Striking Jalen Brunson image reveals insane love fans have for NBA finals MVP at championship parade
One striking image sums up the jubilation Knicks fans were feeling — and the adoration they have for team leader Jalen Brunson.
A photo snapped along the parade route shows throngs of revelers reaching out to the Knicks star point guard as he held the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the celebration along the Canyon of Heroes.
Several cops were around Brunson like he was the most important in the Big Apple while other fans were eager to snap a photo of greatness up close.
King attends Ladies Day at Royal Ascot
About 290,000 people are expected to attend the Berkshire horseracing track this week.
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Ben Stokes: Lord Botham criticises England captian for breaking team curfew and says there is no way to “justify” it
Stokes has been named in Durham’s 15-man squad for their County Championship fixture against Northamptonshire, which starts on Friday, but his England future is uncertain.
Botham himself had a reputation as a player who played hard on and off the field.
The 70-year-old said players of his era “used to love going out for a drink” but said they “weren’t quite so obvious” compared to the current generation.
England were dogged with allegations of a drinking culture during the 2025-26 Ashes tour, which they lost 4-1.
Before the Ashes, white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington on the eve of a one-day international against New Zealand.
As a result, England imposed a midnight curfew on all players and staff.
“In Australia, they go down 2-0. What did the team do? Go to Noosa for five days and everyone knows what happened,” said Botham.
“The other night, I was amazed. And what I can’t get my head around is what the security bloke is doing there if he and they know they shouldn’t be there after midnight? He shouldn’t have to overrule him [Stokes], because it shouldn’t happen.”
Former England skipper Botham, who scored 5,200 runs and took 383 wickets in 102 Tests, said he would not be shocked if Stokes quits cricket completely if he is removed from his position.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if Ben was to lose the captaincy, he probably might walk away from the game. But I just don’t know,” added Botham.
“I don’t know where it will go now. I just think something will happen, whichever way it is.
“To be honest with you, it was an unnecessary procedure and one that I think he’ll regret.”
England vs New Zealand: Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke leave hosts in trouble
Second Rothesay Test, The Kia Oval (day two of five)
New Zealand 391: Phillips 100, Blundell 51; Bethell 3-26
England 222-6: Gay 53, Root 46; Henry 2-57, O’Rourke 2-61
England are 169 runs behind
England are in a dire position against New Zealand after spiralling from a chaotic morning on day two of the second Test at The Oval.
Following an encouraging first-day performance from a team without captain Ben Stokes, England surrendered the initiative through strange tactics, a crucial dropped catch and a wonderful maiden Test century from Glenn Phillips.
It meant New Zealand were able to move from their overnight 291-7 to 391 all out.
Though Emilio Gay made a half-century and stand-in captain Joe Root 46, England lost three wickets for 35 runs to slip to 177-5.
And when James Rew gloved the hostile Will O’Rourke late in the day, England were left 222-6, 169 behind with the tail exposed. Jordan Cox is unbeaten on 22, alongside Jofra Archer yet to score.
England set the tone for their own troubles with the very first ball of the day – laying a short-ball trap for Sonny Baker bowling to Kyle Jamieson. Baker’s bouncer went for four byes and the day got worse from there.
Jamieson made a vital 41 after a horrible drop by Ben Duckett when he was on 15. Archer did not bowl for the first 90 minutes of the day, including with the second new ball, but then struck with his fourth delivery.
The home side caused another of their own problems when Duckett was run out for 36, called for a short single by Gay that was never there.
Gay and Root added 74, only for Root and Harry Brook to both be lbw to Matt Henry in a huge double blow to England.
Former UK border official and retired Hong Kong cop sentenced for spying on China’s behalf: ‘Truly chilling’
LONDON — A former UK border official and a retired Hong Kong police officer were given prison sentences on Thursday for spying on dissidents and critics of Beijing in Britain.
Border Force officer Peter Wai and Bill Yuen, a former superintendent in the Hong Kong Police, posed as police or intelligence officers to conduct surveillance and gather information about Hong Kong dissidents and pro-democracy supporters, prosecutors said.
Their targets included former Hong Kong lawmaker Nathan Law and activists they referred to as “cockroaches,” as well as British politicians critical of China, according to the prosecutors.
A jury found the two Chinese-British nationals guilty last month of breaching the National Security Act by assisting a foreign intelligence service.
Wai was also convicted of misconduct in a public office for using a government computer to seek information on people of interest to the Hong Kong authorities.
At London’s Central Criminal Court, Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb sentenced Wai, 41, to ten years, and Yuen, 66, to an eight-year term in prison.
She said the defendants’ “deliberate, concerted, and serious” actions had left those targeted in fear and distress.
Wai was an officer in London’s Metropolitan Police before joining the UK Border Force. Yuen was the office manager at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, the official overseas representative of Hong Kong’s government.
Helen Flanagan, commander for Counter Terrorism Policing London, said that “the activity of Wai and Yuen was truly chilling.”
“They were spying and targeting individuals in the UK who were pro-democracy campaigners and were simply protesting against the Hong Kong and Chinese government and authorities and seeking sanctuary in the UK,” she said.
Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang was summoned to the British Foreign Office after the convictions last month.
At the time of the convictions, China’s Embassy in the UK called the case a political farce intended to support anti-China forces who had fled to Britain.
The Hong Kong government said the allegations “are absolutely unrelated” to the government or the Economic and Trade Office.
British authorities “initiated the case on groundless accusations, abused law and manipulated judicial procedures to secure conviction,” it said in a statement.
Brendan Sorsby’s gambling drama a major issue in NFL locker rooms
Brendan Sorsby’s college career might be over. But in many ways, the drama is just now beginning.
It just shifts from the NCAA to the NFL after Sorsby decided to enter the league’s supplemental draft rather than continue to fight to play this season at Texas Tech despite breaching the NCAA’s gambling rules after it was discovered he wagered approximately $90,000 and placed more than 9,000 bets during his college career.
And now 32 NFL teams face an incredibly complicated question: In a sport where trust is such a critical component, how can you possibly put your faith in Sorsby?
How can his coaches and teammates be sure he’s playing on the up and up every time he takes the field?
How can teams convince their fanbases, and anyone else watching their games, that their quarterback is playing for the purest of reasons rather than being heavily influenced by the point spread or some over-under prop bet?
It’s a question Jim Harbaugh was not ready to tackle on Thursday when asked about it on last day of Chargers minicamp.
“I know sometimes it’s what’s the hot topic of the day, and ‘hey, Coach Harbaugh, weigh in on it,’” Harbaugh said. “I stand here not knowing the details. So I’ll pass.”
And therein lies pretty much everyone else in the NFL.
As teams earnestly begin the process of deciding whether to welcome Sorsby into their locker rooms, and what level of investment they are prepared to make in him when the leaghue’s supplemental draft unfolds next month, they have a lot to ponder.
Among the more than 9,000 bets that Sorsby placed were wagers on the Indiana football team he was a member of, albeit during his redshirt freshman season rather than as an active participant.
They violated the NCAA’s gambling rules, and it raises plenty of questions within the NFL.
On one hand, there is no questioning Sorsby’s talent. An NFL personnel executive told The Post this week that, based on skill set alone, Sorsby would have been a high second-round pick in last April’s NFL draft.
Another league talent evaluator told The Post that he believes Sorsby would not have gotten out of the first round.
“He can absolutely play,” the source said. “There’s some refinement needed. He’s raw in some ways. But the traits are there.”
Of course, Sorsby is the furthest thing from a “just talent” prospect the NFL has encountered in years. There are red flags, and then there are the kind of LED-generated neon blinking lights surrounding Sorsby. His backstory basically makes him one giant parlay of liability.
As much as those teams like Sorsby the player, what level of draft pick are they willing to commit to him?
“It will be a fascinating case study,” an NFL team executive said.
Zohran Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji wears high-fashion merch dress to Knicks parade
New York’s first lady came dressed for the Knicks.
Rama Duwaji took the stage at Thursday’s Knicks parade in a custom dress made from bootleg NBA Finals merch tees, courtesy of downtown designer Miss Claire Sullivan.
The one-shoulder design was stitched together from white, orange and blue T-shirts, which Sullivan tucked, stitched and tied to create an asymmetrical silhouette.
Duwaji, 28, layered the piece over a black midi skirt and finished the look with layered gold necklaces, orange puff-ball earrings and black Nike Air Rift sneakers.
Sullivan, whose client list also includes Lady Gaga, Rosalía and Addison Rae, shared a version of the look on Instagram earlier this week, styled with a layered white tulle tutu in place of the black skirt.
“Knicks in five 🏀💙 LFG NYC,” the designer captioned her post.
Her famous fans co-signed: Addison Rae wrote, “R u kidding,” while Lisa Rinna chimed in with, “So good!!!!” Ella Emhoff, the former second daughter of the United States, added, “Holy S—TTTTT.”
Sullivan wore the tutu version herself on Saturday to celebrate the Knicks’ 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5.
Thursday’s parade appearance was one of Duwaji’s most public fashion moments since her husband, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was inaugurated in January.
The Houston-born artist and animator became the city’s first Gen Z and first Muslim first lady earlier this year, and has largely kept a low profile while continuing her work in illustration and ceramics.
The No. 1 word Gen Z use to describe modern weddings
Weddings remain an important tradition, but Gen Z is increasingly questioning the expectations that come with them.
A new survey of 2,000 Gen Z adults (aged 22+) found that nearly seven in 10 (69%) believe weddings today feel more like a production than a personal celebration.
Commissioned by Affirm and conducted by Talker Research, the survey reveals a generation that isn’t rejecting weddings themselves — but is pushing back on the growing costs, obligations, and expectations surrounding them.
In fact, when asked to describe modern weddings in a single word, “expensive” was the most common response (20%).
For those who would like to get married, more than nine in 10 respondents (92%) said they would be willing to break from traditional wedding expectations if it meant reducing cost or stress, including 45% who said they are “very willing” to do so.
Notably, 60% said they don’t feel pressure to match the scale or expectations of weddings they’ve seen others have, when thinking about their future wedding.
“Wedding culture has ballooned into a performance, and Gen Z is pausing to ask: what parts of this actually matter to us, and what parts just feel like we’re doing them because we’re ‘supposed to?’” said Claire Battista, Gen Z Trends Expert at Affirm. “And what the data makes clear is: we’re not opting out of weddings or celebrations. But we are being more intentional about what’s actually worth our time, energy and money.”
The cost of celebrating
For many respondents, wedding culture comes with significant financial pressure.
Three-quarters (75%) said today’s wedding culture creates pressure to spend money they don’t actually want to spend.
More than one in four (28%) said wedding expectations have created tension between them and a friend, with the most common source of friction being pressure to spend more money than they felt comfortable with (34%).
Travel appears to be one of the biggest pain points. Travel and accommodations ranked as the hardest wedding-related expense to justify (30%), and respondents said that, on average, wedding-related travel costs become difficult to justify once they exceed $1,239.
Destination bachelor and bachelorette trips are also losing some of their appeal: nearly half (44%) described them as fun but often too expensive, compared to just 28% who said they’re worth the cost.
A different vision for weddings
The findings suggest that weddings are still important to Gen Z — as only 10% of unmarried respondents said they don’t want to get married or have a wedding. But they are reimagining what weddings look like.
Forty percent of unmarried respondents said their dream wedding is smaller and more intimate, compared to just 19% who envision a large, traditional wedding.
When asked which wedding trends they view most positively, respondents pointed to personalized details (31%), budget-conscious or DIY elements (30%), and smaller guest lists (29%).
And if they could redirect wedding-related spending elsewhere, nearly half (46%) said they would put it toward saving or investing. Others would prioritize a future purchase such as a home or car (38%), a honeymoon or trip (38%), or other travel experiences (32%).
The findings point to a generation that still wants to celebrate life’s biggest milestones, while rethinking the expectations and expenses that have accumulated around them.
Research methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Gen Z Americans (aged 22+) who have access to the internet; the survey was commissioned by Affirm and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between May 7–13, 2026.
Canada vs. Qatar World Cup prediction: Odds, picks, best bets for Thursday’s clash in Vancouver
Canada and Qatar both came back and earned a 1-1 draw in their opening matches at the World Cup, but they went about it in very different ways.
Canada fell behind Bosnia and Herzegovina, but stayed aggressive throughout the entire match. The Canucks outshot Bosnia, 13-8, held a 1.23 to 0.96 advantage in expected goals (xG), and registered 37 touches in the opponent’s 18-yard box compared to 15 for Bosnia.
The Canucks’ industry was rewarded by a late equalizer from substitute Cyle Larin.
World Cup: Canada vs. Qatar odds, prediction
Qatar’s comeback against Switzerland was vintage World Cup underdog. The Maroons sat deep all night and just threw themselves in front of every shot they could. They bided their time, and when they got their chance, they made the most of it.
Switzerland was dominant against Qatar, but they fell into a bit of a trap. The Swiss attempted 26 shots towards the target, created 3.2 xG, and had a 42-8 edge in terms of touches in the opponent’s 18-yard box, but it felt predictable. Qatar dug in.
It will be a lot harder to stick to that script against Canada.
Jesse Marsch is a polarizing manager, but the one thing you can’t question is that he’s got a clear identity. Marsch wants his team to play with pace and purpose, and he wants them to take risks. It won’t be the stoic approach that the Swiss took.
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Bosnia elected to sit deep and put a priority on defending deep against Canada, and they had issues keeping up the Canucks. The 1-1 scoreline felt a bit flattering to the behemoths from the Balkans, and they’re a much better side than Qatar.
Canada’s all-action approach should give Qatar fits, and I think the co-hosts win this one going away.
The Play: Canada -1.5 goals (-120, DraftKings)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.