His heart stopped twice. But he survived to play again

It's Monday! Time to feel good about some sports, don't you think?

From the LSU Tigers' dominant national championship performance to OchoCinco trying out to be an XFL kicker(!), we break down some of the best stories of the week. But let's start with a young hoops player that is beating all the odds: 

HIS HEART STOPPED TWICE. BUT HE SURVIVED TO PLAY AGAIN 

Jeroy Ellis isn’t supposed to be playing basketball. Quite frankly, after suffering a heart attack during a game, he’s not supposed to be alive.

But as the David J. Kim of the Louisville Courier-Journal writes, Ellis not only played in a game. He also scored -- and sent the crowd into a frenzy. 

MLK DAY GAME SHOWS EX-NBA COMMISH'S COMMITMENT TO MEMPHIS  

Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day to remember the life and legacy of the civil rights leader. With it comes a slate of NBA games, including a yearly contest in Memphis, which late NBA commissioner David Stern prioritized to honor the city's role in the civil rights movement as well as the National Civil Rights Museum.

"When it comes to MLK Day, the Grizzlies are going to play whether good, bad, wherever we are. This game is about more than just basketball," Memphis Grizzlies president of basketball operations Jason Wexler said. 

"You can’t just be playing games without trying to make some attempt at understanding the bigger picture meaning of the day. We as an organization in partnership with the National Civil Rights Museum, and given the history of this city, are best positioned to help bring that larger meaning to a broad audience."

QUICK HITS 

• Ochocinco: XFL kicker? 
• Well played. This minor league promotion is top notch 
• Lacrosse goals are taking over the NHL.
• This could have gone way better. 
• Well, here's one company that probably won't go into business with Joe Burrow. 
• A whole host of people received Pro Football Hall of Fame invitations last week. 
• Drew Pearson, Cowboys great during the 1970s, was snubbed, and he was heartbroken over it. 
• Saints legend Steve Gleason was honored by Congress for his work in the fight against ALS. 
• LaMelo Ball is shutting it down in Australia's National Basketball League. Will he be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft? 
• San Francisco Giants make history in hiring Alyssa Nakken, MLB's first full-time female coach.
• Jason Garrett is returning to the NFC East. 
• Tell us how you really feel, Mike. 
• A one-armed amateur golfer made an incredible hole-in-one. 
• Who was the best college football national champion of the 2010s? 

MLB ROCKED BY ASTROS CHEATING SCANDAL

Punishment has been handed down by MLB for the "banging scheme" devised by the 2017 Houston Astros, who went on to win the World Series. GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were both suspended a year – then subsequently fired by Astros owner Jim Crane.  

While our Nancy Armour thinks the league's punishment didn't quite go far enough, the team's title is undeniably tainted and its legacy ruined, Bob Nightengale says. 

So, was it all worth it? 

While pondering that, it's worth noting the repercussions didn't stop in Houston. 

The Mets got rid of Carlos Beltran – a player on the 2017 Astros – before he even managed a game, handling the whole thing in typical Mets fashion. 

Earlier in the week the Red Sox parted ways with Alex Cora, the Astros bench coach in 2017. They didn't really have a choice, despite Cora's success in Beantown. 

LSU GETS THE NAT

LSU won its first national title since 2007 last Monday night in convincing fashion against Clemson. It was the perfect cap to a perfect season, one that saw Joe Burrow put forth perhaps the most dominant campaign by a quarterback in the sport's 150-year history. 

It was a crowning moment for native son Ed Orgeron – and his personal comeback earned him quite a bit of money. 

Don't cry for Clemson, though. Despite losing for the first time in over two years, this team isn't going anywhere – in fact, they're our No. 1 team in the way-too-early top 25. 

While the team was busy making viral videos at the White House, former Tigers star Odell Beckham Jr. was getting out of hot water. First, OBJ was caught on video giving LSU players "apparent cash" in the wake of the tile-game victory. Later, a warrant was issued for his arrest on a misdemeanor battery charge after he appeared to slap a security guard on the backside, but that warrant was subsequently recalled because no charges against him were sought. 

MORE MUST-READ STORIES FROM ACROSS THE Paste BN NETWORK

• Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs finally break through to the Super Bowl. 
• The 49ers reached their seventh Super Bowl with a throwback formula. 
• Dee Ford was a step away from reaching the Super Bowl last season. He'll actually be playing on Super Sunday this year ... against his former team.  
• Luke Kuechly's retirement from the NFL at just 28 reflects a trend that should be applauded. 
• The Lakers keep winning, even with star Anthony Davis out of the lineup. Here's how they're doing it. 
• Our Paul Myerberg graded every FBS college football team's season. Who failed, and who passed with flying colors? 
• Clemson star running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Travis Etienne is returning to school for his senior season. Is that a mistake? 
• Conor McGregor returned to the octagon Saturday night and left with a win in just 40 seconds. It was a reminder there's no one else in sports quite like him. 
• Richard Sherman and Jim Harbaugh: not on great terms! 
• The Zion Williamson era is finally here, but what kind of player will we see? 
• A rough playoff exit should not diminish the accomplishments of Lamar Jackson's season. 
• CC Sabathia said the Yankees were "cheated" out of the 2017 AL pennant by the Astros. 
• Could "Shoeless" Joe Jackson actually make the Baseball Hall of Fame? 
• Former NFL player Chris Dishman hopes that by sharing his family's tragic story, he can help others. 
• In the year that has followed John Coughlin's death by suicide, figure skating has been a sport in turmoil as it struggles to cope with the fallout from his death.
• A brain tumor diagnosis at 15 didn't stop this high school senior from competing in track and gymnastics. 
• Pete Rose discussed many different aspects of the Astros cheating scandal with our Bob Nightengale. 

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