Joey Logano takes back critical comments of how Christopher Bell raced him in All-Star Race
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A day after finishing second in the All-Star Race and being critical of how Christopher Bell raced him for the win, Joey Logano told NBC Sports that how Bell drove him 'wasn't as bad as I thought it was.'
Bell and Logano dueled much of the final 20 laps Sunday night at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Logano blocked Bell and tried to take his lane away while Bell worked to get by. Bell made a second attempt and eventually moved Logano up the track and took the lead with 10 laps to go. Bell went on to win his first All-Star Race.
After the race, Logano expressed his displeasure with Bell's move.
'I did all I could do to hold him off and he got under me and released the brake and gave me no option,' Logano told FS1. 'Kind of just ran me up into the wall, and if I could've got to him, he was going around after a move like that, I just couldn't get back to him.'
Dustin Long,
Monday, before a ceremony by the mayor of Mooresville and Town Board honoring the teams of Logano and Ryan Blaney for winning the last three Cup titles, Logano admitted he had a different take on how Bell raced him in those final laps.
'When I went back and re-watched it, I was like, that wasn't as bad as I thought it was,' Logano told NBC Sports. 'If he did that (move Logano up the track) the first time he got to me, I'd be like, 'Dude, why would you do that?'
'But he made solid attempts to pass me. I ran him all up and down the racetrack. So I opened the door. Like at that point, I opened the door (to more aggressive racing). I had to do that to try to maintain the lead.
'But it also to me, it was like, OK, well, if you're willing to do that, you should be able to move that person up the racetrack. Then I should have been able to get back at him.
'I set the tone that we're going to race like assholes. It's OK that he did that to me. But in the moment you're just pissed, right? You're just like, 'He ran me up the track.' Then when I watched it, I was like, 'Nah, it's probably warranted.'
'So, I shouldn't have said that (after the race). You're mad. It is what it is. He knocked me up and then moved me up. Would I have done the same? Probably. Especially after someone ran me all over the racetrack like I did, I probably would have done the same.
'I'm a really bad loser. I'm a sore loser. I can't help it. It is who I am, but I think that's also what makes us winners.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA Had One Word for Tyrese Haliburton Amid Playoff Success
NBA Had One Word for Tyrese Haliburton Amid Playoff Success originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The NBA is honoring one of the postseason's top stars. The league celebrated Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton for his successful playoff performances in a new video posted to its official X account on Tuesday. Advertisement 'Tyrese Haliburton's 2025 Postseason: Unforgettable,' reads the post's caption. As the highlight reel rolls, Nat King Cole's 'Unforgettable' is heard playing in the background to set the tone. Haliburton, 25, helped Indiana reach its first NBA finals since 2000, when they were defeated by the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal-led Los Angeles Lakers 4-2. In this season's playoffs, he helped the Pacers defeat the division rival Milwaukee Bucks 4-1 in the first round. Haliburton helped them seal the 119-118 Game 5 victory on April 29 by scoring 26 points. In the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the All-Star guard spearheaded a miraculous Game 2 comeback by scoring 19 points and hitting the game-winning three-point shot of a 120-119 victory. He then helped his team eliminate the Cavaliers by winning the series 4-1. Advertisement Halliburton's heroics continued in the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks, who they defeated 4-2. In a callback to Game 2 against Cleveland, he helped the Pacers come back from a 17-point deficit in Game 1 by scoring 31 points and passing out 11 assists to end with a double-double. Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton © Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images In the following games, he continued to impress by putting up a 32-point, 12-rebound and 15-assist triple-double in Game 4 on May 27. Haliburton closed out the series by scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in a 125-108 Game 6 triumph on Saturday. Indiana and Haliburton will now play in the NBA Finals against the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-led Oklahoma City Thunder starting Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Advertisement Related: Tyrese Haliburton Elevates Pacers with Record-Breaking Performance This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LeBron James Reacts to Kevin Love's Post About Knicks Firing Tom Thibodeau
LeBron James Reacts to Kevin Love's Post About Knicks Firing Tom Thibodeau originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau as head coach on Tuesday. It was a stunning move since the Knicks made the conference finals this year for the first time since 2000. Advertisement Thibodeau joined the Knicks in 2020. He went 226-174 in the regular season and 24-23 in the playoffs. New York lost to the Indiana Pacers in this year's conference finals in six games. According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, Knicks owner James Dolan supported president Leon Rose's decision to fire Thibodeau. Miami Heat veteran Kevin Love reacted to the Knicks' firing of Thibodeau by posting a video of Vince McMahon saying, "You're fired!" on his Instagram account. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who won the 2016 championship with Love on the Cleveland Cavaliers, reacted to Love's post with seven laughing emojis. Love has been posting funny videos on Instagram all year. Advertisement It all began after All-Star forward Jimmy Butler requested a trade from the Heat earlier in the season. James almost signed with the Knicks in the summer of 2010. He met with the franchise during free agency before ultimately joining the Heat to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The leading scorer in NBA history, James had three postseason battles against Thibodeau when Thibs coached the Chicago Bulls from 2010 to 2015. James' Heat beat the Bulls in the 2011 conference finals and the 2013 conference semifinals. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23).© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images James then faced Thibodeau and the Bulls again in the 2015 conference semifinals in his first season back with the Cavaliers. The King won that series, too. Advertisement It will be fascinating to see who the Knicks hire to replace Thibodeau, who has coached the Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Knicks. Related: LeBron James Takes Another Shot at Brian Windhorst on Tuesday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Karl-Anthony Towns trade proposal lands Knicks new star
The post Karl-Anthony Towns trade proposal lands Knicks new star appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Eastern Conference is already viewed as much weaker and more talent-depleted than the Western Conference. It could look a whole lot different after the upcoming offseason, too. The Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo has already signaled that he is open to being traded. While it wasn't a formal trade request, his days in Milwaukee are likely numbered, especially because Damian Lillard tore his achilles tendon. Karl-Anthony Towns is another superstar who could be moved. Advertisement The New York Knicks traded for the center last offseason. While it is unlikely that he'd be moved again just one year later, especially because the Knicks played in the Eastern Conference Finals, some believe that he could be traded this offseason. Kevin O'Connor is one expert who has advocated for Towns to be traded again. Blockbuster deals are commonplace in the modern NBA, so perhaps Antetokounmpo could be traded for Towns. Giannis Antetokounmpo for Karl-Anthony Towns trade proposal Brad Penner-Imagn Images Knicks receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, Ariel Hukporti Antetokounmpo is not only one of the best players in the NBA, but the two-time MVP is arguably the best player in Bucks history. The Bucks will be hesitant to trade him for that reason, but a franchise reset may be necessary. Most have predicted that Antetokounmpo would be traded to the Houston Rockets or San Antonio Spurs. Advertisement These are up-and-coming teams that are ready to take the next step forward, and they have tons of tradable assets, most notably in the form of an excess amount of draft capital. While a surplus of draft picks and young players could entice the Bucks, that kind of trade would lead to a rebuild, and the Bucks may want to avoid that. The alternative would be doing a superstar-for-superstar trade. Antetokounmpo and Towns have nearly identical contracts, so only Ariel Hukporti would need to be added in a deal to make the money work. Towns is only one year younger than Antetokounmpo, so he could come into Milwaukee and offer similar All-Star production, albeit in a completely different style of play. Towns is the best 3-point shooting center ever, whereas Antetokounmpo is a physical freak who thrives getting to the rim. Antetokounmpo has played more center in recent years, and Brook Lopez is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Bucks need somebody who can play heavy minutes at the five, and if they decide against a full-blown rebuild, then a deal for Towns could make sense. Would the Knicks trade Karl-Anthony Towns for Giannis Antetokounmpo? Knicks' head coach, Tom Thibodeau, has a very distinctive coaching style. He loves players who are elite on defense and play with intensity, and he is known to play his starters a lot of minutes. Because of that, Antetokounmpo would be a great fit for the team. Bailing on Towns this quickly after trading for him would be a little bizarre, but in a trade where they don't give up any other assets, the Knicks could view a Towns-for-Antetokounmpo swap as an upgrade. Advertisement The Greek Freak has a Defensive Player of the Year award to his name, whereas Towns was criticized during the Knicks playoff run for suspect defense. The Knicks are filled with lanky players who can guard inside or outside, such as Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, and Antetokounmpo would provide even more of that. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Indiana Pacers thrived when Towns shared the floor with Jalen Brunson. If Antetokounmpo replaced Towns, though, the Knicks would have a star duo that would seemingly fit better together. The risk with this trade is that athleticism fades with age, and Antetokounmpo is more reliant on his physical attributes than a skilled player like Towns is. Even so, the Knicks are so close to getting back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, and they could view Antetokounmpo as the player who could get them back to championship glory.
