The New York Knicks won the NBA Championship over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday and announced that they will not hang a banner for the win at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks are the first NBA Cup Champion not to hang a banner, and I’m glad to announce that they’re the first team to have a little bit of common sense.
When the Lakers hung up their “Championship” banner, it was immediately mocked. The NBA Cup means nothing. The actual championship literally counts for nothing, as it doesn’t go towards a team’s record or a player’s individual stats. LeBron was the first star ever to win this award, and I believe it was primarily used as another accolade to buff up his legacy.
Players do get a nice bonus if they win the Cup, but that’s it. There’s rarely been a higher level of intensity in these games, and if anything, the horrible courts they’ve played on have made them look like a minor league affair.
Milwaukee also hung a banner last season, and I’m sure if you asked anyone on that team, they would trade their meaningless banner to avoid their third straight opening-round elimination.
Maybe it’s just the American in me, but I struggle to buy into the value of the NBA Cup. English football has the FA Cup or Carabao Cup, and those are just far more interesting. Of course, those tournaments being around for longer than three years add some value, but those Cups incorporate lower-tier English clubs and give a terrific way to spotlight every level of English Football. The NBA Cup is simply a money grab at the beginning of the season when teams aren’t even close to being the best versions of themselves.
You could still argue against the FA Cup’s importance as well. West Ham United is the last non-first-flight team to win the tournament back in 1980, and Wigan Athletic won when they were still in the Premier League, then were immediately relegated to the Championship later that week. For bigger clubs that lose early in the tournament, they lower the significance of the event, as it really doesn’t matter much to them at all. However, the opportunity of the massive upset still makes the event far more important than the NBA Cup.
This isn’t supposed to be a shot at Knicks fans celebrating their win, either. You play to win every night in professional sports, and it’s great to see your team win “higher stakes” games early in the season. However, for a team that hasn’t hung a real banner since 1999, I think it’s good for them to wait until they’re able to win at least a conference title.
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![Deadspin | Braves’ JR Ritchie faces ‘challenge’ in debut vs. Nationals Mar 10, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie (92) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Right-hander JR Ritchie, Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect, will make his major league debut when the Braves conclude their four-game series against the host Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon. Ritchie, 22, was selected with the 35th overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft. He is 3-1 with an 0.99 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett. Thursday’s originally scheduled starter for the Braves, Martin Perez, was called upon for three relief innings after Wednesday starter Didier Fuentes only made it through three innings of Atlanta’s 8-6 victory. Perez gave up two runs and three hits as the Braves won for the seventh time in eight games entering Thursday’s matchup. “I’m excited to see JR against this tough lineup,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s going to be a challenge for him. [The lineup] is going to be very left-handed, I’m sure. But he’s got weapons for that. He’s a good one.” Ritchie will oppose Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.12 ERA). Cavalli, 27, was selected by Washington with the 22nd overall pick in 2020. He allowed three runs (one earned) in four innings of a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. The Nationals lost 7-6 in 12 innings. Cavalli has not faced the Braves in his career. Michael Harris II hit two home runs, and Matt Olson smacked a three-run shot to help Atlanta overcome an early three-run deficit on Wednesday. Drake Baldwin homered for the second straight game for the Braves, who have earned at least a split of the four-game series. “The offense continues to swing the bat,” Weiss said. “Michael Harris is locked in, and we’ve seen it before. We’ve got some guys coming around. … We did a nice job scoring runs and overcoming a rough first inning.” Olson has 14 home runs in 32 career games at Nationals Park. Baldwin, who is batting .320 this season with 23 RBIs, joins Eddie Mathews (1959), Hank Aaron (1970), Rico Carty (1970) and Chipper Jones (1998) as the only Braves to collect 30-plus hits, 25-plus runs and 20-plus RBIs in the first 25 games of the season. James Wood homered for the second straight game to boost his National League-leading total to nine for the season for Washington. Daylen Lile went deep for the third time in five games with a three-run homer, and Joey Wiemer had a pinch-hit solo shot. “We don’t need to change one thing at all,” Lile said. “We’re doing everything we can as hitters, and we’re backing our pitchers up. As long as we’re staying positive and just committing to our plan and staying true to ourselves, the wins are going to start rolling.” Washington is scoring runs at an impressive clip, but Nationals pitchers are not holding up their end. They have given up seven or more runs in five of the past seven games. “Our pitchers are just as frustrated as anybody,” manager Blake Butera said. “They know what our offense is doing. … They want to go out there and limit it and let our offense do its thing and win some of these games that we should be winning.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Braves #Ritchie #faces #challenge #debut #Nationals](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28454807.jpg "Deadspin | Braves’ JR Ritchie faces ‘challenge’ in debut vs. Nationals Mar 10, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie (92) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Right-hander JR Ritchie, Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect, will make his major league debut when the Braves conclude their four-game series against the host Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon. Ritchie, 22, was selected with the 35th overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft. He is 3-1 with an 0.99 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett. Thursday’s originally scheduled starter for the Braves, Martin Perez, was called upon for three relief innings after Wednesday starter Didier Fuentes only made it through three innings of Atlanta’s 8-6 victory. Perez gave up two runs and three hits as the Braves won for the seventh time in eight games entering Thursday’s matchup. “I’m excited to see JR against this tough lineup,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s going to be a challenge for him. [The lineup] is going to be very left-handed, I’m sure. But he’s got weapons for that. He’s a good one.” Ritchie will oppose Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.12 ERA). Cavalli, 27, was selected by Washington with the 22nd overall pick in 2020. He allowed three runs (one earned) in four innings of a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. The Nationals lost 7-6 in 12 innings. Cavalli has not faced the Braves in his career. Michael Harris II hit two home runs, and Matt Olson smacked a three-run shot to help Atlanta overcome an early three-run deficit on Wednesday. Drake Baldwin homered for the second straight game for the Braves, who have earned at least a split of the four-game series. “The offense continues to swing the bat,” Weiss said. “Michael Harris is locked in, and we’ve seen it before. We’ve got some guys coming around. … We did a nice job scoring runs and overcoming a rough first inning.” Olson has 14 home runs in 32 career games at Nationals Park. Baldwin, who is batting .320 this season with 23 RBIs, joins Eddie Mathews (1959), Hank Aaron (1970), Rico Carty (1970) and Chipper Jones (1998) as the only Braves to collect 30-plus hits, 25-plus runs and 20-plus RBIs in the first 25 games of the season. James Wood homered for the second straight game to boost his National League-leading total to nine for the season for Washington. Daylen Lile went deep for the third time in five games with a three-run homer, and Joey Wiemer had a pinch-hit solo shot. “We don’t need to change one thing at all,” Lile said. “We’re doing everything we can as hitters, and we’re backing our pitchers up. As long as we’re staying positive and just committing to our plan and staying true to ourselves, the wins are going to start rolling.” Washington is scoring runs at an impressive clip, but Nationals pitchers are not holding up their end. They have given up seven or more runs in five of the past seven games. “Our pitchers are just as frustrated as anybody,” manager Blake Butera said. “They know what our offense is doing. … They want to go out there and limit it and let our offense do its thing and win some of these games that we should be winning.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Braves #Ritchie #faces #challenge #debut #Nationals")
![Deadspin | Braves’ JR Ritchie faces ‘challenge’ in debut vs. Nationals Mar 10, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie (92) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Right-hander JR Ritchie, Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect, will make his major league debut when the Braves conclude their four-game series against the host Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon. Ritchie, 22, was selected with the 35th overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft. He is 3-1 with an 0.99 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett. Thursday’s originally scheduled starter for the Braves, Martin Perez, was called upon for three relief innings after Wednesday starter Didier Fuentes only made it through three innings of Atlanta’s 8-6 victory. Perez gave up two runs and three hits as the Braves won for the seventh time in eight games entering Thursday’s matchup. “I’m excited to see JR against this tough lineup,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s going to be a challenge for him. [The lineup] is going to be very left-handed, I’m sure. But he’s got weapons for that. He’s a good one.” Ritchie will oppose Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.12 ERA). Cavalli, 27, was selected by Washington with the 22nd overall pick in 2020. He allowed three runs (one earned) in four innings of a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. The Nationals lost 7-6 in 12 innings. Cavalli has not faced the Braves in his career. Michael Harris II hit two home runs, and Matt Olson smacked a three-run shot to help Atlanta overcome an early three-run deficit on Wednesday. Drake Baldwin homered for the second straight game for the Braves, who have earned at least a split of the four-game series. “The offense continues to swing the bat,” Weiss said. “Michael Harris is locked in, and we’ve seen it before. We’ve got some guys coming around. … We did a nice job scoring runs and overcoming a rough first inning.” Olson has 14 home runs in 32 career games at Nationals Park. Baldwin, who is batting .320 this season with 23 RBIs, joins Eddie Mathews (1959), Hank Aaron (1970), Rico Carty (1970) and Chipper Jones (1998) as the only Braves to collect 30-plus hits, 25-plus runs and 20-plus RBIs in the first 25 games of the season. James Wood homered for the second straight game to boost his National League-leading total to nine for the season for Washington. Daylen Lile went deep for the third time in five games with a three-run homer, and Joey Wiemer had a pinch-hit solo shot. “We don’t need to change one thing at all,” Lile said. “We’re doing everything we can as hitters, and we’re backing our pitchers up. As long as we’re staying positive and just committing to our plan and staying true to ourselves, the wins are going to start rolling.” Washington is scoring runs at an impressive clip, but Nationals pitchers are not holding up their end. They have given up seven or more runs in five of the past seven games. “Our pitchers are just as frustrated as anybody,” manager Blake Butera said. “They know what our offense is doing. … They want to go out there and limit it and let our offense do its thing and win some of these games that we should be winning.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Braves #Ritchie #faces #challenge #debut #Nationals](https://i0.wp.com/images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28454807.jpg?ssl=1 "Deadspin | Braves’ JR Ritchie faces ‘challenge’ in debut vs. Nationals Mar 10, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie (92) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Right-hander JR Ritchie, Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect, will make his major league debut when the Braves conclude their four-game series against the host Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon. Ritchie, 22, was selected with the 35th overall pick of the 2022 MLB Draft. He is 3-1 with an 0.99 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Gwinnett. Thursday’s originally scheduled starter for the Braves, Martin Perez, was called upon for three relief innings after Wednesday starter Didier Fuentes only made it through three innings of Atlanta’s 8-6 victory. Perez gave up two runs and three hits as the Braves won for the seventh time in eight games entering Thursday’s matchup. “I’m excited to see JR against this tough lineup,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s going to be a challenge for him. [The lineup] is going to be very left-handed, I’m sure. But he’s got weapons for that. He’s a good one.” Ritchie will oppose Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.12 ERA). Cavalli, 27, was selected by Washington with the 22nd overall pick in 2020. He allowed three runs (one earned) in four innings of a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. He struck out five and did not walk a batter. The Nationals lost 7-6 in 12 innings. Cavalli has not faced the Braves in his career. Michael Harris II hit two home runs, and Matt Olson smacked a three-run shot to help Atlanta overcome an early three-run deficit on Wednesday. Drake Baldwin homered for the second straight game for the Braves, who have earned at least a split of the four-game series. “The offense continues to swing the bat,” Weiss said. “Michael Harris is locked in, and we’ve seen it before. We’ve got some guys coming around. … We did a nice job scoring runs and overcoming a rough first inning.” Olson has 14 home runs in 32 career games at Nationals Park. Baldwin, who is batting .320 this season with 23 RBIs, joins Eddie Mathews (1959), Hank Aaron (1970), Rico Carty (1970) and Chipper Jones (1998) as the only Braves to collect 30-plus hits, 25-plus runs and 20-plus RBIs in the first 25 games of the season. James Wood homered for the second straight game to boost his National League-leading total to nine for the season for Washington. Daylen Lile went deep for the third time in five games with a three-run homer, and Joey Wiemer had a pinch-hit solo shot. “We don’t need to change one thing at all,” Lile said. “We’re doing everything we can as hitters, and we’re backing our pitchers up. As long as we’re staying positive and just committing to our plan and staying true to ourselves, the wins are going to start rolling.” Washington is scoring runs at an impressive clip, but Nationals pitchers are not holding up their end. They have given up seven or more runs in five of the past seven games. “Our pitchers are just as frustrated as anybody,” manager Blake Butera said. “They know what our offense is doing. … They want to go out there and limit it and let our offense do its thing and win some of these games that we should be winning.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Braves #Ritchie #faces #challenge #debut #Nationals")
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