Well, Miami Heat fans, you actually got a fixed-up Dwyane Wade statue before "Grand Theft Auto VI."

Just barely, and note that before "GTA VI" started taking over your arena, but still...

You may recall that two years ago, the Heat unveiled a statue honoring franchise legend Dwyane Wade. It quickly went viral, and not because it belongs in the Louvre.

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At what point in human history did we stop making good statues? How did some dude with a chisel during the Renaissance make a perfect sculpture of a Greek god, but nailing the visage of an athlete — who we can all picture or you can physically look at a picture — is now hard?

We've seen it happen to Cristiano Ronaldo; Allen Iverson got one so small you could use it as a paperweight, and of course, there's Wade's.

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But now the Wade statue has gotten a refresh in the form of what the team calls "enhancements."

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By "enhancements," they mean it looks more like Wade than it used to, which it didn't feel like at all.

What an improvement, although, truthfully, a kid with a box of Crayolas (64-count, with the sharpener; the good one) could have made some improvements on that original one.

It's good they got that fixed, but it's not like everyone's mind is going to be wiped "Men in Black"-style so they forget the first abomination.

And, honestly, I think people are going to miss the original statue that was allegedly of Dwyane Wade.

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The new statue looks enough like Wade that it's not funny, but not enough like him that it's a masterpiece. You want to be in one of those spaces.

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Now, there's nothing remarkable, good or bad, about it, and I think in a few years, people will be clamoring for that statue that looks as if D-Wade stumbled into the "Backrooms."

The NBA has NBA Cup games today, and if you don't know what that means, no problem. I'll help you out.

Mostly, it means these games matter a bit more because if you win the NBA Cup, you win extra money. For some of the players, it means they basically double their salary - these are mostly role players and some rookies. However, the NBA Cup is also pretty cool because the teams actually seem to care about winning it. Tonight the Hornets take on the Wizards and I'm a bit baffled at the line on the game.

The Charlotte Hornets are not as terrible as you might think if you haven't followed the game recently. They don't have LaMelo Ball, but for this team, that might actually be a good thing. They are able to unleash Brandon Miller a bit more. Kon Knueppel showed that he might be the best rookie from last year (and certainly the best not named Cooper Flagg). The team has Naz Reid, Dennis Schröder, and a ton of role player/veterans that actually do make a difference.

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So far, the team is 3-2 and has beaten the Nets, Heat, and Wizards. The Nets are a bad team. The Heat and Wizards games were in Charlotte. Their two losses were to Detroit and Atlanta, both playoff teams. I do expect Washington to be a playoff team. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Hornets find their way into the postseason, but most likely they will be a play-in team. The biggest issue for the Hornets right now is the health of their team. They are without Coby White, Knueppel, Grant Williams, and Schroder is a game-time decision.

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The Washington Wizards are also better than you probably realize. The biggest challenge for this team is going to be how quickly they can gel. I'm going to first start by sharing the second unit for the squad. Bub Carrington/Tre Mann, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly/Justin Champagnie, Khris Middleton, and DeAndre Ayton. A team of Mann, Coulibaly, Champagnie, Middleton, and Ayton would likely win 20-30 games in a season. They are all reserves for a reason, but this is a very deep bench.

The starters got even better because they just added AJ Dybantsa, who will win Rookie of the Year. I watched him play for five minutes against the Cavs, and I placed a bet on it the next day. Dybantsa already looks polished, smarter, and more versatile than any other rookie out there. Again, all of this hinges on how well the team plays together. Also, if the team trades Anthony Davis, as is the discussion, it would hurt them, but they could get good value in return.

Tonight, though, the Wizards are at home, where they've gone just 1-1. They play a team they just lost to a few days ago. They are playing in an NBA Cup game, so the effort should be there. And their team is just better than the Hornets. I'm making a major move on this game, and I will take the Wizards on the moneyline at -118.

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The start of the NBA season has actually been a lot of fun. The teams have looked good; they are enjoyable, and the betting has gone very well for me. I have a major move tonight in the Hornets-Wizards game, and I'm looking to score more in another early-season matchup. We've already seen this one play out this season, but I have a lot of excitement for the game between the Lakers and Warriors that takes place tonight at Golden State.

The Lakers are now the Luka Lakers. There is no more LeBron, and the keys have been handed over to one of the top assets in the entire league. How has that worked out for Los Angeles through the early portion of the season? The team is 4-1, with the lone loss coming against a surprisingly good Portland team. To start the season, they've beaten the Warriors by 22, the Clippers by eight, the Jazz by nine, and the Clippers by 16. None of those three teams will be playoff contenders.

They now take on the Warriors for the second time in the early season as part of the NBA Cup Group Play. This is the third game in four nights for the Lakers, but not a back-to-back. Still, legs could be a bit tired. However, this is almost certainly a game that Luka circled on the calendar. On Opening Night, Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg was yapping at Luka for much of the game, and then doubled-down with comments about him in the media. Luka does not back down, and Luka does not forget.

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In fairness to Lendeborg he was quite effective when guarding Luka directly. However, the Lakers crushed the Warriors and moved on. Now the Warriors get a chance to return the favor. It hasn't been a great season for Golden State so far with two wins and three losses. However, the Warriors did win back-to-back games on the road with very good performances against the Nuggets and the Timberwolves. Lendeborg was the leading scorer in the win over the Nuggets, and Stephen Curry went ballistic in Minnesota.

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The Warriors are not really in a rebuild, but they are in something much worse. They don't seem to really understand what they are trying to do with the roster. They still have Steph playing at an elite level. However, the rest of the roster is filled out with guys who would be better at filling roles than filling holes. Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis are both on the wrong side of 30 and have injury issues. If they do come back and play well, maybe the Warriors can compete, but until then, the team will have to lean on Lendeborg.

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Tonight will be a challenge for the Warriors, but I'm excited to see what they do against Luka. I think the Warriors will try to back Lendeborg and not let Luka kill them, but it probably doesn't matter. Luka is playing in an NBA Cup game, he is playing on ESPN at primetime, and he has extra trash talk motivation. I'm taking Luka over 34.5 points for tonight, and I'll do a Luka Ladder. One full unit on 35+ points, .5u on 40+ points .2u on 45+, .2u on 50+, and .1u on 60+.

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Costco really has it all. From bulk groceries and electronics to household goods, specialty services and even LeBron James’ game-worn shoes.

Yes, you read that correctly. Costco is selling an autographed pair of James’ game-worn shoes from March 22, 2024, for $69,999.99. For anyone who happens to have an extra $70,000 lying around, the shoes are hand-signed by the NBA legend himself and inscribed with "Prime Year 21."

According to Costco’s website, the shoes are authenticated with FanSecure Technology and come with a letter from sports investors showing a photo-match.

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On March 22, 2024, James and Anthony Davis led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-94 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers with a fourth-quarter surge. James scored 20 points with eight rebounds and six assists in the win.

However, if you don’t have $70,000 in your back pocket for James’ game-worn sneakers, have no fear. Costco also has Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game-worn sneakers available for purchase for just $9,999.99.

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Antetokounmpo wore the shoes as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks on Aug. 31, 2020, when the NBA was playing in the bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic. The shoes are autographed by Antetokounmpo and have "2019-20 GAME WORN, THE BUBBLE" inscribed on them.

Now, if you don’t have an extra $10,000 lying around and you were desperately hoping to purchase game-worn shoes from NBA stars on Costco’s website, you are out of luck. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum’s game-worn sneakers were also available for $3,199.99, but someone already swooped in and ordered them.

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Tatum wore the sneakers on March 28, 2023, and signed them. The sneakers also featured his son’s name, Deuce, on the back of each shoe, accompanied by a heart.

Costco provides quality goods and services, with a splash of game-worn shoes from NBA stars thrown into the mix.

So much for the narrative that French trans basketball player Julie Tetart couldn't make it in the WNBA. If the WNBA was true to its word that it's inclusive, a team would pull the trigger and bring in this unique player.

In a Round of 16 Coupe de France tournament showdown Wednesday night against Lyon-ASVEL Féminin, which is owned by NBA legend Tony Parker, Tetart put the doubts to rest. The 6'3 phenom put up 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds in an 81-71 loss to a team featuring 6'1 19-year-old Ainhoa Risacher, who is expected to be a top-15 pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft. Despite playing five fewer minutes, Tetart outscored and out-rebounded the big-time prospect while also shooting better from the field.

This is Angel Reese's worst nightmare - a top-level defender who can score and is built like a middle linebacker.

"If they contact me, I won't say no. But you have to be realistic: I'm old, and there are far better players than me!" Tetart told OutKick in French over Instagram direct messages in August.

Age is just a number based on how Tetart has started the 2026-27 season. Through five league games in the LF2 (France’s second division), where her team remains undefeated (5-0), Julie is averaging 13.8 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. A year ago, Tetart averaged a league-high 20.7 points and 20 rebounds a game while playing 31 minutes per game. Through five games, Julie is averaging 22 minutes of court time per game.

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The loss to Tony Parker's team wasn't due to Tetart. The Monaco team shot 27% from 3 (6-of-22) while Lyon sank 11 threes. Game over.

Tetart more than held up in the paint while facing former University of South Florida rebound machine Bethy Mununga, who finished her career as one of the school's all-time best players. Tetart, who has never played outside of France and never played high-level basketball before declaring to be trans, dominated Mununga on the glass.

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Could Tetart join the WNBA if a team actually practiced what it preaches about being inclusive? The WNBA isn't saying "no," at least not that we know of.

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The league's current collective bargaining agreement currently doesn't include a clear legal definition of "women." WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert boldly declared that both Enes Kanter and Royce White are ineligible to play in the league because they're "both men," but she's still not giving a definition for "women."

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As for this idea that Tetart is too old for the WNBA, that's nonsense. Alysha Clark just completed the 2026 season and she's 39. So is DeWanna Bonner. She averaged 10 points a game this season. A total of 14 players in the league are the same age as Tetart, or older. Brittney Griner is 35. She poured in 13 points a game for Connecticut.

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The ball is officially in the WNBA's court.

Victor Wembanyama is unquestionably one of basketball's brightest young stars. In his third NBA season, he led the San Antonio Spurs to the Finals.

San Antonio ultimately lost the series to the New York Knicks in five games. Wembanyama earned several individual honors, including his first Defensive Player of the Year award and All-NBA selection.

The French-born Spurs forward opened the 2026-27 season under enormous expectations. The 7-foot-4 star was a preseason favorite to win the NBA MVP award, while San Antonio entered the season as an odds-on favorite to win the championship.

The postseason also marked a notable shift in how the public viewed Wembanyama. Once a widely beloved sports figure, he was increasingly cast by some as a villain.

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A series of on-court incidents fueled claims that Wembanyama had become a "dirty" player. One of those situations surfaced in the Western Conference semifinals, when his elbow made contact with then-Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid.

During the Finals, many Knicks fans grew furious at times over Wembanyama’s defense against Jalen Brunson.

Once viewed as a conquering hero, Wembanyama was quickly cast as a New York sports villain. But he insisted the criticism does not faze him.

"No, it didn't because I'm not paying attention to this ... during the Finals. I don't think any player on either team really is," Wembanyama told "60 Minutes" when asked about his portrayal as a villain in a clip released Thursday ahead of Sunday’s full sit-down interview.

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Although Wembanyama said he tunes out much of the noise, he does not appear eager to let the villain label stick. He added that last season’s playoff run taught him where to draw the line between playing with a competitive edge and going a step farther than he should, acknowledging that he crossed it at times.

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"It showed my limits more than anything else. Going out there, you need to play basketball. You don't need to beat the s--- out of people. [laughs] If you wanna win, at least," Wembanyama said while reflecting on the lessons he learned from last season’s playoff run.

Wembanyama also drew public attention before some Finals games began. He was seen standing with his arms crossed during the U.S. national anthem before Game 1, but reportedly was not on the court for the anthems before Games 3 and 4.

He has not publicly explained why he stood with his arms crossed before Game 1 on June 3. Wembanyama has played in all five of San Antonio’s regular-season games this season, averaging 25 points per game.

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The Spurs return to action Saturday, when they host the Timberwolves.