The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the seventh straight international player to win the NBA’s MVP award on Wednesday.
James Harden was the last American to win the MVP, when he did it with the Houston Rockets in 2017-2018. Jay Williams, former Duke star and current ESPN analyst, asked if cancel culture is the reason why there hasn’t been an American MVP recently.
"People aren’t gonna like it, but I really don’t care. How much of this do you think this is cancel culture in the political aspects of where we were, compared to where we’re going?" Williams said during ESPN’s "First Take."
"I hear a lot of coaches talk about they don’t feel like they can coach young kids anymore. 'Cause anything they say could get used against them or get twisted if caught the wrong way."
Williams implored coaches to coach young players hard and to give them accountability.
"The level of sensitivity has gotten out of control," Williams said of today’s basketball players.
"‘Oh, he said something bad to me, I can’t play for him!’ When a coach yells at you, and I know there are certain things coaches can’t say anymore, but please, keep coaching those young kids hard! Let them face some d--- adversity. Give them some accountability. And just because a coach is yelling at you, that actually means that he cares."
The top three finalists for the MVP were all international. Gilgeous-Alexander of Canada won, while Serbian native Nikola Jokic finished second, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, aptly nicknamed the "Greek Freak," finished third.
Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum was the highest American finisher, in fourth place.
In his first 10 games since being recalled, Cincinnati’s Will Benson hit .400 with five homers (all of which came in four consecutive games), 11 RBIs, seven runs, a stolen base and a 1.471 OPS.
All three rules are, at worst, first cousins to each other. They all inspire wide-spread and rabid dissent — except if you happen to root for a team that happens to be especially proficient practitioners of them.
President Donald Trump reiterated that girls and women "will not" compete against transgender athletes during his commencement speech at West Point Saturday.
Trump signed an executive order Feb. 5 that prohibits biological boys and men from competing in girls and women's sports.
While speaking to 1,002 graduates, Trump revisited the topic.
"We will not have men in women's sports, if that's OK," he said. "I mean, I wouldn't want to have to tackle, as an example, (quarterback) Bryson (Daily) as a man. But I don't think a lot of women want to tackle him. I don't think so. How crazy is it? Men playing in women's sports. How crazy is it? So ridiculous. So demeaning. So demeaning to women. And it's over. That's over. We ended it."
Several states have defied Trump's order, resulting in federal Title IX investigations. The Department of Agriculture also temporarily ended federal funding to the state of Maine, but the funding was restored by a federal judge.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Trump got into a highly-publicized spat shortly after the order was signed.
Earlier this month, a school district in Washington, a blue state, voted to keep trans athletes out of girls sports. The ruling defies a policy by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), enacted in 2007, that allows transgender students to participate based on their gender identity.
In May, a trans athlete competed in a girls cross-country championship in the state and won.
Trump delivered a similar notion while speaking to graduates at the University of Alabama earlier this month.
A New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports.
Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.
Nearly 70% of Americans say biological men should not be permitted to compete in women's sports, according to a Gallup poll last year.
Fox News' Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
Arsenal 1-0 Barcelona: Stina Blackstenius grabbed the only goal and the Gunners valiantly clung on to become European champions for the first time in 18 years
Trump then pivoted to the football team, which was nationally ranked earlier this year.
"Your sophomore year, Army football beat Navy, 20-17, and the next year, you did it again, beating Navy, 17-11, and dominating Air Force, 23-3," Trump continued. "But this year, the Black Knights fought your way into the top 20 nationally and racked up your longest winning streak since 1949 with the help of graduating quarterback Cadet Bryson Daily, or as you call him, Captain America. I came to a game. I said, 'He could get into the NFL.' But he chose this life. And I think he made a good choice."
Trump then implored Daily to approach the stage and say a few words.
"Go Army football. … Can't wait to graduate. Love you guys," he said.
"I just tapped his shoulder. It's like I hit a piece of steel. The guy's in good shape," Trump said as Daily left the stage. "There's always a reason for success. In a time when other top college quarterbacks were thinking about going pro, Bryson's mind was on something else. He told an interviewer earlier this year, ‘I’m focused on my career as an infantry officer.' That's what he wants to do. So Bryson, you did the right thing. That's service at its finest. Thanks, Bryson. That's amazing. He's an amazing guy with an amazing team."
Trump delivered a speech to Alabama graduates earlier this month, spotlighting their teams and former head football coach Nick Saban.
Trump told the 1,002 graduating cadets that the academy is the "most elite and storied military academy in human history."
Trump railed against previous foreign policy initiatives. And he declared an end to critical race theory, DEI initiatives and men in women’s sports while vowing to promote a return to merit-based systems and traditional military values.
Arsenal forward Stina Blackstenius struck a late winner as the London team shocked holders Barcelona 1-0 on Saturday to claim their second Women's Champions League title.
