Serbian team captain Bogdan Bogdanovic is out for the rest of EuroBasket with a torn hamstring, leaving his status for the start of Clippers training camp and beyond up in the air.
Bogdanovic suffered the injury on a drive to the basket late in the first half of a group play game against Portugal. The Clippers' team doctors were consulted on the diagnosis — he is covered under their insurance — and it was decided that he will be out for the remainder of EuroBasket, reports Eurohoops.net.
The injury is described as a torn hamstring. Technically, any strain involves tearing of a muscle, and that can happen in degrees. This sounds like more than a Grade 1 strain, where he might have returned later in the tournament. If this is Grade 2 or Grade 3, it would keep him out at least for the start of training camp and, if severe enough, for the beginning of the season.
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic said from the U.S. Open that he reached out to Bogdanovic after hearing the news, saying this (hat tip Clutch Points).
"The moment I read that he was injured, I contacted him immediately," Djokovic said. "I called him again, and he told me that unfortunately it was a more serious injury. I gave him some suggestions, ways he might be able to speed up his recovery. But it doesn't seem to be helping this time."
Voted the team captain by his peers, Bogdanovic had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting in Serbia's opening EuroBasket win over Estonia, then had seven points and five rebounds before leaving the game against Portugal. Serbia beat Latvia without him, improving to 3-0 in the tournament and advancing to the knockout Round of 16. Serbia remains one of the tournament favorites behind Nikola Jokic, but losing Bogdanovic is a setback.
Imane Khelif has appealed to the court of arbitration for sport over World Boxing’s decision to bar the 26-year-old from its events without a preliminary genetic sex test.
A court statement said an appeal was filed by Khelif on 5 August seeking to overturn a decision by World Boxing blocking the Algerian’s participation in the Box Cup in Eindhoven or any World Boxing event until a genetic sex test had taken place.
There’s nothing quite like facing off against an old friend in the big leagues, but the feeling is even sweeter when you come out on top.
Young Giants outfielder Drew Gilbert experienced that firsthand in San Francisco’s 8-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Monday, taking former Tennessee teammate Chase Dollander deep for a two-run homer in the third inning at Coors Field.
While Gilbert certainly was fired up as he rounded the bases, he had nothing but compliments for his old friend after the win. The outfielder’s postgame demeanor tends to differ from the energy he displays on the field, which he credits to the “heat of the competition.”
“It’s cool,” Gilbert said of homering off Dollander. “Obviously grateful to have played with him, and he was a great teammate of mine, and he’s a heck of a pitcher and has a super bright future. He’s going to pitch in this league for a long time, so any chance you get to do something off a guy like that, you definitely cherish it.”
Gilbert had the Giants — and fans at home — rolling when he came back into the dugout after the homer, with a loud celebration involving Matt Chapman that was described by NBC Sports Bay Area broadcaster Javier Lopez as “next level.”
Gilbert and Dollander are two of four former Vols to make their MLB debuts during the 2025 season. San Francisco acquired Gilbert in the deadline trade that sent Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets, and the 24-year-old made his big-league debut against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 8 at Oracle Park.
“I think it’s always fun when you know a guy, you’re friends with someone and you get to compete against them,” Gilbert said when asked if he was more fired up than normal after the home run. “Obviously, I’ve just known him for so long, and he knows it, and I know it, so it’s just fun competition, friendly competition.
“And you know, I’m sure he’ll have plenty of moments where he’ll get the best of me, as we’re hopefully going to be in the same division for a long time.”
It certainly was a full-circle moment for Gilbert, who ended the day 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBI after the homer off his former teammate. Over his last six games, Gilbert appears to be benefitting from more playing time and is hitting .409 (9-for-22) with three doubles, six runs, seven RBI and a home run.
The Giants have felt Gilbert’s energy as the rookie becomes more comfortable, too.
“Oh my God, he might have more energy than me,” Willy Adames told Laura Britt and Sergio Romo on “Giants Postgame Live” after the win. “He shows up every day like he has new batteries … People are acting like, yo, how do you get so much energy? Where do you get it from? Like, give us something. Whatever you’re taking, we want some, too.
“He’s hilarious. He brought some energy to this club that we needed.”
The electric Gilbert wasn’t the only Giant to homer in Monday’s win, either. Rafael Devers hit his second home run in as many games when he crushed a 114.5-mph missile over the right-field wall — the hardest exit velocity on a Giants home run during the Statcast era, per MLB’s Sarah Langs.
And Adames crushed his 26th homer of the season in the seventh inning, increasing his odds to become the first player to hit 30 home runs in a full Giants season since Barry Bonds hit 45 in 2004. With Monday’s two-run shot, Adames also made his mark as the first Giants player with 26-plus homers through 138 games since Bonds in 2007, again per Langs.
The homers marked the first time San Francisco has homered in 15 consecutive games since 2001, too.
As the Giants’ offense continued to thrive, Kai-Wei Teng, whom San Francisco recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on Sunday after placing lefty Carson Whisenhunt on the 15-day injured list, did his job well. The right-hander surrendered two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and no walks in his first start at Coors Field.
The Giants didn’t escape their successful series opener against the Rockies unscathed, however; Dollander hit Casey Schmitt in the right elbow to begin a three-run rally in the fifth, and the second baseman eventually was pulled from the game after initially going to first base.
Casey Schmitt remained in the game after being hit in the right elbow during his at-bat pic.twitter.com/hjVx6zqkp7
After the game, manager Bob Melvin told reporters X-rays on Schmitt’s elbow came back negative, and that the Giants will see how he feels tomorrow. Christian Koss could start in his place, but the team doesn’t anticipate Schmitt landing on the IL.
Bob Melvin provides an update on Casey Schmitt's elbow after he was hit in today's game ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/d7Qn5WhFZC
The Giants (69-69) now are back to .500 with Monday’s win and sit five games back of the third and final NL wild-card spot, held by the Mets. With 24 games remaining, San Francisco certainly isn’t backing down. Gilbert seems more than ready for the final push, though he isn’t letting on if he’s starting to feel like a true big leaguer yet.
“I don’t know if I ever want to say [I’m feeling more comfortable] just because it’s the best players in the world on a night-to-night basis,” Gilbert said. “I think there’s more of a comfort level just being around your teammates, getting to know them, the coaching staff, just a new environment.
“Being able to kind of mold in here and get to know some of the guys has made it a lot easier.”
EA SPORTS NHL officially released their breakdown of what is new in NHL 26 Hockey Ultimate Team, we dove into the video below.
Like Franchise Mode in NHL 25 the HUT menu has received a UI overhaul that requires less clicks and scrolling. It will also feature the top player from your team on the home page.
There will be new content releases five days a week in NHL 26 with a new program dubbed Chel Week that will include new objectives, cards, and a community vote.
Rivals and Squad Battles have been removed from HUT and replaced with Ranked.
Ranked is a ladder system with divisions that will reset every season. Players can not be relegated once they reach a new division, this should help prevent the sandbagging that has been seen in HUT in previous games.
Division tiers have their own rewards ladders, players must reach the Qualifications Division to qualify for HUT Champs. Those who reach Ultimate Rank will receive a unique jersey each season that shows they reached the top rank.
Team building has been revamped in NHL 26 with the introduction of combinations, this will give you an overall boost for having players from the same team or country. This will help players who love making theme teams.
There will also be a salary cap that players must abide by. If the cap ultimately leads to players building unique teams and less meta cards it will be a win for HUT players.
Every season there will be new Captains, Rookies, Heroes, and Icons.
For offline HUT players there is a new Cup Chase mode, this consists of an 18 game schedule with two best-of-three playoff rounds. This mode has its own reward path but contributes to your overall XP Path.
For early access players there is a Fresh ICE HUT Event with five master set players, Brock Faber, Morgan Rielly, Matthew Tkachuk, Tyler Seguin, and Logan Thompson.
Taylor is out of the lineup for a third straight game due to hamstring tightness he felt on Friday night, but the team is optimistic he won't need to go on the IL.
"On Friday night he complained about left hamstring tightness and that's why he wasn't available the past couple of nights," Mendoza said. "Feeling better today. So we'll see if he's available for us today or not. We didn't think right away that he was going be an IL situation and that's why we gave him 48 hours.
"Yeah he's been playing well, but even when he's healthy we're going to continue to play the matchups and put the guys we feel best there."
With Taylor out, trade deadline acquisition Cedric Mullins will start his third straight game in center field on Monday. Mendoza was asked if an IL stint is still possible for Taylor and said they'll need to see how he feels after running and working out.
"Well I mean we got to see, we got to push him," Mendoza said. "He's got to start running, which he was going to do today, and we'll see what we got there. They're tricky, especially for a guy that speed is part of his game and defense and all that. We just got to wait and see."
New York also recalled infielder Luisangel Acuña from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, as Mendoza noted how the speedster saw some action at CF while in the minors and could be used in that spot defensively, especially with Taylor out.
Alvarez caught nine innings on Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse as he works his way back to the bigs following his thumb and pinky finger injuries. Mendoza said Monday that the 23-year-old will catch again the next two games for Syracuse before the team makes a decision.
"Alvarez will catch tomorrow," Mendoza said. "He has back-to-back in Triple-A, he'll catch Tuesday and Wednesday."
With Alvarez continuing to improve, it sounds possible that the catcher could rejoin the team in Cincinnati for their three-game series against the Reds over the weekend.
After Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Marlins, Mendoza hinted at a possible change in the starting rotation in regards to Kodai Senga. The righty struggled again in the loss and has not completed six innings of work in any of his last nine starts since returning from the IL.
“We’ve got to get him right, obviously,” Mendoza said Sunday. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to have some discussion about what’s next for him, but our job is to get him right. But it’s been a struggle, and again, we’ll see what’s next for him.”
When asked about it again Monday, Mendoza didn't say the team hasn't decided on a plan.
"No, we don't know yet," Mendoza said.
Upcoming pitching rotation
Moving to a six-man rotation with Jonah Tong getting another start, Mendoza discussed the pitching plan for later this week. The Mets have an off day on Thursday before playing a three-game series against the Reds in Cincinnati starting on Friday.
"As of right now, [David] Peterson will go Game 1 there and then we'll see where we're at," Mendoza said. "The off day helps. We got six starters. It'll be fluid, we'll be creative and go from there."
Despite Peterson's recent rough start against the Marlins, Mendoza expressed confidence in the lefty who's been one of New York's more consistent starters this year. Tong could follow him on Saturday and then that "creativity" will have to kick in if they don't turn to Senga on Sunday.
Megill will make another rehab start in the minors on Tuesday as he's nearing a return to the majors, but when he does, it's unclear what his role will be.
"We'll see, the biggest thing is we have to get him healthy, which he is," Mendoza said. "We're building him up as a starter. But if we have to make an adjustment here and use him as a multiple inning guy out of the bullpen, we will do it. But right now, the plan is to build him as a starter."
Megill has been out since June 14 due to an elbow strain and has pitched well during his rehab. Over four starts (two in Double-A and two in Triple-A), he's gone 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 21 strikeouts across 19.0 IP. He had gone 5-5 with a 3.95 ERA over 14 starts prior to the injury.
The right-hander has started all but one game he's pitched in the majors over the last three seasons, but does have some experience pitching out of the bullpen with six appearances in 2022.
MILWAUKEE – If instructions were handed down about player behavior earlier this year by the Phillies when it comes to shenanigans, Garrett Stubbs is oblivious to them. At least that’s what he claims.
“Are there any rules here,” he questioned in the Phillies clubhouse before the team played the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. “I wasn’t aware of rules. No, I have been told any new rules or if there were any previously or now. Hopefully not.
Stubbs, along with left-handed reliever Tim Mayza, were placed on the 28-man expanded roster Monday and his arrival made an immediate impact in the clubhouse with hugs and smiles all around.
The 32-year-old catcher has spent this season with triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he hit .265 and collected 12 doubles, eight home runs and 50 RBI in 71 games. He spent the past three seasons with the Phillies as a backup to J.T. Realmuto. His arrival now will allow for manager Rob Thomson to have some flexibility when Realmuto doesn’t catch, such as using him as a designated hitter or a pinch-hitter in those games.
“Love these guys so it’s just awesome to see their faces again. It’s already been great, on the bus ride over, going and grabbing food just in the first 30 minutes of being here. It’s just fun to be back around the group of guys that have been here since ‘22-’23. Excited to get that going again, just have some fun and win some baseball games.
“It was really nice to get some consistent playing time down there, get a feel for my swing offensively again. It was cool to have some success down there, too, and just working with a young pitching staff of guys that have made some appearances here and getting to know them.”
Particularly, Stubbs got to see, first hand, top prospect Andrew Painter and his progression this season from Tommy John surgery.
“He’s coming off of Tommy John. Success is him having a full season and being able to get the innings in and post every single week,” said Stubbs. “To me, that’s a successful season. I know people want to see him up here, probably months ago. He’s been our number one prospect for a long time. People want to see him here. For me, just seeing him healthy every single week and getting to pitch is a success for him. It’s been good to see him do that, progress throughout the season.
He’s got really good velo, throws the ball hard. Him getting a feel for all of his pitches back will take some time coming off of Tommy John. Just getting to know him as a person, too, and getting to see how mature he is and that he’s ready for the big league level mentally. The physical stuff will come in time as he progresses through his Tommy John rehab still.”
Mayza, an Upper Perkiomen grad and Millersville University product, has just finished up rehabbing a lat strain. He could become an important left-hander out of the bullpen moving forward for Thomson.
“Exciting as somebody who grew up a Phillies fan and to finally be able to put the uniform on and be in the organization, I’m excited,” Mayza said. “It’s kind of super fun to be close to home. I’m definitely excited to be here.
Mayza has 374 career relief appearances and has posted a 3.85 ERA to go with a 20-9 record.
“I feel great,” Mayza said. “I had four outings, one of them was multiple innings, which I felt like that was the biggest thing I was looking forward to was how I was bouncing back from that. Everything’s been going great. The recovery’s been great. The stuff is where I’d like it to be.”
Lineup shuffling
Thomson had Edmundo Sosa at third base instead of Alec Bohm on Monday, and also penciled in an outfield of Brandon Marsh, Harrison Bader and Max Kepler.
“Just a day off,” he said of Bohm. “Get Sosa back in there.” As for Castellanos, the manager said, “Just a day off.”
It is the first time the Phillies have faced hard-throwing rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, who was named to the National League All-Star game back in July.
Former Tour de France winner will ride his last race in the Tour of Britain, ending in his hometown of Cardiff
Geraint Thomas will close his long and illustrious racing career with a farewell appearance in the 2025 men’s Tour of Britain, which begins in Suffolk on Tuesday.
Six days of racing will take a high-quality peloton from the eastern town of Woodbridge, to the mouth of the Severn, for a final celebratory stage next Sunday in Cardiff, which will provide a fitting climax to the Welshman’s career.
Here's today's NHL Nugget –
this month's edition of Shinny or Nothing remembers NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his submission in the Players' Tribune in February 2016, when he was with the Calgary Flames.
Gaudreau discussed how his father helped him learn to skate and play hockey as a kid, years before he turned pro and became a husband and father himself.
Appearing on this edition of the NHL Nugget is a special guest, Vincent LaRusso, who played Adam Banks in the iconic The Mighty Ducks series.
Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media. And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets play a three-game series in Detroit against the Tigers, beginning Monday at 1:10 pm on SNY.
5 things to watch
No Skubal
The Mets catch a break by missing Tarik Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young winner who is having another outstanding season. Without him the Tigers’ starting pitching is pretty average.
Detroit will start veteran Charlie Morton, a trade deadline pick-up who has a 4.61 ERA in five starts with the Tigers. The Mets are very familiar with him from his days with the Braves. For his career he is 7-7 with a 3.75 ERA against the Mets.
The Tigers haven’t named a starter for the second game of the series, and could do a bullpen game. Casey Mize will start the third game of the series. The right-hander is their second-best starter -- 12-5 this season with a 3.95 ERA.
All eyes on Manaea
The Mets continues to hope Sean Manaea finds his form from last season, as the left-hander starts the first game of the series on Monday. In his nine appearances since his delayed start to the season (his first outing he piggybacked off Kodai Senga’s start), he is 1-2 with a 5.01 ERA, a long way from his dominance in 2024.
Most notably he is averaging fewer than five innings per start and has often started strong but fallen off dramatically by the fourth inning, as his velocity, down a bit overall from last season, has tended to dip to 90 mph in the middle innings.
The need for Manaea to find his game is heightened by Senga’s struggles of late. The Mets were counting on the two of them at the top of the rotation and obviously it hasn’t happened.
How good are the Tigers?
A.J. Hinch’s ballclub is 80-58, sporting the best record in the American League and the second best in the majors behind the Milwaukee Brewers. But since getting out of the gate quickly they have leveled off, going 21-20 in the second half of the season.
Other than Skubal’s brilliance, nothing in particular stands out about them statistically. Offensively they rank seventh in the majors in runs scored, but they’ve dropped off in the second half, as 2025 All-Stars Javier Baez and Gleyber Torres have slumped for extended periods.
The Tigers have been tough at home, 44-25 going into this series. They’ve also had a knack for hitting in the clutch -- their .268 average with runners in scoring position and two outs is third best in the majors. That clutch factor likely figures into their success in close games -- they’re 20-9 in one-run games.
Aug 29, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a two run home run during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Soto is soaring
The Mets’ offense came alive in August, hitting for big numbers and hitting in the clutch as well. Most notably Juan Soto is finally hitting when it counts most and looking like the superstar who can carry an offense.
Soto put up a 1.009 OPS in August, with 10 home runs and 22 RBI. He’s been even hotter lately: In his last seven games he’s slashing .333/.500/.708 for a 1.208 OPS with three home runs and seven RBI. For the season he now has a .900 OPS –- ninth highest in the majors. His .394 on-base percentage is third-highest.
The Sproat watch is on
The third of the Mets’ three highly-touted pitching prospects, Brandon Sproat, could well join Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong with the big league club soon.
On Sunday manager Carlos Mendozaindicated that Senga’s spot in the rotation may not be safe after another sub-par outing from the right-hander. He spoke of Senga throwing “a lot of non-competitive pitches,” said “he’s having a hard time competing in the strike zone,” and offered that “I’m pretty sure we’ll have some discussion about what’s next.”
It sounded ominous and could mean that Sproat, coming off a strong start in Syracuse on Saturday, will be called up to make a start for the Mets in Senga’s spot.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Juan Soto
He’s coming off an outstanding month of August, looking like he can carry the offense if necessary. And he’s finally delivering with runners in scoring position.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Nolan McLean
Why not? The rookie has been spectacular through the first three starts in the big leagues, showing off his elite spin rates with his breaking pitches and, perhaps most important, the poise and confidence that has enabled him to attack hitters without fear, as he has issued no walks in his last two starts.
Which Tigers player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
Charlie Morton
When he’s right and he’s snapping off his big curveball with command, Morton was very tough on the Mets at times when he with with the Braves.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 42 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today we look at the history of jersey #42.
Let's take a look.
Kevyn Adams - 2000-01 - Adams was drafted 25th overall in the 1993 NHL Draft by the Boston Bruins.
Adams was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 NHL expansion draft. He would Adams would score 22 points in 66 games with the Blue Jackets before being traded at the trade deadline to the Florida Panthers alongside a 4th round pick in the 2001 NHL entry draft in exchange for Ray Whitney and future considerations.
Although it felt like Adams played in Columbus for a long time, his stay was very short, and CBJ fans at the time were not happy about the trade initially. But when Ray Whitney stepped into Nationwide Arena, that all changed.
Adams went on to play until the 2008-09 season. In January of 2009, Adams retired from the league and became a player agent. He was hired by the Buffalo Sabres as a Development Coach in 2009 and has held various positions including Asst. Coach, Director, Youth Hockey Supervisor, Vice President, and Sr. VP of Business Administration. On June 16, 2020, however, he was promoted to the big job of General Manager of the Sabres, where he still holds that position today. He is however, on the hot seat, as the Sabres haven't made the playoffs since 2011.
Brett Harkins - 2001-02 - Harkins was drafted in the 7th round of the NHL Draft by the New York Islanders in 1989.
Harkins is a North Ridgeville, Ohio Native and attended the famed St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio. Harkins also went on to play four years at Bowling Green State University in northwest Ohio, where he was a star. He had 208 points in his four years at BGSU. Harkins is also the first Ohio-born player to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Harkins played 25 games for the CBJ in 2001-02, after playing just over 50 career NHL games. he had a total of 2 goals and 14 points. After his year in Columbus, he would go to Europe and play six seasons in Finland and Sweden. He would retire in 2008.
Harkins has worked for the Boston Bruins for the last nine seasons as the Head College Scout / Amateur Scout.
Duvie Westcott - 2001-08 - Westcott was undrafted and signed by the CBJ in 2001.
Wescott played in 201 games for the Blue Jackets from 2001 to 2008. He scored 11 goals and totaled 56 points. Wescott was described as "a gritty defenseman with a solid all-around game. Has good passing ability and powerplay skills."
After playing for Columbus, Wescott went to Europe and played the next seven seasons in the KHL, DEL, and Swiss National League. He retired in 2015.
Mark Hartigan - 2003-07 - Signed with the Atlanta Thrashers as an undrafted free agent.
Hartigan played in 48 games with Columbus after being traded by the Atlanta Thrashers to the Blue Jackets. He scored 11 goals and had a total of 19 points.
On January 26, 2007, he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for Zenon Konopka and Curtis Glencross. He would leave for Europe in 2008 and retire in 2012.
Chad Kolarik - 2009-10 - Kolarik was drafted in the 7th round of the 2004 NHL Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes.
On March 3, 2010, Kolarik was traded from the Coyotes to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Alexandre Picard. After playing in two games for Columbus, he was traded to the New York Rangers on November 11, 2010.
He left for Europe in 2013 and played until 2020. After coaching various levels of the USNTDP, he was hired by the Bridgeport Islanders as an assistant. Coach for the 25-26 season.
Artem Anisimov - 2013-15 - Anisimov was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2006 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers.
Anisimov was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets by the New York Rangers with Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon, and NY Rangers' 1st round pick in the trade that sent superstar Rick Nash to New York. After playing in 168 games for the CBJ, he was then traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in the trade that brought forward Brandon Saad to Columbus.
Anisimov announced his retirement in October of 2024.
Alexandre Texier - 2018-24 - Texier was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2017 NHL Draft.
Texier played a total of 201 games for the Blue Jackets. His career started with a bang when he came over from Europe and made his debut in April of 2019, just before the end of the season. He ended up playing in the legendary series against the Tampa Bay Lightning and four of the games against the Boston Bruins. He scored 2 goals and 3 points in the postseason that year.
Texier would return to France for the 2022-23 season after it was reported that he lost family members to a crash. He played one season for the ZSC Lions and then returned to Columbus for the 2023-24 season. He played in 78 games and had 30 points in his NHL return.
Unfortunately for him, the Jackets hired a new GM in Don Waddell, who traded him to St Louis on June 28, 2024, for a fourth-round pick. His tenure in Columbus ended with him scoring 34 goals and totaling 79 points.
Last season for the Blues, he played in 31 games and had 11 points. He has one year left on his current deal and will then be an RFA.
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While speculation about a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade flew around the league all offseason — regardless of him professing his love for Milwaukee publicly — the reality was that the Bucks would never trade him unless he demanded it. He never did. Of course, that never stopped the chatter.
Maybe this will: Giannis' brother and five-year NBA veteran Thanasis Antetokounmpo has agreed to a one-year contract to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, something confirmed by the team and Thanasis himself.
The Bucks wouldn't sign Thanasis if Giannis weren't coming to camp, something ESPN’s Charania noted when he first reported the Thanasis signing.
Thanasis sat out last NBA season recovering from a torn Achilles, but he is healthy and currently playing for the Greek national team at EuroBasket (averaging almost 15 minutes a game). Before sitting out last season, Thasasis played five seasons in Milwaukee, getting into 196 games in a deep bench reserve role.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely play the entire coming season for the Bucks. While it's possible he could ask and the Bucks could try to trade him at the deadline, Antetokounmpo's $54.1 million salary makes that exceedingly difficult in the NBA's apron era. If Antetokounmpo asks for a trade, it would likely be next offseason, and a lot of what happens likely depends on how this season goes in Milwaukee.
For now, brothers Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo will fly from EuroBasket to Milwaukee together to get ready for Bucks training camp at the end of September.
British heavyweight boxer who twice took on Muhammad Ali and beat Henry Cooper in 1971
Joe Bugner, who has died aged 75, twice went the distance with the great Muhammad Ali – the second time in a failed 1975 world title challenge – and also lost to the fearsome Joe Frazier in an epic contest. But the British sporting public never loved him in the way of heavyweight boxers such as Frank Bruno, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
Perhaps he was never forgiven for defeating Henry Cooper at Wembley, three days after his 21st birthday in March 1971, by the narrowest of margins in a points decision that remained a subject of controversy for decades to come.
