Don't miss the epic conclusion to the Winter Games by watching the 2026 Olympic Closing Ceremony on Sunday, February 22, with live coverage starting at 2:30 pm ET on NBC and simulcast on Peacock.

It's medals on medals for these Olympians. View Entire Post ›

At the end of the day, basketball is just not needed at the Summer Olympics. There is already so much to consume, you could remove it entirely and few would notice. It would, however, transform the Winter Games into a more global event that could comfortably share the stage with its traditionally popular offerings like figure skating and hockey.

Just as Shakespeare penned in "The Merchant of Venice," the human dimension playing out for American athletes competing in Italy might be surpassing the gold medal count at this year’s world games. If it’s any consolation, many of the elusive gold medals have been reported as breaking or detaching during victory celebrations.