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Projecting Golden Boy, Girl 2026: Estêvão, Yohannes to succeed Doué, Agyemang?

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Projecting Golden Boy, Girl 2026: Estêvão, Yohannes to succeed Doué, Agyemang?


It puts an exclamation point on a wonderful 2024-25 for both players. Doué displaced Bradley Barcola for a starting spot in PSG’s starting XI, as they won the French title, and then produced a sensational display against Inter Milan in the Champions League final, scoring twice and assisting once in a 5-1 victory. While Agyemang starred for England in their successful Euro 2025 campaign and impressed on loan at Brighton before she suffered a season-ending ACL injury in October.

Now, our attention turns to who might win the 2026 edition. We’ve gazed into the crystal ball and compiled a list of the most likely candidates, projecting based on potential performance and prominence.

Only players under the age of 21 are eligible to win the award, so anyone who turns 21 in 2026 is ruled out — that’s why you can’t see Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid), Kenan Yildiz (Juventus), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City) and a host of other young stars here. You also have to be playing in a top European league, and you can’t win it twice (so no Doué, Agyemang, and no Lamine Yamal or Vicky Lopez from 2024).

Honourable mentions: Warren Zaïre-Emery (19) is playing plenty for PSG this season, but lacks the stardust or fresh hype needed to win this award next year. Victor Froholdt and Rodrigo Mora are emerging as breakout stars for FC Porto — Froholdt, in particular, looks like a dynamo Premier League midfielder-in-waiting — but the club would need a Europa League victory at minimum for them to be considered. Yan Diomande and Assan Ouedraogo are having magnificent seasons for RB Leipzig, but with no European football of any kind for them to play, they might struggle to get sufficient limelight. And Arsenal defender Myles Lewis-Skelly has the talent and profile to win it, while his team look well-placed to earn silverware, but he probably won’t play enough minutes.

Lille beat Real Madrid 1-0 in the Champions League on Oct. 2, 2024. Bouaddi, who turned 17 that day, started in central midfield and raised eyebrows thanks to a commanding performance. Since then, he has progressed into a regular in Ligue 1 — starting all but three games this season — bossed the middle of the park against the likes of PSG and Roma, and attracted the eye of just about every scout from an elite club in Europe.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Juventus and Manchester United have all been linked to him, and he appears tipped to become the next great defensive midfielder. It’s easy to see why.

He’s 6-foot-1 with a lean build, but strides forward with power and has a remarkable ability to quicken his step just enough to nip in and intercept a pass. He ranks in the 85th percentile in Ligue 1 for dribblers tackled, plus the 78th and 92nd percentiles for progressive passes and successful take-ons, respectively. This is a player who can halt opponents’ attacks, then start his own in seconds.

Earlier this month, Bouaddi signed a new deal with Lille until 2029, but that will do little to stop a big transfer next summer if he carries on as he is.

4. Pau Cubarsí, Barcelona 18-year-old center back

This time last year, the 2025 Golden Boy award looked like it was Cubarsí’s to lose. At 17, he was commanding a starting place at center back in a Barcelona team fancied to win the Champions League — they weren’t far off doing so, either, losing the semifinal in extra time — and he surely would have beaten Doué to the prize had Barça lifted the trophy.

Unfortunately, his route to challenging for it in 2026 looks much tougher. Barcelona do not look as strong, and a big part of that is due to their defense caving in: nine teams have conceded fewer goals than their 20 in LaLiga so far, and they’ve let 11 in from just six Champions League games.

To put all of that blame on Cubarsí would be ridiculous, but the sad reality for defenders when it comes to winning individual awards is that they require team success to prop them up. So for the 18-year-old to really stand a chance of winning the Golden Boy, his teammates need to step things up.

3. Franco Mastantuono, Real Madrid, 18, FW

It takes a special player to move from South America to Europe aged 18, sign for Real Madrid, and immediately win a consistent role in the first team amid elite competition for places. So it’s a huge shame that Mastantuono has been knocked off course by injury, having already exceeded 500 LaLiga minutes and played three times in the Champions League by the start of November.

The Argentina international is a free spirit and a fine creator; he is often fielded on the wing for Madrid (and was previously for River Plate), but still exhibits the traits of a classic No. 10 playmaker. He underpins that with a relentless workrate, which is why manager Xabi Alonso took to him immediately.

When he returns from injury, the teenager will need to up his goal contributions (he’s scored just once) in order to maintain a grip on a place in the XI and stake his claim for the award — especially now star midfielder Jude Bellingham has returned from injury.

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Klinsmann calls Bayern goalscorer Karl a ‘super special talent’

Jurgen Klinsmann shares how impressed he’s been with young Bayern star Lennart Karl, after the 17-year-old scored in their win over Sporting.

2. Lennart Karl, Bayern Munich, 17, AM

Bayern hearts were broken at the FIFA Club World Cup last summer when star playmaker Jamal Musiala fractured his leg and was ruled out for the rest of 2025. But when one door closes, another opens, and Musiala’s absence provided a pathway for 17-year-old Karl to make his mark.

Last week, Karl became the youngest-ever player to score in three consecutive Champions League games. The second goal in that streak came at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal, garnishing an excellent individual performance that showed remarkable maturity for one so young.

A diminutive presence at only 5-foot-6, he can ghost past opponents into little pockets of space, then lift his head to shoot or pick a pass. In fact, he has a particular penchant for a long-range effort and already boasts a fine catalogue of goals.

Karl is the true breakout star of the 2025-26 campaign so far, emerging from nowhere to play a sizable role at an elite European club. Musiala’s impending return to fitness is expected to eat into his playing time, but the 17-year-old should has shown what he can do and will surely play a large role next year too.

1. Estêvão, Chelsea, 18, FW

Estêvão’s immediate impact at Chelsea has been startling. Last summer, he arrived at Stamford Bridge from Palmeiras for a fee that could reach €67 million amid the sort of fanfare and hype that could crush a young player. Instead, he’s taken everything in his stride. Enzo Maresca has had to force himself to measure the Brazilian’s playing time, admitting: “It’s too easy to put him on the pitch and let him play, play, play. In some moments, we have to manage him a little bit.”

But with every highlight reel moment Estêvão provides — be it a 95th-minute winner against Liverpool, or a spectacular goal against Barcelona — that task becomes more difficult. He has already clocked 852 minutes in all competitions for the Blues and will only feature more often from here. The fans demand it; they’ve fallen for him head over heels already.

The way he’s turning heads right now, he’s a natural pick for the Golden Boy favorite. He may not even need Chelsea to win a trophy to cement his claim, as he’ll go to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Brazil and surely star — he already has five goals in 11 appearances for the Seleçao. — Tighe


GOLDEN GIRL

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Can Brighton and England cope without Michelle Agyemang?

Gabriele Marcotti and Don Hutchison react to Michelle Agyemang suffering a serious ACL injury in the Lionesses’ 3-0 victory over Australia

Honourable mentions: With Spurs’ Signe Gaupset and Bayern’s Momoko Tanikawa both set to age out before next year’s award cycle, neither could be considered for inclusion this time around. Tottenham’s Toko Koga also narrowly missed out, largely due to limited game time as she continues to adjust to a new league while managing a minor injury setback. After finding opportunities scarce at Barcelona, Giulia Dragoni has been on loan at Roma since 2024 but the club’s struggles have restricted her ability to make a sustained impact. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s Emilia Szymczak also remains a promising long-term prospect, but a shoulder injury and a lack of minutes during her loan spell at struggling Liverpool have seen others move ahead of her in the pecking order. Finally, defender Veerle Buurman completed a permanent move to Chelsea at the start of the season following a productive loan spell at PSV, but it remains difficult to assess her progress as she fights to establish herself in an exceptionally competitive squad.

5. Sydney Schertenleib, 18, CM, Barcelona

A highly technical and creative attacking talent, Schertenleib has emerged as one of the most exciting young prospects in European football. Developing her career at Barcelona after moving from Grasshopper in 2024, she is comfortable operating as an attacking midfielder or winger, thriving in space between the lines, and stands out for her control and movement in tight spaces. Her creativity in the final third is a key asset, combining awareness of teammates’ movements with the quality to deliver incisive passes or take responsibility around the box. Beyond technique, she shows advanced game intelligence for her age, reading space and timing runs.

However, Barcelona have restricted her minutes. She’s made just eight starts in Spain‘s Liga F and has yet to appear in the Champions League. Her development is dependent on gaining more consistent minutes and a lack thereof might hold her back from lifting the Golden Girl title next year.

4. Katie Reid, 19, CB, Arsenal

No injury ever comes at a good time, but Reid’s ACL issue arrived at arguably the worst possible moment. The defender, then 18, had just broken into Arsenal’s first team, displacing a WSL and a World Cup winner (Laia Codina) in the process. A run of commanding performances earned her a string of starts and, soon after, a maiden senior international call-up for England.

But a minor setback struck before Reid could report to camp and, several weeks later, disaster followed in training when she suffered an ACL injury that is expected to rule her out for much, if not all, of the 2025-26 season.

The injury has done little to diminish the regard in which she is held at both club and international level, though. Comfortable at both right back and center back, Reid is tall, composed and a significant threat at set pieces. Calm in possession and authoritative in her defending, she possesses all the attributes of a future world-class defender, and a potential club captain.

Despite a limited sample of senior minutes, she still ranked highly for duels contested and fouls won, underlining why she remains one of the most exciting defensive prospects in the game.

3. Iman Beney, 19, FW, Manchester City

The Switzerland international has been tipped to be a star for some time, but her summer move to WSL heavyweights Manchester City — completed before her standout performances at Euro 2025 on home soil — was the big transfer many had been anticipating.

Rather than rushing to make the step up following an ACL injury in 2023, Beney chose to remain at a smaller club and focus on rediscovering her best form. That patience has paid off handsomely and now fully fit, she has emerged as a vital cog in a City side pushing for what would be their first WSL title since 2016.

In nine WSL appearances so far, she has contributed two goals and one assist, but it was on the international stage at Euro 2025 where her full potential truly came into view. Operating primarily at full back — though equally capable further forward as a winger — she ranked highest among her peers for progressive carries and passes, as well as tackles and interceptions, highlighting an impressive blend of attacking thrust and defensive intelligence.

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Why the ‘sky is the limit’ for USWNT’s Lily Yohannes

Lianne Sanderson speaks after Lily Yohannes’ performance for OL Lyonnes vs. St. Pölten in the Women’s Champions League.

2. Alara Sehitler, 19, AM, Bayern Munich

Sehitler is enjoying a breakout season with Bayern Munich, having risen through the club’s youth ranks to establish herself in the first team. She has made 17 appearances across the Frauen Bundesliga and UEFA Women’s Champions League, scoring four goals.

A technically gifted and creative midfielder, Şehitler thrives in possession and plays an important role in Bayern’s build-up play. She has composure on the ball, excellent awareness, and an ability to link defensive and attacking phases. Her passing accuracy and distribution underline her comfort in central areas, while her work rate and positional discipline allow her to contribute defensively and during transitions.

She has made a huge contribution to Bayern’s domestic and European campaign and, while still in the early stages of her career, she has four caps for Germany‘s senior team after a standout performance against England at U23 level fast-tracked her inclusion.

1. Lily Yohannes, 18, CM, OL Lyonnes

Still age-eligible, Yohannes remains firmly in contention for the Golden Girl award, and her case has been strengthened further by her move from Ajax to eight-time Champions League winners OL Lyonnes. While many expected the USWNT midfielder to be eased in slowly and spend much of the season on the bench, OL Lyonnes have instead shown immediate trust in her, and she has featured in all five Champions League games thus far.

The step up in quality has also accelerated her development. Yohannes’ standout attribute is her ability to read the game; she displays a tactical awareness well beyond her years, consistently finding pockets of space and breaking defensive lines with her passing and vision.

She has a maturity usually associated with far more experienced midfielders and there is a notable calmness to her play which allows her to dictate rhythm and tempo for both club and country. Her decision making is sharp, supported by an excellent first touch and close control that remains reliable even under pressure.

Training daily within OL Lyonnes’ star-studded squad has only refined these qualities, further elevating her already impressive game. — Keogh



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Rating 2025’s Christmas sweaters from top soccer teams

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Rating 2025’s Christmas sweaters from top soccer teams


Christmas is just around the corner, which means that many clubs in the Premier League, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 have stocked their official stores with Yuletide knitwear.

The Christmas sweater used to be a bit of an afterthought for the big clubs, with many content to merely offer fans a cheap acrylic pullover or two. However, times have changed and the game has most definitely been upped in recent years.

All the usual seasonal staples — Santa Claus, reindeer, snowflakes, wreaths, etc. — have been rolled out for the occasion. But 2025 has seen an influx of designs based on 1990s retro kits, such is the appetite for the gaudy shirts of yesteryear, many of which lend themselves perfectly to being transformed into ugly woolen jumpers.

We have hunted through the virtual racks of clubs’ online stores, perusing the wide range of festive fashion provided by Europe’s elite teams in order to pick out the best (and worst) of the designs on offer this year.


Milan have produced a suitably seasonable jumper in white, the upper two-thirds of which is festooned with a Nordic pattern made up of fir trees and quirky little gnomes. Unfortunately, the Italian side set a high benchmark with a debonaire “Rossoneri tartan” design, which was first released last year, and the 2025 model slightly pales in comparison.

Rating: 6/10


Based on the club’s classic home shirt from 2005-06, their final season at their old Highbury stadium, Arsenal’s retro-inspired Christmas sweater is a vision in redcurrant and gold. The theme is “Walking in a Highbury Wonderland” and features a plethora of tasteful festive flourishes — the highlight being the faux Premier League patches on the sleeves, with the emblem of a roaring lion being reimagined as a reindeer.

Rating: 9/10


With the club crest affixed proudly to the chest, Atleti’s navy jumper is centered around a triangular tree made up from the letters of their famous “Aúpa Atleti” chant. It’s simple, cheerful, colorful and is also available in pajama form should you really wish to hunker down and get ultra-cozy this Christmas.

Rating: 7/10


Barcelona have handed a Christmas jumper debut to the Catalan club’s new mascot, a cat called “Cat,” who was formally unveiled last November. While Cat does appear to be choking on an old leather football that has become lodged in its throat, we are assured that the frisky feline remains “charismatic, demanding and enthusiastic about supporting the club.”

Rating: 6/10


We’ve seen the old “elf’s head” trick attempted many times before but rarely with such panache, and this time there is actually a reason behind it. The theme is a pleasing play on words, the joke being that the German side are nicknamed “Die Werkself” (which roughly translates into English as the “factory team”), with “elf” being German for the No. 11.

Rating: 8/10


Understated stuff from Bayern this year, with the Bundesliga giants eschewing the usual gaudy Christmas fare in favor of a relatively refined design. The deep green base, gold embroidering and patterned raglan sleeves are — for reasons unknown — supposed to make it look like you’re out wearing a t-shirt in the depths of the Bavarian winter.

Rating: 6.5/10


Despite a reputation for wild kits, Dortmund have played their 2025 yuletide sweater with a straight bat. This simple snowflake pattern comes in muted white, black and yellow tones. The sweater does form part of a wider collection, with gloves, scarves, hats and socks all available in the same design. However, the real star of the show is the “Winter Wonderland” baseball cap, which features tree decorations all over it and even has a little gingerbread man on the peak.

Rating: 6/10


What better source of inspiration for an ugly sweater than one of the ugliest football shirts ever created? We are of course referring to Celtic’s infamously garish away kit from 1991-92, the zigzag pattern of which has been given a festive twist with the addition of snow-capped mountains, blizzards and leaping reindeer. It’s absolutely horrendous, in the best way possible.

Rating: 8/10


Another Christmas sweater modelled on a cult classic away kit from the 1990s, Chelsea have followed suit by basing their design on their custard yellow abomination from 1996-98. The original jersey has been faithfully re-created using festive ornamentation, but with “Santa Claus” across the midriff as a replacement for the old sponsor’s logo is a fantastic finishing touch.

Rating: 8/10


Hoping to tap into the lucrative après-ski market, Inter have toned things right down this year with a mountain skyline scene that goes all the way around the base of the jumper and the words “Inter Milano” scrolled across the chest. Perfect for relaxing by the open fire in your Alpine ski chalet while cradling a warm tankard of mulled limoncello.

Rating: 7/10


About as un-Christmassy as a Christmas sweater gets, Juve have gone retro with a blue and yellow design based loosely on their fan-favorite 1996-98 away kit. The yellow stars on the shoulders have been replaced with snowflakes but, other than that, there’s not much more evident in the way of festive cheer.

Rating: 6/10


Yep, you guessed it — another retro offering, this time in homage to Liverpool’s home kit of the late 1980s. The old pointy geometric pattern has been replaced by Christmas trees but it still feels like a fairly half-hearted effort. There is room for improvement.

Rating: 5/10


With a couple of options to choose from, City fans can either go for a novelty elf design or this club crest Fairisle pattern. Both are firmly on the generic side, but the lively colors and oversized graphics of the latter just about elevate it above the rest of the club’s underwhelming Christmas range.

Rating: 6/10


Man United always keep it bright and breezy when it comes to their official Yuletide attire. The Red Devils have a lively pun-based design in which Santa performs a joyful, Robin van Persie-esque knee slide on the Old Trafford pitch along with a play on the title of Chris Rea’s seasonal classic song “Driving Home for Christmas.”

Rating: 7.5/10


Napoli are still proudly lauding the fact they are reigning champions of Serie A and have even allowed the sentiment to roll over into their festive selection. Designed by Emporio Armani, the Partenopei’s sweater is a fairly straightforward sky blue Fairisle pattern but with the addition of a giant Scudetto front and center — and who can blame them for wanting to show it off?

Rating: 7/10


Newcastle actually released this black and white Fairisle sweater, with the city’s unmistakable skyline in silhouette stretched across the front and “Ho’way the Lads” on the back, last Christmas. But we’re featuring it again because now there is also a matching version for dogs. Perfect for a night watching coach Eddie Bow-wow’s team play at St James’ Bark.

Rating: 8/10


PSG tend to be a bit hit and miss when it comes to their Christmas knitwear, fluctuating from ultra-stylish to uber-tacky from year to year. They’ve landed somewhere in the middle for 2025 with what could have been a perfectly acceptable Eiffel Tower knit pattern. However, the European champions then went and overlaid it with the giant head of a shades-wearing, Viking-bearded Santa Claus character. We’ve no idea what they were going for, but they missed the mark.

Rating: 5/10


Sumptuous stuff from RB Leipzig here with an extra-chunky knit sweater that wouldn’t look out of place around the table in the music video for Wham’s “Last Christmas.” The colors work well, the cable knit is wonderful, the simplistic club crest design is incredibly chic. And the best part? There’s even a matching bobble hat to complete the ensemble.

Rating: 9/10


Real Madrid are another big club who have made a habit of laying on a full range of Christmas jumpers for fans, though the majority of this year’s designs have been rolled over from 2024. New to the portfolio is this playful little scene in polyester, which features a snowboarding penguin on his way from the North Pole to the Bernabéu.

Rating: 6/10


German side St Pauli are famed for their anarcho-punk ethos, though their skull and crossbones emblem does look slightly off-kilter dotted all over a Christmas sweater. Still, we like the monochrome design, and it would be absolutely perfect for anybody preparing to spend the holidays aboard a 17th Century pirate galleon.

Rating: 8/10


Spurs were ahead of the curve in the retro kit race after releasing a cracker last Christmas that was inspired by the indigo away shirt of 1994-95 made memorable by Jurgen Klinsmann’s spell at White Hart Lane. The club have gone back to the well this year with a snow white jumper that bears the hallmarks of their 1997-99 home kit, complete with era-appropriate snowflake sleeve taping.

Rating: 7/10


The only Premier League side to fully embrace the chintzy spirit of the season, Wolves have cooked up what they are calling their “Jingle-Jangle Light Up Christmas Jumper.” It comes with old gold knitted patterns, wolf heads and real blinking fairy lights built into the sweater itself. Merry *and* bright.

Rating: 8/10


Images courtesy of acmilan.com, arsenal.com, atleticodemadrid.com, bayer04.de, bvb.de, celticfc.com, chelseamegastore.com, fcbarcelona.com, fcbayern.com, fcsp-shop.com, inter.it, juventus.com, liverpoolfc.com, mancity.com, manutd.com, newcastleunited.com, psg.fr, realmadrid.com, redbullshop.com, sscnapoli.com, tottenhamhotspur.com, wolves.co.uk



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Texas A&M, Kentucky book spots in volleyball final

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Texas A&M, Kentucky book spots in volleyball final


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kyndal Stowers and Logan Lednicky combined for 34 points to lead Texas A&M to a 29-27, 25-21, 25-20 sweep of Pittsburgh on Thursday, punching its ticket to the national championship game in women’s volleyball.

Stowers led the way with 18 points and 16 kills on a 53% kill rate, and Lednicky had 16 points and 14 kills on a 45% kill rate. It was Lednicky’s 22nd consecutive match with double-digit kills. Maddie Waak had 47 assists.

The No. 3-seeded Aggies (28-4) reached the final for the first time in program history after never having advanced beyond the final eight. It’s the second No. 1 seed the Aggies have defeated in the tournament after stunning previously undefeated Nebraska in a regional final. Texas A&M also knocked off No. 2 seed Louisville.

Pitt had not been swept this season before Thursday.

Olivia Babcock, a finalist for American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Year, led the Panthers (30-5) with 25 points, finishing with 22 kills and a 54% kill rate. No other Panthers player had double-digit points. Brooke Mosher had 31 assists.

Texas A&M will play Kentucky, a five-set winner over Wisconsin in the late semifinal, in Sunday’s final.

Kentucky outlasts Wisconsin

Eva Hudson had 31 points, leading Kentucky to a 12-25, 25-22, 21-25, 26-24, 15-13 win over Wisconsin.

Hudson, a finalist for the AVCA National Player of the Year, carried the No. 1-seed Wildcats (30-2) with 29 kills on a 53% kill rate, including the final kill of the game. Brooklyn Delaye added 18 points and a team-high five blocks. Kassie O’Brien had 54 assists, and Molly Tuozzo had 17 digs.

The No. 3-seeded Badgers (28-5) dominated the first set with a 68% hitting rate, but the following sets were tightly contested.

The Badgers were led by Mimi Colyer, a fellow finalist for player of the year, who tallied 32 kills on a 46% kill rate. Carter Booth had 21 at a 70% kill rate to go with a game-high six blocks. Charlie Fuerbringer led all players with 63 assists, and Grace Egan had a team-high 15 digs.

It was the 27th consecutive win for the Wildcats, who won a ninth consecutive SEC title this season.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.



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Former NBA star Penny Hardaway suggests league lacks element of fun

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Former NBA star Penny Hardaway suggests league lacks element of fun


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Former NBA star Penny Hardaway now devotes most of his time to the film room, practice and the sideline while guiding the Memphis men’s basketball team.

Hardaway, in his eighth year coaching the Tigers, revealed his plans for the upcoming brief holiday break.

Despite a holiday layoff from Dec. 22 through New Year’s Eve, Hardaway plans to watch 50 college games, saying on his weekly radio show that he prefers the college game over today’s NBA style.

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Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway looks on against the Tulane Green Wave during the semifinal game of the American Athletic Conference Tournament at the Dickies Arena in Forth Worth, Texas on March 11, 2023.  (Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Hardaway argued the professional ranks lack an element of fun. “It’s just not fun to watch anymore,” the four-time NBA All-Star said. “It’s just not fun to watch anymore,” the four-time NBA All-Star said.

“It’s like, over the years, to me, it’s just getting worse and worse. Not in a bad way. But for me to watch, because I’m in college, I see the fundamentals and playing team ball,” he said. “And just shooting all the 3s now is just a little irritating to me to just watch an NBA game. No one shoots layups anymore. It’s fun to watch for fans.

CHARLES BARKLEY RIPS NBA CUP, SUGGESTS IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT FUNCTIONS AS PLAYER CASH GRAB

“But for guys that were pure in the game, it’s a little difficult.”

Hardaway was the third overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft and the runner-up at the end of that season’s Rookie of the Year voting. While Hardaway has placed the pros on the back burner, there are still a few teams he enjoys watching.

Penny Hardaway at game

Head coach Penny Hardaway of the Memphis Tigers reacts during the second half against the Houston Cougars at FedExForum on March 5, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)

“I do love watching (the Oklahoma City Thunder), not because they’re the best team in the NBA, but they play the game the right way,” he said. 

“(And the) Celtics, they play the game the right way. And I still enjoy watching the Grizzlies. I still like watching to see how they’re progressing. The Knicks, watching Jalen Brunson. I watch Minnesota with Anthony Edwards.”

Penny Hardaway during a Phoenix Suns game

Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway (1) of the Phoenix Suns during the NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Jan. 5, 2003 in Los Angeles, California. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

While the advent of name, image and likeness (NIL) has been widely debated, it has undoubtedly shifted the college sports landscape. Hardaway acknowledged the changes in recent years but still concluded that college hoops’ style is more appealing than what the NBA presents.

“But I’ll take that style over the NBA,” he said.

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Hardaway has guided Memphis to three consecutive NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament appearances. The Tigers enter Saturday’s visit to Mississippi State with a 4-6 record.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.





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