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NBA

By Ryan Glass Mirror

July 13, 2023 | 11:15 p.m

Dan Patrick wasn’t a fan of how LeBron James and ESPN dealt with the news that James would not be retiring from the NBA.

At Wednesday night’s ESPY Awards, James announced he was returning for his 21st NBA season.

“I don’t care how many points I have left or what I can and can’t do on the floor,” James said at the awards ceremony. “The real question for me is: can I play this game without cheating? The day I can’t give my all on the floor is the day I’m done.

“Lucky for you, that day isn’t today.”

Patrick – a former SportsCenter host and current Fox Sports Radio host – felt the “revelation” didn’t deserve breaking news coverage.

“I wasn’t waiting for an announcement,” Patrick said Thursday. “I have one. And then ESPN treats it like it’s breaking news. And I said, ‘You know what’s breaking?’ When he retires. Not that he’s coming back. Who would have thought he’d could retire?

Dan Patrick, pictured during his show on Monday, criticized how ESPN handled the announcement of LeBron James at the ESPYs Sunday night. Screengrab via Twitter/@dpshow LeBron James announced he will be returning for a 21st NBA season .ABC via Getty Images

“It’s just…it’s just needy, and you don’t need it,” the former ESPN host continued.

Another presenter who wasn’t thrilled with the way the announcement was presented was Colin Cowherd.

“How about we do something cool in 2024 and beyond — occasional moments of a professional athlete’s humility,” Cowherd said.

He continued, “I like LeBron. I’m pro LeBron. [But] … “How lucky are we?” A little creepy.”

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“How about we do something cool in 2024 and beyond — occasional moments of a professional athlete’s humility.”

— @ColinCowherd At LeBron’s speech, he will officially return for season 21 pic.twitter.com/F8nGDjm5B7

— Herd with Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 13, 2023

Last season, James played in 55 regular season games for the Lakers, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game.

The Lakers made it past the Grizzlies and Warriors in the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs before being defeated by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.

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As the second half of the major league season begins, the Toronto Blue Jays still have a lot to prove if they want to have a successful season.

So far, the Queen City side sit third in the American League East Division with a 50-41 record. If the playoffs started tomorrow morning, they would be the last team to qualify.

• Also read: MLB: The next season starts outside the US

• Also read: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. makes fun of Shohei Ohtani in his own way

Here are two things that would improve the Jays’ chances of bringing October baseball to their fans.

A strong comeback for Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

The Blue Jays first baseman isn’t having a bad season, but he’s still a long way from his spectacular performances in 2021. That year, the former Montreal Expos star’s son had a 311 batting average and hit 48 home runs and hit 123 runs. He had come second in America’s Most Valuable Player poll, behind a certain Shohei Ohtani.

Guerrero Jr. returns from the All-Star Game with the first home run triumph of his career. Fans hope this gives him the confidence to wreak havoc against opposing pitchers.

Guerrero Jr. wasn’t bad before the break either. In his last 15 appearances, his average is .271. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s positive considering he’s apparently had a hard time doing what’s expected of him since the beginning of this campaign.

Alek Manoah has to pull himself together

The 25-year-old pitcher was supposed to be the Blue Jays’ ace this year, but it turns out the opposite was true. Manoah did it 2-7 and a terrible 5.91 ERA in 14 starts. His club even decided to demote him to junior class to regain his confidence. He’s been back in Major League Baseball since July 7, when he gave up just one run in five hits in six innings in a 12-2 win over the Detroit Tigers.

It’s a step in the right direction, but the Jays can’t quite trust their 2022-so-dominant marksman just yet.

However, if Manoah was in control, the Toronto team would have five prime starters and wouldn’t have to make huge sacrifices in the trade market to get a pitcher. It could mean the difference between making the playoffs or taking a vacation in late September.

Tyler Soderstrom and Zack Gelof have long been considered potential franchise cornerstones for the A’s. Now is the time for both of them.

Soderstrom — ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 1 contender for Oakland and the No. 34 overall contender — and A’s No. 3 contender Gelof are both named to the majors, a source told MLB.com. Both are expected to join the club ahead of Friday’s opener against the Twins at the Coliseum.

Soderstrom, 21, flexed his muscles at Triple-A Las Vegas this season, leading the Aviators with 20 homers and 59 RBIs and an .839 OPS in 69 games. The catcher/first baseman competed in the All-Star Futures Game at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park last week.

The 23-year-old Gelof bats .304 in Las Vegas with a team-leading OPS of .930 with 12 homers, 21 doubles, 44 RBIs and 20 stolen bases. The infielder’s rapid rise to the major leagues will take almost two years to the day he was drafted by Oakland in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

Soderstrom and Gelof are at the forefront of a group of multiple prospects who are expected to help shape the franchise’s next wave of baseball victories. For a rehabilitated A club that struggled in the first half, their arrival means anticipation for the second half and hope that a new chapter is about to begin.

In the 2023-2024 period, the Pittsburgh Penguins need to be forgiven for several things. Goalkeeper Tristan Jarry, like his team, has had a rollercoaster season and will want to do better.

• Also read: Coyotes: It is suspected that there is an off-ice story behind Alex Galchenyuk’s firing

• Also read: A mentoring role for Ryan O’Reilly in Nashville

• Also read: Can the Jackets go for the Leafs title with Mike Babcock?

For the first time since 2006-2007, the “Pens” missed the playoffs, causing minor shock waves in the National Hockey League and a major comeback for the Pennsylvania organization.

During the offseason, they preferred to clean up their staff and cut ties with general manager Ron Hextall, among other things, rather than touch their core on the ice.

That’s how Jarry gained his family’s trust with a new five-year contract worth a total of $26.875 million. The 28-year-old British-Colombian received more offers on July 1 but had only one goal in mind.

“I’ve wanted to stay in Pittsburgh for a long time,” assured the porter. my house is there Being able to make that happen has taken a lot of the pressure off my shoulders. I wanted to focus on my game and not have to wonder where I was going.

Already back?

Now that the Penguins are on their longest active streak in playoff appearances, they need to look to the future. We say the window is always open for a new Stanley Cup from Sidney Crosby and his band.

“I think we’re going to be a more competitive team,” Jarry said. We have a better group than last year. We never thought last year that we would miss the playoffs. It was frustrating, very disappointing. Things will change this year.”

In recent weeks the team have signed veteran strikers like Rielly Smith, Lars Eller and Matt Nieto, offered a new deal to the very reliable defender Ryan Graves and added a new man at net: Alex Nedeljkovic.

ups and downs

The latter would also be battling for game time with Penguins No. 2 Casey DeSmith. Jarry doesn’t take anything for granted, especially since he’s often the subject of criticism for his particularly high aspirations versus the average. Last year it was 2.90, while the efficiency rate was 0.909.

Injuries also played a role but he says he’s in top form now.

“I haven’t always performed at my best,” he admitted. There are times when I’ve played well and other times I haven’t. That frustrated me the most. I couldn’t agree with what was going on.

Consistency should actually be the key for the penguins. However, betting against them could be a big mistake.

According to league sources, Jamal Murray has confirmed his previous involvement with Team Canada and is a headlining of the 18-man squad the Canadians have nominated for their FIBA ​​World Cup stint this summer.

Ultimately, teams can only take 12 players to the World Cup.

There have been some doubts about Murray’s availability for the World Cup due to his extended playoff round with world champions Denver Nuggets and his injury history, and although Canada is creating an expanded roster, it still leaves Murray room for an exit, league sources have said expressed to Team Canada his excitement at the chance of a big win at the World Championships.

Canada’s expanded list includes NBA’s Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dillon Brooks, RJ Barrett, Luguentz Dort, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kelly Olynyk, Oshae Brissett, Cory Joseph and Dwight Powell, and college basketball’s Zach Edey.

Notable NBA players not on the Team Canada roster include Andrew Wiggins, Bennedict Mathurin, Shaedon Sharpe and Andrew Nembhard.

Murray, 26, a native of Kitchener, Ontario, averaged 26.1 points and 7.1 assists in the playoffs for the Nuggets alongside Nikola Jokić, creating a one-two that ultimately proved too much for the rest of the NBA. He averaged 20.0 points in 65 regular-season games after missing a year and a half in spring 2021 with a torn knee ligament.

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Jamal Murray’s arduous journey to an NBA title made the long-awaited moment even sweeter

Team Canada is in the midst of a cycle of requiring three-year commitments from its players to build continuity and ensure the country is represented by as many NBA players as possible.

It involves a page from the playbook used for years by former Team USA general manager Jerry Colangelo, which the Americans have since backed away from, and a plan pioneered by Canada’s general manager Rowan Barrett and then-coach Nick Nurse has since parted ways with Team Canada after being fired from the Toronto Raptors.

Although Murray didn’t play last season, he made the commitment and attended Canada’s training camps last summer.

Additionally, Murray is close to new Canada national team coach Jordi Fernández, who was an assistant to coach Michael Malone at Denver and has worked with Murray for years.

The easiest way to qualify is to perform well at the World Cup. Team Canada’s first game will take place on August 25 in Jakarta, Indonesia against world power France.

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(Photo: Rich Story / USA Today)

Football: Hamilton Tigers-Cats v. Edmonton moose

Dominic Chan / QMI Agency

In the only duel on Thursday evening in the Canadian Football League (CFL), two teams meet that have had a difficult start to the season. The Edmonton Elks are yet to claim a win in five games since the start of the season. Their offense is in deep trouble, having only picked up 13 points once this season. Their opponent, the Hamilton Tigers-Cats, got back on track last week by beating the Ottawa Redblacks 21-13. It was also the first win of the season for Orlando Steinauer’s team. Hamilton’s defense was dominant throughout this encounter. She had five sacks and three interceptions, while also limiting Ottawa to 186 passing yards.

Prediction: Hamilton Tigers-Cats win – 1.80

Tennis: Elina Svitolina v. Marketa Vondrousova

AFP

Elina Svitolina (76th player in the world) caused quite an upset on Tuesday in the quarterfinals. She defeated the best player in the world, Iga Swiatek, in three sets 7-5, 6-7, 6-2. The Ukrainian is in very good shape at Wimbledon after beating two top 30 players, Elise Mertens (28th in the world) and Victoria Azarenka (20th in the world). This season, Svitolina won top honors at the Strasbourg Open in France. She is seeking her 18th career WTA title.

Prediction: Elina Svitolina wins – 2.05

Tennis: Ons Jabeur vs. Aryna Sabalenka

AFP

Aryna Sabalenka (World runner-up) is clearly determined to win her second Grand Slam title of her career. She has lost just one set in five games since the tournament began. This season Sabalenka has won three WTA tournaments including the Australian Open. For the fifth time in her career, she meets Ons Jabeur (sixth player in the world). Sabalenka had the upper hand against her future opponent three times in four times. Moreover, the two players have only crossed swords once on the pitch and it was the Belarusian who won it.

Prediction: Aryna Sabalenka wins in straight sets – 2.44

Portland celebrate an 88-71 win over Orlando and are now waiting to see if their 3-1 record will qualify them for the Summer League Playoffs in Las Vegas.

• By Ryne Buchanan

• on July 13, 2023 8:57 p.m

The Portland Trail Blazers edged the Orlando Magic 88-71 in Las Vegas on Thursday after a series of close encounters early in their NBA Summer League schedule. The win puts the team 3-1 up in Summer League play and keeps them alive for the weekend’s four-team postseason as they look to defend their title from last year.

All three 2023 lottery picks between the two teams were inactive for the contest — Portland’s Scoot Henderson and Orlando’s Anthony Black and Jett Howard. However, thanks to the efforts of summer sensation Michael Devoe, the Blazers could barely catch a break. The former Georgia Tech star started as a point guard in place of Henderson for the third straight game (after he suffered a DNP in the opening game) and scored 18 points to take the lead.

Despite getting off to a somewhat slow start, Portland ended the first half with a 36-7 run from the 4:21 mark of the first quarter. The Magic only managed 19 points in the first 20 minutes of the game. Orlando’s offense performed slightly better in the second half, but the 26-point gap at halftime proved far too much to bridge.

While Devoe once again stole the show and demonstrated his offense generating ability, several other Blazers also put on solid performances. Jabari Walker had a masterful double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and looks set to be a real rotation player next season. Duop Reath continued his prolific streak as a backup center, notching 12 points and five rebounds and three steals while trying to get into the team’s training camp roster.

Rookie Kris Murray’s turbulent summer continued as he failed to carry his sharp shooting talent from the team’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets earlier this week into Thursday’s competition. He demonstrated his defensive prowess with two steals but was only 1-7 from long range.

Fellow newcomer Rayan Rupert scored 31 minutes and continued to establish himself as a tenacious defender – without committing a single foul. He’s still developing on offense, scoring 7-1 from the field and losing three turnovers. He also scored 12 rebounds, the highest team effort.

Undoubtedly the most talented player on the floor, Shaedon Sharpe scored another highlight dunk, but it was limited to just 12 minutes as the team looked to involve less established players more.

Finally, Ibou Badji showed his best performance so far. The big man has gained confidence over the course of Summer League, shaking off the rust of a lost season. It paid off against the admittedly small Magic roster, as he finished the game with six points, seven rebounds and two blocks over 22 minutes.

box score

The Blazers are now awaiting the results of tomorrow’s games to decide if they will participate in the Summer League Playoffs. The top four teams after the initial four-game schedule advance to a semi-final game on Sunday, with the league game scheduled for Monday night. Tiebreakers are determined by points difference.

Regardless, Portland will play at least one more game over the weekend, with the opponent and game time to be announced after the playoff field has been determined.

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Two-time MVP Stephen Curry thinks the Knicks made a wise decision in signing him Donte DiVincenzo.

“He’s all about basketball, he’s all about winning. He brings great energy to the locker room,” the Warriors star said Thursday while discussing his golf game ahead of the American Century Championships. “I used to call him the vet even though he’s quite young just because he has that kind of spirit about him. He is playing well past his years. He’s good on both sides of the ball, he can play better than most people probably realize. So he fills a lot of gaps in a team.”

DiVincenzo averaged 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game with the Golden State Warriors last season. He scored those numbers in just 26 minutes per game. He also scored 39.7 percent of his three-point attempts last year, trailing only Curry and Clay Thompson in this category.

The Knicks had targeted DiVincenzo early in the offseason. They signed a four-year, $50 million deal on day two of free agency, reuniting him with Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson And Josh Hart.

Curry said Thursday he understands DiVincenzo is leaving Golden State to play a bigger role in New York.

“He’s not selfish about — I know he wants to start and be that guy — but he also understands where value can be created on a team, no matter what role you’re taking on,” says Curry, a four-timer NBA champion said. “He bought in right away and was rewarded for it.”

Curry recalled a conversation with DiVincenzo in the 2022 offseason when the 26-year-old was considering taking on Golden State as a free agent.

“I know he was recovering from an injury and was trying to find a situation that might help him figure out who he is as an NBA player and the value he brings to winning teams. And he’s proven that with us all year,” Curry said. “He knows how to play the game. You can say. He won at the highest level in college. And the Knicks scored well. I’m glad he got his fair share of this CBA too. So it was good.”

Curry is believed to be a 12-1 favorite at the American Century Championship, a celebrity tournament that raised $7 million for charity.

The field also includes Dell Curry, Charles Barkley, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen And John Elway. The celebs are competing for $600,000 in prize money.

What’s next for the Knicks?

New York still has about $750,000 of its mid-level non-taxpayer exemption after the DiVincenzo deal. The Knicks can also sign players through the veteran minimum exemption or semi-annual exemption (semi-annual exemption starts at $4.5 million).

They hit the luxury tax threshold of $165 million. It’s possible the Knicks won’t want to exceed the luxury tax given the onerous tax bills that could come in the coming seasons. But I don’t feel like there’s an order from the Knicks governor to continue observing the tax James Dolan. There’s a salary threshold that the Knicks can’t exceed; Because New York exercised the mid-tier exemption on DiVincenzo, the club cannot exceed a team salary of $172 million.

Further steps on the horizon: a possible trade in Evan Fournier and the Josh Hart Renewal. A team that tracks the value of expiring contracts in trades says New York is keen on Fournier’s contract, which is valued at $18.8 million for 2023-24 and has a team option for 2024-25 . Hart is eligible for an extension of up to four years and up to $81 million. I would expect it to be under the max number.