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BELGRADE, Serbia — Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was included on Serbia’s 16-man preliminary roster for the upcoming Paris Olympics on Monday, ending doubts he would skip the basketball tournament. The three-time NBA MVP has missed some important international tournaments in the past, citing long NBA seasons. But Jokic ended the current NBA season earlier
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (AP Photo))
LOS ANGELES – Dan Hurley has rejected a six-year offer reportedly worth a total of $70 million from the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and is remaining men’s basketball coach at the University of Connecticut, a statement said Monday.
The Lakers would have made the 51-year-old American, who guided the Huskies to US college crowns in 2023 and 2024, among the half dozen best-paid coaches in the NBA.
But Hurley turned down the deal after meeting on Friday with the Lakers.
In a statement released by the University of Connecticut on Monday, Hurley said he would remain in college basketball.
“I am humbled by this entire experience,” Hurley said. “At the end of the day, I am extremely proud of the championship culture we have built at Connecticut.
“We met as a team before today’s workout and our focus right now is getting better this summer and connecting as a team as we continue to pursue championships.”
Hurley is 141-58 over six seasons with Connecticut and has an overall college head-coaching record of 292-163. He signed a six-year, $32.1 million deal with the Huskies last year.
The Lakers had a coaching vacancy after firing Darvin Ham last month.
Ham went 90-74 over two seasons in which the Lakers reached the playoffs. But after battling into the Western Conference finals last year before losing to eventual NBA champion Denver, the Lakers were ousted in the first round this time by Denver.
There was some success for the Lakers this past season as they won the first edition of the NBA In-Season Tournament, now called the NBA Cup.
The Lakers last won the NBA Finals in 2020 and hope to rebuild with Anthony Davis and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James, who turns 40 in December.
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz kisses the trophy after winning against Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the men’s singles final match on Court Philippe-Chatrier on day fifteen of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris on June 9, 2024. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)
Carlos Alcaraz said emulating Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s successes seems “impossible” after winning his maiden French Open title on Sunday with a victory over Alexander Zverev.
The 21-year-old came from behind to win 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 and claim his third Grand Slam triumph.
Alcaraz’s victory made him the youngest man to win Slam titles on clay, grass and hard courts.
With Roger Federer retired, Nadal expected to hang up his racquet this year and Djokovic having a poor season by his high standards, Alcaraz could be primed to dominate the sport for years to come.
Although he is already making history, he has some way to go to match Nadal’s record of 14 French Open titles or Djokovic’s men’s best total of 24 Grand Slams.
“Both things are out of the ordinary,” he admitted.
“You have to be an alien to get it. What Rafa did with 14 is practically impossible.
“The 24 Grand Slams I hope I can but it is almost impossible. Both things are out of the ordinary…
“Before facing this final, he (coach Juan Carlos Ferrero) told me, you’re going to fight for your third Grand Slam title, with everything you have been through, and you know the difficult part of winning a Grand Slam, and Djokovic has 24.
“So it is unbelievable. Right now I can’t think about it.”
Alcaraz will next turn his attentions to the grass-court season and the defense of his Wimbledon title.
But he already has one eye on returning to Roland Garros next month for the Paris Olympics, where he is expected to play alongside the 38-year-old Nadal in the doubles.
“When I come back here to the Olympics I will have flashbacks. It can be very nice, my first Games 40 days after winning my first Roland Garros,” he added.
“I really want to. Fight to give my country a medal, be able to play doubles with my idol Rafa Nadal. Let’s fight. Coming back here is going to be a special feeling.”
He is the eighth Spanish man to win the Coupe des Mousquetaires.
“In Roland Garros, knowing all the Spanish players who have won this tournament and be able to put my name on that amazing list is something unbelievable,” Alcaraz told reporters.
“Something that I dreamt about, being in this position, since I was started playing tennis, since I was five, six years old. So it’s a great, great feeling.”
Third-ranked Alcaraz has already won three major titles, five Masters 1000 tournaments and become the youngest ever world number one, but said Sunday’s triumph was his proudest moment so far.
He had struggled with a right arm injury in the build-up to the tournament, missing both the Monte Carlo Masters and the Rome Open, either side of a quarter-final loss to Andrey Rublev in Madrid.
“Right now lifting the Roland Garros trophy, knowing everything that I have been through the last month with the injuries and all that stuff, I don’t know. Probably this one,” he said.
“Probably this one is the moment that I’m really proud about myself, because everything that I have done the last month just to be ready for this tournament…
“So I’m going to say this one is the most that I am proud about myself.”
Manny Pacquiao (right) is all set to face MMA champion Chihiro Suzuki. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
About a year and a half removed from his last match, Manny Pacquiao has been spending his time completing side quests.
The boxing icon has been caught on social media dabbling in endurance motorcycling, tennis, pool, and even trying out his luck in chess against an equally legendary sporting figure in Efren Reyes.
Pacquiao, now 45, is scheduled to complete another quest postretirement when he returns to an old stomping ground next month.
“I came here to fight this coming July 28 … I remember my first and last fight here in Japan—that was in ’98—and it [finished in the] first round. It’s my mission to come back and do it again,” he said in a live-streamed presser on Monday noon, promoting his specialized fight against Japanese-Peruvian mixed martial artist Chihiro Suzuki.
“Though [this] fight is only three rounds, I’ll do [my] best to make it faster than that,” the former senator added, referring to his first-round knockout of Shin Terao in Tokyo that lasted just under three minutes.
Pacquiao will be battling Suzuki, a two-sport champion, in a 150-pound boxing contest at Saitama Arena penciled to go for three, three-minute rounds.
The fight, which will be staged under the banner of Rizin Fighting Federation, will also be the first time in over a decade that Pacquiao figures outside his usual fighting weight.
And that shouldn’t be a problem, according to the former—and only—eight-division boxing champion.
“Sixty-eight kilograms is 149 pounds, so a little bit heavier than my weight, 147,” Pacquiao said shortly after doing math with his smartphone. “But it’s OK. I’ve been in 154 before with (Antonio) Margarito. I’m used to fighting at a bigger weight, so nothing to worry about.”
Pacquiao scored a unanimous decision over Margarito for the World Boxing Council super welterweight championship in November 2010.
Suzuki is a champion in both mixed martial arts (MMA) and kickboxing disciplines and is eager to tap his expertise in those sports to conquer the legendary boxer.
“I know that a boxer’s punches won’t land on Pacquiao. But I’m an MMA fighter and I do believe that MMA strikes will land,” he said with the aid of a translator.
“In this fight, he may teach me what boxing is, but I’ll teach him what MMA is about,” he added.
Pacquiao responded in a way only Pacquiao could.
“Boxing is not easy to learn. Chihiro wants to experience [that]. I’m sure, on July 28, he’ll learn more about boxing,” he said with a smirk.
“I’ll teach him more about boxing.”
Pacquiao’s last fight was in an exhibition against YouTuber DK Yoo in South Korea. The former defeated the hometown bet with a 6-round unanimous decision. INQ
June Mar Fajardo–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
June Mar Fajardo found himself in a bind on Sunday night, his on-court struggles among the things that doomed San Miguel in Game 3 of the PBA Philippine Cup’s championship series.
“That’s just the way it is,” he told reporters in Filipino on the heels of a 93-89 loss to the Meralco Bolts at Smart Araneta Coliseum. “Credit to them, they’ve played great throughout this series.”
Easily the heart and soul of the vaunted club, Fajardo was shackled to just 12 points and was limited to his season-low five field-goal attempts.
The reigning MVP, who is on pace to win his 10th Best Player of the Conference award, also accounted for seven of the team’s 15 turnovers as the Beermen slid to a 2-1 hole.
“Their defense is great. They’ve got plenty of bigs, and they are quick with their rotations so it’s been tiring [for me],” Fajardo said of the opposition, who has the likes of Raymond Almazan, rookie Brandon Bates, Norbert Torres and even Kyle Pascual taking turns in defending the most dominant player in the league.
CJ Perez, the other steady presence for San Miguel in this All-Filipino derby, wasn’t too keen on pinning it all on his star teammate’s woes.
“It’s just the free throws,” he said in a separate chat. “Those were the most crucial. We missed seven in the last [minutes], and that was the story.”
Five of those muffed freebies, following a 75-all deadlock in the payoff frame, were from Perez. And those were just as critical in San Miguel’s defeat, the spitfire guard insists.
A closer examination of the Game 3 stats sheet, however, showed that San Miguel lost in both the rebounds and assists race. The Beermen only had 50 boards against the Bolts’ 57, and 15 assists versus Meralco’s 22.
Fajardo, Perez, and co. were also behind the challengers in points in the paint (36-32), second-chance points (22-11), and error conversions (20-13).
“We really need to improve our energy to beat Meralco. We’re losing in rebounds—offensive rebounds. And their hustle [plays],” said Perez.
The crafty guard, however, is confident that those issues can be addressed in the two-day lull heading into Wednesday’s Game 4 at the same venue.“It’s going to be crucial as we don’t want to be crushed (with a big deficit),” he said of the return match.
“The two days will be big for our rest. And of course, June Mar since he’s really having a hard time. He needs rest. And of course, we need to adjust whatever that is we need to adjust,” Perez added.
If anything, Perez and Fajardo can take comfort in the fact that San Miguel has yet to lose back-to-back games this tournament. The Beermen suffered that only once this season when they stumbled against NorthPort and then Magnolia in the previous Commissioner’s Cup which they eventually ruled.
It will be truly interesting to see how the decorated San Miguel side recoups against a Meralco crew hell-bent on making the most out of their first-ever Philippine Cup finals. INQ
Nesthy Petecio (left) settled for the silver in the Tokyo Olympics after losing to hometown bet Sena Irie (right) in the final. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Staying busy in a training facility in Bangkok last month, Nesthy Petecio was amazed at the volume of boxers looking to trade blows with her atop the ring.
“I was surprised with the number of boxers who wanted to spar with me at the training camp,’’ said Petecio, who is back in Manila after a monthlong workout at the Thai capital.
Getting a crack at Petecio is quite understandable since most, if not all of them, craved exchanging mitts with an Olympic medalist.
Petecio pocketed the silver medal in the women’s 57-kilogram class during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and with Japan’s Sena Irie, the champion in the featherweight division, now gone, the Filipino former world champion is considered at the top of the pecking order.
“They just loved to face me in the ring and I really don’t know why. As soon as I arrived in the camp, several boxers immediately took interest in slugging it out with me,’’ said Petecio.
She will leave for the Metz training camp in France with Olympic qualifiers Aira Villegas, Hergie Bacyadan and Carlo Paalam in less than two weeks.
They are scheduled to travel together to Germany in another arranged camp from July 1 to July 14 together with Eumir Marcial and fellow Olympians from 22 countries, serving as the ultimate phase of their preparation for the Paris Olympics.
“I’m in the process of building up my strength and stamina. But I think what I really have to develop from now until the Olympics is the proper mindset once I enter the ring,’’ said Petecio.
The 2019 world champion in her division encounters not a few distractions in her buildup, but perfectly knows how to deflect them.
“There are distractions every day, but I always choose peace of mind,’’ said Petecio.
The two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist lost to Irie via unanimous decision in their gold-medal match in Tokyo, but the defeat only boosted her resolve.
“I feel that my confidence isn’t there yet, but I’m on my way to getting there,’’ said Petecio. INQ
Retired multiple world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines speaks during a press conference at a hotel in Tokyo on June 10, 2024. It was announced on June 9 that he will fight Japanese mixed martial artist Chihiro Suzuki in a three-round boxing match on July 28 in Saitama, north of Tokyo. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)
Boxing great Manny Pacquiao said Monday that he is in negotiations to make a comeback but cautioned that a potential world title fight against Mario Barrios was “far away.”
The 45-year-old multiple world champion from the Philippines quit the sport in 2021 and made a failed tilt at his country’s presidency.
He has signed up to fight a three-round exhibition bout against Japanese mixed martial artist Chihiro Suzuki next month in Saitama, north of Tokyo.
Pacquiao said he was in talks to face the American Barrios for the WBC welterweight world title but said the potential fight was still “far away”.
“We’re still in negotiations and we’re talking about that. The fight has not materialised yet,” Pacquiao, who has hinted at comebacks before, said in Tokyo.
“That negotiation is ongoing. It’s going to be by December — November or December.
“There’s still a lot of things to discuss and talk about.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFSG370oyy0
Pacquiao in February admitted defeat in his bid to fight at next month’s Paris Olympics when the International Olympic Committee rejected a special request for him to take part.
The IOC has an age limit of 40 for Olympic boxers.
Pacquiao retired weeks after losing to Cuban Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas in his final professional fight.
He ran for the Philippines presidency but lost the May 2022 election by a huge margin.
He returned to the ring for an exhibition in Seoul in December 2022 against a South Korean YouTuber.
He will fight Suzuki on July 28 in a 68kg boxing match of three rounds at three minutes each, with no judges’ decision.
Pacquiao insisted the bout was “not an exhibition, this is a fight”.
“We are looking for a knock-out for this fight,” he said.
“There’s going to be a lot of action in the ring and of course I’ll do my best to win by knock-out.”
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) heads to the locker room after a 105-98 loss to the Boston Celtics following Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Sunday, June 9, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
BOSTON — Luka Doncic is piling up injuries and points in these NBA Finals.
But for the second straight game, he didn’t get enough support from his Mavericks teammates. This time on a night when the Boston Celtics did everything possible to give Dallas a chance to steal a game on the road.
Doncic connected on 12 of 21 shots and finished with 32 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds, marking his 10th career playoff triple double and the first Finals triple-double in Mavericks’ history.
But his teammates went a combined 26 of 59 from the field on a night in which Boston went just 10 of 30 from the 3-point line, and All-Star Jayson Tatum shot 6 of 22 from the field as Boston won Game 2 105-98.
It all added up to a two-game deficit for the Mavericks as the best-of-seven series shifts to Dallas for Game 3 on Wednesday.
“Every game we lose is a missed opportunity for us,” Doncic said when asked if felt the Mavs missed a chance to take advantage of an off night by the Celtics. “At the end the day, we have to make shots to win the game.”
It was the first Game 2 loss of these playoffs for Dallas, which had won three straight — all on the road. The Mavs now face the daunting task of having to beat a Boston team that has lost just twice this postseason in four out of five games. The Celtics are 6-0 on the road this postseason.
Dallas struggled from both the 3-point line (6 of 26) and the free throw line (16 of 24). Doncic was 4 of 8 from the foul line and had eight of his team’s 15 turnovers.
“The small things, you know, we have to do the small things, and that’s part of the game,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Those are points that we left on the board, and we didn’t shoot free throws well tonight, and we have to be better.”
Doncic started Game 2 after being listed as probable Sunday morning with a sprained right knee and left ankle before being downgraded to questionable by the afternoon after a bruised chest was added to his list of ailments.
He was cleared to play after going through his pregame warmup routine. Doncic believes he sustained the chest injury taking a charge in Game 1. During pregame introductions Doncic wore an ice wrap across the side of his chest and knee.
“I always want to play,” Doncic said. “So all day we did a lot of things to get ready for the game.”
It didn’t seem to bother him at the outset, as he scored six of Mavericks’ first 11 points and Dallas sprinted out to a 13-6 lead in the first quarter.
But his mobility did seem to be lacking on occasion. It showed later in the opening period when Jaylen Brown pushed the ball up the court on a fast break and crossed Doncic over before gliding past him for a two-handed dunk.
It didn’t slow Doncic down on the offensive end, where he continued to chalk up points and have a verbal back-and-forth with a Celtics fan seated courtside after making consecutive shots.
What may be most troubling for Dallas’ hopes the rest of the series is the play of Kyrie Irving.
After finishing with just 12 points in Game 1 — the second-fewest of his Finals’ career — Irving improved with 16 points on 7-of-18 shooting, with six assists and two turnovers. But 10 of his points came in the first half, again leaving Doncic on an island down the stretch.
“My teammates look for me to convert a lot of shots and lessen the burden, not only on Luka but the entire team,” Irving said. “It’s on all of us, man. I’m pretty sure if you hear what everybody has to say, they’ll say they have to do something better.”
More Mavericks players were more involved than in Game 1, with all five Mavericks starters reaching double figures. It was a small consolation to Doncic.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got to make some more shots,” he said. “I think my turnovers and my missed free throws cost us the game. So I’ve got to do way better in those two categories.”
Red Bull Racing’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen wins the 2024 Canada Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, on June 9, 2024. (Photo by Shawn Thew / POOL / AFP)
Max Verstappen eased the pressure on Sunday when he completed a hat-trick of victories at the Canadian Grand Prix to consolidate his early-season lead in the drivers’ championship.
After being beaten in two of the previous three races, the series leader and three-time champion bounced back to his competitive best, with the aid of excellent calls from his team in a tactical race, to win by 3.879 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Mercedes’ George Russell, who started from pole position, finished third ahead of a fast, but frustrated teammate in seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
A champion’s drive #F1 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/axvhdt7Ssi
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 9, 2024
Verstappen scored his third consecutive triumph at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and the 60th win of his career, having started second on the grid and, at times, riding his luck in a dramatic contest featuring two Safety Car interventions.
“That was a pretty crazy race and a lot of things were happening,”said Verstappen. “We had to keep on top of our calls and as a team we did really well today. We remained calm and we pitted at the right time.”
With both Ferraris failing to finish – just two weeks after Charles Leclerc claimed an emotional win in his home Monaco Grand Prix – Verstappen’s success lifted him 56 points clear of the Monegasque driver in the title race.
“The safety cars worked out nicely for us this time,” he added, referring to the Miami Grand Prix where he lost his advantage, allowing Norris to claim his maiden win. “But even after that we were managing the gaps quite well.
“I loved it. It was a lot of fun. These kind of races you need to have once in a while. The most important thing is that we won. The suspension problem is not particularly an issue.”
“We know what it is, so we just need to work on it. We still have room to improve.”
Hamilton, who was self-critical after the race, was passed by Russell in the closing laps, but finished ahead of fifth-placed Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren and two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin.
Local hope Lance Stroll was seventh in the second Aston Martin ahead of RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and the two Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.
“A lot of fun,” said Norris, who, with Piastri, brought McLaren their first points in Canada since 2014 on the 56th anniversary of the team’s first win, with Bruce McLaren, at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix.
“It was wild. It was chaotic. It was eventful. To be honest, I felt like I drove a good race, the whole time, from start to finish. These conditions are so stressful inside the car, but very enjoyable at the same time.”
Russell said: “That was an ugly race on my behalf and I am sorry for that. It feels like a big missed opportunity to be honest. We had a fast car this weekend.”
On a day of showers and sunshine, five cars — Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull, both Ferraris and both Williams — failed to finish in front of a big enthusiastic crowd who revelled in the changing conditions and race positions.
Verstappen’s win carried him to 194 points in the drivers’ championship ahead of Leclerc on 138 and Norris on 131. In the constructors’ race Red Bull, in a troubled season by their standards, moved to 301 points ahead of Ferrari on 252.
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes looks on, on the grid prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 09, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec. Chris Graythen/Getty Images/AFP
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said he had driven “one of the worst races” of his long career on Sunday when he finished fourth behind Mercedes teammate George Russell in the Canadian Grand Prix.
Hamilton said he believed his car was capable of winning, but that he had made a lot of mistakes in his 341st race, in which Russell passed him in the closing laps to snatch away his first podium finish this year on one of his favorite tracks.
“Over the weekend, it’s a poor performance from myself,” he said. “Some other things came into it yesterday, mostly myself, but then today, it’s one of the worst races I’ve driven. Lots of mistakes.
“Of course, if I qualified better, I would have been in a better position…
“But it is becoming a car we can fight with and that’s a real positive, going into the next part of the season. It’s going to be a close battle and if I get my head on right, I’ll get better results.
“I think this weekend the car was capable of winning. That’s such a great feeling so we’ll take the points and keep on trying.”
Hamilton holds the joint record of seven wins and six poles at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve where he claimed his maiden victory, with McLaren, in 2007.
Russell, who had started from the second pole position of his career and the team’s first since Hamilton’s pole at Hungary last year, said: “This feels like a missed opportunity. We were really quick at the beginning on the inters and then Lando came through really fast, but then we jumped back onto the slicks and made a couple of mistakes, pushing the limits and paid the price.
“Nevertheless, it was our first podium of the year, we had a really fast car and to be back in the mix fighting for a victory, that’s what F1 is about.”
Asked about his two late bold passing moves on McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Hamilton, Russell added: “It was pretty tight with Oscar and Lewis at the end. It was hard, but fair racing.
“It’s so difficult when there’s only one dry line, so you have got to be committed and trust your rivals.”
Team boss Toto Wolff said despite missing out on a first win since the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in 2022, he was satisfied with the team’s recent progress.
“A victory was maybe a long shot, or a short dream, but you must not be too greedy. The car has made a good step forward and the development direction is true.”
He added that he was not sure if Red Bull had “made a step backwards” but that “the most important thing” is that their performance advantage was shrinking.