EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Malik Nabers was so unsure whether he would play for the New York Giants in their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night that his family was not even there to see it.
“I didn’t want my family here and feeling like I let them down by not playing,” Nabers said.
No letdown needed. Nabers returned 350 days after going down with a torn ACL in his right knee, making six catches for 69 yards in a 28-20 Giants victory on Sunday night that completed his long road back to the NFL.
“I’ve been fighting a battle: You fight a battle alone,” Nabers said. “I’m happy that I was able to come out there, feel good and give it my all."
The Giants' top wide receiver was listed as questionable and his status was a mystery despite being reported as a full participant in practice all week. Team officials left it up to him to decide when to play his first game since last Sept. 28.
“He had been cleared medically, but he had to feel right,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He had to feel like he was ready to go and could protect himself and perform the way he wanted, and he did.”
The decision was not made until after Nabers went on to the field and got in a pregame workout. The 23-year-old did some stretching, ran routes with quarterback Jaxson Dart and caught passes.
Most importantly, he felt like himself.
“I just felt like it was time to go,” Nabers said. “When I got out there, I just felt good. I felt good. I got a little chill through my body, and I was like: ‘Yeah, it’s time. It’s time.’”
Dart threw to Nabers nine times, leaning on him after they got less than a half together last season. Nabers may not have been quite as dynamic as his rookie year in 2024, but there were early signs that he can get back to that level.
“We were all not 100% sure what was going to happen,” Dart said. “I was just super stoked. I think that once he was able to feel those lights and feel the game-day environment, maybe he had a little bit of adrenaline. He’s just a guy who wants to play for this team, loves the game and I’m so happy that he was able to come back and have a game like this where he was just able to play really, really efficient and good football.”
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers reacts after a play against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) scrambles for a first down against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers reacts after a play against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer won't fight the NBA's salary cap circumvention punishment in a reversal of the team's initial defiance and vow to fight against what it called “a heavily biased investigation.”
In his first public comments since the NBA announced a sweeping punishment against the Clippers this month, Ballmer said in a statement posted online Sunday night that the team would comply with the penalties handed down by the league.
The league suspended Ballmer for one year, fined the team $30 million and forced it to forfeit five first-round draft picks.
Ballmer said the team has paid the fine.
“While there are still disagreements concerning the findings in the report, this is not where I want to focus,” he said. “Team owners should support, not distract.”
Ballmer apologized to Clippers fans, employees and his fellow owners for the “distraction and distress” caused by the investigation that found the team violated salary cap circumvention rules involving Kawhi Leonard.
“This has been a very difficult time for everybody associated with the Clippers, and for that, I have sincere regrets,” Ballmer wrote. “I want to apologize to our fans, employees, and fellow NBA team owners for the distraction and distress this matter has caused, for which I accept responsibility as principal owner.”
The league came down hard on the organization after a nearly yearlong investigation led by an outside law firm. The Clippers had said multiple times that they had done nothing wrong and expected to be exonerated.
After the penalties were announced, the team said it “vehemently” rejected the NBA’s findings and called it “a heavily biased investigation.”
The Clippers also released a letter from Ballmer’s attorney David Kelley to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in which he described the investigation as “a witch hunt” and the subsequent penalties as a “gross injustice.”
The NBA began investigating in September 2025 whether a $28 million endorsement contract between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC — a company that filed for bankruptcy last year — broke league rules, following a report by journalist Pablo Torre. Earlier this year, Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to defrauding investors and lenders of at least $248 million.
The league said Ballmer knowingly sought to help Leonard obtain off-court income deals, approved a business deal that he knew was a precondition for Aspiration to enter into an endorsement contract with Leonard, and for failing to create conditions under which his team followed league rules.
Ballmer said the team is “committed to putting this chapter behind us.”
“The challenges ahead of us are significant, but so is our resolve,” he said. “We will continue to build our team and invest in our community. The confidence of our fans is our priority. With our talented roster, outstanding staff and clear vision, I am certain that we will compete at the highest level and be an organization our fans can be proud of.”
Leonard’s trade to the Toronto Raptors has been on hold pending the outcome of the investigation. The Raptors have said they still want Leonard, and he apparently is just as eager to return to the team where he won an NBA title and was Finals MVP in 2019.
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FILE - Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard warms up before an NBA basketball game April 10, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
FILE - Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer sits on the sideline before an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls on March 13, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File)
