know they’ve got a good feel for what’s going on. The coaches do a good job preparing us. So it’s really just not thinking, letting your ability take over.”
Still said he wants to get back to “playing more free” in 2026, combining the knowledge and confidence built in his first two years to take the next step.
The defense is also working under new coordinator Chris O’Leary, whom Still described as intentional and “super detailed.” O’Leary was the Chargers’ safeties coach during Still’s rookie season in 2024, so the chemistry was built before O’Leary returned to Los Angeles this offseason.
“We’re on him constantly about just being an ultimate competitor,” O’Leary said earlier in camp about Still. “Can you be the same guy day in and day out no matter who you’re guarding, who you’re up against, how you feel? That, to me, is the step we’re pushing him in this year. Be that guy every single day. But he’s been really good.”
For Still to unlock his potential in the upcoming year, he said it will come down to the small things: preparation, diet, habits. So, what’s success look like in 2026? And, as Harbaugh said, how far can Still take it?
“Whatever level I get myself to,” Still said. “I know that they have the confidence in me. I know they have trust in me. I know my teammates do, but really it’s just about me taking that next step to really make that big jump.”
Another new detail for Still this year: his number. He switched to No. 4 this offseason after wearing No. 29 the past two years. Still wore No. 4 during his final two college football seasons at Maryland, and he also said the number has relevance to the street he grew up on in Sicklerville, N.J.
Of course, it’s also the number Harbaugh wore during his two seasons with the Chargers organization in 1999 and 2000, but the head coach didn’t let that add any pressure, Still said.
“People that are from around that area will understand. It really means something to me where I’m from. It makes a lot of people happy back home,” Still said.
“And then, also, who doesn’t want a single digit in the league?”
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Sports
ICC criticised for ‘disrespectful’ changes to World Cup by Cricket Scotland and KNCB
The cricket boards of Scotland and the Netherlands have criticised the International Cricket Council for structural changes made to the men’s 50-over World Cup.
Last month the ICC announced the main part of the tournament for 2027 would be 12 teams in two groups of six, rather than 14 as originally planned.
The three lowest-ranked qualifiers will instead be placed in a preliminary three-team Super Series, from which only the winner will progress.
It effectively means the likes of Scotland and the Netherlands face three qualifying tournaments to reach the main group stage of the World Cup.
A joint statement from Cricket Scotland and Royal Dutch Association (KNCB) said they had “significant concerns” about the “impact of these changes” along with the “process through which they have been introduced”.
“The changes risk weakening the integrity and credibility of international cricket, and only highlights the importance of strong governance, transparent decision-making and effective engagement with members,” the statement said.
“Changing those structures at short notice creates significant uncertainty, disrupts planning, and places additional operational and financial pressure on organisations that are already operating with limited resources.”
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Sports
Wrexham transfer news: Red Dragons close in on Sunderland’s Patterson
Patterson is a product of Sunderland’s academy and made his senior debut for the Black Cats in a 2-1 EFL Trophy loss to Fleetwood Town in 2020-21.
He made his league bow in the following season and, after joining Notts County on loan for the opening half of the 2021-22 campaign, he helped Sunderland gain promotion into the Championship via the League One play-offs.
In 2024-25, Patterson featured 45 times in the Championship as his side beat Sheffield United in the play-off final at Wembley to gain promotion into the Premier League.
Having featured just once for the top-flight side in the first half of last season after falling behind Robin Roefs in the pecking order, Patterson spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Millwall.
He featured 16 times across all competitions for the Lions.
Patterson – who has made 169 competitive appearances for the Black Cats – featured as a substitute for Sunderland as Regis Le Bris’ side beat Wrexham 1-0 in a pre-season friendly at Philadelphia’s Subaru Park on 2 August.
Wrexham have already added full-back Danny Imray and midfielder Ben Whiteman to their ranks this summer.
But speaking ahead of his side’s 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough in the first round of the Carabao Cup, Parkinson said there was still work to be done on the squad.
“We feel we’re not where we need to be yet and we know that,” he said.
“We’re working, as ever, to make sure that the squad is as strong as it needs to be in what is going to be an incredibly competitive division.
“We’re under no illusions about that. We’ve got to make this squad so strong and we are working tirelessly to bring those extra players in to give everybody a boost.”
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