Sports & Entertainment Spotlight

Welcome back to the Spotlight! This week’s edition starts off under similar circumstances as where we left off two weeks ago, with the New York Knicks getting another nine days of hard-earned recovery time, awaiting their opponent. For those keeping track at home, that is enough time to listen to Drake’s full triple-album release about eighty-six times over. As of now, we know either two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder or the preposterously tall and athletic French star Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs) in the next round of the playoffs. That next round also happens to be the last round: the NBA Finals. That means (pinch me if I’m dreaming) the New York Knicks are in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years. With Saturday being a Blue Moon, I would say that such an event happens once in a Blue Moon—but there have been 12 Blue Moons in that same period. So, this is more like a Blue and Orange Moon—and the buzz around New York (and ticket prices) are reflecting that Kudos to the Knicks organization for understanding this and making at least 500 tickets available for free to disadvantaged, inner-city youths, to give an opportunity to witness this rare phenomenon. As for things around here, unlike last edition, the Spotlight is going to remain locked in and laser-focused, just as I hope the Knicks do over the next few weeks.

• • The aforementioned Shai Gilgeous-Alexander cries foul as he had his lawyers send a cease and desist letter sent to Underdog Sports relating to the use of his name, image and likeness in a promotional Operation-style game called “Unethical Hoops,” that pokes fun at SGA’s notorious reputation for drawing questionable fouls.
  • Podcaster Jay Shetty signs a $100 million deal with Netflix and Spotify for the videos distribution rights to his motivational, self-help podcast “On Purpose.” So you could say his methods seem to be working.
  • Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Ohio native Travis Kelce buys a minority equity stake in the MLB’s Cleveland Guardians—meaning fiancée Taylor Swift may now have reasons for visiting the city other than accepting Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honors.