Rookie GM Brian Gregory says he's ready to rebuild the Suns, touts closeness with owner Mat Ishbia
PHOENIX (AP) — Brian Gregory's basketball resume has plenty of gravitas thanks to nearly two decades as an NCAA Division I head coach at Dayton, Georgia Tech and South Florida.
That's not why he's the new general manager of the Phoenix Suns.
Instead, it is Gregory's 25-year relationship with Suns owner Mat Ishbia that is the major reason he's making the rare transition from college sidelines to an NBA front office. Some may see that as a negative, but Gregory believes his closeness with Ishbia will be an asset as the Suns embark on a difficult rebuild
following one of the most disappointing seasons
in franchise history.
'I'm never going to shy away from the fact that one of the reasons I'm sitting up here is because of my relationship with Mat Ishbia,' Gregory said Tuesday. 'But that relationship is founded on our alignment. Shared values. Shared work ethic. We've been through a lot together.
'He trusts me and I trust him.'
The 58-year-old Gregory
was elevated to the general manager's role
with the Suns last week, with former GM James Jones moving into the role of a senior advisor. Oronde Taliaferro was promoted to assistant general manager and Paul Rivers will add basketball operations responsibilities to his role as chief innovation officer.
Gregory was an assistant coach at Michigan State from 1999 to 2003, which was the same time that Ishbia was a walk-on guard for the Spartans.
Michigan State enjoyed plenty of success during those years, including a national championship in 2000. Now the Ishbia-Gregory pairing will try to recreate that magic for a franchise that has never won a title in its 57-year history despite making the Finals in 1976, 1993 and 2021.
The Suns finished last season with a disappointing 36-46 record despite the league's most expensive roster that included the All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Booker — a four-time All-Star and franchise icon who has spent all of his 10 seasons in the desert — is the only player who seems certain to return.
Gregory's first task this offseason will be hiring a new head coach to replace Mike Budenholzer,
who was fired after just one season
. It will be the Suns' fourth head coach in four years.
After that, it will be time to focus on an expensive but flawed roster. Ishbia
said last month he wants future Suns teams
to feature 'some grit, some determination, some work ethic, some grind, some joy. We just haven't had that.'
Gregory's most valuable trade chip this summer appears to be Durant, who was still one of the NBA's elite scorers last season at 36. The 15-time All-Star averaged 26.6 points on 53% shooting, shows few signs of slowing and will certainly have multiple suitors during the offseason.
Beal — a three-time All-Star — could be much more difficult to unload. The oft-injured guard is due more than $50 million next season, but his production hasn't come close to matching the price tag.
Gregory said he likes both players, but wasn't ready to comment on their future in the desert.
'I have a very good relationship with both those guys,' Gregory said. 'Kevin gave me a nice hug in the weight room the other night when the news came across Twitter. Had a great dinner with Brad Beal last Thursday and we talked a little about summer plans and different things like that.
'My main focus, to be honest with you, is finding the right head coach for those guys.'
Gregory joined the Suns in 2023 and served in several roles, most recently as the vice president of player programming. He had major input in the Suns selecting Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro in last year's draft and both had promising moments during their rookie seasons.
Dunn and Ighodaro featured on-court personalities that seem closer to Ishbia's gritty ideals, with the young duo featuring an energy and spirit that was conspicuously lacking from much of the rest of the roster.
___
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Axios
26 minutes ago
- Axios
Behind the Curtain: Trump's America-First AI risk
The two most durable and decisive geopolitical topics of the 2020s are fully merging into one existential threat: China and AI supremacy. Put simply, America either maintains its economic and early AI advantages, or faces the possibility of a world dominated by communist China. Why it matters: This is the rare belief shared by both President Trump and former President Biden — oh, and virtually every person studying the geopolitical chessboard. David Sacks, Trump's AI czar, said this weekend on his podcast, "All-In": "There's no question that the armies of the future are gonna be drones and robots, and they're gonna be AI-powered. ... I would define winning as the whole world consolidates around the American tech stack." The big picture: That explains why the federal government has scant interest in regulating AI, why both parties are silent on AI's job threat, and why Washington and Silicon Valley are merging into one superstructure. It can all be traced to China. Trump is squarely in this camp. Yet his short-term policies on global trade and treatment of traditional U.S. allies are putting long-term U.S. victory over China — economically and technologically — at high risk. To understand the stakes, wrap your head around the theory of the case for beating China to superhuman intelligence. It goes like this: China is a bad actor, the theory goes, using its authoritarian power to steal U.S. technology secrets — both covertly, and through its mandate that American companies doing business in China form partnerships with government-backed Chinese companies. China has a lethal combination of talent + political will + long-term investments. What they don't have, right now, are the world's best chips. If China gains a decisive advantage in AI, America's economic and military dominance will evaporate. Some think Western liberal democracy could, too. China then uses this technology know-how and manipulates its own markets to supercharge emerging, vital technologies, including driverless cars, drones, solar, batteries, and other AI-adjacent categories. Chinese firms are exporting those products around the world, squashing U.S. and global competitors and gathering valuable data. It then floods markets with cheap Chinese products that help gather additional data — or potentially surveillance of U.S. companies or citizens. The Trump response, similar to Biden's, is to try to punish China with higher targeted tariffs and strict controls on U.S. tech products — such as Nvidia's high-performing computer chips — sold there. The downside risk is slowing U.S. sales for companies like Nvidia, losing any American control over the supply chain that ultimately produces superhuman intelligence in China, and cutting off access to AI components that China produces better or more cheaply than the U.S. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently called the export controls " a failure" that merely gave China more incentive to develop its industry. You mitigate this risk by opening up new markets for American companies to sell into ... fostering alternatives to Chinese goods and raw materials (Middle East) ... and creating an overall market as big or bigger than China's (America + Canada + Europe + Middle East + India). But Trump isn't mitigating the risk elsewhere while confronting China. He's often escalating the risk, without any obvious upside. Consider: Canada, rich in minerals and energy, is looking to Europe, not us, for protection and partnership after Trump insulted America's former closest ally. Trump continues to taunt Canada about becoming an American state. Europe, once solidly pro-American, has been ridiculed by Trump and Vice President Vance as too weak and too cumbersome to warrant special relations with America. Zoom in: Trump's tariffs spooked these two allies and many others who could legitimately form a massive, united counterweight to China. That has slowed discussions of a united front in case America and China fully decouple. In fact, Europe and China are now talking more actively, in a sort of "the trade enemy of my trade enemy is my friend" dialogue. Trump has tightened relationships with rich nations in the Middle East, and sees the Saudis and others as displacing European nations as part of the global American coalition. But those same nations are close to China, too, and have little incentive to pick sides so decisively. The Trump-Biden export controls rely on countries involved in the cutting-edge chip supply chain — Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea and Taiwan — agreeing to harm their own companies' business in China to form a united front with the U.S. Trump has given them reason to reconsider. Zoom out: Trump, in public, has been all over the place on China, much like he has on trade policy. He talked tough early, slapped on 145% tariffs — then sent Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent out to argue the broader trade strategy was a chess move to isolate China. But then Trump reduced the tariffs, suggested peaceful competition was possible, and reignited trade talks. Now, he's back to talking tough and firing off social media warnings about calling them off again. Meanwhile, China keeps racing ahead on drones, cars, quantum computing and batteries. At the same time, Beijing holds all the leverage on the rare earth minerals the U.S. so desperately needs. And JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, just back from China, warned last week that America's internal issues leave the nation unprepared for war abroad. "If you put a team on the field and the team's torn apart, they're gonna lose," he told the Reagan National Economic Forum. "And that's kind of us right now." The other side: Administration advisers tell us there's more coherence to the Trump strategy than meets the eye. Trump believes he'll ultimately create a coalition of willing trading partners, with more favorable terms for America, to rival China. He also believes his tactics will nudge Canada, Greenland, Ukraine and others to share essential minerals and AI ingredients — and that U.S. workers will benefit from better-paying jobs in this new economy. Understanding that countries need AI and just choose between the U.S. and China, Trump sees the opportunity to leverage the U.S. AI lead to both bring countries onto U.S. systems — and to get investment back into the U.S. to fund critical AI infrastructure, including OpenAI's Stargate. An OpenAI official who has worked closely with Trump officials told us the administration excels at AI diplomacy and is executing a sophisticated strategy. "They get it," the official said, "particularly when it comes to making sure the world is going to build out on U.S.-led AI rails, while also using the interest in U.S. AI to get reciprocal investment into U.S.-based infrastructure."
Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
- Indianapolis Star
Doyel: Yes, the Pacers have superstars. And they have two more who don't actually play
These Indiana Pacers — sorry, these 2025 NBA Finalist Indiana Pacers — are said to have two stars, superstars, franchise players, whatever you want to call Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. And that's true, if we're looking only at the roster. Haliburton has been an NBA All-Star twice, and earned third-team All-NBA recognition this season for the second consecutive year. Siakam has been an NBA All-Star three times, twice has earned All-NBA recognition, and was named MVP of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. They are stars, franchise players, max contract guys. Whatever you want to call them. But the Pacers, these specific Pacers — this team headed to the NBA Finals, which begin Thursday at Oklahoma City — have two more stars, superstars, whatever you want to call them. Don't scan the roster for the names because they aren't there, and I say that with all due respect to Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith. And to elite bench players Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell. These two guys were here before almost everyone on this roster. They were here before Haliburton and Siakam, in particular. And before Nembhard and Nesmith, and Mathurin and McConnell. The stars, the original stars, of the 2024-25 Indiana Pacers are the executive who put this team together, Kevin Pritchard, and the coach who will put that team on the court Thursday night against the Thunder, Rick Carlisle. How about we give them their flowers now, huh? Doyel from Game 6: Pacers on a 'magical ride.' Four more wins means first NBA title. Insider: Pacers' unconventional path back to NBA Finals 'a new blueprint for the league' This is the team of Pritchard's dreams, the team he has been trying to craft since he took over for Larry Bird as Pacers president in 2017. Pritchard is not your typical NBA executive, in part because he's not overseeing your typical NBA franchise. He doesn't have an unlimited budget, and even if he did, it wouldn't matter. History has shown that the very best of the very best – past, present and future MVP candidates – don't come here as free agents. And because players of that ability can dictate where they want to play, those guys don't arrive here in trades, either. Some franchises can money-whip a roster into shape, just put as many stars on the court as possible and see what happens next. That's been the story in Philadelphia and Los Angeles — Lakers and Clippers — and even in recent years, Golden State with the please-take-me additions of Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler. Miami also has done it that way, with success. Brooklyn and Phoenix have tried it, without. Pritchard has always seen his ideal starting five not as one or two superstars — and whoever else can fit around the salary cap — but as five fingers forming a fist. Look at some of the Indiana teams of recent years that fell short of this season's success, or any success really, but would've had power-packed starting fives had injuries not ruined things. That's one hallmark of a Pritchard team, as we're seeing this season with Haliburton-Siakam-Turner-Nembhard-and-Nesmith. But there's another hallmark, and I'll call it the Kumbaya factor. Pritchard is an idealist, a romantic at heart, and sometimes it has cost him. He sees the best in people, in players, and was burned when Paul George turned out to be less of a building block than a mercenary. The unraveling of Victor Oladipo was less about Pritchard's idealism, and more about the brutal injury Oladipo suffered in 2019, months before he expected to receive a max contract extension. Whereas Paul George was changed by his rise to stardom and his visions of self-important grandeur, Oladipo was changed — understandably so — by that career-altering injury. But this team? These Pacers? They've been built in Pritchard's double-vision of depth and decency — and we are seeing the result. Earlier in the Eastern Conference Finals, before Game 1, the New York media was asking Carlisle about this team's secret sauce. Here was one of Carlisle's most telling comments: 'A group of guys that have high character,' he called his roster. What does that mean? It means Bennedict Mathurin, who came into the league as the No. 6 overall pick in 2022 and immediately compared himself to LeBron James and then averaged an eye-popping 16.7 ppg as a rookie, has gone to the bench for the good of the team. Nesmith needs to start, for defense and the way he runs alongside Haliburton and moves the ball, so Mathurin accepted a role as a primary scoring force on the second unit. But along the way Mathurin has noticeably — I mean, obviously — become more of a defensive presence, in particular working so hard on his occasional assignments on stars Donovan Mitchell of Cleveland and Jalen Brunson of the Knicks. What does high character mean? It means Andrew Nembhard, who showed during the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals against Boston just how productive he can be if given the chance — 21 ppg, with Haliburton injured — willingly going back to his supporting role when Haliburton returned. Nembhard averaged 10 ppg this season. What does high character mean? It means center Myles Turner sharing minutes with Domantas Sabonis for years, never making a peep, never asking out. And when it was time to decide which center to keep, Pritchard let Sabonis go to Sacramento at the 2022 trade deadline — knowing the Pacers needed a point guard more than a ball-dominant post player, and knowing Turner would excel in a supporting role to the point guard Pritchard acquired from the Kings: Tyrese Haliburton. What does high character mean? It means, and it starts, with Haliburton playing a joyful style that insists everyone on the floor eats — often before he does, to his detriment. Haliburton, who averaged 6.3 assists per game in his 1½ season with Sacramento, has averaged 10.1 apg in 3½ seasons with the Pacers. Haliburton, a really nice Robin to De'Aaron Fox's Batman in Sacramento, has come to the Pacers and proved to be the better of the two: the All-NBA player, the U.S. Olympian, the author of postseason heroics. 'Sometimes,' Haliburton was saying Saturday night after the Pacers eliminated the Knicks in Game 6, 'I think (Pritchard and Co.) saw more in me than I saw in myself.' Pritchard does that. If I'm another NBA team's executive and Kevin Pritchard is on line one to propose a trade, I'm grabbing a pen and some paper, because I'm about to learn which player on my team is better than any of us had realized. Pritchard has done that, for previous Indiana teams and this one, with stars (Oladipo, Sabonis, Haliburton) and starters (Nesmith) and role players (Obi Toppin, Jalen Smith, Oshae Brissett). And the one time he didn't do it, when he saw something in Denver's Bruce Brown that didn't quite translate — Brown came here as a free agent in 2023, and proved to be the same player even with a bigger opportunity — Pritchard realized it right away. Brown played just 33 games with the Pacers before Pritchard packaged him in the deal that brought to this team… Pascal Siakam. Take a bow, Kevin Pritchard. These flowers are for you. But we have one more bouquet to give. Rick Carlisle, like Kevin Pritchard, received zero respect this season. That's a literal statement, in this way: Thirteen front-office leaders received votes — all 30 franchises had a vote — for 2025 NBA Executive of the Year. Kevin Pritchard? He received zero. Six coaches received votes — from 100 media members — for 2025 NBA Coach of the Year. Rick Carlisle? He received zero. That's a statement about the timing of those votes in particular, because while we (probably) didn't need the Thunder's NBA Finals run to realize Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserved MVP, the Pacers' run to these same NBA Finals has been instructive, to say the least. First, about the roster Pritchard put together (with help from Chad Buchanan, Ryan Carr and Kelly Krauskopf). But also about the coaching job of Carlisle. Put it this way: Carlisle is changing the game. Not just the Pacers are changing it — but Carlisle. He's the one employing depth and pace as weapons, and around the league, folks are noticing. After being eliminated in the second round by the Thunder, Nuggets MVP candidate Nikola Jokic noted the growing trend of deeper teams, and shouted out the Pacers before shouting out Oklahoma City, the team that eliminated the Nuggets. Put it another way: The best adjustment made during the Eastern Conference Finals by famously stubborn Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, the one that allowed the Knicks to win Game 3 and force this series to a sixth game? He copied Carlisle. After sticking with his seven-man rotation — 7½ players, tops — Thibs went nine-deep or even 10-deep the rest of the way. The media kept asking him about the Pacers' pace and depth, and while Thibodeau avoided the question entirely before Game 5 — 'It's been a hard-fought series,' he said, 'a couple possessions (apart)' — he tried to counter Carlisle's bench by discovering a bench of his own. That depth allows Carlisle to demand a fast pace from his players, and that pace has allowed the Pacers not only to wear out other teams over the course of 48 minutes — how many historic comebacks have the Pacers had this offseason? — but to maximize the greatness of Haliburton. Another acknowledgement from Thibs, this one spoken, came when he was asked about the Pacers' offensive pace. Specifically, he was asked: During a typical possession do the Pacers tend to get to their second and third actions quicker than most teams? Not really, Thibs said, in the most flattering way possible. 'More often than not it's the primary action,' he said before Game 5. 'It's the kick ahead. There's no second or third actions. You've got to make sure you're getting back and taking care of the primary action.' Indeed, Haliburton probably gets more 40-foot assists than anyone but Jokic, and Andrew Nembhard devastated the Knicks with several such passes in Game 6. Carlisle describes 2025 Indiana Pacers basketball in a way that underscores the special nature of this team, from roster to coaching staff to front office. 'As we've put this group together around Tyrese,' Carlisle said before Game 1, 'we've had to make adjustments to develop a style that was effective for us — and it's a difficult style. It's physically demanding, takes a tremendous amount of wherewithal as an athlete, and then you have to be super unselfish and be willing to do a lot of hard things.' The Pacers have that kind of Kumbaya roster, that depth of talent, those two star players — Haliburton, Siakam — and then those other two central figures. Stars, superstars, whatever you want to call Rick Carlisle and Kevin Pritchard. Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Threads, or on BlueSky and Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar, or at Subscribe to the free weekly Doyel on Demand newsletter.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Exclusive: Aaron Judge opens up on historic season, life as a Yankee
Exclusive: Aaron Judge opens up on historic season, life as a Yankee – and that error Two-time MVP is putting up eye-popping stats again. But everyone in baseball knows Judge is even more valuable off the field. Show Caption Hide Caption Yankees fans 'welcome' Juan Soto back to the Bronx in game vs. Mets New York Yankees fans made one thing clear, they do not miss Juan Soto. Sports Seriously LOS ANGELES — Aaron Judge packed his bags Sunday evening, looked around the cramped visiting clubhouse at Dodger Stadum before walking out of the door, and broke into a grin. Finally, peace awaited. He was hounded all weekend by interview requests. Everyone wanted a piece of him. The New York Yankees were on national TV every game this weekend at Dodger Stadium. It was Apple TV Friday night, Fox on Saturday, and then Sunday night on ESPN. 'It's just part of the job, it's part of being captain of the Yankees," Judge told USA TODAY Sports after a 7-3 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 54,031. 'I'd rather take that load and that wear and tear than somebody else. I can take some of those distractions. I've been around the game for a little bit now, so I kind of know how to manage it." The hyped series was a rematch of last year's World Series, perhaps a cruel three-day reminder of his calamity the last time they met in October. But to Judge, it was a beautiful affirmation of making the decisions of his career. 'I try to talk to everyone, the guys who aren't Yankees," Judge says, 'and tell them just how special this franchise is. And how special it is to play in front of these fans. 'They demand and they expect the best out of you every single night. It doesn't matter if it's a Monday game, a Tuesday game, or who we're playing. They expect you to go out there and win. They expect you to go out there and get a hit every at-bat. 'That's another reason why I wanted to come back and play for the Yankees. Just that expectation and that level of focus you need to have on a daily basis. It's one of a kind. So I try to tell everyone how special it is, especially at the All-Star Game. 'There's nothing in the world like it." It's not easy, of course, playing on the biggest stage in baseball. Judge, 6-foot-7, 282 pounds, can barely leave his hotel on the road. He went to go grab some coffee at Starbucks in Seattle three weeks ago, and the next thing he knew, dozens of fans mobbed him at the counter. 'I think if I was a little shorter, if you just give me 6-foot-1, 6-2," Judge says, 'I could blend in a little bit. Throw on a Yankee cap and we can go. It's the height. The first thing they think when they see me, they think basketball player. And then they put two-and-two together. 'That's why I don't leave the hotel for the most part. I got a job to do on the road. I try not to explore too much. I can do that when I retire and check out these cities. 'It's just part of it when you play for the Yankees. The biggest franchise in sports. They're going to recognize you and cheer you no matter where you're at." Yet, if you make a mistake, no matter whether on the field or off, you're going to hear about it. Yankee fans constantly remind Judge that they still haven't won a World Series since 2009, and after losing to the Dodgers 4 games to 1 in last year's World Series, with most of the angst directed towards Judge. 'It was rough the way it ended last year, it hurt," Judge softly says in the quiet of the Yankee clubhouse. 'Things happen. It's sports. You just try to put yourself in a better position next time so you don't have that sour taste in your mouth again.' The error It was back in October, in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, when the Yankees were rolling with a 5-0 lead. Ace Gerrit Cole was on the mound, and they were set to fly out the next day to Los Angeles to prepare for Game 6 of the World Series. But that never happened. Enrique Hernandez was on first base when Tommy Edman hit a fly ball to center field. Judge camped under it, took a peek towards Hernandez, and it clanked off his glove. ('I thought it was an easy out," Edman said) The next thing anyone knew, the Yankees had unraveled and the game was tied. Four innings later, the Dodgers were celebrating in the Bronx. 'Stuff like that happens," Judge says. 'I've just got to make the play. There were five other plays after that could have changed the course of that. Really, you kind of dismiss it right after the play happens. We still have the lead. Once the play is over with, there's nothing you can do about it. Go out and make the next play. That's what it really all comes down to." Judge spent the entire winter listening to people talk about it, the play becoming NFL memes during dropped passes, with even some Dodgers players mocking the Yankees' meltdown. 'What are you going to do?" Judge says. 'People want to talk about it, do this and that. It happened. It happened. There's nothing that can change that." Making history Well, Judge sure has found a way to make that memory fade away into the night, producing one of the greatest seasons in baseball history so far. He's hitting a major-league leading .391 with 21 homers, 50 RBIs and a 1.249 OPS. He's leading MLB in virtually every offensive category from on-base percentage (.485) to slugging percentage (.764) to WAR (4.7). He is the only player in modern-day history to hit 20 or more homers with this high of a batting average in the first 58 games of a season. This isn't just a two-month hot start, but a continuation of the past year, hitting .362 with a .482 on-base percentage, .746 slugging percentage, 1.228 OPS, 62 homers, 155 RBI, 139 runs, 437 total bases in his last 162 games. The last person to have at least 430 total bases in a full season was Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx in 1932. 'They need to call him up," Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus says. Call him up? 'Yes," Ausmus says emphatically, 'to another league." When Judge his second home run Saturday night off reliever Chris Stratton in the Dodgers' 18-2 rout, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts could only shake his head. 'It was more disbelief, and I felt OK with it," Roberts says. 'Apologies to Stratton, but I like superstars, so I was OK giving up a solo homer right there to watch him. 'It's really incredible. The batting average. I can appreciate the slug. I can appreciate the on-base. But the batting average for a right-handed hitters, that's something that really stands out to me. You just don't see that." When Judge was being interviewed on the Fox TV set Saturday, Hall of Famer David Ortiz told him: 'I'm actually mad at you. You're making this game look like a joke." 'This is where I feel like I belong' Judge is being asked nearly every single day about his rarified numbers, but despite the hundreds of pre- and postgame interviews, Judge remains humble. 'I try to ignore it because you have to stay in the moment," Judge says. "If I was playing somewhere else, I could say, 'Well, we're not in first place. We kind of stink. But at least I'm hitting well.' 'But how I was raised, especially playing here with the Yankees, 'I don't care what you did yesterday. I don't care what you did last month. It's about what are you doing tonight.' "There have been games I had a walk-off homer the night before, but if I'm 0-for-4, then you're getting booed in your last at-bat, it kind of wakes you up about what's really important." Besides, Judge says, far too often people seem to be getting carried away, passing out superlatives as if baseball history goes back only as far as the pitch clock. You want real greatness, he says, check out Barry Bonds. You want to know the greatest right-handed hitters in the last 50 years, do yourself a favor and look at the numbers produced by Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera, particularly in the first 10 years of their career. 'People bring up stuff to me about stats, and seasons, and stuff," says Judge, 'and I say, 'this doesn't even compare in my mind what I saw Pujols doing at Busch Stadium... He's hitting over .300 every year, he's driving in over 100, he's hitting 30-plus homers, and all of those clutch at-bats. 'Those are my favorite guys that I love going back to on YouTube and bringing up the highlights. It was just cool to see a professional hitter like that who can manipulate the bat. They had the knowledge in the box of what they're trying to do, have great approach, and just make the game look so easy." Judge laughs, knowing that, of course, is what everyone is saying about him. There will be a spot for him reserved in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium one day. His number, 99, will be permanently retired. And when Judge walks away, just like Joe DiMaggio and Derek Jeter, he can tell the world how proud he was to be a Yankee his entire career. 'Sometimes it's tough to put into words," Judge says, 'but I never played anywhere else. I never wanted to go anywhere else. This is where I feel I belong." The contract It wasn't long ago when Judge didn't know if he'd still be a Yankee. He rejected the Yankees' final offer of $213.5 million before the 2022 season, and they still were playing hardball after Judge hit an American League record 62 homers after the season. It took a $360 million offer from the San Francisco Giants and the concept of at least a 10-year, $400 million offer from the San Diego Padres for the Yankees to relent and sign him to a nine-year, $360 million deal. 'This is where I always wanted to be, especially after getting drafted here," says Judge, who still beams talking about his wife (Samantha) and 4-month-old daughter (Nora) with Father's Day around the corner. 'This is my home. But if I was to look back, and would have signed with the Padres or signed with the Giants, it could be a little different. 'I might have been getting booed like [Juan] Soto, so I'm happy with my decision. 'Really, for me, it was all about getting a fair deal for what I thought I was worth, while still putting the team in a good position to sign who we need to." The Yankees have done nothing but win since Judge signed his deal, and are again in first place (36-22). 'I'd hate to even think about what it would be like if Aaron didn't sign with us," said Yankees president Randy Levine, watching Judge from his Yankee Stadium suite above third base. 'We're very grateful he came back. He was entitled to test free agency, and we were going to do whatever it took to keep him here. 'This is a very tough place to play. It's not for everybody. So, you've got to really want to be here. And he really wanted to be here." Says Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who concedes he panicked momentarily at the 2022 winter meetings when the Giants looked as if they were closing in on a deal to sign Judge: 'It's so good when your best player is your best people too, and that's what Aaron is. Guys gravitate towards him. Guys look up to him. Guys respect him." The Captain Who else organizes team dinners on the road, renting out entire restaurants where he foots the entire bill? 'He's an amazing human being," says Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Isaih Kiner-Falefa, who spent two years with the Yankees. 'I think the coolest thing about him is that any time you're around him, he makes you feel like you're on his level, like you're the same type of player. 'He brings confidence, swagger to you as a player. As a person, he's always there for you. And on top of all that, he's the best player in the world. I can't imagine how he does it all, how he juggles it all, and still perform at the level he does because he's the most selfless guy I played with." When new Yankees reliever Devin Williams struggled early in the year, it was Judge who was there at his locker every day making sure he was hanging in. When center fielder Cody Bellinger had difficulty adjusting to New York at the start of the season – like outfielder Trent Grisham the year before – Judge was there for them too. 'Everybody just sees what he does on the field, and it's like, 'Man, he's the best player,'" Grisham says. 'But I think he's more valuable in how he runs the clubhouse, how he carries himself, how he shoulders all of the media attention, all of pressure here, and is still able to have a smile on his face and be the bests guy in the clubhouse and taking care of everybody. He just changes this whole place." And when Paul Goldschmidt hit free agency this winter, trying to decide where to go after spending 14 years in the National League with St. Louis and Arizona, he got a text message one day. It was a recruiting pitch from Judge. 'I remember shooting him the message," Judge says. "'Hey man, we got a little vacancy at first base. I think you'd fit in perfect. This is the type of culture and environment I think you were born for.' 'The one thing I try to tell a lot of the guys who come here, even if they were on other teams before, they were meant to be a Yankee. Paul Goldschmidt was meant to be a Yankee." Says Goldschmidt: 'Aaron is the one who makes it great to be a Yankee. He's a big reason why you want to play here." Judge's legacy It's not enough for Judge to be the heart, soul and face of the Yankees, but he's a role model for free agents in their 30s. His nine-year, $360 million contract – the richest free agent deal in baseball history at the time – looks like the biggest steal in baseball just a few years later. Juan Soto is guaranteed more than twice as much money with his $765 million deal with the Mets. Anthony Rendon, who has missed 613 games in five years with the Los Angeles Angels, is earning only $2 million less than Judge this season. Stephen Strasburg, who last pitched in 2022, is still earning $35 million – only $5 million less than Judge. Judge may be 33, but considering he's getting better each and every year, he sees no reason why he can't be just as productive until he's turning grey. He works out religiously, hired a year-round chef, and maintains his body to withstand the grind of a 162-game regular season, and hopefully, all of the way through October, too. 'Tom Brady is a great example," Judge says. 'Every year he tried to get a little bit better. He was still winning Super Bowls in his 40s, and doing some special things. It's all about staying on the field. 'I never wanted to be a guy that was a liability. The contract that I signed, I wanted to be a guy that helps this team win all the way until the last year. ... I'll try to make adjustments and put myself up there as one of the better players that helps this team win." Well, maybe more accurately, he could be one of the greatest players, role models, and competitors who ever put on a uniform. 'He's a great face for the pinstripes," Hall of Fame slugger Reggie Jackson said before the Yankees-Dodgers series finale. "He's a great face for Major League Baseball. New York City. Everything." Says Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas: 'When that thing happened to him in the World Series, we were all celebrating that we were able to score runs. But afterwards, I think we all felt for him, too. You wish it had happened to someone else. 'I'm a big fan of him because he plays the game the right way. He respects not only the game itself, but he respects the people all around the game. The way he dresses, the way he approaches people, it's just different. 'The game of baseball is in a better place because of him." Judge smiles when hearing the praise, picks up his bag, and heads to the Yankees' team bus for a red-eye flight back to New York. A day off with the family awaits. And then the commotion will start up all over again. 'I wouldn't trade it for the world," Judge says. 'I'm a Yankee." Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
