The Sportsletter - 👑 King & Kid Make NBA History

BY JEFF YODER

OCT. 23, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

It’s the midweek mix, and it’s a doozy. The NBA season also tipped off last night with stories galore. LeBron and Bronny James finally made NBA history, and the Celtics raised Banner No. 18 with a record-tying barrage of 3s. Fresh NFL Power Rankings feature new teams rising and MVPs emerging in Week 8. It was also a full day of hockey (as full as can be) and soccer across the pond. Lots of sports, very little time. Strap in.

Letter Rip!

NBA

👑 King & Kid: LeBron & Bronny James Make NBA History

Photo: Harry How / Getty Images

The 2024-25 NBA Season Tipped Off With a 3-Point Record in Boston Before the Father-Son Spectacle in Los Angeles

The 2024-25 NBA season tipped off last night with a pair of games riddled with storylines fit for a king, and for opening night. Early in the evening, the Celtics raised Banner No. 18 in Boston before shredding the Knicks (132-109). In the process, the Celtics tied an NBA record with 29 3-pointers. Boston actually had 29 triples with more than eight minutes left in the game, but they missed their last 13 attempts to break the record. It was a wild scene in TD Garden as the fans stayed engaged with the record chase. Jayson Tatum had a huge night with 37 points and eight 3s.

Out in L.A. for the nightcap, it was a family spectacle bigger than basketball. A media circus came out for the first official regular season NBA game that featured a father-son duo. LeBron James and Bronny James checked in together in the final minutes of the second quarter to a standing ovation. Bronny didn’t score (0-for-2), but it was a special moment nonetheless. Anthony Davis had a monster night (36 pts, 16 rebs, 4 blks) and the Lakers are 1-0 in the J.J. Redick era.

NBA Tip-Off Highlights

Celtics def. Knicks (132-109)

Jayson Tatum (BOS): 37 pts, 11 ast (Eight 3s)

Lakers def. Timberwolves (110-101)

Anthony Davis (LAL): 36 pts, 16 rebs

ESPN: Celtics Bury Knicks & Tie NBA 3-Point Record (29), But Hit ‘Lid’ Pursuing the Mark

NFL

NFL Power Rankings 📊 (& MVPs)

Photo: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images

Chiefs Are Last Undefeated, But Are They The Most Complete Team? And Who's Running Away With MVP?

Once again, Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the Kansas City Chiefs — winners in three of the last five Super Bowls — hold steady at No. 1 as they have all season. But despite their record, Mahomes has more interceptions (8) than touchdowns (6) after Week 7. Kansas City just wins, and I’ve learned to stop questioning how or why. This week’s shuffle saw the Lions, Steelers and Ravens shine, and all three look like the most well-rounded teams. The Vikings, Packers and a handful of other teams are still lethal. If you had to pick an MVP after Week 7, there are roughly eight quarterbacks and two running backs posting flashy numbers so far. We’ve listed them below this week’s rankings rundown.

Top 10

1. Chiefs (6-0) | —

2. Lions (5-1) | ↑1

3. Ravens (5-2) | ↑1

4. Vikings (5-1) | ↓2

5. Steelers (5-2) | ↑3

6. Commanders (5-2) | ↑3

7. Packers (5-2) | ↑6

8. Bills (5-2) | ↑2

9. Texans (5-2) | ↓4

10. Eagles (4-2) | ↑2

Teams 11-20

11. Buccaneers (4-3) | ↓4

12. 49ers (3-4) | ↓1

13. Seahawks (4-3) | ↑4

14. Falcons (4-3) | ↓8

15. Bears (4-2) | —

16. Cowboys (3-3) | —

17. Colts (4-3) | ↑1

18. Broncos (4-3) | ↑1

19. Bengals (3-4) | ↑1

20. Chargers (3-3) | ↓6

Teams 21-32

21. Cardinals (3-4) | ↑2

22. Rams (2-4) | ↑7

23. Jets (2-5) | ↓1

24. Jaguars (2-5) | ↑3

25. Saints (2-5) | ↓4

26. Giants (2-5) | ↓2

27. Raiders (2-5) | ↓2

28. Dolphins (2-4) | ↓2

29. Titans (1-5) | ↓1

30. Browns (1-6) | —

31. Patriots (1-6) | —

32. Panthers (1-6) | —

MVP Ladder (The Sportsletter’s Top-5)

1. QB L. Jackson (BAL): 2265 yards, 17 TDs, 2 INTs

2. QB B. Mayfield (TB): 2017 yards, 20 TDs, 7 INTs

3. QB J. Allen (BUF): 1662 yards, 15 TDs, 0 INTs

4. RB D.Henry (BAL): 935 yards, 10 TDs

5. QB J. Goff (DET): 1627 yards, 10 TDs, 4 INTs

Other MVP Candidates: QB Jordan Love (Packers), RB Saquon Barkley (Eagles), QB C.J. Stroud (Texans), Sam Darnold (Vikings), Joe Burrow (Bengals), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)... by default | Questions? Let Us Know Where We Went Wrong

ESPN: Week 8 NFL Power Rankings 1-32 Poll, Plus Every Team’s Young Riser

SI: NFL Power Rankings: A New No. 1 Emerges While 49ers & Bucs Tumble

NFL PICKS

The Sportsletter's NFL Pick 'Em

Play The Sportsletter NFL Pick ‘Em (Week 8)

Picks Take Approximately 60 Seconds

POLL 📊

The Week 7 Game Ball Goes To...

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson! No surprise here after that 5-TD performance. LJ received 30% of the vote while Eagles RB Saquon Barkley (17%), Ravens RB Derrick Henry (16%), and Bills QB Josh Allen (15%) were 2-3-4 in yesterday's poll.

NHL

A 'Frozen Frenzy' Free-For-All ❄️

Photo: Joe Puetz / Getty Images

All 32 NHL Teams Were in Action for the 1st ‘Frozen Frenzy’ of the Season, But Only 1 Remains Unbeaten

They call it the “frozen frenzy.” All 32 NHL teams graced the ice last night with whip-around coverage on ESPN+. Among the highlights of all 16 games was the Winnipeg Jets winning their sixth straight to remain the only undefeated club. A three-goal second period helped them rally past the Blues (3-2). Winnipeg is a straight-up 6-0-0 with two overtime wins. Kyle Connor scored for the fourth straight game, and Cole Perfetti notched assists on all three goals. There’s something brewing up in Manitoba.

Watch: Jets Stay Perfect With Rally Against Blues (3-2)

NHL ‘Frozen Frenzy’ (Top Highlights)

Rangers def. Canadiens (7-2)

Lightning def. Devils (8-5)

Wild def. Panthers (5-1)

Capitals def. Flyers (4-1)

Hurricanes def. Oilers (3-2, OT)

🏒 See Full NHL Scoreboard (Oct. 22)

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Matchday 3: Pulisic Nets 'Olimpico'

Photo: Image Photo Agency / Getty Images

Christian Pulisic Strikes ‘Olimpico’ Goal for AC Milan / Vinicius Jr. Scores Hat Trick for Real Madrid

The UEFA Champions League returned to the pitch Tuesday for Matchday 3 (of 8) all across Europe. A pair of superstars stole the show in another episode of League Play. "Captain America" Christian Pulisic struck a mind-bending ‘Olimpico’ goal to set the tone for AC Milan in a 3-1 victory at San Siro. That’s a goal — with no deflection — from a corner kick set piece, in case you weren’t familiar with that term. Pulisic called it “a bit of luck,” but it was still impressive. Over in the Bernabeu, Real Madrid put together the day’s biggest result with a 5-2 win over red-hot Dortmund thanks to a hat trick from Vinicius Jr. The second day of Matchday 3 continues this afternoon.

Champions League Highlights (Matchday 3)

Milan def. Club Brugge (3-1)

Real Madrid def. Dortmund (5-2)

Arsenal def. Shakhtar Donetsk (1-0)

PSG draw PSV Eindhoven (1-1)

Aston Villa def. Bologna (2-0)

⚽️ All Champions League Scores & Highlights

*More Matchday 3 Action Today

STORYLINES

🏈 NFL Trade Block Big Board

The NFL trade deadline (Nov. 5) is approaching fast, and some superstar names are rotting on sinking ships. Here are ten potential trades we’d like to see. (FOX Sports)

🏀 WNBA Opts Out of Current CBA

The WNBA players union opted out of the league’s current collective bargaining agreement two years before its expiration. What comes next? (AP News)

⚾️ Will Ohtani Pitch in the World Series?

It remains unlikely that Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani will return to two-way status for the big stage, but the Yankees will be “ready for anything.” (CBS Sports)

NEWS 📰

🏀 Paige Bueckers, Juju Watkins Headline Women’s Preseason NCAA All-America Team (FOX Sports)

⚾️ Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 Home Run Ball Auctions at Record $4.4 Million (Yahoo! Sports)

🏈 NFL Reviewing Roquan Smith’s Hip-Drop Tackle That Injured Bucs WR Chris Godwin (B/R)

⚽️ La Liga Looking to Host Future Barcelona-Atletico Madrid Clash In Miami (SI)

🏀 Marc Lore & Alex Rodriguez Reportedly Have $940 Million in Cash Ready to Buy Control of Minnesota Timberwolves (ESPN)

⚾️ Mexico-Born Dodgers Legend Fernando Venezuela Dies at Age 63 (CBS Sports)

SCHEDULE 🗓️

Today's Must-Watch List

🏀 NBA Tip-Off (Night 2)

Bucks at 76ers (7:30 pm ET, ESPN)

Suns at Clippers (10:00 pm ET, ESPN)