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Genshin Impact: Genshin Misadventures - Natlan Nationals, Day 29
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Pope Francis, a man of San Lorenzo
Our hearts ache. Pope Francis left this world, but he will never leave our hearts. Jorge Mario Bergoglio—an Argentine who has already made History, with a capital H—passed away at the age of 88 this Monday, April 21st, just one day after Easter Sunday. He is mourned everywhere with dismay, and we bid him farewell with the greatest possible admiration. His mark will be indelible.
Universally respected, the papacy of Jorge Mario Bergoglio will always be remembered for his unconditional love for the humble and the disadvantaged, for his incomparable vocation for service, and for his dedication to the most noble causes. He assumed office on March 13, 2013, and since then, his leadership has borne the imprint of those elected.
An honorary member of our club, his passion for San Lorenzo always moved us especially, and unites us in constant prayer for his soul. Since he was a child, the blue and red colors captivated him, thanks to his family's command: his father, Mario José, played basketball on Avenida La Plata. From his home in Flores, he learned to love Ciclón. And he enjoyed that iconic team, champion in 1946, at the Viejo Gasómetro, whose forward line featured Armando Farro, René Pontoni, and Rinaldo Martino. His adoration for René was unparalleled.
Always close to the club, he celebrated a mass in the Ciudad Deportiva chapel when he was already Archbishop of Buenos Aires (a position he assumed in 1998) and administered the sacrament of Confirmation to several kids from the boarding house, including Angelito Correa. And he celebrated every achievement with us, with enormous generosity, receiving the delegations that visited him in the Vatican during his papacy. Last year, for example, he received our president, Marcelo Moretti, who officially proposed that the future stadium on Avenida La Plata bear the name "Pope Francis." Moved, the Holy Father accepted without hesitation.
He was a key player in Argentine institutional life, a thoughtful, open, cultured man, and absolutely committed to his convictions and worldview. And a San Lorenzo fan who filled us with pride, spreading this wonderful passion at every opportunity.
Farewell, dear Father! And thank you for leaving us your example.
The Nico Harrison Closed-Door Press Conference
Here's the Mavericks' transcription of the conversation with GM Nico Harrison and CEO Rick Welts:
Rick Welts
Everyone ready? Thanks, Erin, and thanks, everybody, for being here.
It's actually my first opportunity to meet some of you. I just want to give some reflections on my first just about 100 days at the Mavericks.
First of all, Dallas' reputation of being an amazingly welcoming community is almost overwhelming for somebody who's visited here their whole lives but has never had the opportunity to live here, thanks to many of you, but thanks to the fans, people in the community, it's really been an amazing experience to be a new person in this role in Dallas. It's been terrific.
I'm super optimistic about the future of this franchise. We're in Dallas. Don't really have to say more. We're the fourth largest market in the country, growing faster than any market in the country. Wonderful reputation as a place to do business, and continues to grow and continues to get better and continues to be a great place to recruit athletes who want a great place to live in a great environment. You know, I'm here in large major because of my history here, I was going to Reunion Arena in the 80s as a young NBA executive, and have really been invested in following the history of this team, which, you know, I think, has been instrumental over the last 45 years in the growth and the success of the NBA overall. And I think we're going to have that role going forward as well.
My relationship with Cynt Marshall started, I think the first day she got her job, and it's an incredible honor to follow her in this role. The things that she was able to do and the place that she put this organization in the community, I think, is something to be admired by everybody in sports. And you know, my responsibility is to continue that legacy of Cynt’s.
This guy [Nico Harrison] I've known for over 20 years and never imagined having the opportunity to work with him. I knew reputationally what the NBA and the people who know basketball think of Nico, and large measure of why I was really anxious to create this partnership. I think I got quoted as recently as yesterday in the Sports Business Journal of my view of what makes for sustained success for sports teams and its ownership, ownership and ownership.
I hadn't met Patrick Dumont before, maybe five months ago. Spent a lot of time with him to understand what he expected of this franchise, what he thought about how it should operate, and I really like what I heard. Thing I like as much as anything, was his commitment to invest in this community for the long term.
This is a dream come true for his family. They forever have thought the greatest thing could happen to them would be to own an NBA team. And, I don't know how well you guys know him yet, but this was a kid who grew up playing basketball. I know you look at him now maybe you're not quite sure about his athletic skill, but grew up playing basketball on the playgrounds in Brooklyn, telling me stories about hanging out at West Fourth Street and Greenwich Village, you know, with the chain link fence we've all seen watching some of the playground legends of New York play basketball, you know.
And the other reason, you know, I really knew this would work for me is, again, the community involvement. I think this organization stands alone, really, in the NBA for what it's invested in this community and has earned, I thank a lot of respect and admiration for the way the Mavericks have gone about doing things.
Our business, I would say, really solid. Daily conversations with the sponsors of the Mavericks who definitely recognize the value of promoting their goods and services in front of the Mavericks audience and understand the future of this team and understand, you know, being part of that and part of the NBA going forward is good for business. I don't think there's probably any better gage of where we are right now than ticket sales. Season ticket renewals are well underway. I can tell you today that between 75 and 80% of our season ticket members have already renewed their tickets for next season, and that's with six months to go before our first game next year, so I think that's really speaks for itself.
That doesn't mean that there's a segment of our fan base that doesn't feel alienated right now, and I think that we hear them, and it's on us to win back that trust, and I'm very confident that's exactly what we're going to do by the way we conduct ourselves on and off the court every day going forward.
One thing that's been amazing for me, I think in my 47 years, I've never seen a more passionate fan base than this for any team in any sport, and I, in my kind of glass half full way of looking at the world, I think that's a real positive, because I do think that gives us a wonderful chance to win back those fans who aren't sure about the Mavericks right now, but we're going to make that happen.
One thing that I think has gotten a little bit lost in your coverage of our team this year is the commitment that the Mavericks have made to build a new arena entertainment district in Dallas. We're on the record that we want to be in Dallas.
There have been meetings as recently as last Friday with the city. I can't thank Mayor Johnson or city manager Tolbert enough for the approach that each of them is taking in finding a great solution to keep the Mavericks in the city of Dallas for a long time into the future, our lease will fulfill our lease here at American Airlines Center, which expires in 2031. That may sound like a long time to you. It's not, we're on the clock. We'd like to have... an arena site identified within the year that's going to be important to be on a timeline to open for the 2031-32 season.
And again, our commitment is to find a location, a solution that's going to work in the city of Dallas before we would explore anywhere else in the Metroplex. These are big, complicated projects. We're looking for something between 30 and 50 acres. You know, this is, yes, it's the Mavericks arena, but it also will host a lot more events, in addition to Mavericks games.
And the entertainment district that will be built around it will really redefine what it's like to attend an event, whether it's a Mavs game or a concert or anything else that will be going on in that new arena. So, I've lived this story before. I spent seven years of my professional life building Chase Center in San Francisco. But I also have seen the benefits of doing that for the city, for how it creates memories for people in Dallas and families in Dallas for decades to come and what a game changer it is for the economic fortunes of an NBA team that is stated goal is to compete for championships year in and year out.
So, with that, let me turn over to Nico.
Nico Harrison
Thanks Rick, and thanks everybody for coming here. I really appreciate it. I'm excited to be alongside Rick. I think you know, as the face, as the faces of leadership of Dallas, it's important that Rick and I are side by side. And obviously he's a Hall of Famer for all the great things that he's done, and I know he'll do that in Dallas. And I think when you're really looking to build a championship team, it can't just be basketball good in business, not I really think it has to take it takes leadership at the highest level on both to reach our goals and also reach the business goals as well.
And so I'm excited working with you, Rick. I will eventually take, you know, a lot of you guys trade questions, and hopefully I can answer them to the best of my ability.
But really, for me, it's about, how can I come here and give you guys a blueprint of how we move going forward the team post trade that was intended to be on the floor.
Kyrie [Irving], Klay [Thompson], P.J. [Washington Jr.], Anthony Davis, [Dereck] Lively, that's a championship caliber team, and you guys were able to see it for two and a half quarters. And unfortunately, it's a small sample size, but that is clearly a dominant defensive team, and as you look for us going forward, like our philosophy is going to change, we're a team that's built on defense. We're built on versatility in depth, and I think that's important going forward, and that's going to be the kind of the blueprint to our success. I also think that... we're going to have one of the strongest front lines in the NBA, and that's going to start with Anthony Davis.
He's not only an all-NBA player, he's an all defensive player, and that doesn't happen. And then going to P.J., he literally guards one through five. He's one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA. And a lot of people laughed when we traded him that he was going to be our defensive guy, but that's what he's done, and he's done it at a high level. And then you got 40 minutes of Gafford and Lively. And you know, that's rim protection at its finest. And then the click down, the versatility and depth Max Christie, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall, that really gives us the ability to not only play small, but fast. And again, it just gives us tons of versatility. And you know, the job that J-Kidd’s done over the last few months with the bodies that we've had or the bodies that we haven't had, has been remarkable. It's not only a testament to J-Kidd and his staff, but also the players in that locker room. They never gave up. They played inspiring basketball. And I think when you look for us going forward, that's what you should expect, the way the ball is moving, the way next man up mentality. Nobody quits, nobody gives up. And that's, that's what we're going to be about. I'm happy to let everybody know, and some of you guys already know this, but Kyrie, you know, obviously he's a key to our success going forward. He had successful knee surgery. There was nothing you know, a lot of times when you have knee surgery, you open up the knee, and you'll see some stuff that you didn't expect, but his was clean, and he's on his way back, and we expect him to be back next season as good as new. Before I open up the questions, I think it's really important that I kind of talk about our roster balance. I think that's a key thing. When you look at us, we're led by veterans, championship veterans, Kyrie, AD, Klay, they all won championships, and that's super important. Then it's kind of what I call like the prime guys are either in their prime or they're entering their prime. And that's Naji. That's Max Christie. Actually, Max Christie is a young guy, but Gafford, the guys are kind of right in their late, late 20s, early 30s, and then you got your young guys led by Lively, Jaden Hardy, Max Christie, and then we'll have a draft pick this year. So I really do think when you look at our roster today and going forward, we're extremely balanced and poised to win.
Thank you and open it up to questions.
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
You've got an outraged fan base. It's been outraged since the day you made the trade. The overwhelming majority opinion of your fan base is they want you fired. How do you respond to that? And why do you believe that Patrick Dumont should not take them up on that advice?
Nico Harrison
Well, the beauty of Dallas is it is a passionate fan base. For us to reach our goals we need that fan base. And to be honest with you, every trade I've made since I've been here has not been regarded as a good trade, and so sometimes it takes time. When I traded for Kyrie, it was met with a lot of skepticism, and it was graded as a terrible trade. And you didn't see it right away, but eventually everyone agreed that was a great trade. When I traded for Gaff [Gafford] and Lively, again, it was like, ‘Oh, he gave up way too much. These guys aren't going to help us.’
Now that trade, you saw the evidence a lot sooner. So I think a lot of times, trades take a little bit of time, but our philosophy, like I said, going forward, is defense wins championships, and we're built on defense, and this trade cements us for that.
Christian Clark, The Athletic
I think there's been criticism, including, you know, I think Mark went on TV and said this, if you're gonna, if you're gonna trade Luka, you have to get everything. Do you do you feel like that's valid like do you, do you feel like you guys, maximize the return for Luka looking back on that?
Nico Harrison
Yeah, when you, when you look at this trade, we targeted AD with our philosophy of defense, wins championships. We wanted a two-way player to lead our team, and that was Anthony Davis. And so, you know, everybody's going to have their critics. And you know, I'm not sure what Mark said, but that's a better question left for him, but, but we got what we wanted.
Julie Fine, Bloomberg
On that vein of the trade itself. If you had to do it over again, would you do it the same way when you saw the reaction from the fan base, the shock, the anger, really. I mean, if you had to do it over again, would you do it the same way?...
Nico Harrison
Yeah, there's no regrets on the trade. Part of my job is to do the best thing for the Mavericks, not only today, but also in the future. And some of the decisions I'm going to make are going to be unpopular, and that's my job, and I have to stand by it. And one last thing, also add, every trade I've done has been met with high scrutiny, and so eventually I'll earn the trust of this community that you know some of these trades are going to work out, and they have at a high-level.
Schuyler Dixon, AP
Along the same lines, do you feel a little bit more of a need to try to win back fans based on the reaction, or do you put it in the same category as any other trade you made, where you know history will decide it?
Nico Harrison
Well, I do agree that history will decide it, but I go back to what I said in my opening statement, putting the roster on the floor with Kyrie clay [sic], PJ, Anthony Davis and lively [sic]. That's a championship caliber team. And although the fans could have been upset with trading Luka, they wouldn't have been upset with the results.
Newy Scruggs, NBC 5
Nico, you see the signs that say, ‘ fire you.’ There's been death threats. Why do you want to continue in this job when there's so much venom out there, right there, and how's it affected you personally, in your family?
Nico Harrison
Personally, I'm optimistic. You know, when you look at the team and you know, a couple times we've had three games in a row, we had eight players, and only seven and a half could actually play. Some of them were restricted minutes, but they didn't stop playing. And so I'm super optimistic about that, and I believe in the trade I made, I believe that that's going to bring us a championship caliber team going forward, and so I'm optimistic and excited about the future, and I do believe that once we win, the fans will come back. My family is solid. I don't really want to talk about them, but my wife and I, we have super grounded kids, and they're not oblivious to everything, but they're well adjusted.
Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News
What do you anticipate this off season, as far as any personnel changes, whether that's coaching staff from J-Kidd’s staff or the medical staff?
Nico Harrison
Yeah, I think if, if you look at, well, the biggest thing is going to be the roster, and, you know, I kind of gave you guys the blueprint that's going to be our summer is really going to be focused on, you know, we're going to have to make up a little bit of Kyrie’s production. So that's going to be kind of the goal going forward, not one person is going to be able to make up Kyrie's production. And then also, Kyrie is going to come going to come back, so it's going to be a group effort. Some of those guys we already have on the team. And then that will be kind of our blueprint as we look for the draft and then free agency.
Holden Willen, Dallas Business Journal
I know you said you don't regret the trade Nico, and I know you spoke about it the morning after the news came out, but why has it taken two and a half months, I guess, to talk to us? And if you could go back, would you do anything differently in terms of how you guys handled the news of the trade and the fallout?
Nico Harrison
Yeah, there's always learnings on how you do that. Rick and I have talked about it, how could we have done it differently, if it was in a perfect time, if we actually dictated the time zone, and then in terms of how we responded.
But in typical drafts, I did address the media, and I was really hoping that with the championship caliber team that we're going to put on the floor, that a lot of the vitriol would have subsided, but that didn't happen due to a lot of the injuries.
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
In your own words, you created a three to four year time frame. In building a Finals team, a team that went to the Finals last season, you gave up your first round capital control of it 27, 28, 29 and 30. So three to four years ends, you're out your first round draft capital. How is that a logical decision? Explain the logic of that for the long term best interest of this franchise?
Nico Harrison
Can you repeat that?
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
27 to 30, you're out on your first round capital. Your own words, you created a three to four-year time frame. When the credit card bill comes due, that time frame is over. How is that in the best interest of long term interests of the franchise? And again, 27 to 30, you're out of your capital, you build a Finals team doing it, and you traded the guy who led that Finals team. How is that in the long term best interest when he's, at the time, a 25-year-old, generational talent who could have a 10-12, year runway. He's one of the best players that we've seen.
Nico Harrison
I keep saying the same thing, but defense wins championships. I believe that we have a championship caliber team, not only for now, but also for the future.
Obviously, the future will hold if I'm right or wrong, and ultimately, we're going to be held to the standard of wins and losses, and every executive in every field is going to be held to that same standard.
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
Your long term best interest though, 25, 26, 27 there’s your three years. Then you're out your first round capital. How does that make sense for the franchise?
Nico Harrison
Like I said, we believe in the move we made. You obviously don't, and that's fine, and you're entitled to your opinions, but we're excited about the future of our team.
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
It's not what I believe. I'm asking your logic.
Nico Harrison
Again, I think the future will hold. I think once we win, then that will change your mind.
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
And you didn't believe that the team that went to the Finals last year with Luka as a centerpiece could continue to contend for championships?
Nico Harrison
I'll say this again. Defense wins championships.
Michelle Montaine, WFAA 8
Do you feel like there was any underestimating how much Luka meant to this fan base, and with that in mind, what did this trade kind of do to your relationship with the fan base?
Nico Harrison
Yeah, I don't think there was an underestimation, but clearly, we knew afterwards his impact on the fan base.
I do think that our intended roster, putting it on the floor, I felt, would have subsided a lot of the fan base’s vitriol because we would be out there winning. Obviously, with a lot of the injuries we weren't able to do that. And that kind of increased, it brought a lot of people in that may not even have had an opinion. And so that's unfortunate.
Tim Cato, DLLS
You keep saying that if you guys win, the fans will come back. I think for a sizable notable chunk of the fan base, they have expressed that's not the case.
When you took this role, and still now in this role, what do you feel your responsibility to the fan base is when there is a player as beloved as Luka, and this is the reaction that you've seen?
Nico Harrison
My responsibility to the fan base is put a championship caliber team on the floor, and we're... going to be judged by wins and losses.
Schuyler Dixon, AP
Rick, you mentioned earlier, there's some trust to rebuild with at least a portion of the fan base, and you have a lot of confidence that that will happen. What's the sort of road map to make that happen for those out there who do feel sort of disenfranchised?
Rick Welts
Well, I don't think our formula is any different than any other team, right?
Again, you know, winning is going to be important. We don't know the end of this story.
I'm just going to share with you my own experience of being in the NBA for close to 50 years.
I actually said to Nico, maybe it's me. Every team I've been associated with, the four teams I've been associated with, have all traded their most popular player to fan outrage.
In the three prior times, it's worked out really well. I'll go back to my Seattle SuperSonics days when our fan base hearts were broken when we traded Lenny Wilkens to Cleveland Cavaliers for Butch Beard. I thought the world was coming to an end as a young person.
Then he ended up coming back and coaching the Seattle SuperSonics to their only NBA championship. Had a nice had a nice end.
When I got to Phoenix, we were not very good. We traded our only great player that was the most popular player on our team, Stephon Marbury, to the New York Knicks, basically for cap space and won 29 games that year, and we had a big fan problem.
June 1 of that year, we signed this, you may have heard of him, this free agent, Steve Nash, went from 29 to 62 wins, and changed the game of basketball in terms of style of play. That worked out pretty well.
At Golden State. When I got there, we had one marketable player that our fans love. His name was Monta Ellis. We traded Monta Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks for an injured Andrew Bogut, who wasn't going to play that season. 10 days later, our new owner, Joe Lacob, was booed off the court trying to retire Chris Mullin’s uniform to bring him back into the fold of the Warriors. Booed off the court.
The ball came out of Monta Ellis's hands, was put in this young guard named Steph Curry. Four championships later, that worked out pretty well.
So, I would just say that this story is unfinished. We understand the pain, we're listening.
We hear every day the pain that people are feeling. But I think you have to judge us from this day forward on, whether or not we're going to conduct ourselves as an organization and as a basketball team in a way that that fans can embrace.
As I said, almost 80% of our season ticket holders made that decision for next year, to give us that chance. I think it's on us to earn back that trust from others by how we perform as an organization, as a franchise and as a basketball team.
Ben Swanger, D Magazine
You mentioned that you were targeting AD when you got the term sheet, when you got the offer in front of you, did you ever once consider maybe calling other GMs and seeing if you could get a better offer?
Nico Harrison
Yeah, it's a great question. Again, our whole time, we wanted a two-way player. Again, our philosophies went in with defense, and AD is at the top of the list, and when we had that opportunity, we struck. In this league, where players really run the league and you guys have seen it with other teams, they dictate where they're going to go and where they're not going to go. We had an opportunity to do this quietly, without the interference of that, and so we did it.
Ben Swanger, D Magazine
You also mentioned that you kind of likened the prime of a player to 28, 29, 30. Luka’s mid 20s. Do you think he's in his prime, past his prime or not there yet?
Nico Harrison
Honestly, I don't have an answer for that. I mean, I think time will tell. But I do believe that if you look at our team, our roster balance in terms of veteran leadership as well as prime and as well as young guys, I think is a perfect balance for winning.
Sam Gannon, Fox 4
Nico, there have been reports that came out about Luka's work ethic, his conditioning. Was there anything specifically about him that you felt that he wasn't evolving to a certain level so much that you felt that you needed to go in a different direction and trade him?
Nico Harrison
Luka is an extremely talented player, as we all know. We've all seen, he's probably dropped the most points when maybe he's not in the best conditioning. So he can do that. That's not an issue.
When you make a trade like this, you have to really look at it in its totality. We're thorough. We looked at everything, and again, just felt that it was in the best interest of our team going forward. I keep saying this, but defense wins championships, and I think that this gives us the best opportunity to not only win, it gives us the deepest team and the most versatile team. Not only today but also going forward.
Sam Gannon, Fox 4
And have you spoken to him at all since the trade?
Nico Harrison
I have not.
Holden Willen, Dallas Business Journal
Nico, I know you've been building relationships with players for two decades, but with everything that's happened with the fallout of this trade, and then fans still with the chants at the games— do you have any concerns about your ability to attract top talent in the NBA to the Mavericks in the future.
Nico Harrison
No, I don't. I think that's one of the reasons why I'm here. But it's not just me. It's Dallas. It's one of the fifth largest Metroplex in the in the U.S. It's a great city to live in. The fan base is amazing, part of the fire Nico chants, although you'd rather the fans cheer for the team, and may not be the story, it's a great fan base, and you need that fan base to win, and so I think that's an attraction. J-Kidd, a Hall of Fame point guard as your coach. I think all that kind of helps to attract. It's not just the Nico Harrison show, but to answer your question, no, that won't affect our ability to attract free agents.
Julie Fine, Bloomberg
Quick business question on season ticket prices. I mean, this was a fan base that just felt like it was one gut punch after the next. So, can you talk about why this was the year that you felt that you needed to do it?
Rick Welts
Well, last year was the year too, this year was this year. I never would expect announcement of this season ticket price increase to be greeted with applause. I will say, you know, we really feel confident in the science that goes behind it. This team historically has been below the middle of the pack in terms of ticket pricing. It's a little bit inside baseball, but there's great technology today we track 10s of 1000s of transactions of tickets. It's not how the price that we sell a ticket to then you're able to track what, what fans who bought that ticket, sell it to other fans for and clearly there was a lot of value there, which we think is great, frankly, for season ticket holders to be able to help underwrite the cost of their season tickets by reselling their seats. But it also reflects the actual value in a free marketplace of what those tickets are worth. So, and you have to really take a look, it wasn't a one size fits all the increases that we did this year a little over 8% overall, were focused on the best located, most expensive seats. Much more. We still have over 4000 seats that are available for under $40 with this ticket price, we're still solidly in the middle of a 30-team league in terms of the ticket pricing. So, yeah, I don't, I don't ever expect anybody to cheer a ticket price increase. But as one of my ex-bosses at Golden State, Peter Guber, who I adore, used to say, you know, it's not called show show, it's called show business. And if you really want to have, again, a franchise that's going to be able economically, to compete for franchises, you have to run a responsible business. And you know, again, I think question the timing, certainly, but it really is something that I think we feel really confident reflects the value of the experience of going to a Dallas Mavericks game.
Christian Clark, the Athletic
Nico, Tim talked about the pick situation. I mean, you've said in the past is the three-tofour-year window. I think clearly this is a team built to win right now. Was just curious, do you see yourself in Dallas long term, do you want to be this team's GM in 2028-2029?
Nico Harrison
Yeah. I mean, I have three years left on my contract, I see myself finishing it out. In terms of Dallas, like, this is our home. My family, they're gonna finish school here. This is where, this is where we live. So, this is where I'm living.
Adam Rossow, Spectrum News
You're very convicted about the defense wins championships. But I'm interested in the thought process of keeping everything secret, targeting AD and not, you know, opening it up to other two-way players, younger two-way players, that could have fit that defense, wins championships mantra.
Nico Harrison
I think when you look at the league, well, one, we definitely targeted AD. So I think that's important. When you look at the league around the league, the players dictate where they go, and you can't shop your best player. A lot of trades that you think are going to happen don't happen. You can't shop your best player, that's just not it's not responsible, because a trade might not work, and then they have to ultimately play under the scrutiny of being shopped.
And then you also have a player who, this summer would have had a decision to make a big decision, whether he signs the super max or he waits. And for anybody to trade for a player that only has one year left, you're not going to get maximum value.
Tim McMahon, ESPN
So first of all, Luka said he was absolutely signing the super max. His decision was made. He was closing on a house here. Why not sign him to that supermax? I know you can't trade him this year. Can't trade him this summer. You gotta wait a year and a half. He would be under contract for at least four years at that point, and then he has no say. Damian Lillard wanted to go to Miami. He ended up in Milwaukee. If you want to maximize the value of Luka Dončić, why not use these super max to your advantage?
Nico Harrison
Well, there's no guarantee he would have signed a super max, but
Tim McMahon, ESPN
He has guaranteed— the man was bawling on the bench. Like, come on.
Nico Harrison
Well, like I said, we can agree to disagree, and that's fine, but we targeted AD. And again, I go back to the same thing. I feel like I'm a broken record, but the team that we intended to put on the floor, which you guys saw for two and a half quarters, that's a championship caliber team. And so you might not like it, but that's the fact it is. And so that's really where we're at.
Tim McMahon, ESPN
And obviously injuries derailed that.
So that leads me to, why did you make the decision to fire Casey Smith in the summer of 2023. Why did you make the decision to fire Jeremy Holsopple last year? And how do you evaluate the job of your new hires for those roles during the season, which, obviously, injuries have completely wreaked havoc on this roster.
Nico Harrison
Yeah, you know, you bringing up Casey is like almost, it's kind of a joke. Like last year, Casey wasn't around, and we made it to the Finals. No one brought up Casey last year. So, to bring him up this year doesn't really make sense. He's been away for two years. So it's, I'm not even going to comment on that.
90% of our injuries before the trade were contact injuries. That means they're unavoidable. Since then, since the trade, it's down to like 75%. And so when you talk about contact, contact injuries, those. Those are unavoidable injuries. Now, in terms of our medical staff, they're elite, and of course, they're not happy with the amount of injuries, but a lot of those are unavoidable.
Tim McMahon, ESPN
Now, there are things—return to play, situations where you guys have had guys come back. It's immediate re-aggravation. The most notable, obviously, is Anthony Davis. It's happened with P.J. Washington. What role does your new strength coach, your new head of athletic—you know, the Johan, the head of the group—what role do they have in those situations?
Nico Harrison
They, I mean, they all play a role. It's a team effort. It's not—it's not one person.
Tim McMahon, ESPN
How does Derek live to go through a full return to play workout in Charlotte and he's going to play two days later, the day in between, he gets a CT scan that shows that he had a stress fracture in his right ankle. How does that happen?
Nico Harrison
It actually goes to show the strength of our medical team, because he was cleared to play, but his signs and symptoms were—our medical team knew it was something more, and so that's why they went and tested him again and saw the CT scan, which—they actually avoided a potential catastrophic injury. So you know, you will take the angle of being negative, but it's actually a positive thing, because they saw with the symptoms, even though he was cleared to play, they didn't feel right putting him on the floor. And so they went back. They stopped him from playing. They went back. They re-tested, and thank God we saw that he had a stress fracture.
Michelle Montaine, WFAA
Nico, the last time we got to speak with you in Cleveland, some of the reasoning behind the trade was because of the culture you were trying to build pre-February. How would you describe the culture post the trade? How would you describe the culture of the team now?
Nico Harrison
Yeah, and I probably misspoke with the word culture. I think it's more philosophy versus culture, and I think our philosophy will then become our culture. So again, if you look at the team when we were shorthanded, I think that really shows kind of the culture of our team. When next man up, everybody's flying around and playing hard. And so when I look at the culture of our team I think it's high level, high character, guys. It's built on defense.
Tim Cato, DLLS
Originally this franchise’s culture was built on Dirk Nowitzki, the guy with the statue outside. It seems clear. He has made clear there are various ways that he is not pleased with the direction that the franchise is going and some of the choices that you have made. Does that give you pause at all?
Nico Harrison
Well, let's be clear, Dirk Nowitzki is the most important person in the franchise history, and that's why he's immortalized outside. In terms of how he feels, that's a question for him, but Dirk is super important to this franchise. Any role, big or small, that he wants to play, he'll be met with open arms. And you know, Dirk is—he's the greatest Mav ever.
Newy Scruggs, NBC5
Rick, you spoke about a frustration that we haven't talked enough about—the stadium and the entertainment complex being built. You were out there with the Golden State Warriors. Steph Curry was a player that people wrote tickets—they wanted to go see that guy. What are you selling right now because the fan base is mad, and a lot of fans right now, unfortunately, don't want to cheer for this team, because they feel like you've ripped apart their Steph Curry, Luka. So what are you selling?
Rick Welts
Remember Kyrie Irving? Remember him? The fans will judge, right? I think we have a collection of the most likable, interesting players in the league right now, great stories. It's kind of funny to me, because I spent four years of my life hating Kyrie Irving because we played him in the Finals four times—he broke my heart. So many times, I lost count. Since I knew I was coming here and got to watch him every night—oh my God, I have become the most gigantic Kyrie Irving fan. Any sports fan who can't watch this guy play and compete at his skill level, his leadership—like I can't wait till we get him back on the court next year. He's not Luka, right? And he's Kyrie. But I think there's so much to love in PJ. There's so much to love in Dereck Lively. There's so much to love in Max Christie. I think people are gonna—you know, if we're successful, and I don't know if we will be. We don't know if we will be. If we're successful, I think there's a lot to love about this team, and I think fans are fans, and I think they love the Dallas Mavericks. And, you know, I think we have that opportunity with the team we put back on the court and the way we conduct ourselves as a franchise to win their trust back.
Newy Scruggs, NBC5
Nico, just so many things in the trade of what you wanted have not happened. Has there been anything positive that's happened so far?
Nico Harrison
I think the positivity comes in the fact that the team hasn't quit. I think the job that J. Kidd and his staff has done in terms of next man up mentality, I think that's extremely positive. The team's played inspiring basketball shorthanded, and so we're super optimistic about the future.
Ben Swanger, D Magazine
Rick, sticking with the stadium. You mentioned 30 to 50 acres. Have the Mavericks or the city of Dallas identified tracts of land where you could put that stadium?
Rick Welts
What we have talked to the mayor and the city manager and her staff about is kind of the generalities of what we're going to need. We don't have, you know, a particular location that we feel like this has to be, and the city has been great, and the city is right now, spending a lot of time trying to find potential suitable locations for that. So, I think we're very appreciative and encouraged by the city's approach to this point. We're not talking about a lot of this publicly, because I think it's better done to try to get a plan and then present a plan than to talk about a lot of what ifs. But I think the progress we've made to date makes me very encouraged that you know, ultimately, you know, we're going to find that location within the boundaries of the city of Dallas, but the city is working hard and can't thank their staff enough at this point.
Tim Cato, DLLS
Nico, you didn't speak following the trade deadline, having addressed the Quentin Grimes trade. I think I understand loosely why that trade was made. You guys did not feel that you were going to retain Quentin Grimes as he went into free agency. Why was a draft pick attached to that trade, and what were the logic behind the negotiations of that deal in general?
Nico Harrison
Well, it was really about getting Caleb Martin. It was less about Grimes. We, obviously, we traded for Grimes, and we got a good look at Grimes. Great player. I think it worked out for both teams. It worked out for him. He's a free agent situation, so we got to go to a team where he could shoot all the balls and really display his offense. And for us, we weren't interested in that. We were interested in how he could help us win games. And we had the opportunity to get Caleb, which the opportunity only afford itself because Anthony Davis, he gave us that ability, because he had a trade clause, a trade kicker, and he opted out of that. And so that gave us the room to be able to do that.
Tim Cato, DLLS
The perception is that Grimes is a younger, better player than Caleb Martin. Maybe you disagree, but why was a second-round pick, a valuable second round pick attached to that deal?
Nico Harrison
Well, if you don't like Caleb, then you're not going to like the trade. But we valued Caleb more so, and we also got a second-round pick back.
Newy Scruggs, NBC5
Who have you leaned on during this time, because it's been a lot. I mean, who you talk to, and just those moments when you I don't know maybe if it had some doubts or just tried to keep yourself being forward, in a positive way.
Nico Harrison
Thanks for asking. I mean, I always feel God's got me covered first of all, but I got amazing family, lean on them, and amazing friends too. And so, when you're not feeling at your best, regardless of if it's this trade or if it's five years ago, that's where I lean on.
Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News
Rick, just to follow up on the conversations about the arena, you mentioned conversation with the city of Dallas, but what are those conversations been like with your partner here at AAC, the Dallas Stars. And do you see that partnership continuing given the fact that the team wants to build a new arena?
Rick Welts
It definitely is continuing till 2031. We’re in this building together, and I think I'm still very hopeful we're going to be able to invest more money in this building to improve the fan experience in the time that we remain. We're prepared to do that. Beyond that, I think it's interesting that the last two arenas that have been built in our league are basketball-only facilities. That's what the Golden State Warriors is. That's what Intuit Dome for the Clippers is. They're not designed for hockey. If you're into the architecture of these buildings, there's some real advantages for basketball fans. If you design a basketball-only facility, you're not working around the larger geometry of a hockey rink versus a smaller floor footprint of a basketball court. So at least at this point, we think the best option for the Mavericks right now, and for the experience of going to Mavericks games, would be to build a basketball-first facility.
Schuyler Dixon, AP
Rick bear with me on kind of a what if related to arenas, but it seems like the timeline for a new arena, if it dovetails with the end of the lease may not be enough time for gambling to get where it needs to get in Texas. Is that still, are those two things still kind of attached, an arena and gambling? Or have you all reached a point where maybe you move on from the gambling component?
Rick Welts
Yeah, I can tell you as recently as yesterday afternoon, in the conversation with Patrick, we're full speed ahead, with or without any legislation that permits casino gambling in Texas. So we're going to build absolutely the best facility for the Mavericks going forward. That's the focus, not dependent whatsoever on casino gambling in Texas.
Schuyler Dixon, AP
And Nico, can you give us kind of a rough estimate of how long you all expect to play without Kyrie to start, 25-26. Is it too early for that?
Nico Harrison
It's too early for that. But we do expect to have him back. And the way Kyrie attacks his body and in the way he's going to attack this rehab, we feel like he'll be back and good as ever.
Johnny Resendiz, CBS Sports Texas
Obviously, injuries isn't something that you could necessarily control. But given that Kyrie is going to be coming back later in the year, and given all the injuries, including AD’s history, is there any concern that championship team you mentioned we saw for two quarters won't be on the floor nearly as much as you hope?
Nico Harrison
No, other than Kyrie, obviously, with his rehab. I think this has been an abnormal year, with so many of these injuries being contact injuries, which were unavoidable. I think it's going to go back to the main eventually. That's how things happen. So there's, we're optimistic. We feel that that we're going to have the guys on the floor next year.
Holden Wilen, Dallas Business Journal
Rick, it was reported the other day that the Mavericks could be facing a nine-figure loss of revenue in the coming years because of everything related to the trade. What was your reaction to that number? Is it accurate? And on sponsorships? You mentioned you're talking to corporate partners every day. What are you doing to retain them? And have you lost any sponsorships yet?
Rick Welts
We haven't yet. Hopeful that we won't, hopeful that we'll have new business for next year. Just to be clear, that was that that comment came from Mark Cuban on his time owning the team and his losses that you're referring to. I probably won't be here if that's the case going forward. So, it's been really fun being with you. I think we don't have to be in a situation like that. I will say, we talked about ticket prices on one side, we made a decision to lose or to give up tens of millions of dollars of revenue this year in terms of our free broadcast policy. We have moved away from as the industry has, it's a much longer conversation the regional sports network model and took many tens of millions of dollars hit to decide to go forward with a free-over-the-air and MavsTV. It was also a calculated business decision to make sure that we got the widest possible exposure for our team going forward. And I think there's an argument to be made for that. So, there's decisions that get made that are not economically to our advantage, and that was definitely an example of one of those.
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
Nico, you mentioned Dirk can have any role he wants with the franchise. Why not seek his input before you make a franchise altering decision like trading Luka?
Nico Harrison
First of all, nobody really knew about this trade, it was very hush hush. But you can't look for advice from people who aren't in the building at a constant basis, because they're not going to understand what the team is going through day in and day out.
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
What about Mark Cuban?
Nico Harrison
Same logic.
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
What's your understanding of why Dirk has decided that he's not going to be involved with the inner workings of this franchise?
Nico Harrison
I don't know. He hasn't been since I've been here. So that's a better question for him.
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
Did you factor in his feelings before you fired people that you know obviously, were very good friends of his? Getting back to and I know it's a joke to bring up Casey Smith, it's not a joke to Dirk - did you factor in Dirk’s feelings when you fired Casey Smith, when you fired Jeremy Holsopple, when you fired Casey Spangler?
Nico Harrison
A lot of these people actually weren't fired, their contracts ended…
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
When you made the decision to move on from them.
Nico Harrison
No, my obligation is to the Dallas Mavericks. It's what’s in the best interest of the Dallas Mavericks, and that's the most important thing. Again, some of those decisions are going to be unpopular, maybe to Dirk and maybe to the fans, but my obligation is to the Dallas Mavericks.
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
Those are people who are as respected as anybody in their field. Why is it in the best interest of Dallas Mavericks to not have them employed here?
Nico Harrison
What people were the most respected in…
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
Casey Smith, Jeremy Holsopple, Casey Spangler, these are people who were widely respected in their field, in their respective fields. These are people who were huge parts of the culture of this franchise long before you were here. Why is it in the Dallas Mavericks best interest to not have them continue to be employees?
Nico Harrison
Again, I'm not going to sit here and go back and forth with the guys who we decided to move on from, but we're excited about the team that we have. We feel that the guys that replaced them have done an amazing job. And again, you're coming at me from a negative standpoint, and I look at it from a positive standpoint, the guys that we brought in are better.
Michelle Montaine, WFAA
This actually is for both of you, but I'll start with you, Nico. How did you feel on April 9, watching the tribute video, and all of you know, seeing the arena decked out in white for Luka. How did you feel watching this?
Nico Harrison
I thought it was a good opportunity for the fans to wish Luka, say thank you. And so kind of put closure to the trades so I knew everything was going on. I saw the videos. I thought it was well done. I thought Rick and his team, it was a classy move by the Dallas Mavericks. I thought everything we did was super classy.
Michelle Montaine, WFAA
And, for you…
Rick Welts
It was an emotional night for me, too. And I think for all of our employees. I can't tell you how many hours of planning and effort went into creating what we thought would be a perfect tribute video. And I'm super proud of the organization on how they celebrate. I said to some of you beforehand, my only hope that night was the Dallas Mavericks fans would walk out of that building saying, okay, the Mavericks really did the right thing for somebody who meant this much for the franchise, and I hope they did. I think it was a success on a lot of different levels.
Michelle Montaine, WFAA
Just one more Nico. He just said, this is the guy who meant so much to the franchise. What do you think is the fans' biggest misunderstanding of why this trade happened?
Nico Harrison
I think the biggest misunderstanding of why this trade happened is that we feel that defense wins championships and I think I know once we're able to put this team on the floor, we're going to compete for championships.
Julie Fine, Bloomberg
When you talk about that night and you hope that fans get closure, is, what if they don't?
Rick Welts
I don't know what your definition of closure is. I don't think the contributions Luka made to this franchise will ever not be celebrated. I don't consider that door closed. That's something that lives in the history of the Dallas Mavericks. I don't know what your definition of closure is, but I just hope that with the team that we put on the floor going forward and the way this franchise conducts its business, we have the opportunity to welcome back some of those fans who may not have that feeling right now.
Newy Scruggs, NBC5
Nico, you mentioned championships. As a general manager, can you point to a move you saw in the NBA where you Hey, That move was made for defense, sacrificed maybe some offense, and that paid off for a championship. A model where you're looking at saying, Hey, this is what I think we should do.
Nico Harrison
I think if you look around the league and you look at the teams that have been winning, they're built on defense and versatility, which is ultimately what we are. And so I think that's the pathway forward.
Tim Cato, DLLS
Nico, you say that you have to do right for the Dallas Mavericks. Obviously, when you came and took this job, a big reason was Luka. You said it at press conferences. You said it to people around you. Obviously, you now feel that the best thing for the Dallas Mavericks was to trade him, even if it comes at the cost of someone like Dirk Nowitzki disagreeing with you. When it comes to your philosophy, did you take any consideration into what the philosophy, what the culture of the Dallas Mavericks had been before you came here? Was that an important thing to you? And do you feel like this move and where the franchise is headed is living up to a culture that did exist under Dirk Nowitzki?
Nico Harrison
Can you repeat that question? I want to make sure I answer right for you.
Tim Cato, DLLS
I think a lot of people thought Luka was the continuation of Dirk and the culture that this franchise had through Dirk. In trading him, obviously, you have a right to implement your philosophy. Do you feel like that philosophy is the same philosophy and culture that the Dallas Mavericks as a franchise had before you came and took this position?
Nico Harrison
I'm not really sure what the culture was before I came. Obviously, Dirk was an amazing player. He's the single most important player to this franchise. Luka, on the other hand, is another amazing player, and has had a good run. But going forward, we believe that defense is going to be our calling card, and versatility and depth. And I think when you look at how we're going to build this roster, we need to have all three of those things - defense, versatility and depth. And so when we had the opportunity to get Anthony Davis, we did that. In terms of the culture, I think you watch the players on the floor, you see how hard they play, and that should let you know the type of culture that we have in our locker room and in our arena.
Tim Cato, DLLS
But, when you say you don't know what the culture was before you took this job, isn't that an important thing to know given your role?
Nico Harrison
I don't think you can just be an outsider and understand what the culture is. I think you got to live it. So no, I don't think you can take a job, you can have a good estimation of what the culture is, but until you actually get inside and see the inner workings, I don't think you can, though. I don't know. I've been in several jobs where I thought it was a, and then you go on and it's B, and so I really think, until you really lift the hood up and really get to see what people are your greatest assets. So, when you talk about culture, you gotta start with people, and you know you might know people casually, but when you get a chance to really see them day to day, and then you understand what their culture is about.
Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News
Nico, how do you expect Jason Kidd and the coaching staff to fill some of the vacancies that may happen this offseason? Alex Jensen is going to Utah, a couple of the coaches may be considered for head coaching vacancies. And then, is there any update on Darrell Armstrong's status with the team?
Nico Harrison
Yeah, I think when you look at Alex Jensen, you mentioned Dudley, maybe up for a promotion, I think that's a great thing. It just shows that the staff that we had had is elite, which I think is super important. And when people leave, we'll replace them with other elite people. We haven't, we haven't spent time on that, and we won't until the season’s over with. We're optimistic about the game tomorrow, and that's really all, where all the focus is.
I don't have any updates on Darryl Armstrong.
UNKNOWN
With the success of Kyrie here, and I don't know if you want to call it kind of a transformational time in his career, from where he was before the trade and what he's become since, how much of that was part of your reasoning that you could let go of a franchise face like Luka, when you knew you had Kyrie here, and I guess kind of an extension of that is getting him under contract for a couple more years when he has a player option, with how big of that? How big of a situation is that? Will that be this summer?
Nico Harrison
Yeah, Kyrie will be a big focus for us this summer, for sure. There wasn't one thing. There wasn't the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of making a trade like this. Obviously, you factor in everything, and you do all your due diligence, and it's, it's not a fly by night, it's a process. And so Kyrie definitely played a role as did everything else that we looked at in the last three years.
Western Michigan: 2024-25 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey National Champions
ST. LOUIS, MO. –– Finally, the long-awaited dream is reality.
After a magical, historic and unforgettable season, one that saw a slew of program firsts and plenty more top-shelf accolades, Western Michigan hockey ensured its final act was even more extraordinary.
On Saturday night, in a scene some 52 years in the making, the No. 1-ranked Broncos (34-7-1) showed they belonged on the national stage –– soaring to their first-ever national championship by dominating Boston University, 6-2, and capping the program’s best season ever with the sport’s ultimate prize.
The Broncos are the champions of college hockey.
“I’m feeling a little bit of everything, so many emotions,” WMU graduate forward Tim Washe said postgame in an ESPN interview. “Winning the last game of the year is everything you dream of.”
Sophomore forward Owen Michaels, WMU’s star of the Frozen Four, laced the decisive fourth and sixth goals of game –– capping an incredible four-goal Frozen Four.
Leading 3-2 entering the third period, WMU hit the jets with a three-goal flurry –– all kickstarted and finished off by Michaels, with a Iiro Hakkarainen goal sandwiched in between.
Michaels’ second tally was an empty-netter with just over two minutes left in regulation.
“That was just a ton of emotions but that goal was not about me one bit,” said Michaels, who leaped into the Bronco bench upon scoring his second goal of the game. “It was about this team and this group doing something this program’s never done before. I just wanted to be with the guys.”
WMU’s six goals are the most goals scored by a team in the NCAA championship game since 2014. The Broncos were ready for Saturday –– they believed the moment was theirs.
And they left no doubt.
“It means everything, it means the program is on the map and that the program is moving forward to the future,” Western Michigan fourth-year head coach Pat Ferschweiler told ESPN in a postgame interview.
With the win, WMU wins its first national title since 1965, when the men’s cross country team won back-to-back titles (1964 and 1965). The Broncos also become the sixth Michigan college hockey program to win it all.
With everything on the line, both teams played like it. The pace, the intensity and the electricity was full-bore.
Western Michigan took little time asserting itself on the grand stage. In fact, the Broncos’ very first shot found netting.
Iiro Hakkarainen flipped a shot toward BU’s goal near the blueline, and Wyatt Schingoethe was there to deflect the shot on frame –– the puck fluttered into the net for an early 1-0 advantage just over a minute and a half into the game.
That setup a frantic first period.
Boston got its equalizer later in the period, as a loose puck in front of Hampton Slukynsky’s net was never froze, allowing Cole Eiserman to poke it free and into the back of the net.
Western Michigan would continue to play fast and jumped back in front thanks to a well-executed transition opportunity. On a 3-on-2, Alex Bump’s initial shot created chaos in front of the net and Cole Crusberg-Roseen was there to blast the rebound home from inside the left circle for a 2-1 advantage.
It was Crusberg-Roseen’s third goal of the season –– a testament to the Broncos’ depth, which has come in handy during their tournament run.
“It’s a huge advantage and we’ve had depth all year in scoring,” Ferschweiler said. “I think we’ve been No. 1 or 2 in scoring in the country and that’s for a reason. We’re not carried by just one guy. Alex Bump is our superstar but we have a lot of good supporting players and they came up in some of the most important moments of the game. We believe in them and they believe in themselves.”
Things only picked up from there, and with momentum on their side, the Broncos capitalized minutes into the second period –– all on another man advantage.
A 2-on-1 allowed Cam Knuble space to operate, putting a puck in front of BU goalie Mikhail Yegorov –– which was rebounded and slotted home by Ty Henricks for a commanding 3-1 Bronco lead.
It was the freshman’s sixth goal of the year.
BU would continue to fight, however, and after a Bronco penalty on WMU’s Brian Kramer, the Terriers would be rewarded. A clean BU face off win paved the way for Shane Lachance to clean up a loose puck in Slukynsky’s crease, poking in a goal that pulled the Terriers within 3-2.
Play would continue to amplified in the closing minutes of the second period, as both teams earned power play opportunities but neither found a goal out of it. Hakkarainen took a nasty hit from BU’s Aiden Celebrini near the end of the period and was helped off by his teammates.
Then, Owen Michaels sealed the glory.
On yet another man advantage, the sophomore ripped a wicked wrister from the circle that zipped by Yegorov for a two-goal lead –– the starter to a three-goal period and the exclamation point to a fairytale night.
“I just love the guys that I play with,” Michaels said. “Nothing better than going to the rink each and every day and seeing these guys. This game and this week wasn’t about Owen Michaels, it was about the Western Michigan Broncos doing something this program has never done.”
Boston University (24-14-2) nearly tied the game on a scramble for a loose puck moments prior to Michaels’ first goal, but Slukynsky stopped the initial shot –– while his teammate, Joona Vaisanen laid out in front of the crease to stop the puck from going in.
BU coach Jay Pandolfo challenge the call –– but the officials confirmed the call on the ice.
That turned out to be the game-swinging moment of Saturday.
With the goals pouring in during the final back end of the third period, WMU’s fans at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis could sense the moment –– and so could its fans back home, too.
For the first time in 60 years, the Broncos have a national title to bring back to Kalamazoo.
“To be the first Western Michigan Broncos to win it all, it’s special,” Michaels said.
Florida: 2024-25 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Champions
Florida took down Houston 65-63 in a thriller, preventing the Cougars from getting a shot off in the closing seconds and denying Houston its first-ever title.
This is the Gators' third championship and their first since going back-to-back in 2006 and 2007.
Houston (35-5) led 42-30 early in the second half after holding a 31-28 lead coming out of the break. But as the Gators have done all tournament, Todd Golden's squad hung around, responding with a 12-3 run to cut the deficit to just 45-42.
The Gator's 12-point rally ties the third-largest comeback in national championship history. The largest came in 2022 when Kansas erased a 16-point deficit against North Carolina.
The teams were not separated by more than three points over the final 8:31 of game time. Florida took its first lead since 15:37 in the first half with 46 seconds remaining. In total, the Gators lead for only 64 seconds compared to Houston's 30:44 in front.
The teams were tied 12 times, but the championship only featured three lead changes.
After just four total fouls in the first 20 minutes, Houston tallied 16 in the second half and Florida had nine. Fifteen of the Gator's 37 second-half points came at the line, including their final five points.
Houston had five turnovers entering the final two minutes, but the Cougars coughed the ball up four times over the final 2:05 — a pivotal swing that turned the game in Florida's favor. Meanwhile, Florida turned it over nine times in the first half, but the Gators protected the rock in the second, only committing four all half.
Walter Clayton Jr. was awarded Most Outstanding Player after dropping 34 in the Final Four against Auburn and 11 points and seven assists against Houston. Will Richard provided a huge spark in the first half with 14 points, finishing with a team-high 18 points.
Houston's L.J. Cryer paced the game with 19 points on 6-18 shooting. He was the only Cougar in double digits.
Florida's two-point win is the smallest margin of victory in a men's title game since Duke held off Butler, 61-59, in 2010.
Nebraska: 2025 College Basketball Crown Champions
LAS VEGAS -- Senior Brice Williams scored 21 points to set the single-season scoring record for Nebraska and the Cornhuskers rallied past UCF for a 77-66 victory in the championship game of the College Basketball Crown at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday.
Williams made 6 of 14 shots with three 3-pointers and 6 of 8 free throws for Nebraska (21-14). He scored 713 points this season -- five more than James Palmer Jr. had in the 2018-19 season.
Connor Essegian sank 8 of 16 shots with four 3-pointers, also scoring 21 for the Cornhuskers. Juwan Gary had 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting, adding eight rebounds.
Jordan Ivy-Curry came off the bench to score a season-high 29 for the Knights (20-17). He made 12 of 22 shots -- 3 of 9 from beyond the arc. Nils Machowski totaled 13 points and six rebounds. Moustapha Thiam had 11 rebounds to go with nine points.
Williams hit two 3-pointers to help Nebraska jump in front 15-9 in the first eight minutes. The Cornhuskers led by as many as 12 and played with the lead until Darius Johnson sank two free throws to tie it at 33 with 1:46 left before halftime. Gary made two free throws to end a nearly four-minute scoring drought for Nebraska, but Dallan Coleman answered with a second-chance layup to forge a 35-35 tie at the break.
The Knights scored the first 14 points of the second half -- capped by a 3-pointer from Tyler Hendricks -- to move in front for the first time since they led 3-0. Nebraska's first basket didn't come until the 14:36 mark when Gary had a layup. He scored nine in an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to three. Essegian hit back-to-back 3-pointers to tie it at 52. Andrew Morgan followed with two straight dunks and the Cornhuskers never trailed over the final 9:48.
Williams also set Nebraska's single-game scoring record this season with 43 points in a 116-114 double-overtime road loss to Ohio State on March 4.
UConn: 2024-25 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Champions
TAMPA, Fla. -- It has been a nine-year wait for UConn to get its 12th national championship. But in a lot of ways, it came at exactly the right time.
The No. 2-seeded Huskies finished their run through three No. 1 seeds, culminating in an 82-59 victory over South Carolina in the NCAA final on Sunday to claim a title that perhaps means a little more because of the journey the program and senior star Paige Bueckers has been on to get it.
After winning four championships in a row from 2013 to 2016 behind superstar Breanna Stewart, the Huskies hit a series of roadblocks with tough losses and injury heartbreaks.
But Sunday, the Huskies moved to the top of the women's basketball world again, sending Bueckers -- who is expected to be the WNBA's No. 1 draft pick on April 14 -- out with her first national championship.
A tearful Bueckers buried her face in coach Geno Auriemma's shoulder as they hugged on the sideline when she exited the game with just over a minute left, mission at last accomplished.
With guards Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, healthy at the same time, and the top freshman in the nation in forward Sarah Strong, UConn looked like so many of its championship teams of old. Not just the best team, but the team that also played the best.
Fudd and Strong both finished with 24 points, and Bueckers had 17. Freshman Joyce Edwards and sophomore Tessa Johnson led South Carolina with 10 points each as the Gamecocks fell short of repeating as national champions and finished 35-4.
UConn now has 12 wins in the Final Four by 20 or more points. All other teams in Division I women's history have 11 combined.
Bueckers was asked before Sunday's game how she would like to be remembered at UConn.
"As a great teammate, a great leader. I think those are the two most important things to me, just being somebody that people love to play with, make their teammates better, wears a UConn jersey with pride," she said.
Now, she also will be remembered as a national champion. Admittedly, there were points in her career where it didn't seem that would happen. UConn's disappointments go back, in fact, to the end of their 111-game winning streak at the Final Four in Dallas in 2017. The Huskies were defeated on a buzzer-beater in overtime in the national semifinals by Mississippi State.
Then in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2024, the Huskies also lost in the national semifinals. They fell in the 2022 national championship game to South Carolina, and missed the 2023 Final Four -- the only time since an Elite Eight loss in 2007 that the Huskies have not made the season's final weekend. Bueckers missed the 2022-23 season with a knee injury.
With Fudd out last season, the Huskies went down to the wire with Iowa in the national semifinals, but lost 71-69. That set up a lot of pressure on Bueckers and the Huskies to make their dreams come true this year.
UConn wasn't perfect this season, as has been the case with six former UConn championship teams. But after an 80-76 loss at Tennessee on Feb. 6, the Huskies didn't lose another game. They won the Big East regular-season and tournament titles, then dominated their way through the NCAA tournament (including wins over 1-seeds USC, UCLA and South Carolina) to finish 37-3.
Sunday, the Huskies took a 19-14 lead after a first quarter that featured a very fast pace and some intense defense inside from UConn. The Huskies set the tone by shooting 52.9% from the field in the opening period, while holding the Gamecocks to 40%. Unlike UCLA in its semifinal loss to UConn, South Carolina was working the ball into the spots it wanted, but didn't finish well.
Strong's emphatic block of a Raven Johnson layup attempt at the 9:04 mark of the second quarter sent a message, as did her play throughout her first postseason.
Strong set a record for points by a freshman in a single NCAA tournament with 114, passing Tennessee's Tamika Catchings, who had 111 in 1998. That year, incidentally, Strong's mother, Allison Feaster, led Harvard as a No. 16 seed past No. 1 Stanford in the NCAA tournament. Feaster went on to a 10-season career in the WNBA, where her daughter will be headed in a few years.
Strong is also the first player (regardless of class) to have at least 100 points, 25 assists and 10 blocks in a single NCAA tournament since blocks became an official stat in 1988.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley predicted on Saturday that over the next few years, Strong might end up as the best Huskies player of all. Which is saying a ton considering UConn boasts former players such as Stewart, Diana Taurasi, Swin Cash and two of the most recent Naismith Hall of Fame inductees, Maya Moore and Sue Bird, who were honored at Sunday's game.
UConn, which entered Sunday averaging 8.7 3-pointers per game, had just one in the first half, but that one shot -- by Ashlynn Shade from the left corner with nine seconds left -- gave the Huskies some momentum going into halftime up 36-26.
The Huskies continued to control the game throughout the second half. UConn is now 91-2 when leading by double digits at halftime in the NCAA tournament. The two losses were the 2001 national semifinal (up 12 at the half), when it lost to eventual champion Notre Dame, and in the 1989 first round (up 10) against La Salle.
Auriemma was coaching in his first NCAA tournament in 1989, in his fourth season at UConn. The Huskies have now appeared in 36 NCAA tournaments and 24 Final Fours. Auriemma, who turned 71 in March, is the first coach to win a championship at age 70 or older in Division I women's or men's basketball.
He joked before the game that he thought about quitting multiple times during the season the past few years, but then would go to practice and always be drawn back in.
"I think there's a lot of people counting on me to keep doing what I'm doing at UConn -- all my team, all my staff," Auriemma said. "I think they're counting on me to keep going and keep impacting and keep doing what we do."
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