Today is Monday, June 23, the 174th day of 2025. There are 191 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On June 23, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed into law the Education Amendments of 1972, including Title IX, which barred discrimination on the basis of sex for “any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Also on this date:
In 1888, abolitionist Frederick Douglass received one vote from the Kentucky delegation at the Republican convention in Chicago, making him the first Black candidate to have his name placed in nomination for U.S. president.
In 1931, aviators Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took off from Roosevelt Field in New York on an around-the-world flight that lasted eight days and 15 hours.
In 1947, the Senate joined the House in overriding President Harry S. Truman’s veto of the Taft-Hartley Act, designed to limit the power of organized labor.
In 1956, Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected president of Egypt.
In 1969, Warren E. Burger was sworn in as chief justice of the United States by his predecessor, Earl Warren.
In 1985, all 329 people on an Air India Boeing 747 were killed when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Ireland after a bomb planted by Sikh separatists exploded onboard.
In 1992, mob boss John Gotti was sentenced to life after being found guilty of murder, racketeering and other charges. (Gotti would die in prison in 2002.)
In 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union after a bitterly divisive referendum campaign, toppling Prime Minister David Cameron, who led the drive to remain in the bloc.
In 2020, the Louisville police department fired an officer involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor more than three months earlier, saying Brett Hankison showed “extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he fired 10 rounds into her apartment.
In 2022, in a major expansion of gun rights, the Supreme Court said Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.
Today’s Birthdays:
Author Richard Bach is 89.
Computer scientist Vint Cerf is 82.
Actor Bryan Brown is 78.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is 77.
Musician Glenn Danzig is 70.
Former “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson is 69.
Actor Frances McDormand is 68.
Golf Hall of Famer Colin Montgomerie is 62.
Actor Selma Blair is 53.
French soccer manager and former player Zinedine Zidane is 53.
Actor Joel Edgerton is 51.
Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz is 48.
Rapper Memphis Bleek is 47.
Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson is 46.
Actor Melissa Rauch (“The Big Bang Theory”) is 45.
Tennis legend and equality rights advocate Billie Jean King, right, gestures as she speaks at a Women’s History Month event honoring King and women athletes in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, Wednesday, March 9, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. At left is Wendy Mink, whose mother, Patsy Takemoto Mink, was the first woman of color elected to Congress. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court for the final time this season, collapsed into the arms of coach Mark Daigneault and finally smiled.
It was over.
The climb is complete. The rebuild is done. The Oklahoma City Thunder are champions.
The best team all season was the best team at the end, bringing the NBA title to Oklahoma City for the first time. Gilgeous-Alexander finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers — who lost Tyrese Haliburton to a serious leg injury in the opening minutes — 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.
“It doesn’t feel real,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, the Finals MVP. “So many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief. It’s crazy to know that we’re all here, but this group worked for it. This group put in the hours and we deserve this.”
Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who finished off a season for the ages. Oklahoma City won 84 games between the regular season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for third most in any season.
Only Golden State (88 in 2016-17) and the Bulls (87 in 2015-16) won more.
It’s the second championship for the franchise. The Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title in 1979; the team was moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. There’s nothing in the rafters in Oklahoma City to commemorate that title.
In October, a championship banner is finally coming. A Thunder banner.
The Pacers led 48-47 at the half even after losing Haliburton to what his father said was an Achilles tendon injury about seven minutes into the game. But they were outscored 34-20 in the third quarter as the Thunder built a 13-point lead and began to run away.
Bennedict Mathurin had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, which still is waiting for its first NBA title. The Pacers — who were 10-15 after 25 games and were bidding to be the first team in NBA history to turn that bad of a start into a championship — had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the series, but they simply didn’t have enough in the end.
Home teams improved to 16-4 in NBA Finals Game 7s. And the Thunder became the seventh champion in the last seven seasons, a run of parity like none other in NBA history.
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was part of the Toronto team that won in 2019, Thunder guard Alex Caruso was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won in the pandemic “bubble” in 2020, Milwaukee won in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Pacers forward Thomas Bryant and Denver prevailed in 2023, and Boston won last year’s title.
And now, the Thunder get their turn. The youngest team to win a title in nearly a half-century has reached the NBA mountaintop.
The Thunder are the ninth franchise to win a title in NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s 12 seasons. His predecessor, David Stern, saw eight franchises win titles in his 30 seasons as commissioner.
“They behave like champions. They compete like champions,” Daigneault said. “They root for each other’s success, which is rare in professional sports. I’ve said it many times and now I’m going to say it one more time. They are an uncommon team and now they’re champions.”
— By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Basketball Writer
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, center, holds up the MVP trophy as he celebrates with his team after they won the NBA basketball championship with a Game 7 victory against the Indiana Pacers Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (JULIO CORTEZ — AP Photo)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court for the final time this season, collapsed into the arms of coach Mark Daigneault and finally smiled.
It was over.
The climb is complete. The rebuild is done. The Oklahoma City Thunder are champions.
The best team all season was the best team at the end, bringing the NBA title to Oklahoma City for the first time. Gilgeous-Alexander finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers who lost Tyrese Haliburton to a serious leg injury in the opening minutes 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.
It doesnt feel real, Gilgeous-Alexander said. So many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief. Its crazy to know that were all here, but this group worked for it. This group put in the hours and we deserve this.
Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who finished off a season for the ages. Oklahoma City won 84 games between the regular season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for third most in any season.
Only Golden State (88 in 2016-17) and the Bulls (87 in 2015-16) won more.
Its the second championship for the franchise. The Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title in 1979; the team was moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Theres nothing in the rafters in Oklahoma City to commemorate that title.
In October, a championship banner is finally coming. A Thunder banner.
The Pacers led 48-47 at the half even after losing Haliburton to what his father said was an Achilles tendon injury about seven minutes into the game. But they were outscored 34-20 in the third quarter as the Thunder built a 13-point lead and began to run away.
Bennedict Mathurin had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, which still is waiting for its first NBA title. The Pacers who were 10-15 after 25 games and were bidding to be the first team in NBA history to turn that bad of a start into a championship had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the series, but they simply didnt have enough in the end.
Home teams improved to 16-4 in NBA Finals Game 7s. And the Thunder became the seventh champion in the last seven seasons, a run of parity like none other in NBA history.
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was part of the Toronto team that won in 2019, Thunder guard Alex Caruso was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won in the pandemic bubble in 2020, Milwaukee won in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Pacers forward Thomas Bryant and Denver prevailed in 2023, and Boston won last years title.
And now, the Thunder get their turn. The youngest team to win a title in nearly a half-century has reached the NBA mountaintop.
The Thunder are the ninth franchise to win a title in NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's 12 seasons leading the league. His predecessor, David Stern, saw eight franchises win titles in his 30 seasons as commissioner.
A 26-year-old Detroit man drowned in Cass Lake on Sunday, the Oakland County Sheriffs Office confirmed.
According to the sheriffs office, the man, who did not know how to swim, may have thought the water was shallow when he left the boat, but it was actually 55 feet deep.
Officials say the victim was on a 20-foot boat with four other people, and the boat had been trolling over a sandbar in the lake before moving to deep water. After the victim went in, a friend reportedly tried to help him, but officials say the victim panicked and the friend could not hold him.
Officials say they received the 911 call around 4:15 p.m. After sorting through conflicting location information, the sheriffs office said they got to the victim within six minutes of figuring out his approximate location and began performing CPR.
The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he later died, officials say.
With the onset of warmer weather and a substantial increase in water activity, we urge people to employ flotation devices and wear them if they are not strong swimmers, irrespective of the situation, Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement. Additionally, it is crucial to have life-saving equipment on board boats to rescue individuals in distress. An enjoyable day on the water can rapidly become a tragic moment.
EAST LANSING – Lake Orion’s Connor Fox picked up where he left off last year and had the lead through the first day of the 47th Michigan Junior State Amateur Championship presented by Imperial Headwear.
The defending champion shot rounds of 4-under 67 and 2-under 69 for a two-round 136 total Sunday at Michigan State University’s Forest Akers West Course. It earned him medalist honors for the stroke play competition in the championship, and he will start match play Monday as the No. 1 seed.
The 16-18 age players in the overall division played 36 holes on Sunday to determine the field for a 32-golfer bracket for match play. The golfers playing in the 15-and-under division will play 18 holes on Monday to fill out an 8-golfer bracket. Match play rounds follow on Tuesday and the semifinal and championship matches for both age divisions are on Wednesday.
Like the weather, Fox warmed up and built a lead. He said being the medalist wasn’t really on his mind, though.
“Once you get to match play the seeds don’t really mean anything, so I wasn’t really thinking about being medalist, but it’s still pretty cool to be medalist,” he said.
He said the weather was anything but cool and made it tough to play.
“It was really hot,” he said. “It was tough. I think towards the end I was feeling it, but I just tried to keep my hands dry.”
Cody Rowe of Pleasant Lake shot 68 and 71 for 139, finishing second by three shots.
Adam Thanaporn of Ann Arbor shot 69 and 73 for 142, Sutton Schroeder of Gowen, who shot rounds of 70 and 72 for 142, and John Cassidy of Grand Rapids, who shot a pair of 71s for 142, tied for third.
Fox, who will join the Michigan State golf program this fall, played well in last week’s Michigan Amateur Championship at Belvedere Golf Club in Charlevoix. He was among the top 25 in stroke play and won a first-round match before being knocked out in the round of 32.
“I just had some little things to clean up that I didn’t do well in the Amateur, and I cleaned them up and scored well and played really well today,” he said.
His plan for match play is simple.
“I want to keep doing the same things I’m doing,” he said. “I don’t want to go in like I’m trying to control the match and just make par,” he said. “I want to just keep thinking about making as many birdies as I can.”
Defending Michigan Junior State Amateur champion Connor Fox of Lake Orion shot rounds of 4-under 67 and 2-under 69 for a two-round 136 total at Michigan State University’s Forest Akers West Course on Sunday, June 22, 2025. It earned him medalist honors for the stroke play competition in the championship, and he will start match play Monday as the No. 1 seed. (Photo courtesy of Golf Association of Michigan)
A Tennessee judge on Sunday ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose mistaken deportation has become a flashpoint in President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown, while he awaits a federal trial on human smuggling charges. But he is not expected to be allowed to go free.
At his June 13 detention hearing, prosecutors said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would take Abrego Garcia into custody if he were released on the criminal charges, and he could be deported before he has a chance to stand trial.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to discuss the conditions of Abrego Garcia's release. The U.S. government has already filed a motion to appeal the judges release order.
Holmes acknowledged in her ruling Sunday that determining whether Abrego Garcia should be released is little more than an academic exercise because ICE will likely detain him. But the judge wrote that everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence and a full and fair determination of whether he must remain in federal custody pending trial.
Holmes wrote that the government failed to prove that Abrego was a flight risk, that he posed a danger to the community or that he would interfere with proceedings if released.
Overall, the Court cannot find from the evidence presented that Abregos release clearly and convincingly poses an irremediable danger to other persons or to the community, the judge wrote.
Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty to the smuggling charges that his attorneys have characterized as an attempt to justify the deportation mistake after the fact.
The acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Rob McGuire, argued on June 13 that the likely attempt by ICE to try to deport him was one reason to keep him in jail.
But Holmes said then that she had no intention of getting in the middle of any ICE hold.
If I elect to release Mr. Abrego, I will impose conditions of release, and the U.S. Marshal will release him. If he is released into ICE custody, that is above my pay grade, she said.
The judge suggested that the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security could work out between themselves whether the governments priority is to try him on the criminal charges or deport him. No date has been set for the trial.
Will Allensworth, an assistant federal public defender representing Abrego Garcia at the detention hearing, told Holmes that its not necessarily accurate that he would be immediately deported.
A 2019 immigration judges order prevents Abrego Garcia, who had been living in Maryland, from being deported to his home country of El Salvador, Allensworth said in court. Thats because he faces a credible threat from gangs there, according to court papers.
The government could deport him to a third country, but immigration officials would first be required to show that third country was willing to keep him and not simply deport him back to El Salvador, Allensworth said.
The smuggling charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop for speeding in Tennessee during which Abrego Garcia was driving a vehicle with nine passengers. Although officers suspected possible smuggling, he was allowed to go on his way with only a warning. He has pleaded not guilty.
At the detention hearing, McGuire said cooperating witnesses have accused Abrego Garcia of trafficking drugs and firearms and of abusing the women he transported, among other claims. Although he is not charged with such crimes, McGuire said they showed Abrego Garcia to be a dangerous person who should remain in jail pretrial.
Abrego Garcias attorneys have characterized the smuggling case as a desperate attempt to justify the mistaken deportation. The investigation was launched weeks after the U.S. government deported Abrego Garcia and the Supreme Court ordered the administration to facilitate his return amid mounting public pressure.
The U.S. is now expected to try to deport him again with much of the world watching and the outcome hard to predict.
Most people in ICE custody who are facing criminal charges are not kept in the U.S. for trial but deported, Ohio State University law professor Csar Cuauhtmoc Garca Hernndez said.
The U.S. will likely try to deport Abrego Garcia quickly without going before an immigration judge, the professor said. The government would not need a conviction to deport him because Abrego Garcia came to the U.S. illegally.
The legal standard is laxer, Garca Hernndez said. The governments argument is on stronger legal footing.
However an immigration judge rules, the decision can be appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals, Garca Hernndez said. And the boards ruling can then be contested in a federal appeals court.
In new comments on Sunday, President Trump suggested the possibility of regime change in Iran a step that U.S. officials had said the U.S. had no interest in, as recently as Sunday morning.
"Its not politically correct to use the term, Regime Change, but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldnt there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!" the president wrote on social media.
He did not give further details or address how the U.S. would be involved in such an effort.
Those comments differ from statements by other officials in the administration in the aftermath of the bombings.
Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with NBC News on Sunday the U.S. intended to keep its involvement in Iran limited.
"We don't want a regime change," Vance said. "We do not want to protract this... We want to end the nuclear program, and then we want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here."
This mission was not and has not been about regime change, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a briefing on the U.S. bombings on Sunday.
The comments come as the U.S. assesses the effects of an unprecedented strike against nuclear development sites in Iran over the weekend.
In Sunday's briefing, Secretary Hegseth said an array of U.S. B-2 stealth bombers, fighter jets, refueling tankers, decoys and precision guided missiles were used to successfully carry out the overnight strikes on Iran's Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan nuclear sites.
"Initial battle damage assessments indicate all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," said Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in the press conference.
In an address to the nation on Saturday, the president said Iran must make peace or face further attacks.
"There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days," President Trump said in the address. "Remember, there are many targets left."
President Trump and also warned Iran away from retaliating against the U.S., writing on social media after the strikes "ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT."
The Trump administration is urging Iran to pursue peace, and warning against retaliation, after carrying out strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump announced the US strikes on Irans Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan sites Saturday. There are indirect outreaches to Iran post strikes, according to a source familiar with the efforts.
The damage to the Nuclear sites in Iran is said to be monumental. The hits were hard and accurate, Trump said in a Truth Social post Sunday.
The military dubbed it Operation Midnight Hammer, marking the first operational use of so-called bunker buster bombs.
It took a great deal of precision. It involved misdirection and the highest of operational security, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said.
The action comes after Trump set a maximum two week timelines as he decided the US next steps towards Iran.
Trump had sought and appeared to prefer a negotiated nuclear deal, but consistently warned that Iran cant have a nuclear weapon. Israels campaign against the country started one day after Iran passed Trumps 60 day deadline to reach a deal with the United States.
There was certainly a moment in time where he realized that it had to be a certain action taken in order to minimize the threat to us and our troops, Hegseth said.
Friday evening, Trump told reporters two weeks would be the maximum and that he was giving time to see whether or not people come to their sense.
Trump returned to the White House 6pm Saturday, and according to reports, went quickly to the West Wing, where he was scheduled to meet with his national security team.
Less than an hour later, the U.S. had started hitting its targets, with an element of surprise maintained, according to defense leaders.
In total, U.S. forces employed approximately 75 precision guided weapons during this operation. This included, as the President stated last night, fourteen 30,000 pound GBU, 57 massive ordinance penetrators, marking the first ever operational use of this weapon, said Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Caine said the operation involved a decoy flight that went to the west, while seven B-2 bombers went east. The combined forces dropped bunker busting bombs on two target areas, while launching more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles against surface infrastructure targets at Esfahan, according to Caine. Caine said they were unaware of shots fired at the strike package.
Initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction, he said.
Trump announced the operation on social media less than an hour after the strikes concluded. By 10pm he addressed the nation, warning Iran they must make peace or face future attacks.
There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left, Trump said.
it's nice and critical to have air superiority, but that doesn't translate to ground superiority," said Tom Karako, who direct the missile defense project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "And so there's all kinds of uncertainty there. Now, presumably the Israelis have intel on the ground that will give them insights into that. And again, they are able to bomb with impunity, just about anything. So hopefully they will clean that up. But I think there's still a question of, did they get out some highly enriched uranium? Enriched Uranium? And if so, where is it? We don't know. There's a handful of things like that that still kind of are out there.
There's really all the non nuclear military facilities, as well as potentially some of their economic means, and so the cost, the price, may be literally economic. But also, of course, there's the political leadership themselves, Karako added.
Throughout the lead up to the strikes, there were back channel communications with Iran, according to a source familiar.
The Iranians did not indicate a path towards negotiations following the strikes, but condemned the attacks.
The warmongering and lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression, said Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, after the strikes occurred.
There are indirect outreaches to Iran post-strikes, according to a source familiar with the efforts.
I can only confirm that there are both public and pivot messages being directly delivered to the Iranians in multiple channels giving them every opportunity to come to the table," Hegseth said. "They understand precisely what the American position is, precisely what steps they ca take to allow for peace and we hope they do so."
In further comments on Sunday, Trump alluded to the possibility of regime change in Iran.
Its not politically correct to use the term, Regime Change, but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldnt there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!! Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The post came hours after his administration indicated the strikes were not intended to pressure such a change.
The Iranians dont have the cards right now," said Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran and a scholar at the Middle East Institutes Iran Program. "Their nuclear program is destroyed. So I think the United States is going to want to dismantle Irans nuclear program, and it was trying to force the Islamic Republic to make a choice. It can preserve its regime or dismantle its nuclear program, and this is part of that equation.
I think that the President wants to escalate it to de-escalate," Brodsky said.
My sense is if the play here is regime survival, which I think it is, I think theyre going to come to the negotiating table and try to wheel out concessions and try to make Trump a stakeholder at this point, said Ilan Berman, Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump following the strikes, UN Sec. Gen. Antonio Guterres called it a dangerous escalation and said he was gravely alarmed by the use of force, as other allies underscored diplomacy and de-escalation.
It is important that we now de-escalate the situation stabilize the region and get the parties back around the table to negotiate, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
Following the strikes, Trump warned Iran against relation.
ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT. THANK YOU! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, he wrote on Truth Social.
Across the country, state leaders monitored the situation. Cities including New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. said they were increasing law enforcement resources to religious and sensitive sites.
The State Department issued a worldwide caution security alert Sunday evening. There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. The Department of State advises US citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution, it stated.
While Republicans generally praised Trumps order, some Democrats criticized it.
President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East, House Democratic leader Hakeen Jeffries said in a statement.
Hegseth maintained that the administration complied with the War Powers Act and notified lawmakers as soon as the planes were out of harm's way.
TAMPA, Fla. — You don’t accept excuses, but facts are facts, as they say.
And the fact is, this has been an arduous week for the Tigers.
They played their 12th game in 14 games Sunday, including a long, split doubleheader at Comerica Park on Thursday, a flight that got to Tampa at 3 a.m. Friday, night game Friday, noon games Saturday and Sunday — in dense 90-plus-degree heat and against the hottest team in baseball.
“It’s brutal,” manager AJ Hinch said before the game Sunday. “Guys are banged up and tired and frustrated with a couple of the losses. … It’s part of it. It’s not been great. We’re not playing our best through it.
“But we’re going to keep working, keep trying to deal with the circumstances. But yeah, not good.”
At least the flight home was a happy one.
Wenceel Perez lined an opposite-field, two-run homer, on an 0-2 fastball from lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger, breaking a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning and helping the Tigers snap a three-game losing streak and salvage the finale with a 9-3 win against the Rays at Steinbrenner Field.
“It’s huge,” said Riley Greene, whose fingerprints, glove prints, were all over this victory. “We lost the first couple of games, had a couple of rough days with delays and a doubleheader. But at the end of the day, we still have to win a baseball game and that was a good one to win.”
The Tigers, at 49-30, still have the best record in baseball and a healthy nine-game lead in the Central Division. Even after a 20-game stretch where they played .500 baseball.
“Our reset button has been pretty good,” Hinch said. “But we’re not trying after win totals in June and we’re not after any recognition. We just reset and play the next series. I love this team for a lot of reasons but one of the main reasons is that we come to play every day.”
The Tigers blew the game open with a six-run ninth against reliever Forrest Whitley, keyed by a three-run blast by Parker Meadows. Spencer Torkelson sliced an RBI double. Perez also singled in a run. And, in keeping with the theme of the week, the game was delayed 18 minutes by a sudden shower before the Tigers even made an out in the top of the ninth.
From the outside looking in, it felt like a badly-needed win, if only to steady a brief wobble. But that’s not the view from the inside.
“We’re not going to take the mentality of every time we win, we’re great, and every time we lose, we suck,” Hinch said. “That’s not how you get through this type of schedule, and it’s not how you get through this type of season.
“We will be fine.”
They expect Casey Mize to be fine, too, though he left the game with the trainer one batter into the sixth inning. The heat index Sunday was over 100 degrees and that absolutely was a factor.
“Just started cramping in my right leg,” said Mize, who pitched a solid five innings, allowing only a solo home run to Junior Caminero, who has hit 19 of them this season. “And it continued when I got (to the clubhouse) in other body parts. It was a really hot day.”
Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize (12) leaves the game with a trainer during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (JASON BEHNKEN — AP Photo)
Mize grimaced after throwing a 92-mph fastball to Caminero. Mize had been firing it between 94 and 97 mph before that.
Immediately, Hinch and trainer Kelly Rhoades came to the mound.
“We were worried (about cramping) beforehand because he’s had that before,” Hinch said. “He wanted some more time and was really hoping I would give him some warm-up pitches. But not in this heat, at this time in the season, where he was (80 pitches) and where he was in their lineup (middle).
“He had a short leash in that inning, anyway. I just took him out, very prematurely, because of the cramp.”
Mize the competitor wanted to keep pitching, especially in what was a 1-1 game. But Mize, the teammate, understood it was the right move.
“I felt like I could’ve continued but I think it turned out great,” he said with a smile. “In retrospect, it looks like the right call. I wish I could’ve pitched through the inning but I understand why, it was smart to get me out of there.”
In a lot of ways, this turned into the Riley Greene Show this weekend. He homered twice on Friday, and on Sunday he doubled twice and scored twice.
He also did his level best to keep Mize’s track clean with three outstanding defensive plays in left field in the first four innings.
“He made some great plays out there for me, for sure,” Mize said. “Like he always does for everybody. He can change the game with his bat.”
And his glove.
With a runner on and no outs in the second inning, Greene ran a long way toward the left-field line, laid out and caught a slicing bloop off the bat of Jake Mangum. With a runner on third and two outs in the third, he tracked a slicing foul ball to the side wall, leaped up and nearly went all the way over the wall to make the catch.
In the fourth, he tracked a laser into the left-field gap and took extra bases away from Jonathan Aranda.
“We’ve got to play 27 outs,” Greene said. “You can’t give them anything, especially in this ballpark. Anything can happen. We’ve already seen that here.”
Later, with the Tigers protecting the two-run lead in the eighth, Greene made another sliding catch after a long run, taking a hit from Caminero. Brandon Lowe was on first base with no outs, so it was another critical catch.
“Their offense has been pretty relentless on the other side, especially this last month,” Hinch said. “You have to record as many outs as you can when you can. They put balls in play, they run the bases and this is a big outfield. As small as right field is, left field is big. Riley came up huge.”
The Tigers bullpen, which got a much-needed break Saturday because starter Sawyer Gipson-Long ate 6.1 innings in bulk relief, locked down the final 12 outs, though the last three took a bit.
Tyler Holton and Chase Lee got five outs. Tommy Kahnle got four big outs before the Tigers blew it open. Lefty Brant Hurter, who threw 31 pitches Saturday as the opener, started the ninth, but couldn’t find the plate.
He threw 18 pitches, just seven strikes, loading the bases with a pair of walks and a hit-batsman.
Brenan Hanifee was summoned and got through the ninth, allowing a two-run single by Taylor Walls.
“I know you’re trying to get me to make a bigger deal out of this (win),” Hinch said. “But honestly, we just come to play every day. Obviously it’s an important win before an off day. We want to salvage a game here and it’s been a rough go. But it is what it is.
“It doesn’t help us or hurt us on Tuesday.”
Reset and move forward.
Detroit Tigers’ Parker Meadows celebrates his three-run home run with Javier Baez (28) during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (JASON BEHNKEN — AP Photo)
Riley Greene had three hits and Wenceel Prez and Parker Meadows each homered and drove in three runs and Detroit snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-3 win at Tampa Bay on Sunday at Steinbrenner Field.
Prez broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run blast in the seventh inning off Garrett Cleavinger (0-3). Dillon Dingler added two hits and an RBI for Detroit, which maintained the best record in the majors (49-30).
All three of Greenes hits, including doubles in the second and ninth, led off run-scoring innings. In left field, meanwhile, he made sliding catches to rob Jake Mangum and Junior Caminero of extra bases. And with two outs in the third, he retired Brandon Lowe on an acrobatic catch in foul territory, nearly flipping into the Tigers bullpen.
Yandy Daz (13 games) and Lowe (11 games) each extended hitting streaks with infield singles for Tampa Bay.
Caminero hit his team-leading 19th homer and reached the 50-RBI mark on the year.
Tigers starter Casey Mize left a 1-1 game in the sixth after a visit from athletic trainer Kelly Rhoades, leaving with an undisclosed injury. He allowed one run and six hits in five innings, with no walks and five strikeouts.
Two Detroit starting pitchers already are on the injured list, right-handers Jackson Jobe (right elbow surgery) and Reese Olson (right ring finger inflammation).
Tyler Holton (3-3) picked up the win in relief.
Key moment
Heavy ninth-inning rain jump-started the Tigers offense. Through the storm, Detroit hit for the cycle in the six-run inning, breaking open a 3-1 game with six consecutive hits. Greene and Spencer Torkelson led off with doubles, Javier Bez tripled and Meadows blasted a three-run homer.
Following the barrage, play resumed after an 18-minute delay.
Key stat
Greene batted .600 (6 for 10) in the series with five runs, two doubles, two homers and four RBI.
Up next
Detroit opens a home series Tuesday against the Athletics, with LHP Tarik Subal (8-2, 2.06 ERA) facing RHP Luis Severino (2-7, 4.42).
Rays RHP Taj Bradley (4-5, 4.95) starts Tuesday at Kansas City against LHP Kris Bubic (6-2, 4.12).
A 44-year-old Detroit man was shot and killed and three others wounded during a party at a Royal Oak Township park early Sunday morning, according to Michigan State Police.
Troopers from the Metro Detroit Post said the shooting was reported at 1:45 a.m., Sunday, June 22.
In a post on the social media platform X, state police said no arrests have been made and no motives have been determined. Detectives were gathering evidence and conducting interviews on Sunday.
State police were alerted to the shooting from an open 911 call during which the dispatcher could hear banging sounds and screaming in the background. Additional 911 calls were received about a shooting at the park
When troopers arrived, they found the 44-year-old with a gunshot would to his head. They administered first aid and the victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
There was a large crowd in the park from a party. Initially, they were not cooperative in leaving the crime scene, police said.
During the investigation, police learned of three additional victims being treated for gunshot wounds at three different local hospitals. They have been identified as a 33-year-old male from Detroit, a 15-year-old from Macomb and a 19-year-old from Detroit. The gender of the teens was not provided by police.
According to its website, there are three parks in the township: Civic Center Park, located between Ithaca and Majestic avenues; Mack-Rowe Park, located between Reimanville Avenue and Bethlawn Boulevard, and Grant Park, located off Cloverdale Avenue between Garden Lane and Westview Avenue. It’s not clear from the X post in which park the shooting occurred.
Troopers from Metro North, Metro South, and officers from Oak Park arrived and assisted with securing the scene.
The scene at a Royal Oak Township park after an early Sunday morning shooting, June 22. (Michigan State Police photo)
A helicopter with four people inside rolled on its side while attempting to land in Clay Township, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
WATCH: Video of the chopper rolling, courtesy of Russell Toth VIDEO: Helicopter with four people on board rolls onto it's side while landing in Clay Township
We're told that the chopper, a Eurocopter EC-130 helicopter, was attempting to land around 1 p.m. At this time, it's unclear whether or not anyone on board was injured.
The FAA is investigating the incident, and will publish a preliminary accident/incident report in the next few days.
TAMPA, Fla. — The question was put to Tigers’ manager AJ Hinch before the game Sunday: Has your faith in the opener strategy waned?
The last three games in which an opener was used to start the game ended in lopsided losses, including Saturday when opener Brant Hurter was charged with four unearned runs in the first inning.
Even though the strategy hasn’t been the direct cause-and-effect in every loss, it’s been a far less reliable play over the last month since injuries to starting pitchers Reese Olson and Jackson Jobe dinged the rotation.
Seemed like a good time to check on Hinch’s commitment to the strategy. Has it lessened?
“No,” he said. “The strategy is sound. I think the opener part is a little bit misconstrued as, it’s good when it works and bad when it doesn’t. It impacts things you don’t necessarily see all the time.”
It impacts the opponent’s lineup construction, Hinch said. It impacts how they space their hitters (right-handed and left-handed), which can impact decisions later in the game. And most importantly, when it works, it allows Hinch to dictate when to insert the bulk-innings pitcher.
“It’s a good strategy because the top of the lineup, which are generally their best hitters, don’t see the same pitchers all the time,” Hinch said.
Like in Game 3 of the ALDS last October when the Tigers used the strategy and blanked the Guardians, 3-0, and Jose Ramirez went hitless and faced a different pitcher in each of his four plate appearances.
That’s the gold-star example of the benefits of the strategy. It hasn’t worked quite as cleanly this season.
“When it doesn’t work, you feel like the other way would’ve worked out,” Hinch said. “It’s like football when you go for it on fourth down, or basketball when you run a fast-paced offense. When it doesn’t work, it sucks. And when it does work, it’s awesome.
“But that’s a hard way to live when you are trying to strategize against an opponent.”
The Tigers fell into a 4-0, first-inning hole on both Friday and Saturday. They used a traditional starter on Friday (Jack Flaherty) and the opener on Saturday.
“Like, I get the questions and I get the frustration,” Hinch said. “But I get frustrated when our starter gives up runs in the first inning, too. It’s not because of a certain strategy.”
The reason Hinch used the lefty Hurter on Saturday was to combat the lefties at the top of the Rays lineup. Hurter ended up yielding a double to lefty Jonathan Aranda and walking lefty Josh Lowe. He also struck out lefty Brandon Lowe, but Lowe reached on a passed ball by catcher Jake Rogers.
All of which torpedoed the inning, and the strategy.
“After 24 hours, you think about yesterday’s game,” Hinch said. “If we get through that first inning, three up and three down, is a good strategy or a bad strategy? Good strategy. But that’s the best part of sports. We have these reactions and these emotions that the other way would’ve been better.
“We don’t like it when something doesn’t work out. But it doesn’t make the strategy poor.”
It’s not a personnel issue, either. The Tigers’ bullpen, although it’s been heavily taxed over the last three weeks or longer, is still built to handle any type of strategy, be it an opener or even straight bullpen games.
“There are times when maybe the strategy needs to be questioned,” Hinch said. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach with us or with any team. But if you ask managers around the league whether they care or not if they have to face an opener strategy, most guys don’t like to compete against it.
“It’s a pretty solid strategy when the opponent doesn’t like it. It’s not an exact science and it’s not perfect. But it’s a strategy and it’s been effective for a while now and there’s no reason to abandon it.”
Around the horn
The Tigers have been charged with 11 unearned runs in the last six games.
… Reliever Alex Lange (lat repair) made his second rehab outing at West Michigan on Saturday. He allowed a run and two hits with two strikeouts, throwing 20 pitches and 15 strikes. “I watched it,” Hinch said. “Looked like he came through it well. But with him right now, we’re in live BP, first day of spring mode.”
… Matt Vierling (shoulder) had been in an 0-for-10 rut in his rehab assignment with Toledo, but he broke out with three hits Saturday. He’s still only being used as the designated hitter. He is expected to start playing the field soon.
… Andy Ibáñez, who was optioned to Toledo on June 6, is 9 for 42 (.214) this month, with a .327 on-base percentage and .565 OPS.
Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch watches in the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Comerica Park on April 7, 2025, in Detroit. (ROBIN BUCKSON — The Detroit News)
Geopolitics haven’t historically complicated annual fireworks shows, including the marquee extravaganza over the Detroit River scheduled for Monday — but that could be changing.
Many of the show’s viewers watch from the Detroit River’s south bank in Canada, a country where many have been offended by President Donald Trump’s musings about making it the 51st U.S. state. And nearly all fireworks in the United States are imported from China, Trump’s biggest adversary in his global trade war.
The trans-Pacific tension appears to be affecting the festivities already: Zambelli, the Pennsylvania-based company that supplies and sets up the Ford Fireworks display, said it ate higher production costs this year rather than pass them on to the Detroit-based Parade Company, which hosts the event, and Ford Motor Co., the event’s lead sponsor.
And Zambelli is warning that tariff “volatility” — a concern voiced by many economists and business leaders — could threaten the fireworks industry’s ability to meet the high demand it is likely to face for Fourth of July 2026, marking the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Whether Trump’s rhetoric around Canada will have much impact on the event — which, in past years, was billed as a celebration of the countries’ close ties — is still unclear. But Windsor restaurant manager Brad Dunlop of Jose’s Bar and Grill said he thinks a tariff-induced slowdown in manufacturing there might actually free up more Canadians than in past years to watch the fireworks.
And like any other year, the company putting on Monday night’s show said the national anthem, “O Canada,” will be sung, and the nation’s maple leaf flag will be flown from a helicopter.
“It’s not our position to make political statements and things like that,” said Tony Michaels, the president and CEO of the Parade Company, adding: “I hope our neighbors enjoy the show.”
Impact on costs, supply
Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association, said that costs for this year’s Fourth of July celebrations will be virtually the same as last year’s because fireworks companies can still rely on inventory they had shipped from China before Trump’s tariffs went into effect. That bodes well for upcoming fireworks displays across Metro Detroit.
It’s next year — when communities will want to go all out with their fireworks for the nation’s 250th birthday — that worries Heckman. That’s a central reason her association is calling on the Trump administration to grant a tariff exemption for fireworks similar to the one it approved in 2019.
Shaun McGillis checks out fireworks for sale at the Michigan Fireworks Co., in South Lyon. (David Guralnick, The Detroit News)
“We support America First policies,” Heckman said. “Our base probably supported the current president. It’s not political for us, we’re just trying to make the case for ‘you understand our unique reliance on China, and we should be exempt again.'”
According to the APA, 99% of the world’s consumer fireworks and 90% of its professional display fireworks come from China.
Zambelli, which supplies pyrotechnics for Ford Fireworks and is a member of the APA, said that it has already seen cost challenges this year, and is also hoping for a tariff exemption: “Unlike other industries, we cannot shift sourcing quickly or renegotiate pricing within our tight seasonal windows,” the company said in a statement to The Detroit News. “Looking ahead to 2026 and the nation’s 250th anniversary, stability in trade policy will be essential.”
Zambelli President Michael Hartman said in a separate statement that this year his company absorbed higher production costs for the Ford Fireworks display rather than pass them on to Parade Company. He said that to produce the same quality of show in 2026 as it’s putting on this year, Zambelli would need to see increased contributions for the fireworks display from the “good people” at the Parade Company and its sponsors.
Michaels, the president and CEO of the Parade Company, said that while his company negotiated with Zambelli to pay the same for the fireworks display this year as it did last, the firm would consider paying more next year if necessary.
“We at the Parade Company, like every other company, negotiates their price. It’s good business” Michaels said. “So absolutely, if (Zambelli’s) price goes up next year, we will take a look at it, see where it’s at, and then we make decisions from there, just like any other well-run business.”
Trump’s frequently fluctuating tariff policies have hampered the fireworks industry’s ability to plan business decisions for the future and have already strained supply, according to the APA and Zambelli. Those concerns closely mirror those expressed by industries across the economy amid on-again, off-again tariffs.
Trump’s 125% tariff on Chinese imports in early April took effect during peak shipping season for the fireworks industry, Heckman said. That led large sectors of the industry to cancel orders, figuring that they had enough inventory for the Fourth of July and couldn’t afford the tariffed shipments anyway.
Michigan Fireworks Co. in South Lyon was one such company: “We could not take something that was 50 bucks and sell it to someone for $125,” said Eric Konopka, the store’s owner. “Good conscience wouldn’t let us do that. It wasn’t worth it.”
Canceled shipments were then left in Chinese factories, which Heckman said had a compounding effect. Fireworks production facilities have to be extra cautious not to overcrowd their space, given the explosiveness of what they’re producing, so most factories halted their production at that point: “We lost a couple months of critical manufacturing time.”
That will mean limited fireworks supplies, which will compound once more with the 30% tariff currently on Chinese imports — a trend Heckman called “unsustainable.” And that’s not to mention the possibility that the rate will revert back to triple-digits when Trump’s 90-day pause on higher Chinese tariffs expires in early July.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty right now, which is making it very difficult for these small, multi-generational family businesses, including Zambelli, to make business decisions,” she said, referencing the Pennsylvania-based company that supplies and sets up the annual pyrotechnics in Detroit.
Konopka, the owner of the fireworks store in South Lyon, said prices for the “bigger stuff” in his shop are largely the same as last year because he’s relying on inventory ordered last July and shipped to the United States in January, before tariffs went into effect.
Still, Konopka said he recently “allowed one container to come in for some little stuff,” gesturing toward a rack of sparklers and small fireworks, when the tariff rate was at 30%. Prices on those goods have risen by about $1, he said.
“If you’re in our store from this year to last year, 95% of the stuff is exactly the same price,” he said.
However, Konopka said the fireworks “tents,” commonly set up outside of grocery stores, and other fireworks retailers that weren’t able to stock up before tariffs went into effect will inevitably be hurt as they look toward New Year’s and next summer.
“You will see significant firework shortages at the end of this year,” he said.
Konopka, who works as a financial adviser, owns the fireworks store as a “hobby” with his wife Jessica, a nurse. Though Trump’s tariffs will make his job in the fireworks industry “difficult,” he said tariffs are a necessary tool to motivate countries to strike more balanced trade agreements with the United States.
Feet away sat a box of “Make America Great Again” fireworks, with an AI-rendered Trump celebrating in front of the White House, red and yellow fireworks lighting up the skies.
New questions over U.S.-Canada relations
In times past, the fireworks over the Detroit River have been expressly billed as a celebration of neighborly appreciation between the United States and Canada. Established in 1959, the Detroit-Windsor International Freedom Festival ran for decades as a days-long celebration in late June and early July, according to the Detroit Historical Society. They commemorated both Canada Day on July 1, and Independence Day on July 4.
Then in 2007, the festivities were separated into two autonomously operated events. But the fireworks display — which has been sponsored by American companies Hudson’s, Target Corp. and now Ford Motor Co. — has maintained its Canadian appreciation. A helicopter flies a Canadian flag overhead, and the event kicks off with both countries’ national anthems.
This year’s Ford Fireworks, though, come at a time of unprecedented tension between the United States and Canada. Trump’s tariffs have hurt the country’s economy, and his flirtations with annexation have angered many of the famously friendly Canadians, with some even booing the U.S. national anthem at NHL games.
That presidential static is slowing Canadians’ travel to the United States this summer, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The number of people crossing into Michigan from Canada fell 13% in April and 16% in May.
Nevertheless, Brad Dunlop, the manager of Jose’s Bar and Grill in Windsor, said he thinks Windsorites will have no problem staying in Canada and “spending the money in our own country” to watch the fireworks, where the view is better anyway.
“We have the bigger waterfront,” he said.
Dunlop said the “Trump ordeal” has frustrated plenty of Canadians and caused them not to travel to the United States, but that he thinks attendance in Windsor for the fireworks will be the same as always, if not even higher this year. He attributes that to the tariff-induced slowdown in manufacturing in Windsor, which he said could free up more people’s schedules.
And, given the cost-effectiveness of watching fireworks amid Canada’s economic woes, Dunlop said he thinks people in Windsor will be especially motivated to attend the festivities.
“With the economy the way it is, especially in Windsor with manufacturing — it’s a free show,” he said. “I think you’re going to see families go down because it’s something you can do for free.”
The 2024 Ford Fireworks show on June 24 llghts up the Detroit skyline as seen from Windsor, Ontario. (
Robin Buckson, The Detroit News)
The Houston Rockets are acquiring 15-time All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster deal struck Sunday, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press.
The Rockets are giving up Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and six future picks including the No. 10 selection in Wednesdays opening round of this years draft according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was still pending NBA approval.
It ends weeks of speculation about where Durant would end up. Many teams were involved at various times, including Miami and Minnesota, but in the end Phoenix took the Rockets offer.
Fans learned of the news while Durant was on stage in New York at Fanatics Fest NYC, and when they began reacting, Durant started smiling broadly.
We're gonna see, man, Durant said from the stage. We're gonna see.
Boardroom, the ever-growing media company that Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, co-founded in 2019 teams up with Fanatics on a number of projects. The panel that Durant was set to appear on there Sunday was called Global Game Changers.
He certainly figures to change the game for Houston.
Houston finished No. 2 in the Western Conference in the regular season, albeit 16 games behind No. 1 Oklahoma City. It now adds a two-time champion to its young core as it looks to make another jump next season.
Durant averaged 26.6 points this season, his 17th in the NBA not counting one year missed because of injury. For his career, the 6-foot-11 forward is averaging 27.2 points and seven rebounds per game.
The move brings Durant back to the state of Texas, where he played his one year of college basketball for the Longhorns and was the college player of the year before going as the No. 2 pick in the 2007 draft by Seattle.
Houston will become his fifth franchise, joining the SuperSonics (who then became the Oklahoma City Thunder), Golden State, Brooklyn and Phoenix. Durant won his two titles with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, and last summer in Paris he became the highest-scoring player in U.S. Olympic basketball history and the first men's player to be part of four gold-medal teams.
The Houston Rockets are acquiring 15-time All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster deal struck Sunday, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press.
The Rockets are giving up Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and six future picks — including the No. 10 selection in Wednesday’s opening round of this year’s draft — according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was still pending NBA approval.
It ends weeks of speculation about where Durant would end up. Many teams were involved at various times, including Miami and Minnesota, but in the end Phoenix accepted the Rockets’ offer.
ESPN first reported the trade.
Fans learned of the news while Durant was on stage in New York at Fanatics Fest NYC, and when they began reacting, Durant started smiling broadly.
“We’re gonna see, man,” Durant said from the stage. “We’re gonna see.”
Boardroom, the ever-growing media company that Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, co-founded in 2019, teams up with Fanatics on a number of projects. The panel that Durant was set to appear on there Sunday was called “Global Game Changers.”
He certainly figures to change the game for the Rockets.
Houston finished No. 2 in the Western Conference in the regular season, albeit 16 games behind No. 1 Oklahoma City. It now adds a two-time champion to its young core as it looks to make another jump next season.
Durant averaged 26.6 points this season, his 17th in the NBA — not counting one year missed because of injury. For his career, the 6-foot-11 forward is averaging 27.2 points and seven rebounds per game.
The move brings Durant back to the state of Texas, where he played his one year of college basketball for the Longhorns and was the college player of the year before going as the No. 2 pick in the 2007 draft by Seattle.
Houston will become his fifth franchise, joining the SuperSonics (who then became the Oklahoma City Thunder), Golden State, Brooklyn and Phoenix. Durant won his two titles with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, and last summer in Paris he became the highest-scoring player in U.S. Olympic basketball history and the first men’s player to be part of four gold-medal teams.
Durant is a four-time scoring champion, a two-time Finals MVP and one of eight players in NBA history with more than 30,000 career points, joining the club on Feb. 11.
Durant is under contract next season for roughly $50 million before becoming a free agent in 2026.
His departure from the Suns was expected and ends a disappointing 2 1/2 years in the desert. Durant never enjoyed consistent team success despite being part of a trio that included star guards Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
Durant was acquired by the Suns from the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team trade-deadline deal in 2023, just days after new owner Mat Ishbia bought the team for roughly $4 billion. Phoenix gave up a lot to acquire the then-34-year-old, sending young standouts Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, along with four future first-round picks, to Brooklyn.
___
— By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Basketball Writer
AP Sports Writer David Brandt in Phoenix contributed to this report.
FILE – Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant gestures during the second half of an NBA basketball game on March 9, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
DETROIT ― There are few bigger boosters for Detroit on the national scene than NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico, who was at Detroit Golf Club this month to preview the seventh playing of the PGA Tour’s Rocket Classic.
The News caught up briefly with Tirico, 58, the network’s lead host for golf coverage who lives in southeast Michigan, to talk about the success of the Rocket and the future of the tournament, which is under contract through 2026 with Rocket holding an option for 2027.
Here are the highlights of that interview, which has been edited lightly for length and clarity:
Question: What have you seen from the Rocket since it debuted in 2019?
Answer: Events take a while to figure it out, right? And this event had it figured out a lot better than most from the start. I keep leaning back on 2020, the COVID year, to be able to pull the event off, that was a very Detroit-centric moment for this event, ‘We’re going to make it through here.’ And it has stayed true to its creation, and stayed very true to the people of Detroit, which is really cool. And along the way, the best part to me, Tour players have come here and loved it. The guys who come here love being here. They love playing here. You get a lot of repeat customers. That says a lot about how this event is run. I can’t give enough credit to Dan (Gilbert) and all the Rocket folks. I mean, what they have put into this is more than most sponsors put in, and Detroit, again, has benefited from their efforts.
Q: You’ve been around the country (and the world), seen a lot of events. What do you make of how this event puts its city on display, as compared to other events?
A: Look, you have and you will again go to the suburbs when Oakland Hills hosts the U.S. Open (in 2034 and 2051) and all these USGA championships. … This has a different feel because it’s in the city limits. This has a different feel because there’s a city vibe. When you look at the gallery here, it looks different from the gallery that you see at most PGA Tour events. It’s just a fact. And I think that texture to this event makes it really unique and really cool. If you had the same event 35 weeks in a row, the (PGA) Tour would be monotonous and boring. I think the … ability to have that kind of feel to it really adds to this. And I love the fact it’s Detroit, and it’s stayed uniquely Detroit.
Q: It remains a weird time in golf, with the PGA Tour and LIV. They’re still trying to figure things out, and the Rocket still doesn’t have an extension. What kind of void would it be if the tournament went away?
A: I think it’d be a void for the Tour. I really do. I think the fact that so many events look alike, and this one has something special to it. It’s what the Tour needs. They need more events like this, more (than just) non-signature events that are the same 50 guys playing against each other. This allows brand-building, great stories, to develop guys who change the course of their careers (for example, inaugural Rocket Classic winner Nate Lashley). In addition to getting big names here, you look at it, there’s no tournament in Chicago. You have no tournament in Cleveland. A lot of the big cities in the Midwest don’t have the PGA Tour on a regular basis. I think being here is something that should be a priority for the Tour, and (something) they should put a little more attention on. And I think if it wasn’t here, it would be a shame. And I hope we don’t have to talk about that day.
NBC broadcaster Mike Tirico motions to fans before the NFL Super Bowl 56 football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif. (LYNNE SLADKY — AP Photo, file)
CHARLEVOIX – A stunning, seeing-eye 60-foot birdie putt on No. 16 tied the match, and a two-putt par from 20 feet wrapped it up on No. 18.
Caleb Bond, a Michigan State University golfer from Williamston beat PJ Maybank, a University of Oklahoma golfer from Cheboygan, 1-up, in tense and birdie-filled championship match at the 114th Michigan Amateur Championship presented by Carl’s Golfland Saturday at 100-year-old Belvedere Golf Club.
“As much as you can wish to win every week, it’s really hard,” said Bond who with the victory will have his name inscribed on the historic Staghorn Trophy and earn a USGA exemption into the U.S. Amateur Championship later this summer.
“To win an event like this, especially with match play takes a lot of luck and a lot of help. I think that’s always the goal and I think having to give that speech with the trophy is something you play through your head ever since you were a kid. Winning is always the goal, and you just kind of keep your head down and hit one shot at a time out there.”
Birdies were winning holes, and Bond went 1-up on the first hole with a birdie, and Maybank tied it on the second with a birdie. Bond had the biggest lead in the match at 2-up, but Maybank holed a 30-foot flop shot from heavy rough for a birdie at No. 7 and then won No. 9 with a par to tie the match through nine holes.
Maybank made a birdie on No. 10 to take his first lead, but Bond tied it at No. 12 with a birdie. Maybank made a birdie on 15 to lead again, and then Bond dropped the dramatic putt at 16.
“I made a little bit of a mistake in my driving in the rough there, especially with that pin (hole location off the front right edge),” he said. “I hit a decent wedge, but it had to be 60 feet. PJ missing the green there gave me a little bit of an opportunity. I didn’t expect to make it. I just focused on the speed and kind of finding a good line. That was pretty fortunate and just a good putt that went in the hole.”
Bond earned his spot in the finals with a 4 and 2 semifinal win over Zach Koerner of Laingsburg, his former roommate at Ferris State University before he transferred a year ago to MSU.
Maybank, meanwhile, topped Adam Burghardt, a former Wayne State University golfer from Clinton Township, 1-up in another match that stretched for all 18 holes. The semifinals were delayed until the afternoon because of rain and lightning, and the championship match didn’t start until 5 p.m.
Maybank said Bond played great in the final.
“I didn’t hit a very good iron shot (on 18) and had about a 50-footer downhill, and uphill and back downhill again and I left it 10-feet short and missed that unfortunately,” Maybank said. “All he had to do was get his par. Hey, but he played awesome. He deserves it. I thought I had him when I was 2-up, but then he made that freaky 60-footer on 16. I guess that’s golf. You lose a lot more than you win that’s for sure.”
Bond said beating Maybank, a two-time Michigan Junior State Amateur champion and top-level recruit out of high school, was a full-circle moment.
“I know how good PJ is and it was great to see him come back to the Michigan Am this year,” he said. “I think everybody appreciates great competition. There are so many great players here. I played PJ in the semifinals of the Michigan Junior (State Amateur) and lost on 18. It was my turn to win on 18 this time and that was pretty awesome.”
Bond gave an emotional speech during the trophy ceremony and made sure to thank his parents, Alexis and Brian Bond, and his 15-year-old sister Cara, who caddied for him. She said she isn’t a golfer, but she enjoyed carrying the bag.
“It was an incredible week,” Bond said. “The kind you dream about, and it feels amazing to be going to the U.S. Amateur.”
Caleb Bond, a Michigan State University golfer from Williamston beat PJ Maybank, a University of Oklahoma golfer from Cheboygan, 1-up, in tense and birdie-filled championship match at the 114th Michigan Amateur Championship presented by Carl’s Golfland Saturday at 100-year-old Belvedere Golf Club. (Photo courtesy of Golf Association of Michigan)
An active shooter was killed by church staff after he opened fire outside of a Wayne church on Sunday morning, injuring one person, police say.
Hear the latest from officials in the video player below Wayne police provide update after suspected active shooter killed by church staff
The City of Wayne Police Department said the suspect started driving recklessly near Crosspointe Community Church around 11 a.m., drawing the attention of church staff members. Police said he then exited the vehicle wearing a tactical vest, armed with a long gun and a handgun. According to police, he approached the building and opened fire. That's when a parishioner reportedly struck the suspect with their vehicle.
Police say the suspect started firing at the vehicle, and at least two church staff members then opened fire on the suspect, killing him.
Video shows crowd dispersing from inside the church following shooting in Wayne: VIDEO: Watch crowd disperse after shooting at Wayne church
One of the security guards was shot in the leg, police say. He was taken to a nearby hospital with reportedly non-life-threatening injuries.
We are grateful for the heroic actions of the church's staff members who undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale mass shooting, said Chief Ryan Strong. "Their actions prevented dozens of people from being murdered."
Police say the suspect is a 31-year-old man from Romulus who they believe was suffering from a mental health crisis.
Here's what we know about the shooting at a Wayne church: 1 injured in shooting at Wayne church on Sunday
Multiple agencies responded to the scene.
"Our leadership and support teams are on the ground, at the scene, in Wayne, Michigan providing assistance and investigative support," said FBI Director Dan Bongino in a statement released Sunday afternoon.
We're told that Vacation Bible Study kids were performing, and the performance was interrupted to clear the church.
Aerial video of the scene from Chopper 7 Chopper shows scene after active shooter shot & killed by security guard at Wayne church
"The VBS kids were up on stage giving the little songs that they learned, and I had to use the restroom and I was on my cell phone," said Wendy Bodin, who was in the church at the time of the events. "I went out to the front of the building where the grass is, and I saw a man on the ground. I heard a big boom and I thought he got hit or crashed his car or was hurt, and another lady saw and pointed to me and said 'oh my, call 911!'"
Investigators have asked residents of Wayne to avoid the area as the investigation continues.
Web Extra: Witnesses and Wayne mayor react after active shooter shot & killed at Wayne church Web Extra: Witnesses and Wayne mayor react after active shooter shot & killed at Wayne ChurchThis is a developing story. 7 News Detroit has crews at the scene; we will update this story as we learn more.
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