Update emerges on Mark Sanchez’s criminal trial
The Mark Sanchez situation is still nowhere close to being resolved.
Sanchez’s criminal trial has been delayed yet again, this time to Sept. 8. Jarett Lewis of WIBC reports that this is now the fifth time that Sanchez’s trial, which was originally scheduled to begin on July 13, has been delayed.
The former NFL quarterback Sanchez is facing a felony battery charge as well as three other misdemeanor charges in relation to his stabbing incident that occurred last October in Indianapolis, Ind. Sanchez allegedly got into a late-night parking dispute with 69-year-old truck driver Perry Tole, resulting in an ugly physical confrontation that left Sanchez hospitalized with multiple stab wounds (catch up on the full details here).
Sanchez was later accused of being on illegal drugs during the incident, for which he was ultimately arrested. On top of that, Sanchez ended up getting fired from his broadcasting job with FOX Sports in the wake of the episode.
Tole has also since filed a lawsuit against Sanchez and FOX over the confrontation. The 69-year-old has claimed that he suffered severe and gruesome injuries as a result of being attacked by Sanchez.
Still only 39 years old, the USC product Sanchez was the No. 5 overall pick by the New York Jets in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played in the league for eight seasons from 2009-18 before transitioning into a career as an analyst after his retirement.
Report: Lakers are looking to trade 1 veteran player
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to move on from The Vandalorian.
The Lakers have expressed a willingness to trade veteran forward Jarred Vanderbilt, Khobi Price of The New York Post reported on Wednesday. Price adds that the Lakers would like some more roster-building flexibility and that Vanderbilt is also a potential option to head back to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a sign-and-trade deal for Jonathan Kuminga (whom the Lakers are actively targeting).
Vanderbilt, 27, is one of the longest-tenured players left on the Lakers. A 6-foot-8 power forward, Vanderbilt has been with the team since 2023.
But Vanderbilt’s production for the Lakers has been progressively tailing off. Though defense is Vanderbilt’s calling card, he is such a liability on offense (averaging 4.4 points per game last season on 47/29/59 shooting splits) that he becomes entirely unplayable in certain matchups.
Vanderbilt also causes problems with his inability to stay healthy. He has appeared in just 156 total games over his three-and-a-half seasons with the Lakers and most recently suffered a very gruesome finger injury during the team’s second-round playoff loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder this year.
Owed $12.4 million next season with a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28 as well, Vanderbilt is no longer worth the price of admission for the Lakers. Now he may be joining the likes of LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, Deandre Ayton, and Jaxson Hayes as members of the 2025-26 team who will all be playing elsewhere next year.
Notable update emerges on Zach LaVine’s future
Zach LaVine is one of the last men standing in Sacramento, and it may be that way for a little while longer.
The Sacramento Kings guard LaVine has had no active talks with the team about a potential buyout to this point, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Wednesday. Siegel adds that he would expect LaVine to remain on the Sacramento roster throughout the offseason and into the start of next season as well.
The Kings, who went a dismal 22-60 last season, are tearing things down. After trading away De’Aaron Fox last season, Sacramento just released DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis is a rumored trade candidate too.
That effectively just leaves LaVine, the two-time All-Star guard. He was limited to 19.2 points per game last season over just 39 total appearances for Sacramento, and now the Kings have younger guards (including No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr.) who should be getting the minutes in their backcourt instead.
LaVine, now 31 years old, recently exercised his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season. With a salary that high, LaVine would have to give up a good chunk of change in order to get a buyout to join another team.
That does not sound like something that the former lottery pick LaVine is willing to do at this point. As such, the Kings may be pursuing some other notable offseason moves instead as they look to rebuild from the ground up.
Anthony Volpe says report about second base stance is ‘B.S.’
New York Yankees youngster Anthony Volpe made sure to set the record straight once and for all.
On Tuesday, Michael Kay said that Volpe, a shortstop, refused to play second base.
Michael Kay has heard from multiple people that the Yankees asked Anthony Volpe to play some second base in the minors and Volpe said "no, I'm a shortstop"
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 8, 2026
(via @ESPNNewYork) pic.twitter.com/sxUhHhBABm
Kay has since backtracked on that report, but Volpe gave the final verdict on Wednesday prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
“It definitely caught me off guard. It’s confusing, just because it’s not true,” Volpe said, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “It couldn’t be further from the truth. From my end, from our perspective, that’s been very clearly communicated to Boonie and the team, and I think it’s just kind of B.S.”
On Wednesday morning, Kay posted on X that the report wasn’t true, saying there was “absolutely no truth to it whatsoever.”
I spoke of a rumor yesterday on TMKS that Anthony Volpe would not play 2B in the minors. Sounded unlike him, so I checked further today and there is absolutely no truth to it whatsoever. He never refused to work at second. Will speak more of it today at 1 pm @ESPNNewYork.
— Michael Kay (@RealMichaelKay) July 8, 2026
Volpe even answered that he would “literally do anything to help the team win.”
So, after an interesting few days, Volpe is hoping to put this to bed.
Nuggets release 14-year veteran ahead of $10 million payday
The Denver Nuggets were set to pay $10 million to big man Jonas Valanciunas if he was still on the roster after Wednesday.
However, according to a report from Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, the Nuggets are releasing Valanciunas, and he is expected to have interest from a number of teams across the league.
JUST IN: The Denver Nuggets are waiving center Jonas Valanciunas, league sources told @hoopshype. He had a fully guaranteed $10 million decision today. Denver will now owe Valanciunas $2 million for the 2026-27 season. He’s averaged 12.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in 14 NBA seasons. pic.twitter.com/5KdGxgQL6N
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 8, 2026
Jonas Valanciunas was selected at No. 5 overall by the Toronto Raptors in 2011. He spent the first seven seasons of his career in Toronto before joining the Memphis Grizzlies in the middle of the 2018-19 season.
Jonas Valanciunas then played three seasons in Memphis and three with the New Orleans Pelicans before spending time with the Washington Wizards and Sacramento Kings.
Valanciunas considered leaving Denver for the EuroLeague after being traded last summer, but he ended up playing 65 games for the Nuggets. He averaged just over 13 minutes a game, but he had 8.7 points with 5.1 rebounds and showed that he can be a quality big man off the bench.
Prior to the signing of Kevon Looney, the Los Angeles Lakers were one team linked to Valanciunas. Now that the big man is a free agent, he should draw lots of interest from teams searching for a backup center.
Paul Skenes jokingly calls Pirates teammate ‘selfish’ after 3-HR game
The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Atlanta Braves 12-4 on Tuesday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pa.
It marked the first win for Paul Skenes since May 12, and he went six innings, allowing just two runs as he moved to 7-8 with a 3.58 ERA.
Ryan O’Hearn played hero for the Pirates with four hits, three home runs and a whopping 10 RBIs in the game. After the win, Skenes spoke to reporters and called O’Hearn “selfish” for hitting so many home runs.
“I think it was kinda selfish, to be honest,” Skenes said. “Everybody else is getting on. Home runs are rally killers. You hit a 3- run home run or a grand slam…and what now? There’s nobody on. Nobody can drive him in. Good for him, I guess,” Skenes uttered with a grin at the end.
Paul Skenes on Ryan O'Hearn's 3 homer, 10 RBI game. 🤣
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 8, 2026
"I think it was kinda selfish, to be honest. Everybody else is getting on. Home runs are rally killers.
You hit a 3- run home run or a grand slam…and what now? There's nobody on. Nobody can drive him in. Good for him,… pic.twitter.com/9T6vspC2sR
O’Hearn’s first home run came in the bottom of the first via a grand slam. He then hit a three-run shot in the third and a three-run homer in the sixth. Up until that point, O’Hearn had driven in all 10 runs for the Pirates.
O’Hearn’s total for the year is now at 16 home runs with 61 RBIs, and he is delivering after signing a three-year deal with Pittsburgh in free agency.
While Paul Skenes looked serious at first, he started to grin and smirk at the end of the clip, showing his joking nature after a huge performance from his teammate.
Steph Curry makes a candid admission about playing with LeBron James
The NBA world is waiting on LeBron James to make his free agency decision, and Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry is hoping to see him land in the Bay Area.
On Wednesday, Curry was asked about playing with James, and the Warriors superstar had a hilarious response.
“I’d say more so I’m interested to just play golf with LeBron,” Curry said as he prepares for the American Century Championship at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.
“We’ll handle the basketball stuff, but I want to see the golf LeBron free agent. He’s out here really grinding on the game. But I’m sure we obviously would love to play together. I mean, hopefully it happens. But he’s deserved the opportunity and the right to take his time with the decision,” Curry added.
Steph Curry on the possibility of playing with LeBron James:
— aly ✶ (@jinthirty) July 8, 2026
“I’d say more so I’m interested to just play golf with LeBron. We’ll handle the basketball stuff, but I want to see the golf LeBron free agent. He’s out here really grinding on the game. But I’m sure we obviously would… pic.twitter.com/aGcZhc5PYI
James’ increasing golf play has led to many thinking he will retire soon, and that figures to be the case in the next year or two.
When James announced that he wouldn’t return to the Lakers, the Warriors, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, were immediately linked as options for the future Hall of Famer.
James has also been spending time with Draymond Green, who is also a free agent, so the Warriors’ links continue to grow.
The thought of Steph Curry, LeBron James and Draymond Green together is intriguing, and nobody knows when the decision will be made.
Full details emerge on a 6-team NBA blockbuster trade
This year’s NBA offseason has been full of several major blockbuster trades, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard and Jaylen Brown as some stars who have new homes.
On Tuesday night, the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks made some moves in what was a busy night. By the end of it all, there was a wild six-team trade involving those four teams along with the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers.
It is a lot to track, and Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints laid out the full details of the trade.
- Memphis Grizzlies receive Isaiah Stewart, D’Angelo Russell, AJ Johnson, GSW 1st (Top-20 PROT, via DAL), ’29 HOU 2nd (via DAL), ’29 LAL 2nd (via WAS), ’32 MEM/PHI/UTA (more favorable, via WAS)
- Washington Wizards receive Khris Middleton, ’33 DAL 2nd
- Milwaukee Bucks receive Caris LaVert, ’27 MIL 2nd (via DET), ’27 BKN/DAL (least favorable)
- Detroit Pistons receive John Collins, Gary Harris, Taurean Prince, ’29 DET/MIL/NYK (2nd most favorable), ’31 DAL 2nd (via MEM), ’32 DET 2nd (via MEM)
- Los Angeles Clippers receive LAC: A 2028 2nd via DET (protected 31-55)
- Dallas Mavericks receive Santi Aldama, Marcus Sasser, rights to Tarik Biberovic
The Pistons agreed to a $51 million deal with Collins at the start of free agency, and it is now part of a sign-and-trade involving the Clippers.
The Grizzlies also acquired Stewart in June via a trade with the Pistons, but that is also part of this massive deal.
In total, there are 11 players involved, with 11 picks also being exchanged.
Texas Tech announces good news on JT Toppin
The Texas Tech Red Raiders men’s basketball team was trending in the right direction before a season-ending injury to superstar JT Toppin in February.
In 2025, Toppin was expected to be a first-round pick, but he decided to bypass the NBA and landed a $4 million NIL deal to return to college.
However, the new NCAA rule of 5-in-5 raised questions on whether or not Toppin could play, but Texas Tech ended that with a video announcing that he would play in the 2026-27 season.
26-27 pic.twitter.com/6ORDSe9Gmx
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) July 8, 2026
Toppin averaged 21.8 points with 10.8 rebounds this past season in 25 games before he suffered the injury.
Toppin is recovering from a torn ACL, and although there has been no firm timetable on when he will return, the good news for Texas Tech is that he will play next season.
Texas Tech was expected to be a Final Four contender before Toppin’s injury. The Red Raiders defeated Akron in the first round before losing to Alabama in the second round of this past NCAA Tournament.
However, the Red Raiders were not in the way-too-early top-25 rankings by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. Still, there is hope in Lubbock with JT Toppin set to play this upcoming season, although it might be a while before he is ready to go at full strength.
Justin Verlander makes retirement announcement after All-Star Game decision
Justin Verlander came into this season on a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers, the place where he spent the first chunk of his legendary MLB career.
Unfortunately, 2026 has been a rough season for Verlander. The 43-year-old made one start in March, allowing five runs in 3.2 innings before landing on the 60-day IL with left hip inflammation. He then suffered a setback, being scratched from his return start with a left hamstring strain.
On Wednesday, Verlander received some good news with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred naming him as a “Legend Pick” for the All-Star Game, according to Mark Feinsand.
MLB announces that Justin Verlander has been named to the AL All-Star roster as a “Legend Pick.” The 43-year-old, who has been on the Injured List since early April, will not be active at the All-Star Game, but will attend and be honored during the festivities in Philadelphia.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 8, 2026
After the decision, Verlander posted a message on X that essentially read as a retirement announcement while also thanking Manfred for the All-Star Game honor. Verlander said this will be his last season in MLB.
— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) July 8, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper was also named a “Legend Pick” for the game, and he and Justin Verlander join Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols and Clayton Kershaw as previous players to earn the honor.
Verlander’s resume is Hall of Fame worthy. He is a nine-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young winner, and a two-time World Series winner who has spent time with the Tigers, Houston Astros, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.
So, at long last, 2026 will be the final season of Verlander’s career.
Patrick Mahomes reacts to Jac Caglianone’s Home Run Derby decision
This year’s MLB Home Run Derby will be on Monday, July 13, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa. With the All-Star Game rosters set, the Home Run Derby field is taking shape.
On Wednesday, Kansas City Royals slugger Jac Caglianone announced that he will participate in the event during a live segment on MLB Network.
Kansas City Royals star @jac_caglianone just announced live on MLB Network that he will be participating in the 2026 Home Run Derby pic.twitter.com/fR5GCChfzY
— Sox Content (@SoxContent) July 8, 2026
Caglianone was the 6th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft by the Royals, and he made a name for himself while with the Florida Gators.
After the announcement, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a simple reaction on X.
Let’s goo!!! 💣💣 https://t.co/CnGFQvBcZl
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) July 8, 2026
Caglianone hit 75 home runs with the Gators to become the all-time leader in school history. He made a rapid rise through the minor leagues before being called up. This season, he has hit 14 home runs in 85 games.
Mahomes joined the Royals’ ownership group in 2020, and he has been an active supporter of Kansas City’s MLB team time and time again.
As of now, the Home Run Derby field also includes Tampa Bay Rays phenom Junior Caminero and New York Yankees slugger Ben Rice.
Zack Wheeler rips MLB over ‘BS rule’ after All-Star snub
With the MLB All-Star Game rosters set, there are plenty of snubs, and one of them is Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler.
However, with Wheeler scheduled to start on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers, he is ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game due to the MLB rules.
On Tuesday night, Wheeler called out the MLB for what he said is a “bs rule.”
“It [ticks] me off,” Wheeler said. “It’s kind of BS. Maybe if I wasn’t necessarily right in there, I wouldn’t be saying this, but I feel like I’ve earned it. … Just because I pitch on a certain day, I can’t pitch an All-Star Game, or even be there, or get the recognition for it.”
“You figure they’d have a clue about it by now with how many All-Star Games they’ve had,” Wheeler added.
Zack Wheeler said it "pisses me off" that he wasn't named an All-Star, and being ruled ineligible to pitch in the game due to his start on Sunday is a "BS rule."
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) July 8, 2026
"You figure they'd have a clue about it by now with how many All-Star Games they've had." pic.twitter.com/gTWLXlxiAF
Wheeler’s comments came after he threw seven innings with one run and 14 strikeouts in the 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. His ERA is now down to 2.28, and he has a 9-1 record.
Zack Wheeler has also done something only six pitchers have done in MLB history.
Zach Wheeler is one of six pitchers in MLB history to do the following before the all-star break:
— Jim Miloch (@podoffame) July 8, 2026
Strikeout 90+
Win 9+ Games
Lose 1 or Fewer Games
Record ERA 2.30 or Lower
Everyone but Wheeler and Marquard were named to the all-star team.
The first all-star game was in 1933. pic.twitter.com/pxfqWhdiJa
Last season, Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez was not allowed to be in the All-Star Game because he pitched the Sunday before, and now it is Wheeler who draws the bad end of the MLB rule.
Dodgers star breaks silence on ‘frustrating’ All-Star Game snub
The MLB All-Star Game rosters have been set, and one of the biggest snubs is a Los Angeles Dodgers player.
Starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski is not on the National League roster despite having a 10-2 record with a 2.69 ERA. As a result, Wrobleski admitted it was a “frustrating” outcome.
“You want to be an All-Star,” Wrobleski said, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. “It’s something that, regardless of the year, whenever, it’s always a big deal. It’s something I wanted to do. It’s frustrating to not get that nod.”
The Dodgers pitcher added that he can “gain the respect of players and everybody else and maybe be in there next year.”
Wrobleski, who turns 26 in July, appeared in 32 games combined over the previous two seasons for LA. In 2024, he had a 5.70 in eight games, and in 2025, he went 5-5 with a 4.32 ERA in 24 games.
However, this season has been a revelation for Wrobleski. In 16 appearances, he has thrown 100.1 innings and is just outside the top 10 in ERA across MLB.
The NL already announced a few replacements, with each of Paul Skenes, Jacob Misiorowski and Max Meyer not participating, but Wrobleski was not one of the replacement choices.
There is still a scenario where Wrobleski gets named a replacement, especially with Yoshinobu Yamamoto not expected to pitch in the All-Star Game.
Jayson Tatum drops ‘weird’ admission on the Jaylen Brown trade
The time with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as Boston Celtics’ teammates has come to an end.
The Celtics traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George and draft picks.
When the trade first happened, Tatum posted a photo on social media with the two of them. On Tuesday, Tatum spoke more about it during a Q&A session at the Newton Community Stage.
“To be honest, weird. It’s weird,” Tatum said, via Noa Dalzell of Celtics Blog. “You play on a team with a guy for 9 years. I was fortunate enough to go to the finals with him twice, and win a championship, and push each other to be the players that we are today.”
Tatum also spoke about the nature of the NBA, and he said it’s “tough” to see Brown go somewhere else.
“It’s tough. But it just makes you appreciate the moments and time that we had,” Tatum said. “Obviously, it came to an abrupt ending, but it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t super successful. Great years, obviously, that he gave to the city and to the organization.”
Tatum and Brown spent nearly a decade together in Boston.
The Celtics posted a farewell statement to Brown, and the team’s owner insisted the trade was not because of finances, even though Brad Stevens basically said it was because of money.
Kawhi Leonard makes a grand gesture at Kyle Lowry’s retirement
Kawhi Leonard did Kyle Lowry a solid during the latter’s official retirement ceremony.
On Tuesday, the 40-year-old Lowry signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Raptors to retire as a member of the franchise with which he’ll forever be most associated.
Showing up to the Lowry’s big day was none other than his former Raptors teammate Leonard, who is also on his way to becoming a Raptor again.
Look who’s here for Kyle Lowry’s special day 👀 pic.twitter.com/58kWz4Bmmd
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 7, 2026
Lowry played for nine seasons with the Raptors, appearing in 601 games and averaging 17.5 points, 7.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds.
Leonard’s appearance meant a lot to Lowry. “The Klaw” was the only former Lowry teammate in attendance, and that was greatly appreciated by the six-time NBA All-Star guard.
“First and foremost, I appreciate him being here. That’s my guy,” Lowry said, via Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
“Y’all know ‘Whi is a special person, a special basketball player. I appreciate him coming. It just shows his humility to be here for my moment and just to be here and support me.”
Leonard left Toronto after that title run, signing with the Los Angeles Clippers later that summer. Years later, he is back with the Raptors after being traded by the Clippers, hoping to recreate the success he enjoyed during his first stint north of the border.
WNBA scoring machine lands on the wrong side of history
The WNBA revealed its reserves for the 2026 All-Star Game, with some names glaringly missing from the list, perhaps none more glaring than Toronto Tempo scoring machine Brittney Sykes.
The 32-year-old guard was having the best year of her career in the WNBA until suffering an injury during a game in June against the Indiana Fever. Sykes hasn’t seen action since, but in the 15 games she’s played, the former Syracuse Orange star put up an average of 20.1 points.
Yet, Sykes failed to even get a nod as an All-Star reserve.
According to Tempo beat reporter Chelsea Leite of TSN, this marks the first time in WNBA history that a player who ranked among the league’s top three scorers through 15 games was not selected as an All-Star.
That was duly noted as well by the Tempo, who showed their support for Sykes following the release of the WNBA All-Star reserve names.
Brittney Sykes has been nothing short of exceptional. She’s the first player in WNBA history to rank top three in scoring through 15 games without earning an All-Star selection. The numbers speak for themselves. 🩵
— Toronto Tempo (@TempoBasketball) July 8, 2026
Availability may have been a major factor in Sykes not being named an All-Star this season, as she continues to recover from injury.
Nevertheless, Toronto will have a representative in the All-Star Game, as Sykes’ fellow scoring machine Marina Mabrey earned a spot on the roster as a reserve. Mabrey, who recently erupted for 53 points against the Los Angeles Sparks, is a first-time All-Star amid a breakout season in which she averaged 21.1 points through 19 games.
The 2026 WNBA All-Star Game is scheduled to take place on July 25 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
Patrick Mahomes didn’t need words to sum up Lionel Messi’s brilliance
Like everyone else, Patrick Mahomes became a witness to Lionel Messi’s brilliance once again on Tuesday.
Just when it looked like Argentina was circling down the drain in what was turning out to be an upset loss to Egypt in a Round of 16 FIFA World Cup match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., Messi and company pulled off an improbable comeback, overcoming a 2-0 deficit by scoring three goals in a row to book a ticket to the quarterfinals with a 3-2 win.
Messi played a crucial role in Argentina’s success. The Inter Miami forward found the back of the net in the 83rd minute to tie the score at 2-2 after La Albiceleste surrendered the first two goals of the match.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback’s reaction to Messi’s play was a simple goat emoji on X, summing up his perspective of the soccer superstar.
🐐
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) July 7, 2026
Messi helped kick off Argentina’s comeback with an assist on their first goal of the contest in the 79th minute, courtesy of Cristian Romero. Enzo Fernández then made sure Argentina’s efforts wouldn’t go to waste, scoring in stoppage time to send the reigning champions to the next round.
That also means another chance for Mahomes to watch Messi, whose hat trick in Argentina’s previous win over Algeria left the three-time Super Bowl champion very impressed.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled no punches with a savage Alexi Lalas jab
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is never one to shy away from a chance to take a jab at Alexi Lalas.
That was on display again during FOX’s Tuesday coverage of the Round of 16 FIFA World Cup showdown between Argentina and Egypt. While talking about Argentina superstar Lionel Messi’s missed penalty kick in the first half, Ibrahimovic found a way to use the subject as a jumping-off point to dunk on Lalas.
“Everyone misses PKs,” Ibrahimovic said. “I’ve missed PKs. Thierry [Henry] has missed PKs. Alexi was never asked to take PKs so he couldn’t miss.”
Aside from his all-world soccer skills during his playing days, Ibrahimovic is known perhaps just as much for his spicy tongue. Lalas has been on the receiving end of some of Ibrahimovic’s snarky quips during the World Cup, and what makes it even more interesting is the vast difference in their respective football resumés.
As for the match, Messi’s missed penalty kick ultimately did not matter for Argentina, who battled back from a 2-0 deficit to complete a come-from-behind 3-2 victory.
Messi atoned for his miss by assisting on teammate Cristian Romero’s goal in the 79th minute and scoring a goal himself for the equalizer in the 83rd minute. Enzo Fernández took it home for Argentina with the game-winning goal in stoppage time.
76ers seem to fear LeBron James has his eyes on one destination
At 41 years old, LeBron James remains a coveted talent.
The Golden State Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers are two teams rumored to be leading the LeBron free agency sweepstakes, but according to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, Philadelphia believes that the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player is likely going back to where it all started for him in the NBA.
“I’ve talked to people in Philly, and I’m like what do you think? ‘We’re afraid it’s Cleveland,’” Windhorst said. “Everybody I talked to is like, ‘We’re afraid it’s Cleveland.’ Nobody seems like they have optimism.”
“I’ve talked to people in Philly, and I’m like what do you think? ‘We’re afraid it’s Cleveland,’ – everybody I talked to is like ‘we’re afraid it’s Cleveland,’ – nobody seems like they have optimism,” – @WindhorstESPN on the latest with LeBron James 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/aGcO0GiPFo
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 6, 2026
A return to Cleveland will be more than just nostalgia for James and the Cavaliers. While it would be the leading headline and narrative, James can still be a key element in a title contender.
Based on how he played in the 2025-26 season with the Lakers, the 22-time NBA All-Star has plenty of gas left in the tank, having played better than most players in the league. In his final season with Los Angeles, the four-time NBA Finals MVP averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds, while shooting 51.5% from the floor.
Then again, there’s no such thing as a sure thing in NBA free agency, and James could still end up in a surprise destination this summer. Until he makes a decision, speculation about his future will continue to fill the void during the NBA offseason.
Andy Green had a blunt reaction to the Mets’ pitching disaster
The season of torture for New York Mets fans continued Tuesday, with the team snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
The Mets entered the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field in Queens, N.Y., with a five-run lead, but that evaporated completely before the frame even ended.
The Royals scored five runs in the inning and the Mets couldn’t muster anything in response. New York again allowed a bunch of runs to the visiting team in the seventh inning, where the Royals outscored the Mets, 7-2.
New York just couldn’t get it together the rest of the way, as the Royals came away with a 16-12 victory
Following the game, Mets interim manager Andy Green offered an honest assessment of the team’s pitching staff, which failed to capitalize on the dozen runs New York produced in support.
“It was a tough day for us. No other way around it,” Green said of the Mets’ pitching, via SNY Mets. “[Cionel] Perez got us off to a good start. [AJ] Minter had a really good inning in there. [Huascar Brazoban] came in and did some decent stuff.
Everything else just was a tough day. Austin Warren’s been somebody we’ve relied on all year long; he’s been very very good for us. It wasn’t his day today.”
Perez was the opener in the game and tossed a scoreless inning before Kodai Senga allowed 4 earned runs on 5 hits, followed by 5 more runs surrendered by Warren. The wheels fell off for the Mets when Matt Seelinger, making his MLB debut, got charged with 7 earned runs in the seventh frame.
Somehow, the Mets managed to top the Royals’ first-inning disaster, during which right fielder Carson Benge scored a Little League home run
