The Los Angeles Kings will retire Anze Kopitar's No. 11 and unveil a bronze statue of him at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 24, 2027, as they honor the franchise's all-time leading scorer.
Kopitar, 38, retired after the 2025-26 season, his 20th in the NHL, all spent with the Kings after they drafted him 11th overall in 2005.
The ceremony will give Kings fans another chance to celebrate the Slovenia native after they shouted "Kopi" and gave him a standing ovation following a Game 4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs. The Kings are playing the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 24.
Kopitar won Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014, was team captain from 2016-17 through last season and passed Marcel Dionne on March 14, 2026, to become the franchise's leading scorer.
He finished his career with 452 goals and 1,316 points in 1,521 regular-season games, plus 89 points in 107 playoff games. He also won two Selke trophies, three Lady Byng trophies and the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.
"To have my number retired and a statue unveiled by the LA Kings is an incredible honor, and one that is difficult to put into words," Kopitar said in a statement. "When I arrived in Los Angeles 21 years ago, I simply hoped to earn the opportunity to play in the NHL. I never imagined something like this."
Kopitar will be the eighth Kings player to have his number retired. The others:
Rob Blake (4)
Marcel Dionne (16)
Dave Taylor (18)
Luc Robitaille (20)
Dustin Brown (23)
Rogie Vachon (30)
Wayne Gretzky (99)
Statues at Crypto.com Arena
Kopitar’s statue is being created by sculptors Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany.
It will join statues honoring Gretzky, Robitaille, Brown, Bob Miller, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Oscar De La Hoya, Chick Hearn, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Elgin Baylor, Kobe and Gigi Bryant, and Pat Riley in Crypto.com Arena's Star Plaza along Chick Hearn Court.
On this day one year ago, and in fact on this play one year ago, Luis Robert Jr. joined Chicago’s 100-100 club. | (Photo by Mollie Handkins/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
1910 White Sox pitcher Ed Walsh fired the first shutout in the original Comiskey Park, when he blanked Washington, 4-0. He allowed only two hits and struck out 10 in the game.
Senators outfielder William “Wid” Conroy got both of the hits off of Walshthat afternoon.
1932 With a 1-0 loss in the second game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics, the White Sox started a season-worst, 10-game losing streak. Given the 1932 team was the worst in White Sox history, that the worst stretch for the team was just 10 losses is something of a minor miracle. However, the rest of August was simply miserable, as the 10 straight losses also were strung into 13 of 14, 16 of 18, and 21 of 24.
To put into perspective how horrible the 2024 was through 117 games, at this spot on the season calendar, that team was nine games worse than the 1932, worst-ever, White Sox club.
1960 The White Sox swept a doubleheader from the Senators, 9-7 and 3-2, both in walk-off fashion, with Gerry Staley picking up wins in both games.
In the opener, Washington rallied to tie, 7-7, in the top of the ninth off of Staley, but in the bottom half the Sox assaulted reliever Pedro Ramos: Sherm Lollar doubled, Al Smith walked, and Gene Freese crushed a homer to left to win it. (Ramos had started the game on Friday and had just pitch-ran in the ninth to enter the game, so it’s hard to blame him for being out of gas.)
The pattern repeated itself in the nightcap, with Washington rallying to tie in the top of the ninth and the White Sox punching right back. Again, Lollar instigated the rally, with a leadoff single. After two fly outs, Roy Sievers singled pinch-runner Jim Rivera to third, and then Minnie Miñoso cracked a single through the box and into center field for the game-winner.
On the day, Staley threw four innings of one-hit, one-run, one-walk ball. He blew his ninth save of the season in the opener, but earned two wins to up his record to 11-5 on the year (he’d finish at 13-8, topping all AL relievers in both wins and losses).
The White Sox were in the midst of a final push to defend their 1959 AL pennant, just 1 1⁄2 games out after the sweep. The South Siders fought back into a tie for first after another doubleheader sweep a week from today, but faltered from there and finished 10 games out, in third place, at 87-67.
1970 In the midst of the worst season in franchise history, some smiles were seen after the White Sox unveiled the “Big White Machine” at Comiskey Park.
The car was a 1929 Ford, rebuilt by Sox players Ed Herrmann, Bill Melton, Syd O’Brien and the folks at Hawkinson Ford (now known as Hawk Ford). It circled Comiskey Park every time the Sox won a home game — which wasn’t often!
1972 He played in the big leagues for 23 seasons, and his 300 lifetime wins punched Early Wynn’s ticket intothe Hall of Fame, on this date.
Wynnpitched five seasons for the Sox, winning 64 games. He led the American League in innings pitched, games started, strikeouts and wins at various times between 1958 and 1962 when he was in Chicago. He averaged 38 starts per year during that stretch.
Wynn’s signature season was the pennant-winning year of 1959, when he won the Cy Young with 22 wins and a 3.17 ERA. (There was only one award in those days, instead of one winner per league.) In the early 1980s, Wynn became a White Sox broadcaster.
1974 Comiskey Park was the site for one of the most exciting games of the early 1970s, and it involved Nolan Ryan. The flamethrower took a no-hitter into the ninth inning and led, 1-0, thanks to a Frank Robinson home run. However, after getting the first out in the ninth, it all fell apart for Ryan.
Dick Allen beat out an infield hit, spoiling the no-hitter, and Carlos May reached on an error. Ken Henderson ripped a single to center to tie the game, and then with two out, Billy Sharp singled to right to win it.
The Sox beat the Angels, 2-1, getting all three of their hits in the final inning. White Sox starter Jim Kaat was brilliant as well, and the late rally saved him from a hard-luck loss.
1994 In a game in Anaheim, Frank Thomas drove in two runs in the a 10-5 White Sox win, in 12 innings over the Angels. The RBIs were his 100th and 101ston the season. They came in the team’s 110th game, which set the franchise mark for fastest to 100 RBIs.
Thomas also held the old mark — set the year before, when he collected his 100th RBI in the team’s 118th contest.
2005 Before a 3-1 win over Seattle, a concourse statue of Carlton Fisk was unveiled, the third-ever at Sox Park after Charles Comiskey and Minnie Miñoso. The big blow in the game was a 20% WPA home run from Paul Konerko, a two-run shot that put the White Sox up for good, 2-1.
Fisk had his No. 72 retired by the White Sox eight years earlier, in 1997.
2025 With a steal of second base in a game during a 4-3 loss in 11 innings at Seattle, Luis Robert Jr. became only the fourth member of the franchise to log at least 100 home runs and 100 steals while in a White Sox uniform. Robert led off the eighth inning of a tie game with a single, then stole his 100th career base (earlier in the game, Robert led off the second inning with a walk, but was picked off first, getting safely second base on a throwing error). Robert joined Minnie Miñoso, Ray Durham and Alexei Ramírez in the select 100-100 club.
Robert, who went 3-for-4 in the game with a double and a walk, finished his White Sox career with 102 home runs and 102 stolen bases.
Mike Yardy will step in for upcoming Pakistan fixture
Andrew Flintoff has decided to step down as the head coach of England Lions with immediate effect before his winter spell working in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL).
The former all-rounder, 48, has been in charge of England’s second string since September 2024 and had been given the all-clear to leave this winter’s Lions tour of South Africa early to take up his new role at BBL side Sydney Thunder.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 6: Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs celebrates scoring the game winning run after stealing third base in the bottom of the eleventh inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Wrigley Field on August 6, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It has been a bit of a roller coaster season for the Cubbies. They got off to a great start, winning 19 of their first 31 games. But by mid-June they were at .500 and barely treading water. Now they’re playing well again, winning 13 of 20 since the All-Star break, and they have a six-game lead for the top Wild Card spot.
Chicago Cubs (67-49) at Kansas City Royals (48-68) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Pete Crow-Armstrong is having an MVP-type season, and will likely reach the 30 HR/30 SB mark for the second year in a row. Sammy Sosa is the only other player in Cubs history to enjoy a 30/30 season. Alex Bregman is a .238/.364/.384 hitter in 42 career games against the Royals. Nico Hoerner is batting .388/.402/.538 with three home runs in his last 20 games. Carson Kelly is hitting .333/.426/.559 against lefties this year. Ian Happ is batting just .202/.298/.375 in road games.
The Royals will start Daniel Lynch IV for the first time today, and will give him a chance to be a starter down the stretch. The Cubs have not yet announced starters for Friday or Saturday, but Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes are likely to make their debut with the team after being acquired at the trade deadline. Gausman was 1-6 with a 6.47 ERA in his last eight starts with the Blue Jays. He has a 2.81 ERA in three career starts at Kauffman Stadium.
Clay Holmes has been out since mid-May with a fibula injury, but is expected to return this weekend against the Royals. He was acquired at the trade deadline from the Mets after a 2.1 rWAR season last year as a starting pitcher. He faced the Royals in the 2024 ALDS as a Yankees reliever.
The Cubs have had difficulty keeping pitchers healthy – they have 14 pitchers on the Injured List. They have a 3.87 ERA from their relievers, 11th-lowest in the league. The Cubs picked up Braxton Garrett from the Marlins and former Kansas Jayhawk pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn from the Angels at the trade deadline.
The Cubs are playing very well and fighting for postseason positions, while the Royals are throwing spaghetti against a wall to see what sticks. The Royals do have Bobby Witt Jr. back, which gives them a chance to beat anyone, but their hodgepodge collection of pitchers will need to keep a solid Cubbies lineup in check.
The Atlanta Braves are carrying some strong vibes into this weekend’s road series at the New York Yankees.
They are fresh off a 7-0 homestand against the Nationals and Marlins, and have won a season-long eight straight games, pushing their NL East lead back to 8.5 games.
They’ll put that on the line in the Big Apple, starting Friday night with the Braves debut of Tyler Mahle (3-9, 5.13 ERA).
Much of the disappointment surrounding Mahle’s addition wasn’t about him specifically, but more about the fact that he was the lone starter addition.
The right-hander’s ERA on his face isn’t entirely representative of his season, with an xERA (4.09), xFIP (4,11) and FIP (4.37) which are better than his ERA. Since returning from a one-month injured list stint due to a hamstring strain in late June, Mahle is 2-2 with a 3.79 ERA in seven starts, striking out 32, walking 13 and giving up just three homers in 38 innings.
His last start in San Francisco, though, was his worst in that span, giving up five runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. He did strike out a season-high nine in that start.
The good news (of sorts) is that Mahle has been a somewhat reliable innings eater, throwing between 5 and 5 2/3 innings 11 times in 18 starts this season. He’s lasted less than five innings just four times, but also thrown six-plus innings just three times and seven-plus innings twice.
The Braves could stand to get a longer outing in Friday’s series opener after a rain delay washed out Martín Pérez’s Thursday start after just three innings, taxing the bullpen a bit.
Unfortunately for Atlanta, the Yankees are throwing their three best starters for this weekend series. That begins with an old friend in Max Fried (4-3, 3.12), who will be facing the team he debuted and played for his eight major league seasons for for the first time.
The southpaw former Brave’s second season in New York was derailed by a left elbow bone bruise which sidelined him for over two months. However, he returned a few weeks ago and has allowed four runs on eight hits over 13 1/3 innings in his three starts back, not factoring into the decision in any of them.
Absence aside, this has been a typical Fried season. He’s not nearly on pace for last year’s win total, when he led the majors with 19 victories, but he’s well on pace for his seventh straight season with an ERA of 3.25 or better, averaging just under a strikeout per inning.
After he allowed a combined 27 homers the last two seasons, he’s allowed just one in 75 innings this season.
While Gerrit Cole and Cam Schlittler will follow on the mound for New York in this series, the potential saving grace for the Braves could be that the currently Aaron Judge-less Yankees’ offense still hasn’t really figured things out in an extended funk.
New York has scored more than two runs just once in the last seven games and has plated five-plus runs just four times in 19 games since the All-Star Break.
There’s a forecast of scattered thunderstorms for New York on Friday evening, so keep tabs on Battery Power about the possibility of a delayed start to the series opener.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, August 7, 7:05 p.m. EDT
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
TV/Streaming: BravesVision
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
Now that it is August, NHL free agents should soon be signing professional tryout (PTO) agreements with teams. When looking at the Columbus Blue Jackets' roster, it is fair to wonder if they will sign anyone to a PTO before the start of training camp.
One remaining UFA who could make sense for the Blue Jackets to take a gamble on with a PTO is defenseman Logan Stanley.
It is a little surprising to see Stanley still be a free agent at this point in the summer. While he had an underwhelming finish to the season after being traded to the Buffalo Sabres, he still had a career year at the end of the day.
In 76 games split between the Winnipeg Jets and Sabres in 2025-26, Stanley posted new career highs with nine goals, 17 assists, and 26 points. He also threw 110 hits and recorded 128 penalty minutes, so it is clear that the 6-foot-7 defenseman plays a heavy game.
With all of this, the Blue Jackets should consider taking a chance on Stanley with a PTO. They could use more depth on the left side of their blueline, and he could fit nicely on their bottom pairing if he earned a contract for the season. Yet, he could even be a solid pickup for the Blue Jackets if he was used as an extra defenseman.
Ultimately, there would be zero risk in the Blue Jackets taking a gamble on Stanley with a PTO. It will be interesting to see if they do just that from here.
The Texas Rangers (57-58) look to get back to .500 with a three game series on the horizon versus Baltimore (56-59) with the opener available on Apple TV.
Texas is in the final AL Wild Card spot, whereas Baltimore is 1.0 game back of the Rangers. Texas enters on a two-game winning streak after losing six consecutive games. The Rangers scored four or fewer runs in all six losses, but turned around with five and six runs scored in the last two wins over San Francisco.
Baltimore is 10-8 in the second half of the season and coming off a loss to the Angels, although the Orioles won the series, 2-1. The O's offense has gone silent lately. To start August, Baltimore has scored nine runs in five games (last) and hitting an MLB-worst .159. The only bright spot of the offense is they've hit five home runs in the last five games but three of them have been solo shots (7 of 9 runs have come on homers).
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Game details & how to watch Orioles at Rangers
Date: Friday, August 7, 2026
Time: 8:15 PM EST
Site: Globe Life Field
City: Arlington, TX
Network/Streaming: Apple TV / MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Gunnar Henderson is hitting .146 over the last 15 days (6/41)
Pete Alonso is hitting .176 in August (3/17) with seven strikeouts
Jake Burger hit .174 in July (15/86)
Brandon Nimmo is hitting .500 in August (9/18) with two home runs and four runs scored
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Orioles at Rangers
Baltimore is 59-56 ATS
Texas is 54-61 ATS, ranking ninth-worst
Baltimore is 58-53-4 to the Over, ranking 10th-best
Texas is 60-49-6 to the Over, ranking sixth-best
Baltimore is 19-13 ATS as a road underdog
Texas is 9-17 ATS as a home favorite, ranking seventh-worst
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Orioles and the Rangers
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Orioles and the Rangers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Rangers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Rangers at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 7.5
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 31: Walker Kessler #24 of the Utah Jazz handles the ball during the first half of the Emirates NBA Cup game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on October 31, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Jazz 118-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LA forked over two first-round picks and two swaps to the Utah Jazz for the just turned 25-year-old Walker Kessler. Known primarily as an elite defensive anchor, the 7’2” five-man brings a level of stability and structure to an offense fully leaning into its explosive backcourt.
Today’s NBA is full of pick-and-roll maestros with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves leading the charge as a duo in total possessions. Both operate at high volume while staying uber-efficient, placing in the 90th and 81st percentiles, respectively. The productive on-ball guards are now set to receive a dangerous dance partner.
The foundation sits on Kessler’s wide base as an excellent screener, making it difficult for defenders to chase around his frame. He blends size with superior feel. Once his primary defender is initiated with the guard, he zips to the rim or open area.
In the clip shown below, he sets up for a dribble handoff with his now fellow Laker teammate Collin Sexton. The on-ball pick obliterates his defender, rendering him completely helpless in the play. He dives in line with his ball handler to collect a bounce pass, leading to the finish at the rim.
Kessler possesses a good understanding of when to set or slip the screen early. The Auburn product leverages his spatial awareness to sneak behind unsuspecting help defenders, commonly finishing with reverse dunks under the rim.
He’s a massive, unmissable target, serving as a useful release valve when guards find themselves in trouble. When he’s not an on-ball screener, he parks himself around the dunker spot and must be accounted for.
During his latest healthy year in the 2024-25 season, Kessler finished 73.6% of his attempts in the restricted area. That ranked sixth among all centers who attempted at least five per game, ahead of players like Jalen Duren and even Nikola Jokić.
Kessler doesn’t possess the same quick-twitch trampoline as the prototypical lob threats, but is effective nonetheless as a vertical spacer. His 9’5” standing reach means his catch radius is infinite. What seem to be dangerous lobs like the one below from near half court are in his wheelhouse where a back screen creates a second of indecision, opening up the alley-oop.
Listed at 245 pounds, Kessler brings a bully ball element that’s been missing from LA’s big man rotation. While not someone commanding a high frequency of post touches, teams can’t needlessly switch their perimeter players onto him. He uses a mix of finishes with either hand and nice touch around the basket to take advantage of smaller defenders.
This really materializes on the glass, where Kessler has a case as the best offensive rebounder in the league. His 4.6 offensive rebounds per game led the league the past two seasons.
When teams switch their bigs out on the perimeter or have them come over for a weak side rotation, Kessler cleans up on the glass every time, as shown in the clip below. Anthony Davis is switched out on the perimeter, leaving Kessler unattended and being boxed out by smaller wings. He easily gobbles the offensive rebound for a putback.
As a play finisher and screener, Kessler will plug in instantly with it easy to envision him next to Luka and Reaves in all their pet actions. On top of that, he’ll add extra possessions on the boards.
The potential of him and, in turn, the team hinges on his continued development on that end. While playing only five games last year, he flashed real growth in skill adds.
He showed the possibility to be an offensive hub, a look more teams are moving towards, by flashing some high-low action passes and nifty bounces to cutters like the one below.
The biggest question mark is whether the 3-point shooting can be real. While only playing five games last season, Kessler hit six of his eight attempts from behind the arc, matching the total from the previous season where he played 58 games.
He’s already said he’s open to taking more shots outside the arc in head coach J.J. Redick’s offense, and it would make him one of the more valuable players in the league. It would give the team a unique five-out look without sacrificing size on the opposite end.
The offense isn’t perfect, as his short roll offense is in question without a real in-between game. Elite defenses will test his ability to make quick, high-level reads outside a Utah situation that aggressively chased losses for most of his tenure. Chemistry with the guards will need tweaking throughout the season, but on a team with so much firepower, it doesn’t need to be perfect.
The Lakers desperately needed a stylistic fit at center who would open the path for the guards to be their dynamic selves. With Kessler, they got it.
LA’s newest big man will no doubt earn the bulk of this four-year contract on the defensive end, raising the floor for wins, while his offensive fit and trajectory determine the ceiling of this locked-in core.
Here are my favorite MLBhome run props for today's slate, headlined by St. Louis Cardinals slugger Alec Burleson and Cleveland Guardians Jo Adell.
Here are my favorite MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 7.
UPDATE: Added another HR pick + parlay.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Jo Adell
+325
Alec Burleson
+365
Rafael Devers
+388
💲Today's HR parlay
+9744
Home run pick: Jo Adell (+325)
Chicago White Sox left-hander Noah Schultz has struggled since being brought up, with right-handed hitters giving him the most trouble. The last 60 he has faced own a .339 xBA, .573 xSLG, and .374 xwOBA, while Schultz is allowing a 75% elevation rate to those right-handed hitters.
I like newly acquired Cleveland Guardian Jo Adell in this spot tonight to hit his first home run in a Guardians uniform. He draws the third-highest matchup rating on Batters-Box today, and in 35 elite ratings, he has left the yard 25.7% of the time.
Over his last 30 at-bats against a left-handed pitcher, Adell owns a .893 SLG, 1.326 OPS, and .554 wOBA, while producing a 47% hard hit rate and 23.5% barrel rate.
I would take his home run prop down to +300.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CLEGuardians.TV, Chicago Sports Network
Home run pick: Alec Burleson (+365)
Nothing like backing the burley boy on a Friday evening.
During that stretch, those lefties are producing a 13.6% barrel rate while owning a .379 xBA, .763 xSLG, and .412 xwOBA.
The Cardinals slugger has maintained a .423 BA, .731 SLG, and 1.231 OPS while producing a 60% hard hit rate and 15% barrel rate over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching.
This is a strong spot for the big fella to once again go deep this week.
Take this down to +300 at the most.
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Cardinals.TV, Rockies.TV
Home run pick: Rafael Devers (+388)
One of the first hitters to jump out at me this morning was San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers. The big fella enters Friday with an elite rating on Batters-Box, while covering over 76% of Detroit Tigers right-hander Keider Montero. The arsenal coverage should be a bit higher, but because Devers has such a small sample size against knuckle curves, that is why it sits at 76%.
Regardless, Devers has been seeing the ball extremely well, posting a .320 BA, 10% strikeout rate and .913 OPS while making 89% contact. On the other side, Montero has allowed a 64% elevation rate and 37.7% hard-hit rate to left-handed hitters on the road this season.
Devers owns the hottest bat in the Giants’ lineup right now, and I think he is worth trusting this evening at home. Take this down to +350.
Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSBA, DSN
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 90-338, +3.7 units
Today’s HR combo
Rafael Devers
Trade Now +9744
Jo Adell
Alec Burleson
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
There are very few players who become synonymous with a franchise. Fewer still who can spend two decades with the same organization and leave it difficult to imagine that organization without them.
Anze Kopitar is one of those players.
On Feb. 24, 2027, the Los Angeles Kings will retire Kopitar’s No. 11 at Crypto.com Arena and unveil a bronze statue honoring the greatest player in franchise history. The ceremony will take place before the Kings face the Montreal Canadiens, giving Los Angeles the opportunity to celebrate a career that has come to define an era of Kings hockey.
Kopitar’s number will become just the eighth retired in franchise history, joining the likes of Rogie Vachon, Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor, Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, Rob Blake and Dustin Brown.
But the significance of Kopitar’s place among those names goes beyond the numbers hanging in the rafters.
He arrived in Los Angeles as an 18-year-old Slovenian prospect selected 11th overall in the 2005 NHL Draft. Twenty years later, he leaves the game as the Kings’ all-time leader in games played, assists and points — the captain who helped transform the organization from a franchise searching for its identity into a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
And now, his likeness will stand outside the building he spent his career calling home.
Kopitar will become the fourth Kings player to receive a statue outside Crypto.com Arena, joining Gretzky, Robitaille and Brown. Bob Miller, whose statue also stands outside the arena, will remain the only non-player honored in that fashion.
For Kopitar, however, the celebration is less about what he accomplished individually than the people who helped him get there.
“When I arrived in Los Angeles 21 years ago, I simply hoped to earn the opportunity to play in the NHL,” Kopitar said. “I never imagined something like this.”
That humility has been a defining characteristic of Kopitar throughout his career.
From Slovenian Teenager To Face Of The Franchise
Kopitar did not need long to introduce himself to Los Angeles.
In his NHL debut on Oct. 6, 2006, he scored twice against the Anaheim Ducks. Three games into his career, he had already accumulated six points, becoming only the second player in Kings history to reach that mark over his first three games.
He finished his rookie season with 20 goals and 61 points in 72 games, becoming just the fifth rookie in Kings history to reach 60 points — and the first in two decades.
He never stopped building from there.
The following season, Kopitar recorded 77 points and began a run of dominance that would eventually see him lead Los Angeles in scoring 15 times. Only Gordie Howe, with 17 seasons in Detroit, and Sidney Crosby, with 16 in Pittsburgh, have led a single franchise in scoring more often.
Wayne Gretzky led multiple franchises in scoring 19 times over his career, including nine times with Edmonton, seven times with Los Angeles and three times with the New York Rangers.
That puts Kopitar in exceptionally rare company.
It also helps explain why his retirement leaves such a massive hole in Los Angeles.
Kopitar's career was built on more than offensive production.
He became one of the NHL's premier two-way centers, a player trusted in virtually every situation and against the opposition's best players. He became a dominant faceoff specialist, a power-play contributor, a penalty-killing presence and, eventually, the player teammates looked toward when the game was at its most important.
His résumé reflects that versatility.
Kopitar won the Selke Trophy twice, recognizing him as the NHL's best defensive forward, and collected three Lady Byng Trophies. He also received the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.
Then there were the two Stanley Cup championships.
The first came in 2012, when the Kings finally broke through and won the first championship in franchise history. Two years later, Los Angeles did it again.
Kopitar was at the center of both runs.
He scored one of the most memorable goals of the 2012 postseason in overtime against the New Jersey Devils in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, helping set the tone for a championship run that changed the trajectory of the franchise.
By the time he became captain in 2016, there was little question about who represented the Kings.
Kopitar wasn't simply wearing the 'C.'
He was the identity of the team.
The Records Tell Only Part Of The Story
Kopitar finished his career with 1,316 points, courtesy of 452 goals and 864 assists, in 1,521 regular-season games.
Every one of those games came in a Kings uniform.
His 1,521 games are the most in franchise history, as are his 864 assists and 1,316 points. His 831 even-strength points, 79 game-winning goals, 34 overtime points and 15,237 faceoff wins also sit atop the franchise record book.
He ranks second in plus/minus at plus-127, power-play points with 457, overtime goals with nine and shots with 3,429.
His 452 goals rank third in franchise history.
And the record that perhaps best captures his longevity came late in his career.
On March 5, 2026, Kopitar became only the 25th player in NHL history to appear in 1,500 games. Nine players had previously reached that milestone with a single franchise.
Nine days later, he passed another legend.
Playing in New Jersey on March 14, Kopitar scored twice to move his career point total to 1,308, passing Marcel Dionne's 1,307 and becoming the Kings' all-time leading scorer.
Dionne had held the record for more than 45 years.
Kopitar finally took it away.
It was a fitting moment for a player whose career had always been measured in longevity as much as production.
A Captain Who Kept Showing Up
Kopitar's final years in Los Angeles may be just as important to his legacy as his prime.
After taking over as captain, he helped guide the Kings back to the postseason six times, including each of his final five seasons.
His playoff résumé is equally impressive.
Kopitar leaves Los Angeles as the franchise's all-time leader in playoff games with 107. He ranks second in postseason assists with 62 and is tied for second in playoff points with 89. His 27 postseason goals rank third, while his five game-winning goals and 30 power-play points are both near the top of the franchise record book.
He also continued to collect recognition long after the Kings' championship years.
Kopitar earned 25 different team awards during his career, including the Bill Libby Award as the Kings' Most Valuable Player nine times and the organization's Best Defensive Player award eight times.
He was also named the team's Most Inspirational Player four times and Most Popular Player three times.
Those awards tell a different story than the NHL trophies.
They reflect how the people inside the organization viewed him.
More Than A Hockey Player In Los Angeles
For all the numbers, championships and individual awards, Kopitar's legacy in Los Angeles extends well beyond the rink.
He became deeply involved in the Southern California community, supporting Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Make-A-Wish Foundation while also playing an important role in the growth of youth hockey throughout the region.
That influence is part of why the Kings' celebration will feel bigger than a jersey retirement.
Kopitar's No. 11 will eventually hang alongside the numbers of the franchise's foundational stars. His statue will join the physical monuments to Gretzky, Robitaille and Brown.
But unlike most of those players, Kopitar spent his entire NHL career in Los Angeles.
He arrived as an unknown teenager from Jesenice, Slovenia.
He leaves as the player who played more games, recorded more assists and produced more points than anyone who ever wore a Kings jersey.
And somewhere between those two points, he became something far more difficult to quantify.
He became a King.
“His legacy extends far beyond the records, awards and championships,” Kings president Luc Robitaille said. “He has inspired generations of Kings fans and left an indelible mark on our franchise.”
That legacy will become permanent on Feb. 24, 2027.
No. 11 will go to the rafters.
Anze Kopitar will take his place among the legends.
And Los Angeles will finally get the chance to put a statue to the career it spent 20 years watching unfold.
San Diego (60-56) and Houston (59-57) prepare for a three-game weekend series that will conclude on Peacock Sunday. Both the Padres and Astros are two of the hottest teams in the second half of the season and the past two weeks.
After starting the second half of the year 0-3, Houston went on a 12-3 stretch. The Astros are hot and in the past 15 days, Houston has scored the fifth-most runs (65) and the third-best batting average (.284). To start August, the pitching staff has allowed a .186 OBA (4th) and the best WHIP (0.89). The Astros are 1.5 games up on the Rangers for the AL West lead and 3.0 ahead of the Mariners.
San Diego has now won four-straight games following a loss as the Padres continue to stay hot. The Padres are 10-3 in the past 13 games. The pitching staff has a 3.60 ERA in that 13-game span, and the 2nd-best batting average at .286 Fernando Tatis’ bat has been hot the last 6-8 weeks, while Manny Machado is coming off his best month in July with 7 home runs and 19 RBI on a .292 batting average. San Diego is 1.0 game back of the Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot and 2.0 of the Phillies entering this series.
Let’s dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Astros at Padres
Date: Friday, August 7, 2026
Time: 9:40 PM EST
Site: Petco Park
City: San Diego, CA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Astros at the Padres
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: San Diego Padres (-117), Houston Astros (+109)
Spread: Astros +1.5 (-193), Padres -1.5 (+159)
Total: 8.0
Probable starting pitchers for Astros at Padres
Friday's pitching matchup (August 7): Robbie Ray vs Ronel Blanco
Fernando Tatis Jr is hitting .150 in August (3/20)
Jackson Merrill is hitting .375 in August (9/24)
Manny Machado hit .292 in July with seven home runs on 28 hits
Yordan Alvarez is hitting .421 in August (8/19)
Jose Altuve is hitting .450 in August (9/20) with zero strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Astros at Padres
San Diego is 63-53 ATS, ranking fourth-best
Arizona is 62-54 ATS, ranking tied for eighth-best
San Diego is 62-53-1 to the Under, ranking 10th-best
Arizona is 61-49-6 to the Under, ranking fifth-best
San Diego is 30-27 ATS at home
Arizona is 31-28 ATS on the road
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Padres and the Astros
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Padres and the Astros:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Padres on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Padres at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 8.5
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 24: Manager Tony Vitello #23 of the San Francisco Giants talks to President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Oracle Park on July 24, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nationally, during this disaster of a season, there has been some speculation that the San Francisco Giants could pull the plug on their unique gamble of hiring the green Tony Vitello as their manager after just one season.
In total, that mindset seemed shortsighted and a knee-jerk reaction. Yet, after this week’ massive roster overhaul by Giants’ president of baseball operation Buster Posey is actually a strong indication that the franchise is fully behind Vitello, who came to San Francisco this year with no professional experience.
In fact, this moves this week are actually an investment in the skills and reputation of Vitello, who left a comfortable and successful stint at the University of Tennessee to dip his toes in the Major Leagues. Sure, Vitello has shown his lack of pro experience this year and he’s had more of his share of growing pains, but the Giants are clearly putting their future in his hands.
San Francisco orchestrated five trades at the deadline and, by all accounts they did a tremendous job of adding several high-end, big-time potential prospects in the form of both pitching and everyday players. The team went into the deadline with a one of the better farm systems in the league and now it is bubbling over with serious prospects.
This team will be very young for a while and that’s where Vitello comes in. He is an expert at developing and dealing with younger players. That s his strength. So, he will be able to grow into his major league managerial approach, while working with and developing younger players. Vitello and his players will grow together. By the time these players are ready to make a serious run, Vitello should be fully comfortable in his role.
This is the type of team Vitello needed to inherit from the jump. It took a rocky fit to finally put the Vitello plan on track n San Francisco. It may take a while to payoff, but this week has shown neither he nor Posey are going anywhere anytime soon.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 5: Bryce Elder #55 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the first inning during the game against the Miami Marlins at Truist Park on August 5, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s usually a bad time for the Miami Marlins to run into the Atlanta Braves, based on how these two teams have fared against each other for nearly a decade-and-a-half now. It was an especially bad time for Miami this time around as the Braves came into this series looking hot and playing well.
As it turned out, nothing changed. The Braves were cooking against the Nationals and this week’s action saw yet another Fish Fry take place in Cobb County. Atlanta didn’t have too much trouble dealing with the Nationals and they also did so with a couple of starting pitchers who apparently had something to prove following the trade deadline. How did it all end up going? Let’s get into the recap, shall we?
Following his performance on Tuesday where he pitched six shutout innings, Grant Holmes expressed feelings of being motivated after there was such a loud and disappointed reaction to the Braves not adding a front-end starter to their rotation once the trade deadline came and went. If that’s true then hopefully we’ll continue to see him perform at or near a level like this because it was definitely impressive.
While Holmes was on the mound, he didn’t receive too much run support as the only help he had during his six innings was a dinger from Ozzie Albies in the second inning. Marlins starter did well to keep the Braves quiet and go stride-for-stride with Holmes while he was out there.
As a result, this came down to which team’s bullpen was better and which team could herd their nerve from a defensive standpoint. In both cases, the answer was “Atlanta” The seventh inning ended up being pivotal after Lane Thomas and his speed made an immediate impact by forcing a bad throw out of Otto Lopez. That brought Austin Riley to the plate, who proceeded to crush one into the seats in left-center for a two-run homer that gave the Braves some valuable breathing room at 3-0.
Atlanta actually went into the top of the ninth with a 4-0 lead but Raisel Iglesias had a wobble — one that usually comes after he has to deal with a leadoff baserunner. Iglesias conceded two runs but the Marlins needed more than that to keep the game going and so the Braves kept their winning streak going.
Apparently Bryce Elder was also motivated by his GM’s vote of confidence in him because he took the baton from Grant Holmes in the night before and absolutely ran with it. Elder has actually been pretty solid since the All-Star break (1.88 ERA and 44 ERA- over 24 innings since July 20. 5.01 FIP, though) and this was the best start of the run. Elder pitched seven innings while only giving up one hit with two walks. He struck out three batters and only gave up one run. Impressively, it wasn’t on a hanger that got hit to the moon, either. This was a truly good start from Elder.
Anyways, the Marlins never looked much like scoring on this particular night while Braves were in complete control for nearly the duration of the contest. Austin Riley continued his nice series by delivering a ground-rule RBI double that put the Braves in front and then Drake Baldwin shot one up the middle later on in the frame to plate two runners and make it 3-0 in the second. Mauricio Dubón added on an RBI single of his own to make it 4-0 and Atlanta was cruising early on.
They kept on cruising for the rest of the night. The aforementioned run that I mentioned Elder conceding came on a productive out from Joe Mack in the fifth inning and that was as good as it got for Miami in this one. The Marlins only had three hits in this one and two of them came off of Dylan Dodd. Didier Fuentes ended up pulling off a four-out save in this one as the Braves clinched just about the most comfortable three-run victory you’ll see this season.
Whether Ronald Acuña Jr. retires as a Braves player or leaves town eventually, the Marlins are likely going to throw a party and have a parade for him as he’s on his way out. Acuña has tormented the Marlins on a near-regular basis over the course of his career and Thursday night delivered one of the wildest examples. Right before the tarp came out, Acuña hit a fly ball to left-center that could’ve ended up in either Heriberto Hernandez’s glove or Esteury Ruiz’s glove. Instead, the two Marlins outfielders collided and the ball bounced off of them and over the fence for a two-run dinger. Jose Canseco would’ve been proud.
Once the game resumed play, the Braves continued to cruise along until they put the pedal to the metal starting int he sixth inning. Atlanta plated four runs in the sixth and it started with a leadoff homer from Matt Olson to get things started. Lane Thomas continued to ingratiate himself with Braves Country after he plated Michael Harris II with a double and then following an Austin Riley sacrifice fly, Xavier Edwards made a three-course meal out of a routine ground ball in order to cap off the miserable inning for Miami.
Michael Harirs II tripled home Matt Olson in the seventh inning and then Money Mike was brought home with a single from Mauricio Dubón. The Braves then added three more in the bottom of the eighth, which included Acuña capping off a wacky night by just hitting a good ol’ fashioned normal homer for his second of the night. Javier Sanoja made an error and then had to pitch to finish off the inning and that probably summed up th level of frustration that Miami was feeling as they suffered yet another rough visit to Truist Park.
The Braves never trailed at any point during this series, mind you. Before any of y’all go “Oh, it’s the Marlins,” remember that not-too-long ago the Braves were busy getting stymied by the Juan Soto-less New York Mets. This is Major League Baseball and any team can beat anybody over the course of a three-game series and outside of Thursday’s beatdown, the Marlins weren’t too far off.
With that being said, the Braves haven’t had too much trouble with the Marlins so far this season — or any recent season, really. That’s now 12 straight seasons where the Braves have won the season series over the Marlins and there’s even a Postseason series involved in that as well. It’s good to know that in this rapidly-changing world, some things remain consistent.
Atlanta now heads to the Bronx on a heater. They’ve won eight straight games and they’re 15-5 since the All-Star break. It’s exactly the type of form that you want to be on at this point in the season, as the better you play in August makes things that easier once September rolls around. The Braves are playing themselves into a comfortable spot with September on the horizon and now they’ll have a major test against one of the top squads in the American League. Time to see what happens!
The 21-year-old British boxer has the chance to become the second youngest world heavyweight champion after Mike Tyson when he fights for the IBF crown this month
Moses Itauma was initially unmoved when hearing that his bout against Filip Hrgovic in London on 29 August had been upgraded to a fight for the vacant IBF world heavyweight title.
“I didn’t really have any reaction,” Itauma said on Friday afternoon. “I was like, if I’m fighting Hrgovic and I’ve got the opportunity for it to be a world title, then yeah, chuck it on the line. I didn’t have any other feeling. I was taking Hrgovic serious – and, now the fight is for a world title, I’m still taking him serious. It’s still the same fight, innit?”
The Yankees continue to lean almost exclusively on their pitching staff to keep them in games, the offense managing two or fewer runs in six of their last seven games. It doesn’t feel like a sustainable approach, but for now it’s what they’ve got while they await the returns of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton from injury. Indeed, perhaps the best pitching performance of the last week belongs to Ryan Weathers, who completed six scoreless innings against the Cardinals to hand them their only win in that series.
We join Weathers in the sixth inning of the middle game against the Cardinals on Tuesday. His performance thus far continues a fascinating trend where the lefty seemingly pitches better the less run support he receives. Solo home runs by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and George Lombard Jr. on his MLB debut have staked Weathers to a 2-0 lead. However, he is facing the sternest test of this outing — runners on the corners with two outs following a JJ Wetherholt walk and Iván Herrera single with two outs as the top of the order faces Weathers for the third time.
Despite a pitch count of just 80, you get a sense that José Fermín will be the last batter Weathers faces — something Aaron Boone confirmed in his post game presser as he and Matt Blake perceived fatigue beginning to set in. To this point, Fermín has grounded out twice, Weathers attacking the righty with sinkers, changeups, and sliders, and there is no deviation in course as the Yankees lefty starts this encounter with a first-pitch sinker.
Weathers’ front shoulder opens a fraction early, causing him to sail this sinker well wide of the strike zone away. The result is a pretty straightforward take from Fermín against a pitch that never looked like a strike.
After Fermín spat on that outside sinker, a sneaky choice from Weathers would be a get-me-over backdoor sweeper for a called strike to get back into the count as it should look just like that sinker that missed out of the hand.
You can see how effective it is to follow a sinker called as a ball away with a backdoor sweeper. It looks just like the previous pitch, causing Fermín to give up on it early as it starts in the opposite batter’s box, only for its glove side movement to carry it back into the zone. It’s this type of sequencing that can cause a hitter to take a pitch that ends up pretty much down the middle.
Now that Weathers has shown Fermín a pitch that starts away before breaking back into the zone, it makes sense to follow it with a pitch away that breaks in the opposite direction — in this case the changeup.
Weathers executes an absolute beauty of a changeup dotted right on the corner low and away. You can see how much it looks like the previous sweeper that was called a strike, which explains why Fermín fouls this pitch to the opposite field, his swing expecting something that will break toward him resulting in the bat head staying too far inside a pitch that breaks away for him to barrel it.
It’s pretty obvious that Weathers is going to go away away away for the entire AB. Playing off of Fermín’s take on the first sweeper he threw for a called strike, Weathers tries to achieve the same result with another backdoor sweeper.
This time, Fermín is ready for the pitch. He too likely realized that Weathers is targeting the outer half of the strike zone, which means that a pitch that starts way outside is likely to be a backdoor breaker. Fermín correctly diagnoses that pitch out of Weathers’ hand and pulls the ball viciously down the third base line just foul. Despite the desired result with the first sweeper he threw, it’s a pretty dangerous pitch to throw multiple times against a righty. The sweeper suffers a significant platoon disadvantage against opposite-handed batters on account of the lift it generates relative to other breaking balls, and indeed you can see the way this sweeper enters the hitting zone pretty flat, which results in a pitch that breaks right into the nitro zone of a right-handed hitter.
Thankfully, Weathers abandons the pitch for the rest of the AB as he likely realizes that he dodged a bullet with Fermín not able to keep that batted ball fair. He returns to his trusty changeup — a much safer pitch to throw to a righty given that it breaks away from and not toward the barrel when employing an outer-half approach.
Unfortunately for Weathers, he opens his front side too early just like the first pitch sinker he threw, causing this changeup to sail way wide arm-side. You might think this was a non-competitive pitch given how far away it landed from the strike zone, but you can see how Fermín was initially tempted to chase away thanks to Weathers sequencing this changeup off the backdoor sweeper that preceded it.
With the sixth pitch, Weathers chooses to throw his first slider of the AB. Austin Wells sets an initial central aiming point, which should result in a back-foot slider given the pitch’s movement down and in.
Instead, Weathers nails that initial target that Wells flashes with his glove — an absolute cookie of a hanging slider right down the middle that he is lucky Fermín fails to punish. That’s three breaking balls — two sweepers and a slider — that Weathers leaves central, which should be enough to convince him to not throw another.
So far, the pitch that Weathers looks most likely to get Fermín to chase out of the zone is the changeup. If he can replicate his execution of the first one he threw, he should be able to end the inning with a strikeout or at least some weak contact.
This is now the third time that Weathers is unable to finish an arm-side breaking pitch to the outer half as it is now patently obvious that he has run out of steam and does not have the stamina to keep that front shoulder closed long enough to set his throwing arm down the correct path. Now, it’s just a matter of whether he can survive this AB as really only one of the seven pitches so far has been executed to its spot.
After six straight off-speed pitches, Weathers must feel that he can gas a heater by Fermín, his hand also forced a bit by Fermín battling back to work the count full and not wanting to load the bases for St Louis’ cleanup hitter.
Instead of commanding this sinker to the corner, Weathers leaves it up and catches more of the plate than you would like. This allows Fermín to barrel the pitch as he is absolutely ready to hit the fastball despite the steady diet of off-speed. It’s the first pitch Weathers has thrown that has an initial trajectory toward the inner half of the zone, which combined with the clear approach to pitch Fermín away makes it pretty obvious this is a fastball out of the hand. Luckily for Weathers and the Yankees, Fermín almost hits this ball too well, allowing it to hang up in the air long enough for Heliot Ramos to glove the liner for the final out, stranding runners on the corners as Weathers completes six shutout.
Here’s the full sequence:
Boone clearly made the right call to end Weathers’ night there at 88 pitches given the faltering command against the final three batters he faced. All the same, it represents yet another strong start for the Yankees’ southpaw, who has now allowed just one earned run in his last 20.1 innings pitched. As I hypothesized when writing about Weathers’ choice of fastball and as my colleague Andrés further investigated yesterday, Weathers’ U-turn comes courtesy of a shift in pitch usage, the lefty exchanging out many of his four-seamers for sinkers while also increasing deployment of the changeup and slider to mitigate the home run woes of the first half of his season.
This turnaround in form comes at just the right time for Weathers — he started his season off strong before encountering a serious sticky patch in May and early June, finding his footing as the Yankees crystalize their rotation plans with Carlos Rodón nearing a return from left elbow inflammation. Conversely, Will Warren has a 5.44 ERA in his last ten starts while Weathers owns a 2.89 ERA in his last nine over the same timeframe. At this point, it is clear who deserves to remain in the rotation vs. who has earned a demotion to the bullpen.
Jo Adell
Alec Burleson
Rafael Devers
