The Best of the Sports Shop

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss whether it truly feels like a Stanley Cup Finals city in Raleigh, break down the Carolina Hurricanes’ historic run and what a championship would mean for the Triangle, debate if the Los Angeles Rams are now Super Bowl favorites after acquiring Myles Garrett in a blockbuster NFL trade, and preview the NBA Finals as the San Antonio Spurs prepare to host Game 1 against the Knicks.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 Friday night in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning the series and advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. With Game 1 of the NHL Finals taking place in Raleigh tonight, excitement is building across the Triangle as fans prepare for one of the biggest sporting events the city has ever hosted. But does it feel like a championship city right now? Is there the same buzz, energy and anticipation that cities experience during an NBA Finals run, or is the excitement more subdued despite the magnitude of the moment? The crew debates whether Raleigh has fully embraced the Hurricanes' historic run and what a Stanley Cup championship would mean for the city. 

Yesterday, the Cleveland Browns sent reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster trade package that included edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick. The moves signal a major shift in the balance of power across both conferences and have NFL fans and analysts debating which teams improved the most heading into the 2026 season. Are the Rams the Super Bowl favorite?

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 of their Western Conference Finals series over the weekend, winning the series 4-3 and advancing to the NBA Finals. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is in San Antonio tomorrow night where the Spurs will host the New York Knicks.

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss whether it truly feels like a Stanley Cup Finals city in Raleigh.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 Friday night in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning the series and advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. With Game 1 of the NHL Finals taking place in Raleigh tonight, excitement is building across the Triangle as fans prepare for one of the biggest sporting events the city has ever hosted. But does it feel like a championship city right now? Is there the same buzz, energy and anticipation that cities experience during an NBA Finals run, or is the excitement more subdued despite the magnitude of the moment? The crew debates whether Raleigh has fully embraced the Hurricanes' historic run and what a Stanley Cup championship would mean for the city.

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss which NFL team they would want to retire their jersey, big moves made in the NFL yesterday, including multiple blockbuster trades involving Myles Garrett and if it makes them the Super Bowl favorite.

Among the biggest deals, the Cleveland Browns sent reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster trade package that included edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick. The moves signal a major shift in the balance of power across both conferences and have NFL fans and analysts debating which teams improved the most heading into the 2026 season. Are the Rams the Super Bowl favorite?

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss Draymond Green's recent comments about the New York Knicks.

Despite the Knicks' run to the NBA Finals, Green questioned whether the team has what it takes to win a championship. On his podcast, he argued that New York still lacks a true "1A" superstar and challenged the team to prove him wrong. His most controversial remark came when he said, "You're supposed to get out of the East," suggesting that reaching the Finals from the Eastern Conference shouldn't automatically earn a team championship respect. Is Green offering a fair assessment of the Knicks, or is he simply hating on one of the NBA's biggest success stories this season?

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss big moves made in the NFL yesterday, including multiple blockbuster trades involving A.J. Brown, Myles Garrett and several other players. There were many big moves made yesterday in the NFL, reshaping rosters across the league and creating major storylines heading into the upcoming season.

Among the biggest deals, the Philadelphia Eagles traded star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, giving New England a proven No. 1 target for quarterback Drake Maye. Which team won the trade: The Eagles or The Patriots? Did Jalen Hurts need Brown or did Brown need Hurts? 

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns sent reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster trade package that included edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick. The moves signal a major shift in the balance of power across both conferences and have NFL fans and analysts debating which teams improved the most heading into the 2026 season. Are the Rams the Super Bowl favorite? Is there anything good about Cleveland?

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss big moves made in the NFL yesterday, including multiple blockbuster trades involving A.J. Brown, Myles Garrett and several other players. There were many big moves made yesterday in the NFL, reshaping rosters across the league and creating major storylines heading into the upcoming season.

Among the biggest deals, the Philadelphia Eagles traded star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2028 first-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, giving New England a proven No. 1 target for quarterback Drake Maye. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns sent reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster trade package that included edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick. The moves signal a major shift in the balance of power across both conferences and have NFL fans and analysts debating which teams improved the most heading into the 2026 season. Are the Rams the Super Bowl favorite? Is there anything good about Cleveland?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss the Spurs' Game 7 victory over the Thunder, whether anyone expected San Antonio to advance to the NBA Finals, what went wrong for Oklahoma City, how much blame Chet Holmgren deserves for the loss and more.

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 of their Western Conference Finals series over the weekend, winning the series 4-3 and advancing to the NBA Finals. Victor Wembanyama won WCF MVP honors. Did anyone expect the Spurs to win Game 7? What went wrong for OKC? How much is Chet Holmgren to blame for Oklahoma City's Game 7 loss? Game 1 of the NBA Finals is in San Antonio Wednesday night. Who will win Game 1? Who will win the series?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss their Good Looks and Bad Looks on this Good Look Bad Look Monday.

It is Good Look Bad Look Monday! What are your Good Looks and Bad Looks?! The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 of their Western Conference Finals series over the weekend, winning the series 4-3 and advancing to the NBA Finals. Victor Wembanyama won WCF MVP honors. Did anyone expect the Spurs to win Game 7? What went wrong for OKC? How much is Chet Holmgren to blame for Oklahoma City's Game 7 loss? Game 1 of the NBA Finals is in San Antonio Wednesday night. Who will win Game 1? Who will win the series?

Reese, Kmac and Alex and one of our summer interns, Houston Hooker, discuss Carolina Hurricanes hockey and how the Canes will do in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 Friday night in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning their ECF series and advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. Game 1of the NHL Finals is back in Raleigh tomorrow night. Will the Canes win the Cup Finals? How about Game 1? How do the Hurricanes matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss whether anyone saw the Spurs’ Game 7 upset coming after San Antonio knocked off Oklahoma City 111-103 to win the Western Conference Finals, what went wrong for the Thunder, how much blame Chet Holmgren deserves for the loss and who has the edge heading into Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 of their Western Conference Finals series over the weekend, winning the series 4-3 and advancing to the NBA Finals. Victor Wembanyama won WCF MVP honors. Did anyone expect the Spurs to win Game 7? What went wrong for OKC? How much is Chet Holmgren to blame for Oklahoma City's Game 7 loss? Game 1 of the NBA Finals is in San Antonio Wednesday night. Who will win Game 1?

Reese, Pam, Alex and our summer intern, Houston Hooker discuss Carolina Hurricanes hockey and if the Canes will advance to the Cup Finals tonight.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 Wednesday night in the Eastern Conference Finals, taking a 3-1 lead in the series. Game 5 is back in Raleigh tonight. Will the Canes close out the Canadiens in Game 5 tonight and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals?

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss the Spurs win over the Thunder in Game 6 last night.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 118-91 in Game 6 of their Western Conference Finals series last night, tying the series at 3-3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points, shooting 6-18 from the field. OKC was without Ajay Mitchell again but Jalen Williams did return, scoring 1 point on 0-1 shooting in 10 minutes of action. Game 7 is back in Oklahoma City tomorrow night. Can Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs win Game 7 on the road?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex speak with Lavell Crawford.

Lavell Crawford is a comedian performing at Goodnights Comedy Club this weekend. Crawford is performing Friday, May 29, 2026 at 7:00 PM and 9:15 PM, Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM and Sunday, May 31, 2026 at 6:00 PM and 8:15 PM.

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex speak with Dr. Deborah Stroman

Dr. Stroman discusses brain health, Alzheimer's Disease and more. June is recognized as men's health month. Dr. Stroman gives the Sports Shop crew a true or false brain health quiz. How did you do?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss tonight's WCF Game 6 matchup between OKC and San Antonio, if the Spurs will force a Game 7, if SGA is a top 15 all-time player and more.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 of their Western Conference Finals series on Tuesday night, giving OKC a 3-2 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled in the game despite scoring 32 points, shooting 7-19 from the field. OKC was without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, but found a way to win. Game 6 is back in San Antonio tonight. Can Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs force a Game 7? Is SGA a top 15 all-time player? Does the NBA have a flopping problem?

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss the Carolina Hurricanes Game 4 win last night and Drake making an interesting purchase at an auction. 

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 last night in the Eastern Conference Finals, taking a 3-1 lead in the series. Game 5 is back in Raleigh tomorrow night. Will the Canes close out the Canadiens in Game 5 Friday night and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals?  Why are the Canes playing so well right now?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss if they expect the Spurs to force a game 7 against the OKC Thunder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 of their Western Conference Finals series last night, giving OKC a 3-2 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled in the game despite scoring 32 points, shooting 7-19 from the field. OKC was without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, but found a way to win. How good is OKC? What happened to Wemby? Are we pleased with Chet Holmgren? Can San Antonio force a Game 7?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss if Joe Mazzulla deserved NBA Coach of the Year and if the Cavaliers should have fired Kenny Atkinson.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 of their Western Conference Finals series last night, giving OKC a 3-2 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled in the game despite scoring 32 points, shooting 7-19 from the field. OKC was without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, but found a way to win. How good is OKC? Is SGA a top 5 player all-time? Is Shai fun to watch?

Following their sweep, yesterday, the Cavaliers announced they will retain head coach Kenny Atkinson. Are the Cavs making the right decision or is this a mistake?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss OKC's Game 5 win over the Spurs last night and what went wrong for Wembanyama.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 of their Western Conference Finals series last night, giving OKC a 3-2 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled in the game despite scoring 32 points, shooting 7-19 from the field. OKC was without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, but found a way to win. How good is OKC? What happened to Wemby? Are we pleased with Chet Holmgren? Can San Antonio force a Game 7?

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss if SGA is a top 5 NBA player all-time and what the Carolina Hurricanes need to do to win their series.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 of their Western Conference Finals series last night, giving OKC a 3-2 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled in the game despite scoring 32 points, shooting 7-19 from the field. OKC was without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, but found a way to win. How good is OKC? Is SGA a top 5 player all-time?

Following 2 consecutive overtime wins, the Carolina Hurricanes are up 2-1 in their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens will host the Canes tonight in Game 4. The Sports Shop crew gets some insight on what the Canes can do to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals and get a win tonight from our very own intern Houston Hooker.

Reese, Pam and Alex discuss the OKC Thunder's win last night over the Spurs.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the San Antonio Spurs 127-114 in Game 5 of their Western Conference Finals series last night, giving OKC a 3-2 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled in the game despite scoring 32 points, shooting 7-19 from the field. OKC was without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, but found a way to win. How good is OKC? What happened to Wemby? Can San Antonio force a Game 7?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss the Knicks sweeping the Cavaliers.

The New York Knicks dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers as the Knicks swept the Cavs 4-0 in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks consistently outplayed Cleveland with efficient three-point shooting, aggressive defense and dominant play. The Cavs struggled to keep up despite efforts from Donovan Mitchell. In Game 4 last night, New York capped off the series with a 130-93 victory while setting an NBA playoff record by becoming the first team ever to win three series-clinching closeout games by 20+ points in a single playoff run, securing a trip to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. How good are the Knicks? Can they win the NBA Finals? What happened to the Cavs? What do we think of James Harden? Will the Cavs fire Kenny Atkinson? Should they?

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss when the Spurs became Reese's team, who will win the Spurs vs Thunder series, the Knicks sweeping the Cavaliers and more.

The Western Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder is tied 2-2 after the first 4 games, setting up a highly competitive series. Game 5 is tonight in Oklahoma City. On the injury front, OKC’s Jalen Williams is questionable with a hamstring injury and Ajay Mitchell has already been ruled out. How will injuries affect this series? Who will win tonight? Who will win the series? When did the Spurs become "Reese's team?"

The New York Knicks dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers as the Knicks swept the Cavs 4-0 in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks consistently outplayed Cleveland with efficient three-point shooting, aggressive defense and dominant play. The Cavs struggled to keep up despite efforts from Donovan Mitchell. In Game 4 last night, New York capped off the series with a 130-93 victory while setting an NBA playoff record by becoming the first team ever to win three series-clinching closeout games by 20+ points in a single playoff run, securing a trip to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. How good are the Knicks? Can they win the NBA Finals? What happened to the Cavs? What do we think of James Harden? Will the Cavs fire Kenny Atkinson? Should they?