Kentucky Professional Athletes

Tyler Herro Comes Home

Tyler Herro saved his best for Fiserv Forum.

The Milwaukee native and Kentucky alum dropped a season-high 34 points in his home debut as a Buck on Friday, connecting for four assists and grabbing five rebounds in 31 minutes against the Chicago Bulls. The crowd at Fiserv Forum — the building where Herro grew up dreaming — gave him exactly the reception that storyline deserved. The Bucks lost 132-125, but Herro's performance was the headline the city had been waiting for since the trade.

Two nights later against the 76ers, the shine wore off fast: Herro managed just 13 points on a rough -15 plus/minus in a 127-116 loss. Milwaukee will need more from its supporting cast if Herro's homecoming is going to become a winning one.

Shai and AD: Two Wildcats, Two Historic Debuts

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's week was defined less by what he did and more by what he didn't do — and chose not to do. The Oklahoma City Thunder star's historic streak of 141 consecutive games with at least 20 points came to an end Friday against the Denver Nuggets, where he finished with 17 points in a 96-84 Thunder win. SGA, who was in a position to extend the streak, chose to prioritize the team's lead over personal milestones — a decision that teammate Jalen Williams described in three-word terms afterward. In a league obsessed with individual achievement, it was a notable moment of restraint from Kentucky's reigning MVP.

Fellow Wildcat Jamal Murray had a brutal night in the same game, logging just six points on a -15 plus/minus in 36 minutes for Denver.

Meanwhile, Anthony Davis made the Washington Wizards debut that injury had delayed an entire season — and it was worth the wait. Davis dropped 34 points and 12 rebounds in a 128-116 win over the Bucks on opening night, tying the Wizards' franchise record for most points in a debut. The Capital One Arena crowd was chanting MVP before the first quarter ended, and Trae Young was quick to co-sign. Davis cooled considerably in his next outing Friday — nine points, nine rebounds, a -13 in a 112-102 loss to the Raptors — offering an early reminder that one night does not a season make.

Maxey Leads Historic Philly Comeback

Tyrese Maxey delivered one of the week's most electric performances, pouring in 32 points in Thursday's home opener to lead the 76ers back from a 29-point deficit against the Cleveland Cavaliers — the largest comeback win in Philly's play-by-play era. He followed that up with 26 points Saturday in a 127-116 win over the Bucks, finishing the week as one of the NBA's hottest scorers. Head coach Nick Nurse publicly backed the MVP chants. With LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid alongside him, Maxey's Wildcats pedigree is at the center of what could be the league's most dangerous roster.

Around the Association

P.J. Washington had a double-double effort Saturday for Dallas — 20 points and 13 rebounds with three blocks against Indiana — after a quieter outing Thursday in a blowout loss to Houston. Karl-Anthony Towns posted 22 points and 10 rebounds Friday for the Knicks in a narrow loss to Boston, though KAT's contract situation in New York is reportedly casting a shadow over the defending champions' title defense. Bam Adebayo had a split week with Miami — solid Saturday effort in a loss to Charlotte (20 pts, 8 reb) before a brutal -22 outing later against Detroit. De'Aaron Fox nearly willed San Antonio past Houston with 19 points and nine assists Saturday, but the Spurs fell 114-110 despite his best efforts.

Kentucky's NBA alumni class enters the 2026-27 season with plenty of storylines worth watching — none bigger than Anthony Davis in Washington and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carrying MVP expectations in Oklahoma City.

SGA's High-Wire Opening Act

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't easing into the new season. According to Sports Illustrated, the Thunder star opens the year against two of his most formidable MVP challengers, turning the first week of the calendar into an early referendum on his candidacy. After winning the award last season, SGA knows the target on his back is larger than ever — and Oklahoma City's front office has built around him accordingly. How he performs in these marquee early matchups will set the tone for a season in which the Thunder are widely expected to compete for a title. Cason Wallace, another Kentucky product, is also on that Thunder roster providing depth at guard.

The Anthony Davis Situation

Anthony Davis's first chapter with the Washington Wizards is generating buzz on multiple fronts — and most of it has nothing to do with Washington's rebuild.

Start with the good news: the eye injury Davis carried into the offseason has healed, and per The Athletic's Josh Robbins (reported by Heavy Sports), he will no longer need protective glasses for his Wizards debut. For a player whose eye issues have been a recurring concern, that's a meaningful development heading into the opener.

The larger narrative, however, is whether Davis even finishes the season in Washington. Heavy Sports reports that the Golden State Warriors have been identified as an obvious trade destination, with CBS Sports' Sam Quinn noting that injuries have thinned Golden State's roster and Stephen Curry's championship window is narrowing. Davis — a 10-time All-Star and the centerpiece of the Lakers' 2020 bubble title — was dealt to Washington as part of the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade at last year's deadline. Nothing has moved beyond speculation, but the chatter is loud enough that it will follow Davis all season.

Off the court, Davis made headlines for a lighter reason: a social media back-and-forth with Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III, stemming from Davis's allegiances as a Packers fan. It's the kind of moment that humanizes a superstar in a new city still figuring out its relationship with him.

Also worth noting in Washington: fellow Kentucky alumni Hamidou Diallo, Skal Labissiere, and Chris Livingston are all on the Wizards' roster, making it something of a Lexington satellite campus in the nation's capital.

Around the Rest of the Alumni Landscape

Tyrese Maxey is generating genuine excitement in Philadelphia, where a retooled 76ers roster — now featuring LeBron James and Jaylen Brown alongside Joel Embiid — has championship aspirations. LeBron himself credited Maxey as a key reason he chose Philadelphia, calling him out by name after a preseason finale against Boston. Maxey, for his part, said a healthy Embiid "changes everything" for Philly's ceiling this year. The 76ers open on the road against KAT and the reigning champion Knicks — another high-stakes Kentucky-on-Kentucky subplot to monitor.

Jamal Murray posted 21 points in a preseason win for Denver over the Lakers, a reminder that the Nuggets guard is healthy and ready. And in Brooklyn, Julius Randle appears to have found new life — Nets coach Jordi Fernandez compared Randle's game to a three-time MVP, a noteworthy endorsement for the Kentucky big man entering a fresh chapter.

Kevin Knox II, meanwhile, won't be suiting up for Orlando — the Magic waived him following their preseason finale, ending his camp audition before the regular season began.

The Wildcats' NBA footprint spans nearly every corner of the league. The next two weeks will start to reveal who's rising — and who's watching from the outside.

Two Kentucky Wildcats alumni are dominating NBA preseason headlines for very different reasons — one basking in a partner's historic moment, the other navigating a contract standoff with the defending champions.

Bam Adebayo: Riding High Off and On the Court

Bam Adebayo entered preseason week with plenty to smile about. His girlfriend, Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson, claimed her fifth WNBA MVP award — the most in league history and the first time any player has reached that milestone. Adebayo, who reportedly knew the news in advance and kept it under wraps, was visibly emotional when asked about it by reporters.

"I'm at a loss for words," Adebayo told ClutchPoints outside the Heat facility. "She's the greatest to ever do it."

Off the court, the Heat captain has been all business during training camp. With Giannis Antetokounmpo now in Miami, the frontcourt partnership between the two is the most-watched storyline of the Heat's preseason. Giannis himself offered an encouraging update, indicating that the chemistry with Adebayo is developing naturally and that their shared defensive instincts make the pairing feel intuitive. It's early, but the foundation looks promising for a Heat team with legitimate title aspirations.

Karl-Anthony Towns: Contract Chaos in New York

Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns is at the center of an uncomfortable drama in New York. The Knicks — fresh off their 2026 NBA championship — have quietly shut down contract extension talks with Towns, and the situation has reportedly grown testy.

According to The Sporting News, Towns' public comments about his extension appeared to irk Knicks owner James Dolan, and the organization had already pulled back from active negotiations before the talks were officially tabled. Josh Hart, who is in a similar extension situation, took the opposite approach — staying tight-lipped and projecting calm. "Everything's going to work out," Hart told Bleacher Report.

Towns, for his part, has shown no visible drop-off on the floor. A Sports Illustrated breakdown of the Knicks' first few preseason games noted encouraging signs from the starting unit, with Towns among those flashing the form that helped New York win a title. But the contract cloud isn't going away quietly — Heavy Sports reported that the Knicks have even been pushed by outside voices to explore a trade involving Towns for Washington's Anthony Davis, another Kentucky alumnus now thriving with the Wizards.

Towns is eligible for an extension but will enter the regular season without one, adding a layer of uncertainty to a team that's supposed to be in pure championship-defense mode.

The Rest of the Wildcat World

Elsewhere in the Kentucky diaspora: Anthony Davis is making noise in Washington, where he's part of a new "Big 3" alongside Trae Young and top rookie AJ Dybantsa. Davis has been candid about what went wrong during his final stretch with the Lakers before the Luka Dončić trade, and early preseason returns suggest he's motivated to prove a point. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, is fueled by a different fire — his trainer revealed that SGA sent a blunt, frustrated text after watching the Knicks beat the Spurs in the NBA Finals, motivation that has carried into a statement preseason debut in Oklahoma City. And Tyrese Maxey has hit the ground running in Philadelphia, appearing alongside LeBron James in the Sixers' new-look starting five during their preseason opener against the Nets.