Joe Ali

2 days ago | sbnation.com | Joe Ali

The lasting image of Ben Simmons as a Philadelphia 76er is not a pleasant one: the much-maligned attacker passing the ball under the rim with a much shorter defender on him in a crucial Game Seven playoff loss at home. What followed that moment was a head-spinning offseason filled with finger-pointing, reports of mental health issues, and a city turning on their once bright star, leaving Ben wanting out of Philly.

Jul 19, 2024 | msn.com | Joe Ali

Jul 19, 2024 | sbnation.com | Joe Ali

LeBron James is a special kind of talent. Whenever he decides to retire, there’s no doubt he’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, leaving his imprint on the game. With his skill set, it’s tough for opponents to match up with him one-on-one, but that hasn’t stopped many of his rivals throughout his career from reverting to bothersome tactics. The King attracts pests and on the court that’s brought a ton of beef.

Aug 18, 2023 | sbnation.com | Joe Ali

Home runs! Dingers! Moon shots! That’s all the country could think about when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa raced to break the single-season home run record in 1998. Before entering that season, journalists predicted Roger Maris’ nearly four-decade record of 61 homers would finally fall thanks to the surge of power hitters in the league. McGwire and Seattle Mariner outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. were at the top of the list of candidates with a strong chance of putting themselves in the history books.