Sports

Oh, the Dallas Mavericks may fire general manager Nico Harrison? Better late than never, I suppose. They should have fired Harrison the moment he suggested trading Luka Dončić. They should have fired him when he traded Quentin Grimes for Caleb Martin. They should've fired him after his disastrous and bizarre meeting with the press last April. They should have fired him the moment they won the Cooper Flagg lottery and were granted a "get out of jail free" card from the basketball gods. They should have fired him in the preseason, when the hilariously unbalanced roster he constructed forced Flagg -- a 6-foot-9 18-year-old who plays forward -- to move to point guard.The best time to fire Nico Harrison would have been any of those moments. The next best time to fire Nico Harrison would be righ...

Napoli missed the chance to return to the top of Serie A after a 2-0 defeat by Bologna. Netherlands forward Thijs Dallinga opened the scoring with a neat finish at the front post.The hosts doubled their through Colombia defender Jhon Lucumi, who headed in a fine cross from Emil Holm.Napoli's defeat means Antonio Conte's side are without a win in their past three matches in all competitions.They entered the weekend top of Serie A but were dislodged by AC Milan's 2-2 draw with Parma on Saturday, when Massimiliano Allegri's side threw away a two-goal lead.Napoli's draw means they remain behind AC Milan on goal difference, and Inter Milan can leapfrog both sides with at least a point against Lazio later on Sunday. Source link

Getty Jalen Williams hasn't suited up for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season because of a wrist injury. The Oklahoma City Thunder are having a fantastic start to the season despite the absence of Jalen Williams due to a wrist injury. Williams has taken a big leap in his recovery from offseason surgery that has kept him out at the beginning of the Thunder’s championship defense.Thunder beat reporter Daniel Bell shared a minute-long video of Williams shooting with his right hand during practice. Bell added that the team is set to give an update on his possible return soon.Brandon Rahbar of the Daily Thunder reported that J-Dub shooting 3-point shots might be the highlight of the day for Oklahoma City fans. Williams is sc...

Brentford analysis: Gtech turns into a fortresspublished at 13:18 GMT13:18 GMTBrentford 3-1 Newcastle UnitedCiaran KellyBBC Sport reporter at Gtech Community Stadium Image source, Getty ImagesNewcastle's players will have been well-briefed about Brentford's threat from long throws, as well as keeping a very close eye on Igor Thiago.But this battling Brentford side are a force on home soil, having already defeated champions Liverpool, Manchester United and Aston Villa this season, with Manchester City the only team to win at the Gtech so far.There was no undue panic from Brentford when they went behind and, crucially, the the hosts did not let brittle Newcastle settle into the game after the break - instead going at them from the restart.Brentford manager Keith Andrews aimed to "impri...

It’s unusual for a professional sports franchise to plan a yearlong celebration for a team that didn’t win a championship. But it is also rare that a group of players represents the vibe and culture of a city so accurately as the Philadelphia 76ers did back in 2001. Throughout the 2025-2026 NBA season, the Sixers will honor the 25th anniversary of their legendary 2001 team. The celebration kicks off with the return of Hip-Hop, the muscle-bound rabbit mascot who debuted in 1998 and represented the team for 13 years. Throughout the year the team will wear jerseys and feature court designs from the 2001 season, and it will honor the team and its star player, Allen “The Answer” Iverson, during a reunion game on Jan. 31, 2026. As a pop culture scholar and director of a program in critical...

Although yesterday’s 2-0 win didn’t ultimately give Roma sole possession of first place (thanks, Lazio), they beat a tough Udinese team and returned to their winning ways after dropping last weekend’s fixture at the San Siro against AC Milan. When combined with Thursday’s win over Rangers in the Europa League, Gian Piero Gasperini’s group navigated two tricky fixtures while scoring multiple goals in consecutive games for only the second time this season.While Roma’s attack still isn’t performing up to Gasperini’s usual high standards, the club managed to craft several impressive spells in both victories this week. And who knows, with a significant upgrade at the striker position this winter (fingers crossed), these two-nil wins might become commonplace.AdvertisementAside from a late barrag...

Getty Lakers legends Kobe Bryant and 'Shaq' Shaquille O'Neal celebrate their 2000 NBA title victory Los Angeles Lakers legends Shaquille O’Neal, AKA Shaq, and Kobe Bryant have been ranked No. 7 and No. 4, respectively, in The Athletic’s new list of top-25 players of the 21st century.The list — selected by a panel of 43 writers, podcasters and editors — ranked current Lakers forward LeBron James at No. 1, followed by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry at No. 2 and San Antonio Spurs icon Tim Duncan at No. 3.While Bryant came in at No. 4, three-time Denver Nuggets MVP Nikola Jokic and two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant rounded off the top six, followed by Shaq, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade.Needl...

Derry City brought the curtain down on their 2025 campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Cork City at Turner’s Cross, sealing a second-place finish in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division and guaranteeing European football next season in Tiernan Lynch’s first year at the helm on Foyleside. It marked a fitting conclusion to a season that began in disarray but ended in style. The Candystripes stumbled out of the blocks early on, managing just one win in their opening five league fixtures. However, toward the business end, they became one of the most formidable sides in the league. Saturday’s victory over Cork extended their unbeaten run to ten games, a streak that began after their last defeat, which was a 2-0 loss away to Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght Stadium back on August 3. During that ru...

The 2025-26 season is just three weeks old, and there are more than six months until the start of free agency. But the small body of work on the court should not dissuade us from identifying 12 potential free agents who have stood out and what their future could hold with their respective teams.There are criteria to how we selected our lineup of contract-year All-Stars:First, we have disqualified players who have previously made an All-NBA or All-Star team. That means you won't see potential summer free agents such as Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, LA Clippers guard James Harden, Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young -- or even Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James -- on this list.Second, players with team options in their current contracts, such as the...

Slot: Decision to disallow Van Dijk header 'clear and obvious it was wrong'Video credit: SNTVMorgan Rogers has signed a new contract with Aston Villa that will keep him at the club until 2031.The England international arrived at Villa Park from Championship side Middlesbrough last year and has gone on to produce 18 goals and 20 assists in 86 appearances for the club.The 23-year-old has also started to make an impact on the international stage, having won 10 caps since his England debut in November 2024.The versatile star will now be hoping to cement his place as a member of Thomas Tuchel’s FIFA World Cup squad.Rogers said that Villa Park is his "home" after putting pen to paper on a new deal. "It’s home," he said. "Being from the area makes it that bit sweeter, but the manager, the players...