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From Bill Plaschke: He carried this country to gold.
But he might not be able to carry the Lakers into the playoffs?
He was the leader of the team that beat the best in the world.
But he might not be able to lead the Lakers past the Memphis Grizzlies?
The dilemma facing LeBron James and the team that can’t possibly bring him a championship became starkly clear this summer when one of James’ shining career moments only caused Los Angeles to sigh.
What greatness. What a waste.
What a gift. What a squander.
The rest of the world marveled as the 39-year-old James led Team USA to a fifth consecutive gold medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
Meanwhile, his city only winced and wondered, why can’t he be doing this for us?
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DODGERS
From Mike DiGiovanna: Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips caught too much of the plate with a full-count fastball to Junior Caminero on Saturday night, and the Tampa Bay slugger drove the 96-mph pitch 418 feet over the center-field wall for a tying home run in the ninth inning of a 9-8, 10-inning loss to the Rays.
Phillips then struck out the next three batters, Christopher Morel, Dylan Carlson and Jonny DeLuca, all looking at perfectly placed pitches, knee-high, 84-mph sweepers on the outside corner to Morel and Carlson and a knee-high 95-mph fastball to DeLuca.
The four-batter sequence was a microcosm of the last two months for Phillips, who pitched so poorly in July that he lost the closer job he held for 2023 and the first half of 2024, but has been so dominant in August he’s back near the top of the “trust tree” that manager Dave Roberts uses to describe his bullpen hierarchy.
Hernández: From friendship to fandom, Luis Cruz amazed by Shohei Ohtani’s accomplishments
From Ben Bolch: UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers went out to dinner with his starting offensive line Sunday at a barbecue joint in Santa Monica. The only thing heftier than the five 300-pounders might have been the bill.
There was no doubt who was picking it up — the same guy who will rely on these beef-eaters more than anyone else this season.
“He did, yeah,” right tackle Garrett DiGiorgio confirmed Monday with a laugh.
Preventing Garbers from absorbing hits as the Bruins approach their season opener Saturday at Hawaii is among their top priorities, especially given what happened last season. UCLA allowed 42 sacks in 2023, ranking No. 113 out of 130 major college football teams.
RAMS
From Gary Klein: The Rams practiced for the first time Monday at their new temporary facility in Woodland Hills, but linebacker Ernest Jones IV was not among them.
Jones — a team captain, the defensive signal-caller and the leading tackler last season — is entering the final year of his rookie contract and the Rams want him to play it out before considering an extension.
The Rams on Sunday gave Jones’ representatives permission to explore a trade and new contract with other teams.
After word of the situation leaked, Jones tweeted that he never requested a trade, but the tweet was quickly deleted.
NFL
From Sam Farmer: Most NFL owners are singularly focused on their franchise. Jerry Jones is different.
The Dallas Cowboys are first and foremost to Jones, naturally, but the team’s longtime owner also keeps a keen eye on the machinations to the west.
Few people were more involved in the NFL’s return to Los Angeles than Jones, who brings his players to Oxnard each summer for training camp. He was a staunch proponent of the stadium plan in Inglewood — what would eventually become SoFi Stadium — and had the influence to bring a lot of fellow owners with him.
So there’s a sense of pride Jones feels not just in the league’s return to the nation’s second-largest market, but also the byproduct of the Raiders’ move from Oakland to Las Vegas.
Our Sam Farmer talks to Jones about this, new kickoff rules, expanding to 18 games, and other NFL issues in an interview you can read here.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1928 — Helen Wills beats Helen Hull Jacobs to win women’s title at the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships. Wills needs only 33 minutes, defeating Jacobs 6-2, 6-1.
1975 — Onny Parun of New Zealand defeats Stan Smith 6-4, 6-2 in the first night match at the U.S. Open before a crowd of 4,949 at the West Side Tennis Club.
1978 — Joe Morgan becomes the first player to hit 200 homers and have 500 stolen bases.
1978 — The Cosmos defeat the Tampa Bay Rowdies 3-1 to win the NASL Championship.
1982 — Rickey Henderson steals 119th base of season, breaks Lou Brock’s mark.
1985 — Mary Joe Fernandez, 14, becomes the youngest player to win a match at the U.S. Open. Fernandez beats Sara Gomer 6-1, 6-4.
1996 — Stefan Edberg stuns Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek at the U.S. Open, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in his record 54th straight and final Grand Slam event.
1999 — Maurice Greene and Inger Miller win at 200 meters at the world championships, giving the U.S. a sprint sweep. Greene is the first to win the 100 and 200 at a major global meet since Carl Lewis at the 1984 Olympics.
2006 — Marco Andretti, 19, becomes the youngest winner of a major open-wheel event, beating Dario Franchitti by 0.66 seconds to take the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma.
2018 — Simona Halep becomes the first No. 1-seeded woman to lose her opening match at the U.S. Open in the half-century of the pro era. Halep is overwhelmed by 44th-ranked Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-2, 6-4.
2023 — Gymnast Simone Biles wins her record eighth U.S. Championship in San Jose, California.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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