Cavaliers guard Mark Price from a 1992 NBA game. (Photo Courtesy: Sports Spectrum Magazine January/February 1993)
With the Cleveland Cavaliers advancing to the NBA Finals, here is an archived story on Mark Price (who spent the first nine years of his career with the Cavs) from our January/February 1993 issue…
It’s 11:30 Tuesday morning and practice is nearing an end. Sweat drips from every forehead at the Cleveland Cavaliers run the floor in a controlled, full-court scrimmage. As back-up point guard Terrell Brandon breaks for the ball, he slides off a pick and gets tangled up with forward Danny Ferry. The two Cavs exchange a flying elbow and a headlock before teammates can separate the players….
Click HERE to read the remainder of our cover story on Mark Price from our January/February 1993 issue.
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Last year at this time, New York erupted as the Knicks advanced to the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a quarter of a century. The city didn’t have to wait quite as long for its return trip. With a dominant 144-114 win on Sunday in Philadelphia, No. 3-seeded New York capped a convincing four-game sweep of the No. 7-seeded 76ers to become the first team to earn a spot in this year’s conference finals.
The Knicks won the four games by an average of 22.25 points per game, and their 144 points on Sunday were the most in Knicks playoff history (besting the 140 they scored in Game 6 against the Atlanta Hawks last week in the opening round). Including its three wins to close out Atlanta, New York has now won a franchise-record seven straight playoff games.
In Game 4 against the 76ers, New York held a 43-24 advantage after the opening quarter and never looked back as the home crowd inside Philly’s Xfinity Mobile Arena ceded to Knicks faithful.
Much of New York’s advantage was thanks to a record-setting 3-point barrage (25-of-44 for the game, 57%) — 25 tied the NBA postseason record for most threes in a game, 18 tied the postseason record for most threes in a half (first half), and 11 tied the postseason record for most threes in a quarter (first quarter).
A Knick who made four of those 25 was starting guard Josh Hart.
Overall, Hart scored 17 points, grabbed a team-leading nine rebounds, and tied for the team lead with 29 minutes played. His 17 points were the most he’d scored so far this postseason.
“No relief, no jubilation,” Hart said after the game via ESPN. “Just another step in the process. … Here, it’s business as normal, and we got to make sure we’re locked in and focused.”
The 31-year-old has been in the playoffs each of his four seasons in New York, and he’s hoping that this year he’ll finally walk off the court in celebration rather than defeat. In order to do that, he knows the Knicks can’t be satisfied with simply a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. They faltered in the conference finals last season.
And as many of his younger teammates follow his veteran leadership on their quest for an NBA championship, Hart himself seeks to follow his Lord and Savior. He declares himself a “Follower of Christ” in his Instagram bio, and he often expresses his faith in Jesus on social media platforms.
He seeks to submit all he does to Christ, including his exploits on the basketball court. Two seasons ago, when he managed to play back-to-back complete games in the playoffs, he was asked in the locker room afterward how he did it. He revealed that he relied on Scripture.
“My Lord works in mysterious ways,” he said. “… Today, I felt like I didn’t have it at all. The whole game I was reciting Isaiah 40:29. The weak, He renews strength. That was the biggest thing. He allows you to walk and not faint.”
Hart also prays before games. As the eyes of thousands of fans are on him and his team, he seeks to keep his eyes on his Heavenly Father.
With the sweep of the 76ers, Hart and the red-hot Knicks are now headed into an extended break as they await their conference finals opponent. The No. 1-seeded Detroit Pistons lead the No. 4-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, 2-1, in the other Eastern Conference semifinal series. Game 4 is Monday.
The 37-year-old made the announcement on Tuesday and closes out her career with 8,396 career regular-season points to go along with 4,262 rebounds.
“It was all a dream, that’s the thought that keeps finding me,” she wrote in a statement posted on social media announcing her decision. “That, and deep gratitude. God has covered my life in ways I can’t fully put into words, and by His grace and mercy, I’ve been able to live out something bigger than I ever imagined.”
Charles was selected No. 1 overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2010 WNBA Draft and quickly delivered on the hype, earning Rookie of the Year honors before being named league MVP in 2012. Ahead of the 2014 season, she was traded to her hometown team, the New York Liberty, where she spent six seasons and made five All-Star appearances.
Over the course of her career, she also had stints with the Washington Mystics, Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream, before returning to Connecticut for her final season in 2025. Charles was named to the All-WNBA first team five times and the All-Defensive first team once, while also leading the league in rebounding four times and in scoring twice. She helped the U.S. win three Olympic gold medals, and in 2021 she was selected to the WNBA 25th Anniversary Team.
Before turning pro, Charles starred at UConn, leading the Huskies to national championships in 2009 and 2010. As a senior, she swept nearly every major national honor, including AP Player of the Year, John Wooden Player of the Year, USBWA National Player of the Year, and Big East Player of the Year.
“Fifteen years at the professional level and a lifetime of love for this game,” Charles wrote in her post. “I’ve experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows, and I’m thankful for all of it. Through it all, I learned how to show up. When doubt got loud and narratives were written about me, I kept showing up. That’s the New Yorker in me, where resilience is built, not talked about.”
Her bio on X references her faith in God: “His time. His way. His glory.” She’s also been public about her faith in interviews. She told The Ballers Magazine in August 2025 that she accepted Christ through Athletes In Action, and that faith helped her grow in how she was able to handle the mental and physical transition from the college game to the pros.
“My faith is everything for me,” she told the magazine. “Athletes in Action was on our campus and Maya Moore was a part of it. I had another teammate, Kaili McLaren (as well). I went to the camp and I was really able to learn how to make Jesus my motivation for my sport, so just giving thanks to Him for the blessings that I have. Once I accepted Christ — that was in 2009 — every time I took the floor my junior and senior year that’s when I started to turn the corner. I just kept saying to myself: ‘I’m playing for Him. I’m playing for an audience of One.’
“That was my motivation out there. That was the reason why I was going hard. That was the reason why my effort was what it was. That’s why I wanted to get in the gym because it was just my way of glorifying God when I was out there playing. That’s when things started turning for me my last two years at UConn.”
In August 2024, after becoming the WNBA’s second-leading scorer, she gave glory to God in her press conference comments.
“Just a whole bunch of gratitude,” Charles said. “I know this moment is big, but I have to give glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I’m just so much in awe at just how faithful He is … it’s unimaginable, and God just really gets the glory.”
She sat out the 2023 season and thought she was done playing. Not in a great space emotionally or mentally, she wasn’t sure if she still had a place in the league.
“So for me to be here right now, this is really special,” she said in the press conference.
She posted on Instagram at the end of 2023 reflecting on what had been a trying year for her and gave praise to God through it. She also referenced Hebrews 12:11, which says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
“Trials are apart (sic) of life, but God always provides what we need in order to endure,” Charles wrote. “He sifts & refines us & closes doors to position & put us in our right place. Through the disappointments & losses, God’s purpose in all His choices for us is His glory. His goal is not to inflict pain unnecessarily but to let Christ’s life shine through us in hardship, to stabilize our confidence in God’s goodness, and to strengthen our trust in His loving sovereignty.
“His grace is always sufficient. Remember, it’s not the trial that develops or destroys us, but rather our response to that hardship.”
Then, in September 2024, after becoming the WNBA’s all-time rebounding and double-double leader, she gave glory to God in her postgame locker room speech after thanking her coaches and teammates.
“I have to give glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” she said. “Last year, my faith is what carried me. My faith is what allowed me to be standing here right now.”
Charles now retires as one of the most decorated players in college and pro basketball history. Perhaps the only thing missing was playing in the WNBA Finals.
“This game gave me everything, and I’ll miss it deeply,” Charles said in her statement. “But my mom always taught me, don’t stop at what you’ve done, keep going toward what you still see. And I still see so much. There are still dreams in my heart waiting to be lived, and I can’t wait to share that journey with you all.”
Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) and guard Cade Cunningham (2), May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
As expected, the Detroit Pistons — the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference — have advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs. But not as expected was how difficult it was for them to get there.
The Pistons fell behind three games to one against the No. 8-seeded Orlando Magic in the best-of-seven opening-round series as their offense sputtered against Orlando’s stifling defense. But they turned the tide by beating the Magic at its own game. After twice staving off elimination — including a Game 6 in which Detroit overcame a 24-point second-half deficit and Orlando managed only a season-low 79 points — the Pistons forced a Game 7 back in Detroit on Sunday.
With a raucous crowd eager for its team to advance to the second round for the first time since 2007-08, the Pistons seized control of the game in the second quarter and cruised to a 22-point win, 116-94.
Incredibly, this was not the first time the Pistons have come back from a 3-1 series deficit to win; they also accomplished the feat in 2003 as a No. 1 seed against these very same Orlando Magic. Those Pistons won their second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers but subsequently fell to the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals.
These 2025-26 Pistons hope to advance further than the conference finals, and they’re well positioned to do so. Their 60 regular-season wins were the third-most in franchise history, they have home-court advantage in the East, and the No. 2-seeded Boston Celtics were taken out in the first round.
Detroit has been led all season by young superstar point guard Cade Cunningham, and he delivered again on Sunday with a team-high 32 points and 12 assists. The 24-year-old five-year pro averaged 23.9 points, a career-high 9.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game in the regular season. He also swiped a career-high 1.4 steals per game, tied for 15th-best in the league.
Cunningham’s production this season led to his second consecutive All-Star selection. At the All-Star Game in February, the 2021 No. 1 overall pick was asked in a press conference about his aura.
“I get my aura from Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior,” he said. “God blessed me with parents that raised me in a way that I wouldn’t trade for the world.”
“Every day that I wake up understanding how blessed I am, how fortunate I am,” he said during the course, via the The Christian Post. “When I do a lot of the community outreach with the youth, I can easily see the blessings that I’ve had in my life, even as a young kid growing up.”
Later, he spoke about the importance of seeking to root his joy in Jesus.
“I always try to make sure that the workspace that I’m in — the NBA, there’s highs and lows — but I always make sure that I never let the highs and lows truly determine my true happiness as a person,” he said. “… I look at it like if I’m playing basketball in the NBA or if I’m a principal at a school, which is something I would love to do when my career is over, I’m going to find ways to always bring Christ out in my life.”
Tobias Harris in Game 7? OUTSTANDING.
🎯 30 PTS, 5-7 3PM, 11-18 FGM, DET W
Harris and Cade Cunningham become the 11th duo in NBA history to each total 30+ PTS in a Game 7! pic.twitter.com/XmeBjfQKO8
Another Piston who has contributed to the team’s memorable season is Daniss Jenkins, a lightly touted undrafted second-year pro quickly developing a reputation as a knockdown 3-point shooter and intense defensive stopper. In Sunday’s Game 7 victory, Jenkins sparked Detroit with 16 points (4-of-5 on 3-pointers), five assists and three rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench.
“This is Sunday. It’s the Lord’s day, baby. It’s the Lord’s day,” he said. “My mama prayed for me today. She said a great prayer. I believe in God and I trust my work.”
With some of their key players grounded in faith, the Pistons now look to their second-round matchup against the No. 4-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30), which begins on Tuesday. Game 1 from Detroit is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Daniel (left) and Joseph Rodgers wearing medals from an NYO competition. (Photo courtesy of Rodgers family)
For thousands of years, the indigenous tribes of the northernmost parts of the globe relied on a set of athletic skills needed to survive in harsh conditions. Over the centuries, these skills became cultural athletic contests involving kicks, jumps, reaches and other tests of endurance and strength.
Then in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1971, in order to preserve these traditional contests in a quickly developing world, the first ever Native Youth Olympics (NYO) were held. Interest and participation in NYO, or what is often known as arctic sports, has exploded in the decades since. It has now extended far beyond indigenous tribes and even sometimes beyond the global north to countries like Mexico and New Zealand.
Held in March in Whitehorse, a city in the Yukon territory of Canada, the 2026 Arctic Winter Games were a celebration of athleticism, competition and cultural pride. Around 2,000 athletes participated, with Team Alaska taking home the most medals (227, 78 golds). The Arctic Winter Games are held every two years and can be thought of as a “Northern Olympics.” These Games include, but are not limited to, arctic sports competitions. It may be the most important athletic competition in Alaska.
Two Team Alaska athletes (who appear in the video above), Daniel and Joseph Rodgers, are brothers who share a passion — and an aptitude — for arctic sports. Daniel, a 16-year-old who was born prematurely and lives with a variety of disabilities, won gold in the teen arm pull and silver in the Alaskan high kick at the Games. Meanwhile, he also took home an impressive three Fair Play Awards recognizing his sportsmanship. And sportsmanship, Daniel’s mother, Elizabeth, says, is highly valued in arctic societies.
“For this culture, to receive a sportsmanship award,” Elizabeth told Sports Spectrum, “it’s more important than receiving a gold because it’s what you can contribute to the community that gives it the highest value.”
Daniel is well aware of the significance of his sportsmanship awards.
“I really feel honored about that,” he told Sports Spectrum. “I’m really happy that the other teams chose me.”
Not to be outdone, Joseph, 14, also captured two silvers and two bronzes at the Games. Joseph’s ability in arctic sports at such a young age is exceptional.
Both brothers currently hold records in various events, sometimes having to surpass each other to reach them. Elizabeth can hardly believe the success her teenagers (she also has a younger son named Luke) have had in arctic sport competition, but she is certain it’s been a divinely inspired journey.
“It’s almost like God’s brought us full circle in a story that we never even thought about, (that) there could be cross-cultural sports,” she said. “So all the giftings that we have, God’s using in a completely different way that we never picked for ourselves.
“It’s just amazing to me to see how we can be involved as a whole family in the different ways that we’re created.”
Daniel winning an award. (Photo courtesy of Rodgers family)
Elizabeth and her husband, John, were missionaries in Mexico when Daniel was born at just 26 weeks. He was 1 pound, 15 ounces, and quality medical care was hours away. He was profoundly deaf, his vision was impaired, he has severe myopia, and he was diagnosed with ADHD.
“Every breath that he took was a miracle,” Elizabeth remembered.
That little baby, barely heavier than the balls he now soars to kick, changed everything. Gone were the Rodgers’ dreams of missionary life. Instead, they moved 13 times in Daniel’s first few years trying to meet his extensive medical needs. American Sign Language (ASL) was necessary. Communicating any Biblical truth seemed a pipe dream, as the Bible hasn’t existed in ASL until recently.
“That was a pretty rough start for me,” Daniel said. “I was pretty much fully deaf when I was born.”
Yet with each passing milestone, the message God first delivered to Elizabeth during those early days in the NICU — as she scoured the Psalms for an ounce of hope — grew louder.
“I saw, as clear as could be, this lion roaring over Daniel in the NICU and over his incubator,” she said. “It was really vivid, dramatic, and that kind of set the tone I feel like for his whole life where God’s roared over him. Circumstances and things change, and He does the impossible. So that’s kind of a repeated theme in his life.”
The Rodgers family with a painting of a roaring tiger. (Photo courtesy of Rodgers family)
By third grade, Daniel was excelling with bilateral cochlear implants, and he had found an athletic outlet in the form of arctic sports.
“I just really enjoyed the event itself,” he said. “… I just had the passion to compete for it.”
It’s a challenge that for Daniel is intertwined with his faith in Jesus.
“I view Him as my Lord and Savior,” Daniel said. “I dedicated my life to Him. I’ve asked for forgiveness. … I try the best I can to hold the morals in the Bible and what it talks about.”
Daniel finds himself praying often during competition, and his awareness of God’s presence gives him a deep sense of peace.
“[Daniel’s story is] not a story of ‘try hard and your dreams will come true.’ It’s a story that God chose him from his birth, and He’s writing his story and He’s doing things by the power of His Spirit,” Elizabeth said. “And when we cooperate with Him … He can do things we could never dream of.”
Faith in Christ is at the forefront of Joseph’s mind when he competes, as well. With Christian music thumping in his headphones and a faith-based necklace around his neck, several Bible verses often come to mind as he sizes up his next jump or kick. His nights often end by spending time in God’s Word.
“As I got older,” Joseph said, “I wanted to look deeper into [Christianity]. You know how some people say they’re Christians but don’t know anything about it? I didn’t want to be like that. I wanted to actually understand why I believe what I believe.”
Elizabeth often finds herself struck by God’s goodness to her and her family.
“To me, it just feels absolutely miraculous,” she said. “Like it’s a story that I could never have conceived and ever dreamed of. … I feel that one of my jobs as a mom is to help [my kids] discover God’s mission for their life and His calling for each one of their lives. And in our family, it happens to be that they have this wild calling for NYO!”
Joseph competing in the high kick. (Photo courtesy of Rodgers family)
At each competition, when Daniel and Joseph aren’t busy winning medals, the Rodgers family can be found passing out tracts with a picture of a roaring lion and Daniel’s story on the back. It’s a story that doesn’t make medical sense, but in God’s equation, it’s just one example of His perfect power and steadfast love for His children.
And as they seek to spread the Good News of the Gospel to the arctic sports community and spread the excitement of arctic sports to the rest of the world, they are ambassadors who one day dream of seeing arctic sports included in the Winter Olympics. It may seem unlikely, but they’ve each seen God do much, much more.
With the Cleveland Cavaliers advancing to the NBA Finals, here is an archived story on Mark Price (who spent the first nine years of his career with the Cavs) from our January/February 1993 issue…
