Just over one month after claiming the NBA championship in San Antonio, the New York Knicks and their fans finally got an opportunity to celebrate ending a 53-year title drought in grand fashion back inside Madison Square Garden. The Knicks’ two biggest stars, NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, not only attended but participated in the latest edition of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, which emanated from MSG for the first time since 2007.

Brunson main evented the show with Roman Reigns, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and one of his favorite wrestlers. (Brunson does a Reigns-inspired handshake with a Knicks trainer before every game.) After an extended introduction crowning Brunson the “King of New York,” the starting point guard was acknowledged by Reigns and gifted a unique version of the championship belt with a blue-and-orange stripe.

Knicks fans went wild cheering and chanting for Brunson, not knowing what was going to come next.

When it appeared the segment had ended, and the show was about to go off the air, the entrance music of Reigns’ forthcoming title challenger at SummerSlam, Seth Rollins, rocked the arena. Except it was not Rollins who appeared underneath the TitanTron but Indiana Pacers star and Knicks rival Tyrese Haliburton, who rekindled his feud with Brunson around a WWE ring for the second time.

Haliburton’s presence served as a distraction for Rollins to attack Reigns, but Brunson ultimately stood in the way of his friend, giving Reigns an opening to hit a Superman punch and spear on Rollins with the champions standing tall.

Earlier in the night, Knicks good-luck charm and WWE superstar Danhausen, who famously “uncursed” New York immediately before the team won 15 of its last 16 games of the season, leading to their NBA title, received in-ring assistance from Karl-Anthony Towns.

With Danhausen outnumbered against JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio, who stole and ruined a Knicks jersey gifted to Danhausen during the NBA Finals run, Towns appeared to save the team’s unofficial postseason mascot. But not only that, Towns got physically involved, delivering impressive chokeslams to both McDonagh and Mysterio, creating an opportunity for Danhausen to win the no-disqualifiation match before celebrating and holding up five fingers, denoting “Knicks in 5” at the end of the segment.

While Brunson has yet to get physically involved in either of his WWE appearances, he was dealing with a surgically repaired hand/wrist injury on both occasions. Stepping over the top rope with ease and delivering chokeslams that reminded of The Undertaker, Towns may have a future around the squared circle should he want it after his NBA career comes to an end.

Jalen Brunson weighs the pros and cons of the second apron with the New York Knicks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Winning the 2026 NBA Finals was a massive achievement for the New York Knicks. However, like most teams over the past few seasons, they had to part ways with a key player on the roster, as they had to let Mitchell Robinson sign with the Boston Celtics in the offseason.

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That is the norm under the NBA’s second apron rules, which are likely one of the biggest reasons why there has not been a back-to-back champion since the 2018 NBA Finals. Brunson himself has had thoughts on what has happened with his team due to the second apron.

Jalen Brunson gives his take on the second apron for the Knicks

Brunson has one of the league’s most team-friendly contracts because he left around $100,000,000 on the table. This helped the Knicks have financial flexibility under the second apron rules to build a team that can compete with almost anyone in the league.

It worked out for both Brunson and the Knicks because their gamble paid off in 2026. They had the roster with players who are being paid well, like Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby. Incidentally, those are the two players with the biggest impact outside of Brunson during their NBA Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs.

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MORE: Jalen Brunson did not want to give the pitch to LeBron James

Now that Brunson and the Knicks are champions, Brunson has given his take on the second apron and how that affects the team previously, today, and in the long-term future.

“I think there are pros and cons to it. Because of the second apron, we had to lose Mitch. Obviously, I would’ve loved to have him back, he was a big part of what we’ve been able to do. Everyone prior to the second apron, prior to the previous eight teams being champions, we had too many superteams,” Brunson said on Nightcap with Shannon Sharpe.

“People called it the participation trophy. What are we doing? You guys want competition, or you guys don’t want superteams, what is it? There are pros and cons to it. For me, I just navigate the best I can, control what I can control.”

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While the NBA will continue to have this rule in place, there are probably some discussions with the NBA Players Association and the league. It will be a point of contention for sure, but it will be interesting how they pivot away from it after years of it being set in stone.

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If things get wonky, then linebacker Blake Cashman is going to be shown the door. The Vikings cut candidate isn’t considered a cut candidate by most, but that’s part of the point: this one would hit a lot of folks as coming out of nowhere.

The veteran ‘backer is moving into the final year of his three-year contract. Already, Mr. Cashman has been in town for a pair of seasons even though it feels as though he just arrived. A world exists where he gets extended. Or, perhaps, the team allows him to venture into free agency next year before a reunion deal gets sorted out. That outcome, though, appears more unlikely now than six months ago. In fact, a cut wouldn’t be unfathomable.

A Vikings Cut Candidate: LB Blake Cashman

A variety of factors introduce uncertainty for Cashman’s ongoing employment in the Twin Cites.

To begin, the change within the front office means embracing a fresh perspective. There’s still plenty of continuity within the leadership since the coaching staff remains largely in place. Still, though, there’s something to be said for an obvious point: hiring a new GM means less loyalty to the old GM’s guys. Cashman is among these guys.

Consider, as well, that Minnesota already appears to have tipped its hand at linebacker.

Opting to bring Eric Wilson back means that the position already boasts a veteran option for the next couple years, at minimum. Maybe all that means is that Cashman will walk in 2027, but there’s a plan in place for life after Cashman.

Plus, the 2026 NFL Draft involved snagging Jake Golday. The rangy rookie linebacker oozes potential. He’s a great athlete who appears to be a queen on the chess board. Golday goes forward, backward, diagonally, and every other direction. The kid still does need to prove himself but optimism exists for the young lad.

Ivan Pace Jr. is still only 25. The Vikings then have several unheralded players in Bangally Kamara, Keli Lawson, Jacob Roberts, and Josh Ross. Does one of these guys show unexpected excellence?

Another factor to consider is that Brian Flores is a creative guy. He’s not shy about using edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel as an off-ball linebacker. Coach Flores has shown a willingness to do the same with Dallas Turner. Chaz Chambliss appears to be another option for this sort of thing and maybe Bo Richter could do the same.

Moreover, there are the players at safety — Josh Metellus, in particular — capable of playing linebacker. Seeing Harrison Smith return would further create a roster logjam.

Finally, there’s the financial end of things.

Moving on from Blake Cashman with a straightforward cut could mean recouping $7,632,353 in cap space. Presumably, most of that would get rolled over into next year, but that’s a decision for the new GM. Opting for a Cashman trade, a situation that requires another team to agree to terms, would mean welcoming identical cap savings.

Cashman isn’t likely to be shown the door. He remains a very good player who helps the team to matchup. He can be an eraser in the run game, making runners disappear; so, too, can he be a monster in pass coverage, making life difficult for tight ends and slot receivers. Better yet, he’s a leader who has a brain in his head. The Vikings do value what he brings to the table (which is to say nothing of the fans).

If, however, the desire is for youth and financial savings, then moving on from Blake Cashman isn’t totally without reason. He has had some injury issues, plays at a deep position, was brought in by the old GM, and would see his contract give back nice cap savings.

Blake Cashman is 30. He had 144 tackles, 2 sacks, and 4 tackles for loss in thirteen games last season.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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France‘s Kylian Mbappe became the top scorer in World Cup history on Saturday after netting a 22nd goal in the third-place play-off against England.

However, his team suffered a 6-4 defeat to the Three Lions in Didier Deschamps’ last match as France’s head coach.

Mbappe is now one ahead of Argentina’s Lionel Messi on the World Cup all-time goal-scoring table. Messi will have a chance to win back the title when Argentina play in Sunday’s final.

Mbappe’s brace also saw the France captain move to the top of the race for the Golden Boot, which will be awarded to the player with the most goals in the tournament. He now has two more goals than Messi in the 2026 World Cup.

“Messi ⁠is ​going to score (on Sunday), that’s for ​sure. I’m just trying to help my team win. When ​you score a ‌lot of goals at the World Cup, it puts you in a certain ​category,” Mbappe said.

“I ⁠would have preferred not to be the all-time top scorer ⁠and to ​be playing tomorrow’s match. It’s good in terms of legacy, but today it’s not the first thing on my mind,” he added.

England beat France 6-4 in wild World Cup bronze match

England were in complete control after scoring four first-half goals to leave France facing an embarrassing defeat.

Mbappe struck twice as Les Bleus battled back, but England held firm.

Saka scored a hat-trick for the Three Lions while Bellingham became the first England player to score seven goals at a single World Cup.

The result secured third place for England, the team’s best World Cup performance since winning the tournament in 1966.

Deschamps’ last dance for France

The third-place playoff at the World Cup was Deschamps’ last game as France coach. 

As a player, Deschamps led the French team to a World Cup title in 1998. As a coach, he guided France to World Cup glory in 2018 and a runner-up finish four years ago.

But Les Bleus missed their chance for a third consecutive final appearance after losing 2-0 against Spain in the semi-finals.

On Sunday, European champions Spain will face World Cup holders and South American champions Argentina in the final.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

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Several FIFA World Cup records were broken as England defeated France 6-4 in a thrilling third-place match to claim the bronze medal at the 2026 tournament.

The 10-goal contest became the highest-scoring third-place match in FIFA World Cup history, surpassing France’s 6-3 victory over West Germany in 1958.

England made a dream start, taking a 4-0 lead before half-time through Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and two goals from Bukayo Saka. France fought back after the break with goals from Kylian Mbappé and Bradley Barcola to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Mbappé then made history by scoring his second goal of the match to become the leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history with 22 goals, moving ahead of Argentina legend Lionel Messi.

The France captain also finished the tournament with 14 goal contributions, setting a new record for the most goal involvements in a single FIFA World Cup.

England restored their two-goal lead when Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 87th minute. Ousmane Dembélé scored again for France in stoppage time before Jude Bellingham sealed the victory with England’s sixth goal deep into added time.

Bellingham’s strike was his seventh goal of the tournament, making him the highest-scoring England player in a single FIFA World Cup.

Saka’s hat-trick was another major highlight as he inspired England to their best World Cup finish since winning the title in 1966. It also marked England’s best-ever World Cup finish outside home soil.

While England celebrated a memorable victory and a place on the podium, the match will also be remembered for the remarkable records set by Mbappé, Bellingham and Saka in one of the greatest third-place matches in World Cup history.