Jon Gruden is football through and through. It doesn't matter what level Authentic Saquon Barkley Jersey , what age, or where.

The former and now current coach of the Raiders displayed that again Tuesday by overseeing the distribution of funds and equipment to four Oakland youth football programs through the DICK'S Sporting Goods Sports Matter Program. Gruden has been a major spokesman for that initiative for more than four years.

In the afternoon at Raiders headquarters, Gruden presented grants of $15,000 to the head coaches of McClymonds High School and Oakland Tech. He invited the coaches of both teams to the Raiders main office for a "special behind- the-scenes tour" and discussion of football in Oakland. When the tour ended, Gruden handed over the checks to the surprised coaches.

At night, coaches and players from the East Bay Panthers and San Leandro Crusaders headed to a "friendly scrimmage" at Burrell Field. When the teams ran onto the field, they were stunned to see new football helmets, pads, balls and water bottles laid out on the field for them.

Each league received a $50,000 grant.

"Being back in Oakland and getting back into coaching has only fired me up more to work with DICK'S Sports Matter program to help more kids have the opportunity to play," said Gruden, who also gave the Panthers and Crusaders a pep talk. "Like so many other cities in the U.S., we have an issue with youth sports funding here in Oakland. Costs are rising 鈥?kids can't afford to play and coaches can't afford to coach.

"Seeing these kids' faces light up and knowing that sports will teach them so many valuable lessons they will carry with them off the field is really special."

Gruden encourages other youth sports program struggling to get by "to visit SportsMatter.org to apply for help."

"If you give your absolute best effort on the field, the lessons that sports teach will stay with you forever, and help you to be your best in every part of your life," he said.

Oakland has an 18.9 percent poverty rate Michael Gallup Jersey Cowboys , and the highest crime rate of any city in California.

Many areas in cities across the country need funding for their youth sports and school athletic programs. According to Up2Us Sports, a nonprofit whose research, training, and on-the-ground initiatives empower sports programs to become an agent of positive social change, billions of dollars have been cut from school sports budgets in recent years. These cuts disproportionately impact students in low income areas, and students from low-income families are four times more likely to decrease participation in sports due to costs.

Student athletes have an 11 percent higher graduation rate than non-athletes, Up2Us Sports reports. The U.S. Department of Education adds that students who participate in sports are four times more likely to attend college.

DICK'S and its foundation created Sports Matter in 2014, pledging more than $50 million to support youth sports programs in need and raise awareness of the funding crisis. To date, Sports Matter has helped fund tens of thousands of youth sports programs and impacted hundreds of thousands of young athletes nationwide.

"It's days like today that make it all worth it, and we can't thank coach Gruden and DICK'S enough," said Jacob Davis, president of the East Bay Panthers. "We love these kids and know how important sports are to keep them off the streets and doing positive things in their lives. This money will go a long way in helping our leagues survive and thrive."

LeBron James is keeping his thoughts to himself.

Whatever concerns – or confidence – he might harbor about his Cleveland Cavaliers facing a 2-1 first-round Eastern Conference series hole heading into Game 4 at the Indiana Pacers on Sunday were not going to be made available for public consumption.

James decided not to speak to reporters on Saturday.

And he did not have a whole lot to say in the immediate aftermath of Game 3, either, when Indiana erased a 17-point deficit and then held on for a 92-90 victory over the Cavs.

Not only has the four-time MVP and three-time NBA champ never lost an opening NBA postseason series, going 12-0 in the past, he had never even trailed in the first round until this one Cheap Anthony Miller Jersey , when Cleveland dropped Game 1 at home.

Now he is behind again.

”We’ve had some good quarters,” James said Friday, ”and we didn’t have some good quarters.”

Well, that explains a lot.

Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue’s synopsis?

”They won a game we should have won,” Lue said. ”That’s what’s disappointing. But we’re not discouraged. We’ve got to get Game 4 – and I’m confident.”

In addition to Cavaliers-Pacers on Sunday, the day’s other NBA games are the Boston Celtics at the Milwaukee Bucks, the Golden State Warriors at the San Antonio Spurs, and the Toronto Raptors at the Washington Wizards.

A look at Sunday’s full slate of NBA playoff games:

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CELTICS AT BUCKS

Boston leads 2-1. Game 4, 1 p.m. EDT, ABC

NEED TO KNOW: Good as All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo is, the Bucks are getting major contributions from Khris Middleton, who is giving the Celtics headaches with his mid-range jumper and all-around game. Middleton is averaging 26.3 points in the series, while shooting 62 percent overall, 12 of 19 on 3s. ”For me, it’s about seeing the offense, finding my spots to be aggressive Youth Uchenna Nwosu Jersey ,” Middleton said. ”Just playing in rhythm.”

KEEP AN EYE ON: The first quarter. Veteran forward Al Horford hopes the young Celtics can take lessons from their disastrous start in Game 3 , when Boston was outscored 27-12 in the opening period and never recovered. Boston was flat in front of a raucous road crowd, overwhelmed by an energetic Bucks team that received contributions from up and down the roster. ”This is new for our group,” Horford said. ”We’ll look at film and learn from it.”

PRESSURE IS ON: One of the NBA’s best defensive teams in the regular season, the Celtics have been overrun by the Bucks of late. Milwaukee shot 57 percent in each of the last two games, making a franchise playoff-record 16 3s in Game 3.

INJURY UPDATE: It’s unclear whether Bucks C John Henson will be ready after sitting out Game 3 with a bad back. … Celtics G Marcus Smart will see a doctor again next week to determine when he can return to full-contact practice.

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WARRIORS AT SPURS

Golden State leads 3-0. Game 4, 3:30 p.m. EDT, ABC

NEED TO KNOW: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will sit out a second game in the aftermath of his wife’s death. Assistant Ettore Messina coached San Antonio in Game 3 and will again in Game 4. ”You know how important Pop is, not only for us players, but the whole organization and the whole NBA,” Manu Ginobili said. ”We probably are in a better situation emotionally, and hopefully it fuels us. But it’s hard to tell how a team is going to react.”

KEEP AN EYE ON: Ginobili. The 40-year-old could be playing in his last NBA game. Spurs fans serenaded Ginobili in last season’s Western Conference finale, believing it could be his farewell. It wasn’t. Ginobili says he will wait until the offseason to decide whether to return for a 17th season. ”It was super awkward,” Ginobili said. ”I didn’t want to acknowledge it. I didn’t want to ignore it.”

PRESSURE IS ON: Anyone on San Antonio other than LaMarcus Aldridge. The All-Star forward is averaging 22 points in the series, and has been the team’s only consistent scorer. San Antonio needs someone else to step up.

INJURY UPDATE: Golden State is without Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard remains out for San Antonio. Both have knee issues. Leonard missed all but nine regular-season games.

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RAPTORS AT WIZARDS

Toronto leads 2-1. Game 4, 6 p.m. EDT Authentic Jose Ramirez Jersey , TNT

NEED TO KNOW: As long as all the chippiness and on-court chatter that showed up in Game 3 doesn’t lead to any real fights moving forward, this series could be mainly about the two terrific All-Star backcourts, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry of No. 1 seed Toronto vs. John Wall and Bradley Beal of No. 8 Washington. And each duo has performed much better at home than on the road. Wall and Beal each scored 28 points in a Game 3 win , while the Wizards shot 55.3 percent on field-goal attempts, the third-best playoff showing in franchise history.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Turnovers and bench scoring. Those were two of the Raptors’ strengths in the regular season, but both were huge issues in Game 3, when Toronto’s 19 turnovers led to 28 points for Washington, and the Wizards’ sometimes-unreliable reserve unit outscored their counterparts 35-32. ”We had some turnovers that are just our fault, that we really shouldn’t have – we can’t have,” Toronto reserve Jakob Poeltl said.

PRESSURE IS ON: Otto Porter Jr. As much as the Wizards dominated in a 122-103 victory Friday, they still train in the series and can’t afford to head to Toronto trailing 3-1. So now that Beal has awoken and joined.