The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has revealed its finalists for enshrinement this summer.
The finalists are comprised of the North American, women’s, men’s veterans, women’s veterans, international and contributors categories. This year’s induction class will be announced on Saturday, April 4, at 12 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN 2. The announcement will coincide with Final Four weekend.
“This year’s group of Finalists represents the full scope of basketball’s impact, from the professional and collegiate ranks to high school, international play, officiating, and innovation,” said Jerry Colangelo, the chairman of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “Their achievements span championships, historic milestones, and a lasting influence on how the game is played, taught, and experienced around the world. Each Finalist has made a notable contribution to basketball’s growth and excellence, and their collective legacy speaks to the power of the sport.”
This year’s induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, Aug. 15 at the historic Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame 2026 finalists
North American Committee Finalists
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Joey Crawford [referee]: A 39-year NBA officiating veteran, Crawford officiated a record 374 playoff games and 50 NBA Finals games. He worked every NBA Finals series from 1986 to 2015.
Mark Few [coach]: A two-time Naismith Coach of the Year, Few has led Gonzaga to two NCAA championship game appearance and 25 consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. He was also an assistant coach on the 2024 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team that won a gold medal.
Blake Griffin [player]: A six-time All-Star, Griffin was a key part of the Los Angeles Clippers‘ “Lob City” era that also included Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan. A thunderous dunker, Griffin won the Slam Dunk Contest in 2011, which was also the year when he was named NBA Rookie of the Year.
Kevin Johnson [player]: Johnson spent his entire 12-year NBA career with the Phoenix Suns and was a significant member of their 1993 Western Conference championship team. A complete point guard, in the 1990-91 season, Johnson was the first player in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 10 assists, a .500 field goal percentage, and two steals per game.
Gary McKnight [coach]: Since becoming Mater Dei High School’s coach in 1982, McKnight has led the team to over 13,000 victories, the second-most all-time among high school coaches. His list of individual honors includes the Naismith Boys’ High School Coach of the Year Award in 2014.
Dick Motta [coach]: Motta won championships at the high school, college and pro ranks. He led the Washington Bullets to an NBA title in 1978 and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1971. Motta’s other NBA accolades include the ninth-most victories and 14th-most regular season games coached.
Doc Rivers [coach]: Rivers, who is currently coaching the Milwaukee Bucks, helped lead the Boston Celtics to an NBA title in 2008 and an Eastern Conference title in 2010. As coach of the Toronto Raptors, he won NBA Coach of the Year in 2000 while coaching future Hall of Famers Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. He also had a successful run with Griffin in Los Angeles, and previously had a 13-year NBA career of his own.
Kelvin Sampson [coach]: A two-time AP Coach of the Year, Sampson has guided two schools to the Final Four (Oklahoma once and Houston twice). Sampson recently became the became the 17th men’s basketball coach (and fourth active) to reach 800 career wins.
Amar’e Stoudemire [player]: A versatile and accomplished scorer, Stoudemire was a five-time All-NBA selection who averaged 21.4 points and 8.3 rebounds during his first eight seasons as a member of the Suns. He and Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash led the Suns to three Western Conference finals appearances.
Jerry Welsh [coach]: One of the most successful Division III men’s basketball coaches in history, Welsh led SUNY Potsdam to a national title in 1981. Over a three-year span (1985-87), SUNY Potsdam set a Division III record with 60 consecutive victories that included a staggering 254-13 record at home.
Buck Williams [player]: An elite rebounder, Williams ranks third in NBA history in offensive boards (4,526) and 16th in total rebounds (13,017). A four NBA All-Defensive Team, Williams was a key member of two Portland Trail Blazer teams that reached the NBA Finals.
Women’s Committee Finalists
1996 United States Women’s National Team: Coached by Tara VanDerveer, the ’96 squad captured the gold medal while winning each of their eight games with an average margin of victory of over 30 points. The team’s headliners included future Hall of Famers Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Dawn Staley, Teresa Edwards, Rebecca Lobo, and Katrina McClain.
Jennifer Azzi [player]: A 2021 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Azzi had a season for the ages in 1990 while at Stanford. That season, she won Naismith College Player of the Year and the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player while leading Stanford to a national title. She was also a member of the 1996 Olympic team.
Elena Delle Donne [player]: An extremely accomplished WNBA player, Delle Donne’s list of accolades included being a two-time league MVP and a member of the WNBA’s 25th Anniversary Team. She led the Washington Mystics to their first WNBA title in 2019.
Chamique Holdsclaw [player]: Holdsclaw had stellar careers at Tennessee and in the WNBA. After leading Tennessee to three consecutive national titles, Holdsclaw was a six-time All-Star during his 11-year WNBA career. She won a gold medal with the women’s Olympic team in 2000.
Candace Parker [player]: Like Holdsclaw, Parker had a memorable run at Tennessee before having even more success in the WNBA. She won two national titles at Tennessee before capturing three WNBA titles and two league MVP awards. Parker also won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012.
Women’s Veterans Committee Finalist
Molly Bolin-Kazmer [player]: Known as “Machine Gun Molly” for her prolific scoring ability, Bolin-Kazmer averaged 32.8 points in 1980-81, which was the highest professional scoring average ever by a woman. She led the Iowa Cornets to back-to-back WBL championship appearances (1979, 1980) and set a single-game scoring record with 55 points on March 2, 1980.
International Committee Finalist
Dušan Ivković [coach]: A former Serbian player, Ivković won two EuroLeague championships (1997, 2012) and led the Yugoslavia national team to an Olympic silver medal in 1988 and to a FIBA World Championship title in 1990. He coached several future NBA stars that included Dražen Petrović, Vlade Divac, and Predrag Stojaković.
Contributors Committee Finalists
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Tal Brody: Brody opted to play in Israel despite being the 12th overall pick in the 1965 NBA Draft. During his playing career overseas, Brody won 10 Israeli League titles and six State Cups. In 1979, he became the country’s first athlete to receive the Israel Prize, its highest civilian honor.
Mike D’Antoni: One of the most innovative coaches in NBA history, D’Antoni’s up-tempo, space-and-pace philosophy has changed how offense is played at virtually every level of basketball. A two-time NBA Coach of the Year, D’Antoni won a gold medal in 2012 as an assistant coach.
Veterans Committee Finalists
Marques Johnson: Credited with pioneering the “point forward” role, Johnson helped lead UCLA to a national title in 1975 while playing for legendary coach John Wooden. He was a five-time NBA All-Star who averaged 20.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game during his 11-year career.
For Gregor Townsend, it has been the Calcutta Cup of life; now, a meeting with the Auld Enemy could hasten his end. When Steve Borthwick leapt to the defence of his embattled opposite number earlier this week, suggesting that Scottish fans should be more focused on supporting their side against England than calling for the head coach to go, it betrayed a strange truth about Townsend’s tenure.
The former fly-half has transformed the narrative in this fixture, taking over a side that had failed to win any of their last nine meetings with England, and losing just twice in eight Calcutta Cups since. It is a striking and significant turnaround. But the frustration – of which there is much, particularly after a wretched defeat to Italy – stems from the fact that it has failed to be a part of something larger.
Townsend poses with the Six Nations trophy (Getty Images)
As Borthwick pointed out, Townsend boasts the best winning percentage of any Scottish coach of the modern era. But that is not championship-winning form, and this has not been a championship-winning Scottish side, despite their success against England. Indeed, they’ve not even managed to mount a true title challenge – a so-called golden generation of players has not yet even settled for silver.
“It’s only really on days like this where you have to experience it because it’s such a busy job,” Townsend said of the outside noise on Thursday, admitting he understood the frustration of the fans. “You fill every minute of the day with reviewing what we could have done better, going into selection, going into training.
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“It’s part of the job, part of losing. The feeling of losing is worse than the distraction around what people are giving their opinions to the group or to me as a coach.”
The missteps of the autumn, with a position of relative strength squandered against New Zealand before one of overwhelming ascendancy tossed away against Argentina, had already left Townsend under pressure coming into this campaign. If the fact that they occupied winning positions left positives to take, there could be no such solace in the Rome deluge. Off the field, too, Townsend is under increased scrutiny after dismissing a report in The Telegraph about a move to Newcastle after the 2027 World Cup as “pure speculation”, and suggesting it was written to unsettle his side ahead of the Calcutta Cup.
Scotland have come to dominate the Calcutta Cup rivalry of late (PA Wire)
It was a strange reaction for several reasons. Firstly, an attempt to paint it as some sort of English plot suggested that Townsend’s focus was already elsewhere, rather than the task at hand in Italy, besides being entirely incorrect. Secondly, there are plenty in rugby who are discussing the Scotland head coach ending up at Newcastle as almost a fait accompli, given he already consults with Red Bull and close lieutenant Gavin Vaughan is heading to Kingston Park after this tournament. Townsend was careful, too, in his wording, not ruling out the possibility of ending up at the Prem club but saying that no contract had been signed.
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It would be entirely understandable for the coach to be exploring his options beyond a World Cup that many feel he would be lucky to make. There are some who would have been happy for him to go after the last tournament in France brought a second pool-stage exit in successive editions. Many more may have felt that a contract due to expire this summer would have been a natural end. But Townsend, who it should be said has largely done a good job, was given a contract extension in September to encompass the trip to Australia next year – a decision that now appears misguided.
Glasgow boss Franco Smith lurks as an option to replace Gregor Townsend (PA Wire)
He has not been helped, necessarily, by the success of Franco Smith at Glasgow Warriors, the South African not so much a king across the water but along the M8. The extension of Smith’s deal at the United Rugby Championship (URC) club was announced at the same time as Townsend’s; while his side have since kicked on to finish as second seeds in Europe and push Leinster for top spot in the table, the national team have stumbled. Townsend has experienced an inverse of such a situation before, with the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) moving Vern Cotter aside to promote him to the top job originally amid overtures from Harlequins.
Would the SRU repeat such a move so close to the World Cup? It is perhaps fair to question if anyone at the union has the clout, command or confidence to make such a move. David Nucifora, the performance director, is not full-time, spent last summer with the British and Irish Lions and on an expiring two-year advisory deal. He is not the only part-timer – the highly regarded defence coach Lee Radford is currently job-sharing with Northampton, having stepped in for Steve Tandy in October.
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It would, perhaps, be very Scotland to pull out another big Calcutta Cup showing just as deep cracks start to really show. This remains a highly talented, and generally well-coached side, even if front-five depth and player development remain areas of significant concern. But another defeat to turn up the heat could yet bubble Townsend’s cauldron towards boiling point.
“If we take Tonga out, the last two performances or last two results against Italy and Argentina have been disappointing,” he admitted. “It opens up opportunities for criticising the team, criticising the coach. I get that. It’s not good enough from our perspective. We didn’t win those games and we’re hugely disappointed for our supporters. That’s what we’re working to rectify.”
Prosecutors in Utah filed a first-degree felony rape charge against Kingston, officials announced Wednesday, stemming from an alleged incident last year.
A woman who was 20 years old at the time told officers at a St. George hospital that Kingston assaulted her on Feb. 23, 2025, prosecutors said. Police gathered digital and forensic evidence and interviewed the parties involved and other witnesses, prosecutors said. An investigation has been ongoing since the report.
BYU Cougars wide receiver Parker Kingston catches a pass against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. (Reese Strickland/Imagn Images)
Kingston, 21, is being held without bail in St. George, a city near the Arizona border, Washington County prosecutors said. His initial appearance in court is scheduled for Friday, and punishment ranges from five years to life in prison.
The wide receiver appeared to make his engagement public during BYU’s recent men’s basketball game against Houston on Saturday. Kingston and his new fiancée were shown on the jumbotron, where she flexed her new engagement ring.
BYU Cougars wide receiver Parker Kingston catches a pass against the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. (Reese Strickland/Imagn Images)
BYU said in a statement that it takes any allegation very seriously and will cooperate with law enforcement. It said it would not be able to comment further due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students.
BYU Cougars wide receiver Parker Kingston celebrates after a first down against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)
Kingston had a team-leading 67 receptions and 928 yards with five touchdowns last season. He also rushed for 199 yards on 25 carries with a score, and returned 17 punts for 230 yards and a TD.
Elina Svitolina again declined to shake hands with a Russian opponent after losing to Anna Kalinskaya at the Qatar Open.
The Ukrainian was beaten in the last 16, with Kalinskaya securing the win after a single break proved decisive. After the match, Svitolina thanked the umpire and left the court without approaching the net.
Svitolina has followed this approach since the start of the war in Ukraine, choosing not to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players. The stance has been consistent across tournaments.
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The defeat ended a strong start to 2026 for the seventh seed, who has already won a title this season and returned to the top 10 following her run to the Australian Open semi-finals.
Apr 18, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a baseball in a glove during batting practice prior to the game between the Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
One person died and 32 other occupants were injured when a bus carrying an Iowa community college baseball team overturned, authorities said.
The Iowa State Patrol said a bus from Iowa Lakes Community College crashed into a highway ditch in the single-car incident early Wednesday near Twin Lakes, about 110 miles northwest of Des Moines. The cause remains under investigation.
Three people were airlifted to trauma hospitals and others were taken by ambulances to four area medical centers, Calhoun County emergency services directors Bruce Musgrave said, per ESPN.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the student-athletes, coaches, staff, families, and the entire Iowa Lakes community during this incredibly difficult time,” the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference said in a statement.
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A scheduled four-game series starting Thursday between Iowa Lakes and North Arkansas College has been canceled.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry informed him of his disqualification in a meeting early Thursday at the sliding venue.
Coventry was waiting for Heraskevych at the top of the track when he arrived at around 8:15 a.m., about 75 minutes before the start of the men’s skeleton race.
They went into a private area and spoke briefly. Apparently, however, Coventry was unable to convince Heraskevych to agree to race while wearing a different helmet.
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‘My Olympic moment was stolen’
Speaking to German public broacaster ZDF minutes after the decision, Heraskevych insisted that his disqualification was unjust.
“I have repeated this from Day 1; I don’t think it violates any rules. In accordance with Rule 50 we don’t have any political propaganda, we don’t have any racial propaganda, and we don’t have any harassment towards anyone on this helmet. So I believe this helmet didn’t (break) any rules,” he said.
The Olympic Charter rule that Heraskevych referred to states that: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
He also asserted that despite the fact that he had finished well out of the medals at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Games, he would have been in the hunt for a place on the podium on Friday.
“The last days were good training (sessions) for me, I was fast, I was among the best athletes, and I could have been a medalist tomorrow,” Heraskevych said.
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“But we will never know, because my Olympic moment was stolen.”
He again stressed that he believed it was his right to “represent these athletes who died” because it was also due to their sacrifice that he was able to be there.
“This is more important than winning a medal,” he said.
Tired and frustrated
Speaking later to DW, Heraskevych said the past few days had been very tiring, but he still firmly believed that he should have been given the opportunity to compete – and was looking at pursuing the matter at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
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“It’s frustrating. We put a lot of effort and training in over four years. This was also at a time of a full-scale war, so it was under very hard circumstances.”
He also said he found it difficult to understand why the IOC had taken the stand it has.
“If (the) IOC reacts in a way with common sense, we will not have this terrible scandal now,” he said.
“And then there is much less politics in this competition and also much more attention (being paid) to the athletes in the competition now.”
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What did the IOC say?
Following her meeting with Heraskevych, Coventry also spoke with reporters. She was visibly emotional, with tears rolling down her face as she spoke.
“It’s a message of memory and no one is disagreeing with that,” she said.
The IOC stated that it made its decision “with regret.”
“Despite multiple exchanges and in-person meetings between the IOC and Mr Heraskevych, the last one this morning with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, he did not consider any form of compromise,” the IOC said in a statement.
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IOC President Kirsty Coventry was visibly upset as she spoke to reporters abound the decisionImage: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
“The IOC was very keen for Mr Heraskevych to compete. This is why the IOC sat down with him to look for the most respectful way to address his desire to remember his fellow athletes who have lost their lives following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The essence of this case is not about the message, it is about where he wanted to express it,” the statement added.
Ukrainian president weighs in
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy swiftly criticized the IOC decision, saying it contradicted the spirit of the Games.
“Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors,” he wrote on X.
On Tuesday, the IOC announced that the helmet would not be permitted during the competition, citing a rule prohibiting political statements on the Olympic field of play. It offered a compromise solution allowing the athlete to wear a black armband instead but Heraskevych did not want to back down.
He wore a helmet during training on Tuesday and Wednesday, knowing that the IOC could ultimately disqualify him from the Olympic race.
At the last Olympics in Beijing in 2022, Heraskevych displayed a banner that read, “No War in Ukraine.” Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four days after those Olympics ended.
Elisabetta Galla contributed to this report. Edited by: Sean Sinico and Matt Pearson
Investigators are still engaged in their search for those responsible for the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie. Meanwhile, attention toward the case grew when social media commentator, Zack Peter, added a comment on Gina Milan’s X post on February 12, 2026, about the recent investigation activity.
@ginamilan_ I think I’m tapping out of this one. Nancy is gone. We have no answers. So much is fishy and off about this case. There’s either some clear incompetence or a VERY BIG cover up.
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The comment was made when agents reportedly found an object that is potentially important in the ongoing search. Crime investigators asserted that they had found a black glove in a location that was linked to the disappearance of Guthrie.
Law enforcers have reported that they had been looking into the possession, yet have not determined whether it is connected to the individuals who led the abduction.
Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie, was last seen outside her Tucson, Arizona, home on the night of Saturday, January 31, 2026.
On February 1, 2026, she was reported missing, and the case was marked active. Authorities have prevented the release of information to ensure that the investigation’s integrity is maintained not only in the search to locate her, but also in building the identity of those involved.
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Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping: What happened and the latest developments
Nancy Guthrie, an 84-year-old resident of the Catalina Foothills near Tucson, Arizona, was reported missing after she failed to show up at home and was inaccessible to family members.
According to the investigators, she was kidnapped against her will from home in the early hours of February 1, 2026. Officials have stated that blood at the scene matched Guthrie’s DNA and that she requires daily medication for her conditions.
During the pre-investigation stages, police departments, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, examined any surveillance footage available on the property.
Mysterious black glove found near Nancy Guthrie’s home could hold crucial DNA evidence: former FBI agent.
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The video released by the police shows an unknown masked man wearing gloves, a mask, and a backpack, who appears to have been tampering with a doorbell camera shortly before Guthrie’s disappearance.
Following it, the police briefly detained a man on a Rio Rico Arizona traffic stop. However, they released him without charges and have not publicly charged him as a suspect. The police subsequently conducted a court-approved search, associated with the investigation.
Recent reports in the case have also involved the alleged discovery of a black glove about a mile and a half from Nancy Guthrie’s home. Investigators who conducted a thorough search of the area found the item by the side of the road.
The glove has been sent to law enforcement agencies to be analyzed in order to establish its linkage to the abduction. According to the authorities, such tests might involve efforts to determine potential DNA or other physical evidence. There is still no official confirmation on whether there is a connection or not.
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The public also remains free to provide tips to the authorities, and the law enforcement is providing a reward to any information that leads to the safe return of Nancy Guthrie or the arrest of the individuals involved. There are several pieces of evidence that are being reviewed, and investigators have reiterated that the investigation is ongoing.
The controversial European Super League (ESL) project, which aimed to break away from traditional football structures, has officially collapsed. UEFA, in a surprise announcement just before its annual congress, revealed that an agreement had been reached between UEFA, Real Madrid, and the European Football Clubs (EFC) group.
This marks the formal end of the divisive Super League project, which had generated heated debate and backlash since its inception.
The End of the Super League Dream
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The ESL, initially launched in 2021, proposed a breakaway league featuring 20 of Europe’s top clubs. The project was spearheaded by Real Madrid, along with several other elite clubs, including Barcelona and Juventus. The plan was met with massive opposition from fans, governments, and football bodies, culminating in the withdrawal of several clubs from the project within days.
After more than three years of legal battles and protests, UEFA announced that a “principles agreement” had been reached, ensuring the end of the Super League concept. UEFA stated that the agreement respects the “principle of sporting merit” and focuses on long-term club sustainability and fan experience through technology.
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A Surprising U-Turn from Real Madrid
Real Madrid had remained the last major architect of the Super League project. However, the agreement signifies a shift in direction for the Spanish giants. The club had previously announced plans to seek “substantial damages” from UEFA over the rejection of the breakaway league, and their legal battle seemed poised to continue. However, the agreement reached with UEFA suggests that these disputes will now be resolved.
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Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Pérez, a key figure behind the Super League, now finds himself aligned with UEFA and the EFC, a group he had previously distanced himself from. The decision for Real Madrid to rejoin the EFC marks a dramatic U-turn, following the withdrawal of Barcelona from the project earlier.
Reactions from Key Figures
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino hailed the agreement as a victory for football, saying, “Football wins when we unite.” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin echoed this sentiment, expressing his happiness that clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona had “joined the family again.” Ceferin, who had been at odds with Pérez during the Super League saga, emphasized that the only true winner of the situation was the sport itself.
Al-Khelaifi, the EFC chairman, played a crucial role in steering the dialogue toward a shared direction, according to Ceferin. Infantino, known for his previous silence on the matter, also congratulated the key players involved in the agreement, expressing his relief that the dispute had finally been resolved.
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The Legacy of the Super League
While the idea of a European Super League was eventually rescinded, the impact of the project will be felt for years to come. The proposal challenged the very foundations of European football and sparked a broader conversation about the commercialization of the sport and the need to preserve its traditions. However, with the conclusion of the legal disputes and the end of the breakaway league, many believe football is now on a path to healing.
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In the end, the collapse of the Super League marks a pivotal moment in European football, reaffirming the importance of unity, fairness, and respect for the traditional structures that have made the sport beloved around the world.
NEW DELHI: Ishan Kishan made history for India in the T20 World Cup on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium by becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a fifty in the tournament’s history. Coming into bat as an opener against Namibia, Kishan played a blazing knock of 61 off just 24 balls, having smashed six fours and five sixes at a strike rate of over 250.
Why is Ahmedabad likely to be the sporting capital of India? | Bombay Sport Exchange
His explosive innings helped India post a big total of 209 for 9 in 20 overs.Namibia had won the toss and chose to bowl, but India’s batters quickly took control. Sanju Samson gave a quick start with 22 off eight balls, while Tilak Varma added 25 and Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with 12. Hardik Pandya also played a crucial role, scoring 52 off 28 balls to keep the momentum going, while Shivam Dube made 23.Namibia’s captain Gerhard Erasmus was the standout bowler, picking up four wickets and slowing India down in the middle overs. Despite losing a flurry of wickets late in the innings, India still crossed the 200-run mark, thanks mainly to Kishan’s early assault and Pandya’s power-hitting.Kishan’s fifty was special not just for the runs, but for the record it created. No Indian wicketkeeper had ever scored a half-century in a T20 World Cup before, making his innings a milestone moment. His aggressive approach in the powerplay set the tone for India’s innings and put Namibia under pressure from the start.India’s strong batting display, led by Kishan’s historic knock, gave them a commanding total to defend and marked a memorable moment in India’s T20 World Cup campaign.
There are quite a few different schools of thought on how to select the right irons for your game.
Most of which come from players who refuse to get fit, because yes, that’s always the correct answer. However, there are lots of golfers who spend lots of time online looking through articles, forums, news feeds, and social media to find their answers.
One big question? Should more golfers play blades? If you had asked most folks at the end of the 2025 PGA Tour season, the answer probably would have been an astounding no.
That’s all fine and good, but so far in 2026… quite a few big names are leading the way with blades in the bag, including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, a switch BACK to blades for World No. 2 Rory McIlroy, and two-time winner in 2026 Chris Gotterup. The one common theme for these guys? They’re all PGA Tour professionals.
The Ridiculous Argument
The most common and most ridiculous argument that I hear for the average golfer to hit blades is, “You’ll learn how to hit the ball better if you start using blades right away.”
Why are we encouraging players to start off on the most unforgiving foot possible? Even modern blades like the new 2026 Wilson Staff Model MB or a TaylorMade P7TW, which are more forgiving than their 10-year-old counterparts, are still difficult to hit consistently. These clubs are MEANT to give feedback to the golfer. These clubs are MEANT to be perfect out of the middle, and harsh outside of it. They are true elite players’ tools. Not meant for the hands of beginners.
The worst fear I have of this statement is that it takes the fun out of learning the game. I’ve seen more new golfers quit over frustration than anything else in the game. So in the opinion of this author, telling MOST players to pick up a set of blades is the absolute worst advice you could possibly give them.
A couple of weeks ago, a pretty big story emerged as Rory McIlroy elected to start playing a set of TaylorMade P7CB cavity back irons over his RORS PROTO set of blades.
This was the turning point that the forgiveness crowd had been begging for. Surely if RORY was going to switch to something more forgiving, there’s no reason why any normal golfer should be playing blades.
Well, that didn’t last long. They never actually made it to the PGA Tour, even. Ahead of his debut this week at Pebble Beach, he has switched back into his RORS PROTOS. But, I don’t think he’s done with the experiment yet. I have a feeling that this is going to be the catalyst for a new set of RORS PROTOS. Something we probably still won’t be able to get our normal hands on, but amazing nonetheless. He spoke in his press conference this week about the switch back, and gave a very unique answer.
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While diving into his answer requires another article completely, I don’t get the sense from his tone answering the question that he’s giving up on the more forgiving experiment.
Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing what they develop and come up with. Because a cavity-back style iron that doesn’t have as much right bias in it with a little bit of reduced offset… could be quite something.
What about the average consumer?
Today, I ran over to a local simulator joint to test out the theory for myself. I am a +0.3 handicap golfer at the moment, and over the last few years, I have had blades in and out of the bag in one way or another. Some in the bottom end of the set with a combo or flow of cavity backs in the top, and some as full sets. Even now, I have begun the year choosing to play the new Cobra 3DP MB irons. Which are a different animal.
They certainly don’t play like an MB.
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My Cobra 3DP MB iron set.
Jake Morrow/GOLF
The reason I bring this up is not to brag in any way about my own game, but to say that I am probably in the small bucket of people who should even consider playing a blade. For me, at this level in my game, it really comes down to consistency of strike and turf interaction.
Blades or MB models typically have a very small sweet spot. The club heads themselves are much smaller, and getting the center of the face back to the ball isn’t as easy or as generous as something like a cavity-back or larger-style clubhead.
The soles tend to be very thin, so there isn’t much room for error in club delivery. When you have a thinner sole, it tends to go through the turf really efficiently, but it’s also very sensitive to attack angle. Come in too steep, and you’ll get stuck in the ground like a knife. Come in too shallow and your hands will know what the thin sting feels like off the bottom of the club face.
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All this is to say that there are so many reasons for even skilled or scratch level NOT to play blade style irons, why would a 10 handicap feel like playing them is the right move? Because some guy in pit vipers on the internet told you to? Bad reason.
Testing the theory
I jumped into a local simulator bay this morning to hit some shots with the new Wilson Staff Model Irons lineup. 2026 brings us a new muscle back blade, a cavity back offering, and a brand new hollow-body in the Staff Model XB. I made sure to snag screenshots of the data, so let’s take a look. First, (out of 10 shots with each club) a look at the best three shots hit with each.
Top three (out of 10) shots with each iron tested
Foresight Sports
There is nothing really surprising about this data set from hitting a 7-iron of each model. The blade is the slowest and the hollow-body has the lowest spin with the Staff Model CB living right in the middle of the two. Where it starts to develop into more of a story is in the true 10-shot averages seen here.
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Ten-shot averages with each model in the new 2026 Wilson Staff Model Irons family.
Foresight Sports
Here we start to see a bit more separation. As we include more and more shots, the irons start to show their true colors. The worst shots from the Staff Model MB are going to offset the averages to be lower performing than the other two models. The XB and it’s hollow-body design start to really shine as the averages get closer to what the numbers were from the best three shots. And as we look at the worst three shots from each group, the full picture really develops.
Averages of the worst three shots hit with each 2026 Wilson Staff Model iron model
Foresight Sports
This is where the MB style of iron can really fall apart. Again, I like to think that I am a fairly decent ball striker. I know how to get the club to the ball effectively. But every time I go into a bay and start swinging some blades, I am reminded that I need a little bit more forgiveness in my game. Losing six-to-seven miles an hour of ball speed just can’t happen. That can be a full club of distance on the course!
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Why would I subject myself to even thinking that that would be an option if I am trying to get better at golf. Even just the small step up to the Staff Model CB proved to be a fantastic move. The standard deviation in the data between shots was wonderful to see, and it’s still a really good looking package that doesn’t damage the ego at all.
As I stated before, the implication that the average or even recreationally good golfer should be playing blades is absurd to me. Does this mean that I think blades have no purpose in the game? Absolutely not. I have actually seen a fair bit of golfers who “shouldn’t” play blades get fit into them. There’s something to be said for a thin sharp sole and a small form factor. There are players of all skill levels who are going to find success with their delivery using this style of golf club. I don’t want to bucket the blade shape to be for a good or a bad player, just that it needs to be for the right player.
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I certainly won’t say that anybody starting out should be anywhere near a blade, unless you’re showing them how far they need to go to truly understand how to hit the golf ball. At that point you’re really just making an aggressive statement, but I’ll allow it.
If you get fit for blades, the I believe in you and I wish the best for your game. Remind me not to bet you for any money, because I’ve made that mistake before. If you haven’t gotten fit for a set of blades and you really want to see what they can or can’t do for your game, make sure you go book a fitting with your local True Spec Golf fitter. They’ll set you straight.
Former India batter Rohan Gavaskar hailed opener Abhishek Sharma for his ability to create fear in the opposition, similar to West Indian legend Vivian Richards, amid the T20 World Cup clash against Namibia in Delhi on February 12. The 25-year-old is missing the ongoing game due to illness, which he sustained in India’s tournament opener against the USA.
While Abhishek failed to open his account in his maiden ICC game, his T20I performances since his debut in 2024 have been nothing short of phenomenal. Ranked No.1 in the world in T20I batting, the southpaw has scored 1,297 runs at an average of over 36 and a strike rate of 194.45 in 39 T20Is.
Talking about Abhishek Sharma after the news about his absence for the Namibia encounter came out, Gavaskar said on Cricbuzz (11:05):
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“Once you’ve got the weight of performances in the bank, even if you get out for a few first-ball ducks, you are still in the 11. So the fear of not being in the side is not there, which allows you to play without pressure. He puts the fear of God into the opposition. It’s what Viv Richards used to do in the 80s.”
He continued:
If the opposition has got 280 in a T20 and India are chasing that, they won’t be thinking we’ve got this game in the bag. Because they know in the first six overs, if Abhishek bats through that period, India could well be in that chase.
Abhishek holds the distinction of being the second fastest to a half-century (14 balls) and century (37 balls) in T20Is among Indian batters.
“If he was playing in the 1960s, he would have been a quality Test player” – Rohan Gavaskar
Rohan Gavaskar went a step further and said that Abhishek Sharma’s natural ability would have ensured he would have dominated any format across eras. The young left-hander has only played in T20Is for India in his two-year international career.
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“It’s the naturally born ability. Like a Virat would have been great in any era. That’s when you are called an all-time great. Likewise, Abhishek Sharma, with the kind of ability he has, if he was playing in the 1960s, he would have been a quality Test player. You are a product of the environment you grow up in. He has enhanced that ability in T20s for this era. In another era, he would have excelled in the other formats,” said Gavaskar (via the aforementioned source).
Abhishek’s numbers are surprisingly modest in the longer domestic formats, averaging 33.78 and 30.60 in List-A and first-class cricket, respectively.
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