Tom Latham used to play rugby with his older brother Matt while growing up and quite naturally his childhood dream was to become an All Black. However, around the time he was picked in New Zealand's Under-19 side, he fully committed to becoming a Black Cap and next week in Dunedin, Latham will mark his 100th ODI appearance by captaining the team for their series opener against Bangladesh.

It was in Dunedin that Latham had also made his ODI debut, against Zimbabwe in 2012, under the captaincy of Brendon McCullum.

"Personally, to play my first game down in Dunedin and also my 100th is going to be pretty cool," Latham said, looking ahead to the landmark. "Great to be able to play one game for New Zealand, but to be able to play 100 is pretty special. My family and wife have come down, so it will be nice to celebrate that down there. Some of the guys in that squad - the likes of Jacob Oram, Natham McCullum, Baz (Brendon McCullum), and a lot of names you look at now and I watched those guys growing up. To play with them and carry on playing is pretty special.

Latham, 19 then, had started off in shaky fashion before making a middle-order cameo in a 90-run victory for New Zealand.

"I was pretty nervy - I was on none off six I think, and then managed to get one through the covers and as I ran my spikes went from under me, so I sort of face-planted a little bit," Latham recalled. "So, some fond memories and we managed to win that series, which was nice. So, fingers crossed, we can play well this series and we can win this series too."

New Zealand's regular captain Kane Williamson has been sidelined from the Bangladesh ODI series with an elbow injury, and in his absence, Latham said, they won't tinker too much and will attempt to continue to build on the good work done under Williamson.

New Zealand will head into the Bangladesh series on the back of a hard-fought 3-2 T20I triumph over Australia, and though they will be without the injured trio of Williamson, Lockie Ferguson and Colin de Grandhomme, Latham was particularly excited at the additions of Will Young, Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway to the ODI side. All three newcomers have displayed strong form in the domestic competitions across formats.

"Obviously, disappointing for Kane to miss out with an elbow injury, but you know for me it's about continuing what Kane has been doing," Latham said. "I've done a fair amount of it [captaincy] over the last couple of seasons and from a leadership point of view it's great we're lucky we have such a good side with so many leaders in the group.

"It's awesome to have new guys in that squad that haven't played… I guess the best thing about the three guys is they're coming off form in all different formats throughout the last couple of weeks. So, that's an exciting thing that these guys have been picked on form and if they get their opportunities and fingers crossed they can take it. It's always nice when new guys come in and make their debuts."

New Zealand haven't played ODIs for a year - their last match was behind closed doors last March at the SCG before the tour was aborted due to the Covid-19 pandemic - and they have only had four 50-over matches since the 2019 World Cup final. Latham, though, felt that the 50-over Ford Trophy had tuned them up for the upcoming ODI series.

"It's pretty exciting to have one-day cricket back with the Black Caps," he said. "Obviously, we haven't played for a long time as a group together and it's a small sample of one-day cricket this summer here in New Zealand. So, I'm sure the guys will be ready to go and will be looking forward to getting into it on Saturday.

"It's been a perfect preparation for everyone involved. There are a slight few changes from the T20 squad, but you know [we've] been playing the Ford Trophy, which has been great and obviously the guys have come up with some good T20 form against Australia as well."

The Ford Trophy ended last week with Latham cracking Matt Fisher to the right of point with a signature back-foot cut to seal Canterbury's 15th one-day title and first since 2016-17. The revelry will continue for Latham as he is set to reach a more significant milestone on March 20.

Five years, four stress fractures, one bout of surgery and countless injections separate Reece Topley, the England rookie who took part in his side's wide-eyed journey towards the final of the last World T20 in India in 2016, from the seasoned, 27-year-old pro whose career could yet come full circle as England's latest T20I campaign prepares to get underway in Ahmedabad.

The fact that Topley is still playing cricket at any level is remarkable in itself. By his own admission, he was "totally done with it" at one stage of his interminable injury agonies - not least on one grim afternoon in the summer of 2018, when a call to say he had been picked for the India ODIs was trumped by another confirming that, yes, he would be undergoing a back operation.

But the fact that Topley has fought back from the brink, to muscle himself a berth in England's full-strength T20I squad, is a testament to the enduring attributes of a 6ft 7in left-arm seamer - a rare breed of bowler who can generate good pace and sharp swing from his awkward high action, and whose skills at the death have not been diminished in the interim.

It remains to be seen whether those attributes can earn him an instant recall ("if I get an opportunity it's about performing that role to Morgy's standards," he said) but, having flirted with all manner of alternative career paths - including human-rights lawyer and financial markets analyst - during his years on the sidelines, he's gagging to get back to the career he thought he'd fallen out of love with.

"It's unbelievable to be back amongst the set-up and with these lads," he said. "The last time I played, I had that innocence of youth when it was that natural progression. I took it in my stride and it never really fazed me.

"This time round, I seemed to enjoy the process of getting selected, working back into the team a lot more. It feels like I have really had to work hard for it, and possibly I took that for granted first time round. But this time it is something I cherish."

This will not be Topley's official England comeback. That milestone was ticked off in the summer, against Ireland at the Ageas Bowl in August, where he capped a very serviceable return to the fray by claiming his first international wicket for 1597 days with the final ball of the innings.

But, having also travelled to South Africa on the curtailed white-ball tour before Christmas, these five matches in Ahmedabad could yet mark the start of his true comeback - especially given what they could mean for the T20 World Cup in the autumn.

"I do view this as a second career in a way," Topley said. "I had such a long break in the middle, I'm older and more mature as a person, I have a totally different outlook on what being a pro cricketer is.

"The last time I played in a T20 was at the World Cup, that game in Mumbai where we chased down 230-odd," he added. "It was a very memorable game. A lot has happened between that, obviously, but I'm very pleased to be back, and quite proud of everything I have overcome."

That contest, against South Africa at the Wankhede, remains England's highest T20I chase, and the third-highest for any nation. And for Topley, it proved to be the end of the road in the short term, as his two overs were slammed for 33 runs, only days after he had endured similar treatment from Chris Gayle and West Indies.

But the format, in Topley's estimation, has accelerated in the interim, and as and when he gets his chance to prove his mettle once more, he's confident that he'll have the mental resolve to rise to the evolving challenges, just as he had to overcome his numerous and daunting threats to his career.

"I've still got certain attributes from last time I played for England," he said. "I'm still a swing bowler up top and a fairly decent death bowler, but any progression that has been made, it's probably inside my own head.

"I moved away from cricket for a year, and when I came back, the game had moved on. It wasn't until I played that I realised how batsman are taking the Powerplay differently, how things are changing at the death. It was only through that competition that you really get a grasp of how the game has moved.

"Back at the start my career, you'd have your five best bowlers bowling. Whereas now, every position has a role and everyone, 1 to 11, is more under the microscope now. It's not necessarily about the individual performances, it's about the death bowlers closing out an innings, it's about the guys up front taking wickets, it's about spinners or fast bowlers taking wickets in the middle, if that's your role."

Topley returns to a very different team dynamic as well. Whereas England's last World T20 campaign was conducted on a wing and a prayer, with Eoin Morgan instructing his players to "embrace the naivety" of being the competition's outsiders, this time they arrive as 50-over world champions, and the No. 1-ranked side in both white-ball formats. As such, the chances to impress may be scarcer, but the rewards of success could be more lasting.

"If I get the opportunity, it's for me to force [Morgan's] hand and take that chance," Topley said. "Whatever the role for the game that I've been given, perform that for the team so that Morgs has a difficult choice of leaving me out, whenever that time comes.

"It's probably one of the harder teams in the world to try and crack into. I can only do that by taking opportunities if any come my way. Healthy competition for places is what you need in a great side and, if you look back to the one-day series leading up to the World Cup that England won, there was massive competition for places there. I think that shows it's healthy. I am going to try and take all the opportunities that come my way and hopefully perform my role for the team."

But whatever happens, Topley is at least back on the stage that his ability has long warranted, even if his body has struggled to match up to the expectations.

"I'll be honest, I did sort of give up at one point," he said. "I was totally done with it. I remember people saying I wouldn't play cricket again. I'd washed my hands of cricket and was well on to looking at other things. But I think it was something to do with being told you can't do something. When it comes full circle to playing cricket, it is extremely rewarding. And thankfully I can say it's pain free. It's something I won't take for granted again."

Ashley Giles has given the strongest hint yet that Alex Hales may be offered a route back into England's white-ball set-up, almost two years after he was axed from the 2019 World Cup squad for failing two tests for recreational drugs.

On Thursday Giles, England's director of cricket, held what have been described as "positive" talks with James Cross, Hales' agent, shortly after recording an interview for Sky Sports' Cricket Show, in which he admitted that "the door can't be closed forever" to a player who is regarded as one of the foremost batsmen on the T20 franchise circuit.

"We all know what a good player Alex is," Giles told Sky. "There has to be a way back in. In these times bringing someone back in - trying to reintegrate them - has been difficult to do because we're living bubble life. But I certainly hope there are opportunities to do that this year."

Since his banishment from the England squad, Hales, 32, has carved himself a niche on the franchise circuit with a run of eye-catching performances - most recently at Australia's Big Bash, where he finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 543 runs for Sydney Thunder.

And the longer his exile has gone on, the more the questions have begun to stack up for the England management - not least the captain Eoin Morgan, who accused Hales of a "complete disregard" for the team's values in the wake of his sacking, and has repeatedly stated that that such a fundamental loss of trust can only be rebuilt over time.

Last month, Hales pleaded to be given closure on the matter, one way or the other, describing himself as "desperate" to return to the England set-up after the "sickening" manner in which his career crumbled on the eve of the World Cup.

He claimed to have made significant lifestyle changes since his fall from grace, including a move to a village outside Nottingham, and during the recent BBL, his coach at Sydney Thunder, Shane Bond, criticised the ECB for failing to enquire after a player who would walk into most T20I line-ups in the world.

Though Morgan has not yet spoken to Hales in his attempts to rebuild bridges between the pair, it is understood that he could be involved in a further round of talks with Hales' management next month.

Certainly, his stance appeared to have softened a touch when he was asked about Hales' status on the eve of the first T20I in Ahmedabad.

"A lot of players who aren't in the squads have had really good winters," Morgan said. "Alex is one of those, as is James Vince. The truth is it's a very difficult side to get into at the moment.

"Given the challenges around Covid, what we would normally do, if it wasn't around, is try and have players that we perceive may be a part of the future coming in and spending time around the side, maybe two days out before the game," he added.

"Given that the regulations are being eased throughout our summer, that could be an opportunity for players outside of the squads to come in and be around the team, and Alex is in that place."

Giles added: "He is a high-class player. We are lucky at the moment we are blessed with a lot of high-class players in our T20 line-up particularly, but the door can't be closed for ever. We all know that trust is a really important thing and that has to be won back."

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Buffalo Bills and linebacker Matt Milano have agreed to a four-year contract, sources tell ESPN's Adam Schefter, keeping the unrestricted free agent in Buffalo through at least the 2024 season.

The deal is reportedly worth $44 million with $24 million guaranteed.

In the days leading up to free agency, Buffalo made several moves to clear cap space to sign Milano, including restructuring the contracts of center Mitch Morse and defensive tackle Vernon Butler, and releasing wide receiver John Brown and defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson. The quartet of roster moves cleared roughly $14 million of cap space, paving the way for Milano's return.

Milano, 26, missed six games in 2020 -- and his absence was obvious whenever he was not on the field. In fact, the only regular-season games the Buffalo Bills lost occurred when Milano was injured.

His injuries last season are not an indication of his durability, however, as he played in 44 of 48 possible games entering the 2020 season.

He has been Buffalo's best cover linebacker over the past three seasons, possessing the ability to not only shadow tight ends and running backs in the passing game but also rush the passer and provide run support when necessary.

A fifth-round pick out of Boston College in 2017, Milano has 273 tackles, including a career-best 101 in 2019, 6 sacks and 5 interceptions in 54 career games.

ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques contributed to this report.

HOUSTON -- Speaking for the first time since his introductory press conference, Houston Texans head coach David Culley reiterated in a videoconference on Thursday that the team is committed to quarterback Deshaun Watson.

"We are very committed to Deshaun as our quarterback," Culley said. "He is our quarterback. He's the only guy we got under contract at this time, right now."

Watson requested a trade, less than six months after signing a four-year, $156 million contract extension that goes through the 2025 season. Watson's trade request came after the quarterback was unhappy with the process used by the team to hire general manager Nick Caserio in January.

Watson has a no-trade clause, but given the length of his contract and the possibility of franchise-tagging him for three years, the Texans could choose not to trade him and would have control of his rights through the 2028 season.

When asked if the Texans are going to trade Watson, Culley said, "Deshaun Watson is a Houston Texan. And we're committed to him."

Culley said "as of right now, there is no contingency plan" if Watson chooses to sit out rather than play for Houston.

The Texans new head coach met with Watson over Zoom in mid-February, where the quarterback reiterated, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano, that he never wants to play for Houston again. Culley declined to say what the two discussed, saying he wanted to keep that between him and Watson.

When asked if Watson was committed to the Texans in the same way Culley says the team is committed to the quarterback, Culley said, "Yes he is."

After referencing the commitment the Texans made to Watson by signing him to a contract extension, Culley said, "I feel like that same commitment would be made to us [from Watson] also."

Former Baltimore Ravens running back Mark Ingram has reached agreement on a one-year deal worth up to $3 million with the Houston Texans, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Ingram will join a Texans backfield led by starter David Johnson, who agreed to a restructured contract to remain with the team. The Texans released pass-catching running back Duke Johnson earlier this offseason.

Ingram, who was a healthy scratch for four of the Ravens' final five contests of the 2020 season, including both playoff games, was released in January.

A Pro Bowl player in 2019, Ingram didn't have the same explosiveness last season, and he was slowly phased out of the Ravens' game plan, finishing with a career-low 72 carries. Baltimore ended up with the No. 1 rushing attack in the NFL by relying on rookie J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.

Ingram, a first-round pick by the Saints in 2011, spent his first eight seasons in New Orleans and reached the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2017. He signed a three-year, $15 million deal with Baltimore in 2019, immediately injecting high energy and leadership into the locker room.

Ingram, 31, gained 1,018 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in his first season with the Ravens, championing Lamar Jackson's run for NFL MVP by exclaiming, "Big Truss!" in postgame news conferences. Teammates have explained that "Big Truss" means trust and faith, a phrase that says, "Got your back."

A Heisman Trophy winner while at Alabama, Ingram was selected 28th overall by the Saints in the 2011 draft. He has rushed for 7,324 yards and 62 touchdowns and has 260 receptions for 1,895 yards and 10 touchdown receptions in 10 seasons.

ESPN's Jamison Hensley contributed to this report.

Patrick Ewing, minutes after coaching Georgetown to a thrilling victory over rival Villanova in the Big East tournament, said he was annoyed by the security measures he has encountered this week at Madison Square Garden -- the hub of his Hall of Fame NBA playing career.

The Hoyas' 72-71 upset of the top-seeded Wildcats was perhaps the most meaningful victory of Ewing's coaching career. The former New York Knicks star said after the game, however, that he has been "getting stopped" and "accosted" at Madison Square Garden.

"I do want to say one thing, though. I thought this was my building," Ewing said Thursday. "And I feel terrible that I'm getting stopped, accosted, [people] asking for passes.

"Everybody in this building should know who the hell I am, and I'm getting stopped -- I can't move around this building. I was like, 'What the hell? Is this Madison Square Garden?'"

It was unclear as of Thursday afternoon who exactly has stopped Ewing, an NBA icon who joins Eli Manning and Derek Jeter on the short list of the most recognizable athletes to ever play for a New York City team.

"I thought this was my building, and I feel terrible that I'm getting stopped, accosted, (people) asking for passes. Everybody in this building should know who the hell I am, and I'm getting stopped -- I can't move around this building. I was like, 'What the hell? Is this Madison Square Garden?'" Georgetown coach and former Knicks star Patrick Ewing

The 7-footer was an 11-time All-Star who averaged 22.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game during his 15 seasons with the Knicks, who reached the NBA Finals twice (1994, 1999) during his time in New York.

The Knicks retired Ewing's No. 33 in 2003, and the player-turned-coach joked that he will remind Knicks owner and Madison Square Garden CEO James Dolan that his jersey still hangs "in the rafters."

"I'm going to have to call Mr. Dolan and say, 'Geez, is my number in the rafters or what?'" he said.

Security guidelines and protocols at major sporting events around the country, including Madison Square Garden, have significantly changed due to COVID-19.

But Ewing also isn't the first Knicks legend to feel disrespected in his former home arena.

In 2017, Charles Oakley was famously removed from a game and arrested after an altercation with the building's security personnel. Last year, Spike Lee -- the movie director and Knicks superfan -- said he was "done" watching his favorite team's home games after he was told he could no longer use an employee entrance to get to his courtside seat.

Ewing is in his fourth season coaching his alma mater, and the Hoyas are back in the Big East tournament semifinals for the first time in six years.

Dante Harris scored 18 points and made two free throws with 4.7 seconds left to cap a perfect game from the line for eighth-seeded Georgetown (11-12), which will play the winner of St. John's-Seton Hall on Friday night. Georgetown hasn't won the conference tournament since 2007.

Villanova, which has won the past three conference tournament titles, had won four straight meetings and 13 of 15 against the Hoyas before Thursday.

"We played against the Cadillac, the Bentley, whatever you want to call them, of the Big East -- the class of the Big East. And once upon a time that was us. But we took a huge step to be able to knock them off," Ewing said.

Georgetown will need a Big East tournament title to get into the field of 68 on Sunday for the NCAA tournament. Although the Hoyas started the season at 5-10, they've won six of their past eight games, including victories over Villanova, Xavier and Seton Hall.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson was placed on Team USA's prospective roster for the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday, one of 15 names added as the team prepares for roster uncertainty as it heads into an unprecedented summer.

The New York Knicks' Julius Randle and Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine, both first-time All-Stars this season like Williamson, were among those added to coach Gregg Popovich's roster. There were already 42 players on the list, which has now swelled to 57 as USA Basketball tries to give itself options for the 12-man team.

There's a good chance even more players could be considered when training camp opens in early July. Team USA's first game in Tokyo is slated for July 25, just three days after the latest possible end date for the NBA Finals.

Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo has lobbied the United States Olympic Committee and FIBA, which runs the Olympic tournament, to allow roster changes up to and perhaps even during the Olympics to accommodate players who might be involved in deep playoff runs.

Typically, rosters are set several weeks in advance of the Olympics. No official ruling has been made.

"It's important that we continue to remain flexible and consider all players who can contribute to our efforts to field the best USA team possible," Colangelo said. "Having a larger player pool than what we normally have is critical because of all of the uncertainties we face about availability."

Among the names added to the roster are the Miami Heat's Duncan Robinson and the Houston Rockets' Christian Wood, both of whom have no history with the national team.

The other 55 players now on the roster have played on the national team or taken part in training camps in the past. Also being added to the roster Thursday were the Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young, the Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen, the Detroit Pistons' Jerami Grant, the Knicks' Mitchell Robinson, the Toronto Raptors' Fred VanVleet, the Rockets' John Wall and Eric Gordon, the Milwaukee Bucks' Jrue Holiday and the Brooklyn Nets' DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin.

One of the many criticisms about New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was that he would be unable to adapt his eat-breathe-sleep basketball ways to a new wave of young players. But after being fired by the Minnesota Timberwolves in January 2019, Thibodeau is at the start of a third basketball act that many thought wasn't possible.

New York wasn't expected to win much in Thibodeau's first season, but as was the case in his first year with the Chicago Bulls in 2010-11, the team has exceeded expectations.

As the Knicks head into Thursday's second-half opener against the Milwaukee Bucks with a surprising 19-18 record -- good for fifth in the Eastern Conference -- they've won the same way so many Thibodeau teams have succeeded in the past: by playing hard and coming together on the defensive end. The Knicks are second in the league in defensive rating, behind only the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Thibodeau is a basketball lifer whose identity has always been wrapped up in the game he loves. He's gruff, he's hard to please and he's demanding -- but he is loyal to those who have been loyal to him over the years.

That was evident in his first stop with the Bulls, when he brought along trusted veteran players such as Kurt Thomas, Keith Bogans and Brian Scalabrine, and assistants such as Andy Greer and Ron Adams to help teach The Thibs Way to younger players like Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah.

Over a decade later, Thibodeau, who still has Greer and longtime right-hand man Daisuke Yoshimoto by his side, has come full circle, bringing in Rose and Gibson as the veterans for a team full of young players learning how to win in the NBA.

The 63-year-old coach spoke recently with ESPN about the lessons he has learned throughout more than three decades in the league, including nine as a head coach, how they've shaped a career renaissance in New York and why he's excited about the direction of the Knicks' young roster.

Editor's note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Has the identity of a Tom Thibodeau-coached team changed through the years?

Thibodeau: Your core beliefs of what it takes to win, I don't think those change. I think what you learn along the way, maybe you can do something a little bit better. You always want to add that to it. But the big thing is, what goes into winning is probably the same: being serious-minded, tough, hardworking, smart, together -- those are the things that you want to stand for. You take care of all the little things, and the results will take care of themselves.

Given all the emotions invested into those years with Rose in Chicago, what does it mean to you to be reunited with him at this stage of both of your respective careers?

Thibodeau: I think his career has been very unique, in the sense that we saw it in the beginning when he was having an MVP year at 22, and then to go through the injuries that he had, to be able to overcome all that adversity, and then to come out of it on the other end where he's had a strong year previously in New York, where he averaged 18 points a game, then he goes to Minnesota and averages 18 a game, then he goes to Detroit and he has a strong year there, and just to see where he is as a person, how much he's grown.

I love the way he complements our team. He still can do a lot of things very dynamically on the floor, but he's always played for the team first. And when you look at the winning that he's done throughout his career, whether it be high school, Memphis, the Chicago years, it says a lot about who he is. And then to know him as I do as a person, to me, obviously when you go through things like we've been through, there's always going to be that trust in each other.

Like Rose, Gibson has been with you at every stop of your head-coaching journey. Why was it so important to reunite with him?

Thibodeau: Taj is an important piece for us because I wanted to have the right veterans here, and you could include Alec Burks and Reggie Bullock, Elfrid Payton, they've been terrific for our young guys, so it's a great blend of players. But I think with Taj and Derrick, the fact that they're familiar with the system, and they've always been team-first guys. I love the role that Taj is in: You could start Taj, you could bring him off the bench, or he could just be a mentor. And he's been invaluable to us with [Knicks center] Mitchell Robinson.

Thibodeau's entire basketball life has been defined by loyalty. He demands it of those around him and offers it only if he feels that it's being reciprocated. It has to be built up over a number of years and can be torn apart in an instant if there is a communication breakdown, which was apparent at the end of both stints with the Bulls and Timberwolves.

As he did during his sabbatical year after getting fired from the Bulls, Thibodeau traveled around the country after getting fired by the Timberwolves -- visiting various teams and coaches to see how they operate and stay close to the game.

As Thibodeau reflected on his previous stops, the coach often pegged for his stubbornness offered an acknowledgment of responsibility for his own previous mistakes and identified areas in which he feels some personal growth.

What's the one thing you feel like you've learned from Chicago and Minnesota that you brought to the Knicks?

Thibodeau: I think you learn from every experience, and you have to continue to adapt. And when you study the NBA, you realize and know that the NBA is never staying the same. It's always evolving, it's always changing. And you have to make sure you still can have your core beliefs, the things that you believe in.

The style of play changes, and we're seeing that with the way teams are shooting the 3. Different types of read-and-react-type offenses, so you have to adjust to that. You have to continually adjust your schemes.

But I think the big thing is also to understand the players that are coming into the league. They're a lot younger, and you have to make sure that you're connecting. You never have it all figured out. You're always trying to learn. There's always better ways to do things.

Some might hear that and think, "So it is possible for Thibs to change."

Thibodeau: I think you have to. My team in Minnesota was a lot different than my team in Chicago. I think it's important to reflect at the conclusion of each season. That should never change, in terms of how you evaluate yourself. You really only answer to yourself, and you need to be honest with yourself. "These are the things we did well, these are the things that we didn't do as well as I would have liked. What could I have done better?"

"I look back at Chicago, that was a great experience for me -- 85 to 90 percent of it was very, very positive. No job is going to be perfect, and I'm not going to be perfect." Tom Thibodeau

What is something you're doing differently with the Knicks compared to your past coaching stops?

Thibodeau: The biggest thing is with [Knicks VP] William Wesley and [Knicks president] Leon Rose. We talk almost daily about everything. Whether it's what we're doing with the team, what the future looks like, so I'd say that communication. Also, it's the understanding of how big the staffs have gotten -- whether it's your analytics, player development, sports science -- and their benefits in developing your team. It requires more managing, so you have to spend more time with it, there's more personalities involved. How do you determine how to utilize all that information? You're talking about staffs that are maybe two times or three times as large as they were five years ago.

Do you feel like you're more open to the entire staff?

Thibodeau: I always think there's different things you can do. I think you learn how to communicate effectively. The more people you have, the more meetings you have to have. And so I think by doing that, you're getting more input, but you're also -- it's important to make people feel like you appreciate what they're doing. You can take it for granted, because you can get wrapped up in the schedule, because the games and practices keep coming.

We're not going to get every decision right, but we want to have a process in which everyone's included, and everyone's voice matters. And then ultimately Leon's going to have the final say. And so then we'll move forward. So we can debate things, we can disagree, but once the decision is made, we all align.

Some might hear that and think, "Thibs is going to let somebody else have the final say?" You're comfortable with that?

Thibodeau: Yeah, I am. And I've always been comfortable with that. I just always wanted to have a voice. So I think that's the important thing. Look, as a coach you have to understand you could have blind spots. And you want people to give you their honest opinion. With Leon and Wes, I trust them completely.

The Knicks job was one Thibodeau had thought about for decades, ever since serving as an assistant on Jeff Van Gundy's staff in the mid-1990s. He knew that coaching inside Madison Square Garden was different, and he relished an opportunity to lead the struggling franchise back to prominence. When Thibodeau needed a coaching lifeline, Rose and Wesley were there to provide one.

The pair had known Thibodeau for years -- Wesley represented Thibodeau when he finally signed with an agent, Rose's CAA, prior to inking his Bulls deal. The trust never wavered. It's a major reason Thibodeau has been able to hit the ground running and feels comfortable with Knicks general manager Scott Perry.

After watching his relationship with former Bulls executives John Paxson and Gar Forman erode and watching his tenure as both coach and president of basketball operations implode with the Timberwolves, Thibodeau has found a kinship with the Knicks' new front office that he believes will last.

Why take the Knicks job knowing, at least on paper, you were farther from contention than at previous stops?

Thibodeau: The upside of the job, also being familiar with Leon and Wes -- those were critical components. I had worked for [Knicks owner] Jim Dolan before, grew up in Connecticut, there's a lot of factors that weighed into it, but the most important part were the players that were here, and also the draft picks and the cap space.

I think when you look at New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, those three cities are a lot different. And so I know what the Knicks mean to New York, I love the challenge of it all, and so it's been very enjoyable for me.

Why do you think things are clicking so well -- and so quickly -- with the Knicks?

Thibodeau: I don't know if they're clicking so well. But I like the young pieces that we have. Julius Randle is an All-Star. Mitchell Robinson and RJ Barrett have really come on. And then we have some good young players with the right veterans. Our veteran leadership has been really strong. Our young guys, Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin, are just gym rats -- they keep getting better and better every day.

But it's a really good mix of guys and they're playing hard, they're playing for each other and I think when you have a team that's committed like that, there's going to be some nights where we're going to fall short, but the next day they come in, they're ready to go, get better and fix things.

What has the transition been like coming from teams built more around veterans?

Thibodeau: I think the important thing when you take a job is to really study where you are, or what type of team you have. I know when I went to Boston as an associate head coach, you look at it and say, "This is a veteran team that has a chance to win a championship." And then going to Chicago, it was a young team that was trying to find its way. It was roughly a .500 team, and so that challenge was different. Minnesota was totally different. That was a team that -- a lot of young guys had not been in the playoffs in 14 years, and so that was a great challenge. And then New York was a different challenge. I think having been here before and understanding New York was probably a big plus for me. And then to look at what our potential would be, I saw a good pathway to move forward.

Do you see any comparisons between Randle's emergence and what you were able to get out of Luol Deng with the Bulls?

Thibodeau: Totally different type of players, but I felt the same way from coaching against them. When you played against the Bulls, Luol was a guy that, if you didn't pay attention to him, could really hurt you. And I thought he had great value in that, that he did a lot of things that weren't measured necessarily by statistics, but could help your team win. And I think with Julius, the same thing: You always saw that he played hard, he had the ability to go off the dribble, he could play back to the basket, always a pretty good midrange shooter. Then adding the 3, and then his defense has really improved.

But also, his playmaking. He's playing very, very unselfishly. And he loves to be in the gym; he's a great worker, but to see where he's gone -- obviously his numbers speak for themself, but his impact on winning has been huge.

What have you seen from Barrett so far, and how do you think his game has expanded since you've gotten there?

Thibodeau: The thing that I saw this summer was his commitment, his attitude and his approach, and once we got to work when he came in, I just liked his upside from the beginning. He's got great size, he can put the ball on the floor, he gets into the paint, he's finishing a lot better. He's starting to really shoot the ball. His all-around play, his growth has been terrific. And I think he's going to continue to get better and better, but he's strong on both sides of the ball, and he's really added a lot to the team as well.

"When you have a team that's committed like that, there's going to be some nights where we're going to fall short, but the next day they come in, they're ready to go, get better and fix things." Tom Thibodeau, on the Knicks' young roster

How would you define the Knicks' plan heading into the March 25 trade deadline and playoff push?

Thibodeau: I think the important thing for us was building our foundation and understanding how you improve your club. If there's something that makes sense for us, we'll consider it, we'll weigh it and then we'll try to make a good decision. But I think when you look at the teams that are successful in this league, that's what they do. I love the position that we're in, we have good young players, we have draft assets, we have cap space, we're positioned really well moving forward.

Some of your past disagreements with ownership are well documented. What's it like learning how to adapt to different ownership styles?

Thibodeau: I know [Dolan] is always committed to the team, and when I was here as an assistant, the way he treated me when I was an assistant coach, I felt very strongly about that. He treated me great and I was just an assistant coach, but he took time to talk to me and things like that, and that went a long way. And I know how important this is to him, and I know what the Knicks mean to the city, I thought it was just a good match all the way around. I know Wes and Leon, how strongly I feel about those two guys as well. So I was excited about the possibility.

With Wes and Leon -- do you think this is the most in sync you've felt with a front office in all your time as a head coach?

Thibodeau: Whether it's ownership or a front office, you're not going to agree on everything. No one does. But looking back, most of my experiences, most of the time, were very positive. I look back at Chicago, that was a great experience for me -- 85 to 90 percent of it was very, very positive. No job is going to be perfect, and I'm not going to be perfect, so I understand that.

But when you look at it, you can't overlook all the positives in each job. I think the one thing in traveling around and visiting with different teams, you understand that the issues are the same virtually for every team. So it's understanding that, OK, we all have problems to solve, and that's what really working is, and we're all fortunate to be doing something that we love. And so I think maybe that's given me a better perspective this time around. And hopefully I continue to learn and grow. I never want to stop learning.

What would it mean to you, after many said you would not get another job, to lead this team back to postseason success?

Thibodeau: There are many steps to take along the way, and I think part of the time when I was out, what you miss the most is the camaraderie of the staff and a team, and everyone working together. I'm enjoying that part of it and understanding the commitment that it takes, the sacrifice that it takes, what goes into winning. I felt the last time I was here we were on the cusp, we were right there at the door, and unfortunately we fell short.

But I know the commitment that team made and that was a championship-caliber team -- great players, great coaches, great organization -- and I'd love to get it back to that level again.

TAMPA, Fla. -- New York Yankees pitcher Luis Severino has thrown off a mound for the first time since Tommy John surgery on Feb. 27, 2020.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the 27-year-old right-hander threw 20 pitches, all fastballs, during a bullpen session Tuesday.

"It was a lot of fun for me to get over there on Tuesday morning to be there to see that first one and just to see how he's moving around," Boone said before Thursday's exhibition game against Philadelphia in Clearwater.

"There's just a confidence in that he's kind of exuding in his health, just watching him play catch, the way his body is, the kind of shape he's in and the free and easy way in which he's throwing," Boone said. "He was really efficient the other day -- really kind of throwing it exactly where he wanted. He was coming out hot. We almost said, 'Hey, back off a little bit. It's coming out a little too well.' And he wasn't working for it necessarily. So really encouraged about where he's at to this point."

Severino took Wednesday off and was to throw off flat ground Thursday. He is expected to be ready for a major league return this summer.

A two-time All-Star, Severino went 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 2018 and was given a $40 million, four-year contract. He was scratched from his first scheduled spring training appearance on March 5, 2019, because of rotator cuff inflammation in his right shoulder. He returned Sept. 17 and was 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA over 12 innings in three regular-season starts, then was 0-1 with a 2.16 ERA over 8⅓ innings in a pair of postseason outings.

In other news, catcher Robinson Chirinos broke his right wrist when hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh's Blake Cederlind in the eighth inning Wednesday night.

The-36-year-old, a nine-year major league veteran, had X-rays and a CT scan Thursday at BayCare Outpatient Imaging, and the scans were reviewed by head team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad and Dr. Daniel Murphy. The Yankees said wrist and hand specialists will be consulted.

Chirinos is at spring training with a minor league contract.