BalltelligencePast answers › 2026-10-08
Daily answers for Thursday, October 8, 2026
NBA #281 · NFL, NHL and MLB #17. These puzzles are over, so this page names every answer. Scroll down only if you are done playing them.
Classic Daily
One current player per sport and 8 guesses. Each guess shows team, conference and division, position, height, age and jersey number. Details below come from the game's roster data.
🏀 NBA · Classic #281
De'Aaron Fox
De'Aaron Fox is a guard for the San Antonio Spurs, in the Western Conference's Southwest Division. On puzzle day the answer wore No. 4, was listed at 6'3" and was 28 years old.
What the correct guess showed
| Team | Conf | Div | Pos | Ht | Age | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAS | West | SW | G | 6'3" | 28 | 4 |
- Career path: Sacramento Kings (2017–18 to 2024–25) → San Antonio Spurs (since 2024–25).
- Guessing a current teammate, such as Victor Wembanyama, Tobias Harris, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, turned the Team tile green.
- NBA positions match when they share a letter, so any guess listed as G or G-F turned the Pos tile green. The NBA Pos tile has no yellow.
🏈 NFL · Classic #17
Nick Bosa
Nick Bosa is a defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers, in the NFC West. On puzzle day the answer wore No. 97, was listed at 6'4" and was 28 years old.
What the correct guess showed
| Team | Conf | Div | Pos | Ht | Age | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SF | NFC | NFC W | DE | 6'4" | 28 | 97 |
- Guessing a current teammate, such as Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Fred Warner, turned the Team tile green.
- Guesses listed as DE turned the Pos tile green. DT is in the same position group, so those guesses showed yellow.
🏒 NHL · Classic #17
Artemi Panarin
Artemi Panarin is a left wing for the Los Angeles Kings, in the Western Conference's Pacific Division. On puzzle day the answer wore No. 10, was listed at 6'0" and was 34 years old.
What the correct guess showed
| Team | Conf | Div | Pos | Ht | Age | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAK | West | PAC | LW | 6'0" | 34 | 10 |
- Guessing a current teammate, such as Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, Drew Doughty and Darcy Kuemper, turned the Team tile green.
- Guesses listed as LW turned the Pos tile green. C and RW are in the same position group, so those guesses showed yellow.
⚾️ MLB · Classic #17
Elly De La Cruz
Elly De La Cruz is a shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds, in the NL Central. On puzzle day the answer wore No. 44, was listed at 6'5" and was 24 years old.
What the correct guess showed
| Team | LG | Div | Pos | Ht | Age | # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | NL | NL C | SS | 6'5" | 24 | 44 |
- Guessing a current teammate, such as Hunter Greene, Eugenio Suárez, Ke'Bryan Hayes and Andrew Abbott, turned the Team tile green.
- Guesses listed as SS turned the Pos tile green. 1B, 2B, 3B and IF are in the same position group, so those guesses showed yellow.
Legacy Daily
One retired legend per sport. Players see the number, the years, the teams and the honors, and they get 3 guesses. Each miss unlocks one of the clues below.
🏀 NBA · Legacy Daily #281
Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan played from 1997 to 2016 as a power forward and wore No. 21. Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Teams
- San Antonio Spurs · 19 seasons · #21
Career stats
| Points | 26,496 |
|---|---|
| PPG | 19.0 |
| Rebounds | 15,091 |
| RPG | 10.8 |
| Blocks | 3,020 |
Clues (one unlocks after each miss)
- Grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands as a competitive swimmer.
- Played four years at Wake Forest and was the No. 1 overall pick in 1997.
- Formed the 'Twin Towers' with David Robinson and was nicknamed 'The Big Fundamental' for his trusty bank shot.
🏈 NFL · Legacy Daily #281
Mike Evans
Mike Evans played from 2014 to 2026 as a wide receiver and wore No. 13 and No. 5.
Teams
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers · 12 seasons · #13
- San Francisco 49ers · 1 season · #5
Career stats
| Receptions | 883 |
|---|---|
| Receiving yards | 13,265 |
| Receiving TDs | 110 |
| Yards per catch | 15.0 |
| Games | 179 |
Clues (one unlocks after each miss)
- Played college football at Texas A&M, catching passes from Johnny Manziel.
- Was the seventh overall pick in 2014.
- Opened his career with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons.
🏒 NHL · Legacy Daily #281
Marián Hossa
Marián Hossa played from 1997 to 2017 as a right wing and wore No. 18 and No. 81. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Teams
- Ottawa Senators · 7 seasons · #18
- Atlanta Thrashers · 3 seasons · #18
- Pittsburgh Penguins · 1 season · #18
- Detroit Red Wings · 1 season · #81
- Chicago Blackhawks · 8 seasons · #81
Career stats
| Goals | 525 |
|---|---|
| Assists | 609 |
| Points | 1,134 |
| Games Played | 1,309 |
Clues (one unlocks after each miss)
- Born in Czechoslovakia; drafted 12th overall in 1995
- Lost back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals with Pittsburgh (2008) and Detroit (2009)
- Signed a 12-year contract with Chicago in 2009; a skin condition ultimately ended his career
⚾️ MLB · Legacy Daily #281
Andrew McCutchen
Andrew McCutchen played from 2009 to 2026 as an outfielder and wore No. 22, No. 26, No. 24 and No. 4.
Teams
- Pittsburgh Pirates · 9 seasons · #22
- San Francisco Giants · 1 season · #22
- New York Yankees · 1 season · #26
- Philadelphia Phillies · 3 seasons · #22
- Milwaukee Brewers · 1 season · #24
- Pittsburgh Pirates · 3 seasons · #22
- Texas Rangers · 1 season · #4
Career stats
| Hits | 2,266 |
|---|---|
| Stolen bases | 220 |
| Batting avg | .271 |
| Home runs | 332 |
| Runs | 1,290 |
Clues (one unlocks after each miss)
- Was the 11th overall pick in 2005 out of Fort Meade, Florida.
- Was known for long dreadlocks, which he later cut off and auctioned for charity.
- Won the 2013 NL MVP as Pittsburgh ended a 20-year playoff drought.