June 5, 2024

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The NBA Finals could be as pivotal on the sideline as the series will be on the court. … Mbappé’s move to Real Madrid wasn’t surprising, but the numbers are still staggering. … Front Office Sports Today explores the business of the College World Series. … And the NHL continues to experience viewership success in the postseason.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]] and Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

The NBA Finals Create a Unique Dilemma for Top ESPN Analyst [[link removed]]

Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images

On the court, the NBA Finals are set to be a crowning achievement for one of the league’s two best players in Mavericks star Luka Dončić or Celtics frontman Jayson Tatum. But the series also represents a pinnacle for two people on the sideline: lead ESPN game analysts JJ Redick and Doris Burke.

The duo are calling their first NBA championship series as No. 1 TV color commentators. Burke has been in ESPN’s top booth alongside play-by-play man Mike Breen all season, while Redick joined in February, getting the call-up from Bristol power brokers after Doc Rivers left to coach the Bucks.

It’s the latest accomplishment for Redick, who has become one of the fastest-rising stars in sports media since retiring in 2021 after 15 seasons in the league. Redick makes regular appearances across ESPN’s studio shows and is the founder of ThreeFourTwo Productions, which has backed several athlete-hosted podcasts, including his own. The Old Man and the Three with Tommy Alter has been running since ’20, and this spring Redick launched Mind the Game with LeBron James.

So, given his success already, where does calling the NBA Finals rank? Front Office Sports asked Redick during a preview call for the series. “This is absolutely the apex of calling NBA games,” he said. “Once I started calling games, it was always the goal. It happened a little faster than I thought it would.”

Hello … Goodbye?

Now, the irony is that Redick himself has been linked to head coaching vacancies across the NBA. In April, he reportedly interviewed [[link removed]?] for the Hornets job. The team eventually hired former Celtics assistant Charles Lee. More recently, Redick has been widely linked to being a strong contender for the Lakers’ head coach opening. Even reporters from his own network, ESPN, have talked about the possibility [[link removed]]. Redick hasn’t refuted any of the reports, but he wouldn’t comment on a potential future in coaching during ESPN’s NBA Finals call.

Like many retired athletes, Redick may miss the thrill of competition. But is fulfilling that urge worth giving up much of what he has accomplished off the court early into his post-playing career? “I am a fan of this sport,” he said. “And I think about watching Finals when I was growing up, watching Finals when I played, playing in the NBA Finals in 2009, and these are just, like, iconic moments, and I get to be a part of this. I get to be a part of documenting history.”

Breaking Down the Winners and Losers of Mbappé to Real Madrid [[link removed]]

Alexis Reau/Presse Sports via USA TODAY Sports

The dust is settling on Real Madrid’s long-awaited signing of French soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé (above, left), who is leaving Paris Saint-Germain, but there’s still plenty to unpack off the pitch. The move brings an official end to a complicated, years-long saga involving billions of dollars and the most powerful entities in the sport.

What We Know

Mbappé’s new contract at Madrid, this year’s LaLiga and UEFA Champions League winner, is for five years, with the player taking home roughly $16.3 million annually in salary, after taxes, on top of getting a $163 million signing bonus, according to ESPN [[link removed]]. He is also due to receive 80% of revenue from his image rights associated with new commercial deals, compared to the standard 50% for most players, which could boost his earnings significantly.

In 2022, Mbappé signed an extension with PSG that The New York Times reported [[link removed]] would pay him at least $75 million in salary over the course of his contract, after taxes, in addition to a $125 million bonus. The Frenchman had played for PSG since ’17, when the Ligue 1 powerhouse paid a $195 million transfer fee to acquire the then teenager from AS Monaco.

What Could’ve Been

While all of those numbers are staggering, they still fall short of last summer’s $1.1 billion offer [[link removed]] for Mbappé. That came from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal, which was willing to pay PSG a transfer fee of roughly $330 million and give Mbappé around $770 million for one season of service. However, amid the SPL’s run on top European players [[link removed]] like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, Mbappé chose to stay put and forgo the unprecedented payday.

In the end, Mbappé’s journey is a huge financial win for Madrid, which brings on one of the world’s best players at no additional cost. Last year, the Spanish club paid more than $100 million to sign midfielder Jude Bellingham away from Borussia Dortmund. And the move is a clear loss for PSG, which doesn’t recoup any monetary prize for the exit of Mbappé. That was also the case when Lionel Messi left for Inter Miami a year ago, although PSG did not have to pay a transfer fee for the Argentine legend in 2021.

Moreover, beyond the recent Saudi interest, Madrid made several attempts to sign Mbappé in 2021, with reports at the time suggesting a transfer fee approaching $200 million was on the table.

SPONSORED BY DURACELL

F1’s Unexpected Brand for the Fans

[[link removed]]

At first glance, a Duracell partnership with a Formula One [[link removed]] racing team would surprise anyone familiar with the sport and its historically luxurious group of sponsors. But when Duracell joined forces with Williams Racing in 2023, that was just step one for the household brand as it carved out a new and unique relationship between brand and fan.

Duracell made a quick splash through clever branding that created the appearance of a battery installed on top of the F1 cars. But where Duracell really connected with fans was through social media, via consistent engagement in real time, with a lighthearted tone that fans found fun and refreshing.

Read the full article [[link removed]] to learn more about how Duracell is winning fans over through the power of social media.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY Inside the College World Series

Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

The College World Series has evolved from an event that made little to no profit to one of the NCAA’s top revenue drivers. CWS executive director Amy Hornocker joins the show to explain the growth in a tournament that is finding new innovations while celebrating its long history.

🎧 Watch, listen, and subscribe on Apple [[link removed]], Google [[link removed]], Spotify [[link removed]], and YouTube [[link removed]].

ONE BIG FIG Heating Up Off the Ice

Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

14%

Percentage boost in viewership for the Stanley Cup playoffs through the conference finals, compared to last season. NHL games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, and truTV have averaged 1.3 million viewers, marking the most-watched hockey playoffs across the U.S. since 1996. ABC will carry the Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and Panthers, which begins Saturday night.

TIME CAPSULE June 5, 1989: A Bold, and Retractable, New Era

Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

On this day 35 years ago: The Blue Jays played their first game in what is now Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto. Originally known as SkyDome, the facility opens up a bold new era in stadium design with its fully retractable motorized roof, the first of its kind in the world. Every subsequent indoor stadium with some type of retractable roof would owe a design debt to the then futuristic structure in Toronto.

A domed facility was planned from the moment that the Blue Jays started MLB play in 1977, with the very first game at Exhibition Stadium plagued [[link removed]] by snow that was cleared with a Zamboni. Plans ultimately grew much more ambitious with a Rod Robbie design for a stadium located essentially at the base of the famed CN Tower, serving as a key part of a broader downtown revitalization program. The effort quickly worked with the Blue Jays becoming MLB’s first team to draw an annual attendance of four million, and doing so for three straight seasons in 1991–93, the latter two of which also included World Series titles.

Following a ballpark development boom across the league, the Rogers Centre is now MLB’s seventh-oldest stadium and will rise to sixth next year when the A’s leave the Oakland Coliseum. But the Blue Jays since 2022 have been in the midst of a multiyear, $300 million renovation [[link removed]] to breathe new life into the facility.

SPONSORED BY WENDY’S

Wendy’s New $3 English Muffin Deal

[[link removed]]

With Wendy’s $3 English Muffin Deal [[link removed]], you get your choice of a tasty grilled sausage or applewood-smoked bacon English Muffin Sandwich with a fresh-cracked egg and gooey cheese. But wait! There’s more!

This breakfast wouldn’t be complete without a small side of crispy Seasoned Potatoes [[link removed]], which are truly worth waking up for. Oh, and did we mention you get all that for just three bucks? So, grab a proper breakfast with Wendy’s new $3 English Muffin Deal at your earliest, literally, convenience.

Limited time only. U.S. price and participation may vary. Select or request an English Muffin Deal [[link removed]] to obtain the discount. Not valid for à la carte or combo orders. Single item at regular price. Prices are higher in AK and HI.

Conversation Starters Lionel Messi is launching his own hydration beverage, Más+, with flavors like Orange d’Or and Miami Punch. See what else [[link removed]] is on the docket. Family time: After Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League final, defender Dani Carvajal’s father, who is a police officer, escorted the team to its celebratory parade. Take a look [[link removed]]. Backed by Sports Innovation Lab, the Most Sustainable Award utilizes data-driven methodology to identify organizations leading the charge in sustainable operations. Submit now [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Shohei Ohtani’s Former Interpreter Pleads Guilty to Stealing $17 Million, Tax Fraud [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Mizuhara faces up to 33 years in prison, with sentencing in October. Why Pat McAfee’s WNBA Take Was Simply Inaccurate [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]ESPN personality reduced the league’s success, and rookie class, to Caitlin Clark. Microsoft Warns of Russian Olympic Disinformation Campaign [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]Russian actors used an AI-generated Tom Cruise in a fake propaganda film. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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