Oscar Tshiebwe is one the of most beloved players in Kentucky basketball history. Always talking about fighting on the court, Tshiebwe is peaceful and kind off the court, but on Wednesday he found himself in the middle of controversy, to no fault of his own.

On Wednesday, the Indiana Pacers traveled to Milwaukee to take on the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Bucks. While the final score wasn’t particularly close, the game was one for the record books, as Antetokounmpo scored a franchise-record 64 points and Tshiebwe scored his first point in the NBA (note: his point scored in the NBA In-Season Championship does NOT count). Given the achievement of both, who is to receive the game ball?

That was the controversy after the game as Antetokounmpo rushed off the court into the Pacers tunnel along with several other Bucks payers in search of the ball. A scuffle then ensured which even led to Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan being elbowed in the ribs by one of the Milwaukee players.

Interestingly, Antetokounmpo says he didn’t want the game ball for himself, he wanted it for teammate Damian Lillard, who moved into fifth place all-time in three-pointers made, making his 2,451st on Wednesday night.

“I understand. When you score your first point in the NBA, you want to have the ball or whatever the case may be,” Antetokounmpo said of the Pacers honoring Tshiebwe’s feat. “But at the end of the day, you’re talking about the guy that just skipped Kyle Korver in the all-time list. In my opinion, we should all stop what we’re doing and appreciate greatness.”

So where did the ball go? No one is quite sure. While the Bucks believe a Pacers assistant grabbed the ball, the Pacers claim that it was a reserve game ball. One video even appears to show the actual game ball being collected by a member of the Bucks staff.

“I have no idea. I’m not going to lie,” Antetokounmpo said. “I really don’t know. I have a ball, but I don’t know if it’s the game ball. It doesn’t feel like the game ball to me. It feels like a brand-new ball. I can tell. I played, what, 35 minutes today. I know how the game ball felt. The ball that I have, which I’ll take and I’ll give it to my mom, for sure — but I don’t know if it’s actually the game ball.”

Tshiebwe hasn’t commented on the situation, but is giving the glory to God for his first NBA point.

Former Kentucky women’s basketball superstar and 2022 WNBA No. 1 overall pick Rhyne Howard honored Terrence Clarke in her recent SLAM Magazine feature.

In the feature, Howard wears Terrence Clarke’s jersey. She also said, “I keep him alive when I play.”

Clarke, who tragically passed away in a car crash on April 22, 2021, played for the Kentucky men’s basketball team during the 2020-2021 season.

This is not the first time Rhyne Howard has used her spotlight to honor Terrence Clarke. The night she was drafted, she wore a white, sparkly suit with a pin on it. The pin was a blue heart with a basketball and “TC5” on it.

Then, prior to finishing in the top three of the 2022 WNBA 3-Point Contest, she sported a blue varsity jacket with the same heart stitched on it.

Rhyne Howard and Terrence Clarke were as close as could be. Howard often refers to Clarke as her “little bro”.

The night Howard was drafted to the Atlanta Dream, she talked about how their connection began at UK:

“As soon as he stepped on campus, we instantly clicked and ever since then, we were inseparable. Just us coming in and me being able to help him and just get him through his college years.”

Now, while Howard continues to dominate on the hardwood, she also continues to honor and pay tribute to her late best friend, Terrence Clarke.

Earlier this week tragedy took place in Corbin (KY), as 8-year-old, Eli Hill, passed away playing basketball at his home. In a freak accident, the backboard of a basketball goal came off the pole and fell on him, succumbing to the injuries.

Following the tragedy, the community of Corbin has come together in remembrance of Eli and in support of his family and friends. On Wednesday, a vigil was held at the city’s rotary baseball park, which over a hundred people attended to honor Eli and show love for his family.

“He was a joy to be around, the amount of love, excitement. You know, the care that he had for others,” high school athlete Jacob Baker said.

On Thursday, the Kentucky baseball team made the hour-and-a-half trip to Corbin to show support to the baseball team of Corbin primary, the baseball team which Eli played for.

In a time of tragedy, it is heartwarming to see people from around the state rally around the family and friends of young Eli, who made an impact on many and will be missed.

The Hill family has also warned others to be cautious of a fake GoFundMe making its way around social media.

Also published on a Sea of Blue.