👋 Good Morning Stump Nation!

Z went to the first round of the NBA Draft and Drew went to a Zach Bryan Concert last night, so you might think that we would be too tired or too busy to write the Stump Today… WELL YOU THOUGHT WRONG. There’s no stopping this train baby! Crazy day yesterday in sports but don’t worry, we’re here to break it all down for ya!

A FEW HOURS LEFT TO VOTE IN THE SECOND ROUND
OF THE 1st SGS GLUE GUY OF THE MONTH TOURNEY! FOLLOW ALONG ON OUR AND GET YOUR VOTES IN!

If you haven’t checked out Episode 6 of the POD! YOUTUBE LINK!

Check out our INSTAGRAM and TWITTER!

You LOVE Podcasts? Perfect. We got just the one for you.

You DON’T like podcasts? Perfect. We have the ONLY one for you.

Links below ⬇️⬇️⬇️ 

LETS. GET. INTO. IT.  

THE DAILY STUMPED🔮

The NBA Draft continues today with the 2nd round! Which of the following stars WAS NOT a 2nd round pick?

• A. Nikola Jokic

• B. Jimmy Butler

• C. Draymond Green

• D. Manu Ginobili

• E. Dennis Rodman

Answer at the bottom of The Stump!

ON THIS DAY🗓️ 

On this day in 1999…

Skateboarding LEGEND Tony Hawk became the first ever to land a “900” (which is a two and a half revolution aerial spin).

Oh and he did it at the X Games, the biggest skating competition in the world!

Tony landing a 900! LINK

YESTERDAY IN SPORTS📰 

Breaking News…

• 🏀 Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo signs 3-year extension with the team worth $166 million!

• 🏀 NBA DRAFT! Hawks take Risacher at 1! Sarr goes 2 and Reed Shepard goes 3!

• 🏀 Knicks resign OG Anunoby to a 5-year, $212 million deal

Top Final Scores💯 

• ⚽️ EUROs: Georgia wins in SHOCKING upset over heavy favorites Portugal, 2-0

• ⚾️ Mets but another beat down on the Yankees, win 12-2 and sweep the series 2-0

• ⚽️ COPA America: Ecuador def. Jamaica, 3-1; Venezuela def. Mexico, 1-0

What Caught Our Eye👀 

• 🏈 Newest College Football 25 vid! Absolute HEAT!

• 🏀 Good night for the fellas from STORRS! Huskies Top 10 takeover!

• ⚾️ Someone build this Dodgers batboy a statue! Just saved the franchise!

• ⚾️Grimace has officially taken over the New York Mets

STUMP STORY OF THE DAY✍️ 

The Perfect Fit: Steph is a Spur

UConn Star Stephon Castle went with the 4th overall selection in last nights NBA draft, find out why we LOVE the fit in San Antonio.

When you look at Stephon Castle’s 2023-24 statistics with UConn it’s easy not to be blown away. He averaged about 11 points, 5 rebounds, a 3 assists. Not bad for a freshman but not elite level, on paper. Castle bounced back from an early season knee injury that sidelined him for most of the non-conference schedule. When he returned, he was still a freshman that at times, did not really seem comfortable.

When Castle got going, so did UConn. He was a key cog in the offense that allowed guys like Cam Spencer and Tristan Newton to play off the ball on offense. He has elite athleticism, elite defensive skills, and a silky smooth ability to get to the rim. He’s incredibly powerful for his age, and looks that of a 25 year old, not a 19 year old. Castle took on the defensive assignment of the opposing teams primary scorer every time he was on the floor. Something that isn’t easy to do. Castle is an elite level player who can effect the game in so many ways.

Great. But why does he fit so well in San Antonio?

What Castle needs is time. His offensive game, specifically his long range shooting, needs work. He needs to get more confident in his shot and be able to be a real threat to score with the ball in his hands if he wants to be an elite level talent. While he’s learning that, however, he will still be extremely valuable in the lineup. He has elite size for a guard, he can pass like a true floor general, he can play defense on multiple positions, and has the ability to switch onto bigger players in pick and role situations.

In San Antonio, he gets to learn from one of the greatest minds the game has ever seen in Greg Popovich, along with joining an established culture and organization who knows how to win. Very similar to what he joined with Dan Hurley and UConn.

And oh yeah, he gets paired with one of the most talented young players this game has ever seen, Victor Wembenyama. Castle’s passing skills and Wemby’s ability to finish around the rim and catch lobs makes this duo pretty scary.

I also think this pick says a lot about the change of perspective in San Antonio. For a long time when the Spurs were one of the best teams in the NBA with their big 3 of Manu, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan, the team was the opposite of athletic, but extremely fundamental. Now, Pops roster is unbelievably athletic and full of guys who can wow you with their jumping and movement skills.

It also shows San Antonio’s commitment to the long haul. While Wemby is obviously already a freak, pairing him with Castle allows them to grow together, learn together, and hopefully, succeed together. We’re a long way away from the times of the Spurs passing the ball 20 times before someone takes a damn shot. They have athletes, and really good ones too.

I can’t think of a better situation for Stephon Castle to land in. He will be given time to learn under one of the best coaches to ever do it, his passing ability with be imperative for the growth of Wemby, he gets to join a proven winning culture, he gets to be closer to his home of Covington, Georgia, and he fits the need of the team. Plug and play guy.

To add on, Pop already has the blueprint.

Think of this: when was the last time the Spurs picked a highly talented perimeter defender, who struggled from behind the three point line, but has unreal athletic ability and can create his own shot and finish at the rim, who’s from a school with a rich basketball history and a culture of winning?

You guessed it: Kawhi Leonard.

JUICE STATION🧃 

Quote of the Day

Song of the Day

Glue Guy of the Day

Defined: Glue Guy (Noun, Verb, Adj., etc.) - a person, thing, idea, or thought that holds together the larger group. Not the star, not the main character, but a hard hat and lunch pale type who knows its role. The GLUE of the group.

WHAT TO WATCH📺️ 

Soccer⚽️:

• COPA America: USA vs Panama (6:00 PM ET), Uruguay vs Bolivia (9:00 PM ET)

• EURO 2024: The group stage is officially over! We’re down to 16 teams and bracket play! A day off as all the fellas regroup!

Golf⛳️: The Rocket Mortgage Classic kicks off in Detroit, Michigan! Not as many of the top players here this week but a lot of studs regardless!

• Field includes Tom Kim, Cam Young, Akshay Bhatia, Will Zalatoris, Robert MacIntyre, and stump stud Min Woo Lee!

MLB⚾️: Smaller 9-game slate today after some monster slates this past week! Today we’ve got Rangers @ Orioles (6:35 PM ET), Yankees @ Blue Jays (7:07 PM ET), Tigers @ Angels (9:38 PM ET)

WNBA🏀: Lot of action in the WNBA!

• We’ve got the MIN Lynx @ DAL Wings (1:00 PM ET), CON Sun @ WAS Mystics (7:00 PM ET), LV Aces @ CHI Sky (7:00 PM ET), IND Fever @ SEA Storm (10:00 PM ET)