Author: Shekari Philemon

EuroLeague clubs rejected a formal merger offer from the NBA this week, though plans for a separate NBA Europe competition are proceeding regardless, with a 16 team league targeted for as early as the 2027 to 28 season. How solid is the rejection? Less than the word suggests. European basketball officials involved in negotiations indicate a significant number of the 13 permanent EuroLeague clubs have expressed interest in joining NBA Europe, and talks are expected to continue. What held this week was a collective position, not a settled one, and the source material describes a fractured situation with clubs weighing…

Philadelphia right tackle Lane Johnson announced his retirement on Tuesday, two days after being a surprise inactive against the Los Angeles Rams in a decision the team learned of that morning. What did he say? That he wanted to play one more season and concluded he could not. In a statement posted to social media, Johnson said he had deeply wanted to take the field with his teammates for a final year, that reflection had shown him his personal and family priorities had changed, and that focusing on his mental health is critical right now. He said he owed it…

The NFL Referees Association said Tuesday it will challenge the severity of suspensions issued to two game officials for conduct toward players, arguing the penalties exceed what precedent supports. What were the suspensions? Two games for a line judge who swore at Arizona tight end Trey McBride during a loss at the New York Giants, and one game for a referee who yelled at Minnesota linebacker Eric Wilson and gestured for him to move away. Both were issued Monday. Are the two incidents comparable? Not really, and the penalties reflect that. The first involved an official directing profanity at a…

Nikola Bartunkova extended her China Open run into the quarterfinals on Tuesday, beating Sinja Kraus 6 to 0, 4 to 6, 6 to 3 two days after eliminating the world number two. How far has she come? Further than her ranking suggests. The 34th ranked Czech beat Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets in the third round on Sunday, and has now won three matches at a tournament where both top seeds were gone inside the first week. She next faces seventh seeded compatriot Karolina Muchova in a first meeting between them. How did Muchova get there? Barely. She beat Naomi…

Coco Gauff was beaten 6 to 3, 6 to 3 by Elise Mertens in the China Open fourth round on Wednesday, days after describing the volume of racist messages she had received online as insane. What did she say about the abuse? That it has been draining. Coco Gauff said she turns her phone off and moves on, and that there is nothing else to be done. Earlier in the week she posted that people could dislike her or disagree with what happened without being racist, said the quantity of racist comments and direct messages she had received within hours…

Winning a championship is supposed to make everything easier, right? Free parades, endless highlight reels, maybe even a little extra love at contract time. For the New York Knicks, though, the hangover from last season’s title run comes with a hefty price tag. The Knicks opened their preseason schedule Monday night, but one of the biggest pieces of their championship puzzle is still at odds with the front office. Karl-Anthony Towns and the team remain far apart on a contract extension, and the big man isn’t exactly feeling optimistic. Towns isn’t sugarcoating it Asked Monday whether a new deal could…

Usually it’s the players getting flagged, fined and suspended. This week, the zebras got a taste of their own medicine. The NFL has suspended line judge Jeff Seeman for two games and referee Adrian Hill for one game over separate instances of unprofessional conduct toward a player. The punishments were handed down by Ramon George, the league’s vice president of officiating. A heated moment in Arizona’s loss Seeman’s trouble started during the Arizona Cardinals’ 36-24 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday. Cameras caught the line judge apparently cursing at Cardinals tight end Trey McBride. The flare-up came on…

NEW ORLEANS — Remember when the Atlanta Falcons couldn’t buy a touchdown? Yeah, that feels like ancient history now. In just two weeks, Atlanta’s offense has pulled off one of the most improbable turnarounds of the young NFL season. We’re talking worst to first, zero to hero, flip phone to smartphone. Through the first two games, Atlanta scored a combined 16 points, the fewest in the league. Then somebody flipped the switch. After a 45-24 win over the rival New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, Atlanta has piled up a league-high 80 combined points in Weeks 3 and 4.…

BEIJING — Tennis can turn on a dime, but Monday’s China Open semifinal took that to a whole new level. Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his semifinal against Novak Djokovic after a ball he hit flew into the stands and struck a spectator sitting in the front row. One moment he was fighting to stay alive in the match. The next, his tournament was over. One swing, one wild sequence Here’s how it went down. Djokovic led 7-5, 5-3 and was serving for the match when he put away a forehand volley winner. The ball bounced off the advertising boards…

MONACO — Tennis fans, brace yourselves. The man sitting atop the rankings is officially putting his racket away for the rest of 2026. Top-ranked Jannik Sinner announced Tuesday that he will miss the remainder of the season as he continues to deal with an injured knee. If you’ve been wondering when the Italian star would be back on court, the answer is now officially next year. A summer high, then silence Rewind to July. The 25-year-old was on top of the tennis world, beating Alexander Zverev in the Wimbledon final to successfully defend his title at the All England Club.…