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What Had Happened Was: 6/1/16

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    Red Sox Orioles Baseball
    Boston Red Sox’ Mookie Betts celebrates his home run in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, May 31, 2016, in Baltimore. AP Photo/Nick Wass
    By Ryan Cortes Rhiannon Walker Kofie Yeboah

    GAME. BLOUSES.

    This is what happens when you bet against the best player (sorry, LeBron James) in the NBA. You lose.

    One bearded, foolish fan (wearing a Cleveland Cavaliers hat with an American flag on the bill, no less) was filled with so much confidence after Game 5 of the Golden State Warriors-Oklahoma City Thunder series that he promised to eat a T-shirt if the Thunder didn’t hold onto their 3-1 series lead. Welp.

    Bruh.

    Not only does he douse the damn bites of T-shirt in barbecue sauce, but … he actually seems to enjoy the taste. Look at what you’ve caused Kevin Durant. Seriously.

    CAN’T YOU SEE?

    After the #RunningManChallenge blew up earlier this year, it was bound to be usurped by something, and we may have arrived at it. Meet the #CantYouSeeChallenge, started by Twitter user @ReemRozay. He was inspired by a performance from Pam of the R&B group Total and Diddy at a recent Bad Boy Reunion concert. Now, Diddy is soliciting entries and the results are uproarious:

    https://twitter.com/S0LO_/status/737838459998461953

    BLESSINGS!

    Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts clubbed three home runs yesterday and if that wasn’t impressive enough, get this: He did so while batting leadoff, making him the first player in Red Sox history to smash three homers atop the lineup. Salute, indeed.

    http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=espn:15864045

    THE DECISION

    Well, well, well. It’s about that time.

    Following the expiration of his season, Thunder star Kevin Durant has a decision to make as he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Durant (and his agent) already spoke to our own Marc J. Spears to discuss where his mindset is currently; and, among other things, Durant said, “We will figure it out. I will talk to my agent, my best friend and my dad. Just talk to those three guys and get some advice from other people. But for the most part, I will talk to them in the next couple of weeks. I don’t even know where my mind is right now.”

    Let us help lay out some of the options.

    Option 1: Stay in Oklahoma City on a five-year max contract.

    • KD could sign a five-year contract worth a projected $149 million if he opted to return. He’d get to play with a great, young core of players. He’d also be losing out on a lot of money long term, while locking himself into Oklahoma City without knowing if Russell Westbrook will follow suit after next season.

    Option 2: Stay in Oklahoma City on a one-year deal until the salary cap balloons after next season.

    • If Durant were to take this route (a one-year deal, followed by a five-year max deal) he could rake in a projected $228 million over the next six seasons in Oklahoma City. What?

    Option 3: Get swooned by Pat Riley.

    • When you’re already projected to make this much crazy money, maybe Durant doesn’t care about making the most amount possible, but about placing himself in the strongest basketball situation. Riley could argue that the Heat will surround him with Hassan Whiteside, Dwyane Wade and two rising rookies on cheap deals: Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow. Not to mention the possibility that Chris Bosh returns. LeBron James hasn’t won anything without Riley and Wade; and you can be sure Durant will be reminded of this. We can turn you into a champion, too, Riley will whisper, dropping his championship rings on the table. The most Durant could make in this scenario is $111 million over five years.

    Option 4: Go to D.C., San Antonio, or — gulp — Golden State

    • Durant could also pull in a five-year, $111 million deal from one of these clubs if he so chose. He’s had an up-and-down relationship with Washington Wizards fans and the team’s roster is the least intriguing of all on this page. The San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors can promise the same sort of championship culture Riley can, but Durant would have to deal with the sort of backlash James got for teaming with Bosh and Wade in the first place: That’s not fair!

    So, what would you do?

    FOR THE CULTURE

    TOP THREE TWEETS

    Every morning we’ll hit you here with the best of what we saw on social media the previous night. Why? Why not?

    1. THINK ABOUT IT

    2. THINK ABOUT IT SOME MORE

    3. WRITING ON THE WALL

    #ICYMI

    Our man Marc J. Spears took a look at the staggering lack of diversity in leadership positions in the NBA:

    The NBA was composed of 74.4 percent black players in 2015, according to a study from racial equality activist Richard Lapchick. As for NBA presidents of basketball operations and general managers, the representation for African-Americans is quite the opposite for the 30 teams. The NBA has one African-American president in the Los Angeles Clippers’ Doc Rivers, two African-American GMs in the New Orleans Pelicans’ Dell Demps and the New York Knicks’ Steve Mills, and one native African GM in the Toronto Raptors’ Masai Ujiri, who is Nigerian. Since 2010, 30 NBA positions for president of basketball operations or general manager have been filled with six African-Americans hired, according to Comcast Sports Chicago “If 75 percent of the NHL’s general managers were black, I’m sure it would be a big issue,” one NBA assistant GM who declined to go on record told The Undefeated.

    PICTURE PERFECT

    Ryan Cortes is a staff writer for The Undefeated. Lemon pepper his wings.

    Rhiannon Walker is an associate editor at The Undefeated. She is a drinker of Sassy Cow Creamery chocolate milk, an owner of an extensive Disney VHS collection, and she might have a heart attack if Frank Ocean doesn't drop his second album.

    Kofie Yeboah asks for Sweet Tea at every restaurant and recites approximately 2.5 Spongebob lines per hour.

    This Story Tagged: Boston Red Sox Mookie Betts Diddy What Had Happened Was Oklahoma City Thunder … View All MLB Golden State Warriors 2016 NBA Playoffs Kevin Durant Stephen Curry NBA