BOSTON — Tyrese Maxey scored 40 points and VJ Edgecombe added 34 in his NBA debut to help the 76ers rally to beat the Boston Celtics 117-116 in their season-opener Wednesday night.
Edgecombe scored the most points in an NBA debut since Wilt Chamberlain had 43 on Oct. 24, 1959.
The Sixers led by four with 22 seconds left, but it was down to one when Edgecombe missed a pair of foul shots with 9.1 seconds to play. Payton Pritchard missed two potential game-winning shots.
Joel Embiid played for the first time since February, scoring four points on 1-of-9 shooting. The 2023 NBA MVP and a two-time league scoring champion had six rebounds in 20 minutes in his return being limited to 19 games during the 2024-25 season because of a sprained left foot, a sinus fracture, and arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe (left) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown during the second quarter of Wednesday’s game.
Jaylen Brown returned from a hamstring injury in the preseason finale to score 25 points. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP is expected to carry a heavier load this year with fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum, who watched the game from the bench in street clothes, recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Derrick White scored 13 points of his 25 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics scored 16 straight points to turn a five-point deficit into an 11-point lead. The Celtics led 94-84 with nine minutes remaining before the Sixers scored eight straight points to make it close.
Up next
The Sixers will host the Charlotte Hornets for their home opener on Saturday (7:30 p.m., NBCSP). The Celtics will travel to New York to face the Knicks on Friday night.
Inside the NBA made its highly anticipated ESPN debut on Wednesday during the league’s second night of action.
The hit show was originally televised on TNT before the network ended its NBA coverage following the 2024-25 season. But thanks to a licensing agreement between TNT Sports and ESPN, the show lives on.
Throughout its years on TNT, the show created plenty of iconic moments, from Charles Barkley’s comments on women from San Antonio to Shaquille O’Neal falling into a Christmas tree — multiple times. Now, it’s still making headlines on ESPN.
Here are some of the best moments from Wednesday’s show …
Barkley kissing up to ESPN
The original cast, featuring Ernie Johnson, O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Barkley, were excited to make their debut on ESPN. But Barkley may have been a little more excited than others.
“I was nervous today, I’m not going to lie,” Barkley said. “Every person who has ever touched a ball wanted to be on ESPN. They are the greatest sports network ever and to be working for these guys is an honor and a privilege. It is.”
Smith responded: “Do you want a napkin for all that kissing up you just did?”
Charles Barkley: "I was nervous today…Every person who's ever touched a ball wanted to be on ESPN. They are the greatest sports network ever."
Kenny Smith: “Do you want a napkin for all that kissing up you just did?”
Of course, the show wasn’t all about teasing Barkley. In fact, O’Neal gave the 11-time NBA All-Star a few compliments during the show.
“Chuck was fat last year,” O’Neal said. “Now look at him. He’s a sex symbol.”
Barkley responded: “He got a point about the sex symbol. … Shout out to my doctors at Ro.co. I’m working out too, now. You’ve got to work out. You can’t just take a shot.”
We got the very first race to the board between O’Neal and Smith on ESPN — if we can even call it a race.
“We’re going to do it a little different,” Smith said. “You know how you do the fast walk? So you don’t hurt yourself. So, we’ll do a fast walk to the board.”
During the halftime show of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks game, Johnson counted down and the two walked quickly to the board. Within seconds, Smith took the first win of the year.
Barkley has created a number of unhinged moments — from comparing O’Neal to Shrek to discussing Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Now, he’s done it again. When discussing the playoff picture, Barkley said the Miami Heat were out of the eighth spot.
Smith responded: “No, they play too hard.”
“They play hard,” Barkley said. “That’s like when you go out with a girl and you say she has a great personality. That just means she’s ugly. The Heat play hard. The Heat are not going to be in the top eight.”
Charles Barkley: The Miami Heat are out the 8th spot
Kenny Smith: Nah they play too hard
Charles Barkley: That’s like when you go out with a girl and you say she has a great personality that just means she’s ugly
Those three things stood out in the Sixers’ 117-116 season-opening victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday at TD Garden.
Dominant duo
Maxey and Edgecombe were fun to watch.
Maxey had 40 points on 13-for-25 shooting from the field and 7-for-9 from the three-point line to go with six assists. Edgecombe, the third pick in June’s draft, added 34 points on 13-for-26 shooting to go with six rebounds. He is the first Sixers rookie to have at least 30 points in his debut since Hall of Famer Allen Iverson did so on Nov. 1, 1996.
It was also the third-highest scoring debut in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 43 points on Oct. 24, 1959, and Frank Selvy’s 35 points on Nov. 30, 1954.
Sixers fans have to love the duo’s pace. The two guards put a lot of pressure on the Celtics. They also took over the game during stretches.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey (left) scored 40 points against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
Edgecombe scored 10 straight and 13 of the Sixers’ final 16 points in the first quarter. Meanwhile, Maxey took over where Edgecombe left off, scoring 19 second-quarter points on 7-for-10 shooting.
The Sixers will have one of the league’s most explosive backcourts if the duo can keep this up. Their athleticism, speed, and ability to take over are unmatched on many teams.
“I feel like we both [play] really well in the open court,” Edgecombe said. “Playing fast is something that we want to do. Ain’t [many who] can keep up. Joel was out there here and there. But when Joel is fully back, it’s going to be a different game. It’s going to be better if you ask me, because he requires so much attention.
“You go one-on-one all night, that’s not night and day for whoever’s guarding him. And one on one for Tyrese, it’s night and day for whoever’s guarding him too.”
In Friday’s preseason finale, Embiid flirted with a triple-double in a little over 18 minutes of action. However, that performance came against a Minnesota Timberwolves team composed mainly of NBA G-League talent.
So his first actual test came in Wednesday’s contest against the Celtics.
Embiid failed to have the same impact against Boston centers Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman. He finished with four points and six rebounds in 20 minutes. The performance paled in comparison to his night against Minnesota, when he scored 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out eight assists, and blocked three shots.
Embiid missed his first four shots en route to shooting 1-for-9 on Wednesday.
“I’m super happy that he was out there,” coach Nick Nurse said. “I think that he played good. I know that’s going to sound silly, 1-for-9. He just didn’t shoot it very good.
“I thought he transferred the ball good. I thought he made some good decisions. I thought he took good shots. I thought he protected the rim. So, again, he hasn’t done much. He’s kind of played in a scrimmage and a preseason game. I think there’s some rust there, but I thought he moving good and made good decisions.”
Sixers center Joel Embiid (center) is still working his way back into form after a long layoff because of knee injuries.
While Nurse raved about Embiid, the 7-foot-2, 280-pounder didn’t show a lot of lateral movement on defense. He also rarely jumped to contest shots or go after rebounds.
Embiid is resorting to using his massive frame to overpower opponents in the post. The 2023 MVP is also clogging everything up on offense. He has to either roll hard or launch three pointers from the top of the key. When he doesn’t, the offense stalls and the Sixers came away with bad possessions.
They actually played better without Embiid in the fourth quarter. He sat out the final 9 minutes, 17 seconds due to a minute restriction.
We’ll find out shortly whether this is the player he’s become or if he’s getting back into the groove after being sidelined since February.
“I’m good,” Embiid said. “You know, it’s going to take a while, you know, obviously, being on a minutes restriction, playing shorter stints, it’s harder to kind of get into a rhythm. But I got to figure it out. That’s the way they got it set up.
“It’s annoying, but if I want to play, I don’t really have a choice. But I want to be out there as much as possible.”
Embiid said there’s a lot he can do until returning to his old form. He wants to use his “gravity” to get teammates open.
“There’s still so much more I can contribute to other than scoring,” Embiid said. “So just using myself as a decoy to allow all these guys to do whatever they have to do to win.”
The two-way impact
With multiple seasons of NBA experience, Barlow and Walker weren’t your typical two-way players when they signed deals in July. At the time, the thought was that one of them — if not both — would garner a standard contract several months into the season.
What we didn’t know was that the Sixers would have to rely heavily on the duo, with Paul George (left knee) and Trendon Watford (left hamstring) both sidelined.
Sixers forward Dominick Barlow (left) had 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds on Wednesday.
The big question was whether Barlow could duplicate the energy he displayed in the preseason. Based on Wednesday’s game, the answer appears to be yes.
Barlow attacked the glass, ran the floor, and was a solid role player. He had three points, three rebounds, and an assist before being subbed out for Walker with 3:14 left in the first quarter. Walker also provided solid energy while setting picks and hustling for loose balls and rebounds.
Barlow finished with 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds while Walker had six points and four boards.
They are both making the most of their opportunities and will make the Sixers a deeper team once George and Watford return.
“This is my fourth year in the NBA,” Barlow said. “You can say I’m a two-way or whatever the case may be. But I know how to play basketball. I know what this team needs me to do. It’s just my job to play with energy and pick us up when we are down, or we are on those runs, get into actions and crash [the boards] and guard.”
The Eagles who were around before this season knew what to expect when Brandon Graham rejoined the team for his first practice Wednesday after coming out of retirement earlier this week.
The newbies had only heard the stories. Maybe they had met Graham in passing. Fellow edge rusher Joshua Uche recalled swapping jerseys with Graham after an Eagles-Patriots game in 2023. But when Uche joined the Eagles, it was in part because Graham was no longer with the team. “I just missed him,” Uche said.
Graham had been around the NovaCare Complex before this week and had been working out, but this week he’s back in the meeting rooms and on Wednesday he went through his first practice. The Eagles tried to fill the void he left behind when Graham retired from football in March. They signed veterans like Uche, Azeez Ojulari, and Ogbo Okoronkwo in the offseason. They then added an even more experienced veteran in Za’Darius Smith after Week 1. But Smith, 33, lasted only five games before hanging up the cleats himself.
Nothing could really replace all of the things Graham brought. And on Wednesday, make no mistake about it, Graham was back.
“The energy he brings, the leadership he brings, and the juice he brings out there on the field, we needed that part of the engine back,” Uche said.
Uche said Graham practiced normally and went through the day just like any other player in the position room.
“It feels good today,” Graham said, still dressed in his pads outside his old locker stall after practice, the same stall recently vacated by Smith. “I’ll just say that. I ain’t going to go too crazy. But I felt good.”
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham practiced Wednesday for the first time since unretiring and said he felt good.
Graham, who was listed as a full participant on the Eagles’ practice report, said he didn’t feel too far away from being in football shape because he has spent the last few months working out, many times at NovaCare. He did joke that he tapped his helmet to come out after only a few plays. Is he in good enough shape to play Sunday vs. the New York Giants?
“We’re going to see, man,” Graham said. “I’m going to let Coach do that. Honestly, I’m just here to continue to keep affirming everybody with what they are and their ability.”
How and when Graham performs remains to be seen, but that part — the leadership and the positive energy — should have an immediate impact.
“It was a vibe, man,” rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell said of his first practice with Graham. “That’s the OG. I was fortunate enough to have a relationship with him outside of being here in his early retirement, I guess you could say. He brings nothing but positive vibes, man, great energy to the brotherhood that we have here. He’s just an all-around great dude. He’s like a guy where it’s like, you look at him and you smile and you got to say what’s up. He never has bad intentions, he’s never talking about nothing negative, he’s always going to bring you up.”
And the trash-talking?
“It’s safe to say it ain’t no act,” Campbell said. “That’s just organic, exactly who he is, and I saw it for myself.”
Campbell said it didn’t seem like Graham had been away from football “for three months or however long it was.”
It was seven, but Graham said he knew he “wasn’t all the way done.” He was hoping the Eagles wouldn’t need him, but opportunity knocked as injuries piled up and Smith stepped away from the game. The Eagles reached out to him, and he and his wife, Carlyne, agreed it was right.
Graham said he told his teammates that he’s “here to give you affirmations every day and work hard and let’s all be professionals and try to build this thing and get us another one.
“It don’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish.”
Graham knows that well, both from the perspective of the totality of his career — a draft bust who turned into the franchise’s all-time leader in games played — and in the micro sense of last season, when the Eagles started slowly and eventually won the Super Bowl.
Brandon Graham announced his retirement from the Eagles in March. He unretired on Tuesday after just seven months out of football.
Graham retired on top. He cried and gave a heartfelt speech next to two Super Bowl trophies. As far as storybook endings go, he had a perfect one after making a surprising return from injury to play in the Super Bowl in February.
“Reality set in,” Graham said. “That story book will still be there, but reality set in. I still had the urge, and of course, I felt like I was still on my game last year. I still feel like I could help the team. If I didn’t feel like that, I wouldn’t be back and Howie [Roseman] wouldn’t have picked me up.”
There is the risk that the ending to that story changes, and it’s something Graham said he talked about with Carlyne.
“When you think about it, when Tom Brady and all them boys came back, you still say he got seven rings and he’s still going to tell the story,” Graham said. “If I still feel like I can play, why not?
“I just feel like I still got a duty to come in and help because I feel like I still got a lot of juice left.”
The Eagles, new and old, got a taste of that Wednesday.
The Eagles were down a few prominent starters at practice on Wednesday, including Cam Jurgens (knee), A.J. Brown, and Adoree’ Jackson (concussion), as the week of preparation began for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.
Jurgens, the 6-foot-3, 303-pound center, exited the game against the Minnesota Vikings with a right knee injury after the Eagles’ second possession. He appeared to sustain the injury on the first play of the game. Still, Jurgens finished the rest of the drive and returned for the next one with a brace on his knee.
Brett Toth took over for Jurgens at center for the rest of the game, starting with the Eagles’ third possession. Toth said after the game that Jurgens would require an MRI for his knee. Coach Nick Sirianni declined to reveal the extent of Jurgens’ injury or his anticipated status for Sunday’s game.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Sirianni said Wednesday. “He’s always going to do everything he can do and our trainers, our doctors and our strength staff will do everything they can do to get him back going as soon as possible. We’ll see where we are. You’ll get the injury report later [Wednesday], but we’ll see where we are as the week continues and where Cam is.”
If Jurgens can’t play, the Eagles have a variety of options to consider to replace him. They could start Toth at center, leaving the rest of the offensive line intact.
Landon Dickerson could also slide over from left guard to center, a move the Eagles made when Jurgens was out for the start of the NFC championship game last year against the Washington Commanders with a back ailment. The Eagles would have a few options to consider at left guard in Dickerson’s place, including Toth or Matt Pryor.
The Eagles drafted Jurgens’ apparent backup at center in Drew Kendall this year, but the fifth-rounder out of Boston College has only been active for one game and has yet to take an offensive snap in the regular season.
“You’re constantly trying to think of what the best thing is for the football team,” Sirianni said of the Eagles’ backup options at center. “So you have options because of the guys that we have there, with Landon, with everybody, you have options there. You want to keep continuity as much as you possibly can, but you also want to give yourself the best opportunity to win.
“So, all those things are weighed, how practice looks is weighed, how practice goes, and walk-throughs for that matter. But we got a lot of confidence in the guys that if Cam can’t go, we have a lot of confidence in the guys that would be filling that spot.”
Meanwhile, Brown stood on the sideline in a sweatshirt alongside Dom DiSandro during the brief portion of practice open to the media on Wednesday. The reason for Brown being sidelined will become public when the Eagles release their first injury report of the week on Wednesday afternoon.
The star receiver played 46 offensive snaps (92%) against the Vikings and was on the field until the final passing play of the game, his 45-yard dagger on third and 9 with one minute, 45 seconds remaining.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who dropped out of the Vikings game with an ankle injury, was also sidelined.
Additionally, Jackson and Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) were not present for practice. Both players exited during the Vikings game.
On Tuesday, Vic Fangio expressed doubt about Ojulari’s availability for Sunday’s game against the Giants. He also noted that Kelee Ringo may get more opportunities to play at the starting outside cornerback spot opposite Quinyon Mitchell, putting Jackson’s status in question, too.
Fangio may have another option to consider at cornerback in Jakorian Bennett, as the Eagles opened his 21-day practice window on Wednesday. He was present and participating as he works his way back from a pectoral injury that placed him on injured reserve following the Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Grant Calcaterra (oblique) was practicing in some capacity on Wednesday for the first time in two weeks. The 26-year-old tight end exited the Week 5 game against the Denver Broncos and missed the two games that followed.
Brandon Graham, who ended his retirement and signed with the Eagles on Tuesday, was present for his first practice of the season on Wednesday.
The NBA season is here, with the 76ers’ slate kicking off at 7:30 p.m. against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. As has become customary, there are more questions than answers about this team at the moment.
Last season ended with a tank job that delivered prized rookie VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey got another year of experience under his belt. But Joel Embiid and Paul George spent much of their time in street clothes, and Quentin Grimes, who experienced a star turn after coming to Philly at the trade deadline, did not get a deal done with the team over the summer and will play on a qualifying offer.
The Inquirer’s staff writers took all of that information in mind as they considered the Sixers’ season and tried to project what 2025-26 might look like for Nick Nurse’s team at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Sixers season outlook: Can I insert the shrugging shoulders emoji here? Not because of apathy, but because I genuinely have no idea how this is all going to unfold. So much, of course, hinges on the health of Joel Embiid and Paul George. And just far better injury luck, in general. But even if this championship window essentially closed before it opened, the Sixers’ desired style of play and influx of young talent should make this season far more enjoyable. The guard rotation of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes and, eventually, Jared McCain is worth the watch alone.
Schedule highlights: The Sixers play 16 of their first 26 scheduled games before Christmas at home, depending on how the In-Season Tournament shakes out. That means getting off to a strong start is crucial to this team’s quest for a turnaround. January is a particularly challenging month on paper, with three back-to-backs and matchups against the New York Knicks (twice), Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, and Houston Rockets. So is February, with eight of 11 games on the road, including their primary Western Conference swing.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe has impressed the coaching staff and is set to start in his first NBA game.
Player to watch: The obvious answer here is Edgecombe, the electric rookie who is on track to be an opening night starter. Or Embiid and George because, well, you know. But I’m fascinated to see how Maxey responds after a season he acknowledges was trying from a basketball and emotional standpoint. Coach Nick Nurse constantly reiterates that he believes the 24-year-old Maxey still has plenty of room to blossom. This season, he will be tasked with spearheading an offense aiming to play at a much faster pace — and with being a bridge between the aging stars and an intriguing crop of young players. (My deep-cut answers, for the record, are Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow, after the way they played during the preseason.)
Hot take on the 2025-26 season: When the Sixers are the NBA team whose outlook is toughest to predict, is everything considered a hot take or is nothing considered a hot take? How about this: Edgecombe wins Rookie of the Year, even if overwhelming favorite Cooper Flagg remains healthy the whole season. Edgecombe may eventually move to a reserve role once Grimes is fully reacclimated and McCain returns from thumb and knee injuries, but that might be an ideal initial fit for Edgecombe. He can empty the tank during every stint by flying down the floor in transition, and being an absolute pest on defense.
Keith Pompey
Sixers season outlook: The 76ers might be the toughest team to give a prognosis for. A lot of that has to do with the uncertainty surrounding Joel Embiid. Due to left knee management, the Sixers are basically taking a game-to-game approach with his availability. Meanwhile, Paul George, who is also dealing with left knee issues, could miss some time at the start of the season. And there’s no telling how the forward will perform once he returns. So at least early on, a lot of the team’s success could fall, once again, on the shoulders of Tyrese Maxey.
But the squad is going to need Maxey, Embiid and George all playing at a high level to become an Eastern Conference contender. If that doesn’t happen, this could be another long season.
Schedule highlights: Dec. 28 at the Oklahoma City Thunder. Assuming the Sixers are healthy, the defending NBA champions will be an accurate barometer of the Sixers’ competitiveness. We will see how the big-man pairing of Joel Embiid and Adem Bona stacks up against Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. We will also see if the Sixers have an answer for reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and third-team All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams.
Player to watch: VJ Edgecombe. The third pick in June’s NBA draft has been better than expected throughout the preseason. Known as an athletic shooting guard at Baylor, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound has shown that he can handle point guard duties for the Sixers. He’s also been arguably their best perimeter defender. If he continues to develop, Edgecombe could blossom into one of the NBA’s best young players.
Hot take on the 2025-26 season: Dominick Barlow becomes an all-time Sixers fan favorite. Fans are already raving over the power forward’s stellar play in the preseason. That in itself is one reason why the Sixers need to strongly consider converting his two-way contract into a standard NBA deal. Barlow has mastered how to make an impact without having plays called for him. His offensive rebounding, solid attention to detail, and athleticism makes him a solid fit to play alongside Maxey and Embiid.
Gabriela Carroll, Inquirer staff writer
Sixers season outlook: This season feels virtually impossible to predict, because the variance in outcomes is so wide. The Sixers could keep Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and VJ Edgecombe mostly healthy this year, and get just enough games from Joel Embiid and Paul George to stay playoff competitive. They could have the disastrous injury luck of the 2024-25 season, and end up back in the lottery. Who knows, maybe they get supremely lucky and almost everyone is available all year? That feels like a bridge too far even for the Sixers. But in what looks like it could be a down year for the Eastern Conference, making the Play-In and winning a game feels doable.
Schedule highlights: Dec. 7 vs Lakers. Look, LeBron James baited everyone with his “Decision” that turned out to be a Hennessey commercial, but there’s no denying that at age 40, his career is nearing its end. No matter how good or bad the Sixers end up (and there are so many different ways this year could go), you’ve only got so many chances to see one of the all-time greats play in Philadelphia.
Sixers guard Jared McCain will miss the start of the season with a thumb injury.
Player to watch: Jared McCain. McCain immediately popped in his 23 games last year, working himself into the starting lineup and becoming one of the few bright spots of a disappointing start before he tore his meniscus and had to miss the rest of the year. Heading into camp, he tore the UCL in his thumb. If McCain can continue to improve and develop from where he finished his 24-25 season, that will be a huge boost for the Sixers’ chances, but it could take him some time to round into form.
Hot take on the 2025-26 season: VJ Edgecombe will win Rookie of the Year. All eyes will be on Cooper Flagg, but Edgecombe should get a ton of minutes right away. The Sixers are already experimenting with Edgecombe as the primary ball-handler to open up more opportunities for Maxey, and he’s flashed his elite defensive skill in preseason.
The Union had planned for some time to let teen phenom Cavan Sullivan go to next month’s under-17 men’s World Cup, the biggest stage he’ll have played on yet.
But between Quinn Sullivan’s ACL injury and other players being banged up – including fellow attacking midfielders Indiana Vassilev and Jeremy Rafanello – the club faced a lack of depth heading into the playoffs.
The Union still wanted to let Cavan go to the tournament. But they also knew they might need him, not just want to have him, for their first-round playoff series against Chicago or Orlando.
Multiple sources told The Inquirer that with agreement from Sullivan and U.S. Soccer, he will stay with the club for the first two games of the best-of-three set. Game one is Sunday at Subaru Park (5:55 p.m., FS1, Fox Deportes, and Apple TV), and Game two is Nov. 1 on the road (5:30 p.m., Apple TV).
Cavan Sullivan (right) had one of his best games for the Union this year last Saturday at Charlotte, even though the team lost.
Sullivan won’t actually miss any of the tournament, as the U.S. team’s opener against Burkina Faso isn’t until Nov. 5. He’ll mainly miss the pre-tournament camp, which will take place in Abu Dhabi before the tournament is played in Qatar. That no doubt made it easier to get a deal done.
The Americans’ group games after that are against Tajikistan on Nov. 8, then the Czech Republic on Nov. 11. The tournament runs through Nov. 27, so if the U.S. goes on a long run, Sullivan could be gone until the MLS conference finals.
Though the U.S. has played at every under-17 World Cup but one since the event started in 1985, the program has not reached the quarterfinals since 2017, and hasn’t gone farther since 1999 — when Landon Donovan led the way to the only semifinal in team history.
Donovan won the tournament’s Golden Ball award as the most outstanding player, and was one of many famous names on that U.S. squad. It also included DaMarcus Beasley, Kyle Beckerman, Oguchi Oneywu (who finished his pro career with the Union 18 years later), and Philadelphia native Bobby Convey.
This team has the potential for a deep run. Sullivan is one of its top names, along with forward Mathis Albert of Germany’s Borussia Dortmund and the New York Red Bulls’ Julian Hall. There are also three players from the Union’s youth academy, defender Jordan Griffin and forwards Jamir Johnson and Kellan LeBlanc – the last of them the son of former Union reserve team coach Marlon LeBlanc.
Fox and Telemundo have the broadcast rights, in English and Spanish respectively, with games airing on their cable channels and streaming platforms.
A clipping from The Inquirer’s sports section of November 25, 1999, highlighting Bobby Convey’s play for the United States at the under-17 men’s World Cup.
The 76ers might be Philly’s most unpredictable team.
Given their consistent injury struggles, the Sixers’ fate this year is nearly impossible to project. That didn’t stop the national media from making an attempt.
Here’s what they’re saying about the Sixers ahead of the opener tonight against Boston …
It’s complicated
Are the Sixers built to win now or win later? ESPN says it’s complicated, ranking them 13th in its season-opening power rankings.
Before last year, the Sixers thought they were in their championship window, and signed Paul George to a maximum contract to help get them to the next level. But after last season’s injury disaster, the Sixers now have a new, younger core of VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, and Jared McCain to help them contend potentially for years to come.
“Last season’s 24-58 record suggests this isn’t the right time for any all-in moves from GM Daryl Morey, which might explain why Philadelphia still has several future picks in its cupboard,” Zack Kram wrote. “But as long as [Joel] Embiid is on the roster and even theoretically at full strength, the 76ers have to at least consider trying to maximize his remaining competitive window.”
The health of center Joel Embiid will once again be a key for the Sixers.
Ranked 13th again
In 2024-25, Embiid and George played in just 60 games combined. With compounding injuries to Maxey and McCain, that was enough to sink their season. This year, though, the Sixers are hoping they have enough talent to be consistent and competitive even without Embiid on the court.
“The Sixers have enough offensive talent even if their stars don’t play (just ask Quentin Grimes) and Nick Nurse is going to sell out and get his team to approach 10 steals per game even if it costs the rest of Philadelphia’s defense,” Law Murray wrote for The Athletic, also ranking them 13th in the season-opening power rankings.
“There is too much on the line for everyone involved in Philadelphia, with the possible exception of Tyrese Maxey, so don’t be shocked if the 76ers rebound to their usual results of getting to the playoffs and not doing much while they’re there.”
‘Why not them?’
For all the warranted conversations about the Sixers’ struggles with injuries, they’re not the only team in the East that’s missing players to start the year. Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton are both expected to miss most, if not all, of the year. Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and Josh Hart are all missing the Knicks’ opener, and Jaylen Brown may do the same for the Celtics.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst dared to suggest that the Sixers may be the healthiest contender on the board, and their potential could be underrated leaguewide because of their perennial injury struggles.
“Is it possible that the contender with the healthiest roster to start the season could end up being Philly?” Windhorst said. “ … If you’re Philly, I know you have to live day-to-day, you can’t be thinking, you almost don’t have the burden of worrying about the playoffs because you don’t know who’s going to be standing by Thanksgiving. Why not them?”
Eagles legend Jason Kelce and his brother, Travis, broke down the Eagles’ Week 8 resurgence, yet another Tush Push-related controversy, Brandon Graham’s unretirement, and more on the latest episode of their podcast, New Heights, which featured 76ers legend Allen Iverson. Here’s what you missed:
Enjoying an Eagles win
The Eagles (5-2) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 28-22 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Jason, who spent 13 seasons as the Birds’ center, addressed the frustration from fans leading into the matchup, speaking from experience.
“In Philly, when you’re struggling, they’re going to let you know, especially when the expectations are high,” he said.
But he had little sympathy for his former teammates, insisting that pressure from fans would push the team to climb out of the midseason struggles. He also addressed concerns about the running game, encouraging listeners to trust in “inevitable” running back Saquon Barkley.
“Jalen Hurts has been under a lot of scrutiny,” he said. “I like it. Bring it on. I feel like the Eagles, when everybody doubts them early on, I would rather the fans get on them. It’s like, ‘We’re going to have to hunker down together and figure this thing out.’ Nine times out of 10, it makes the team better.”
The brothers look forward to the Eagles’ rematch with the New York Giants on Sunday (1 p.m., Fox29) at Lincoln Financial Field. They emphasized the opportunity for vengeance after Jaxson Dart led the Giants to a 34-17 win on Oct. 9.
Allen Iverson joins as a guest
The Kelce brothers brought on another retired local sports legend in Iverson as a special guest. Iverson discussed his upcoming docuseries on Prime Video, Allen Iv3rson, and the emotional process of looking back on his career in Philadelphia.
“I became a man in Philadelphia,” the former point guard said. “I was 21 years old when I went there. But they were with me throughout my turbulent life. … [The fans] always stood beside me, and that’s why that sentiment is everlasting.
“[Philadelphia fans] are the most loyal, beautiful fans in the world. I just feel like there’s no other relationship between players and fans like it is there.”
The Vikings debuted a new way to defend against the Eagles’ infamous Tush Push — by having defensive lineman Tyler Batty lie down on the line of scrimmage.
Travis, the Kansas City Chiefs’ star tight end, brought up a viral X post depicting the controversial play. It ultimately was unsuccessful as the Eagles converted an attempt on third-and-1.
Jason, however, was open to it.
“I just liked watching the creativity of it,” he said. “[The Eagles] still got the first down. I understand their strategy, take out the guy’s legs and have the other guy go over the top. It’s a good strategy, and they didn’t get another opportunity to do it, so I would be curious to see what it would look like the more times they executed it.”
The brothers also discussed a different athlete’s podcast.
On Tuesday morning, defensive end Brandon Graham, 37, announced his decision to return to the NFL on his podcast, Brandon Graham Unblocked.
Jason congratulated his former teammate as he embarks on his 16th season in Philadelphia.
“I’m just happy that Brandon is doing what he wants to do,” he said. “He wants to continue playing, and the opportunity is there. To be honest, the Eagles can use him in multiple ways. Not just as a player, but his personality, he brings a lot to that locker room that I think would be awesome.”
Travis responded with the natural question of whether Jason, also 37, would consider following in Graham’s footsteps. As for coming out of retirement, it was a hard no. But that did not stop Jason from completing a “humbling” three-hour workout with the Eagles last week.
After Temple’s 49-14 win against Charlotte on Saturday, quarterback Evan Simon decided he wanted to give out a game ball to someone who stood out. Usually, that’s the coach’s job.
This time, it was K.C. Keeler’s turn to get recognized.
Simon exclaimed that the victory was Keeler’s 275th, which puts him in the top 20 all-time in wins among college coaches. The team erupted and mobbed Keeler.
In honor of reaching 275 career wins, Keeler took a trip down memory lane, recounting some victories that stood out and the people who helped him along the way.
“This is not just business to me,” said Keeler, who’s in his 32nd year as a head coach. “I truly want to be successful so [my players] are successful. I truly do want to help them through life. I explained this to our staff, if this is just a business arrangement, your cap is only so high. But, like, if this is truly like something where you’re in this thing together and there’s love and trust between the players and the coaches, it takes your ceiling so much higher.”
Success at Rowan
Keeler was named the head coach at Rowan before the 1993 season. He had been the offensive coordinator and was promoted when his predecessor, John Bunting, left for a job with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Profs beat Newport News, 54-7, in Keeler’s debut as head coach, and the victories did not stop there. Rowan won 10 more games that season and played for a Division III national championship. Although Keeler’s squad lost to Mount Union in the final, it was a banner first year for him.
“First game, there’s funny things that I can remember like stopping at a rest stop on the way home with the fellas and just kind of hanging with the players and just enjoying being with them,” Keeler said. “I remember my wife made it down for the game also. And so it was a big deal. It took a lot of pressure off getting that first win. It really did.”
Keeler continued to stack wins and Rowan won at least 10 games from 1995 to 1999 under his guidance. As Rowan continued to build momentum under Keeler, there was one program that had its number, Mount Union.
The Purple Raiders beat the Profs in the national championship in 1993, 1996, and 1998. They brought a 54-game winning streak into a matchup with Keeler and Rowan in 1999 in the playoff semifinals. In that game, however, Rowan was on the right side of the outcome.
“Larry Kehres is a legend, a phenomenal football coach,” Keeler said. “We beat him in overtime out there to break the longest win streak ever.”
K.C. Keeler took over as head coach at Delaware in 2002.
Keeler won 88 games in nine years at Rowan, which set him up to land a job at his alma mater, Delaware, in 2002. That jobmeant more to him than just being a head coach. Keeler played linebacker at Delaware from 1978 to 1980 and described it as his dream job.
Without Rowan, he never would have ended up at Delaware.
“I show up at a [Rowan] team meeting, and I get a standing ovation. What I realize is those kids realize they got me my dream job,” Keeler said. “They knew how much I loved Delaware. … I got really emotional. And I’m like, ‘Oh my God, they’re giving me permission to leave.’ They got me this job. It was so powerful. There’s a couple of moments in your life you remember forever. I wasn’t expecting it. It wasn’t something that was on my radar. That was something that I’ll always remember about Rowan. They didn’t want to lose me, but they felt good. They were turning me over to my alma mater.”
Taking Division I-AA by storm
Keeler went 6-6 his first year at Delaware. It was the first time in his career he did not finish above .500. That one season was all Keeler needed to turn the Blue Hens into a national power.
At Rowan, Keeler was in a “do it all” role and got involved in everything football-related. That was not the case for him at Delaware. He moved into more of a “CEO” role in which he was more of a manager.
Once Keeler realized he needed to change his approach as a coach and trust his coaching staff, Delaware took off.
K.C. Keeler holds the trophy after his Delaware squad defeated Colgate, 40-0, in the NCAA Division I-AA championship on Dec. 19, 2003.
In his second season, Keeler guided the Blue Hens to a 15-1 record. Delaware cruised through the playoffs in Division I-AA (now known as the FCS) and faced Colgate in the national championship. Keeler lost five national championships with Rowan, but his luck finally turned at Delaware.
“We went out and won, 40-0, and had the biggest point differential in the history of a national championship game,” Keeler said. “They had me, and the energy level we came out with was off the charts. They say you take a championship, that team took a championship. That would be my most memorable win just because it’s a national championship at your alma mater and they had never won a FCS national championship.”
Keeler spent nine more seasons with the Blue Hens and amassed 86 wins, ranking second in school history behind Tubby Raymond. He was fired after the 2012 season when the Blue Hens went 5-6 and decided to take a year off from coaching.
He worked as a commentator for ESPN and for NFL Matchup. It did not take long for Keeler to realize he missed being around the game. The Sam Houston State job opened in 2014, and it was the last job available in the cycle. Keeler took it.
Once Keeler was back on the sideline, it was like he never left.
He won double-digit games in his first four years with the Bearkats, then in 2020, he won the FCS national title.
Sam Houston State coach K.C. Keeler watches during an FCS quarterfinal against Villanova on Dec. 13, 2014. Sam Houston State won, 34-31.
“We ended up beating the only three teams to win an FCS national championship in the last decade in 16 days,” Keeler said. “We beat North Dakota State, James Madison, and South Dakota State in 16 days. All three of those are the only teams besides Sam Houston now that have won national championships in a decade. Some people said there should have been an asterisk because of COVID. There should have been an asterisk because of how we did it. We had to do it during COVID and we beat the best three teams in the last decade in 16 days.”
Sam Houston’s success under Keeler boosted the program to the FBS in 2023. The Bearkats won only three games in their first year but won 10 in 2024.
On Sept. 28, 2024, Bearkats squared off with Texas State in a battle to “take back Texas.” Texas State led, 22-0, before Sam Houston stormed back to win, 40-39.
“Their whole thing was take back Texas,” Keeler said. “So when we played them, we took back Texas. That was really a cool moment for the program and for a rivalry that had not been played in 10 or 11 years.”
Keeler left as the second-winningest head coach in Sam Houston State history with 97 victories. He decided it was time to head back home.
Writing a new chapter
Keeler was hired at Temple on Dec. 1, 2024, and tasked with turning around a program that finished 3-9 for four consecutive seasons. Keeler needed seven games to surpass the three-win mark, doing so in the milestone victory over Charlotte.
Entering a road matchup against Tulsa, Temple is 4-3. Each win this season has meant a great deal to Keeler, especially the Owls’ 42-10 victory against UMass in the season opener.
“That obviously is a really memorable game because [the players] put their trust in myself and the staff, and they had results that they really hadn’t had in a while,” Keeler said. “I think we all felt really good about that, and it was a great way to start the building.”
K.C. Keeler led Temple to its fourth victory of the season Saturday after the Owls finished 3-9 in four straight seasons.
Keeler is tied with Monte Cater for 20th all-time in wins among college football coaches. He had plenty of people to look up to on the way to 275, especially his father, Ralph Keeler, and Raymond, his coach at Delaware whom he replaced.
While the milestone is special, it’s just another win in Keeler’s eyes.
“That 275 is just a symbol of the fact that I’ve done this a long time,” Keeler said. ”I coach a lot of great players, and I put together really good coaching staffs. And that’s how I got to that number. Every one’s significant. I am going to be as happy for 276 as I was for 275.”
