Former Australian Test cricketer Will Pucovski has launched landmark legal action against the Melbourne private school he attended over the alleged mishandling of his first brain injury in a series of concussions that led to his premature retirement.
‘Hacked off’: England skipper filthy with latest nightclub incident as great calls for crackdown
Joe Root expressed his frustration that a winning return as England Test captain has been overshadowed by another off-field incident that saw Brydon Carse dropped for the second Test against Pakistan.
Former Blues Forward Shockingly Signs With Russian Team
On Tuesday, the KHL announced that long-time NHLer and former St. Louis Blues forward Kevin Hayes has signed with Ak Bars Kazan in Russia.
Hayes played just one season with the Blues, acquired in a trade for a sixth-round pick, scoring 13 goals and 29 points in 79 games during the 2023-24 season. Following his lone season with the Blues, he played two years with the Pittsburgh Penguins before moving to the KHL.
In total, Hayes played 805 games in the NHL, scoring 185 goals and 446 points. Throughout his career, Hayes spent five seasons with the New York Rangers, half a season with the Winnipeg Jets, four seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, one season with the Blues, and two seasons with the Penguins.
Although he never played with the Chicago Blackhawks, he was originally drafted by them in 2010. Hayes elected to play four years in the NCAA with Boston College before signing with the Rangers as a free agent.
Hayes was traded four times in his NHL career and earned just under $70 million through contracts during his NHL career.
Hayes' contract with Ak Bars is reportedly a one-year deal.
Ak Bars' roster features several former NHLers and several NHL-drafted prospects. The team finished second in its division and third in its conference last year, losing in the KHL finals to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
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LeBron James tied to Mark Walter, Guggenheim on $300 million loan
Before he joined the Lakers in 2018, a limited liability company controlled by former franchise superstar LeBron James borrowed almost $300 million from a couple of life insurers that were being advised by Guggenheim Partners, the California Post confirmed Tuesday.
Guggenheim Partners, to which former Lakers owner Mark Walter is the CEO, is under federal investigation over potential hidden, related-party transactions. It is widely believed that the federal scrutiny prompted Walter’s shocking sale of the Lakers after owning the team for less than a year.
Nothing indicates the loans to James are connected to those inquiries.
The securitization, which was first reported by Bloomberg, happened in 2017 while James with playing for the Cavaliers.
The deal was structured to provide immediate cash to James and “backed by a stream of future revenue tied to his earnings outside basketball” such as the lifetime partnership deal he secured with Nike in 2015.
There was a follow-on securitization in 2022 after James joined the Lakers.
The initial bond taken by James came with a 4.8% interest rate, and is not due back until 2049.
Four years later, Midwestern insurers (North American Company for Life and Health Insurance and Midland National Life Insurance Company) flushed LeBron’s LLC (King James Funding) with nearly $60 million worth of 34-year bonds at an even-higher 5.75% interest rate.
The two insurance companies were owned by Sammons Financial Group. Guggenheim was in charge of picking the assets for the firm’s portfolio until 2021, Bloomberg reported.
The initial securitization occurred before James joined the Lakers as a free agent in July 2018. And before Mark Walter, the CEO of Guggenheim, became a minority owner of the Lakers in July 2021.
James signed a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with the Lakers in August 2022.
“The 2018 and 2022 transactions were a securitization done by Mr. James with his personal, non-NBA salary, assets and income which is a very common financial structure for an individual with this level of earnings and assets,” a James spokesperson said in a statement to the California Post.
“Both transactions were fully approved by the NBA. Mr. James has no affiliation with Guggenheim, Sammons Financial, North American Life or Midland National beyond their participation in these transactions.”
Guggenheim is also listed among the investors in SpringHill Co., a media venture started by James and business partner Maverick Carter.
Walter agreed to purchase the majority ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family in June 2025 for a then-record valuation of $10 billion.
He officially acquired a majority stake in the franchise last October before selling his shares to businessman Josh Kushner and ex-Disney executive Bob Iger at the historic valuation of $12.5 billion.
The Financial Times reported last week that Walter and his business partner, Todd Boehly, are looking to sell their minority stakes in Chelsea Football Club.
The recent news surrounding Walter has prompted speculation that the Lakers sale was a quick way to liquify assets for any potential legal troubles facing Walter.
Walter remains the controlling owner of the Dodgers after purchasing majority ownership in 2012. Dodgers president Stan Kasten has stated the Dodgers aren’t for sale.
Klay Thompson likens Giannis Antetokounmpo's impact to Warriors star Steph Curry
Klay Thompson likens Giannis Antetokounmpo's impact to Warriors star Steph Curry originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Klay Thompson officially is the newest member of the Miami Heat, where he joins a team hungry for a deep NBA playoff run after revamping its roster, also acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Thompson is a star in his own right, winning four NBA championships in 13 seasons with the Warriors and five All-Star nods. But Antetokounmpo is one of the biggest stars of the modern era, and for Thompson, the Greek Freak has the same impact as Steph Curry, especially with the way he plays.
“They both have a similar impact on the game,” Thompson told reporters Tuesday in Miami. “I think Giannis would be the third [NBA] MVP that I have been able to play with now, which is really cool. His interior scoring is one of the best ever and his jump shot is greatly improved. You can’t sag off him like you used to. He will punish you, and he’s just an incredible talent who has a great will to win. And I love being around guys like that who leave it out on the floor and really care about their craft.
“That’s what attracted me too, is just like wow, I get to play with another MVP-caliber player, and that’s rare. I don’t take this role I have lightly. Whatever it is, I’m not just happy to be here but I’m just thrilled to have a defined role on this team to try to help guys with my experience and help guide the team through a roller coaster of a season because it’s never easy when you’re trying to chase what we’re trying to do.”
Thompson joins the Heat after spending the previous two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. Signing a three-year deal with the team in 2024, major roster turnover and a diminished role led to Thompson and the Mavs agreeing to a contract buy-out, allowing him to hit NBA free agency a year early.
Now, Thompson will look to maximize the last few seasons of his career and win one more ring before he retires alongside another superstar.
Blue Jays series preview: Last year’s AL champs
The Blue Jays had a deep post-season run, coming so close to winning a championship. But they stumbled out of the gate in their attempt to run it back, losing 12 of 15 in April, a hole that they struggled to emerge from. They have suffered some injuries, but most of their decline has come from a lackluster offense. They are second-from-last in baseball in home runs, third-from last in on-base percentage, and dead last in runs scored. Only eight qualified hitters have fewer home runs than Vladimir Guerrero. Kazuma Okamoto is third among all rookies in home runs with 26.
Kansas City Royals (58-74) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (64-68) at Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Royals: 4.24 runs scored/game (22nd in MLB), 4.93 runs allowed/game (26th)
Blue Jays: 3.95 runs scored/game (30th), 4.36 runs allowed/game (13th)
Who’s hot:
- Alejandro Kirk got off to an awful start, but is hitting .366/.440/.548 with five home runs in his last 26 games.
- Vinnie Pasquantino is hitting .385/.448/.769 in his seven games since returning from the Injured List.
Who’s not:
- Nathan Lukes is hitting just .184/.234/.287 in his last 26 games.
- Carter Jensen is batting .122/.280/.220 in his last 12 games.
Notable matchups:
- Salvador Perez is a career .371/.389/.771 hitter against Max Scherzer with four home runs in 36 plate appearances.
- Andrés Giménez is just 1-for-7 (.143) in his career against Seth Lugo.
Shane Bieber was supposed to pitch on Wednesday, but he was placed on the Injured List and the Jays currently do not list a starter for Wednesday or Thursday. They could start Simeon Woods Richardson, who has been pitching in relief since the Jays acquired him. He has a 1.04 ERA in 17.1 innings with them, but with 10 walks. Royals hitters are batting .366/.422/.439 against Spencer Arrighetti in his two career starts.
The Jays have a 3.78 bullpen ERA, and they have two pitchers – Louis Varland and Tyler Rogers – who are among the eight lowest reliever ERAs in baseball. Spencer Miles has a 1.76 ERA in 36 relief appearances. The Jays picked up Paul Sewald, who was let go by the Diamondbacks last week.
The Jays won’t be back in the World Series, but they are far from a bad team. The Royals have been hot, but the reigning AL champs could be a good test whether this run is fluky or the sign of a team that has figured things out in the second half.
Lakers Mailbag: Ownership madness
I didn’t think we’d need a second one of these so soon, but I also don’t think any Lakers fan expected the chaos of the last two weeks.
After having just enough time to catch our collective breath from free agency, Mark Walter and the Buss family chose chaos for the rest of the summer. Now, the rest of the offseason will be spent wondering what the future of the franchise is even going to look like.
Naturally, lots of questions will come with that uncertainty. Plus, on top of that, there’s still a team that just finished touring Slovenia and is getting ready for a season. So, fire away with any questions, whether on the team, owners, the NBA, the WNBA or whatever else.
Lastly, keep things friendly along the way!
Bronny James fuels breakup buzz with longtime girlfriend after social media move
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James might be moving more solo than he did last year — and not because his father, LeBron, headed to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
Bronny had been dating Parker Whitfield, whom he met in high school, with the couple going public with their relationship around October 2024.
While the couple preferred to keep their relationship mostly private, they were often spotted courtside at basketball games, and they could occasionally comment and appear on each other’s social media posts.
But a major shift has happened regarding social media: Bronny and Whitfield no longer follow each other on Instagram.
It’s an all-too-common sign that a couple has broken up.
Perhaps fans will have to wait and see whether Bronny or Parker says something publicly about their relationship status before confirming this. But given their private nature, it’s unlikely that either will speak publicly about parting ways if they did indeed do so.
It’s unclear exactly when this mutual unfollowing occurred. Bronny just came back from a trip to Slovenia along with the rest of the Lakers’ roster as he gets set for his third season in the NBA.
Whitfield is the daughter of Hollywood producer Salli Richardson-Whitfield and actor Dondré Whitfield. Among their appearances together were when LeBron was playing for Team USA at the Paris 2024 Olympics, as they were seen attending several games together.
Lakers fans probably shouldn’t expect to see Whitfield at games this season, if this unfollowing is any indication.
NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman Drops Several Names In Red Wings' GM Search
Following a period of uncertainty, the Detroit Red Wings appear to have begun the interview process as they search for Steve Yzerman's successor as general manager.
Yzerman vacated his role in mid-July, sending shockwaves throughout the Red Wings fan base and the NHL due to the unusual timing. The 2026 NHL Draft had already concluded, while free agency was already two weeks underway.
Now, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, who was the first to report captain Dylan Larkin's explosive trade request in early June, has revealed several names the Red Wings are reportedly interviewing.
On his latest "32 Thoughts" podcast, the well-connected analyst began by explaining that he believes the Red Wings started by interviewing internal candidates, including assistant general manager Shawn Horcoff and fellow assistant GM and director of amateur scouting Kris Draper.
However, the first external candidate Friedman suggested is on Detroit's list is Andrew Thomas, who currently serves as an assistant general manager with the Detroit Tigers under GM Jeff Greenberg, another candidate reportedly being considered.
"So, they've started to interview candidates—I think they've interviewed internal candidates first," he said. "I think they interviewed Andrew Thomas. Andrew Thomas - who used to work for the Minnesota Wild - he works for the Tigers now, too."
"And, when this opened up, I don't know that Andrew Thomas is going to be ready for this now, but I've heard that they think very highly of him. And so, that's a name to remember, although I'm not convinced the opportunity is going to be his now."
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Friedman then continued by suggesting Florida Panthers assistant GM Brett Peterson, along with San Jose Sharks assistant GM Jeff Kealty as potential candidates.
"There have been some reports: Brett Peterson, Jeff Kealty," he said. "Like, I heard Jeff Kealty really interviewed well in Nashville; he's in San Jose now."
Dylan Larkin Included In NHL's Ranking Of Top 20 Centers Current Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin was included in the NHL's recent ranking of the top 20 players at his position. However, the most intriguing name in Friedman's mind continues to be Greenberg, who has largely spent his executive career in Major League Baseball with multiple clubs, as well as a stop with the Chicago Blackhawks for a single season.
"You know, I said this on NHL Network before I went on vacation at the beginning of August: Jeff Greenberg is the name that interests me," Friedman said. "He works for the Tigers, he worked for a year for the Blackhawks. Before that, he worked for the Cubs. But he's not in charge (of the Tigers), but he is the GM."
The Red Wings are set to open Training Camp on Sept. 17, less than a month from now.
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Texas Rangers lineup for August 25, 2026
Texas Rangers lineup for August 25, 2026 against the Chicago White Sox: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Rangers and Anthony Kay for the White Sox.
Texas looks to keep things rolling in Chicago. Skip Schumaker is going with the righty-swinging crew.
The lineup:
Foscue — 2B
Seager — SS
Langford — LF
Nimmo — RF
Duran — CF
Burger — 1B
O’Hoppe — C
Freeman — 3B
Jansen — C
6:40 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -117 favorites.
VOTE: Which slumping Yankee will break out?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country.
The race is tight.
The New York Yankees are only 3.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the lead in the American League East. However, they’re also working to stave off the Boston Red Sox, who broke down the door and entered the conversation over the past couple months. Every swing decision, every pitch, and every fielding choice matters more with every game played, and for some players this season, those have come easier than to others.
The Yankees need all hands on deck and a return to form from one or multiple players to make their case for an AL East title and World Series championship all the more believable, and there are cases for each one. Jazz Chisholm Jr., while he does sit in third place on the Yankees in fWAR, didn’t get there because of his ability to get on base this season. Rather, he’s there because of what he can do both in the field and when he does get on base. He’s 11th in MLB in strikeout rate, his OBP is below .300, and his wRC+ is 93 across the 121 games he has played this season. However, he’s fourth in MLB in stolen bases, and despite his offensive issues, he’s still been very effective on the basepaths. The same goes for Jose Caballero, whose entire profile is similar to that of Jazz’s this season — although Caballero didn’t come out before the season and say he wanted to go for a 50/50 campaign.
Austin Wells is another roster mainstay who has failed to live up to snuff this season. His last 20 games have been better than what his numbers might suggest (.255/.340/.404 slashline instead of .179/.274/.297), but he has been the worst hitter on the team for the majority, if not the entire season. He has been decent behind the plate, and the two seasons before this saw Wells showcase his offensive potential. However, he hasn’t been the same this year. But compared to new addition Heliot Ramos, who came over from the San Francisco Giants, Wells looks like a superstar.
In 16 games in pinstripes, Ramos is slashing .113/.230/.189, which is good for a 19 wRC+. His -0.7 fWAR is the worst on the Yankees and in such a short period of time. But a redeeming factor could be an acclimation period. Moving from one side of the country to the other isn’t easy for anyone, let alone a professional baseball player. And in 74 games with the Giants, Ramos was a slightly above-average hitter (105 OPS+) who had the kind of opposite-field power that could really be handy at Yankee Stadium. So, while it may be taking longer for him to get his bearings in a Yankee uniform than some fans may like, the sample size is still small, and he has a chance to prove himself down the stretch.
If you had to pick one player who could return to form and help lead the charge, which one do you think is most likely? Let us know in the Feed poll below, and we’ll analyze the results later in the week.
Mariners reinstate shortstop J.P. Crawford
Captain’s back.
As expected, the Mariners have reinstated shortstop J.P. Crawford from the IL, where he landed on July 30 with right wrist inflammation. And emphasis on the “shortstop” part of that sentence, as Colt Emerson, who was playing short in J.P.’s absence earlier in the year and then even when he returned, is done for the year with a similar wrist issue that he’s scheduled to have surgery on today. (If you’re curious about why one player might opt for season-ending surgery and another might come back after an IL stint for the same injury, read yesterday’s report on Colt Emerson, where I dove into the specifics of this injury and how it affects players differently (standard Not A Doctor caveat applies).)
Crawford completed a rehab stint with the Rainiers, playing three games with Tacoma over this past week. After going hitless in his first game, he went on to have a three-hit game with a homer the next day, and collected another hit in his final appearance. His last hurdle was returning to T-Mobile Park to go through a standard daily pregame workout with the team, which he cleared yesterday, leading to his activation today. Crawford was out for early batting practice again today, lasering hits all over the field, including a solid power round where he cleared the right field fence multiple times and even banged one off the ribbon board there.
“Great getting J.P. back,” said manager Dan Wilson pregame. “Obviously, we talk a lot about what he brings to the clubhouse in terms of his leadership and just what he means to this organization…It feels a little bit more like the family’s getting back together.”
With J.P. back, the Mariners lineup recovers some of the on-base ability lost when Brendan Donovan went on the concussion IL, and a veteran presence known to work a lengthy at-bat at the top or bottom of the lineup, offering manager Dan Wilson some flexibility in writing his lineup. That flexibility extends to the left side of the infield, where Crawford can play either short or third while Donovan is out, although from pregame activities yesterday he was taking reps exclusively at short.
Wilson says Crawford will bounce between short and third, likely settling in at short when Brendan Donovan returns. As a corresponding move, the Mariners opted to send infielder Leo Rivas back to Tacoma, leaving rookie Brock Rodden with the big-league club for a little more seasoning before he’s likely optioned back to Tacoma as well to make room for Donovan, who is on the concussion IL but eligible to come off of it on Saturday, assuming he doesn’t suffer any lingering effects from being hit in the head with a batting practice pitch on Saturday. Donovan was out on the field playing catch pregame but needed to take a few minutes to recover afterwards with his hands on his knees, still obviously feeling the nausea from his concussion. Wilson called sending Rivas to Tacoma a “tough decision”, but highlighted that the team feels Rodden has done a “really nice job” at short as well as putting up some good at-bats.
“Felt like Brock brought a little bit of a spark, and that’s a big reason why he’s here,” said Wilson.
Josh Harris Talks Landing LeBron on ‘Sportico Sports Business’
Josh Harris admits that even though he’s the owner of the 76ers, he’s not LeBron James’ boss.
“LeBron doesn’t have a boss,” Harris said in an interview for the latest episode of Sportico Sports Business Presented by Endava, airing Tuesday night on YES Network. “I’m totally comfortable with it. I think that LeBron—or any athlete who’s that exceptional (and if he’s not the GOAT, he’s in the conversation)—the level of focus and intensity and passion that he brings to the game, I’m going to learn from it, our team’s going to learn from it. This is a partnership—LeBron is our partner … and I’m glad he’s with us.”
More from Sportico.com
Harris, the founder of alternative asset management firm 26North, owns the 76ers, NFL’s Washington Commanders, the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, the Premier League’s Crystal Palace and Philadelphia’s expansion WNBA team. And he knows the importance of building culture in a franchise.
“You basically tell everyone you are a steward for the city. Three main goals: create memories, engage with the community and win,” Harris said. He went on to emphasize the most important decisions a team owner makes: “hiring a coach, hiring a GM and hiring a president or CEO.”
“A lot of it is about … playing for each other and establishing a winning mindset,” Harris said, “and as an owner, you are involved in that but also working through your [sports] people.”
Harris also discusses sports team franchise valuations (“sports is really experiencing this uplift … it’s great to see it on paper”), his two simultaneous projects (Philadelphia’s arena and Washington, D.C.’s stadium), if sports and fandom could be considered AI-proof, getting his teams’ tickets into the hands of true fans, the hardest parts of owning sports teams, the current direction of youth sports and more.
Sportico Sports Business Presented by Endava airs monthly. Presenting sponsor Endava is a leading provider of next-generation technology services, driving digital transformation for our customers by combining innovative technology and deep industry expertise with an AI-native approach.
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Canadiens Trading Young Promising Defender Would Come With Big Risk
Montreal Canadiens prospect Adam Engstrom took a nice step in the right direction with his development last season. In 45 AHL games with the Laval Rocket, he posted 10 goals, 34 points, and a plus-14 rating. This was after he posted five goals and 27 points in 66 games during his first season with Laval in 2024-25.
Engstrom's strong play in the AHL also helped him get into his first NHL action with the Canadiens last season. In 15 games with the Habs last season, he posted one assist and a plus-2 rating.
Now, Engstrom is entering this season with the hope of improving further. However, he has also found himself in the rumor mill.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Arpon Basu reported that the Canadiens are open to having trade discussions about Engstrom, but also view him as very valuable.
"It is no secret Engstrom’s name is floating around out there. Teams have asked about him in trade discussions, and the Canadiens are open to those discussions. Engstrom has yet to be traded, largely because the Canadiens see him as having considerable value," Basu wrote.
While the Canadiens have multiple roster needs that they could look to address, including Engstrom in any trade package would come with some real risk for the Habs. The 22-year-old defenseman has the potential to become a very good defenseman later down the road. Due to this, he is a defenseman who the Canadiens could end up regretting moving if they traded him.
At just 22 years old, Engstrom still has plenty of time to improve his game further. With that, the Canadiens would probably we wise to wait and see what the 2022 third-round pick does this season before potentially moving him.
It will be interesting to see what the Canadiens end up doing with Engstrom from here.
Braves shuffle lineup to alternate handedness, Mauricio Dubon hits cleanup
Boy, this is a really different lineup than we’re used to… sorta.
Mauricio Dubon has hit cleanup twice this season (both against right-handers, like Tyler Glasnow), but not since the first few days of July. Michael Harris II has hit fifth here or there, but hit leadoff on Sunday and has largely hit fourth. The big thing is the Braves alternating handedness with no left-handed batter back-to-backs.
As for the Dodgers, well, you know most of these guys:
With Andy Pages now injured, the Dodgers have largely moved up their usual 3-4-5 into 2-3-4 behind Shohei Ohtani.
Batter versus pitcher for tonight is silly. Everyone in the Los Angeles lineup but their catcher has faced Bryce Elder before, with double-digit PAs for the top four in the lineup. Most guys in their lineup have crushed Elder; the aggregate line is 75 PAs with a .389 xwOBA… but just a .314 wOBA. That won’t necessarily keep up, but if Elder and the defense can hold the Dodgers to a .314 wOBA, that might be pretty welcome.
Every Brave but Dubon has faced Glasnow; Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Ozzie Albies have double-digit PAs against him. The aggregate line: 58 PAs, a .282 xwOBA, and a .204 wOBA. Almost nowhere to go but up for the Braves against Glasnow, at this point. Amusingly, Sean Murphy has seen five pitches from Glasnow in two PAs (both in 2023). He struck out looking on four pitches, and then hit a first-pitch down-the-pipe fastball for a homer.