…And you should watch it, in my opinion. On this week’s episode of “Well Played” by The Skimm, my friend Blake and I talked about Serena’s return, the Cabo Verde miracle, and, you guessed it, the criminally underreported-upon New York Knickerbockers. You know, if you’re into that kind of thing. 

It could only be A’ja. Who else would be the new face of the Breakfast of Champions? She got her Wheaties box, and you can get it, too. For the record, I was on a Wheaties box as a kid, and surely that wasn’t just something our soccer teams did for all of us…

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said goodbye, Converse;hello, Nike. Technically Nike owns Converse, so maybe it isn’t that large of a departure. Unless someone else is going to buy Converse…I’m not starting rumors, I’m just saying stuff out loud. Stuff that Dan said first, for the record.

We haven’t talked about baseball in a grip. And you know what? That’s on me. Let’s talk MLB All-Star unis with Caleb Mezzy of the “Baseball and Brands” Substack. 

We’ve talked a bit about how we joined Substack, and how our Daily Digest lives there now. But we haven’t told you about our sporadic and rotating guest curators. Lee Escobedo and Jonathan Ellis of the “Knick of Time Show Substack” helped curate today’s links. Enjoy!

I biked from Brooklyn’s Park Slope to the Manhattan Bridge (brave, thanks) and then walked across Old Blue (a name I just gave her for some reason) to Duane Street and Broadway to see the floats drive by. (I took some photos for my friend and co-founder of Flagrant Mag, Bethany Marrie Ito, who wrote a beautiful Substack about what this win means to her. Read that here.) I didn’t intend on getting that close, but luckily some crazed fans charged the barricades a few blocks away, to which a cop muttered “I didn’t see nothin’” in a Staten Island accent. So, we tipped our caps to that man and headed in. Long story short: I didn’t get any footage because it turns out the parade stopped on Reade Street — one block before Duane Street. Classic! 

So, the best moments from the Knicks Championship parade via other internet users will have to suffice. 

I’m obsessed with OG right now (more on him later in the newsletter), so this sign, which referenced this clip, was one of my favorites. By the way, we need to let OG be OG. If he wants to smile, he will. But he usually doesn’t! And that’s part of what makes him funny. 

Also on OG’s float was Mayor Mamdani, doing the Lean Back with KAT. 

And Jordyn Woods’ lucky bag was there, too. 

Mitchell Robinson thought it was BYOF. 

Off-brand Elmo apologized, but it wasn’t enough. 

Tyler Kolek is still on the team, despite the rumors. 

Mikal Bridges brought his dog, Sonny. You know, the one from his infamous IG live. 

This happened, and I’m sad I didn’t see it. If anyone has the context, let me know. 

Josh Hart had a quieter day than usual (could be the four-day bender), but he made sure to show love to the fans.

The courtside celebs got some air time — Mariska Hargitay, Timothée Chalamet, Martha Stewart, Alicia Keys, Ben Stiller, Spike Lee, Teyana Taylor, John Turturro and more. 

Jeremy Sochan puts a shirt on for no one. Not even the mayor.

And MVP Jalen Brunson had a lot (also known as, well, nothing) to say on the stage.

Also, his daughter is cute.  

Time to go cozers mode for two weeks. He earned it.  

Skechers is not just your teacher’s (nurse’s? Grandmother’s?) shoe anymore. 

This summer has already been significant for the lifestyle footwear brand, as we’ve seen it transform into a global force in sports. 

They’ve made a heavy investment in high-profile athletes as of recent, throwing their hat in the basketball and soccer rings. OG Anunoby — who had hundreds, maybe thousands of fans lining up starting at 4 a.m. at the Dick’s Sporting Goods in Yonkers — has become one of the brand’s biggest and brightest ambassadors. On the heels of becoming an NBA champ, Skechers announced he was getting a signature shoe. 

And on the pitch, they’re just as hot. Sweden’s young star Anthony Elanga has become the face of the Next Gen of Skechers wearers, and England’s veteran Harry Kane has been a powerhouse in his Skechers boots (he scored two goals in them on Wednesday, breaking a longstanding English record for goals scored at World Cups). So, old people — even as old and withered as 32 years old — can see themselves crushing it on the field in the brand’s performance wear. 

Should we all get Skechers?

Go see a Basquiat show and accompanying art and sports discussions. GAME TIME Sessions 2 is back in Miami for the World Cup, and we’ve got free tickets for you here. 

LA readers, go watch U.S. Soccer on the beach! 

Go party with the Scottish fans in Boston. They’re doing some crazy work over there.