PTI - What is the BIGGEST story from the World Cup knockouts so far?

Episode Date: June 29, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss the World Cup, the Travelers Championship, and the NBA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. The National Weightlifting Championships finished up yesterday, Tone. Do you lift on Tony Kornheiser? I'm not a pumping iron guy. I'm more of a waffled iron guy. I can't believe you pass on the opportunity to get in pumping irony. Yeah, no, that's my first book. Aren't you glad that I remember this?

Yeah, you're the only one. You might have bought the one copy that was sold. But it's still available in bookstores, kids. Pumping irony. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls. In today's episode, Scotty Scheffler goes left. The Warriors may trade for AD and the Red Sox Sweatty Yankees, but we begin today with the World Cup.

Japan jumped out ahead of Mighty Brazil in the 29th minute, but Brazil tied the game in the second half and then won it in stoppage time. This follows Canada's win over South Africa yesterday, also in stoppage time. Previously, Canada had never advanced to the knockout round, nor either won or tied a game in the game. group competition. Will Bond, to you, what's the more compelling result?

Anything with Brazil. Anything with Brazil. I admit, I'm a, you know, relative novice to following the World Cup, but Brazil, Brazil, Brazil, Brazil. And so Brazil's coming off losing in the quarterfinals in 2022. And a one-one tie with Croatia, which they lost. They beat Scotland and Haiti so far in this, but they had a one-one tie against Morocco,

and they just don't look great. They don't look like the Brazil that has a guy coming to get you at any moment. minute, from Palais to Ronaldo to Kavu to Navar. They don't look like that team that could just score three goals, bang, bang, bang. They look like they struggle. And so

if you're looking at Brazil, again, like a novice World Cup watcher, which I am, and they're about to perhaps go into extra time with Japan. As great as Japan's keeper Suzuki has been, this is not the Brazil we're accustomed to.

Are you proud of me that I tuned into that game. They were already in stoppage time. I got to watch the goal. I got to feel like I know what was going on. I knew you would say Brazil. Let me articulate a little bit for Canada. And let me restate

what was in the lead into this story. That in all of their World Cup appearances, they had never won a game, they had never tied a game. So they had never gotten to the knockout. This time, they won a game, they tied a game, then they won a game in the knockout round.

To me, that means you sign this coach to a lifetime contract. The coach's name, if I'm not mistaken, is Jesse Marsh, who by the way, was on the United States World Cup team a couple of times in the early 2000s and wanted to coach this team. Now, it's very possible, Mike, that Canada got an easy

draw up because they're a host nation. I think we did, because we were a host nation. I suspect Mexico did. All three are through to the knockout round. But they had to tie somebody, they had to beat somebody. They beat Cutter. They tied Bosnia. These are countries that play soccer.

Yeah. So good for Canada. And let them enjoy it. Because you know what they have next? They have the winner of Morocco and the Netherlands. These are two teams ranked in the world top 10 and Canada's ranked 30. I don't mean to talking about going back to Brazil just for a second. I don't mean this like Vinny Jr., who's fabulous to watch.

But he seems like a soloist on this Brazil team versus the ensemble of unbelievable talents that they normally have. So now you're watching Brazil feeling, I mean, could they? be vulnerable? What am I rooting for here? What am I saying? All I know is that my initial affiliation with the World Cup ever in my life was Brazil. Pillay. Yes. And I would hear the chant. Brazil. And so I know they're good.

Well, they were good. They're so good. The question is, are they great? Then once there's 2002. That's like the Knicks in 53 years for Brazil and soccer. 2002? Huh? The Knicks were 1973. But Knicks have never been, but I see.

No. Let's move to this morning's bonus golf. The Traveler's playoff was pushed from Sunday due to darkness. Scotty Sheffler put his approach on the first playoff hole closer than Victor Hovlin did, but Hovlin's seven-foot putt, lipped in on the right side, whereas Sheffler's two and a half footer shot past the hole, giving Hovlin the win. Tony, your reaction to how this played out. So my reaction, I think, is the reaction of everybody, which is this. It's too bad. They couldn't finish this. last night after the rain delay. Okay. It's too bad it had to go to this morning because the starch comes out of it when you have

one hole and it's 10 minutes and each guy gets three shots. Is it like the U.S. Open where there's 18 whole playoff? No, it's not. So that's the bad part. And my other, my second reaction is that this is a microcosm of Scotty Schaeffler's year, that he plays great and does not put great. All right, he's number one for a reason. But this year he's number one because of consistency and not because he's necessarily

won. There was a point, I watched hours of this yesterday, there was a point on the back nine yesterday where the leaderboard had these people on it all within one shot, Scotty Sheffler, Victor Hovlin, Colin Moracawa, Wyndham Clark and Maddie Fitzpatrick. This is tremendous leaderboard, tremendous. But what happened with

Schaeffler is that on many holes he had to make par putts. Yeah. He had to make them. He had to make an eight-footer to even force the playoff to begin with. And this is this is his problem. He He won only once this year, and in the 13 tournaments since he won, he's got eight top fives, which is astonishing.

He's got four seconds. But he doesn't win. You know, Tony, the thing with me with Sheffler, and I did not watch this as fanatical as I am most weekends about golf. I didn't watch any of this, but I looked at the leaderboard yesterday and said, wow, I wish I could see this, but I couldn't. But here's the thing about Sheffler. The consistency is numbing.

He's there. Dude is there. every week. But Tony, it's unrivaled right now. It is unrivaled, but the putting is what was questioned

before his run to number one. That's right. And now we get the question again. Here's what, you know, this drives me crazy. And this is not even Scottie Scheffler's fault.

I turned on a golf channel after because I forgot it was on at 9 a.m. But I turn on, I want to see the aftermath and hear the discussion. And so much of it is centered around

comparing Scottie Scheffler to Tiger Woods. Don't do it. And you know what's cool? Is it's cool? Is it. He said it. He said it.

He's like, stop. I'm not, but people continue to do it. And you know what? I'm not so sure this. Is Scottie Sheffler that much better now for this three-year run than say Jordan Speeth was when he had that three-year run when he was really young? It's one majors.

The answer to your question is you can't just have a three-year run. You have to have five, six, and seven years. I know, I understand. You know. But he's still young. He just turned 30. He's still young. Rory started out with a two- or three-year run and then was fallow for how much.

many years. He then came back to having another one. Now won two Masters wrong. Let me talk about Hovlin for a second. I'll be brief. Hoblin's really good. He is. Hoblin has eight.

Eight wins. He's 28 years old. His problem is he has not won a major. He may be the best player to not yet win a major. There's Cantley. There's Cam Young. Fleetwood. The Fleetwood is one of them.

There's, you know, Oberg is one of them. Yes, he is. But the difference now with Victor Hovlin is, I believe he has missed the cut in five the last one. He does not have the consistency at all. No, and Scottie Schifler has. Let's move to the NBA hot stove league. We have two stories out there with a certain wow factor. One is a report from Yahoo that Golden State is interested in trading for Anthony Davis in an effort to lure LeBron James there as a free agent. Allegedly the Warriors would trade away Jimmy Butler to make this happen. And we have

dueling reports regarding the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard. The athletic reports that the Mavericks and clippers have discussed a trade that would send Kauai to Dallas and reunite him with his old Toronto GM, Masayu Jiri. And Shams of ESPN reports that the clippers are also in discussions to send Kauai back to the Raptors, where he won the NBA title in 2019. Wilbon, which of these potential trades is most interesting to you? Any trade that involves LeBron going to Golden State.

You know, I've been on this for weeks. I know. Others talked about LeBron going to Cleveland. No, no, no, no. LeBron going to Golden State. and if Steph Curry, as we have heard in reports, is involved with recruitment, that matters. If Steph Curry is saying, let's do this.

Let's do this. And by the way, I don't want to hear about Anthony Davis. I love Anthony Davis Chicago. Anthony Davis is important to this. He isn't. What do you mean? LeBron can go to Golden State without Anthony Davis being there. So you discount that part of it?

Not discount. I just don't want to hear it. I'd rather, if I'm LeBron, play with Jimmy Butler, even if Jimmy Butler can't get back to Christmas because of coming off an injury. Because Jimmy Butler has been way more reliable the last five seasons than Anthony Davis. So if you can play with that and you can play...

You've got to... Draymond, we don't know. He just opted out. He's going to be a free agent, but he can resign with Golden State. If you're going to put those guys together, and there's a bench with Podzimski and Moody and some of those guys...

There's a guy. There's that Gary Payton, Jr., if he'd re-signed. You got a bench. You got reserves and you got those stars. I know they're 100 years old. I want to see that at Golden State. So, and I understand why you want to see it. I'm going to discount the fact that Anthony Davis and LeBron James might have a reunion tour that begins in San Francisco.

Because to me, all of that in motion sounds like pie in the sky. It sounds like too many moving parts to me. Yeah. And also, if I traded Jimmy Butler, I think that diminishes Golden State. It would make me happy if that happened because it would prove to me what I think, which is that he is a team killer and can't stay in a single spot for any long period of time.

I'd love to see him in exile with the Wizards. But the other move, the Kawhi move, sounds more reasonable to me, either way. Either way, if he goes to Dallas, look, Kauai Leonard last year for a guy who's always out, he played 65 games.

He scored 27 points a game. He was great. Had, what, 6.4 rebounds a game? A lot of people had him first team ball in the A. And shot 50.5%. Yeah. But if he goes there, I have two questions. One is, why are you bringing him there with Cooper Flag?

Because people need mentors. They need to play with Vets. San Antonio, I'd rather see Kauai, and that's been talked about, go back to San Antonio when they need him. To me, Cooper Flag is that same sort of player. The other thing that interests me is, does this mean that we are closer to a punishment for Kauai Leonard for taking that no-show job?

Because now he's away from the Clippers, and as you always say, you always say that Balmer has to be, He cannot be involved in anything like this. So I'm sort of interested in that. I don't understand him going to Toronto at all. I understand him reuniting with Nigeria because they won a title in Toronto. In Toronto. But Toronto's had nothing before and nothing since.

Masai is in Dallas, of course. Running now. Go to Toronto. Let me just finish up this topic on this. You know when LeBron and Steph played together in the Olympics, you lost your mind. Well, they needed Durant too, but yes. Okay, but they're not going to have to write. I understand.

No, yes. I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm saying that's too hard to do. No, it's not. It is it. It depends on what LeBron wants to do. LeBron has earned the right to do whatever the hell he wants to do. There'll be no criticism here no matter what he wants to do.

But if you have LeBron and Steph Curry and Dremont Green and Jimmy Butler, I want Jimmy Butler. I want Jimmy Butler still there. This is what I'm saying. If Anthony Davis is, I don't. Let's take a break. Coming up was a bigger deal that the Yankees or the Blue Jays got swept. And John Morant, going back to the hot stall leave, suddenly has a new team. Which we both agreed upon that he had to go.

Had to go. Right? Got to go situation. But you know you want to see this in Golden State? You'll leave this day up late once or twice in a season to see those guys. It's time to skim the swimming pool for your emails. I'll put on my glasses and I'll get the first one. Mail time.

Not the reflecting pool, the swimming pool. Swimming pool. Which is the more interesting trade? Miles Bridges to the Sons or John Moran to the Blazers? Wow, Tony, I'm fascinated by both of these because Miles Bridges, Charlotte just basically said, you know what? If there's been any knuckleheadedness going on, you got to go. They got rid of the Lamello Ball, which was to me a win for Charlotte.

I don't know what the hell Minnesota's doing, but if you can get Nas Reed, I love what they've done there. And Miles Bridges, who was involved in serious stuff, has to go. And now he's gone to Phoenix, and they bring back. you know, among others, Grayson Allen. But, Tony, I mean, Jha going to Portland for Jeremy Grant, if you're Mike Anori, you're a new coach with a one-year deal. A one-year deal.

And they give you Jha. Who's speaking of knuckle-headedness. I mean, he's sort of the captain of that squad right now. How do you feel about that if you coach Mike Anore? I would just say this. Great talent, problematic behavior. Yes, yes. And you're giving them to a guy who's on a one-year deal.

and the second and third year at the team option. That's a tough thing to walk in. By the way, where do you make room in that back court? I mean, I'm just really saying here. Damian Lillard comes back. I know. Damian Lillard comes back. And John Marian. So you're going to have John.

Aren't those two guys who need the ball a lot? Don't they need the ball a lot? Yeah, I think so. Can I go the other way on something? Because I've thought about this. We differ on Charlotte. Charlotte last year, I want to get the statistic right, of the best five-man lineups in the league,

in the NBA last year, a minimum of 200 minutes together, all five. Right. Charlotte had the best lineup, and that was Miles Bridges, lamello ball, Khan Kinnipple, Brandon Miller, and Musa Diabate,

and I hope I pronounce that correctly. They just got rid of two of those guys. I would say the most veteran leaders on that team, whether you don't think they're leaders, okay. But they're the most veteran guy. They just got rid of them. And I'm asking myself, Charlotte was in a position to make a move upward.

I just think they traded it away. Well, they got, listen, Tony, they got two shooters who can make 40% of shots. And they were, if they weren't the number one three-point shooting team in the league, they were in the top three, Charlotte. So they get back, you know, Mr. Duke, who I personally am glad. You never liked Grayson Allen. Glad Grayson-Ale. And, by the way, he can shoot it.

Before this season, when he had an off-season, he had two seasons at 40% plus. I don't know. But Tony, Tony, what Charlotte's saying acknowledging is we did as well as we can with this group. And we're not willing to sit here. I think they were getting... I think they were taking steps up, and now I think they're taking steps to the side. Really? That's what I think.

But you know more than I do. No, no, I just like Nas read in a place of mellow ball. That's just me. Baseball sweeps. More newsworthy four-game sweep. The socks dusting the Yankees of the Blue Jays getting owned by the Ranger. I think it's the Rangers. And it's because the Rangers move into first place, even though they only have a 500 record,

and they did it on the road. The Red Sox did this at home. They remain 11.5 back of the Yankees. They remain in last place in their division. Look, the American League is awful. There's only four teams with winning records in the American League. But Toronto was in the World Series. Toronto leads that league in awful.

They were given where they were. They were in the World Series. Now they're, what are they, six and a half? They're 10 games out of their division league. There's six under 500, and they're 10 and a half behind Tampa Bay. And they spent all this money on Vlad Guerrero Jr., who we both think is a great player. He has no home runs at home.

That's weird. He has no home runs in 15 RBI in 41 home games. How is that possible? Well, it's possible that the first 20 you're playing in like sub-zero temperatures because baseball's so stupid. They're domed. They're still, even when it's open on the weekends, I've been in that place.

I've been in Toronto. He can still get hot and get to 20. He's only got four. Total. He can get hot and get to 20. We know it because we've seen them do it. And by the way, he paid off, you know, in terms of proving he can be a great player after a new contract. Yeah.

He did that last year. Yeah. But it's Tony, it's Toronto. Because in a bad league, you would think, okay, the defending league champion will do well with this and sort of separate itself. You know what? It's separated itself already. Do you know what the American League versus the National League is in record so far? The American League is minus 37.

They're 37 down. And by the way, the Yankees were doing okay for a while without a judge. And not so, not so great. That's enough email. Let's take one last break, but still to come, Yonix Sinner suffers in his first round match in Wimbledon. And Junior Camerro is on a heater. The Cubs are on something of a heater. We beat Milwaukee two out of three.

I'll take the Nats to just beat Baltimore twice. Did anybody talk about the Cubs? The Cubs are in the wild card. The first, the Cubs are the second wild card team. Happy time. people happy 23rd birthday Jude Bellingham who Jude it's a star dude I've heard that before one of the stars of the English soccer team is nearly two years younger than our show

Bellingham has two goals in this World Cup including one the other day that broke a zero zero tie with Panama he has the opportunity for more on Wednesday when England faces the Democratic Republic of Congo in a round of 32 Bellingham has a bravado that measures up to his skills after scoring this game tying goal against Slovakia in the 2020 24-year-olds on a bicycle kid. The then 20-year-old celebrated by shouting the Pete Weber-like rhetorical question. Who else, huh?

Who else? Great player, Tony, for Real Madrid and for England. The question is, in England, do they feel he's passed or is passing Harry Kane? Harry Kane. Both of them. Not so happy anniversary, Marlins' grounds crew on this date 33 years ago during the Marlins' inaugural season, the inexperienced grounds crew at Joe Robbie Stadium lost the unanimous decision to the infield tarp during a rain delay.

The 40-plus member crew attempted to roll the tarp over the infield as the South Florida skies opened up. But for some inexplicable reason, they began on rolling the tarp in right field. In all the effort took over 15 minutes, and by then the infield was a giant puddle of unprotected mud. Not everybody learns a lesson on opening day of 2015 in the third year of their new stadium with a retractable roof. There somehow was a 16-minute rain delay that resulted in a slippery field that affected players on both. How long can it take to close a roof? You've got a roof. What are you doing?

I would think it takes less than two minutes to close roof. I don't think, but I don't know. A near happy trails to Yonik Sinner, the number one player in the world, had an awkward slip in the third set of his Wimbledon opener. Soon after, blood began seeping through his right shoe. Sinner lost that set in a tie break to go down two sets to one, but rallied to win the fourth and fifth easily to advance. Afterward, he laughed off the injury, saying it stemmed from a toenail, adding, quote,

I'm saying, quote, it just seems much worse than it is. I'm actually very surprised they let me keep playing because my all white turned into a little red. I'm particularly sensitive to right foot issues. Yes, I can imagine. Feel for center right foot. He's right-handed. Okay, two things.

Thrust. One, he went out early during the heat in Paris. Yes, he did. And two, Serena Williams goes tomorrow. You think she'll win? I know you're going to watch, right? You can't wait. I'll wake up at whatever time this is to watch Serena.

You'll be up anyway like to be there. Do you think she's going to win? Yes. First match, yes. Not the second. That's how I feel. I feel that she wins the first and not the second. Let's go to the big finish. Let's do it.

James Hardney, boy, is declining a $42 million player option and working with the Cavs on a multi-year deal. Does that surprise you? No, this was whispered all spring. When they couldn't take him out of the line when he's playing badly. Oh, they can't do anything because James is coming back on a deal. Why would they want him back?

Because you love James Hardin. I do, but I saw what happened. in the playoffs again. I saw it. I saw it. I think of Hardinstein and the Thunder. Three years,

75 mil extension. Does that make sense? Okay, they also drafted a 7 foot three kid. Yes, borrow the kid from Michigan. So what does this mean for Chet Holmgren? It means, don't you think, you and I are going to move on this.

Don't, that's what you think. Ray Slugger, Junior Camerera, has homered in four straight games. He has seven in his last six. That's a big deal, right? He's stealing the race, who are actually an American League team that did not a massive disappointment.

Leonel Messi scored Saturday as a reserve. This is important. Why? Because you never liked him and now you finally begrudgingly have to like him. And he's the first guy ever to score in seven straight World Cup. That's all I said. But he's getting closer. He's getting closer.

He won the World Cup. To a pitch 105 and a half miles an hour on Friday night. You've got to be impressed. I'm not going to say he ruined our weekend. But that's the game Milwaukee beat the Cup. Is that the one? The Miz. Yeah, we won two out of three of Milwaukee.

He's something. He's something. We were out of time. try to do better the next time. Lido Beach Golf Course, shout out. I'm Mike Littlebott. Same time tomorrow, Uncle Heads.