Category: Gems

The season wasn’t technically over yet.

There were still eight minutes left on the clock.

But apparently, Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards had seen enough.

Down nearly 30 points in a Game 6 elimination matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, Timberwolves Coach Chris Fink emptied the bench and pulled his starters, essentially waving the white flag on Minnesota’s season.

And that’s when things got awkward. “Ant-Man” made a non-basketball move that set off a buzz!

Instead of remaining seated with his teammates while the clock wound down, Edwards walked over to the Spurs’ huddle…during the game…and began congratulating players before the final buzzer had even sounded.

Yep.

Before the game was officially over.

The moment instantly lit up social media and sports television.

Former NBA stars including Udonis Haslem and Dirk Nowitzki openly questioned the move, basically saying: “What are you doing?” Dirk goes, “I’ve never seen that before”.

To many old-school basketball minds, it violated one of the unwritten rules of competition.

You fight until the final horn.

You don’t congratulate the opponent while your teammates are still out there taking punches.

Even if the game is clearly over.

Even if you’re exhausted.

Even if Cancun is calling.

But Anthony Edwards saw it differently.

Postgame, Ant-Man suggested the outcome had already been decided. He said he simply wanted to show respect to the Spurs players and didn’t want to “wait around afterward” to do it.

Fair enough.

But let’s be honest here.

This probably went deeper than sportsmanship.

This looked like frustration.

Not selfish frustration.

Competitive frustration.

The kind that builds when a superstar feels like he’s carrying an entire franchise on his back.

Edwards battled through injury, returned early, dragged Minnesota into the second round, and once again looked like the emotional engine of the entire organization.

Night after night, he did the heavy lifting.

And deep down, his early walk to the Spurs huddle may have quietly said something without actually saying it:

“These dudes came ready.”

“My team didn’t.”

“You earned this.”

That doesn’t mean Edwards quit.

But it may mean he reached an emotional breaking point.

And that’s where this becomes a fascinating leadership conversation.

Because while some teammates may understand the gesture, others may privately view it as abandonment in the middle of battle — even if the war was already lost.

One Spurs player reportedly admitted afterward:

“I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Exactly.

Neither have most of us.

Now comes the bigger question facing Minnesota this offseason:

What exactly are the Timberwolves building around Anthony Edwards?

Because the NBA is filled with cautionary tales of elite stars who eventually grow tired of carrying franchises without enough support. Think Giannis– (but at least he got a ring a few years ago).

Edwards is one of the league’s brightest young faces. Explosive. Fearless. Marketable. Competitive. Box office.

But stars eventually want results.

Not just highlights.

Not just scoring titles.

Not just “almost.”

They want banners.

And if Minnesota truly wants to maximize the Anthony Edwards era, the front office has to figure out whether this roster is actually built to help him win championships…or simply survive playoff rounds.

The image of Edwards walking into the Spurs’ huddle before the game ended may wind up becoming one of the defining visuals of this Timberwolves offseason.

Not because he was disrespecting the game.

But because it may have revealed exactly where his mind is right now.

Tired of carrying.

Tired of losing.

And ready to see whether this organization is truly serious about helping him bring a title to Minnesota.

Because talent gets you noticed.

But championships?

Those require help. The clock is ticking. 8 Minutes.

“Unk”

CONCORD, NC — I’ve covered a lot of rooms in my career.

Press rooms. Locker rooms. Crisis rooms.

But I’ve never quite seen a room like this.

The 20th Annual PAADS (Professional Association of Athlete Development Specialists) Symposium brought together one of the most impressive collections of athlete development professionals I’ve ever encountered—people from across the country and around the world, all focused on one thing:

Making the athlete better prepared for life.

And not just on the field.

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This Was Different

What stood out immediately wasn’t just the size of the gathering…

It was the intention. It was hosted by the folks at NASCAR. And not to sound cliche’ish…this thing was faster than a race car. And the R&D Center was the perfect setting. No pretense. No pomp. Just athlete development researchers on a laser-focused mission.

Everywhere you turned, the conversations were layered and meaningful:

• Mental health support for athletes under pressure
• Financial literacy and long-term wealth protection
• Safeguards against exploitation in the NIL era
• Preparing athletes for life after the game

There was a clear, unified message:

We’re not just developing players anymore… we’re developing people.

And that matters.

Before I go on, I want to thank Stephanie Thornburn and her staff, (Duncan, Tanya, Xenia and several others were just incredible…and treated my CFO (Al Nolan) and I like royalty).

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The Reality of Today’s Athlete

One of the more eye-opening conversations centered around something every athlete deals with—but few are equipped to handle:

Social media toxicity.

A Sister from the University of Florida (Aoyang Shi) laid out the reality of how attacks against athletes (on social media) can actually impact the performance of a player– just before he or she goes on the floor to perform! I never ever thought of that. Her focus was on women’s basketball, and how teams are often telling their players, “don’t go online before you play in a game”. It wasn’t just sage advice– I was almost a mandate, based on her research.

I also met Shane Britten, who’s built an app designed to protect athletes from online abuse. The concept is simple—but powerful:

Athletes can program specific words or phrases they don’t want to see. If those words show up in their mentions or messages?

They never reach them.

Filtered. Blocked. Gone.

Think about that for a second.

Because multiple professionals—many with PhDs in psychology and performance—made something very clear:

What an athlete sees on their phone before a game can impact how they perform during the game.

That’s not theory anymore.

That’s reality.

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The Level of Care Was Impressive

This wasn’t surface-level talk.

This was deep, intentional work being shared by people who genuinely care about protecting athletes:

• Emotionally
• Financially
• Professionally
• Personally

And it left me with one overwhelming thought:

These gatekeepers are doing incredible work.

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But There’s a Gap

As impressive as it all was…

There’s one area that isn’t being addressed at the same level.

Strategic communication.

Because here’s the truth:

An athlete can be mentally strong… financially educated… physically prepared…

And still lose everything with one bad moment in front of a camera.

Or one poorly thought-out post.

Or one emotional response to the wrong person at the wrong time.

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Where Next Tally Fits In

This is where Next Tally comes in.

While so many of these professionals are focused on building the athlete…

We focus on protecting the athlete’s voice.

• What to say
• What not to say
• When to say nothing at all
• How to navigate media pressure
• How to avoid moments that cost endorsements, contracts, and credibility

Because in today’s sports world:

Talent gets you noticed.
But communication keeps you in the game.

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Why This Matters Now

In the NIL era…

In the age of viral clips…

In a world where one quote can travel faster than your highlight reel…

Communication is no longer optional. It’s survival.

And yet—it’s still one of the least formally trained skills in athlete development.

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A Personal Note

I didn’t walk into this room as an outsider.

I walked in as someone who’s spent a career in the media—asking the questions, covering the stories, and watching in real-time how quickly narratives can shift.

So when I say there’s a gap here…

It’s not criticism.

It’s opportunity.

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Final Thought

The PAADS Athlete Symposium showed me something important:

There is a growing army of professionals dedicated to protecting athletes in ways we’ve never seen before.

And that’s powerful.

But if we truly want to prepare athletes for everything they’re about to face…

We have to include the one thing that touches every moment of their career:

How they communicate with the world.

-Unk

Sometimes the loudest people in the room turn out to be the smallest.

Just weeks ago, KC Concepcion was fighting off a different kind of defender.

Not on the field.

Online.

The former Texas A&M Aggies standout — an All-SEC playmaker known for electrifying speed and game-breaking talent — was cruelly mocked on social media, not for a dropped pass or missed route, but for something far more personal:

His stutter.

Strangers called him names. Questioned his intelligence. Tried to reduce a gifted athlete and young man to a speech impediment.

And then something remarkable happened.

He answered.

Not with anger.

Not with bitterness.

Not with a counterpunch.

With grace.

KC simply asked people not to mock those living with speech challenges. He reminded the world that his voice may stumble at times — but his purpose does not.

And Thursday night, purpose had the final word.

With the 24th pick in the FIRST ROUND of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns called his name.

KC Concepcion made it!!! The damn kid heard his name! The dream of every kid who plays the game of football.

Let that sit for a second.

The same young man some online critics tried to shame… virtually walked across the biggest stage in football (He wasn’t in Pittsburgh for the call- he was with his family and friends in Charlotte when the call came in). And he stood there…just nodding his head…seemingly shocked…and no doubt thinking to himself, “This just happened”.

No revenge speech.

No taunting the doubters.

No tongue out at the haters.

Just class.

Just gratitude.

Just family.

Just a young man living proof that determination can outrun cruelty.

And maybe that’s the bigger lesson.

Bullies often assume they’re writing someone else’s story.

They’re not.

Character does.

Perseverance does.

Faith does.

KC didn’t let a handicap define him. He refused to let ridicule redirect him. And now he stands as a beacon for every young person who has ever been mocked for being different.

19-year old Jesse Findling from Long Island, New York has a similar story (stuttering). Yet, he blew the judges away on American Idol with his singing. He got a golden ticket to the Hollywood round!

(Sidenote: I too was bullied as a kid, because of a large oblong forehead, caused when my sister accidentally dropped me down a flight of stairs as a toddler). It left me with an enlarged forehead and a scar that kids wouldn’t let me live down. I thought I was ugly—was told I was ugly. Who would have ever thought old “bullet head” would ever end up on television (for the last 45 years)?

CBS, NBC and other networks actually paid big bucks for a short, “bullet head” guy’s face to appear exclusively on their channels. Who knew? I digress. But I’ve been wanting to say that for a long time! Thank you KC for opening the door for an old man to walk through.

Back to KC’s story—And please hear me on this:

Making the NFL doesn’t end the scrutiny.

It amplifies it.

He’s no longer just KC.

He is now “KC Concepcion, wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns- With a stutter”.

The spotlight gets hotter now.

The noise gets louder.

And the trolls? Some will return.

Which is exactly why athletes like KC need guidance, media awareness, and the tools to keep the focus where it belongs — on performance, not provocation.

That’s a Next Tally lesson.

And frankly, that’s why I’ve offered our services to this young man pro bono. I want to help preserve his value.

Because some stories deserve protection.

Some athletes deserve advocacy.

And some victories deserve applause far beyond draft night.

To KC Concepcion:

You didn’t just hear your name called.

You answered a lot of people who doubted you.

Without ever raising your voice.

Godspeed, young man.

You’re already soaring.

“Unk”

You know, perfection is a funny thing.

You can chase it all season…
34 wins, 3 losses…
command, control, dominance.

It’s a dominance which played out in a 38-0 record in the 2023-24 season.

That’s a helluva chase.

But we saw in real time how the chase
can slip away in one night.

That was the road for Dawn Staley and her South Carolina Gamecocks.

But don’t get me wrong– this isn’t about the loss.

It’s about what happened before…
and what happened after.

Because somewhere along that perfect run…
in a heated moment against Geno Auriemma and UConn…
voices were raised…
emotions spilled over…
and the spotlight got a little uncomfortable. It was an incredible game.

But like we at Next Tally teach young players, what you do on the basketball court, the baseball diamond, the football field, etc. won’t matter if you say and do the wrong things afterwards. It’s the last thing people will be talking about. So instead of the terrific game, the aftermath became the narrative.

But it wasn’t all bad—not for Dawn,(who by the way still bedazzled in one of her colorful outfits). Such an aftermath, with Dawn and Coach Auriemma jawbonin’, is where leadership gets tested.

Not when you’re up 20.
Not when everything is smooth.

Not when players make buckets easier than me tossing snacks in a shopping cart.

But when the temperature rises…
and everybody’s watching.

And here’s what stood out—

Dawn Staley never lost her footing.

No theatrics.
No postgame jabs.
No dragging it into tomorrow.

Just composure.

Just control. Of course she exchanged some choice syllables with Geno, but nothing over the top. And in all fairness, neither of them got really crazy. But you could tell it wasn’t a pleasant exchange. Not by a long shot.

Fast forward to the national title game…
the streak ends…
the perfect season, gone.

And in that moment—
when disappointment has every right to take center stage—

she gathers her team…
her staff…
her fans…

And starts a chant:

“GAMECOCKS! GAMECOCKS! GAMECOCKS!”

That wasn’t about winning.

That was about identity.

About ownership.
About pride… even in defeat. She never left that team. She never left the fans, most of whom remained in the stands.

Moments earlier, heads dropped, jerseys drenched while defeat settled in.

UCLA cheered along with their fans. But as her dejected team headed for the locker room, Staley called them back to the floor. And before you knew it, the “down but not out” team had a cheer of its own. And then the fans joined in:

“GAMECOCKS! GAMECOCKS! GAMECOCKS!” It was all about pride. As the South Carolina players would say during the post-game interviews, “You can’t lose a game like this, if you don’t first make it into the arena”. We made it.

See, we spend a lot of time teaching athletes how to perform.

But not nearly enough time teaching them how to carry it—
in the fire…
and in the fall.

And coaches?

They’re not exempt.

They set the tone.
They are the temperature.

Dawn Staley remind us of that… from dusk… ’til dawn.

Because class…
isn’t revealed when you win.

It’s confirmed when you don’t.

Unk

At a time when we hear about some athletes who go on to become brain surgeons, mechanical engineers and business moguls, the old school reference to a “Big Dumb Jock” just doesn’t resonate much these days. Many of these young cats are studying Poly-Sci, Medicine, Aeronautics, Law and many other professional degree programs. And they somehow manage to do it, while playing full time roundball, football or other D-1 sports in college. But how? When do they sleep? Better yet, DO they sleep at all?

With “no-pass/no-play” rules at an all-time high at the high school and college level, one wonders how do these student athletes keep up? How do you play a full season of basketball (…let’s say, at a school like Duke or Tennesse or SMU), and still be able to make the necessary GPA to stay in school and graduate. I used to think maybe they were exempt from classes, during their playing season. Or on the darker side, I figured they had a little (or big) curve system for collegiate athletes, where they didn’t have to do as much in class–not during the season because they simply didn’t have time. You know once upon a time, schools like UNC , Minnesota, The University of Georgia and Florida State University (among others) were subject to fines, athletes were ruled ineligible , wins were vacated and any number of other penalties (back in the late 1990’s-early 2000’s) for alleged improprieties involving athletes. As news media, we covered claims of tutors allegedly completing coursework for football players, counselors heavily editing papers for basketball players so they’d make the grade and even a so-called “Paper Classes” Scandal at Chapel Hill–which required next to no school work or lectures, just a single sheet of paper to pass a class and stay on the team.

Fortunately those days are over. The stakes are too high. The academic “death penalty” is real. But you still must wonder, how are these athletes cutting it in class, with such rigorous game schedules? The rules say, college athletes must attend class (like everybody else) regardless of their game schedules. Some often rely on special policies which allow them to travel with the team, (and get excused absences as a result). But when they get back, guess what? They STILL have to make up those classes, and keep their GPA’s up in order to play. And that begs the question again, what about sleep?

It came to my mind this past weekend, when UCLA Coach Mike Cronin started his post-game press conference, bashing the starting time of his teams game against the Cornhuskers. As it were, The Bruins won the game–they beat the pants off Nebraska in their NCAA Tournament game. But Cronin complained that the games are starting too late– citing the 8pm (West Coast) start, which meant (body clock-wise), Nebraska’s kids actually started at 10pm. Cronin’s beef: These damn kids still have to get up in the morning, regardless of a Sunday game, and go to class–and be expected to do well!

He cited lucrative TV deals which sometimes dictate the starting “Prime time” tip-off of a game. But when and where do you draw the line in advocating for these young athletes? I have to admit, I’m with Cronin, albeit a bit odd that he’s advocating for the opposing team they just beat. And while there are tutors and academic counselors around to make sure these young athletes perform well in class, it doesn’t make up for energy level. I do understand that many athletes are given priority registration so they can pick classes that fit their training and the team’s roster moves and their home and away games. And some might argue it’s what they signed up for. And in this NIL world we live in, many young athletes are expected to “fall in line” even more. But an extra dollar or two in your pocket doesn’t make you superman or superwoman!

NCAA Rules require student athletes to achieve somewhere between 40-45% of their degree program by the end of their junior year in college. Calendar priority or not, it still seems like it’d be a losing proposition to play in a Tournament game on a Sunday night starting at 8…and make it to class refreshed (for a mid-term) by 8am. I’ve heard of D-1 schools back in the 70’s where athletes didn’t really have to go to class at all. It was just “understood” by the professors that they “had to pass those athletic stars”–and to do it for the school. One professor reportedly sued a school, saying her job as a “tutor” turned out to be a job whereby she was charged with convincing other professors to pass students whether they did the work or not. Call me naive, but I would be hard-pressed to believe that anyone at any school would be doing anything like this in our day and time. Plus, I hear at most schools, professors are required to provide status reports on all student athletes on the regular.

But it doesn’t stop you from wondering, “If they are at least making it to class, are they really studying and keeping up, or is there some educational perk to being a star athlete?” Wink-wink. There’s a guy I knew back in school who was the best of the best at football. He was a running back. But I’d often ask myself, “I know damn well this cat can’t be honor roll, when all I see him do is practice, hang out in the gym and sleep”. But then, after graduation (he didn’t go to the pro’s), Dude owns a successful real estate development company.

“Something” went right. And maybe its the same body clock which is in play today, with these kids playing in a full blown tournament on a Sunday night, and sitting in class the next morning at full attention. Maybe its the adrenaline rush of knowing “If I don’t make an A on this paper, I could get kicked off the team for academic suspension”.

Or hell, maybe I’m just old and can’t figure out how they do it. I’m going to sleep. I’ve got a newscast to get to in the morning.

Unk