Good Morning! August is usually quiet, but this past week gave us lots to talk about! From golf to basketball to football to baseball, a ton happened in the sports world. But, before we get into what you need to know, let’s start our Monday morning by getting to know some of the NBA’s newest rookie class with this fun, musically-inclined video:

 

QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK

Golf

The PGA Championship started out with a bang last week and was nothing short of awesome in Sunday’s finale as Rory McIlroy overcame strong challenges from Rickie Fowler and Phil Michelson to pick up the big win and championship trophy. The victory not only gives him his 2nd PGA Championship, but also his 4th major all at the ripe young age of 25. Watch out golf world, Rory doesn’t look like he’ll be slowing down anytime soon.

Basketball

The San Antonio Spurs announced that they would be adding Becky Hammon to their coaching staff. After a long career as a basketball player, Hammon will retire from the WNBA at the end of this season and will take on a new challenge as the Spurs’ newest assistant coach. Reaction has been overwhelmingly positive and it’s always awesome to see more women in leadership roles in professional sports. Just another reason to love Hammon and the Spurs.

It looks like Kevin Love is officially going to be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers… just not for a couple more weeks. Sources say that both teams have agreed to a deal that would send the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Love to the Cavs in return for Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a first round draft pick. Not only will Love agree to go to the Cavs, but it’s reported that he will also agree to re-sign on a 5 year contract extension. We won’t know exact details until August 23rd when the deal can be officially signed. The delay comes from a NBA rule that teams cannot trade first round rookies until 30 days after they sign their contract, see: Wiggins. There’s been a lot of talk about whether this deal is in Cleveland’s long term interest, but in the short term, having a roster that consists of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love sure sounds promising for championship hopes.

As the FIBA World Cup approaches, Team USA will have to compete without another one of their best players. Last week, Kevin Durant withdrew from the roster of players that will compete later this month in Spain, citing exhaustion and the need for more rest. While Team USA will undoubtedly miss him, players need to do what’s best for their overall health. We’ll be excited to see KD back on the court when the NBA season kicks off in the fall. It will be interesting to see how Team USA builds their 12-man roster going forward, but there’s every reason to believe that the great talent they still have will win big when the international competition heats up.

Baseball

Even in his last season, Derek Jeter is accomplishing some pretty amazing things. This past weekend, Jeter passed Honus Wagner and moved up to 6th all-time on the career hit list with his 3,431 single on Saturday in a loss to the Cleveland Indians.

LA Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw continued his dominance and collected win #14 in a 5-1 win against the Milwaukee Brewers. Kershaw has been brilliant all season for the Dodgers, who remain on top of their division.

Speaking of standings, there are many teams doing their thing at the top of each division. In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles lead the AL East, the Detroit Tigers lead the AL Central and the Oakland A’s currently sit atop the AL West. On the National League side, the Washington Nationals lead the AL East, the Milwaukee Brewers lead the AL Central and LA Dodgers hold strong in the NL West. It’s still early, but each of these teams are looking strong this August.

Football

It’s never easy to walk away from the game you love, especially when the choice isn’t yours. Sadly, for David Wilson of the New York Giants, a repeat neck injury will force him to retire at age 23. Wilson was emotional and full of gratitude when reflecting on his retirement in this brave speech last Thursday.

It wouldn’t be August if NFL buzz wasn’t loud and growing as preseason games are in full effect. This past week, we saw the debuts of two big names in Johnny Manziel and Michael Sam. Both had solid debuts in their first games, Sam for the St. Louis Rams and Manziel for the Cleveland Browns. Both express confidence, but time will tell whether Sam will make the roster and whether Johnny Football will win the starting job.

In other football news, Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers was officially medically cleared to play. Newton had ankle surgery in the off-season but will be ready to go in next week’s preseason game when the Panthers take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Other

It was a tragic weekend for NASCAR, as Kevin Ward Jr. died after being hit by Tony Stewart‘s car on the dirt track during a sprint car event that featured hostility between the two drivers. There are further investigations into what happened, but currently there are no criminal charges. Stewart did not race in Sunday’s NASCAR event.

The O’Bannon Trial has officially come to a close as Judge Claudia Wilken ruled against the NCAA citing that they were in violation of anti-trust law. What exactly does this mean? It’s too soon to tell but for more information check out these breakdowns of the decision, and what type of reforms might come into play in the future. NCAA President Mark Emmert gave these comments in response to the ruling.

Agnieszka Radwanska defeated Venus Williams to win her first Rogers Cup in Montreal. On the men’s side, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Roger Federer to win the Rogers Cup title on Sunday.

Do you miss international futbol? Good news, the Premier League comes back next week! And just this Sunday, Arsenal defeated Manchester City (the reigning champs) 3-0 victory that awarded them the Community Shield Title. Between this and the MLS, get excited for more soccer!

JUST FOR FUN

Want to change your name?
Check out these athletes’ name changes for some inspiration

STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE

Sports Literacy and Career Advancement
Advice for Aspiring CEOs
Our premise in starting SQ is that sports are such a major part our of cultural makeup that sports intelligence can help you get “into the conversation” in business and social settings. In his LinkedIn Influencer post, CEO recruiter and career expert Jim Citrin gave us a shout out and talks about how sports intelligence can help advance careers.

The first cancer-surviving world champion
Daniel Jacobs beat osteosarcoma, and then went on to win the vacant middleweight world title 
After he was diagnosed, doctors told him he might not ever walk again — but now he’s back in the boxing ring

Michele Roberts
Congrats to the new executive director of the NBA Players Association
She credits the diversity of the NBA as a whole for opening doors for female leadership

Little League Ladies
These two stars will be leading their (all-male) teams to the regional championship
Since girls started playing in Little League in 1974, only 16 have made it all the way to the World Series. Will these girls beat the odds?

Can you feel the Love tonight?
In light of his move to Cleveland, let’s consider what Kevin Love brings to the court
How can someone be that good as an individual player without it translating to team wins?

Oscar Pistorius
The trial’s closing arguments suggest the murder of Pistorius’ girlfriend was a tragic mistake
Did the double-amputee Olympic runner really make a mistake? What do you think?