Sports & Entertainment Spotlight

Welcome back to the Spotlight! Although the group stage of the FIFA World Cup kicked off yesterday, and co-hosting country, USA embarks upon its quest for soccer glory against Paraguay this evening, my mind remains singularly focused on the NBA Finals. Like many (I can only imagine how the Spurs and their fans have been taking it), I am still processing Wednesday night’s game in which the New York Knicks--down by as many as 29 points in the 3rd quarter in front of a hometown crowd—had the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history to stun the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 and take a 3-1 series lead. Just one win away from ending a 53 year stretch without an NBA Championship. Knicks fans like myself have been so conditioned to defeat and disappointment from various Knicks teams over the past few decades, that the comeback seemed all the more improbable, but this team’s ethos to exemplified by its captain, Jalen Brunson’s mentality is to be fueled by inner belief and outside doubt, and to keep fighting. Perhaps that’s what kept me from turning off the television and angrily trying to go to sleep at halftime. Now, the series is not over, and the Knicks’ story is still being written, but if this latest postseason drama does not seem like it would be fit for the movies, then I don’t know what would. As luck would have it, lifelong Knicks fan and celebrity row mainstay Ben Stiller has been chronicling the Knicks’ postseason run for an HBO documentary. Hopefully the film has a triumphant ending.

• • A federal lawsuit has been filed aimed at stopping this weekend’s UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House from going forward, but with strong storms expected in Washington, DC on Sunday night, Mother Nature may have the final say on the matter.
  • Former reality stars of “Chrisley Knows Best,” Todd and Julie Chrisley sue their defense lawyers for $25 million, blaming the law firm for alleged mistakes made that led to their conviction for fraud and tax evasion leading to jail time and lost income opportunities. Interesting theory, but I think the real culprit here was the fraud and tax evasion.
  • Taylor Swift makes more history, as she is the youngest woman inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Not to detract from her talents, but some credit should be shared with her exes.