Pickleball has only been a sport in the national consciousness for a few years, but it’s never too early to start the GOAT debate. Our Greg Rosenstein recently interviewed Anna Leigh Waters, a 19-year-old who’s already considered the greatest female pickleball player of all time. Read an excerpt of his story below, and watch the video version of the story here.
Also, the San Antonio Spurs made a statement against the Minnesota Timberwolves last night, winning Game 5 in a blowout to take a 3-2 lead in the series. And our World Cup player spotlight today is an aging legend from Belgium.
Want more NBA playoff and World Cup coverage? Good. We’ll keep it coming here and on the NBC News website.
NBA Playoffs
In the biggest test of his young NBA career, San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama passed with flying colors last night, powering his team to a 126-97 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, taking a 3-2 lead in their second-round series.
Wemby entered Game 5 with his back against the wall in what was turning into a contentious matchup. The Spurs had lost the previous game in large part because Wembanyama lost his cool and elbowed Naz Reid in the neck, leading to a second-quarter ejection.
Wembanyama appeared eager to send a message in Game 5 that the physical play wasn’t going to slow him down, as he scored 18 points in the first quarter. He finished with 27, to go along with 17 rebounds and five assists. He became the third-youngest player to post those numbers in NBA playoff history.
Five other San Antonio players scored at least 12 points, including rookie guard Dylan Harper, who recorded a double-double off the bench.
Dylan Harper of the Spurs against the Timberwolves on Tuesday. (Michael Gonzales / NBAE via Getty Images) (Michael Gonzales)
“Some of the stuff that Wemby was doing, you don’t have too much of an answer for it,” Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards admitted after the game. “Just kinda hope he misses. But he came out hot and made a bunch of shots.”
Asked about his nerves entering the most pivotal game so far of his first playoff run, Wembanyama said he was excited for the challenge.
“I was fresh, feeling good,” Wembanyama said. “Honestly, it’s hard to tell. It was just Game 5. Obviously, I’m going to be excited, have butterflies. So, excitement is not something abnormal at this point in the playoffs.”
San Antonio leads the series 3-2, with Game 6 coming Friday in Minnesota.
Pickleball
Professional athletes aren’t supposed to lose to 12-year-olds. But most 12-year-olds weren’t like Anna Leigh Waters in 2019.
Waters was in middle school when she turned pro in pickleball and quickly showed that she was headed for big things, to the shock of her much older opponents.
“When I was younger, I didn’t really understand it, but a lot of people were treating me poorly on the court or would get pretty upset [and] call me names,” Waters told NBC News. “But now that I’m older, I realize the feelings they must have been going through losing to a 12-year-old. I could see how that could get people to maybe do things that they characteristically wouldn’t do.”
Seven years since her debut, Waters, 19, is the No. 1-ranked female singles and doubles player in the world and widely considered the greatest to ever compete.
“It’s her, and there’s not really an argument that it could be anyone else,” Professional Pickleball Association CEO Connor Pardoe said at this weekend’s finals. “She wins everything. She’s virtually unbeatable.”
This was only an excerpt. To read the full story, click here.
World Cup Countdown
Kevin De Bruyne of Belgium during the first half against Mexico at Soldier Field in Chicago on March 31. (Geoff Stellfox / Getty Images file) (Geoff Stellfox)
Leading up to the 2026 World Cup, we’re counting down 26 players to watch. Today’s entry is Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne.
At 48 teams, this is the largest field in World Cup history, which also makes it the most stratified. The gap between pretournament favorites and the nations making their debuts or returning after decades-long absences has perhaps never been larger. But in between the Frances and the Cape Verdes of the world sit the in-between class — nations on the periphery of contention, but a hard path to reach a breakthrough World Cup moment.
Teams such as ninth-ranked Belgium.
The Red Devils reached the quarterfinals in 2014 and the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup, powered by a class of players dubbed the country’s “golden generation.” But in 2022, the team didn’t even advance to the knockout stage, and at the 2024 European championships, it didn’t make it past the round of 16.
While becoming one of the most creative midfielders in the world at Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne was central to Belgium’s golden generation, along with Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois, but they now play for a team in transition.
Like Lukaku, De Bruyne has not been healthy for all of this season, while dealing with a leg injury. Both De Bruyne and Lukaku happen to play for Napoli in Italy’s Serie A. De Bruyne also turns 35 in late June during the tournament and last year lost his captaincy when national team coach Rudi Garcia assigned that honor to 29-year-old Youri Tielemans, who is part of a younger group aimed at rejuvenating Belgium’s hopes on the world stage.
In a group with Egypt, New Zealand and Iran, Belgium has a viable path to the knockout stage. Whether the Red Devils can elevate themselves to the contender class likely hinges on the nation’s older guard, including De Bruyne, recovering their old form.
Yesterday’s entry was Japan’s Takefusa Kubo. Read about him here.
What We’re Reading
An NBC News exclusive report: ICE may be present at World Cup matches.
Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player, died at 47 from brain cancer.
Who are the highest-paid players in the MLS? Lionel Messi leads the way, making $28.3 million in 2026.
The NFL’s full slate of international games for 2026 was revealed.
Cal Raleigh ended his 0-38 slump and his teammates asked for the ball.
Daryl Morey was fired as head of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers after their sweep by the New York Knicks.
What We’re Watching
Tonight, a hugely important Game 5 between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Detroit won the first two games, and then Cleveland stormed back to win the next two, behind a scoring blitz from Donovan Mitchell, who’s averaging 33 points per game this series.
Which star will show up tonight? Mitchell? Or Detroit’s Cade Cunningham? The winner gets a well-rested New York Knicks team in the Eastern Conference finals.
All times are Eastern:
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8 p.m.: No. 1 Detroit Pistons vs. No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers, on ESPN
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8 p.m.: No. 1 Colorado Avalanche vs. No. 3 Minnesota Wild, on TNT/HBO Max
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
