BOSTON, MA - JUNE 16: The Golden State Warriors pose for a photo with The Larry OBrien Trophy and The Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award after Game Six of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 16, 2022 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Ten things to know from last week. June 14-20, 2022 included: the NBA Warrior Champions, US Open, stories of perseverance...
  1. The Warriors. The Golden State Warriors can consider themselves the best NBA team in the last decade, as they won their fourth NBA Finals in the last eight years. They defeated the Boston Celtics, 4 games to 2. Steve Kerr (USA) has won nine NBA titles as a Coach or player since 1996. Stephen Curry (USA) received his first Most Valuable Player award. He became the first NBA player to reach 500 playoff three-pointers. Himself, Draymond Green (USA), Klay Thompson (USA), and Andre Iguodala (USA) are four-times Champions.
  2. Amateur and Open. Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG) became the first foreigner to win both the US Amateur and the US Open Golf titles, winning 3.15 Million USD. In second was the world’s number one, Scottie Scheffler (USA), who with 12.9 Million Dollars, has already broken the record for most earnings in a single season.
  3. The missing title. Anders Mol and Christian Sorum (NOR) had won most of the major Beach Volleyball but were missing the World Championship until they now beat Vitor Felipe and Renato Lima (BRA) in straight sets to become World Champions. On the women’s side, Eduarda Santos Lisboa and Ana Patricia Ramos (BRA) gave Brazil its first title since 2015, the sixth for the country, after beating the Canadian pair.
  4. One fight to make. Artur Beterbiev (CAN) beat Joe Smith Jr. (USA) with a quick second TKO to unify the WBO, IBF, and WBC Light Heavyweight Titles. He now has an impressive record of 18-0, with 18 KO’s. This might set up a unification fight for all the titles against also-unbeaten Dmitry Bivol (RUS), the WBC Champion, who recently beat Saúl Álvarez (MEX).
  5. Dramatic win. FC Barcelona (ESP) won a dramatic EHF Champions League Final (Men’s Handball), as they had to beat Lomza Vive Kielce (POL) in penalty kicks. This is their 11th Champions League title, and they became the first team to win two Final Fours in a row.
  6. The usual suspects. The Aquatics World Championship got going in Budapest. Katie Ledecky won the Women’s 1500 meters at the Aquatics World Championship, which is her fourth World Championship title in the distance, more than anyone else. This is also her 17th World Championship gold medal which makes her the most successful female swimmer and the third most successful male or female swimmer in the Championship’s history. Meanwhile, Caeleb Dressel (USA) won his 15th gold medal in a World Swimming Championship, after winning the Men’s 50 meters butterfly event, which he has now won two times. Thomas Ceccon (ITA) broke the World Record in the 100 meters butterfly.
  7. Para Swimming. Simone Barlaam (ITA) had an impressive World Para Swimming Championship, winning six gold medals with three World Records (one equalling), including a new World Record in the men’s 100m freestyle S9, the men’s 100m backstroke S9 -being the first swimmer in his category to swim the distance under a minute-, the Men’s 50 meters freestyle S9, and the Mixed 4x100m freestyle relay 34pts, which sealed Italy’s first place in the medal table. There were many great performances. Leanne Smith (USA) won seven gold medals with two World Record times, Tully Kearney (ENG) won three gold medals with a World Record each. Maria Carolina Santiago (BRA) won six gold medals, Rogier Dorsman (NED) five, and Bethany Firth (ENG) five.
  8. Perseverance. In a PDC Word Cup of Darts that for the first time saw all eight seeded teams make it to the quarter-finals, Australia finally won, after beating the salient World Cup Champions, Wales (Jonny Clayton and Gerwyn Price). Simon Whitlock has been a World Championship Finalists 2008 and 2010, and had been trying to win this tournament for over a decade until he made it in his first time with Damon Heta.
  9. Finally gold. Another show of perseverance was seen in Aerobic Gymnastics. Yet Bali (HUN) has been a World Aerobic Gymnastics World medalist 11 times but just now he won a gold medal, as he was part of the Hungarian teams that won gold in Trio and Team. Vietnam won a historic gold medal in Group, with a spectacular routine.
  10. Open category. FINA (the International Federation of Aquatic Sports and Swimming) announced that female trans swimmers will be able to swim in an “open” category, although it is unclear how it will work. They will only be allowed to compete in the female categories if they did not undergo male puberty.