A college football player became one of the most-talked about NCAA athletes over the weekend, but not because of his stats.

Bowling Green University linebacker Gideon Lampron went viral on social media after fans learned his legal middle name is ESPN. His family pronounces it “Ess-pen,” but his dad admits he chose the unusual name (written in all capital letters) as a tribute to the Disney-owned sports channel (originally named the Entertainment Sports Programming Network).

Gideon’s father, Marty Lampron, told the Dayton Daily News that he chose “ESPN” because he’s a big sports fan. However, he didn’t get his wife’s approval when he put the name on Gideon’s birth certificate — she wanted the middle name to be Xavier and said “no” when Marty suggested ESPN.

“I grew up in Boston. I went for months trying to talk my wife into letting me name him Larry Bird. It didn’t go well,” Marty told the Dayton Daily News in September.

“Then she delivers Gideon, and she’s out of it and the nurse comes for me to sign the birth certificate. When I signed it, I literally printed ‘ESPN’ in capital letters. She was out cold when I did it. When she woke up, I told her I did it, and she said, ‘No, you didn’t.’ She didn’t realize I did it. She wasn’t happy with me.”

Gideon ESPN Lampron, a junior LB from Keystone, Ohio, transferred to Bowling Green this spring after spending the past three years at the University of Dayton. According to Total Pro Sports, he started as a zero-star recruit in FCS and redshirted the 2022 season, but made 51 tackles in 2023 despite only starting once. He finished the 2024 season with 99 total tackles, including 56 solo, plus 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, earning him Football Championship Subdivision All-American First Team honors and offers from FBS schools, including Kent State, UTEP, Eastern Michigan, Ball State and Bowling Green.

Lampron’s weird middle name got attention from Yahoo Sports, Barstool Sports, and other publications, but he’s hoping he can live up to his lifelong association with “The Worldwide Leader in Sports.”

“I want to make my dad proud, because him making my middle name ‘ESPN,’ it has set some expectations. I am just trying to deliver,” Gideon told The Morning Journal in September. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Some of my friends would laugh. I never really hid it, I just never talked about it ever. Now, this is something that my friends are finding out. I have it on my Instagram and (X). I love (my middle name).”

Azzi Fudd has been all about former teammate Paige Bueckers, but on Sunday she was about another player — one Bueckers and the Dallas Wings were going up against.

Fudd, 22, and Bueckers, 23, were inseparable on and off the court for the UConn Huskies, winning the school’s first national title since 2016 and then hitting their TikTok dances off of it.

RELATED: Azzi Fudd rocks Fanatics Fest in stunning fit after Paige Bueckers ‘girlfriend’ post

While Fudd decided to return for another season, Bueckers entered the WNBA draft where she went No. 1 overall to the Wings. There supporting her on the big night was Fudd, who looked unrecognizable with a glam makeover, and then wowed in her shiny black cocktail dress for the draft after-party.

Over the weekend Fudd made headlines for a selfie post that showed her iPhone cover in the mirror where it said, “Paige Bueckers’ girlfriend’ on it, hinting they could be more than just besties. She also was seen posing in a Wings No. 5 Bueckers jersey for Friday’s game in Connecticut.

RELATED: Paige Bueckers rocks crop top, shorts pregame fit amid Azzi Fudd ‘girlfriend’ news

She certainly wasn’t wearing a Bueckers jersey on Sunday while the Wings traveled to play the Washington Mystics as Fudd was spotted in another rookie’s No. 8 Mystics jersey, Georgia Amoore.

It’s unsure what they connection is between the two is as Amoore went to Virginia Tech. She was drafted at No. 6 overall.

It was the right fit too, as the Mystics were on the winning end, 91-88.

No doubt it was all in good fun and to support the women of the WNBA and not a slight at “girlfriend” Bueckers. Those two are still quite the team.

— Enjoy free dish of rich and fabulous players with The Athlete Lifestyle on SI —

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Grooving: UConn Star Azzi Fudd does perfect coordinated dance with new teammate

It’s a make-or-miss league, and so much of the reason the Pacers have unexpectedly extended the Thunder to a seventh game has been that the Thunder have simply shot much worse than their regular-season averages.

Bizarrely, an Oklahoma City team that played at a huge free-throw deficit all season has won three free-throw battles decisively. The Thunder have also won the possession battle, albeit by a lower margin than their norm, and are shooting just as well from 3 as the Pacers.

Alas, their three best players have been firing blanks inside the arc. Credit to the Pacers, who have forced OKC’s two All-Stars into a lot of tough middies and have used Myles Turner to almost totally neutralize Chet Holmgren in the paint.

Still, the deficits from their norms are pretty massive. In the regular season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot 57.1% on 2-point shots, Jalen Williams shot 53.3%, and Chet Holmgren shot 54.7%. And through three rounds of the playoffs, those figures hardly deviated.

But in the finals? Those three are at 50.9%, 50.0% and 43.1%, respectively. Because that trio takes the vast majority of the team’s 2-point attempts, they account for the overall malaise of the Thunder offense inside the arc in this series.

Yes, Indiana’s defense has been a factor, but the “play better’ adjustment also looms large here. The Thunder’s three stars have had their share of good chances — the 7-1 Holmgren missed an open dunk in Game 6! — and just need to convert more of them.

Either that … or shoot more 3s. The 2-point struggles have been unsecured by the fact the Thunder have only taken 27 3-pointers per game, a far cry from the 38.9 they launched in the regular season, thus leaving Oklahoma City even more dependent on 2-point accuracy than ever.

So while I have my eye trained on Holmgren, in particular, to see if he can end the slump, I’m also watching the Thunder rotation and wondering about Isaiah Joe. The team’s most prolific 3-point attempter in the regular season has seen just 41 minutes of court time through five games. Could he Mark Daigneault’s X factor in the finale?

After spending some time in China to start his 2025 offseason, San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama made his first big public appearance since the end of the season on Saturday.

In a huge Fanatics Fest that features athletes like LeBron James, Tom Brady, James Harden, and more, Wembanyama was undoubtedly one of the bright spots. Wembanyama quickly made his way to New York City from China before he heads home to France, as the 21-year-old superstar made sure to put on for the fans who came to see him at Fanatics Fest.

While Wembanyama made an on-stage appearance with LeBron James, Tom Brady, and more, he also got time to have a one-on-one with famous comedian Kevin Hart for an episode of Hart’s “Cold as Balls” show. This is a special interview-style show where Hart and his special guest each sit in ice baths while they talk.

During this segment, a fan got a picture of Wembanyama and Hart standing next to each other, and the picture has gone viral for the hilarious height difference between the 7-foot-3 NBA star and 5-foot-5 (or shorter) comedian.

Via Legion Hoops: “Wemby next to Kevin Hart ”

Hart has been widely known for his small stature, so interacting with the Spurs’ giant in any capacity was likely to make for a funny moment like this one. Wembanyama is one of the league’s top stars, and his getting so much attention at a fan event like this certainly confirms his superstar status, even at age 21.

The Assam Pickleball Open 2025 concluded in vibrant fashion on Sunday evening at Eden Greens Nursery, Nalapara, Sarusajai, marking a successful chapter in the region’s growing affinity with the sport. Organised by the Assam Pickleball Association and officially sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association (IPA), the two-day tournament (June 21–22) also offered valuable Pickleball World Rankings (PWR) points, making it a crucial stop on the national pickleball calendar.

More than 50 athletes from across the Northeast showcased their skills across Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles categories, turning the courts into arenas of strategy, pace, and precision. The event drew sizable crowds of supporters, media personnel, and local sports enthusiasts, underlining pickleball’s surging popularity in Assam.

“This tournament marks a major step forward in popularizing pickleball in Assam and the North East,” said Nazneen Rahman, Secretary of the Assam Pickleball Association. “The passion and professionalism of the players have truly set the tone for many such events in the future.”

The prize distribution ceremony at 4 PM on Sunday was graced by dignitaries and special guests, who applauded the spirit of competition and camaraderie. Winners and participants were celebrated alike, along with volunteers and organizing staff who contributed to the tournament’s smooth execution.

With its enthusiastic participation, competitive edge, and flawless organization, the Assam Pickleball Open 2025 reaffirmed the state’s commitment to becoming a hub for the sport.

Tournament Results:

Men’s Doubles

Anshuman Dutta / Prasurjya Kamal Borah

Dilip Mohanty / Zakir Bora

Deepanjan Deb / Tonmoy Talukdar

Women’s Doubles

Naziya Ahmed / Anangsha Alomyan

Nazneen Rahman / Babita Mohan Langthasa

Nayeem Hussain / Justina Borgoain

Mixed Doubles

Anshuman Dutta / Anangsha Alomyan

Dilip Mohanty / Raina Zaffar

Aditya Bikram Kaman / Nayeem Hussain

DUBAI, 22nd June, 2025 (WAM) – The United Arab Emirates is set to make a formidable presence at the 2025 Asian Water Skiing and Wakeboarding Championships, taking place in Bangkok, Thailand, from June 23 to 29. A select contingent of the nation’s most promising athletes will compete against peers from over 20 Asian countries at Rabbit Lake, a premier aquatic sports venue.

The UAE National Team, under the expert supervision of the UAE Marine Sports Federation, comprises four exceptional athletes from the Ras Al Khaimah International Marine Sports Club: Sultan Saif Al Nuaimi, Abdulrahman Saif Al Nuaimi, Ali Saif Al Mazrouei, and Hassan Jaber Al Zaabi. The technical guidance for the team is provided by Coach Khaled Matar Saba’a, with Saeed Ahmed Al Ghaith serving as Team Manager.

Aref Al Haranki, Chairman of the Board of Ras Al Khaimah International Marine Sports Club and a Board Member of the UAE Marine Sports Federation, will join the delegation in Bangkok as the esteemed Head of Delegation. Al Haranki underscored the significance of this participation, stating, “This engagement is a crucial step in our strategic plans to elevate the sport and enhance the performance levels of our athletes. We are incredibly proud to see Emirati nationals now capable of competing and honourably representing our nation in continental championships.”

He further elaborated on the club’s vision: “At the Ras Al Khaimah International Marine Sports Club, we are dedicated to solidifying the Emirate’s reputation as the water skiing capital of the Gulf and Asia. This is achieved by nurturing successive generations of athletes who can proudly represent the UAE on diverse platforms and project a distinguished image of Emirati sportsmanship.”

This vital participation receives the full endorsement and steadfast support of the UAE Marine Sports Federation. The Federation remains committed to its ongoing efforts to qualify national teams and broaden international participation, with the overarching goal of fortifying the UAE’s standing in aquatic sports across both Asian and global arenas.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (

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