An imperious Ashleigh Barty said it was a dream come true after on Saturday becoming the first Australian to win her home Grand Slam in 44 years, but the memories made along the way were more important than the trophy.
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The fan who taunted Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony during the Philadelphia 76ers‘ game against L.A. on Thursday has been banned indefinitely from Sixers games and all future events at Wells Fargo Center, a 76ers spokesperson told ESPN on Friday.
Anthony confronted the fan standing behind the row of courtside seats near center court midway through the fourth quarter of Philadelphia’s 105-87 win over the Lakers after Anthony said the fan repeatedly referred to him as “boy.”
The fan was summarily ejected after the incident caused game action to pause for several minutes while the referees attempted to restore order and guide Anthony away from him.
An investigation conducted in the 24 hours since the game found that the individual, who was not identified by the team, was a repeat violator of the Sixers’ fan code of conduct, a source familiar with the situation told ESPN.
He had previously been warned and disciplined for those offenses. The individual is not currently a Sixers season ticket holder.
“I mean, they did what they had to do,” Anthony said after Friday’s 117-114 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. “I don’t think I need to speak on that situation anymore. I think we all know what happened. We all know what was said. I don’t need to speak on that. The Sixers did what was in their hands, like I said, last night. They did what they had to do.”
Tyson Fury will earn a huge £22 million when he takes on Dillian Whyte in an upcoming all-British battle after Frank Warren won the rights for the fight following a purse bid win over Eddie Hearn.
Fury, 33, is unbeaten in his 32 fights following his stunning 11th-round knockout win over Deontay Wilder in their trilogy clash on October 9.
The Wythenshawe-born star had reportedly been in talks to take on Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed showdown but will now face Whyte next as he prepares to fight on British soil for the first time since 2018.
Fellow Brit Whyte, who won his 28th win out of 30 back in March with a fourth-round stoppage over Russian veteran Alexander Povetkin, will finally be granted the chance to fight for a world title after a long wait as WBC’s mandatory challenger.
Both heavyweights will be set for huge paydays, with WBC champion Fury pocketing a cool £22m while Whyte will get £5.5m. The split is 70-20 in the favour of champion Fury while the other 10 per cent (£3m) will be awarded as a bonus to the winner.
Frank Warren beat his rival promoter Eddie Hearn with a huge offer of just over £30m on Friday, making the biggest-ever purse bid in boxing history as it trumped the £24m paid for Evander Holyfield vs James Douglas all the way back in 1990.
According to ESPN, the all-British fight is being targeted to take place in April at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in what would be a landmark event.
And Fury has told of his excitement to step back into the ring again after a six-month break.
“I’m coming home baby,” the Gypsy King said.
“Get ready for the biggest British dust-up since Lennox Lewis vs Frank Bruno. History in the making.”
Fury then went on to say he couldn’t wait to ‘punch Whyte’s face in’ as he fired a warning to his rival.
“I can’t wait to punch Dillian Whyte’s face right in,” he said.
“I’m going to give him the best hiding he’s ever had in his life. Train hard sucker because you’re getting annihilated, bum.
There had been talks that Fury could fight Usyk next if a step-aside agreement could be made with Anthony Joshua and Whyte.
Joshua’s promoter Hearn confirmed earlier this week that an offer had been made to AJ but that appears to have been rejected with Fury now pencilled in to fight Whyte later this year.
Fury took to social media to take aim at Joshua and his promoter Hearn after their teams failed to reach an agreement.
The Gypsy King claimed that Joshua and Hearn had lost out on a guaranteed £67 million by rejecting the deal.
He said: “I had to do this video, Eddie Hearn and Anthony Joshua have to be the worst two damn businessmen in history.
“Today they lost $90million, God damn sons of b******.”
Derby manager Wayne Rooney said on Friday he turned down the chance to be interviewed by Everton to stay with the financially stricken Championship club.
The former England and Manchester United captain had two spells with his boyhood club Everton as a player.
However, the lure of a return to Goodison Park was not enough for Rooney to give up on the challenge of keeping the Rams in the second tier of English football despite a 21-point deduction due to financial problems.
Derby are second bottom of the Championship, but just eight points adrift of safety.
“Everton approached my agent and asked me to interview for the vacant job, which I turned down,” Rooney told a press conference.
“I believe I will be a Premier League manager. I believe I’m ready for that, 100 per cent. And if that is with Everton one day in the future that would be absolutely great.
“But I’ve got a job here that I’m doing at Derby County which is an important job to me.”
Derby went into administration in September and there remain fears the club may not have the funds to fulfil their fixtures for the rest of the season.
On Thursday, the English Football League (EFL) handed the club’s administrators a one-month extension to be able to provide proof of funding.
Rooney’s reluctance to return to Everton is also a reflection on the state of affairs at the Premier League club.
The Toffees are four points clear of the relegation zone after a dismal run of just one win in 14 league games.
Rafael Benitez, who had been a deeply unpopular appointment due to his history as a former Liverpool manager, was sacked by Everton earlier this month.
Fans protested after last weekend’s 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa and throughout this week outside Goodison Park.
Rooney’s former England team-mate Frank Lampard is now the leading candidate for the job after supporters voiced their opposition to the prospect of Vitor Pereira taking over.
Pereira has won league titles in Portugal, Greece and China, but he is deemed a risky appointment given his lack of experience in English football.
Objections to Pereira’s appointment are also rooted in resentment at agent Kia Joorabchian’s reported influence on key decisions made by Everton owner Farhad Moshiri.
“I think these critics are not directed at me. It is the environment now as the club is not in a good position and the supporters are passionate,” Pereira told Sky Sports.
“But I understand the feelings of the supporters because, in the last few years, the club didn’t get good results and it is normal they are not happy.”
Michael Masi’s future in Formula 1 seems to be even more grim, as FIA executive director of single-seaters Peter Bayer said there could be a new Race Director for 2022.Reports about Michael Masi’s future have been aplenty recently, as we previously reported that the F1 Race Director’s future maybe insecure with the FIA planning a race-management restructure.
Peter Bayer, the FIA executive director of the single-seater division, spoke in an interview with Speedweek about the whole Masi situation in the aftermath of the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi GP, and the ongoing FIA investigation of the matter.
“In those seconds in which he had to decide, he had several options, all based on the regulations,” Bayer began. “He could have ended the race behind the safety car, he could have stopped, but Nicholas Latifi’s accident wouldn’t have justified that. Or he could have done what he did, which was to get out of there somehow.
“I always compare the situation to a soccer referee when a disputed penalty was awarded or not. It’s also about having respect for the race director.”
Bayer revealed that the FIA plans to make changes to the job description of the Race Director by “dividing the various tasks of the race director, who is also sports director, safety and track delegate” which he admites is “simply too much” with the solution being that “these roles are divided between several people”.
“This reduces the burden on the race director,” he insists.
“The second point is questioning the current regulations, especially the subject of the safety car. The NASCAR series, for example, stops counting laps when neutralization is necessary in the last two laps of the race and adds the laps at the end of the safety car period. However, this could cause a fuel problem in F1, so this is being looked at more closely.
“The third theme is the idea of creating a constant connection during the race to a “mission control” – how they keep the teams connected to their factories. We are considering establishing a backup team in Geneva that can support race control.
“The fourth point is the constant radio traffic,” Bayer went on. “We will abolish the ordeal of the race management and make massive changes.
“The team bosses will no longer be able to get involved on this channel, but the team managers will still be able to, they have to be able to ask questions.
“We want to build in a buffer with an employee who accepts these requests. In the future, the race director will be able to concentrate on his task and will no longer be distracted,” he explained.
When asked about Masi’s position after all the changes are implemented, Bayer admits that it is not secure at all.
“That’s not decided yet,” he pointed out. “Michael did a super job in many ways. We definitely don’t want to lose him. We told him that, but also that there is a possibility that there could be a new race director.
“I can only make suggestions to the World Council and they will definitely include Michael,” Bayer claimed.
As of Masi’s personal take on matters and his will to push on with his job, the FIA director said: “He has developed a relatively thick skin against attacks by individual teams.
“When you work for the FIA, you have to be aware that you work for the sports police. The policeman rarely gets sympathy, as in everyday life.
“What became unbearable are reactions on social media, where nothing is shy, as seen in the death threats against Williams driver Latifi.
“Michael doesn’t have a social media account, but the hostilities on other channels really hit him. In our talks, I assured Michael of the support of the association and let him know: We want to continue working with you, but I also need your understanding that we have to deal with the issue,” Bayer concluded.
The results of the ongoing investigation – launched by the FIA to analyze what happened at the 2021 F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi, and the manner in which Michael Masi administered the safety car period prompted by Nicholas Latifi’s crash – are expected to be announced on March 18 as per the confirmation of the sport’s governing body.
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It was almost a year ago that the Brooklyn Nets completed a blockbuster trade with the Houston Rockets for James Harden — which, as a result, meant All-Star guard Ben Simmons would remain with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I mean, this is a business,” Simmons said then. “Things like that happen. Only thing I can control is, you know, how I approach my workouts, the games and my day-to-day thing. So, you know, I’m just trying to be professional and to do the right thing and help my team get wins.”
That quote came after a Sixers game in Philadelphia against the Miami Heat on Jan. 14, 2021. The Heat returned to Philadelphia on Dec. 15, 2021 — but this time, Simmons wasn’t playing. Instead, he has turned the tables on the 76ers, first asking to be traded in the offseason and then spending the past three-plus months engaged in a contentious holdout to attempt to make that request a reality as soon as possible.
The year 2021 was a chaotic one around the 76ers — not that that’s anything new for this team in recent seasons. But to see how things reached the point they have today between Simmons and the 76ers, one doesn’t need to go back to the Harden negotiations, but instead to this past spring — and yet another failed Philadelphia playoff run. — Tim Bontemps
Simmons, 25, had a breakout offensive performance in Game 2 of the 76ers’ first-round playoff series against the Washington Wizards on May 26. He also snapped back at those who questioned his approach.
The All-Star guard recorded 22 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists without needing to step on the floor in the fourth quarter as the 76ers won to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
In Game 1, Simmons had 15 assists and 15 rebounds but just six points. That unbalanced line led to negative feedback, particularly in Philly. It led to coach Doc Rivers calling out 76ers fans by saying, “If you guys don’t know the treasure you have by now, then shame on everyone.”
Simmons said: “I thought it was pretty hard to get 15 assists and 15 rebounds in the NBA in the playoffs. I thought that was pretty impressive. And we won. What y’all want? You want to win? For me, I’m here to win and I’m doing what I need to do to help my team win, whatever it is. I’m not trying to prove anybody wrong or anything like that. I’m trying to do my job to win.”
June 1: Rivers defends his decision to keep Simmons on the court late in a Game 4 loss to the Wizards, who intentionally fouled Simmons four times, including three times in the final two minutes. “You want me to take Ben Simmons off the floor?” Rivers says postgame. “I’ll pass on that suggestion.”
June 7: Rivers, one day after a second-round Game 1 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, says he keeps a “catalogue” of video clips showing what he believes to be unfair whistles against Simmons. The 76ers win Game 2 a day later behind 40 points from Joel Embiid.
June 12: Simmons has his hands full on defense in the first half of the Game 3 win against Atlanta. Rivers challenges him to do more. “We just thought he passed up too many opportunities — in the fast break, at the post,” Rivers says. “And so we told him we were going to come out and feature him on the post. And he was great for us. It’s exactly what we need.”
After the 76ers bowed out of the 2020-21 playoffs following a postseason in which he was historically inept from the free throw line and struggled to score in the second round, Simmons took the blame.
“I ain’t shoot well from the line this series,” Simmons said following the Sixers’ 103-96 Game 7 loss to the Hawks. “Offensively, I wasn’t there. I didn’t do enough for my teammates. … There’s a lot of things that I need to work on.”
He was particularly unreliable at the end of games, failing to attempt a single shot in the fourth quarter in five out of the seven games
Simmons shot 15-for-45 (33%) on foul shots against Atlanta and 34.2% from the line for the 2021 playoffs overall, accounting for the worst free throw percentage in NBA playoff history for a player with at least 70 attempts, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information.
In Game 7, Simmons passed up a wide-open dunk for a pass — putting a bow on a confounding lack of shots in the latter part of the series.
June 21: The idea Simmons will spend the offseason improving his shooting stroke has become an annual discussion in Philadelphia. Not even 24 hours after his team’s season ended, Rivers says he believes this summer will be different for Simmons: “It’s not going to be an easy job. But it’s definitely a job that Ben can do.”
June 24: Discussions on Simmons’ future with the Sixers’ franchise start during the NBA draft combine in Chicago and include Simmons’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
June 28: Simmons informs the Australian Olympic basketball team he will not participate in the Tokyo Games. Sources had told ESPN’s Brian Windhorst the week prior that Simmons was doubtful to play in the Olympics because he planned to focus on skill development.
Sept. 1: Embiid denies a reported “rift” with Simmons and says in a series of tweets he loves playing with his teammate in Philadelphia. “Stop using my name to push people’s agendas,” Embiid writes. “I hope everyone is back cuz we know we’re good enough to win.”
Sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that Simmons will not report for the opening of training camp and he intends to never play another game for the franchise. Simmons wants a trade out of Philadelphia and has told management he has no plans to wear an NBA uniform again until he is moved to a new team, according to sources.
Simmons explained his stance to ownership and management in a late August meeting in Los Angeles and has had no direct contact with the 76ers organization for weeks, sources said.
Simmons has four years and $147 million left on his max contract — including $33 million for 2021-22. His contract is structured for him to receive 50% of his salary before Oct. 1.
At Simmons’ request, the Sixers have discussed trades throughout the league since the end of the playoffs, but they have been disappointed in the offers and have decided to hold on to him with hopes he would start the season and improve his trade value with his performance.
1:17
Adrian Wojnarowski describes what went down in the meeting between the 76ers and Ben Simmons’ agent, Rich Paul.
Sept. 22: “Well, I hope we can change that thought,” Rivers says of wanting to convince Simmons to stay. “That’s part of our job.” The disconnect between the Sixers and Simmons bubbled up in the Game 7 loss to the Hawks. After the playoff series ended, Rivers was credited with saying he wasn’t sure if the Sixers could win a title with Simmons at point guard. “That’s not what I said, actually,” Rivers interjected when asked about the comment on Sept. 22. ” … I actually said when the guy asked, guys, I’m not answering that stuff right now. I don’t even know how to answer that. So what I was talking about was not answering the question. It had nothing to do with Ben.”
Sept. 22: Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob is fined $50,000 for violating the NBA’s anti-tampering rule. Lacob cast doubt during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle that the Warriors would be interested in acquiring Simmons. “In some ways, it doesn’t really fit what we’re doing,” Lacob told the newspaper.
Sept. 27: Morey says he has “hope” of a 76ers-Simmons reconciliation, pointing to the Aaron Rodgers situation in Green Bay as proof things can turn around between a team and its disgruntled star. “I think there’s a lot of hope,” Morey said during his season-opening news conference alongside Rivers.
Sept. 30: Embiid calls the situation with Simmons “disappointing” and “borderline kind of disrespectful” to the rest of the team. The comments come following a report by The Athletic that Simmons feels his partnership with Embiid has “run its course.” Simmons has yet to report to training camp.
Oct. 1: The 76ers do not pay Simmons the $8.25 million — 25% of his contract — that he was owed Oct. 1 and place the money into an escrow account, sources tell ESPN. The 76ers deduct from the account any fines Simmons accrues as the season progresses. (If, or when, Simmons shows up, he will be given the money that is remaining in it, sources later told ESPN.)
Oct. 11: Discussions gain momentum on Simmons returning to the 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Philadelphia management and Rivers progress in talks with Paul on a resolution for Simmons to report to the team, sources say. Simmons could soon speak with team officials, something he hasn’t done directly since that August meeting.
Oct. 11: Rivers reiterates Philadelphia has wanted Simmons to play for the team, and that his teammates will welcome him back if he does return. “We’ve said from Day 1 what we wanted,” Rivers said before Philadelphia faced the Brooklyn Nets in a preseason game.
Oct. 15: Simmons, who clears the NBA’s health and safety protocols to rejoin the 76ers, does not play in the 76ers’ preseason finale against the Detroit Pistons. Simmons’ absence is listed by the team as “reconditioning,” and he does not travel with the team to Detroit.
1:29
Adrian Wojnarowski says there is no movement regarding a possible Ben Simmons trade.
Rivers tries to play Simmons’ return to the 76ers cool, introducing the point guard to the team at practice with a joke like the coach would use for any other player who returns from a drawn-out absence.
“That’s how it is,” Rivers says on Oct. 17. Only problem was, this was no ordinary return from an injury or any other ho-hum excuse. Simmons practiced Sunday and faced his teammates for the first time since his trade demand — in other words, he begrudgingly slips on a Sixers jersey with a team he no longer wants to play for and teammates he no longer wants to play with.
When asked if Simmons’ return to practice was awkward, 76ers forward Tobias Harris said, facetiously, “No. It was perfectly fine.”
No decision has been made on Simmons’ status for Wednesday’s season opener at the New Orleans Pelicans. “When he’s ready, he’ll play,” Rivers said.
Oct. 19: ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reveals new reporting that while Simmons has rejoined the 76ers, the stalemate is far from over. “I don’t know if [Simmons] can face the team or the fans after everything that happened last year,” one source close to the situation says.
Oct. 19: The 76ers announce late in practice that Simmons has been suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team, a suspension he serves for the 76ers’ season-opening game the next day against the Pelicans. In the wake of the 76ers suspending Simmons, Embiid says he has yet to speak to Simmons, and declares it isn’t his or his teammates’ job to “babysit” anyone.
Oct. 20: Rivers says the typical fun that surrounds opening day is muted with Simmons under team suspension. “It’s a predicament that we’re in and that part is no fun. It really isn’t. We get to play right now and Ben is not. I want Ben to be playing. That’s his job.” Rivers said the experience is not something he is celebrating. “I don’t think people understand … you want all your players to do well. You cheer for your players. Even when they’re in a tough spot, you want it to go well for them, you do.”
Oct. 21: Simmons leaves the team’s practice facility without working out and is expected to meet with organizational leadership the next morning to again discuss his murky playing status, sources tell ESPN. Simmons describes discomfort in his back to Sixers staff and undergoes a brief treatment. In a Philadelphia radio interview, Morey reiterates the Sixers will not be rushed into trading Simmons. “People should buckle in. This is going to take a long time.” Morey added: “This could be four years. The conditions that I’m pointing out to you don’t change. Unless Ben Simmons is traded for a difference-maker, we’re in the prime of [Embiid’s] career. We have to get back either Ben Simmons playing well for us, who helps us win the championship, or we have to get back a difference-maker for Ben Simmons — or this could be four years from now and we’re still like, hey, we took the best shot at it we could.”
Oct. 21: Philadelphia Eagles veteran center Jason Kelce has some advice for Simmons: “I don’t want to crush any other players, but what’s going on with the 76ers, Ben Simmons, stuff like that, all of that is because of a lack of accountability, a lack of owning up to mistakes and a lack of correcting things. … So everybody can bitch and complain about how tough this city is to play in. Just play better, man. This city will love you.”
Simmons had planned to meet with medical professionals for an evaluation after telling the team on Oct. 22 that he wasn’t mentally ready to play to his expectations and needs time to step away, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Simmons meets separately with Rivers, medical staff and teammates at the team’s facility in Camden, New Jersey, and starts a process that is expected to keep him from making his season debut, according to sources. After he tells the team’s medical staff of his reasons for needing to seek help, the Sixers reportedly offer Simmons whatever resources are necessary to assist him. He is officially ruled out of Friday’s game with Brooklyn for personal reasons.
The Sixers have been fining Simmons for missing games, practices and meetings — nearing $2 million this season — but there is a provision in the collective bargaining agreement that protects players’ salaries for failing to render services “if such failure has been caused by the player’s mental disability.”
Oct. 23: In the wake of Simmons addressing his teammates in person for the first time since his holdout, Harris gives an impassioned defense of Simmons after Philadelphia’s 114-109 loss to the Nets on Oct. 22. “At this time we have to respect his privacy, his space, and we’ve got to be there for him, with what he’s going through and this process,” Harris says. “It’s easy to look at something on the surface and come to assumptions on a lot of things, especially athletes. … So at this time he needs more support. I just think we have to be there for him as a team, and I relayed that to the group.”
Nov. 2: The 76ers have been increasingly frustrated with Simmons’ refusal to accept organizational assistance to address his mental readiness to play, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Simmons has been working with team doctors to treat a back ailment. But, he has been working with mental health professionals via the National Basketball Players Association since the summer.
Nov. 5: The 76ers fine Simmons his $360,000 game salary for missing the victory over the Pistons on Nov. 4, and plan to continue fining him until he cooperates with team physicians on his mental health and fulfills other basketball-related obligations, sources tell ESPN.
Nov. 8: After initial resistance, Simmons meets with a team-recommended medical specialist to discuss his mental health, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Simmons meets with the 76ers’ medical specialist after regularly showing up to the team’s facility for daily basketball activity with coaches and individual teammates.
As the 76ers gathered momentum in trade conversations for Simmons, the Portland Trail Blazers reiterated on Dec. 10 that one of the Sixers’ top targets — All-NBA guard Damian Lillard — is not available to be discussed, sources told ESPN.
Nevertheless, the Sixers have become more engaged on multiple fronts in talks centered on Simmons. Philadelphia has been aggressively trying to assemble two- and three-team deal structures to land a package that would include a top 25-level player, sources said.
The Blazers have been open to discussing a deal for Simmons centered on guard CJ McCollum, but that conversation never gathered traction, sources said.
Simmons’ agent, Paul, met with Morey and Brand on Jan. 12, 2022, to discuss Simmons’ status with the team, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
But, the stances remain unchanged: Simmons is no closer to playing this season, and the Sixers are still determined to bring back a significant player in trade. With the NBA trade deadline less than a month away, the 76ers’ steep asking price has brought Simmons no closer to a potential trade.
Jan. 20: How does Embiid’s recent play affect how Morey and the Sixers are thinking about the possibility of trading Simmons? “We are looking for a deal that makes us a championship contender,” Morey said during a radio interview on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia.
The Sacramento Kings — one of the most aggressive teams in the trade market and once an eager suitor for Simmons — have ended their pursuit of a deal with the 76ers and turned elsewhere in trade talks, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022.
Inside of two weeks until the Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline, the Kings believe the asking price for Simmons is too steep and that a pathway to a trade agreement with the Sixers doesn’t exist, sources said.
Human rights activists issued a call to action against the Beijing Olympics on Friday, imploring athletes and sponsors to speak out against what they call the “genocide games.”
Speaking at an online press conference organized by the rights group Human Rights Watch, activists representing Chinese dissidents and the minority Uyghur and Tibetan populations urged international attendants to voice their opposition to China’s hosting of the Games, which begin next week.
“The 2022 Winter Olympics will be remembered as the genocide games,” said Teng Biao, a former human rights activist in China who is now a visiting professor at the University of Chicago.
“The CCP’s purpose is to exactly turn the sports arena into a stage for political legitimacy and a tool to whitewash all those atrocities,” he added, referring to the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
China’s crackdown under hardline ruler Xi Jinping has been felt across wide swaths of society. Hong Kong authorities crushed anti-government protests in the city in 2019, and the central government in Beijing passed a national security law aimed at stifling dissent, leading to the arrest of activists and disbandment of civil society groups.
Meanwhile, in the country’s western region of Xinjiang, an estimated one million people or more — most of them Uyghurs — have been confined in reeducation camps in recent years, according to researchers.
An independent, unofficial body set up by a prominent British barrister to assess evidence on China’s alleged rights abuses against the Uyghur people concluded in December that the Chinese government committed genocide. China has consistently denied any human rights abuses in the region and has said it carried out its actions to counter extremism in the region in order to ensure people’s safety.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin has hit back at the rights group for its continued calls to boycott the Olympics, saying that “the so-called human rights group is biased against China and keen on making mischief. Lies and rumors it fabricated are unpopular. Its egregious acts that harm the Olympic cause will never succeed.”
The Foreign Ministry has also said the Olympics should not be politicized. Yet the competition is already facing a diplomatic boycott led by the U.S., whose relationship with China has nosedived in the past few years.
Activists have failed to achieve a full boycott of the games, but have continued to speak out.
“Your silence is their strength. This is what they want more than anything: that the world will play by China’s rules, that we will follow China’s lead, that we will look away from these atrocities and crimes for the sake of business as usual,” said Lhadon Tethong, director of the Tibet Action Institute, at the press conference Friday.
She appealed directly to athletes from the U.S., UK, France and others to speak.
“I personally believe that you should use your platform and your privilege and this historic opportunity. You have to speak out against the wave of genocide,” she said.
© 2022 The Associated Press
Along with Mohammad Shahzad, Tamim added 173 for the first wicket
Minister Group Dhaka 177 for 1 (Tamim 111*, Shahzad 53, Babu 1-32) beat Sylhet Sunrisers 175 for 5 (Simmons 116, Ahmad 1-26) by nine wickets
The win lifted Dhaka from the bottom of the points table to fourth position, while Sylhet lost their second game in three outings.
Big hit
Tamim was dropped on nought when Mohammad Mithun failed to latch on to a tough chance at slip off Taskin Ahmed. After the reprieve, the opener didn’t let the Sylhet bowlers settle. He hammered the ball through the covers, both from the crease and while charging the bowlers. He also scored runs down the ground, but his most productive area was behind square on the leg side, where he hit six fours and one six.
Shahzad, for once, was the quieter of the two openers. When Tamim reached his fifty, Shahzad was on 14. The Afghan marauder did get his boundaries eventually, with well-timed cuts and wristy flicks, but he mostly played a supportive role.
Earlier in the day, Simmons provided entertainment as well. He struck all five of his sixes down the ground, two over long-off and the other three towards long-on or wide long-on. During his stay, Simmons also hit 14 fours, most of which were through the off side.
Andre Russell bore the brunt of Simmons’ big-hitting, conceding 42 runs off 14 balls against him, including seven fours and two sixes.
Big miss
Simmons made 116, but the rest of the Sylhet batters combined to score only 52 runs off 55 balls, hitting just four fours and two sixes between them. This is where Sylhet fell behind in the match. They also missed the left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam, who took seven wickets in the last two matches including 4 for18 in their previous match against Dhaka. In the same match, however, Nazmul injured his right hand and was ruled out of this game.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84
Many have criticised AJ’s decision to turn down the big money offer, however promoter Hearn admitted Joshua does in fact have a plan of his own and will not have his head turned by money.
He said: “He’s very smart about the plan. He won’t want to do it. Sometimes you have to think with your head.
“There is a smart play here somewhere but Anthony is not about the money…
“With Anthony it’s never been a case of, ‘Here’s some money, does it tempt you?’ Because he’s not about that, he’s a throwback fighter, he’s about legacy.”
Tim BontempsESPN
LeBron James and Kevin Durant again will be the captains of the two teams in this year’s All-Star Game. The NBA announced on Thursday night the starters for its annual midseason showcase to be held Feb. 20 in Cleveland.
James, who has now been a captain in each of the five years the NBA has used this system to pick its teams, and Durant, who is one for a second straight year, earned the honor by finishing with more fan votes than anyone in their respective conferences.
The All-Star reserves, which will be selected by the coaches in both conferences, will be unveiled next Thursday on TNT. James and Durant then will pick their respective teams, a format the league first instituted in 2018.
James has now made 18 All-Star teams, tying Kobe Bryant for second place all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19).
Joining James as starters from the Western Conference are Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant in the backcourt, along with reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and forward Andrew Wiggins of the Warriors in the frontcourt.
From the East, Durant, a 12-time All-Star, is joined by Chicago Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young in the backcourt, and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in the frontcourt.
Curry, now an 8-time All-Star, has helped lead Golden State back to the upper tier of the Western Conference after two injury-plagued years interrupted the Warriors’ string of five consecutive NBA Finals trips. Morant, meanwhile, makes his first All-Star appearance as Memphis, one of the most entertaining teams in the league, has pushed itself into third in the West.
Blessed & Thankful 🙏🏽 My Fans, I Appreciate You. 🖤
To Memphis, Murray State, Da Gang, Organization, Couldn’t Do It Without Y’all. 🐻🐎
To MBNO, ™️ . We Got More Work To Do.
Love Yall 🤞🏽
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 28, 2022
Jokic, playing in his fourth straight All-Star Game, has followed up winning last year’s MVP by averaging 26.2 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game for Denver this season, keeping the Nuggets afloat while missing Jamal Murray for the entire season thus far and Michael Porter Jr. for all but a handful of games. Wiggins, who is averaging 18.1 points per game and shooting 40% from 3-point range, will make his first All-Star appearance.
DeRozan, who joined the Bulls as a free agent this summer after playing the prior two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, has played a massive role in Chicago’s resurgence toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings, earning MVP consideration thanks to impressive clutch play while averaging 26.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Young makes his second All-Star team after averaging 27.7 points and 9.3 assists while posting career-best shooting percentages of 45.3 overall and 38 from 3-point range.
While Philadelphia has spent the season without All-Star guard Ben Simmons, Embiid has more than picked up the slack, averaging career-highs in points (29) and assists (4.3) per game, as well as 3-point percentage (38) to keep the 76ers in the middle of the East playoff picture. And Antetokounmpo has been the one constant for the defending champion Bucks this season amid a constant stream of injuries and COVID-19 absences, averaging 28.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and a career-high 6.0 assists per game.
The All-Star reserves, which will be selected by the coaches in both conferences, will be unveiled next Thursday on TNT. James and Durant then will pick their respective teams, a format the league first instituted in 2018.
