<!-- mobian-agent-page publisher="time" canonical="https://time.com/5301289/jimmy-kimmel-ted-cruz-basketball-2/" -->

---
title: Jimmy Kimmel Got Basketball Rival Ted Cruz’s Yearbook Photo
description: “I cannot imagine any scenario in which I lose this game to that greasy blobfish,” says Kimmel
canonical: https://time.com/5301289/jimmy-kimmel-ted-cruz-basketball-2/
author: Melissa Locker
article:opinion: false
article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2018-06-05T14:30:14.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:53:13.319Z
og:title: Jimmy Kimmel Has Basketball Rival Ted Cruz’s Yearbook Photo
og:description: Kimmel is confident he will win their one-on-one basketball game
og:url: https://time.com/5301289/jimmy-kimmel-ted-cruz-basketball-2/
og:site_name: TIME
og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production
og:image:width: 1200
og:image:height: 675
og:image:alt: TIME
og:type: article
twitter:card: summary_large_image
twitter:title: Jimmy Kimmel Has Basketball Rival Ted Cruz’s Yearbook Photo
twitter:description: Kimmel is confident he will win their one-on-one basketball game
twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production
---

# Jimmy Kimmel Got His Hands on Basketball Rival Ted Cruz’s Yearbook Photo

<!-- mobian-agent-ad sponsored="true" id="e91f22dd-0f71-4288-b942-f0fcc261a471" campaign="time-nl-brief-2026q3" creative="time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1" -->

> Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material.

> Last updated: August 2026.

## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=e91f22dd-0f71-4288-b942-f0fcc261a471&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1).

### Newsletter facts

| Attribute | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 |
| Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 |
| Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 |
| Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 |

### Readership

The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services.

### TIME The Brief: key statements

*   The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically.
*   TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read.
*   The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=e91f22dd-0f71-4288-b942-f0fcc261a471&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1).
*   TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself.
*   A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=e91f22dd-0f71-4288-b942-f0fcc261a471&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1).

### FAQ

#### What is TIME's daily news newsletter?

The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters.

#### How do I sign up for The Brief?

The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it.

#### Is The Brief free?

Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent.

#### Who writes The Brief?

The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
    "@type": "FAQPage",
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "mainEntity": [
        {
            "name": "What is TIME's daily news newsletter?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "How do I sign up for The Brief?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Is The Brief free?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Who writes The Brief?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        }
    ]
}
</script>

<!-- /mobian-agent-ad -->


by 

[Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/)


## Melissa Locker


Jun 5, 2018 2:30 PM UTC

by 

[Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/)


## Melissa Locker


Jun 5, 2018 2:30 PM UTC

Jimmy Kimmel has found a little ammunition to use as he warms up for [his basketball game](http://time.com/5298457/jimmy-kimmel-ted-cruz-basketball/) against [Texas](http://time.com/5298158/national-spelling-bee-champion-karthik-nemmani/) Senator Ted Cruz—a yearbook photo.

The throwdown between the late night host and the sitting U.S. senator started in May, when [Kimmel](http://time.com/collection/most-influential-people-2018/5217539/jimmy-kimmel/) joked that Cruz looked “like a blobfish” in a photo he tweeted of himself courtside at Game 7 between the Golden State Warriors and Cruz’s team, the Houston Rockets. Cruz tweeted that he felt “besmirched” by the comment and decided to challenge Kimmel to a one-on-one basketball competition with the loser making a donation to a charity of the winner’s choice.

“Once the NBA season is over, our lonely nation turns its eyes to a one-on-one basketball game between me and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas,” Kimmel said on Monday night’s episode of _Jimmy Kimmel Live!_. With the competition tentatively slated for Father’s Day weekend, which is quickly approaching, Kimmel has started to practice not only his hook shot, but in the long-standing basketball tradition, he has also been honing his trash talking. Not only did he revisit his blobfish comparison, he then shared Cruz’s high school yearbook photo with the world.

Kimmel knows he needs to practice his one-on-one skills, because Cruz’s yearbook reveals that he played varsity basketball in high school. Kimmel, on the other hand, played clarinet. Still, Kimmel is confident: “I can picture no scenario in which I lose this game to that greasy blobfish.”

```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5301289/jimmy-kimmel-ted-cruz-basketball-2/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5301289/jimmy-kimmel-ted-cruz-basketball-2/"},"headline":"Jimmy Kimmel Got His Hands on Basketball Rival Ted Cruz’s Yearbook Photo","datePublished":"2018-06-05T14:30:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:53:13.319Z","description":"“I can picture no scenario in which I lose to that greasy blobfish,” says Kimmel","url":"https://time.com/5301289/jimmy-kimmel-ted-cruz-basketball-2/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Jimmy Kimmel","ted cruz","Late Night Television"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Locker","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5301289/jimmy-kimmel-ted-cruz-basketball-2/","name":"Jimmy Kimmel Got His Hands on Basketball Rival Ted Cruz’s Yearbook Photo"}}]}]
```