You're tuned in to Sports Desk, let's get into it.
The sports world is pausing today to mourn Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in NBA history, who has passed away at forty-seven after a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Collins made history in two thousand thirteen and spent the decade that followed as a tireless ambassador for the game and for inclusion. The NBA called him a trailblazer, and that word doesn't do him justice. He was courageous in a way that mattered far beyond basketball.
Shifting to the ice, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is going to be watching from street clothes for a while. The NHL handed him a six-game suspension for slashing Buffalo's Zach Benson during Game six of their first-round playoff series. That's a significant chunk of postseason hockey, and it puts real pressure on Boston's blue line at exactly the wrong moment in the bracket.
And in Milwaukee, the NBA has closed its investigation into the Bucks' decision to shut down Giannis Antetokounmpo late in the season, determining no further action is warranted. That may settle the league's questions, but it does nothing to quiet the trade rumors swirling around the two-time MVP, whose future in Milwaukee looks murkier by the day.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
