After you smashed our Champions League top scorers quiz, we thought we’d mark the return of Europe’s premier club competition by testing you on appearances.
For this week’s big Tuesday quiz we want you to name every player who has played in at least 100 Champions League matches.
How many can you get? Good luck!
In the past five years, Walmart’s stock has surged by around 120%.
Walmart (WMT -0.63%) is a stock that most investors probably consider to be a safe investment. Its stores are go-to locations for consumers, whether they’re buying groceries, day-to-day essentials, or discretionary items. The business has been resilient over the years and has shown strength while other retailers have struggled.
That safety has lured in investors at a time of uncertainty in the markets. But has that bullishness pushed its value up too much, too quickly? Currently, Walmart’s stock is trading at not just a 52-week high, but also at an all-time high. Is it still a good buy at these levels, or could it be due for a pullback?
Image source: Getty Images.
Investors have been paying a premium for Walmart’s stock due to the safety it offers and the solid, resilient earnings numbers it has been posting in recent quarters. But there’s no denying that the premium is high right now, with Walmart trading at a price-to-earnings multiple of nearly 40, which is far higher than its 10-year average.
WMT PE Ratio data by YCharts
Usually, for retail stocks such as Walmart, whose businesses are growing in the single digits, investors aren’t willing pay more than 30 times their trailing earnings, unless they are expecting significantly more growth ahead. However, that doesn’t look to be the case with Walmart; it’s forecasting between 3.75% and 4.75% full-year growth for its net sales for the current fiscal year (which ends in January).
Meanwhile, the company admits that it is facing rising costs due to tariffs and it may have to absorb some of the increases. Not only might the business’ margins suffer, but consumer demand may also diminish in future quarters if prices increase. This could lead to some underwhelming quarterly results in the months ahead.
Another reason Walmart may encounter challenges is due to rising competition from Amazon, arguably its archrival at this point. Amazon recently announced that it is offering same-day grocery delivery in over 1,000 U.S. cities and its goal is to double that number by the end of the year. While Amazon’s grocery business hasn’t been a huge concern for Walmart in recent years, the tech giant is by no means giving up.
By offering same-day delivery options for groceries, that could be the move that puts Amazon head to head with Walmart in a key market, which could make it more challenging for the big-box retailer to not only grow its sales, but also its bottom line. And without strong earnings growth, Walmart’s already rich valuation could look much more expensive in the future.
Walmart has a solid business that has generated nearly $700 billion in sales over the past 12 months. It’s a beast in retail and it isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future. Based on its strong fundamentals, it can remain a solid long-term investment.
That being said, investors should never ignore valuation because buying a stock at a high price can limit your gains from owning an investment, and it leaves little to no margin of safety. If you’re paying close to 40 times earnings for Walmart’s stock at a time when there’s growing economic uncertainty and when competition is also intensifying, that can result in a lot of pain, at least in the short term.
Given the high share price and downside risk that Walmart possesses right now, I think investors may be better off looking at cheaper growth stocks to buy.
David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The pressure is on for AI-powered growth stocks to accelerate S&P 500 earnings growth.
At the time of this writing, the S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.34%) is less than 1% off its all-time high and up 73% since the start of 2023. Artificial intelligence (AI) and investor appetite for risk have contributed to the torrid gains, making the market relatively expensive.
You may have seen headlines saying that the S&P 500 is overvalued compared to its historical averages. Or that red-hot growth stocks have run up too fast. But that doesn’t tell the full story.
Three simple valuation metrics — earnings, trailing price-to-earnings ratio, and forward price-to-earnings ratio — explain what’s going on with the market’s valuation. Here’s why they matter, why the S&P 500 isn’t as expensive as it seems, and what that means for your investment portfolio.
Image source: Getty Images.
The S&P 500 is an index featuring the 500 largest companies in the U.S. by market cap. The more valuable a company, the greater its influence on the index through its stock price. So a $4.5 trillion-plus company like Nvidia has more than 10 times the influence as a $400 billion company like Home Depot. But that also means Nvidia has 10 times the impact on S&P 500 earnings.
Just like individual companies, the S&P 500 has an earnings per share (EPS) metric. This is just an average of the earnings of each company adjusted for weight in the index. So again, Nvidia’s earnings will have 10-plus times the impact as Home Depot’s.
Ten particularly influential growth stocks, known as the “Ten Titans,” now make up 39% of the S&P 500. But many of these companies are being valued for where they will be several years from now rather than where they are today. Meaning that their price-to-earnings ratios (P/E) and forward P/E ratios are elevated, thereby bloating the valuation of the S&P 500.
According to data from FactSet, the forward P/E of the S&P 500 is 22.5, compared to a five-year average of 19.9 and a 10-year average of 18.6. Based on forward earnings projections for the next year, which tend to favor growth stocks, the S&P 500 is 13.1% pricier than its five-year average and 21% more expensive than its 10-year average. Even if companies live up to expectations, their stock prices may not go up in the near term simply because these results may already be priced in.
Valuation matters less for investors with a long-term time horizon. If the S&P 500 goes nowhere for a year or two but earnings keep growing, the narrative will flip, and the index will look cheap. So the five- or 10-year return could still be solid, reinforcing the importance of approaching the stock market with a long-term time horizon rather than trying to make a quick buck.
Using P/E ratios and forward P/E ratios compared to historical averages only tells part of the story. Those two metrics alone may suggest that all stocks are expensive, but that’s not the case.
Data by YCharts.
As mentioned before, the S&P 500 is up 73% since the start of 2023, but the S&P 500 Equal Weight Index has returned just 33.3% — a nearly 40 percentage point difference. Instead of weighting by market cap, the S&P 500 equal-weight gives all S&P 500 components the same influence on the index. Nvidia moves the S&P 500 equal-weight index the same as any other company does.
When the S&P 500 outperforms its 500 equal-weighted index, it means that megacap companies are doing better than companies with smaller market caps. When the equal-weighted index outperforms, it means the megacap names are dragging down the index.
Since the start of 2023, megacap companies have drastically outperformed smaller S&P 500 names. Over the last decade, the S&P 500 rose 253.1% while the equal-weight jumped 161.6%. It would have been especially difficult for an individual investor to keep pace or outperform the S&P 500 during this period without significant exposure to megacap growth stocks.
The biggest takeaway from these metrics is that the S&P 500 is expensive because a handful of growth stocks are driving its returns. But that doesn’t mean that all S&P 500 stocks are pricey. In fact, that’s hardly the case.
Many consumer discretionary and consumer staples companies have dirt cheap valuations due to pullbacks in spending. Even pockets of the tech sector are beaten down, namely in the application software industry, due to concerns of AI disruption for software-as-a-service business models.
Investors looking for stocks at a better value may not want to buy the S&P 500 at an all-time high. Or at least have it make up a smaller percentage of their portfolios. Whereas folks who believe that the Ten Titans will keep driving market gains may argue that the S&P 500 can grow into its lofty valuation because these companies are extremely well run, have tons of growth potential, high margins, and exceptional balance sheets.
In sum, the S&P 500 is no longer a balanced index, but rather a growth index. And that means investors should only consider buying it if its composition and valuation suit their risk tolerance.
Daniel Foelber has positions in Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends FactSet Research Systems, Home Depot, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
These dividend stocks look like compelling opportunities right now.
The S&P 500 hit another record high this week. It’s now up about 18% over the past year. That has most stocks trading at much higher valuations than they were a year ago. The rally has also compressed dividend yields.
Despite the market’s rally, there are still some attractive opportunities, especially for investors seeking higher dividend yields. Enterprise Products Partners (EPD -0.58%), Energy Transfer (ET -0.80%), and Clearway Energy (CWEN -0.02%) (CWEN.A -0.11%) stand out to a few Fool.com contributing analysts right now. Here’s why they’re compelling buys even as the S&P 500 is at an all-time high.
Image source: Getty Images.
Reuben Gregg Brewer (Enterprise Products Partners): Nobody is going to accuse Enterprise Products Partners of being a hare. It is, decidedly, a tortoise. But given the huge 6.8% distribution yield, few income-focused investors aren’t likely to complain. That’s doubly true when you consider that this master limited partnership’s (MLP’s) distribution is covered by a huge 1.7x by distributable cash flow. A lot would have to go wrong before the distribution was at risk.
Adding to the feeling of security here is the fact that the company is investment-grade rated. Even if distribution coverage faltered, Enterprise Products Partners could lean on its balance sheet for a little while to muddle through a difficult period. But even that is unlikely because the MLP’s business is fee-based. Essentially, it charges customers for using its energy infrastructure assets, like pipelines. The prices of oil and natural gas are far less important than demand for these globally vital fuels. Even when commodity prices are weak, demand for energy still tends to be resilient.
This helps explain why Enterprise Products Partners has been able to increase its distribution annually for 27 consecutive years. That streak, meanwhile, is likely to continue, noting that the MLP is in the middle of a $6 billion capital investment program. As those new projects come online, cash flow will grow and support continued distribution growth. The level of the S&P 500 index, high or low, isn’t likely to change any of these facts much.
Matt DiLallo (Energy Transfer): Energy Transfer stands out in today’s high-priced stock market. Units of the master limited partnership (MLP) are currently down about 15% from their 52-week high. As a result, the company has the second-lowest valuation in the energy midstream sector, at less than nine times earnings, which is well below the sector average of 12 times earnings. That low valuation is a big reason why Energy Transfer’s yield is 7.5%.
Slowing growth is the main factor driving down the MLP’s unit price this year. Energy Transfer expects its earnings to be at or below the low end of its guidance range, implying less than 4% growth. That’s well below the 10% compound annual growth rate the company delivered from 2020 through 2024. Energy Transfer has fewer growth catalysts this year as it hasn’t completed many expansion projects or major acquisitions.
However, that’s about to change. Energy Transfer is investing $5 billion into organic capital projects this year, with most expected to come online by the end of 2026. These projects should begin providing meaningful incremental cash flow starting in 2026 and continuing into 2027, which should fuel a growth reacceleration during that period. In addition, the company has more projects in the backlog, including the $5.3 billion Transwestern Pipeline Expansion Project, which should enter service by the end of the decade. It also has several other projects under development.
Energy Transfer is currently in the best financial shape in its history. That puts it in a strong position to continue approving growth capital projects and make acquisitions when the right opportunity arises.
With its unit price down and an exciting growth reacceleration set to kick off in 2026 and ramp up into 2027 as new projects launch, Energy Transfer stands out as a compelling buy right now. It can provide investors with an attractive income stream and high-octane upside potential.
Neha Chamaria (Clearway Energy): Clearway Energy yields a hefty 6.3%. That high yield is backed by rising dividends, with the company even setting out dividend per share goals through 2027. The stock, however, has slipped nearly 15% in the past two months. It’s a compelling opportunity to buy.
Based on Clearway Energy’s last quarterly dividend payout, its annualized dividend per share (DPS) comes up to $1.78 per share. The company is targeting a DPS of $1.98 in 2027, which is a neat 11% growth in absolute terms. Since Clearway Energy typically raises its dividend every quarter, that goal looks easily doable. Also, it has its growth plans in place to back those dividends.
Clearway Energy is among the largest clean energy companies in the U.S. with a focus on wind, solar, and battery storage. Its parent company, Clearway Energy Group, has a renewables pipeline of 29 gigawatts. So there’s ample opportunity for growth for Clearway in the form of asset dropdowns from its parent. And it can always supplement growth through third-party acquisitions.
With 2025 kicking off on a strong note thanks to wind project repowering, acquisitions, and opportunities from its parent, Clearway Energy recently upped its guidance. It expects to generate $2.50-$2.70 in cash available for distribution (CAFD) per share in 2027. That should comfortably cover its targeted 2027 DPS, making this high-yield renewable energy stock a solid buy now.
Matt DiLallo has positions in Clearway Energy, Energy Transfer, and Enterprise Products Partners. Neha Chamaria has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The red-hot nuclear energy stock is up a staggering 330% in 2025.
With investor sentiment around nuclear energy gathering momentum by the day, Oklo (OKLO 12.02%) has become unstoppable. The nuclear energy stock surged 11.9% today to all-time highs of $92.48 per share, as of 1 p.m. ET Monday.
Oklo stock has risen a jaw-dropping 330% in 2025 so far, as of this writing. Yes, you read that right, and today, you may thank President Donald Trump for sending the red-hot stock to a new all-time high.
Image source: Getty Images.
In a press statement released this morning, the U.K. government of revealed a flurry of deals that it will sign with the U.S. this week during Trump’s state visit to the nation. The U.K. government says it is the “golden age of nuclear power.”
The landmark partnership between the U.S. and the U.K. called the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy seeks to speed up the development and deployment of nuclear energy projects in both countries. The list of projects to be inked include multibillion-dollar deals, including plans to build up to 12 advanced modular reactors and develop data centers powered by small modular reactors (SMRs) in the U.K.
Although most of the deals are between private companies for now, the partnership will open the U.K. market to U.S. nuclear energy players, potentially paving the way for billions of dollars in investments between the two countries.
Investors believe Oklo could benefit, too, especially given its relationship with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Oklo is developing a small, modular fast-fission nuclear power plant called the Aurora powerhouse that can supply clean nuclear energy 24/7 and can even use recycled fuel. Oklo already has a site permit from the DOE to set up a commercial plant in Idaho, is in a DOE reactor pilot program, and has fuel supply agreements with the DOE, among other things.
Oklo is also focused on nuclear waste recycling. Just days ago, the company announced plans to build a $1.68 billion fuel recycling facility in Tennessee.
Oklo’s multifaceted relationship with the DOE and recent partnerships for data centers have sent the stock to the moon. The attention isn’t unwarranted, but with its market capitalization already crossing $13 billion, the valuations for a start-up that could still take years to commercialize its first product and generate any revenue look too stretched for comfort now.
Neha Chamaria has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
This little-known company is leveraging AI to provide solutions to its customers.
Shares of little-known company Ibex (IBEX 36.38%) went parabolic today, shooting 41.1% higher in early-morning trading. The stock was still trading around 33% up at 1:15 p.m. ET Friday.
Ibex is a business process outsourcing company, providing a wide array of services such as customer and technical support, lead generation, surveys, and business intelligence and analytics.
Turns out, Ibex’s efforts to build a digital business have already started to pay off, and that is drawing attention to the stock today. The keyword here is artificial intelligence (AI).
Image source: Getty Images.
Ibex reported numbers for its 2025 fourth quarter and fiscal year (ended June 30) after the Sept. 11 market close. Ibex’s Q4 revenue jumped 18% year over year to $147 million, driven by strong growth in its top three markets: retail and e-commerce; healthcare; and travel, transportation, and logistics.
The real deal, however, is what Ibex’s full earnings report looked like:
These are big milestones, but they’re not really why Ibex stock is going to the moon. It’s these words from CEO Bob Dechant: “Importantly, this quarter marked the shift from proof of concept for our AI solutions to full-scale deployments, setting the table for future growth.”
Ibex is “transforming into a digital-first business” by leveraging AI through its Wave iX platform, which uses generative AI to improve customer experiences. Earlier this month, Ibex said it is targeting the government sector now.
The company’s capital expenditures more than doubled to $18.4 million in 2025, driven by capacity expansion. Ibex generated record free cash flow of $27.3 million in the year and repurchased nearly 3.9 million shares, almost 23% of its outstanding shares.
Following Ibex’s strong earnings report, analysts at RBC Capital were quick to raise their price target on the stock to $39 per share from $31 a share. Ibex stock already hit an all-time high of $42.99 per share today.
With Ibex projecting 7.5% revenue growth at the midpoint for FY 2026 and capital expenditure of $20 million to $25 million on further expansions, this is one stock you should have on your radar.
Neha Chamaria has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
President Trump has said that tariffs won’t lead to an uptick in inflation.
Since President Donald Trump stared enacting tariffs earlier this year, everyone from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to the average retail investor has been trying to figure out how they will affect the economy and whether they will reignite inflation.
So far, the economy and inflation seem to be OK. However, it’s still early, and the tariffs are constantly changing, which makes understanding the longer-term impact even more difficult.
The Trump administration and many in support of tariffs have said that they will not lead to higher inflation and have been lobbying Powell to lower interest rates. But make no mistake: President Trump has a tariff problem that could be a roadblock for a stock market hovering around all-time highs.
Tariffs are a tax on imported goods, intended to make foreign goods more expensive, therefore aiding the competitive position of domestically made goods. So far, Trump’s tariffs have brought in significant revenue, including more than $29 billion in customs and excise taxes in July. In prior years, the monthly customs and excise taxes have amounted to less than $10 billion.
Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour.
However, most economists and other experts point out that someone has to foot the bill, which is why they are concerned about an eventual rebound in inflation. Up until now, inflation has remained subdued, or at least not risen like some expected, although core inflation rose in both June and July.
But the biggest indicator that higher inflation could be cooking came after a recent Producer Price Index (PPI) report. Although the PPI is not as widely followed as the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the July PPI certainly moved markets this month.
That index looks at the change in producer prices across industries and essentially serves as a gauge of wholesale inflation. What investors should think about is that if manufacturers are seeing price increases, how long until those funnel down and eventually hit consumers?
The July PPI increased 0.9% from the prior month, significantly higher than the consensus estimate of 0.2%. It was the biggest monthly increase since June of 2022, a period of extremely high inflation in the U.S.
CalBay Investments Chief Market Strategist Clark Geranen recently told CNBC: “The fact that PPI was stronger than expected and CPI has been relatively soft suggests that businesses are eating much of the tariff costs instead of passing them on to the consumer. Businesses may soon start to reverse course and start passing these costs to consumers.”
Prior to the PPI report, traders betting on changes in the federal funds rate had placed a nearly 99% chance that the Fed would cut interest rates at its September meeting. As of this writing on Aug. 19, that percentage had dropped to about 85%, according to CME Group‘s FedWatch tool.
President Trump’s problem, in my view, is that the market is pricing in significant interest rate cuts. Between now and the end of 2026, the forward curve indicates there will be five cuts. While the market doesn’t necessarily want the Fed to have to make cuts due to some kind of severe recession or economic downturn, incremental cuts to support the economy and keep it on sound footing are expected to bolster the market, which seems to be a contributor in driving it to new all-time highs on numerous occasions this year.
Powell won’t cut rates five times if the Fed sees inflation moving higher, because that could put the economy in a stagflation scenario, where unemployment and inflation are both moving higher, making it more difficult for the Fed to achieve its dual mandate of stable prices and maximum employment.
I think the tariffs at the very least will keep the market and the Fed in a period of uncertainty, making it potentially difficult for the Fed to cut rates as much as the market hopes. With the stock market hovering near all-time highs and with a stretched valuation, I believe this dynamic could create a roadblock for the market.
Asian stock markets see big gains amid growing expectations of an interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve.
Japan’s benchmark stock market index has topped its all-time high for a second straight day amid expectations of an interest rate cut in the United States and easing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.
The Nikkei 225 rose above 43,421 points on Wednesday after better-than-expected US inflation data bolstered the case for a rate cut by the US Federal Reserve at its next committee meeting in September.
The milestone came after the Nikkei on Tuesday breached the 42,999-point mark for the first time.
In the US, the benchmark S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite also closed at record highs on Tuesday after rising 1.13 percent and 1.39 percent respectively, as investors cheered the latest inflation data release, which showed consumer prices rising a lower-than-expected 2.7 percent in July.
The inflation data added to a positive turn in investor sentiment following US President Donald Trump’s announcement on Monday of a 90-day extension of his pause on crippling tariffs on Chinese goods.
Other Asian stock markets also racked up big gains on Wednesday, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index and South Korea’s KOSPI rising about 2.50 percent and 1 percent, respectively.
The Fed and its chair, Jerome Powell, have for months been under intense pressure from Trump to lower interest rates.
A cut in the benchmark rate would deliver a boost to the US economy, the biggest driver of global growth, by lowering borrowing costs for American households and businesses.
But the Fed has been reluctant to cut the rate due to concerns it could stoke inflation at a time when Trump’s sweeping tariffs are already putting pressure on prices.
“Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell must NOW lower the rate,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, claiming that the Fed chair had done “incalculable” damage to the economy by not lowering borrowing costs.
On Tuesday, CME Group’s FedWatch tool raised the likelihood of a September rate cut to 96.4 percent, up from 85.9 percent the previous day.
If the fourth day of this Test was astonishing for its fluctuations and high emotion, the fifth day provided drama that was barely believable.
England’s target of 374 represented their second highest successful chase in Tests and the highest ever on this ground. They began Monday on 339-6, 35 adrift.
Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton were being given a torrid time on Sunday before the weather ended play early. England’s task instantly looked easier on Monday when Overton pulled Krishna’s first ball of the day for four and followed by inside-edging the next delivery past his stumps to the fine-leg fence.
The runs required were down to 27, then the pendulum swung once more.
Smith looked all at sea. He played and missed at his first two balls from Siraj and edged his third. There was a wait to see if Jurel had pouched the catch, but there was no doubt.
Atkinson edged the first ball he faced, inches short of KL Rahul at second slip. India’s fans, comfortably outnumbering the England support, surrounded the ground with noise.
Siraj charged in again. Overton played all around his pad. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena took so long to raise his finger, Overton had completed a run. The England man was so sure the review would save him, he began to mark his guard, only for the replay to show umpire’s call for shaving the leg stump. India were delirious.
Atkinson was unsure whether to farm the strike or trust Josh Tongue. The sky got darker and floodlights took hold. Tongue was given leg before to Krishna, only for the review to show the ball missing leg stump. England still needed 19.
England had added two more when Tongue was bowled by Krishna. There was confusion as to whether Woakes would bat, only for the 36-year-old to appear with his left arm covered by his England sweater.
Woakes ultimately never faced a ball, but his bravery will not be forgotten.
Atkinson’s mighty blow off Siraj was parried over the ropes by Akash Deep and left England with 11 to win. India captain Shubman Gill had the decision over bringing in the field to prevent the single, or to protect the boundary. He chose the latter. Woakes was in obvious pain when he shuffled the bye off the final ball of Siraj’s over.
Atkinson dug out Krishna for two to long-on, at the beginning of the next over. India kept the field back. England took another single. They needed seven when Siraj set off once more.
Atkinson cleared his front leg again, attempting another heave to the leg side, but Siraj’s yorker was pinpoint. He ended with 5-104, his effort every bit as heroic as the lion-hearted Woakes.
Shaquille O’Neal has an issue with a recent ranking of the all-time best NBA players.
On Monday, Bleacher Report released its list of the “top 100 NBA players ever,” based on a compilation of rankings from a “legion of B/R NBA experts, writers and editors.”
O’Neal finished just outside the top five. He didn’t seem to have an issue with that.
Shaq’s beef was with the placement of his former Lakers teammate, the late Kobe Bryant, who landed outside of the top 10.
“Kobe at 11 is criminal,” O’Neal wrote on X in the comments of a Bleacher Report post that revealed the list’s top 20. He left his comment a little more than an hour after the original Bleacher Report post went live.
Here are the 10 players ranked ahead of Bryant, in order from the top: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Stephen Curry.
Bryant is followed on the list by Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Durant, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West.
O’Neal has made no secret of his feelings on where Bryant ranks among the league’s all-time greats. In 2023, the Diesel told The Times that his “first team” on such a list would be himself, Bryant, Jordan, Johnson and James.
(Coming off the bench for O’Neal on that hypothetical team were Curry, Allen Iverson, Duncan, Karl Malone, Isiah Thomas and Abdul-Jabbar.)
Last month, in connection with the Netflix docuseries “Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal,” Shaq revealed another personal top 10 list in which he ranked Bryant at No. 2, behind Jordan and just ahead of James.
Bryant ranks fourth in all-time NBA scoring (33,643 points) and his “Mamba Mentality” work ethic is still cited as a major influence on current athletes. He spent the first eight years of his career as Lakers teammates with O’Neal, with L.A. winning three NBA titles during that span.
Those Lakers also lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Soon after, O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat, with tension between the two superstars seen as one of the main reasons for the move. O’Neal won another NBA title with the Heat in 2006. Bryant won two more with the Lakers, in 2009 and 2010.
Over the years, O’Neal and Bryant acknowledged their rocky relationship as teammates but also insisted that they actually were close friends.
“I just want people to know that I don’t hate you, I know you don’t hate me. I call it today a ‘work beef,’ is what we had,” O’Neal told Bryant on “The Big Podcast with Shaq” in 2015.
“We had a lot of disagreements, we had a lot of arguments,” he said later. “But I think it fueled us both.”
Years later, when it appeared their feud might be heating up again, the two NBA greats took to social media to nip that notion in the bud.
“Ain’t nothin but love there,” Bryant wrote of his relationship with O’Neal.
“It’s all good bro,” Shaq responded.
Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among the nine people who died in a Jan. 26, 2020, helicopter crash in Calabasas. O’Neal was one of the speakers at the Feb. 24, 2020, memorial service for “my friend, my little brother Kobe Bryant and my beautiful niece Gigi.”
“Kobe and I pushed one another to play some of the greatest basketball of all time and I am proud that no other team has accomplished what the three-peat Lakers have done since the Shaq and Kobe Lakers did it,” O’Neal said. “And sometimes like immature kids, we argued, we fought, we bantered, we assaulted each other with offhand remarks on the field. Make no mistake, even when folks thought we were on bad terms, when the cameras are turned off, he and I would throw a wink at each other and say let’s go whoop some ass.
“We never took it seriously. In truth, Kobe and I always maintained a deep respect and a love for one another.”
Spain and France played out a Nations League semi-final game for the ages with a scoreline that looks like it belongs in a penalty shootout.
The 5-4 win for Spain has everyone wondering if anyone can stop these attackers – although the less said about the defenders, the better.
Spain, who play Portugal in Sunday’s final, are looking for a third Uefa tournament success in a row having won the last Nations League and Euro 2024.
And they are favourites for the World Cup coming up next summer, with France second on the list.
Spain showed why they will be tough to stop after one of the most exciting international games in memory.
A total of 40 shots, 17 on target, nine goals. Spain led 4-0 and 5-1 – and threatened to blow France away – before their rivals rallied.
If only every match was like this.
“It was a crazy game,” said Spain goalscorer Mikel Merino. “Not the best game for the coaches – nobody wants to concede so many goals – but an amazing game for the fans.”
His boss Luis de la Fuente seemed to actually disagree with him.
“I’m happy. I enjoy suffering! I don’t understand sport without suffering,” he said.
“When two great teams face off like today, it’s normal every team makes the most of their moments.”
Lamine Yamal, who turns 18 later this summer, netted twice for Spain to cement his credentials as a Ballon d’Or contender.
He is up to six goals for his country now, to add to 25 for club side Barcelona.
Yamal impressed more than France’s PSG stars – Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue – who were hyped up pre-game after phenomenal club seasons.
Les Bleus debutant Rayan Cherki help spark France’s fightback after coming off the bench to show why he is being linked to Liverpool and Manchester City.