Justin Ellis

1 month ago | defector.com | Justin Ellis

There was no question it would be Cooper Flagg's shot. How could it not be? In a season where the Duke freshman was celebrated as one of the best players in the country, a prospect with boyish charm and a monster on both ends of the court, there was no question who would have the ball in his hands as Duke's national title hopes were on the line with less than 18 seconds left in the semifinal.

2 months ago | defector.com | Justin Ellis

As far as memorabilia auctions go, a Victor Wembenyana jersey selling for $73,200 is a modest, if unremarkable sum. Granted, it's better than, say, a Malachi Flynn in-season tournament jersey going for the cost of a nightstand at Crate & Barrel, but already in his early career Wembenyama's jerseys have cleared $700,000 in the sports trinket market.

Feb 2, 2025 | defector.com | Justin Ellis

At the beginning of January the president sat impatient on a Zoom call from his garish, gilded estate in Florida, slumped and flustered as his lawyer idled next to him. Even his makeup reflected the mood, with his face daubed to a dull flaxen hue instead of his typical defiant goldenrod. Whatever it was that Judge Juan Merchan was saying from his courtroom in New York during Donald Trump's sentencing that day faded into a dull whistling sound.

Feb 2, 2025 | defector.com | Justin Ellis

With just under three minutes left, Arizona pulled away from Arizona State to win the Grand Canyon-adjacent rivalry game 81-72 Saturday. It had been a sleepy start to the game, with both teams combining to hit a mere 23 shots and commit 19 fouls in the first half.Basheer Jihad kicked some life into the Sun Devils at the beginning of the second half with a pair of dunks and a three-pointer to grab a 5-point lead. Alas, it was not meant to be.

Dec 24, 2024 | defector.com | Justin Ellis

This is the time of year when the best, biggest, and most ambitious movies come out. Not Oscar season, but rather that stretch when the halls of streaming services are decked with the brightly lit, thinly disguised advertisements that are the year's new Christmas movies. There are more than 100 new Christmas films to watch this holiday season, and whether that number horrifies or excites you depends upon how much of a freak you are for the festive.