Sports Illustrated Kids

JUGGLING ACT March 31, 2023 Indianapolis, Indiana Shai Gilgeous-Alexander really had his hands full against the Pacers. The Oklahoma City star lost his shoe on a shot attempt, then picked it up, ran down the court, grabbed a rebound, took a dribble, and started a fast break. Gilgeous-Alexander, who made his first All-Star team this season, finished the game with 39 points and nine rebounds, but Indiana came out on top, 121–117. IS THAT AN OCTOPUS? April 12, 2023 ● Minneapolis, Minnesota Eight limbs were flailing when Byron Buxton of the Twins collided with White Sox second baseman Lenyn Sosa. Fortunately, neither player was hurt. Buxton, who was trying to advance from first to second base as Sosa attempted to field a ground ball, was called out. The play ended the inning, but the Twins…

MIDWAY THROUGH THE second period of his team’s March 4 matchup with the Winnipeg Jets, Connor McDavid touched the puck on the power play for just a split-second. Standing below the right circle, he redirected a pass from defenseman Evan Bouchard, ramping it off the blade of Leon Draisaitl’s stick and into the net. It was an extraordinary play for anyone else—pretty routine for Edmonton’s captain. The pass also broke a record not on many people’s radars: most single-season power-play points by an Oiler (57), set by Wayne Gretzky in 1981–82 when he had 92 goals and 120 assists. Once the shock wore off that Gretzky didn’t own a particular NHL scoring record (Mario Lemieux had 80 power play points in 1987–88), fans had to reflect on just how much the game…

HEZLY RIVERA HOMETOWN: ORADELL, N.J. BIRTH DATE: JUNE 4, 2008 SPORT: GYMNASTICS Hezly Rivera says she knows she can do everything in the gym, and she proved it during the tail end of her final junior season. She won gold in the all-around, floor exercise, and balance beam at the Winter Cup in February. Two months later, in Antalya, Turkey, she added to her medal collection by winning silver in the floor exercise at the Junior Artistic World Championships. “I’ve always dreamed of being at worlds and at the Olympics,” Hezly says. “My dream is slowly coming true. It was just really fun, and I’m so grateful to be here.” Are YOU a SportsKid? If you think you have what it takes to be a Future Star, have an adult submit your nomination at SportsKid@si.com…

MAYBE YOU’VE ASKED a Major League Baseball player for their autograph. But has a big leaguer ever asked for yours? If you attended Giants spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona, this year, it might have happened to you. San Francisco signed its former fan-favorite closer Sergio Romo to a contract this spring so the three-time champion could retire as a Giant. And whenever a kid asked for Romo’s autograph in Arizona, he asked them to sign the inside of his hat in return. Then, when he appeared in the Giants’ preseason exhibition series against the A’s back in San Francisco, he wore the special scrawled-on hat in what he knew would be his final big-league appearance. The cap wasn’t the only nice touch for Romo’s farewell. In addition to his familiar entrance song,…

May 2 L.A. Clippers forward Paul George turns 33. 13 Mark Stone of the Vegas Golden Knights is 31 years old. 20 Spirit forward Trinity Rodman turns 21. 27 Australian golfer Minjee Lee celebrates her 27th birthday. June 3 Tennis legend Rafael Nadal celebrates his 37th birthday. 14 Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is 23 years old. 24 PSG forward Lionel Messi turns 36. 25 Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane is 25. ERICK W. RASCO (RODMAN, NADAL)…

BRYCE YOUNG 5' 10" The quarterback has been hounded by questions about whether he is tall enough to thrive in the NFL. Well, he certainly did O.K. in college, winning the Heisman in 2021 and leading Alabama to a national title. CRYSTAL DUNN 5' 1" The NWSL champ and World Cup winner told ESPN: “I am not the biggest, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be the quickest or the smartest and find other ways of being successful.” HACK WILSON 5' 6" No one—not Babe Ruth, not Barry Bonds—has driven in more runs in a season than Wilson, who had 191 RBIs for the Cubs in 1930. He also hit 56 homers, one of four times he led the NL. TEMEKA JOHNSON 5' 3" The 2005 WNBA Rookie of the Year was an elite point guard who won a title with…