Sports
Tree and acorns: Mitch Johnson, Mike Brown draw on Gregg Popovich's lessons
Oct 30, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich watches his team play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images SAN ANTONIO — As the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks prepare to clash in the NBA Finals, the shadow of a league legend looms large over both teams’ benches.
Both Spurs coach Mitch Johnson and New York head man Mike Brown spent formative time learning on the staff of retired coach Gregg Popovich, the Basketball Hall of Famer who led San Antonio to five NBA titles.
Brown served under Popovich from 2000-03 and played a key coaching role in helping the franchise win the 2003 NBA Finals over the New Jersey Nets. Brown and Popovich even coached a first-grade, six-man flag football team together during that stint, blowing away the competition.
“We were awesome,” Brown said Tuesday. “Pop was offensive coordinator. I was the defensive coordinator. We actually dominated that league.”
Brown said he still adheres to many of the principles he learned from Popovich, honed in the practice gym and on the Spurs’ bench next to his Hall of Fame mentor.
“There’s a ton on the court. There’s a ton off the court,” Brown said. “Pop was very influential in my life at the time, not just professionally but personally as well.
“The biggest thing is just to stay the course, keep trying to grow and keep trying to learn. Make sure you try to keep everybody, not just your 15 or 18 players, but however many players you have and everybody in the organization and around the city, try to keep them as connected as possible.”
Johnson has spent more time in the Spurs organization, starting as an assistant for the team’s G League affiliate in Austin before moving up to San Antonio in 2019 as an assistant. Johnson took over as interim coach when Popovich suffered a stroke in early November 2024 and led the Spurs to a 32-45 record over the rest of the season.
Johnson was then named head coach in May 2025 when Popovich retired, and he guided the team to a monumental turnaround as San Antonio went 62-20 and finished second in the Western Conference. The Spurs outlasted the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in a seven-game slugfest to earn their first trip to the Finals since 2014.
Popovich, currently the Spurs’ president of basketball operations, was there in the background (and sometimes in a more direct manner) to mentor Johnson every step of the way.
“The relationship has stayed the same in terms of feedback, discussion, challenging each other, me asking him a lot of questions, him giving me a lot of wisdom,” Johnson said Tuesday. “(Popovich is) a pretty good resource for what I’ve been walking through since October and up until now.
“I cannot have created a better rhythm or build-out of him being a constant resource for me, but then also totally giving me the freedom and runway to try to roll this thing out in my own reflection as myself. That’s pretty valuable. To be honest, I don’t know if anyone’s ever had that opportunity that I’ve had this year. I don’t take that for granted. It’s not lost on me the impact he’s had, while also empowering me to be myself.
“My restaurant list and wine list may not be the same as Pop’s, but yeah, we’re trying to connect it all and, again, keep writing new chapters.”
–Steve Habel, Field Level Media
Sports
Report: LIV Golf settles $1M trademark lawsuit
Apr 6, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; The LIV Golf logo is on display along the 10th hole during the second round of LIV Golf Miami golf tournament at Trump National Doral. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images The LIV has agreed to pay $1 million to Stinger Golf to settle a trademark infringement lawsuit with the Ohio-based golf tee manufacturer.
The Stinger Golf Club, one of LIV’s original four-man teams when the league debuted in 2022, rebranded to Southern Guards GC in January ahead of the tumultuous 2026 LIV campaign.
That change did not precede Stinger Golf’s move to sue LIV for $100 million in June 2025.
The company ended up accepting $1 million from LIV, per a July 6 filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
“Obviously $1 million doesn’t represent all the damages that our client suffered,” Brian Barakat, a partner at Barakat + Bossa, the firm that represented Stinger Golf, told Front Office Sports.
“It’s a settlement. Settlements are necessarily a compromise. What LIV did in this circumstance was pretty gross. We know that they knew long before they set up the Stinger Golf Club team that they were aware of our trademark, and they just decided that they didn’t care.”
The rebranded Southern Guards GC consists of South African players Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace and Dean Burmeister.
Stinger Golf, which sells its tees in golf retail locations throughout the U.S. as well as online, was motivated to accept the compromise due to concern over LIV entering bankruptcy proceedings.
“They bowed to the realities of this situation and made a compromise that made business sense for them,” Barakat said. “We were very confident to go to trial. It wasn’t a compromise based on any fear of loss in the case. It was a compromise based on what we viewed as an imminent bankruptcy.”
LIV, World Wide Golf Brands, a former apparel partner of LIV, and the Stinger GC golf team were listed as defendants in the case. Only LIV will be making payments to the company.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Roughriders mourning Jayden Dalke entering game vs. Elks
Jun 11, 2023; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Elks running back Kevin Brown (4) avoids a tackle by Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back Jayden Dalke (38) during the second half at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images If Thursday night’s home game with the Edmonton Elks has taken a back seat for the Saskatchewan Roughriders since late Saturday night, it’s understandable.
Jayden Dalke, a linebacker in his fifth year with the team, died after an auto accident at age 30. His car was driving the wrong way on a highway between Lumsden, Sask., and Regina when it hit another vehicle, whose driver also perished.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported that cannabis and alcohol were found inside Dalke’s vehicle. It’s also been revealed that Dalke stopped for gas in Lumsden and left without paying.
Saskatchewan canceled practice Sunday and briefly considered postponing the game but opted to play. The Roughriders were off last week after routing Hamilton 38-7 on July 12 to improve to 4-1.
How are players trying to focus on a game days after losing a team captain?
“Just be where your feet are,” said quarterback Trevor Harris. “You know, two things can be true at once. You can be focused on a goal that Dalke would want us to be focused on. And we can also mourn his loss.”
While Saskatchewan ping-pongs between readying for a game and mourning the loss of a teammate, Edmonton (5-1) makes the trip as the West leader. The Elks are coming off a 19-17 home win on Friday night over the BC Lions.
Defense was the primary reason for the result as Edmonton intercepted four passes from backup quarterback Chase Brice and converted those into 16 points. The Elks have pilfered 10 passes in the last three games and lead the league with 59 points off turnovers.
“It definitely feels good to get our offense back the ball and see those guys work because that’s a high powered offense,” said defensive back Kenneth Logan Jr. “Any chance we can get our hands on the ball and create a turnover, and create a spark for our team, that’s what we’re willing to do.”
If recent form holds, expect a close game. Last year’s season series saw the teams split two games with Saskatchewan winning 21-18 at home and Edmonton prevailing 27-25 in the Alberta rematch.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Liberty make clutch shots, rally past Sky in wild finish
Jul 22, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones (35) grabs a rebound in the second quarter against the Chicago Sky at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Jonquel Jones sank one of two free throws with 3.4 seconds left as the New York Liberty made a dramatic fourth-quarter rally to edge the Chicago Sky 95-94 on Wednesday night in Brooklyn.
Jones’ free throw capped a wild final minute for the Liberty (15-12), who trailed the Sky by eight with 58 seconds left. Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu made a long three with 56 seconds left, then another with 27 seconds to go to make it a two-point game, 93-91.
After Ionescu’s second three, teammate Breanna Stewart was called for a foul on Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot, but Vandersloot made only one of two free throws with 26 seconds to go in regulation. Ionescu then drove to the basket, scored and was fouled with 15 seconds to play. She made her free throw to tie the game at 94.
Chicago had time to set up and Vandersloot fired a pass to Kamilla Cardoso inside, but Cardoso’s layup rolled off and Cardoso was whistled for a foul grabbing at Jones for the rebound.
The Sky (9-18) have now lost their last two games in the final seconds after losing to the host Atlanta Dream on Jordin Canada’s buzzer-beating layup on Sunday. Chicago led by as many as 12 points on Wednesday.
Ionescu finished with a team-high 29 points and made five threes. Jones, hampered with foul trouble most of the night, finished with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Stewart totaled 20 points and nine boards.
Sky rookie Sydney Taylor was magnificent in the loss, finishing with a career-high 31. Vandersloot added 14 and Cardoso 10.
In the first half, the Liberty achieved the unusual circumstance of leading after the first bucket of the half, and leading after the last, but with Chicago ahead the whole way in between.
After the Liberty took a 2-0 lead, Chicago seized control and led 12-5 after a long three by Taylor with 7:23 remaining in the quarter. Chicago carried a 32-26 advantage after one.
The Sky went on a 6-0 run midway through the second quarter with Azura Stevens converting a pair of free throws for a 46-39 lead with 2:54 left, matching the biggest lead of the first half.
With Jones on the bench with three fouls, things looked bad for the Liberty, but they dominated the last three minutes of the half. Han Xu, Jones’ replacement, scored inside, then Stewart put back her own miss.
Rebekah Gardner scored on a putback with 52 seconds left to pull the Liberty to 46-45, then Ionescu drained a long three to give New York a 48-46 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
