lakers

In need of three-point shooting, the Lakers lost the league’s best sharpshooter on the first day of free agency.

Guard Luke Kennard has agreed to a two-year, $13-million deal with the Phoenix Suns, The Times confirmed Tuesday.

Kennard was an unrestricted free agent after he was traded to the Lakers last February from the Atlanta Hawks. His arrival coincided with a dramatic offensive uptick for the Lakers, who went from 34.9% shooting from three in games before Kennard and 37.7% in games after. Kennard was on a one-year, $11-million contract last season, his ninth year in the NBA.

The former Duke star averaged nine points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Lakers while shooting 44.8% from three-point range. He showed his influence beyond just shooting when he took on more ballhandling duties late in the season to fill in during injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. In a starting role during the last six games of the regular season, Kennard averaged 6.4 assists.

The Lakers already lost LeBron James on the first day of free agency after the 22-time All-Star informed the team he intended to sign somewhere else for his NBA-record 24th season. Kennard could have provided a critical floor-spacing piece around Doncic, who thrives when surrounded by lob-catching centers, athletic wings and knockdown shooters.

Of all the calculated maneuvers by LeBron James during his eight years with the Lakers, he saved his smartest for last.

He left before the door could hit him in the butt.

He knew the Lakers didn’t want him back, so he skipped out before they had a chance to say goodbye.

He leaked the news alone, before the Lakers could publicly confirm, because he wanted to sell that this was his decision, when it absolutely was not.

This was not his idea. This was not his call. This was the Lakers saying, enough is enough. This was the Lakers saying, we want our team back.

This was arguably the greatest player in basketball getting the message and getting out before they threw him out.

Officially, on Tuesday, James informed the Lakers that he’s going to leave them as a free agent and finish his career elsewhere.

Unofficially, yay!

LeBron is gone, and he left without a fight, and the Lakers couldn’t be luckier.

LeBron is history, and it didn’t cost the Lakers a penny, and now they can breath again.

“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said on social media after the news dropped Tuesday morning. “We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”

Cherished, but gone, and thank goodness somebody over there had the conviction to let history walk.

Kudos to the new Lakers ownership for resisting every business impulse in their body to keep him while summoning the strength to stare down the most famous basketball player in the world and tell him to hit the road.

Lakers forward LeBron James looks to pass while being defended by Kings guard Daeqwon Plowden during a game in March.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

They could have been suckered into signing him just to throw him a grand farewell tour. They weren’t.

They could have been fooled by the 15-2 success he enjoyed when playing with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves during that glorious month this spring. They weren’t.

They could have, as with past Laker regimes, simply been bullied by Rich Paul and his cronies. They weren’t.

They didn’t even make him an offer!

In losing LeBron, the Lakers reclaimed a bit of their soul. In letting LeBron leave, they sent a clear message to everyone who stayed.

This team belongs to Luka. This team belongs to the future. This team again belongs to the Lakers.

“Truly a honor to wear the (purple and gold),” James posted on social media. “Hope I made a few proud during my stint.”

He made many proud. He made the Lakers proud. He led them to their only championship in the last 16 years, he became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, and, in his 23rd season, he set all sorts of records for longevity.

Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and his son Bronny (9) on the court together during a playoff game against the Rockets in April.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

In his final glorious act this spring, at age 41, he dragged a shorthanded Lakers team into the second round of the playoffs. His widely acclaimed effort against the Houston Rockets proved he could still play. He was still among the top 20 players in the league.

But, goodness, he drove the Lakers crazy.

His eight-year tenure was filled with quiet demands for roster changes amid veiled threats to leave. The Lakers were so afraid of losing him or displeasing Paul and all of his other star clients that they constantly, sometimes embarrassingly, bowed to the King.

In doing everything from acquiring Russell Westbrook to drafting James’ son, Bronny, the Lakers contorted themselves to please their leader.

And for what? Outside of that bubble title in 2020, James never led the Lakers to much of anything. Despite setting some of his records in front of them, he never connected with Lakers fans, perhaps because of the continuous passive-aggressive mind games he played with management.

Here’s guessing he wanted to stay in Los Angeles, and would have eventually accepted a massive pay cut from last year’s $52.6 million. Here’s guessing he would have chosen to remain in the town that contains one of his family homes and many of his businesses for a chance to end his career in a Laker uniform with a farewell celebration that matched the royal ones given the likes of Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

But the Lakers never gave him that choice. As it turns out, even 43,440 points were not enough to endear him to an organization that still prefers to call itself the Lakers and not the LeBrons. While he seemed invincible, LeBron was not indisposable, and now he can take his act to Golden State or Cleveland or somewhere else willing to kiss the ring.

Give him credit, though, for pulling one last move.

LeBron leaked his announcement one day after son Bronny’s $2.3 million contract became fully guaranteed.

Of course he did.

LeBron James is continuing his record-setting NBA career, but he won’t do it with the Lakers.

The 41-year-old superstar has informed the Lakers he intends to sign with a different team as an unrestricted free agent, The Times confirmed Tuesday. After eight seasons, James felt it was best to part ways with the Lakers, according to people familiar with the situation not authorized to discuss it publicly.

James’ tenure with the Lakers was his longest continuous stint with any franchise during his illustrious career. He led the team to its 17th NBA championship in 2020, broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record while wearing the purple and gold and set the league record for seasons played, reaching 23 unprecedented years.

His record-extending 24th season will now be elsewhere.

The Golden State Warriors were reported as a potential option after Draymond Green opted out of his contract Monday, potentially freeing enough cap space to add James. He made $52.6 million last season but could sign for a pay cut to join fellow superstar Stephen Curry.

“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement posted on social media. “We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”

James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game last season for the Lakers while claiming a slew of NBA records, including marks for games played, all-time wins and field goals made. Despite his age James was still considered one of the top free agents in a relatively pedestrian class.

James earned his record 22nd All-Star appearance last season, maintained his streak of averaging more than 20 points per game every season of his career and willed a shorthanded Lakers team past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs last season.

But he also gave up ground in his decades-long bout with Father Time.

James missed the first 14 games of the season while dealing with a right sciatic nerve problem, marking the first time in his career that he wasn’t ready to suit up for the season opener. His 15.3 field goal attempts per game was a career low, and he was ineligible for end-of-season awards because he missed 22 regular-season games, ending his streak of 21 years with All-NBA honors.

The Lakers needed James to reach the second round of the Western Conference playoffs last season — when the team was without star Luka Doncic for the entire postseason — but the NBA’s all-time leading scorer was set to take a supporting role within the franchise.

Doncic, 27, remains the top priority for the Lakers. Doncic signed a three-year, $165-million contract extension last summer. The Lakers also agreed to a four-year, $185-million max deal to keep Austin Reaves, who opted out of his contract to become a free agent.

Lakers stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic high-five after Doncic scored on a crucial three-point shot in overtime against the Knicks at Crypto.com Arena in March.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

With eight players from last year’s roster entering unrestricted free agency or holding player options, the Lakers were in position to completely remake their roster around Doncic two offseasons after the Slovenian superstar landed in the Lakers’ laps in a mind-blowing trade with the Dallas Mavericks for Anthony Davis.

President of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said after the season that the roster would be “retrofitted” around Doncic, meaning the Lakers wanted to target athletic, defensive-minded wings, knock-down shooters and a rim-running center.

Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where we’re buckling up for what will surely be a bumpy free agency period.

Free agency negotiations can officially begin today at 3 p.m. PDT, but there have already been several eyebrow-raising moves. Blockbuster trades between Milwaukee and Miami, Charlotte and Minnesota, and Memphis and Portland are three massive shots during the offseason transaction salvo.

And those weren’t even technically free agency transactions.

Now the real fun begins.

Golden (State) reunion?

They already won an Olympic gold medal together. The mere concept of LeBron James and Stephen Curry playing together for an NBA championship is the stuff of ticket-selling, TV-viewership legend.

With James being what many consider the best free agent in this class, the superstar will be at the center of nearly every phone call through the Lakers’ El Segundo facility this summer. Between retirement, returning and relocating, James has plenty of choices for his future. Teams are starting to line up with their offers.

Signaling what will be a frenetic week, Draymond Green opted out of his contract, ESPN reported Monday morning, sending alarm bells across the league that the Warriors could be cooking up cap magic to potentially lure James to the Bay Area.

The idea was that with a restructured deal with Green, Golden State could offer the $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to James. They could then try to pull off a trade to bring Anthony Davis for a “Big 4.” Eyeball emojis were wide open on the platform formerly known as Twitter.

But in this fast-paced league, that strategy barely survived the day after a Kristaps Porzingis extension reported Monday afternoon made the mid-level exception math not impossible, but certainly more complicated.

One NBA executive told my colleague Broderick Turner that James could play for the Lakers on a one-year, $30-million deal if the team wants to offer that much. It would still be a significant pay cut from the $52.6 million James made last year.

The 41-year-old is already the first active NBA player to reach billionaire status, according to Forbes. How much will a few million dollars matter to him?

During his twilight NBA years, James, according to the now-infamous statement to ESPN from his agent Rich Paul last year, wants to prioritize winning. There’s no guarantee that staying with the Lakers would make them the top team to overtake the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder, but there is some proof of concept. Raise a mental banner for that 16-2, Luka-Austin-LeBron stretch.

In the West, at least, the top teams are trending young. The Thunder were the youngest team ever to win a title in 2025. The Spurs figure to be a championship contender for a long time behind Victor Wembanyama, 22, Stephon Castle, 21, and Dylan Harper, 20. The Timberwolves’ controversial trade for LaMelo Ball in exchange for fan favorite Naz Reid to Charlotte also netted Minnesota one of the league’s biggest young stars.

James, Davis, Curry and Green would be a star-studded zag toward experience when the rest of the league is zigging toward youth. The Warriors already flirted with “The Expendables” ensemble strategy with Curry, Green, Al Horford and Jimmy Butler last year.

Sequels are rarely better than the original, and in this case, the original wasn’t even that good.

By already agreeing to a four-year, $185-million deal with Austin Reaves, the Lakers are getting close to running back their own roster. As expected, Deandre Ayton opted into his $8.1 million player option.

After the 27-year-old’s up-and-down play last year, simply getting Ayton back will not stop questions regarding the Lakers’ center position.

While watching a thrilling NBA Finals and the highly anticipated Western Conference finals showdown between the Spurs and Thunder, the league saw the importance of shooting. Free-agent sharpshooters Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard are on the market, and defensive stopper Marcus Smart will leave a hole in the Lakers’ roster after opting out. The 32-year-old guard greatly outplayed his $5.9-million option and is deserving of a multi-year deal.

When it came to his own future, James was vague at the end of the season. James’ on-court influence could persist for years, whether in L.A. or somewhere else. But his decisions won’t necessarily be his own.

James mentioned conversations with his family as important steps in the offseason process. Maybe just as important as the opportunity to chase a fifth championship is the chance for the father of three to fulfill his family responsibilities.

This month, James was celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Cavaliers’ championship with teammates, a trip that overlapped with Father’s Day. When he returned, his daughter Zhuri handed him a handwritten golf-themed card: “You are the best by par” she wrote inside.

“When you retire,” the page-long note James posted on Instagram read, “I can’t wait for you to be at all of my games like I was at yours.”

James, he wrote on social media, instantly cried.

Rock the vote

Setting the LeBron James of it all aside, which unrestricted free agent would you most want to return to the Lakers next season? Slide into my inbox at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com with your answer!

• Rui Hachimura
• Marcus Smart
• Luke Kennard
• Jaxson Hayes

Favorite thing I ate this week

Khinkali (Georgian soup dumplings) from Cheeseboat in Manhattan.

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

I’ve recently seen social media posts of people trying to eat food from as many countries as possible without leaving a single major city. I may adopt this as a new NBA road trip side quest, and we can now add Georgia to the travel menu.

While in New York City for the draft, I stopped at Cheeseboat, a family-run Georgian restaurant in the Hell’s Kitchen area of Manhattan. It’s named after Georgia’s traditional khachapuri bread that is shaped like an open boat and filled with delicious melted cheese, but my favorite dish we had was the khinkali soup dumplings filled with ground beef, spices and herbs. I just love dumplings, and because you use your hands to eat them — picking them up by the little dough handle is advised — they’re a little less fussy than the Chinese xiao long bao.

In case you missed it

Former Lakers Malik Beasley and Ed Davis accused of illegal gambling, wire fraud and money laundering

Who will sign with the Lakers? Updates on Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, LeBron James and more

Swanson: You’re up, Rob Pelinka. To avoid Ned Colletti’s fate, the Lakers’ GM has to deliver this offseason

Cameron Carr on Lakers acquiring him draft night: ‘It didn’t feel real’

Plaschke: Lakers’ Austin Reaves needs to do more to earn his money

Lakers’ Austin Reaves agrees to four-year, $185-million contract

Until next time…

As always, pass along your thoughts to me at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com, and please consider subscribing if you like our work!

If only. If Rob Pelinka could use the Dodgers’ blueprint to renovate, Lakers fans wouldn’t even be sweating this summer.

But, you know. Baseballs and basketballs, apples and oranges.

The windup and sales pitch are the same, though: Deliver a sustainable, high-rising, championship build. On time and … about that budget. One team has none. The other’s is tight.

In baseball, they wear caps. In the NBA, they’re compelled to stay under them.

In baseball, they can swing freely (for now). In basketball, they’re hamstrung by aprons.

Ned Colletti had it easier, and he lasted only two relatively successful seasons in his role as Dodgers general manager after Mark Walter’s Guggenheim Baseball Management group bought the ballclub in 2012.

Pelinka has it tougher as the Lakers’ general manager and president of basketball operations. But like Colletti before him, with Walter having purchased the majority stake in the Lakers, Pelinka is going to have to crash the hourglass and build a winner with haste. Er, the winner.

If the Lakers lay anything but an 18th brick on their championship foundation in the next couple seasons, Pelinka’s story probably is going to go a lot like Colletti’s.

When free agency opens Tuesday, Pelinka is just going to have to show us how creative he can be, how clever and cunning.

He already hit a grand slam with the Luka Doncic trade in 2025. In one of the NBA’s all-time heists, Pelinka brought the then-25-year-old Slovenian superstar to L.A. from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for essentially an aging and injury-prone Anthony Davis and just one first-round draft pick.

Before that, Pelinka hit another home run with Austin Reaves; a four-bagger so deep that Doncic’s undrafted backcourt-mate has now procured the proverbial bag. (Four years, $185 million worth of baggage to the Lakers.)

With those pillars cemented, Pelinka’s job is delivering the A-list center Doncic reportedly desires.

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic. Can Pelinka build a winner around Doncic?

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Doesn’t matter that all the perceivable candidates — from the Utah Jazz’s Walker Kessler to the New York Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson, the Milwaukee Bucks’ Myles Turner, the Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen, the Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford, even old friend A.D. — sit on a spectrum of unlikely to unwise.

Still, the best plan: Make Doncic happy; make a run at Kessler.

He’s a 24-year-old, defensively adept big man who would be a great pickup, just hard to get. But whether it’s overpaying in restricted free agency or working out a sign-and-trade deal, pry him away from the Jazz.

After nailing down a center, Pelinka also needs to really hit on the margins. Because in the modern NBA, the marginal is major.

The current contenders have depth borne of seasons spent tanking and loading up in the draft on athletic, affordable young talent or, in the case of the recently crowned Knicks, having a leading man take $113 million less than he was eligible for, as Jalen Brunson effectively did, to be able to play with his best buds.

In L.A., the Lakers don’t really have the first option and shouldn’t ever expect the second.

But Pelinka doesn’t have to swing for the fences every time; he doesn’t need to wow us now, he needs to have wowed us later. Take swings like he did trading for Rui Hachimura or netting sharpshooter Luke Kennard.

Former Laker Pau Gasol, right, speaks with GM Rob Pelinka during a Lakers practice in 2025.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

No one bats 1.000, of course, not even Andrew Friedman, the architect of the Dodgers’ three World Series titles since taking over as president of baseball operations in 2014.

But for the Lakers’ potential $51 million of cap space, for all of this summer’s much-hyped optionality, Pelinka’s competitive new boss isn’t the type to forgive errors that are forever front of mind for the Lakers’ faithful.

Pelinka can’t strike out on free agent signees like Gabe Vincent and Kendrick Nunn. Can’t let someone like Alex Caruso walk. Can’t whiff on draftees like Dalton Knecht or Jalen Hood-Schifino — and better hope he hasn’t on this year’s selection, Cameron Carr, who fell to the Lakers at No. 24.

The wrinkle, this offseason: Last year’s Lakers — 41-year-old LeBron James, Hachimura, Kennard and, if he opts out, Marcus Smart — will be among the most attractive free agents on the market, and they’re proven fits for a team that reached the second round of the playoffs.

But merely re-signing those guys won’t improve the Lakers’ odds of getting past the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs.

And simply outspending those teams isn’t an option, either. So Pelinka is going to have to go bargain hunting, he’s got to find some hidden gems, pull some tricks out of his sleeve. Surprise us, like great general managers are supposed to do.

This is Pelinka’s opportunity to show us his blueprint for bringing another title to Los Angeles, to build a case for himself.

Cameron Carr talks about joining Lakers

From Broderick Turner: NBA mock drafts projected Cameron Carr getting selected somewhere between 15 and 20 in the first round on Tuesday night.

Ending up with the Lakers later in the draft, however, was more than Carr could have asked for.

The Lakers acquired his draft rights from the New York Knicks, who took the 6-foot-5 Baylor guard with the 24th pick, in a multiple-team deal in which L.A. sent the draft rights to Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea, who was taken 25th, and cash considerations to New York.

As he sat for his introductory news conference Friday, dressed in all black, Carr shared what his thoughts were when he found out he would be playing for the Lakers.

“I’m going to the Lakers! It was more of an exciting thing,” he said. “It felt surreal. It didn’t feel real for the first couple minutes when I found out. It was trying to get my head around, ‘Man, I’m about to walk across the stage and be an NBA player.’ I’ve dreamed of this my whole life, especially since I was a kid. So it took a second. Still trying to get my head wrapped around it, but nothing but excitement and happiness. I feel more motivated to work.”

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Friday’s World Cup results

Group G
Egypt 1, Iran 1
Belgium 5, New Zealand 1

Group H
Spain 1, Uruguay 0
Cape Verde 0, Saudi Arabia 0

Group I
France 4, Norway 1
Senegal 5, Iraq 0

Today’s World Cup TV schedule

All times Pacific
2 p.m., Croatia vs. Ghana, FS1, Universo
2 p.m., Panama vs. England, Fox, Telemundo
4:30 p.m., Colombia vs. Portugal, Fox, Telemundo
4:30 p.m., DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan, FS1, Universo
7 p.m., Algeria vs. Austria, FS1, Universo
7 p.m., Jordan vs. Argentina, Fox, Telemundo

World Cup Group standings

Group A
Country, W-D-L, Goal Differential, Points
x-Mexico, 3-0-0, +6, 9
x-South Africa, 1-1-1, -1, 4
South Korea, 1-0-2, -1, 3
y-Czechia, 0-1-2, -4, 1

Group B
x-Switzerland, 2-1-0, +4, 7
x-Canada, 1-1-1, +5, 4
x-Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1-1-1, -1, 4
y-Qatar, 0-1-2, -8, 1

Group C
x-Brazil, 2-1-0, +6, 7
x-Morocco, 2-1-0, +3, 7
Scotland, 1-0-2, -3, 3
y-Haiti, 0-0-3, -6, 0

Group D
x-United States, 2-0-1, +4, 6
x-Australia, 1-1-1, 0, 4
x-Paraguay, 1-1-1, -2, 4
y-Turkiye, 1-0-2, -2, 3

Group E
x-Germany, 2-0-1, +6, 6
x-Ivory Coast, 2-0-1, +2, 6
x-Ecuador, 1-1-1, 0, 4
y-Curacao, 0-1-2, -8, 1

Group F
x-Netherlands, 2-1-0, +6, 7
x-Japan, 1-2-0, +4, 5
x-Sweden, 1-1-1, 0, 4
y-Tunisia, 0-0-3, -10, 0

Group G
x-Belgium, 1-2-0, +4, 5
x-Egypt, 1-2-0, +2, 5
Iran, 0-3-0, 0, 3
y-New Zealand, 0-1-2, -6, 1

Group H
x-Spain, 2-1-0, +5, 7
x-Cape Verde, 0-3-0, 0, 3
Uruguay, 0-2-1, -1, 2
y-Saudi Arabia, 0-2-1, -4, 2

Group I
x-France, 3-0-0, +8, 9
x-Norway, 2-0-1, +1, 6
x-Senegal, 1-0-2, +2, 3
y-Iraq, 0-0-3, -11, 0

Group J
x-Argentina, 2-0-0, +5, 6
Austria, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Algeria, 1-0-1, -2, 3
y-Jordan, 0-0-2, -3, 0

Group K
x-Colombia, 2-0-0, +3, 6
Portugal, 1-1-0, +5, 4
Congo DR, 0-1-1, -1, 1
Uzbekistan, 0-0-2, -7, 0

Group L
England, 1-0-1, +2, 4
Ghana, 1-0-1, +1, 4
Croatia, 1-0-1, -1, 3
y-Panama, 0-0-2, -2, 0

x-clinched round of 32; y-eliminated

The top two teams in each group plus the next eight best third-place teams advance to the next round.

World Cup round of 32 schedule

Sunday
South Africa vs. Canada, noon, Fox

Monday
Brazil vs. Japan, 10 a.m., Fox
Germany vs. Paraguay, 1:30 p.m., Fox
Netherlands vs. Morocco, 6 p.m., Fox

Tuesday
Ivory Coast vs. Norway, 10 a.m., Fox
France vs. Sweden, 2 p.m., Fox
Mexico vs. TBD, 6 p.m., Fox

Wednesday
TBD vs. TBD, 9 a.m., Fox
Belgium vs. TBD, 1 p.m., FS1
U.S. vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 5 p.m., Fox

Thursday
Spain vs. TBD, noon, Fox
TBD vs. TBD, 4 p.m., Fox
Switzerland vs. TBD, 8 p.m., FS1

Friday
Australia vs. Egypt, 11 a.m., Fox
Argentina vs. Cape Verde, 3 p.m., Fox
TBD vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m., Fox

Dodgers lose to Padres

From Maddie Lee: The home run that Roki Sasaki gave up to San Diego’s Ty France was more dramatic than the two walks he issued earlier in the inning. But it was the free passes that really hurt him.

In the Dodgers’ 7-1 loss to the Padres on Friday, Sasaki was out of the game before he could record an out in the fifth inning. He gave up only three hits but issued five walks, tying his season high, and hit a batter.

“I actually felt different than I never felt before, mechanically,” Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo, noting that his lower body felt a little off. “So I need to go over it and see what was really happening.”

Continue reading here

Shaikin: Did Padres curse themselves by messing with that anti-Dodgers FTD burger?

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels fire their GM

The Angels have fired general manager Perry Minasian midway through their sixth consecutive disappointing season under his leadership.

The last-place Angels appointed former Cardinals GM John Mozeliak to be their interim general manager and baseball operations consultant on Friday. Mozeliak will oversee day-to-day baseball operations while assisting the search for the next GM, team president Molly Jolly said in a news release.

“Perry has been a valued leader who worked tirelessly over the last six years to strengthen our baseball operations department,” Jolly said. “I am grateful for his dedication, insight and many contributions to our organization.”

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Angels lose to the Athletics

Shea Langeliers capped a seven-run rally in the fifth with the Athletics’ sixth straight single, backing J.T. Ginn in a 9-3 victory over the Angels on Friday night.

Ginn (6-4) gave up three runs and eight hits, striking out five and walking one, to provide a much-needed boost to a pitching staff with that had major league highs in June with a 6.14 ERA and 44 home runs allowed.

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Mike Trout says he’ll likely not participate in All-Star home run derby

Angels box score

MLB standings

Kings re-sign Brandt Clarke

Defenseman Brandt Clarke has agreed to a five-year, $37 million deal to stay with the Kings.

The Kings announced the deal Friday for Clarke, the eighth overall pick in 2021 who has grown into the new cornerstone of their defense.

Clarke had career highs of eight goals and 32 assists while playing in all 82 regular-season games last season for the Kings, who lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. He was third in the NHL with 185 blocked shots, and he finished fourth on the LA roster in scoring.

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NHL draft: Maple Leafs select Penn State forward Gavin McKenna No. 1 overall

Chris Evert has cancer

From Chuck Schilken: Tennis legend Chris Evert is battling ovarian cancer for the third time and will not attend Wimbledon, the 18-time Grand Slam champion and longtime ESPN analyst said Thursday on Instagram.

“This past weekend, after undergoing CT and PET scans, I learned that my ovarian cancer has returned,” Evert, 71, wrote. “I have already undergone surgery as the first step in my treatment and recovery, and will begin chemotherapy in the coming weeks.

“Because of this, I will not be attending Wimbledon this year, and I will step back from my professional commitments over the next few months to focus on my health.”

Evert was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December 2021. Two years later, she revealed her cancer had returned.

“Ovarian cancer is relentless, but I will stay optimistic and determined in continuing to fight this battle,” Evert wrote. “I am deeply grateful to my medical team, my family, friends and everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement. I look forward to seeing everyone again soon.”

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This day in sports history

1890 — Canadian boxer George Dixon becomes first black world champion when he stops English bantamweight champion Edwin “Nunc” Wallace in 18 rounds in London, England.

1903 — Willie Anderson captures the U.S. Open with a two-stroke victory over David Brown in a playoff.

1914 — Jack Johnson wins a 20-round referee’s decision over Frank Moran at the Velodrome d’Hiver in Paris.

1924 — Walter Hagen wins his second British Open. Hagen finishes with a 301 to edge Ernest Whitcombe by one stroke at Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake, England. Hagen, who won in 1922, was the Open’s first winner born in the United States.

1936 — Alf Padgham beats Jimmy Adams by one stroke to win the British Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England.

1950 — Chandler Harper wins the PGA championship by beating Henry Williams Jr., 4 and 3 in the final round.

1959 — Mickey Wright beats Louise Suggs by two strokes for her second straight U.S. Women’s Open title.

1971 — JoAnne Carner wins the U.S. Women’s Open with a seven-stroke victory over Kathy Whitworth.

1984 — UEFA European Championship Final, Parc des Princes, Paris, France: Michel Platini & Bruno Bellone score as France beats Spain, 2-0.

1988 — Mike Tyson KOs Michael Spinks in 91 seconds in Atlantic City.

1990 — NBA Draft: Syracuse power forward Derrick Coleman first pick by New Jersey Nets.

1992 — Top-seeded Jim Courier, the Australian and French Open champion, loses 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to qualifier Andrei Olhovskiy of Russia at Wimbledon. It’s the first time in Wimbledon history that a qualifier beat the top seed.

1998 — NHL Draft: Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL) center Vincent Lecavalier first pick by Tampa Bay Lightning.

1999 — Juli Inkster shoots a 6-under 65 to win the LPGA Championship, becoming the second woman to win the modern career Grand Slam. Pat Bradley won her Grand Slam 13 years earlier.

2001 — NBA Draft: Glynn Academy center Kwame Brown first pick by Washington Wizards.

2006 — Roger Federer wins his record 42nd straight grass-court match, beating Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to open his bid for a fourth consecutive Wimbledon championship. Federer breaks the record he shared with Bjorn Borg, the five-time Wimbledon champion who won 41 straight matches on grass from 1976-1981.

2008 — Zheng Jie completes the biggest victory of her career at Wimbledon, beating new No. 1 Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-4 in the third round. The 133rd-ranked Zheng’s victory, her first against a top-10 player, is the earliest exit by a top-ranked woman at Wimbledon since Martina Hingis lost in the first round in 2001.

2010 — Cristie Kerr cruises to a 12-stroke victory in the LPGA Championship in one of the most lopsided wins at a major. Kerr leads wire-to-wire, closing with a 6-under 66 for a 19-under 269 total. Kerr breaks the tournament record for victory margin of 11 set by Betsy King in 1992 and matches the second-biggest victory in a major.

2013 — NBA Draft: UNLV power forward Anthony Bennett first pick Cleveland Cavaliers.

2021 — Nelly Korda beats Lizette Salas by 3 strokes to win the Women’s PGA Championship. The win is Korda’s first major title.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1917 — Catcher Hank Gowdy of the Braves became the first major league player to enter military service in World War I.

1939 — The Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Braves played a 23-inning, 2-2 tie. Whit Wyatt pitched the first 16 innings for the Dodgers. Both clubs played a 26-inning tie in 1920 at the same Braves Field.

1958 — Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox retired 26 straight Washington batters before pinch-hitter Ed Fitzgerald hit a double just inside the right-field line for the only hit. Pierce then struck out Albie Pearson on three pitches and beat the Senators 3-0.

1973 — David Clyde, a $125,000, 18-year-old bonus baby with the Rangers, pitched five innings, struck out eight and gave up one hit in his first major league start. Texas beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 before 35,698 fans — the Rangers’ first home sellout at Arlington Stadium.

1980 — The Dodgers’ Jerry Reuss pitched a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants in an 8-0 victory at Candlestick Park. The only player to reach base was Jack Clark in the first inning on a throwing error by shortstop Bill Russell.

1986 — San Francisco rookie Robby Thompson set a major league record when he was caught stealing four times in the Giants’ 7-6, 12-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Catcher Bo Diaz threw out Thompson in the fourth, sixth, ninth and 11th innings.

1993 — Anthony Young of the New York Mets set a major league record by losing his 24th straight decision, 5-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals.

1999 — Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 27th homer and robbed Juan Gonzalez of a three-run shot with a spectacular over-the-fence catch as the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 5-2 in the final game at the Kingdome.

2003 — Boston set a major league record by scoring 10 runs before the first out. The 50-minute, 91-pitch first inning came during a 25-8 victory over Florida. The Red Sox also tied an AL record with 14 runs in the first inning. Johnny Damon matched a major league mark with three hits in an inning.

2007 — Ryan Howard hits his 100th home run in a 9-6 loss to the Reds. The shot against Aaron Harang makes him the fastest player in major league history to hit 100 homers, doing so in his 325th game.

2008 — Carlos Delgado of the New York Mets homered twice, including a grand slam, and set a franchise record with nine RBIs in a 15-6 rout of the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the opener of the teams’ two-ballpark doubleheader. The Yankees beat the Mets 9-0 at Shea Stadium in the night game.

2009 — Tim Wakefield makes his 382nd start for the Boston Red Sox, tying Roger Clemens for most in franchise history. The 42-year-old knuckleballer earns his tenth win of the year with six scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves. Boston prevails, 1-0, with Mark Kotsay driving in the game’s only run.

2010 — Jamie Moyer surrendered his record-breaking 506th home run but was sharp otherwise, and the Philadelphia Phillies took advantage of Toronto’s troubles to beat the Blue Jays 11-2. Moyer only mistake was a two-run homer by Vernon Wells in the third inning. Moyer passed former Phillies Hall of Famer Robin Roberts for the most homers given up in a career.

2016 — Kris Bryant became the first major leaguer to hit three homers and two doubles in a game, and Jake Arrieta added a solo shot, leading the Chicago Cubs to an 11-8 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

2016 — The Texas Rangers wrapped up a weird win at 2:44 a.m., rallying after a rain delay of more than 3 1/2 hours in the ninth inning to beat the New York Yankees 9-6 with maybe 100 fans left in the stands. Umpire crew chief Paul Nauert signaled for the tarp at 10:40 p.m. The game resumed at 2:15 a.m. Texas trailed 6-5 when Kirby Yates replaced closer Aroldis Chapman after the delay with a runner on first and no outs. Yates (2-1) hit three batters, and Beltre and Elvis Andrus each hit a two-run singles.

2017 — Florida wins the first College World Series title in school history by defeating Louisiana State 6-1.

2021 — A little over a week after MLB has begun to systematically examine pitchers for foreign substances to improve grip, a first victim is caught: Hector Santiago of the Mariners is ejected after umpires discover an unknown sticky substances on his glove. The glove is impounded and sent for further analysis, while Santiago protests his innocence, claiming that he was only using rosin to prevent perspiration from dripping unto his hands. He will be issued a ten-game suspension.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

NBA mock drafts projected Cameron Carr getting selected somewhere between 15 and 20 in the first round on Tuesday night.

Ending up with the Lakers later in the draft, however, was more than Carr could have asked for.

The Lakers acquired his draft rights from the New York Knicks, who took the 6-foot-5 Baylor guard with the 24th pick, in a multiple-team deal in which L.A. sent the draft rights to Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea, who was taken 25th, and cash considerations to New York.

As he sat for his introductory news conference Friday, dressed in all black, Carr shared what his thoughts were when he found out he would be playing for the Lakers.

“I’m going to the Lakers! It was more of an exciting thing,” he said. “It felt surreal. It didn’t feel real for the first couple minutes when I found out. It was trying to get my head around, ‘Man, I’m about to walk across the stage and be an NBA player.’ I’ve dreamed of this my whole life, especially since I was a kid. So it took a second. Still trying to get my head wrapped around it, but nothing but excitement and happiness. I feel more motivated to work.”

Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, met Carr at the facility on Friday but didn’t speak with the media during the news conference.

It meant Pelinka couldn’t be asked about Austin Reaves agreeing to re-sign with the Lakers on a four-year, $185-million deal, or about how conversations are going with free agent LeBron James.

But NBA rules prohibit team officials from commenting on anything during the free agency moratorium, which won’t be lifted until July 6.

So, this day was all about the 21-year-old Carr and how impressed he was being in the Lakers’ building.

“Walking in the building, first thing you notice is the rich tradition of the people that have been here before you,” Carr said. “It’s a moment of happiness. As a kid, you always dreamed of walking across that stage and accomplishing everything you wanted to. Man, it just felt good to walk in the gym and look at the people that came before me. Now I’m in their shoes.”

Carr was viewed by NBA scouts as athletic with his 42½-inch vertical leap and as having a good jump shot.

During his sophomore season at Baylor, Carr averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 blocks in 34 games. He shot 49.4% from the field, 37.4% from three-point range and 80.1% from the free-throw line.

But Carr quickly talked about how playing defense will be his calling card with the Lakers.

“Stepping into an organization with people with the same type of mindset and abilities, it only makes my job easier,” Carr said. “I’ve just got to cut and dunk the ball for them, and run in transition. But first things first is establishing a defensive consistency and showing I can be dominant or a plus on the defensive end as someone they would like to guard the best player.”

Carr always had his dad, Chris Carr, to lean on during his journey as a basketball player. Having him as a mentor was so beneficial because his father spent six seasons in the NBA. His most famous moment came in 1997, when he became the runner-up to Kobe Bryant in the slam dunk contest.

Now father and son have something else in common: making the NBA.

“I’ve always wanted to be better than him,” Carr said. “I’ve always been behind, so I want to show he’s put a lot of work in me becoming a better man. So I feel the only way I can credit him and show I’m thankful for him is by putting in the work and using it every single day. He was a heck of a player, so it’s some big footsteps I’ve got to follow and a long journey.

“It’s good motivation. My ‘why’ is just to be better and show people I’m better than a lot of people that are put in front of me. I feel like that’s the chip on my shoulder, or the fire under my feet.”

The Sports Report Hall of Fame, other sports edition

Those of you who read the Dodgers Dugout newsletter know that for the last few years, we have done a Dodgers Dugout Hall of Fame, asking readers to vote for former Dodgers whom they believe should be in this more fan-oriented Hall of Fame. Clayton Kershaw was the most recent inductee.

Which got me thinking (always a dangerous thing), what if we had a Sports Report Hall of Fame, as selected by the readers, of people who made a huge impact on the local sports scene?

This week, the category is the other sports, mainly MLS and WNBA. Is it a perfect category? No, and there will probably be a separate category for soccer next year, with the Sparks moving over to a pro basketball category. You can vote for up to five people. You don’t have to vote for five, you can vote for any number up to and including five. Your vote should depend on what the person did on and off the field only as a member of their local team. The rest of their career doesn’t count.

If there’s a name not on here that you think should be, please send me an email so that person can be included in next year’s ballot.

Any records mentioned are at the time that person retired.

Whoever is named on at least 75% of the ballots will be elected. The three people receiving the fewest votes will be dropped from future ballots for at least the next two years. A person must be retired as a player to appear on the ballot.

How do you vote? For this week’s ballot, click here. Results will be announced every Tuesday.

So, without further ado, here is the ballot for the other sports/colleges category.

David Beckham—Six-year tenure with the Galaxy (2007–2012) revolutionized American soccer. Arriving as the league’s first Designated Player, Beckham’s tenure ultimately yielded two consecutive MLS Cup titles in 2011 and 2012 before he departed for Paris Saint-Germain.

George Best—Best joined soccer’s L.A. Aztecs in 1976 after a stellar career with Manchester United. He scored 15 goals in 24 appearances in his first season, but declined after that.

Mauricio Cienfuegos—Playmaker for the Galaxy from 1996 to 2003, making 206 regular-season appearances, scoring 35 goals and 80 assists. Helped the club win the 2002 MLS Cup, the 2001 U.S. Open Cup, and the 2000 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Johann Cruyff—Joined the Aztecs for just one season in 1979, but scored 13 goals in 25 games and won the most valuable player award.

Landon Donovan—Had a highly decorated career with the Galaxy, making 247 appearances, scoring 112 goals and leading the team to four MLS Cups.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic—played for the Galaxy and in just 58 appearances, he dominated the league, scoring 53 goals and 15 assists. His was named MLS newcomer of the year and had a record-breaking 31-goal season.

Cobi Jones—Spent his entire 12-season Major League Soccer career with the Galaxy. Midfielder made 306 regular-season appearances, scored 70 goals, and provided 91 assists, helping the club secure two MLS Cups and two U.S. Open Cups.

Robbie Keane—Scored 104 goals in 165 matches with the Galaxy and was a key member behind the early 2010s dynasty, earning the 2014 MLS MVP award.

Lisa Leslie—The best player in Sparks history. A three-time WNBA MVP, two-time Finals MVP, and eight-time First Team All-WNBA selection. She led the team to championships in 2001 and 2002.

Mwadi Mabika—Fifth in points scored in Sparks history and a key member of the 2001 and 2002 titles teams.

DeLisha Milton-Jones—A forward who played a major role on the Sparks’ 2001 and 2002 championship teams. Known for her clutch play and is fourth all-time in points scored in team history.

Candace Parker—Drafted first overall by the Sparks in 2008, Parker won the rookie of the year and MVP awards in her debut season. One of the best players in WNBA history, she was the Finals MVP during the Sparks’ 2016 championship run.

Laffit Pincay Jr.—Winningest jockey in Santa Anita history.

Bill Shoemaker—One of the best jockeys in Santa Anita history.

Carlos Vela—LAFC’s first-ever Designated Player. In 2019, he scored a record-breaking 34 goals to lead the Black & Gold to the Supporters’ Shield and was named the MLS MVP. Captained LAFC to its first MLS Cup title in 2022. Retired as the team’s all-time leader in matches played (152), goals (78) and assists (59).

You can vote here. You can vote for up to five people.

Voting is still open in these categories:

To vote in the other colleges ballot, click here.

To vote in the USC ballot, click here.

To vote in the NHL ballot, click here.

The inductees so far:

MLB
Don Drysdale
Clayton Kershaw
Sandy Koufax
Vin Scully
Fernando Valenzuela

NBA
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Elgin Baylor
Kobe Bryant
Chick Hearn
Magic Johnson
Jerry West

NFL
Eric Dickerson
Deacon Jones
Merlin Olsen

UCLA
Lew Alcindor
Arthur Ashe
Ann Meyers
Jackie Robinson
Bill Walton
John Wooden

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

World Cup: Mexico defeat Czechia

From Eduard Cauich: Mexico’s national team overcame a lackluster first half to rout Czechia thanks to a dream second half that allowed it to finish the group stage undefeated on a night that will be remembered as one of the greatest in Mexican World Cup history.

The celebration of Mexico’s 3-0 win Wednesday at Azteca Stadium turned into a tribute to legendary goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who entered the game in the final minutes to receive a standing ovation unlike any other for a Mexican player in the history of the tournament.

Czechia was eliminated after failing to earn more than one point in the tournament. In the other group match, South Africa defeated South Korea 1-0 in Monterrey and advanced in second place. South Korea will have to wait to find out whether it advances as one of the eight best third-place teams.

Czechia put up a strong performance during the first 45 minutes, while Mexico showed little offensive clarity, mainly because of a lack of control in midfield.

Everything changed in a matter of six minutes during the second half, when El Tri figured out Czechia and secured its best victory in the group stage.

Continue reading here

World Cup recap: South Africa beats South Korea, advances to play at SoFi Stadum

Click here for complete TV schedule, groups and players to watch

Full World Cup coverage

Wednesday’s World Cup results

Group A
Mexcio 3, Czechia 0
South Africa 1, South Korea 0

Group B
Bosnia-Herzegovina 3, Qatar 2
Switzerland 2, Canada 2

Group C
Morocco 4, Haiti 2
Brazil 3, Scotland 0

Today’s World Cup TV schedule

All times Pacific
1 p.m., Curacao vs. Ivory Coast, FS1, Telemundo
1 p.m., Ecuador vs. Germany, Fox, Telemundo
4 p.m., Japan vs. Sweden, FS1, Telemundo
4 p.m., Tunisia vs. Netherlands, Fox, Telemundo
7 p.m., Paraguay vs. Australia, FS1, Universo
7 p.m., Turkiye vs. U.S., Fox, Telemundo

World Cup Group standings

Group A
Country, W-D-L, Goal Differential, Points
x-Mexico, 3-0-0, +6, 9
x-South Africa, 1-1-1, -1, 4
South Korea, 1-0-2, -1, 3
y-Czechia, 0-1-2, -4, 1

Group B
x-Switzerland, 2-1-0, +4, 7
x-Canada, 1-1-1, +5, 4
Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1-1-1, -1, 4
y-Qatar, 0-1-2, -8, 1

Group C
x-Brazil, 2-1-0, +6, 7
x-Morocco, 2-1-0, +3, 7
Scotland, 1-0-2, -3, 3
y-Haiti, 0-0-3, -6, 0

Group D
x-United States, 2-0-0, +5, 6
Australia, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Paraguay, 1-0-1, -2, 3
y-Turkiye, 0-0-2, -3, 0

Group E
x-Germany, 2-0-0, +7, 6
Ivory Coast, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Ecuador, 0-1-1, -1, 1
Curacao, 0-1-1, -6, 1

Group F
Netherlands, 1-1-0, +4, 4
Japan, 1-1-0, +4, 4
Sweden, 1-0-1, 0, 3
y-Tunisia, 0-0-2, -8, 0

Group G
Egypt, 1-1-0, +2, 4
Iran, 0-2-0, 0, 2
Belgium, 0-2-0, 0, 2
New Zealand, 0-1-1, -2, 1

Group H
Spain, 1-1-0, +4, 4
Uruguay, 0-2-0, 0, 2
Cape Verde, 0-2-0, 0, 2
Saudi Arabia, 0-1-1, -4, 1

Group I
x-France, 2-0-0, +5, 6
x-Norway, 2-0-0, +4, 6
Senegal, 0-0-2, -3, 0
Iraq, 0-0-2, -6, 0

Group J
x-Argentina, 2-0-0, +5, 6
Austria, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Algeria, 1-0-1, -2, 3
y-Jordan, 0-0-2, -3, 0

Group K
x-Colombia, 2-0-0, +3, 6
Portugal, 1-1-0, +5, 4
Congo DR, 0-1-1, -1, 1
Uzbekistan, 0-0-2, -7, 0

Group L
England, 1-0-1, +2, 4
Ghana, 1-0-1, +1, 4
Croatia, 1-0-1, -1, 3
y-Panama, 0-0-2, -2, 0

x-clinched round of 32; y-eliminated

The top two teams in each group plus the next eight best third-place teams advance to the next round.

Note: The U.S. is locked into a July 1 knockout stage game against the third-place team from either Group B, E, F, I or J at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Dodgers edge the Twins

From Maddie Lee: Shohei Ohtani was done trying to make the back-and-forth work.

He and catcher Dalton Rushing had struggled to get in sync for the first two innings Wednesday — from pitch-calling, to ABS challenges, to a crossup that cost the Dodgers a run. So, Ohtani took matters into his own hands.

“There’s really a couple ways of communicating,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton after the Dodgers’ 4-3 win against the Minnesota Twins. “One is by words, but the other way to be able to communicate is by example, and just taking the charge and showing Rush what kind of pitching style I’m capable of.”

After a three-run (two earned) second inning, Ohtani supplied his own run support with an RBI single that spurred the Dodgers’ game-winning rally, and then took over pitch-calling duties on the mound.

Ohtani didn’t allow another run, through the sixth.

“I didn’t do a great job from start to finish,” said Rushing, who returned to the lineup Wednesday after being removed from Monday’s game to rule out a concussion. “Pretty embarrassing. Thankfully he’s as good as he is and he can take control of the game.”

Continue reading here

Dodgers fulfill $1-million pledge in response to ICE raids, owners divest from prison group

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels defeat the Orioles

Nolan Schanuel reached third on an error and Logan O’Hoppe drove him in on a check-swing tapper in the 10th inning as the Angels rallied to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 7-6 on Wednesday.

It was the 12th come-from-behind victory for the Angels (34-48) and sixth walk-off win.

Pinch-hitter Vaughn Grissom started the rally with an RBI single in the eighth, and Wade Meckler tied the game with a two-run single.

Continue reading here

Angels box score

MLB standings

Austin Reaves now has to prove he’s worth it

From Bill Plaschke: He’s no longer a cute little kid.

He’s a $185-million man.

He’s no longer a quintessential underdog routinely pardoned for his bad defense, his questionable durability and his tendency to tighten up in the playoffs.

He’s a big dog who needs to own it.

Austin Reaves, the most beloved Laker, became the most scrutinized Laker on Wednesday with the news that he agreed to a maximum four-year, $185-million contract to remain with the team.

Kudos to him for becoming the highest-paid undrafted player in league history.

Congrats to the Lakers for turning a homegrown talent into a budding superstar.

His everyman story resonates with the masses.

Except that story is finished. That book has been closed. A new volume has begun.

It’s called, “Is Austin Reaves Worth It?”

Thus far, the answer has been no.

Continue reading here

Lakers’ Austin Reaves opts out of contract, plans to re-sign for four years

Big second round of draft for Clippers

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: They started their pro careers in Spain and now two Real Madrid prospects are taking on L.A. Baba Miller doesn’t have to look far for inspiration with Luka Doncic playing in the same city.

After admiring Doncic’s path from Real Madrid to the top of the NBA, Miller, the Clippers’ latest addition, hopes to carve his own path in L.A. after the Clippers drafted the late-blooming Cincinnati forward 36th overall in the NBA draft on Wednesday.

The versatile big man was just 6-2 when he was 14. Now a mature, 6-foot-11 22-year-old, Miller called that kid “chubby.” But once he started growing rapidly, Miller slimmed down. When he struggled to hold up against more physical players, his youth coach started playing him at the wing. The positional move, along with his developing body, set the stage for his creative style of play.

As a senior at Cincinnati, 208-pound Miller averaged 13 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. Miller was just one of three players nationally to average at least 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists this season. He was the first Bearcat to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists since Oscar Robertson in 1959-60.

Continue reading here

NBA draft 2026: Second-round pick-by-pick recap

‘Super blessed’: Karim López makes NBA history as first Mexican-born first-round draft pick

Kelsey Plum is out at least four weeks

From Marisa Ingemi: The Sparks are going to have to get through another stretch without Kelsey Plum.

Plum, who missed three games with a right ankle sprain earlier this season, is out with a lower left leg injury and will be reevaluated in four weeks, the team announced Wednesday morning. That means she will miss at least the next 10 games, taking the Sparks to the WNBA All-Star break.

It had seemed like Plum was out of the woods after she came back from her ankle injury. Plum scored 43 points in a game against the Phoenix Mercury on June 14 and didn’t miss a beat in her return. She is second in the WNBA in scoring with 23.9 points per game and sixth in the league with 6.4 assists per contest.

Continue reading here

Katelyn Ohashi returns to gymnastics

From Chuck Schilken: Katelyn Ohashi has gone viral for her gymnastics routines.

She has won two ESPY Awards.

She’s a former national champion and All-American who earned 11 perfect scores of 10 during her time at UCLA.

She once took first place in the all-around at an elite national competition, with the now-legendary Simone Biles finishing as runner-up.

But Ohashi apparently has some unfinished business in the sport, as the 29-year-old athlete announced her return to elite gymnastics Tuesday on Instagram.

Continue reading here

This day in sports history

1921 — Jock Hutchinson is the first American to win the British Open, a nine-stroke victory over Roger Wethered in a playoff.

1926 — Bobby Jones becomes the first amateur in 29 years to win the British Open. Jones finishes with a 291 total for a two-stroke victory over Al Watrous at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, England.

1932 — Gene Sarazen wins the U.S. Open by shooting a 286, the lowest in 20 years.

1935 — Future world heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis moves to 20-0 with 6th round KO of former champion Primo Carnera at Yankee Stadium.

1948 — Joe Louis knocks out Jersey Joe Walcott in the 11th round in New York to defend his world heavyweight title. Louis announces his retirement after the fight.

1952 — Jim Turnesa wins the PGA Championship with a 1-up victory over Chick Harbert in the final round.

1966 — Buckpasser sets a world record in the 1-mile Arlington Classic in 1:32 3-5 and becomes the first 3-year-old to win more than $1 million.

1969 — Pancho Gonzalez, 41, wins the longest tennis match in Wimbledon history by beating Charles Pasarell in a 112-game match, 22-24, 1-6, 16-14, 6-3, 11-9. The match is played over two days and lasts 5 hours, 12 minutes.

1978 — In Buenos Aires, Argentina wins the World Cup beating Netherlands 3-1 after extra time.

1981 — Sugar Ray Leonard wins the WBA junior middleweight title with a ninth-round knockout of Ayub Kalule in Houston.

1988 — UEFA European Championship Final, Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany: Ruud Gullet & Marco van Basten score as the Netherlands beats Soviet Union, 2-0.

1991 — Nine-time champion Martina Navratilova survives a first-round scare from Elna Reinach to win her record 100th singles match at Wimbledon.

1994 — FIFA World Cup: 1,500th goal in Cup history scored by Caceres of Argentina.

1997 — NBA Draft: Wake Forest power forward Tim Duncan first pick by San Antonio Spurs.

1997 — NHL approves franchises in Nashville, Atlanta, Columbus, and Minneapolis-St Paul.

1999 — San Antonio wins its first NBA championship, defeating the New York Knicks 78-77 in Game 5 of the Finals. The Spurs, keyed by finals MVP Tim Duncan’s 31 points, becomes the first former ABA team to win the championship.

2006 — Asafa Powell matches Wallace Spearmon’s world best in the 200 meters, winning the Jamaican national championships in 19.90 seconds.

2006 — Bernard Lagat becomes the first runner in the history of the U.S. track and field championships to sweep the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, after winning the shorter race.

2008 — NBA Draft: Oklahoma power forward Blake Griffin first pick by Clippers.

2015 — NBA Draft: Kentucky center Karl-Anthony Towns first pick by Minnesota Timberwolves.

2017 — Jordan Spieth needs an extra hole and an amazing final shot to finish off a wire-to-wire victory in the Travelers Championship. The two-time major champion holes out from 60 feet for birdie from a greenside bunker on the first hole of a playoff with Daniel Berger at TPC River Highlands.

2019 — NHL Draft: Barrie Colts (OHL) defenseman Aaron Ekblad first pick by Florida Panthers.

2020 — Liverpool FC clinches first EPL soccer title in 30 years with 7 games to spare as Chelsea beats second-placed Manchester City, 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1934 — Pitcher John Broaca tied a major league record by striking out five consecutive times but pitched the Yankees to an 11-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Lou Gehrig had better luck at the plate, hitting for the cycle.

1937 — Augie Galan of Chicago became the first National League switch-hitter to homer from both sides of the plate in the Cubs’ 11-2 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1950 — Chicago’s Hank Sauer hit two home runs and two doubles to send the Cubs past the Philadelphia Phillies 11-8.

1961 — Baltimore and the Angels used a major league record 16 pitchers, eight by each side, as the Orioles edged the Angels 9-8 on Ron Hansen’s 14th-inning homer.

1968 — Bobby Bonds, in his first major league game, hit a grand slam off John Purdin to help San Francisco to a 9-0 win over the Dodgers.

1988 — Cal Ripken Jr. plays in his 1,000th consecutive game.

1998 — Sammy Sosa broke the major league record for homers in a month, hitting his 19th of June leading off the seventh inning of the Cubs’ 6-4 loss to Detroit. Sosa passed the mark set by Detroit’s Rudy York in August 1937.

1999 — Jose Jimenez, a rookie right-hander, threw St. Louis’ first no-hitter in 16 seasons, outdueling Randy Johnson in a 1-0 victory over Arizona.

2002 — Luis Pujols of the Detroit Tigers and Tony Pena of the Kansas City Royals became the first Dominican-born managers to oppose each other in a major league game.

2007 — A fan charged at Bob Howry during the Cubs’ 10-9 win over Colorado after the reliever helped blow an 8-3 lead in the ninth inning. Howry gave up back-to-back RBI singles to Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe and a three-run homer to Troy Tulowitzki. The fan then jumped onto the field from the roof of the Rockies’ dugout and made it a few feet from the mound before security guards tackled him. Howry earned the victory when Alfonso Soriano hit a game-ending two-run single in the bottom of the inning.

2010 — Arizona’s Edwin Jackson pitched a 1-0 no-hitter against Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field.

2010 — The Cubs suspend pitcher Carlos Zambrano indefinitely after he throws a tantrum in the dugout after giving up four runs in the first inning of a 6-0 loss to the White Sox. “Big Z” blames first baseman Derrek Lee for letting a Juan Pierre ground ball past him for a double that starts the rally, although the hard-hit ball was hardly catchable. Tom Gorzelanny replaces Zambrano who is removed from the game by manager Lou Piniella.

2011 — Cleveland’s Tony Sipp balked home the only run with the bases loaded in the seventh inning of a 1-0 loss to San Francisco. Sipp slightly flinched his left arm before throwing a pitch to Emmanuel Burriss, allowing Miguel Tejada to score and sending San Francisco to its fourth straight win. There also were two errors in the inning by second baseman Cord Phelps that spoiled a strong start by Justin Masterson.

2013 — Eric Filia drove in a career-high five runs, Nick Vander Tuig limited Mississippi State to five hits in eight innings, and UCLA won 8-0 for its first national baseball championship.

2014 — Tim Lincecum pitched his second no-hitter against the San Diego Padres in less than a year, allowing only one runner and leading the San Francisco Giants to a 4-0 win.

2015 — The San Francisco Giants hit four triples in a game for the first time in 55 years, including a pair by Brandon Belt in a 13-8 win over the San Diego Padres. Brandon Crawford and Matt Duffy also tripled for San Francisco, which had not tripled four times in a game since Sept. 15, 1960, when Willie Mays hit three and Eddie Bressoud one at Philadelphia.

2018 — The St. Louis Cardinals record the 10,000th win in team history with a 4-0 defeat of the Cleveland Indians. They are the sixth major league team to do so.

2019 — The New York Yankees set a new major league record by homering in their 28th consecutive game.

2021 — Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola ties Tom Seaver’s 51-Year old MLB record of ten consecutive strikeouts in a 2-1 loss to the Mew York Mets.

2022 — Three Astros pitchers combine to no-hit the Yankees, 3-0.

2023 — George Springer leads off the bottom of the 1st for the Blue Jays against the Athletics with a homer off Luis Medina. The 55th leadoff home run of his career gives him sole possession of second place on the all-time list, behind only Rickey Henderson. The Blue Jays win handily, 12-1.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

He’s no longer a cute little kid.

He’s a $185-million man.

He’s no longer a quintessential underdog routinely pardoned for his bad defense, his questionable durability and his tendency to tighten up in the playoffs.

He’s a big dog who needs to own it.

Austin Reaves, the most beloved Laker, became the most scrutinized Laker on Wednesday with the news that he agreed to a maximum four-year, $185-million contract to remain with the team.

Kudos to him for becoming the highest-paid undrafted player in league history.

Props to him for declining a rich extension offer last summer to play out the season and bet on himself.

Congrats to the Lakers for turning a homegrown talent into a budding superstar.

Seriously, it makes you just want to hug that unkempt, headband-wearing dude and let him know how his everyman story resonates with the masses.

Except that story is finished. That book has been closed. A new volume has begun.

It’s called, “Is Austin Reaves Worth It?”

Thus far, the answer has been no.

Flash back to May, the opener of the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a week after he had returned to the court following a monthlong absence with an oblique injury.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves chases after a loose ball ahead of Rockets guard Amen Thompson during Game 5 of their playoff series in May.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Lakers needed Reaves to set the tone. He instead laid an egg, shooting three for 16 from the field and zero for five from beyond the arc, his body knocked clear to Tulsa by a physical Thunder defense.

Two games later, same thing, he shoots five for 13 and one for five from deep, allowing the Thunder to pound him to a pulp.

With Luka Doncic out and LeBron James exhausted, the Lakers desperately needed Reaves to pick up the slack. He dropped it, again and again, and the Lakers were swept.

It was the same thing in the spring of 2025, when Reaves crumbled in the first-round series-clinching loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, shooting five for 14 and two for 10 in a performance that was, as usual, generally overlooked because he tried so hard and accepted his shortcomings so honestly.

That’s not going to work anymore. That’s not going to be enough anymore.

With this new deal, Reaves becomes the Lakers’ second cornerstone along with Doncic. They are now officially a one-two punch. They are now a twin-engine scoring machine that can rival any similar duo in the NBA.

Guards Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are the new one-two punch of the near future for the Lakers.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Doncic has lived up to his end of the bargain. Will Reaves?

And what about defense? For $185 million, you’d think you could get some defense. Doncic needs his running mate to compensate for his questionable defensive skills, and Reaves has yet to do that.

Simply by earning his way onto the Lakers roster five years ago, Reaves has been a great role model for everyone who has ever been ignored or shunned or marginalized. But did the Lakers fall in love with his legend and ignore his frailties?

Yes, he averaged 23 points per game last season. But he only played in a career-low 51 games because of calf and oblique injuries, and will he add the muscle required to fend off such problems in the future?

Yes, he has been a great interview while admirably and publicly holding himself and his teammates accountable. But he’s always been able to lead from the shadows. How will he react when 185 million microphones are pointed at him?

In a postgame interview after the Lakers’ final loss against Oklahoma City this spring, Reaves was at his aw-shucks best.

“I take life day by day and I’m just blessed to have an opportunity to play for this organization, play a kid’s game,” he said, “I make good money. But like I said, I don’t think about what I’m really going to do in the future, just day by day.”

Lakers guard Austin Reaves consults with coach JJ Redick during a break in the action during Game 3 of the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in May.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

That tone has to change. He now has to think about the future because he is the future, of this team, of this organization, of the hopes of this city.

With all of Reaves’ shortcomings, one can almost see the unsentimental Dodgers officials looking at Wednesday’s news and saying, “Wait, they did what?”

But in the end, the Lakers didn’t really have a choice. There wasn’t a free agent available who could match Reaves’ prolific shooting, and nobody who could match the Laker-centric story of his personal journey.

Renowned softie Rob Pelinka, who should count Reaves as one of his greatest successes, was so moved by the opportunity to bring him back that he mentioned the Lakers colors when answering a question about him.

“He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker,” Pelinka said during exit interviews this spring. “We want his odyssey to continue to unfold in the purple and gold.”

And so it will, for at least several more years, Reaves now occupying a Lakers leading sidekick role made famous during their championship years by the likes of Anthony Davis and Pau Gasol.

How sweet. How scary.

Both Austin Reaves and the Lakers have always stated their desire to continue their relationship that started when he was an undrafted prospect five years ago.

They will.

Reaves intends to re-sign with the Lakers for a maximum deal of four years and $185-million, people not authorized to speak on the matter confirmed to The Times on Wednesday.

Reaves opted out of his deal that was to pay him $14.8 million next season and would have become one of the top free agents on the market.

Instead, he will sign the richest contract in NBA history for an undrafted player. The deal also includes a player option for the final season in 2029-30.

Reaves’ representatives and the Lakers began working together on a deal in recent days when teams were able to negotiate with their own free agents at the conclusion of the NBA Finals.

Reaves, 28, will earn about $46 million per season, starting with making $41.3 million in the first year.

After the Lakers lost in the second round of the playoffs to Oklahoma City, Reaves had this to say when asked about his future and returning to the Lakers.

“I’ve been around for five years and y’all I would say, but I don’t think about (it) much,” Reaves said. “I take life day by day and I’m just blessed to have an opportunity to play for this organization, play a kid’s game. I make good money. But like I said, I don’t think about what I’m really going to do in the future, just day-by-day.”

The Lakers, on the other hand, made it clear that they wanted Reaves back.

The Lakers were aware that several teams, including Brooklyn and Detroit, had expressed interest in Reaves, and L.A. didn’t want to let him get away, making sure they didn’t by agreeing to a deal to keep him.

During his exit interview with the media last month, Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka spoke about Reaves.

“He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker,” Pelinka said. “And we feel the same way. We want his odyssey to continue to unfold in the purple and gold. As you know, there’s rules and timing to all of that but I think both sides have made it abundantly clear that we want to work something out where he continues his prolific career here.”

Reaves averaged career highs in points (23.3) and rebounds (4.7) last season, and 5.5 assists.

But he appeared in a career-low 51 games, a calf and oblique injuries keeping him out of games.

He missed the last five regular-season games with the oblique injury suffered on April 2 at Oklahoma City and the first four first-round playoff games against the Rockets. But he worked hard to return in the last two postseason games against the Rockets and the four against the Thunder.

In those six playoff games, Reaves averaged 20.0 points, 5.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds and shot 40.7% from the field, 25.7% from three-point range.

“That’s the beautiful thing about basketball is there’s always opportunities and areas that you can continue to grow,” Reaves said during his exit interview. “You’re never going to be complete in the full game. So, I’ll take some time off, get back in the gym and continue to get better.”

Lakers get Cameron Carr

From Broderick Turner: In the first round of Tuesday night’s NBA draft, the Lakers made a trade with the New York Knicks, acquiring Cameron Carr, who the Knicks had selected with the 24th overall pick.

The Lakers then took guard Sergio De Larrea from Spain with the 25th pick and traded him to the NBA champion Knicks, along with cash considerations. The Lakers went to Spain recently to watch De Larrea work out.

Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka didn’t talk about the trade because the NBA had not made it official as of late Tuesday night. Carr was in New York at the draft, but he also didn’t speak with the media.

In need of athletic wing players on a team that could have up to nine free agents, the Lakers got one with 21-year-old Carr.

The 6-foot-5 Carr averaged 18.9 points per game at Baylor, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Carr shot 49.4% from the field and 37.4% from three-point range.

Continue reading here

NBA draft order with pick-by-pick selections

Clippers select Keaton Wagler

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: After a three-day visit to L.A., Keaton Wagler found his new home.

The Clippers picked Wagner fifth overall in the NBA draft Tuesday at Barclays Center, using the franchise’s highest draft pick since 2009 on the former Illinois guard. During a hectic draft process in which some top players don’t speak to the team that ultimately picks them, Wagler said the Clippers showed consistent interest and communicated with him and his agent, giving him confidence he could hear his name called early during Tuesday’s loaded first round.

“I’m just super excited to get out there,” Wagler said. “They have a great front office and coaching staff and players, and I just can’t wait to get out there and get going.”

The 6-foot-6 guard was named Big Ten freshman of the year after averaging 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Under-recruited out of high school, the Kansas native held college offers from schools including Oral Roberts, DePaul and Murray State before starring at Illinois.

When NBA Commissioner Adam Silver read Wagler’s name aloud, he hugged everyone at his table, walked between two smoke towers and grabbed a Clippers hat with a bedazzled team logo before shaking Silver’s hand.

Continue reading here

NBA draft order with pick-by-pick selections

Dodgers rout the Twins

From Maddie Lee: Chuckie Robinson hadn’t recorded a hit yet as a Dodger. As the third-string catcher, joining the major league squad midseason, his main focus had to be the defensive side. Anything on offense was a bonus.

Because of a rash of injuries, he was the only Dodgers catcher available Tuesday. And in the fourth inning, Robinson stepped up to the plate and lined a single into shallow left field, moving Alex Call to third, and setting up Shohei Ohtani for a sacrifice fly.

That’s how the Dodgers routed the Twins 12-3 on Tuesday, with contributions from up and down the lineup. And that’s how the Dodgers (51-29) have claimed the best record in the majors, despite injuries to key players.

“The depth,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said when asked what that record reflected. “We’ve got really good depth, we’ve got really good players, guys that care. Doesn’t matter what’s happening; we’ve got a lot of guys injured right now, and you’ve got guys stepping up, making big plays, big at-bats.”

Freeman himself went three for five with a pair of doubles and two RBIs on Tuesday. But Robinson, with starting catcher Will Smith still on the injured list with a neck injury and backup catcher Dalton Rushing temporarily unavailable after a concussion scare Monday, also had two hits and brought in a run with a sacrifice bunt.

Continue reading here

MLB clears Dodgers’ Dr. Neal ElAttrache after link to Conor McGregor steroids report

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels defeat the Orioles

Rookie right-hander Ryan Johnson gave up one hit over six scoreless innings, Nolan Schanuel hit an early two-run home run and the Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 on Tuesday night.

In his third career start, Johnson (1-2) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Jeremiah Jackson hit a line drive single to center with one out. Johnson allowed one walk with career highs of eight strikeouts and six innings, while throwing 90 pitches.

A second-round draft pick by the Angels in 2024, Johnson earned his second career win against a Baltimore offense which combined to score 18 runs over its previous two games.

Continue reading here

Angels box score

MLB standings

World Cup: Matt Freese took different path to become U.S. goalie

United States goalkeeper Matt Freese.

(Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)

From Kevin Baxter: Playing in goal for the U.S. men’s national soccer team is a little like playing right field for the Yankees. You’re following a long line of great players, making the comparisons — and the high expectations — unavoidable.

Matt Freese is the latest to be thrown into that crucible. But he considers that pressure to be a privilege, not a problem.

“I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating, I would say it’s inspiring,” he said before the U.S. training session Tuesday morning in Irvine. “It’s a long line of goalkeepers that I’ve looked up to for my whole life — and there were some before my life as well.”

Two games into this summer’s World Cup he’s certainly held his own with that group, giving up just one goal for a team that’s unbeaten and already through to the next round. However Thursday’s group-stage finale with winless Turkey will be far from meaningless for Freese since his first start for the U.S. came against Turkey 55 weeks ago, bringing his whirlwind international team career full circle.

Continue reading here

Click here for complete TV schedule, groups and players to watch

Full World Cup coverage

Tuesday’s World Cup results

Group K
Portugal 5, Uzbekistan 0
Colombia 1, Congo DR 0

Group L
England 0, Ghana 0
Croatia 1, Panama 0

Today’s World Cup TV schedule

All times Pacific
Noon, Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Qatar, FS1, Telemundo
Noon, Switzerland vs. Canada, Fox, Telemundo
3 p.m. Morocco vs. Haiti, FS1, Universo
3 p.m., Scotland vs. Brazil, Fox, Telemundo
6 p.m., Czechia vs. Mexico, Fox, Telemundo
6 p.m., South Africa vs. South Korea, FS1, Universo

World Cup Group standings

Group A
Country, W-D-L, Goal Differential, Points
x-Mexico, 2-0-0, +3, 6
South Korea, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Czechia, 0-1-1, -1, 1
South Africa, 0-1-1, -2, 1

Group B
Canada, 1-1-0, +6, 4
Switzerland, 1-1-0, +3, 4
Bosnia-Herzegovina, 0-1-1, -3, 1
Qatar, 0-1-1, -6, 1

Group C
Brazil, 1-1-0, +3, 4
Morocco, 1-1-0, +1, 4
Scotland, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Haiti, 0-0-2, -4, 0

Group D
x-United States, 2-0-0, +5, 6
Australia, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Paraguay, 1-0-1, -2, 3
Turkiye, 0-0-2, -3, 0

Group E
x-Germany, 2-0-0, +7, 6
Ivory Coast, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Ecuador, 0-1-1, -1, 1
Curacao, 0-1-1, -6, 1

Group F
Netherlands, 1-1-0, +4, 4
Japan, 1-1-0, +4, 4
Sweden, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Tunisia, 0-0-2, -8, 0

Group G
Egypt, 1-1-0, +2, 4
Iran, 0-2-0, 0, 2
Belgium, 0-2-0, 0, 2
New Zealand, 0-1-1, -2, 1

Group H
Spain, 1-1-0, +4, 4
Uruguay, 0-2-0, 0, 2
Cape Verde, 0-2-0, 0, 2
Saudi Arabia, 0-1-1, -4, 1

Group I
x-France, 2-0-0, +5, 6
x-Norway, 2-0-0, +4, 6
Senegal, 0-0-2, -3, 0
Iraq, 0-0-2, -6, 0

Group J
x-Argentina, 2-0-0, +5, 6
Austria, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Algeria, 1-0-1, -2, 3
Jordan, 0-0-2, -3, 0

Group K
x-Colombia, 2-0-0, +3, 6
Portugal, 1-1-0, +5, 4
Congo DR, 0-1-1, -1, 1
Uzbekistan, 0-0-2, -7, 0

Group L
England, 1-0-1, +2, 4
Ghana, 1-0-1, +1, 4
Croatia, 1-0-1, -1, 3
Panama, 0-0-2, -2, 0

x-clinched round of 32

The top two teams in each group plus the next eight best third-place teams advance to the next round.

Note: The U.S. is locked into a July 1 knockout stage game against the third-place team from either Group B, E, F, I or J at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

This day in sports history

1910 — James Braid wins his fifth British Open with a four-stroke victory over Sandy Herd.

1911 — John McDermott becomes the first American-born winner of the U.S. Open when he beats Michael Brady and George Simpson in a playoff. McDermott finishes two strokes better than Brady and five strokes better than Simpson.

1913 — John Henry Taylor wins his fifth and final British Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake, England.

1922 — American Professional Football Assn. is renamed the National Football League.

1922 — Charter NFL club Chicago Staleys renamed Chicago Bears by team founder, owner and head coach George Halas.

1928 — John Farrell beats Bobby Jones by one stroke in a 36-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open.

1947 — Jim Ferrier wins the PGA championship by defeating Chick Harbert 2 and 1 in the final round.

1958 — Brazil, led by 17-year-old Pele, beats France 5-2 in a semifinal of the World Cup. With Brazil up 2-1 in the second half, Pele scores three consecutive goals.

1968 — Joe Frazier stops Mexican challenger Manuel Ramos in 2nd round TKO at NYC’s Madison Square Garden in his first heavyweight boxing title defense.

1968 — Canada’s Sandra Post beats Kathy Whitworth by seven strokes in a playoff to become the first non-U.S. player and rookie to win the LPGA championship.

1980 — The Atlanta Flames relocate to Calgary, Alberta. The NHL team keeps the name “Flames.”

1990 — Criminal Type becomes the first horse to win consecutive $1 million races after capturing the Hollywood Gold Cup. He had previously won the $1 million Pimlico Special on May 12.

1991 — The NHL’s Board of Governors adopts instant replay.

1992 — NBA Draft: LSU center Shaquille O’Neal first pick by Orlando Magic.

1995 — Stanley Cup Final, Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ: New Jersey Devils beat Detroit Red Wings, 5-2 for a 4-0 series sweep; Devils’ first Stanley Cup finals appearance.

1998 — NBA Draft: Pacific center Michael Olowokandi first pick by Los Angeles Clippers.

2000 — Rick DiPietro is the first goalie drafted No. 1 when the New York Islanders select the 18-year-old star from Boston University at the NHL Draft.

2001 — Karrie Webb, 26, captures the LPGA Championship by two strokes to become the youngest woman to complete the Grand Slam.

2004 — NBA Draft: Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy power forward Dwight Howard first pick by Orlando Magic.

2010 — John Isner outlasts Nicolas Mahut in the longest match in tennis history. Isner hits a backhand winner to win the last of the match’s 980 points, and takes the fifth set against Mahut 70-68. The first-round match took 11 hours, 5 minutes over three days, lasting so long it was suspended because of darkness — two nights in a row. Play resumed at 59-all and continued for more than an hour before Isner won 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68.

2010 — John Wall is selected as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft by the Washington Wizards, and a record number of Kentucky teammates follow him. Four more Wildcats are among the top 30 selections, making them the first school ever to put five players in the first round.

2011 — NHL Draft: Red Deer Rebels (WHL) center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins first pick by Edmonton Oilers.

2013 — Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland score 17 seconds apart in the final 1:16 of the third period and the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup with a stunning 3-2 comeback victory in Game 6 over the Boston Bruins.

2016 — NHL Draft: ZSC Lions (NLA) center Auston Matthews first pick by Toronto Maple Leafs.

2018 — Harry Kane scores a hat trick to propel England to its most emphatic World Cup victory and into the knockout stage. With John Stones heading in twice and Jesse Lingard curling in a shot, England beats Panama 6-1 and scores its most goals ever in a World Cup game.

2022 — American Katie Ledecky wins the 800m gold medal in 8:08.04 at the World Swimming Championships in Budapest; completes 400/800/1500m treble for unprecedented 4th time at a single worlds.

2024 — The Florida Panthers win their first title in franchise history defeating the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7. MVP: Connor McDavid (Oilers C).

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1936 — Rookie Joe DiMaggio hit two homers in the fifth inning and added two doubles in the New York Yankees’ 18-4 victory over the St. Louis Browns.

1950 — Wes Westrum of the New York Giants hit three home runs and a triple in a 12-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

1955 — Harmon Killebrew hit his first major league homer, off Billy Hoeft at Griffith Stadium, but the Detroit Tigers beat the Washington Senators 18-7.

1962 — Jack Reed, a substitute outfielder, hit a homer off Phil Regan in the 22nd inning to give the New York Yankees a 9-7 win over the Detroit Tigers in a game that lasted 7 hours, 22 minutes. It was the only homer Reed hit in the majors.

1968 — Jim Northrup tied a major league record by hitting two grand slams in one game as the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians 14-3.

1983 — Don Sutton of the Milwaukee Brewers became the eighth pitcher in major league history to strike out 3,000 batters. Sutton’s 3,000th victim was Cleveland’s Alan Bannister in a 3-2 win over the Indians.

1984 — Oakland’s Joe Morgan hit his 265th home run as a second baseman, breaking Roger Hornsby’s career home run record for that position. Morgan’s homer off Frank Tanana was the 267th of his career and led the A’s to a 4-2 win over Texas.

1993 — Carlton Fisk of the White Sox, plays his 2,226th and final major league game, surpassing Bob Boone’s record of 2,225 for most games caught.

1993 — The Marlins obtain OF Gary Sheffield and P Rich Rodriguez from the Padres for P Trevor Hoffman, Andres Berumen and Jose Martinez.

1994 — Jeff Bagwell hit three homers, two in one inning to tie a major league record, as the Houston Astros beat the Dodgers 16-4.

1997 — Randy Johnson of the Seattle Mariners struck out 19 batters — one short of Roger Clemens’ major league record for a nine-inning game. He became the first AL left-hander to fan 19, but the Oakland Athletics won 4-1.

2002 — Both starters in the first game of the Angels-Texas doubleheader — Joaquin Benoit and Aaron Sele — threw 96 pitches, 53 strikes and 43 balls. Benoit and the Rangers won 8-5.

2003 — Brad Wilkerson hit for the cycle, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs, in Montreal’s 6-4 win over Pittsburgh. It was the first cycle in the majors this season and was performed in sequence — single, double, triple and homer.

2014 — Brothers B.J. and Justin Upton tied the major league record for brothers homering in the same game as teammates, accomplishing the feat for the fourth time, in Atlanta’s 3-2 win over Houston. Other brothers who had homered in the same game four times were Jeremy and Jason Giambi for the Oakland A’s and Vladimir and Wilton Guerrero for the Montreal Expos.

2015 — Pavin Smith homered and drove in three runs and Brandon Waddell turned in another strong College World Series pitching performance, leading Virginia over Vanderbilt 4-2 for the school’s first baseball national championship.

2017 — Three Oakland A’s players, Matt Olson, Jaycob Brugmand and Franklin Baretto, hit their first career home run in a 10-2 win over the White Sox.

2019 — The Yankees tie a record belonging to the 2002 Rangers by homering in their 27th straight game on their way to defeating the Blue Jays.

2018 — The Dodgers set a National League record with seven solo home runs in an 8-7 win over the Mets.

2021 — The Chicago Cubs throw the first combined no-hitter in franchise history beating the Dodgers 4-0. It was the seventh no-hitter of the season.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

In the first round of Tuesday night’s NBA draft, the Lakers made a trade with the New York Knicks, acquiring Cameron Carr, who the Knicks had selected with the 24th overall pick in the first round.

The Lakers then took guard Sergio De Larrea from Spain with the 25th pick and traded him to the NBA champion Knicks, along with cash considerations. The Lakers went to Spain recently to watch De Larrea work out.

Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka didn’t talk about the trade because the NBA had not made it official as of late Tuesday night. Carr was in New York at the draft, but he also didn’t speak with the media.

In need of athletic wing players on a team that could have up to nine free agents, the Lakers got one with 21-year-old Carr.

The 6-foot-5 Carr averaged 18.9 points per game at Baylor, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Carr shot 49.4% from the field and 37.4% from three-point range.

Most NBA draft boards had projected Carr to be selected between 15th and 21st in the first round. But he slipped to the Lakers, who like the idea that Carr is so athletic, is a three-and-D player with a 7-2 wingspan and has a 42.5-inch vertical.

He set a record at Baylor during his sophomore year with 642 points during the 2025-26 season. That ranked him fifth in program history, regardless of class.

Carr has been compared to Knicks wing player Mikal Bridges, a two-way player who just won the championship with New York.

The draft will continue Wednesday with the second round, but the Lakers don’t have a pick.

The Lakers needed to add a player such as Carr because they have so many roles to fill.

LeBron James is a free agent and is looking for a contract from the Lakers. Austin Reaves is expected to opt out of his deal that will pay him $14.8 million. The Lakers can pay Reaves the most, a five-year deal for $241 million. Marcus Smart, the best defender on the Lakers, has a player option for $5.3 million. People around the NBA expect him to opt out and sign a deal for more money. Rui Hachimura is an unrestricted free agent and will have many teams after him. Luke Kennard is a free agent and will have a few teams after him because of his three-point shooting.

So, essentially, the Lakers need players on their roster and Carr is a player that the Lakers felt fell to them when so many draft boards had him going earlier.

Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where the offseason is back in full swing.

The Lakers have the 25th pick in the NBA draft, which begins Tuesday at Barclays Center, tipping off what is expected to be a consequential, potentially roster-flipping offseason. Next week, the free agency frenzy kicks up. Players including Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart must decide on their player options by June 29 at 8:59 p.m. PT. Free agents can start negotiations at 3 p.m. on June 30 and put pen to paper as soon as July 6 at 9:01 a.m.

Don’t expect the Lakers’ biggest question to be resolved by then.

LeBron James may drag his retirement debate into the summer as the 41-year-old considers stretching his career to a record-extending 24th season. Before we worry about one career that feels like it will never end, we’ll look at careers that are just starting.

With the 25th overall pick…

The crowd of reporters gathered around AJ Dybantsa’s table was four or five rows deep before the potential No. 1 pick even arrived for his interview at the NBA’s predraft media availability Monday. Across the ballroom at this luxe Manhattan hotel, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, who any other year could be a lock for the top selection, fielded questions from an equally large gaggle of reporters.

This draft class is drawing attention for its incredible talent and depth. ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks said there are “three No. 1 picks” between Dybantsa, Peterson and Duke’s Cameron Boozer. The excitement shouldn’t stop at just the top of the group.

“What I love about the draft is Jalen Brunson went 33rd, Tyrese Maxey went 21st, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went 11th, and Steph Curry went right after Johnny Flynn and Ricky Rubio,” ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla said. “… Love the top four, also know this draft is such an inexact science.”

This draft is considered one of the deepest in a generation, even outside of the clear-cut top four of Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson. But after the forward-heavy top tier, the group probably will be remembered for its talented and diverse group of guards. That’s not necessarily the best fit for the Lakers, who are targeting wings and bigs to build around Luka Doncic.

Mock drafts put prospects including Dailyn Swain, Isaiah Evans, Chris Cenac Jr., Tarris Reed, Henri Veesaar and Jayden Quaintance within the range of the Lakers’ 25th pick. But the draft unravels in unpredictable ways. Teams are approaching the later picks with caution and curiosity.

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

“A lot of the teams in the 20s right now are trying to figure out who’s going to be there,” ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo said on a conference call with reporters. “I think 25 is right around where the talent pool kind of drops into that next tier of guys.”

Evans, a 6-foot-6 guard from Duke, said he wasn’t offended by prognostications that place him late in the first round. He cares only that he goes to “a city that is going to accept me.” Evans shot 36.1% from three-point range on 7.4 attempts per game last season for the Blue Devils, averaging 15 points and 3.2 rebounds.

Seeing the long list of sleeper picks who turned into All-Stars, MVPs and champions showed Swain that when he hears his name called Tuesday isn’t matter as consequential as what he plans to do next.

“Once I get drafted, whenever that is, I have the same opportunity as the next person,” Swain said. “So I’m just trying to take complete advantage of that and make the most of my opportunity.”

In young players, the Lakers look for “game processors, highly competitive, basketball IQ, team-first players,” president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said at the end of the season. Those are qualities the Lakers can develop in their next key role player.

Pelinka called player development “a very important area for us to have Lakers excellence in.” Less than 24 hours after being eliminated by a much deeper Thunder team, Pelinka cited Oklahoma City second-year guard Ajay Mitchell as a success story the Lakers want to emulate. The 2024 second-round pick was a playoff game changer for the Thunder, averaging 22.5 points and six assists while shooting 56.3% from the field during Oklahoma City’s second-round sweep.

The Lakers, one year removed from drafting a promising player in the second round, are looking for similar growth from Adou Thiero.

The 6-foot-8 forward has the youth and athleticism Pelinka called “North Stars” for the team’s roster decisions. Compared to his older, ground-bound teammates, Thiero looked ready to leave the atmosphere on some of his rebound attempts.

Coach JJ Redick said multiple times during the season that this would be an important summer for Thiero. His rookie season was marred by persistent knee injuries, first to his surgically repaired left knee and then to his right knee after an MCL sprain kept him sidelined for months. He was not able to participate in summer league or much of the preseason.

Thiero said after the season that he anticipated playing summer league games with his offseason priority being to develop his shooting.

“Just getting the confidence to take the open shot when it’s there,” Thiero said. “Just keep building on my offensive game, try and get more comfortable with the speed of the NBA. … Try to be a little bit more of an impact player for the team.”

Thiero attempted three three-pointers in his rookie season and made one. During his G League appearances, Theiro averaged 15.4 points, shooting 62.5% from the field, and was nine for 14 from three. In college, he was a career 28.4% three-point shooter with 74 attempts in three years.

The Lakers start summer league in San Francisco on July 3 in the California Classic. The four-team event also includes the host Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat.

Favorite thing I ate this week

Pesto ham sandwich with roasted tomato soup.

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

Before starting the summer league circuit next month, I enjoyed some time at home this June. One of my favorite meals to make at home is a pesto sandwich with homemade roasted tomato soup. I usually like roasted chicken, but I used the ham I already had on hand on sourdough with harvarti and provolone cheese and homemade pesto. I make the pesto with basil, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic and lemon. Instead of olive oil, I use avocado to bind everything together so it doesn’t soak through the bread as easily. You’re welcome to steal this hack for your next sandwich.

In case you missed it

Lakers likely to select a big man or wing in first round of NBA draft

Plaschke: Lawrence Tanter was the Lakers’ smooth operator whose subtlety spoke volumes

Lakers promote Lawrence Tanter to special advisor for game presentation

Until next time…

As always, pass along your thoughts to me at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com, and please consider subscribing if you like our work!

The carpet rolls out.

Stars pose with their parents.

Cameras flash, capturing VIP guests emerging from luxury cars.

It has all of the makings of a Hollywood premiere.

Only the carpet that lines the entrance is royal blue instead of scarlet red. The “stars” are teenage football players on recruiting visits. The luxury car is parked on the turf of Spaulding Field. And the Hollywood show is in Westwood.

Despite the parallels, the feeling remains the same — something is brewing within the UCLA football program and it may yield awards.

The Bruins still are riding the high of their hire of coach Bob Chesney on Dec. 9.

And no group has felt the smoke of the Chesney Train more than the 2027 recruiting class.

The Bruins boast the No. 12 recruiting class in the nation and fourth best in the Big Ten, improvements of 50 and 11 spots, respectively, from the previous year, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. UCLA had not produced a top-15 class since 2016.

Chesney’s inaugural group features 22 commits, including six four-star recruits, and is headlined by five-star defensive back Juju Johnson, who ranks as the third-best recruit from California and the second-best cornerback in the nation, per 247Sports.

However, to UCLA football general manager Darrick Yray — who spent the last four seasons at Florida State, signing a top-20 class each year — stars and rankings mean nothing without fit.

“It starts and stops with being developed in all areas, socially, academically, spiritually and athletically,” Yray said. “Those four pillars of a young man, we’re trying to attract here, but also are they going to fit in all four of those areas of what we are and what we hold our standard to. They need to be a great steward of what it means to be a student-athlete at UCLA.”

Chesney underscored a similar message during spring practices, illustrating that being a Bruin does not stop once you leave the gridiron.

Talent sets the foundation for what the coaching staff looks for, but character sets the ceiling for what they can become, Yray said.

And this motto is central to the staff’s recruitment efforts.

“You want guys who are intrinsically motivated rather than extrinsically,” Yray said. “It’s easy to get up when everyone’s watching and there’s 80,000 people in front of you. It’s what you’re doing when no one’s looking, it’s how you’re working, it’s how you’re studying. We want to be consistent across the board in everything that we do.”

Throughout spring camp, Chesney provided accessibility to recruits, stressing the importance of developing relationships with the schools, coaches and players in Southern California.

These efforts partly were to cultivate connections in an area saturated with talent, but also to establish relationships in an area Chesney has little experience in.

Providing accessibility also means instilling transparency.

Some players may not fit for UCLA, and UCLA may not fit for some players. And the only litmus test of finding the personnel who will thrive in the Chesney system is forming relationships off the field — allowing authenticity to rise to the top.

“It comes back to relatability. It’s not just football, it’s not just transactional, and it can’t be that way, in order for this to work,” Yray said. “I want to be genuine, and that’s what we want to be here too. This is what you’re going to get. It’s not going to change six months later. That’s how we’re going to be 24/7.”

It was this relatability and energy that drew in four-star wide receiver Kingston Celifie.

The Calabasas product — who boasted offers from California, Arizona and Kansas — first noticed Chesney’s energy on the field, seeing him run around to every position group and even get involved in drills.

But after more conversations, the staff’s collective determination to not only revitalize the program but also develop the whole individual gave Celifie confidence in UCLA, prompting the wide receiver to shut down his recruitment.

“Coach Chesney, he has great energy, which I was attracted to, and ultimately that’s why I committed. I just felt like it was home,” Celifie said. “I feel comfortable here. The official visit, everyone was celebrating all the accomplishments, and I really got to see the coaches outside of the football life, which was great.”

The acquisition of Celifie not only signified a major addition to the 2027 class, but also marked the start of the Bruins keeping homegrown talent in Los Angeles.

In making recruits feel at home when they’re on campus, it is imperative to make sure every part of their visit is tailored to them, Yray said.

While showing off the perks of the program and Los Angeles — through visits to Santa Monica and VIP tours from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, a UCLA alum — is an integral part of the process, each recruit requires something different to ensure that the experience is what Yray called an “all-inclusive vacation.”

“What are the areas that are going to change their opinion of someplace, and are you checking off those boxes to make sure that they’re having the best experience every single time that they come here,” Yray said. “It can’t be a cookie-cutter mentality; it has to be individualized. If you were going somewhere, you want to have the best experience possible for 24 hours straight.”

Visits are not just a uniform formality, they are a one-of-a-kind experience.

JSerra’s Godschoice Eboigbodin is a 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive end from Nigeria.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

And no visit may have been more special than that of three-star edge Godschoice Eboigbodin.

During at-home visits with defensive ends coach Sam Daniels, the JSerra product was able to connect on a personal level with Daniels, describing him as “family” and “just another one of my friends.”

And at Eboigbodin’s official visit at UCLA, his birth family from Nigeria and host family in Southern California were able to come together for the first time, celebrating his accomplishments and giving the future Bruin confidence that UCLA was home.

“That was the first time both my families met — my real parents and my parents here. I was so excited,” Eboigbodin said. “That is why I had a really good time at my official visit at UCLA because it was really cool having them meet each other, connecting the families together. I was ecstatic.”

Chesney has yet to coach a game at UCLA, let alone one at the Power Four level. Yet, the momentum he has generated is real.

Not only is the 2027 recruiting class exceptional, but also the transfer class that will make up the majority of next season’s starters is excited to build the foundation of the program.

“Guys are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, coming to work every single day,” Yray said. “We’re excited at the opportunity as a staff of what this presents, and we get to do this, at the greatest place in the world to do it. There’s no better location, there’s no better rich history. There’s really no excuse … to not have success here.”

Record-setting baseball team takes home hardware

From left, UCLA’s Dean West, Roch Cholowsky, Mulivai Levu and Roman Martin share pregame vibes before a 3-2 loss to Saint Mary’s during an NCAA regional at Jackie Robinson Stadium on May 29.

(Scott Strazzante/For The Times)

Since our last UCLA Unlocked newsletter, the Bruins baseball team earned more hardware.

UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu was named an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove winner for the second consecutive season, becoming the first Bruin to win multiple Gold Gloves.

Levu had a .996 fielding percentage while committing two errors all season. He converted 446 putouts, had 21 assists and assisted on 42 double plays.

UCLA coach John Savage was named the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year by the College Baseball Foundation.

The Bruins were 52-8, matching the program record for wins, and their 48-6 regular-season mark was the best in school history. UCLA became the first wire-to-wire No. 1 team, opening and closing the season atop the top 25 in every major poll.

Named after the first coach inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame, the coach of the year award celebrates leaders on and off the field.

“I am truly honored to receive this award. Having Skip Bertman’s name on the trophy says everything,” Savage said in a news release. “He’s the legend of legends in this game. As a young coach out West, I always admired and looked up to Skip.”

Savage is the third-longest-tenured coach in UCLA baseball history and has a 776-489-2 record.

Junior shortstop Roch Cholowsky earned first-team All-America honors from Perfect Game, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assn., American Baseball Coaches Assn./Rawlings and Baseball America. Cholowsky hit .320 with 21 home runs, 60 RBIs and 73 runs scored while anchoring UCLA’s infield defense with a .965 fielding percentage. He ranked among the national leaders in OPS (1.088), slugging (.636) and on-base percentage (.452), starting all 60 games at shortstop.

Outfielder Will Gasparino was named a first team All-American by the NCBWA. Gasparino hit .314 with 20 home runs, 64 RBIs and 99 hits, finishing among the conference leaders in extra-base hits and total bases. He also posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 114 putouts.

Closer Easton Hawk earned first-team NCBWA and first-team ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors after posting a 1.93 ERA with 14 saves and 52 strikeouts across 34 appearances, holding opponents to a .187 average. He gave up nine earned runs all season.

Levu and pitchers Wylan Moss and Logan Reddemann earned second-team All-America honors from the NCBWA, while pitcher Angel Cervantes was named to the Perfect Game Freshman All American team.

In case you missed it

Swanson: She broke baseball’s glass ceiling. Now Kim Ng is taking softball to the next level

UCLA eliminated from WCWS by Kaitlyn Terry and Texas Tech in nine-inning thriller

UCLA baseball’s national title hopes shattered in season-ending loss to Saint Mary’s

UCLA baseball defeats Virginia Tech in a wild ninth-inning comeback to save its season

Megan Grant becomes UCLA’s all-time home run leader in win over Arkansas at WCWS

UCLA softball coaches Kelly Inouye-Perez and Lisa Fernandez inspire nation’s top offense

National title hopeful UCLA stunned in loss to Saint Mary’s in regional opener

UCLA pitcher shares his secret weapon: A two-inch toy dinosaur named ‘Jerry’

Megan Grant’s record-tying homer can’t save UCLA from loss to Alabama in WCWS opener

UCLA copes with pressure of being No. 1 target without ace Logan Reddemann

Q&A: How UCLA softball leadoff hitter Rylee Slimp manages pressure as Bruins reach WCWS

Have something Bruin?

Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

World Cup: Not the best hosts ever

From Mirjam Swanson: How it started: A dream. A French machine-gun officer in the trenches during the First World War. A man named Jules Rimet, who believed an international soccer tournament would bring the nations together with the goal of peace.

How it’s going: The world’s biggest party. A 48-nation celebration of the world’s most beloved sport. Expected to generate about $8.9 billion, it’s become such a big deal that it’s being hosted by three countries — one of which, yes, launched a war on a competing nation in the months before the tournament.

The United States’ war with Iran, costly in all the profound ways that war is, also laid the groundwork for an uneven — and possibly precedent-setting — playing field.

At this World Cup, Team Melli has been subjected to shifting travel restrictions and uncertainty unlike the other 47 teams, spending the tournament commuting between Southern California and its base in Tijuana.

And still, after Sunday’s 0-0 draw against Belgium, the world’s No. 10-ranked team, Team Melli is in position to not only get out of its group at the World Cup for the first time, but to win Group G.

Iran’s treatment only makes its performance more impressive — while bringing into question the future of a tournament that purports to be apolitical. And conjuring up concerns about how the Olympics will operate when L.A. is supposed to open its arms to the world two years from now.

Continue reading here

Iran’s beleaguered World Cup team finds hope with draw against Belgium

Guadalajara protesters accuse Hyundai of using World Cup to hide ‘dirty supply chain’

Click here for complete TV schedule, groups and players to watch

Full World Cup coverage

Sunday’s World Cup results

Group G
Belgium 0, Iran 0
Egypt 3, New Zealand 1

Group H
Spain 4, Saudi Arabia 0
Cape Verde 2, Uruguay 2

Today’s World Cup TV schedule

All times Pacific
10 a.m., Argentina vs. Austria, Fox, Telemundo
2 p.m., France vs. Iraq, Fox, Telemundo
5 p.m., Norway vs. Senegal, Fox, Telemundo
8 p.m., Jordan vs. Algeria, FS1, Telemundo

World Cup Group standings

Group A
Country, W-D-L, Goal Differential, Points
x-Mexico, 2-0-0, +3, 6
South Korea, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Czechia, 0-1-1, -1, 1
South Africa, 0-1-1, -2, 1

Group B
Canada, 1-1-0, +6, 4
Switzerland, 1-1-0, +3, 4
Bosnia-Herzegovina, 0-1-1, -3, 1
Qatar, 0-1-1, -6, 1

Group C
Brazil, 1-1-0, +3, 4
Morocco, 1-1-0, +1, 4
Scotland, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Haiti, 0-0-2, -4, 0

Group D
x-United States, 2-0-0, +5, 6
Australia, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Paraguay, 1-0-1, -2, 3
Turkiye, 0-0-2, -3, 0

Group E
x-Germany, 2-0-0, +7, 6
Ivory Coast, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Ecuador, 0-1-1, -1, 1
Curacao, 0-1-1, -6, 1

Group F
Netherlands, 1-1-0, +4, 4
Japan, 1-1-0, +4, 4
Sweden, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Tunisia, 0-0-2, -8, 0

Group G
Egypt, 1-1-0, +2, 4
Iran, 0-2-0, 0, 2
Belgium, 0-2-0, 0, 2
New Zealand, 0-1-1, -2, 1

Group H
Spain, 1-1-0, +4, 4
Uruguay, 0-2-0, 0, 2
Cape Verde, 0-2-0, 0, 2
Saudi Arabia, 0-1-1, -4, 1

Group I
Norway, 1-0-0, +3, 3
France, 1-0-0, +2, 3
Senegal, 0-0-1, -2, 0
Iraq, 0-0-1, -3, 0

Group J
Argentina, 1-0-0, +3, 3
Austria, 1-0-0, +2, 3
Jordan, 0-0-1, -2, 0
Algeria, 0-0-1, -3, 0

Group K
Colombia, 1-0-0, +2, 3
Portugal, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Congo DR, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Uzbekistan, 0-0-1, -2, 0

Group L
England, 1-0-0, +2, 3
Ghana, 1-0-0, +1, 3
Panama, 0-0-1, -1, 0
Croatia, 0-0-1, -2, 0

x-clinched round of 32

The top two teams in each group plus the next eight best third-place teams advance to the next round.

Dodgers lose in the haze

From Liana Handler: An eye-watering, cough-inducing thick stench of burning plastic permeated Dodger Stadium on Sunday morning. The smoke from a Boyle Heights warehouse fire had spread into every crevice and corner of the facility, inescapable despite the masks handed out to staff.

“It’s a little dark out there, little Gotham City when I was driving up,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Major League Baseball approved the Father’s Day game to be played, according to Roberts. Still, the ominous atmosphere was hard to miss. When rolling up Vin Scully Avenue, a white smoke hung like a curtain behind the small hills on the other side of outfield walls, obscuring the normally scenic view of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Perhaps that should’ve been the first sign things wouldn’t go as planned for the Dodgers, who lost 12-1 to the Orioles. The loss marked the first time the Dodgers (49-29) have lost consecutive games since May 12.

“It just wasn’t a great start for our team, and offensively we weren’t very good,” Roberts said. “Feel fortunate we won a game this series.”

Continue reading here

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels power past the Athletics

Zach Neto hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning that gave them their first lead, Denzer Guzman tied the score with a three-run home run in the eighth, and the Angels beat the Athletics 9-7 on Sunday.

Donovan Walton also homered and had three RBIs, while Nolan Schanuel and Jose Siri each added two hits to help the Angels (32-47) split the series after losing the first two games, including blowing an 11-4 lead Friday night.

Nick Kurtz hit his 19th home run, and Zac Gelof had a single and a double to extend his hit streak to 24 games for the A’s (38-40). Kurtz has 55 career homers, tied with Bob Johnson (1933-34) for the most in franchise history through the first two seasons of a career.

Continue reading here

Angels box score

MLB standings

Lawrence Tanter was a key man in Lakers history

From Bill Plaschke: For more than four decades his voice was embraced by millions, a calming baritone in a sea of Lakers bedlam.

Yet in the most unfair of twists, on the night his career ended he was silent and alone.

Three months ago, Lawrence Tanter was walking through his bedroom when he suddenly collapsed while losing all strength in his arms and legs.

He fell and couldn’t get up. He lives alone, so he couldn’t cry out for help. He was able to secure his phone, but he says he was too stubborn to call 911.

“I wanted to get up by myself,” he said. “I knew I would eventually get up by myself.”

But this 6-foot-7 bear of a man was too weak to get up by himself. Listening to a Lakers road game on a bedside radio, he remained on the floor and eventually fell asleep until finally summoning his oldest friend the next morning.

Continue reading here

Who will the Lakers pick in the NBA draft?

From Broderick Turner: The Lakers will seek to use their 25th pick in Tuesday’s first round of the NBA draft on a player who fills a need on a roster that could have up to nine free agents this summer. Yet the Lakers also are aware that picking that late in the round could leave them selecting the best player available.

They probably will be in search of a center who can be a lob threat or an athletic wing who can play defense and knock down three-pointers, two positions the Lakers crave as they try to build a team around star Luka Doncic that fits best with his style of play.

Names that NBA executives and mock drafts attached to the Lakers are Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance, Texas forward Dailyn Swain and Duke wing Isaiah Evans.

Continue reading here

Clippers’ pick could be key to the draft

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Even during an early start to their offseason, the Clippers got one major win in May.

The Clippers were the quiet winners of the NBA draft lottery, where, with coin-flip odds, they swiped the Indiana Pacers’ first-round pick in a loaded draft class. The No. 5 pick can add an immediate rotation player for the Clippers while also being a potential fulcrum for what experts consider one of the deepest draft classes ever.

The top four prospects are locked. The only question is in what order Brigham Young forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson will hear their names called Tuesday night at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Washington, which picks first, Utah, Memphis and Chicago have the first shots at those potential franchise-defining players.

The first round then could turn with the Clippers’ pick.

“It puts the Clippers in an interesting spot at five,” ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo said on a conference call with reporters. “They’ve got options, including trades.”

Continue reading here

Sparks win on buzzer-beater

From Joaquin Ruiz: Nneka Ogwumike called game.

The 10-time WNBA All-Star and Sparks forward hit a buzzer-beating three-point shot to give the Sparks an electric 98-97 come-from-behind win over the New York Liberty on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.

In a rematch of the WNBA’s first-ever game from June 21, 1997, the Sparks overcame a 17-point Liberty lead, all while celebrating the inaugural matchup — and iconic alumni — that changed women’s sports forever.

Ogwumike led the way with a game-high 24 points on 11 of 18 shooting while the rest of the starting lineup — Dearica Hamby, Erica Wheeler, Kelsey Plum and Ariel Atkins — all finished in double figures. Guard Rae Burrell also scored 19 off the bench.

Continue reading here

Sparks box score

WNBA standings

Wyndham Clark wins the U.S. Open

On the edge of the greatest collapse in U.S. Open history, Wyndham Clark held his nerve against a charge by Sam Burns and a Shinnecock Hills gallery that never gave him much love Sunday until he captured his second Open title in four years.

Six shots ahead at the start of the final round, Clark’s final act was two putts from just outside 50 feet for par that gave him a three-over 73 and a one-shot victory over Burns.

Clark, who won the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, became the first wire-to-wire winner of the U.S. Open since Martin Kaymer at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014.

This sure didn’t feel like that. His lead was down to a single shot after just five holes, and the stress followed him the rest of the way.

Continue reading here

U.S. Open leaderboard

This day in sports history

1918 — Molla Bjurstedt wins the women’s U.S. Lawn Tennis Assn. title for the fourth straight year, beating Eleanor Goss 6-4, 6-3.

1937 — Joe Louis knocks out Jim Braddock in the eighth round at Chicago’s Comiskey Park to win the world heavyweight title, which he would hold for 11 years.

1938 — In a rematch portrayed in both countries as good vs. evil, Joe Louis of the U.S. knocks out Germany’s Max Schmeling at 2:04 of the first round at Yankee Stadium to retain the world heavyweight title.

1949 — Ezzard Charles scores a 15-round unanimous decision over Jersey Joe Walcott at Comiskey Park in Chicago to win the vacant world heavyweight title.

1977 — John Ziegler is named the fourth president in NHL history, succeeding Clarence Campbell.

1979 — Larry Holmes stops Mike Weaver in the 12th round to retain the WBC heavyweight title at Madison Square Garden in New York.

1980 — UEFA European Championship Final, Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy: Horst Hrubesch scores a double as Germany beats Belgium, 2-1.

1981 — John McEnroe throws a tantrum in his 7-6 (5), 7-5, 6-3 first-round win over Tom Gullikson on the opening day at Wimbledon. McEnroe’s return of Gullikson’s serve is ruled out by chair umpire Edward James. McEnroe shouts his famous line, “You cannot be serious.” He then calls James the “the pits of the world” and an “incompetent fool.” Tournament referee Fred Hoyles is called to the court after James hits McEnroe with a point penalty. After McEnroe’s arguments with Hoyle go unsatisfied, Gullikson holds serve and McEnroe curses Hoyle on the changeover, prompting another point penalty. He is later fined $1,500.

1991 — NHL Draft: Oshawa Generals center Eric Lindros first pick by Quebec Nordiques.

1994 — The Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, win their first NBA title, beating New York 90-84 in Game 7 of the finals. Olajuwon gets 25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.

1994 — FIFA World Cup: USA beats Colombia 2-1 in round match at the Rose Bowl. First WC win since 1950.

1996 — Michael Moorer beats Axel Shultz in 11 for IBF heavyweight boxing title.

1999 — In one of the greatest upsets in Wimbledon’s 113-year history, top-ranked Martina Hingis loses 6-2, 6-0 in the opening round to Jelena Dokic, a 16-year-old qualifier ranked 129th.

2001 — Karrie Webb sets two scoring records in the LPGA Championship in shooting a 7-under 64 for a three-stroke lead. Webb, at 11-under 131, breaks the 36-hole scoring record by two strokes. Webb shoots a 29 on the front nine for the lowest nine-hole score in the 47-year history of the championship.

2006 — The U.S. soccer team is eliminated from World Cup play with a 2-1 loss to Ghana.

2007 — For the first time, Americans are taken with the top two picks in the NHL draft. Chicago selects Patrick Kane with the first pick. Philadelphia then selects left wing James vanRiemsdyk with the second pick.

2012 — NHL Draft: Sarnia Sting (OHL) right wing Nail Yakupov first pick by Edmonton Oilers.

2014 — Michelle Wie wins the U.S. Women’s Open for her first major championship. She beats top-ranked Stacy Lewis by two shots.

2017 — Washington point guard Markelle Fultz is the first pick of the NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.

2018 — NHL Draft: Frolunda HC (SHL) defenceman Rasmus Dahlin first pick by Buffalo Sabres.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1925 — The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 24-6 with Kiki Cuyler and Pie Traynor each hitting a grand slam and Max Carey getting two hits in the first and eighth innings.

1930 — Lou Gehrig hit three home runs to lead the New York Yankees to a 20-13 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics in the second game of a doubleheader. Babe Ruth, who hit three homers in the nightcap the previous day, hit two homers in the opener and one in the nightcap for the Yankees. Ruth tied major league records for five homers in two games and six homers in three games.

1944 — Jim Tobin of the Boston Braves threw a five-inning 7-0 no-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies.

1947 — Cincinnati’s Ewell Blackwell almost duplicated Johnny Vander Meer’s double no-hit record by following up his June 18 gem over Boston. Brooklyn’s Eddie Stanky singled with one out in the ninth to end Blackwell’s bid. Blackwell ended up with a 4-0 two-hitter.

1962 — Baltimore Orioles first baseman Boog Powell became the first batter to hit a home run over the center-field hedge at Memorial Stadium. The 469-foot clout came off Don Schwall of the Boston Red Sox.

1982 — Philadelphia’s Pete Rose doubled off St. Louis pitcher John Stuper in the third inning to move into second place on the career hit list. Rose moved ahead of Hank Aaron with hit No. 3,772.

1994 — Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 31st home run of the season in Seattle’s 12-3 victory at the Angels, breaking Babe Ruth’s record for most homers before the end of June. Ruth needed 63 games to reach 30 homers in 1928 and 68 games in 1930. Griffey did it in the Mariners’ 70th game.

1997 — The Atlanta Braves, behind a four-homer, nine-run third, beat the Philadelphia Phillies 12-5. Chipper Jones, Fred McGriff, Michael Tucker and Jeff Blauser homered in the inning.

2002 — The Detroit Tigers ended Luis Castillo’s 35-game hitting streak. Castillo went 0-for-4 and was left on deck when the Florida Marlins finished off a four-run, ninth-inning rally to beat the Tigers 5-4.

2007 — Miguel Tejada goes on the disabled list with a wrist injury, ending a run of 1,152 consecutive games played, the fifth-longest run in major league history.

2010 — Jamie Moyer serves up the 505th home run of his major league career, to Russell Branyan, in a 2-1 win over the Indians. Moyer ties Robin Roberts for the most homers surrendered in the majors.

2013 — Francisco Rodriguez earned his 300th career save, finishing off Milwaukee’s second straight 2-0 victory over slumping Atlanta.

2015 — ESPN reveals it has obtained a copy of a notebook belonging to Pete Rose which contains evidence of regular betting on baseball games during the 1986 season. The notebook was seized during a police raid on one of Rose’s associates in 1989, after Rose was banned from baseball by Commissioner Bart Giamatti, and had been under court-ordered seal since. Its content corroborate the contents of the Dowd Report, which led to Rose’s suspension, and make it even less likely that current Commissioner Rob Manfred will reverse it, as Rose has pleaded for him to do.

2020 — MLB owners agree unanimously on a plan for a 60-game season beginning around July 24th, if everyone signs off on health and safety protocols.

2021 — The Arizona Diamondbacks snap their franchise record 17-game losing streak with a 5-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

2022 — One day after setting a personal best as a hitter with eight RBIs, Shohei Ohtani of the Angels sets another one on the mound as he racks up 13 strikeouts in eight scoreless innings in a 5-0 win over Kansas City.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

For more than four decades his voice was embraced by millions, a calming baritone in a sea of Lakers bedlam.

Yet in the most unfair of twists, on the night his career ended he was silent and alone.

Three months ago, Lawrence Tanter was walking through his bedroom when he suddenly collapsed while losing all strength in his arms and legs.

He fell and couldn’t get up. He lives alone, so he couldn’t cry out for help. He was able to secure his phone, but he says he was too stubborn to call 911.

“I wanted to get up by myself,” he said. “I knew I would eventually get up by myself.”

But this 6-foot-7 bear of a man was too weak to get up by himself. Listening to a Lakers road game on a bedside radio, he remained on the floor and eventually fell asleep until finally summoning his oldest friend the next morning.

Lakers star LeBron James salutes public address announcer Lawrence Tanter before the start of a game in 2024.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

“I got there and I’m like, why didn’t you call sooner?” Joe Williams said. “I told him, ‘I know you’re a warrior but, c’mon man, this is serious.’”

Serious enough to be diagnosed as a stroke. Serious enough to quietly end the most sonorous, soothing stretch in local sports history.

For 43 years as the Lakers’ iconic public address announcer, Tanter has been the coolest sound in the city, the measured, reassuring voice that decorated the team’s two hype-filled homes with gravitas and grace.

When the Lakers announced his retirement last week as he continues to battle effects from the March 17 stroke, the man known to everyone as simply “LT” closed his career with taciturn perfection, summing up a Lakers lifetime in eight words.

“It’s been a great run,” he intoned this week from a hospital bed, his pipes still the strongest part of him. “I’ve been blessed.”

It is Lakers fans who have been blessed, gifted with a voice that, whenever they attended a game, reminded them they were home.

“LT is in every way a part of Laker history,” said former Laker and current broadcaster Mychal Thompson. “He too is a Laker legend.”

Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter gets set up at the scorer’s table before a game in 2011.

(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

When the retirement news broke with the Lakers announcing they were moving LT into an advisory role — a classy good-bye — fans everywhere broke out their LT best.

“Toooo many steps.” … “James Woooorthy.” … ”LeBronnnn James.”

And, of course, everybody’s favorite…“Llllaker Girlsss.”

“I always imagine, if he could hear God’s voice, it would sound like LT’s,” Thompson said.

This was never more true than on a somber night in late January in 2020. LT put his giant arms around a grieving city with pregame introductions that will never be forgotten.

“At one guard, number 24, 6-6, 20th year out of Lower Merion High School, Kobeee Bryant.”

The player taking the court was Avery Bradley.

“At the other guard, number 24, 6-6, 20th year out of Lower Merion High School, Kobeee Bryant.”

Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter watches play from his spot at the scorer’s table during a game in 2012.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

The player taking the court was Danny Green.

And on it went, all five Lakers introduced as Kobe Bryant before their game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the ultimate tribute before the Lakers’ first game since Bryant’s death.

It might have been LT’s finest hour, and every second of it broke his heart.

“The hardest introductions ever,” he remembered.

LT handled it simply by being LT, a comforting bard who could elicit much emotion with a slight change in cadence or key.

“With his timing, his rhythm, he could get excitement going without raising his voice,” said Bob Steiner, the retired Lakers executive who hired LT in 1982. “Lawrence became a star in the same way Chick Hearn was.”

While working for the Lakers, LT also worked for several jazz and rhythm and blues radio stations in town, most notably KJLH, which gave him built-in credibility in the city.

“If you go around town, you will find that he was known almost as much for his radio work as his public address work,” Williams said.

In combining the rhythm of jazz with the tenor of basketball, LT was the coolest cat at the scorer’s table, a distinctive figure in a white goatee and a newsboy cap who raised the roof while never raising his voice.

“I never tried to be a cheerleader,” said LT, 76. “I just tried to be a public address announcer.”

While many of today’s public address announcers are screamers, LT was so subtle that his most repeated call involved not the action, but the in-game entertainment.

“Everywhere we go, somebody recognizes his voice and does an imitation,” Williams said. “But nothing gets repeated like ‘Llllaker Girlsss.’”

Those two words, uttered at the end of every routine by the iconic dance team, contain the essence of LT’s greatness. He knows what you’re watching doesn’t need any embellishment; he’s capturing the scene with the power of subtlety.

“You’re sitting in the stands and when the dancers finish dancing, you say to your friends out loud, ‘Llllaker Girlsss,’ and everybody laughs,” said Pete Arbogast, who was the master of ceremonies when LT was inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcaster Hall of Fame last year.

LT’s speech that afternoon was dominated by individual thank-yous to his many friends who attended the ceremony, typical LT humility.

“From my nose to my toes, I say thank you,” he concluded.

Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter is given brownies by actress Dyan Cannon before the start of a game in 2011.

(Los Angeles Times)

Today it is the Lakers who are thanking him.

“Since the 1980s, LT has narrated every chapter of Lakers basketball, connecting generations of fans, players, coaches and staff while becoming a trusted and unforgettable part of the Lakers experience,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “I am incredibly grateful for everything he has given to this franchise.”

His next stop should be the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, where he deserves to be enshrined as a contributor, becoming the first public address announcer to receive such an honor.

What other PA voice defined a franchise like LT? Who else missed just two games in 43 years? Name another PA announcer who accumulated nine championship rings yet refuses to wear any of them, ever, because it was never about him?

“It’s high time the Hall of Fame inducts him as a valuable and legendary contributor to the game,” Thompson said.

And if he is one day inducted, how would he introduce himself?

“At one forward, number 43, 6-foot-7, from Thornton Township High School, Llllawrence TAN-ter …”

LT laughed at the thought. He never actually would say that. But wouldn’t you like to hear it? Just once?

“Laker games,” Thompson said, “will never sound the same again.”

The Lakers will seek to use their 25th pick in Tuesday’s first round of the NBA draft on a player who fills a need on a roster that could have up to nine free agents this summer. Yet the Lakers also are aware that picking that late in the round could leave them selecting the best player available.

They probably will be in search of a center who can be a lob threat or an athletic wing who can play defense and knock down three-pointers, two positions the Lakers crave as they try to build a team around star Luka Doncic that fits best with his style of play.

Names that NBA executives and mock drafts attached to the Lakers are Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance, Texas forward Dailyn Swain and Duke wing Isaiah Evans.

The Lakers spent time in Spain looking at 20-year-old guard Sergio de Larrea, but many NBA scouts see him going later in the first round or even in the second. According to people not authorized to speak publicly, the Lakers were impressed by their workout with Purdue point guard Braden Smith. But he’s on the smaller side (6 feet) and played four years in college, leading scouts to believe his upside is not that high and that he’ll be drafted in the second round.

The Lakers don’t have a pick in Wednesday’s second round.

After the Lakers were swept by a deep and athletic Oklahoma City team in the second round of the playoffs, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka outlined what it takes when trying to compete in the uber-tough Western Conference against the likes of the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, who became the second-youngest team to reach the NBA Finals.

Pelinka looked at how Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell was drafted in the second round and how he flourished in just his second season, especially in the playoffs, in which he averaged 15.1 points and 4.3 assists in 11 games.

“Depth is really important, athleticism and youth. We have a lot of components of that on our roster, but we need to add to it,” Pelinka said last month during his exit interview with the media. “I think those are some of the key North Stars that we need to look at.

“One of the players that they had who played really well, Ajay Mitchell, they got in the second round. So there’s ways to add to your roster if you commit to doing the hard work and commit to the process of adding the right pieces. … We’ll be doing that through the draft and free agency and through trades. We’ve gotta find a way to have a roster that will compete with any team in the NBA. That’s what we do here.”

The Lakers do have three tradable first-round picks — 2026, 2031 and 2033 — but the latter two can’t be moved until after the draft.

Lakers star LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent and is looking for a deal from the Lakers, while Austin Reaves is expected to opt out of his $14.8-million deal so he can sign a contract with them for up to five years and about $241 million.

Still, the Lakers have to proceed with the draft to find a player.

Texas forward Dailyn Swain, left, vies for a loose ball against Purdue guard Braden Smith during an NCAA tournament game in March.

(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)

Swain (6-7) and Evans (6-6) are the kind of athletic wings the Lakers could use, but both might be chosen before the Lakers make their pick.

The 6-9 Quaintance could slide to the Lakers because of health concerns. He played in only four games last season at Kentucky because the team was being cautious following knee surgery after he tore an anterior cruciate ligament when he played at Arizona State.

Scouts still view him as mobile, athletic and young enough — he turns 19 next month — to develop. But, Quaintance will need to rehab his knee and probably won’t be ready for the upcoming season. When healthy, scouts said, he can be the lob threat and defender that Doncic yearns to have.

Here’s a bit of Dodgers trivia for the bandwagon fans in our midst: Who was the manager before Dave Roberts?

That was 11 years ago. He is Don Mattingly, who returns to Dodger Stadium on Friday as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies were 9-19 when they fired Rob Thomson and replaced him with Mattingly. They are 20-8 since then, a better record than the Dodgers have posted over the same span.

In Philadelphia, Mattingly got his chance because the Phillies were losing. In Los Angeles, Mattingly departed amid a run of winning.

For Mark Walter and what was then a new Dodgers ownership group, that was not enough. As Walter enters his first offseason as the Lakers’ controlling owner, it’s worth keeping that in mind.

“They have a hunger for victory that is the greatest I’ve ever seen, without exaggeration,” former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti told me.

In two seasons with Rob Pelinka as president of basketball operations and JJ Redick as coach, the Lakers won division titles both times, failing to get out of the first round of the playoffs one year and failing to get out of the second round of the playoffs the next.

In 2013 and 2014, with Colletti as GM and Mattingly as manager in the first full seasons of Walter’s ownership, the Dodgers won division titles both times, failing to get out of the first round one year and failing to get out of the second round the other.

The Dodgers replaced Colletti with Andrew Friedman.

In 2015, the Dodgers won the division but failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs. Friedman offered Mattingly a short-term extension, and Mattingly opted for a long-term deal to manage the Miami Marlins.

After Walter and Co. took over the Dodgers, Mattingly told me Wednesday, there was one year he thought he might be fired: 2013, when the Dodgers started 30-42 and fell 9 1/2 games out of first place in mid-June. The Dodgers then reeled off 42 wins in 50 games and won the division by 11 games.

He appreciated that Walter, team president Stan Kasten and eventually Friedman did not simply bring in a new manager at their first chance.

“You get to evaluate and see,” Mattingly said, “and you have your vision for where you want it to go, and sustain it. That’s the thing they’ve been great at: sustaining it. It’s been year after year. You can’t really doubt what they’re doing.”

Kasten’s first move was not to fire Colletti, but to ask what ownership could provide for him so that he could do a better job. The owners quickly responded by funding the addition of impact players (Adrián González and Hanley Ramirez), extending the contract of a popular home-grown player (Andre Ethier), revitalizing the Dodgers’ Latin American talent pipeline (Yasiel Puig and Julio Urías), renovating the clubhouse and, at Mattingly’s suggestion, refreshing the family room.

“We started to be able to compete with a different mindset, which was invaluable,” Colletti said.

Similarly, with Friedman and former Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi as consultants, the Lakers have added two positions for assistant general managers, overhauled the scouting staff, created more room at team headquarters by relocating their G League affiliate to the Coachella Valley, and borrowed from the Dodgers’ playbook in modernizing medical and biomechanical facilities.

This summer could be critical in determining the future of the Lakers, including who runs them. Walter can spend all he wants, as he does with the Dodgers, but the luxury-tax penalties in the NBA are more severe than in baseball and could restrict the roster flexibility so coveted by the likes of Friedman and Zaidi. A star-studded roster beyond Luka Doncic — say, a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo? — could require the Lakers to sacrifice the draft picks that also would limit roster flexibility.

The Lakers will have the resources. Walter will want to see the creativity and the championships — or, at least, the path to them. Ultimately, he will decide what he did with the Dodgers: Does he have the best people he can get running the team?

“You see many organizations that win, and then they take a step back,” Colletti said. “They feel like they have some goodwill in the bank, they don’t have to chase the biggest free agents, and they don’t need to re-invest in the team or the stadium.

“From my vantage point, all the way up and down that organization and especially at the ownership level, it’s almost like they’ve never won, and they’re hungry to get there. To be there and be unsatisfied — that quest to be as great as you can be — is one of the great indicators of the excellent ownership it is.”

In the meantime, any advice for Pelinka and Redick? Colletti let out a hearty laugh.

“Do your best,” he said, “and turn it up a notch.”

The Sports Report Hall of Fame, other colleges edition

Those of you who read the Dodgers Dugout newsletter know that for the last few years, we have done a Dodgers Dugout Hall of Fame, asking readers to vote for former Dodgers whom they believe should be in this more fan-oriented Hall of Fame. Clayton Kershaw was the most recent inductee.

Which got me thinking (always a dangerous thing), what if we had a Sports Report Hall of Fame, as selected by the readers, of people who made a huge impact on the local sports scene?

The way it works: Each Thursday over the next few weeks, you will see a list of candidates. A different category each week.

This week, the category is the other colleges. You can vote for up to 15 people. You don’t have to vote for 15, you can vote for any number up to and including 15. Your vote should depend on what the person did on and off the field only as a member of their school. The rest of their career doesn’t count.

If there’s a name not on here that you think should be, please send me an email so that person can be included in next year’s ballot.

Any records mentioned are at the time that person retired.

Whoever is named on at least 75% of the ballots will be elected. The 10 people receiving the fewest votes will be dropped from future ballots for at least the next two years. A person must be retired as a player to appear on the ballot.

How do you vote? For this week’s ballot, click here. Results will be announced every Tuesday.

So, without further ado, here is the ballot for the other sports/colleges category.

Abe Alvarez—One of the greatest pitchers in Long Beach State history. The all-time winningest left-hander in school history who won back-to-back Big West Pitcher of the Year awards in 2002 and 2003.

Damon Allen—A four-year quarterback (1981-84) and three-year pitcher (1983-85) at Cal State Fullerton. He led the football team to its only two conference (Pacific Coast Athletic Assn.) championships in 1983 and 1984.

Dain Blanton—At Pepperdine, lettered for four seasons (1991-94) as an outside hitter. Blanton was a key member of the 1992 NCAA championship team. Still holds the Pepperdine record for digs per game (2.30), and previously held the career record for total digs (707).

Lynn Biyendolo—The first Pepperdine Wave to represent Team USA on the international stage, Biyendolo was the 2011 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year and eventually became a three-time All-West Region and WCC First Team selection. As a senior, Biyendolo put together an All-American season and helped the Waves reach the NCAA Round of 16 for just the third time in program history.

Doug Christie—A men’s basketball player at Pepperdine, Christie earned All-American honorable mention honors in his junior and senior seasons, and was named the West Coast Conference’s Player of the Year in both 1991 and 1992. He led the team in scoring, assists and steals both seasons and Pepperdine won both WCC regular-season and tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament.

Tara Cross-Battle—A four-time All-American in women’s volleyball, Cross-Battle was the NCAA Player of the Year in 1988 and 1989. When she graduated, she had recorded more kills (2,767) than any man or woman in NCAA history and is or was the holder of nearly every Long Beach State record.

Bob Ctvrtlik—Though he played men’s volleyball at Pepperdine for just one season (1985), Ctvrtlik was the National Player of the Year and led the Waves to the national title. Ctvrtlik led the 1985 squad with 424 kills, 103 digs and 27 service aces and was named MVP of the NCAA tournament.

John Fishel—Holds NCAA records for the most career games played (295) and at-bats (1,114). He was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1984 College World Series.

Jeff Fryer—A key member of Loyola Marymount’s run to the Elite Eight in 1990. Averaged 22.7 points per game in 1990 and finished his career averaging 17.2 points, hitting 363 three-pointers.

Augie Garrido—While at Cal State Fullerton, Garrido’s baseball teams won three national championships, made seven College World Series appearances and 16 conference championships including 11 in a row (1974-84). Four times he won national coach of the year honors.

Hank Gathers—While at Loyola Marymount, Gathers led the nation in scoring (32.7) and rebounding (13.7 RPG) as a junior, only the second player at the time to lead the NCAA in both categories in the same season. LMU’s all-time leading scorer with 2,490 points.

Ashley Gonzales—Long Beach State’s career goals scored leader with 36, Gonzales was a dangerous striker for women’s soccer who led the school to three NCAA tournaments in her four seasons.

Dan Haren—As a pitcher at Pepperdine, Haren won Freshman All-American honors in 1999 from Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball. He was also the West Coast Conference’s Freshman of the Year. In 2001, he earned All-American second team honors and was named conference player of the year after going 11-3 with a 2.22 ERA and hitting .308 with five home runs and 47 runs batted in. Pepperdine advanced to NCAA Regional play in both 1999 and 2001.

Bo Kimble—Led Loyola Marymount to the Elite Eight in 1990 and led the nation in scoring with 35.5 points per game. Only player in school history to score 50 points in a game and he did it four times.

Billie Jean King—While her collegiate career was interrupted repeatedly by national and international competition, she won the Ojai Tennis Tournament intercollegiate singles title while playing for Cal State L.A.

Shayna Kimbrough—An outstanding shortstop for Long Beach State, and one of just two players in Big West history to be named the Big West Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year.

Mark Kotsay—Won the 1995 Golden Spikes Award while at Cal State Fullerton as the nation’s best college baseball player and is an inductee into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Evan Longoria—Spent two seasons at Long Beach State, hitting .336 with 16 home runs with 73 RBIs. The Big West Co-Player of the Year in 2006, Longoria was a Golden Spikes Award finalist.

Kevin Magee—A two-time All-American in the early 1980s while playing basketball at UC Irvine, Magee was also the PCAA Player of the Year in 1980–81 and 1981–82. In those two seasons, he averaged 26.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. Was a first-team All-American in 1981, when he became the first player in NCAA history to finish in the top four in three statistical categories, finishing third in the country in scoring (27.5), second in field-goal percentage (67.1) and fourth in rebounding (12.5).

Misty May-Treanor—Led the Long Beach State women’s volleyball team to an undefeated 34-0 national championship season in 1998.

Phil Nevin—Led Cal State Fullerton to the College Baseball World Series title game in 1992 and won the Golden Spikes Award.

Christian Okoye—The most celebrated athlete in Azusa Pacific history. Was a nine-time NAIA champion in track and field and a two-time NAIA All-American first team pick in football. On the track, Okoye led Azusa Pacific to four straight NAIA Outdoor Track and Field national championship titles (1983-86). He was the first person in NAIA history to win the discus four years, setting the NAIA record in the process with a heave of 208-4 in 1985. When Okoye was not selected for the Nigerian Olympic team of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games, he turned his attention for the first time ever to football and became one of the greatest running backs in small college football history, setting 14 school records and, in 1986, leading all of college football by averaging 186.7 rushing yards a game.

Mark O’Meara—As junior men’s golfer at Long Beach State in 1987, O’Meara won the U.S., California and Mexican amateur championships.

Mark Pringle—Despite playing just two seasons at Cal State Fullerton, he became the program leader in rushing touchdowns, and is second in rushing yards and scoring. In 1989, he set the single season all-purpose yards record with 2,690. Pringle also shared the NCAA single-game rushing record at one point with 357 yards against New Mexico State.

John Rambo—He led the Long Beach State basketball team in scoring in 1965 (20.3 points per game) and dominated in track. He was a two-time national champion in the high jump and, in 1964, jumped 7-1 to earn a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Ed Ratleff—A two-time consensus All-American at a time when only 12 players in NCAA history had done so, Ratleff led Long Beach State to conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances in 1971, 1972 and 1973. He finished his three-year career as the school’s all-time scoring, rebounding and assist leader.

Sam Robinson—Jerry Tarkanian’s first recruit to Long Beach, Robinson led the 49ers to a pair of conference titles. He averaged 19.7 points and 10.3 rebounds a game during the 1969-70 season when Long Beach went 24-5 and earned its first invitation to the NCAA tournament. In 1970, Robinson became the first 49er taken in a pro basketball draft.

TJ Robinson—Still the only Long Beach State player to grab over 1,000 rebounds in his career, with 1,208. Fifth in career scoring with 1,718 points, Robinson was part of Long Beach State’s “Fab Four,” starting as freshman and winning back-to-back Big West titles before leading them to the 2011-12 NCAA tournament.

Terry Schroeder—Played men’s water polo for four seasons at Pepperdine and was the head coach for 20 seasons. As a player, earned three All-American awards and set school records for goals in a career (392) and season (138 in 1978). As head coach, he posted a career record of 340-220 and took Pepperdine to the NCAA championships eight times, including the program’s only national championship in 1997.

Steve Scott—Still holds the UC Irvine record in the 1,500 meters. The UC Irvine Steve Scott Invitational is named after him. Won the 1977 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Division I championships 1,500-meter title after winning the 1,500 twice and the mile once at three previous NCAA Division II meets.

Jim Snyder—Played tennis for UC Irvine and was the first in school history to be named Big West Men’s Tennis Player of the Year in 1981, then won it again in 1982 and 1983. Won three straight Big West individual singles and doubles titles. First Anteater to qualify for the NCAA Division I tournament in singles. Compiled a 132-53 record and is still UC Irvine’s all-time singles wins leader.

Dwight Stones—Dominated the high jump while at Long Beach State. Set a world record on June 5, 1976 when Stones jumped 7-7 to win the NCAA championship.

Andy Sythe—Retired after 35 years as coach of the Cal State Long Beach track and field team. Over his tenure, he was named Big West Track and Field Coach of the Year 11 times.

Jerry Tarkanian—Compiling a 121-20 mark in his five years coaching Long Beach State men’s basketball. During that span, his teams won one California Collegiate and four Pacific Coach Athletic Assn. championships. Tarkanian’s last four 49er teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament and his 1971 team came within inches of the Final Four, losing to UCLA, 57-55.

Penny Toler—Key member of two Long Beach State Final Four teams in 1987 and 1988, Toler was a two-time All-American and a two-time Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. Player of the Year.

Jenny Topping—One of the most decorated players in softball history. She won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and was inducted into the Cal State Fullerton Athletics Hall of Fame.

Troy Tulowitzki—Started at shortstop for three years for Long Beach State. A second-team All-Big West selection as a freshman, Tulowitzki then made two first-team All-Big West teams while also earning All-America honors as a junior. Hit .310 over his career with 20 home runs, Tulowitzki then became the highest draft pick in school history, drafted No. 7 overall by the Colorado Rockies.

Tim Wallach—Won the 1979 Golden Spikes Award while at Cal State Fullerton.

Jered Weaver—Won seven different national player of the year awards after the 2004 season, during which Weaver led the nation in wins (15) and strikeouts (213), finishing the season with a 1.62 ERA and a 15-1 record over 144 innings. That capped a career that saw Weaver post a 37-9 overall record with a 2.43 ERA and 431 strikeouts with 73 walks. He holds the Long Beach State and Big West career records in wins and strikeouts, and also leads the school record books in innings pitched (370), starts (55), and consecutive wins (14).

Randy Wolf—Went 25-8 overall at Pepperdine and posted a 1.97 earned-run average with 328 strikeouts in 315 innings pitched. On Pepperdine’s all-time lists, he finished his career first in strikeouts and shutouts, second in ERA, fifth in innings pitched and seventh in wins. Wolf’s Pepperdine team won the 1995 WCC championship and advanced to the 1995 NCAA West Regional. During his time at Pepperdine, he pitched for the U.S. National Team in 1995 and 1996 and posted a 6-0 record.

Leon Wood—While at Cal State Fullerton, he led the United States’ men’s basketball team to gold in 1984, playing point guard. Earlier that year he earned first-team All-American honors.

You can vote here. You can vote for up to 15 people.

Voting is still open in these categories:

To vote in the UCLA ballot, click here.

To vote in the USC ballot, click here.

To vote in the NHL ballot, click here.

The inductees so far:

MLB
Don Drysdale
Clayton Kershaw
Sandy Koufax
Vin Scully
Fernando Valenzuela

NBA
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Elgin Baylor
Kobe Bryant
Chick Hearn
Magic Johnson
Jerry West

NFL
Deacon Jones
Merlin Olsen
Eric Dickerson

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

World Cup: Big win for the U.S.

From Kevin Baxter: The World Cup is only a little more than a week old, but it’s already a historic one for the U.S.

With Friday’s 2-0 win over Australia, the U.S. matched its best World Cup performance ever with two victories. Their six goals match the most the U.S. has ever scored in the group stage and its goal differential of plus-five is also its best ever in the tournament. The U.S. also clinched a spot in the round of 32.

Most impressive of all, however, is how the U.S. achieved most of that without their best player, Christian Pulisic, who had an electric first half in the U.S. opener against Paraguay but hasn’t seen the field since.

“We’ve known what this team is capable of,” captain Tim Ream said. “I don’t think any of us are surprised. The pieces have always been there. It was just putting them all together.”

Australia coach Tony Popovic agreed.

“There are no surprises in what they did,” he said. “It’s not surprising because their quality is clear, their power is clear, their athleticism is clear.”

It may not have been surprising, but it was historic. The only time the U.S. won consecutive games at a World Cup was in 1930, when the tournament had just 13 teams. That was also the last time the U.S. won its group.

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Click here for complete TV schedule, groups and players to watch

Friday’s World Cup results

Group C
Morocco 1, Scotland 0
Brazil 3, Haiti 0

Group D
United States 2, Australia 0
Paraguay 1, Turkiye 0

Today’s World Cup TV schedule

All times Pacific
10 a.m., Netherlands vs. Sweden, Fox, Telemundo
1 p.m., Germany vs. Ivory Coast, Fox, Telemundo
5 p.m., Ecuador vs. Curacao, FS1, Telemundo
9 p.m., Tunisia vs. Japan, FS1, Telemundo

Sunday’s World Cup TV schedule

All times Pacific
9 a.m., Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, Fox, Telemundo
Noon, Belgium vs. Iran, FS1, Telemundo
3 p.m., Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, FS1, Telemundo
6 p.m., New Zealand vs. Egypt, FS1, Telemundo

World Cup Group standings

Group A
Country, W-D-L, Goal Differential, Points
x-Mexico, 2-0-0, +3, 6
South Korea, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Czechia, 0-1-1, -1, 1
South Africa, 0-1-1, -2, 1

Group B
Canada, 1-1-0, +6, 4
Switzerland, 1-1-0, +3, 4
Bosnia-Herzegovina, 0-1-1, -3, 1
Qatar, 0-1-1, -6, 1

Group C
Brazil, 1-1-0, +3, 4
Morocco, 1-1-0, +1, 4
Scotland, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Haiti, 0-0-2, -4, 0

Group D
x-United States, 2-0-0, +5, 6
Australia, 1-0-1, 0, 3
Paraguay, 1-0-1, -2, 3
Turkiye, 0-0-2, -3, 0

Group E
Germany, 1-0-0, +6, 3
Ivory Coast, 1-0-0, +1, 3
Ecuador, 0-0-1, -1, 0
Curacao, 0-0-1, -6, 0

Group F
Sweden, 1-0-0. +4, 3
Japan, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Netherlands, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Tunisia, 0-0-1, -4, 0

Group G
Belgium, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Egypt, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Iran, 0-1-0, 0, 1
New Zealand, 0-1-0, 0, 1

Group H
Spain, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Cape Verde, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Saudi Arabia, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Uruguay, 0-1-0, 0, 1

Group I
Norway, 1-0-0, +3, 3
France, 1-0-0, +2, 3
Senegal, 0-0-1, -2, 0
Iraq, 0-0-1, -3, 0

Group J
Argentina, 1-0-0, +3, 3
Austria, 1-0-0, +2, 3
Jordan, 0-0-1, -2, 0
Algeria, 0-0-1, -3, 0

Group K
Colombia, 1-0-0, +2, 3
Portugal, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Congo DR, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Uzbekistan, 0-0-1, -2, 0

Group L
England, 1-0-0, +2, 3
Ghana, 1-0-0, +1, 3
Panama, 0-0-1, -1, 0
Croatia, 0-0-1, -2, 0

x-clinched round of 32

The top two teams in each group plus the next eight best third-place teams advance to the next round.

Dodgers walk-off the Orioles

From Maddie Lee: Dalton Rushing had been frustrated for much of the game, a fact he hadn’t hidden on his trips back to the dugout. But when it mattered the most, he came up clutch.

Down to his last strike in the bottom of the ninth inning, Rushing lined a single into right field to drive in Alex Call for the tying run. Then, an errant throw by Baltimore right fielder Tyler O’Neill allowed Ryan Ward to score and seal the Dodgers’ 6-5 win over the Orioles.

Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki had faced just one over the minimum through five innings, allowing the Dodgers (49-27) to jump out to a 3-0 lead, when the Orioles (35-42) finally figured him out the third time through the order.

With two out and a runner on, Sasaki threw a splitter on the inside edge of the strike zone to Gunnar Henderson, who homered to right field. Pete Alonso followed suit, blasting an inside fastball about belt high to left-center field to tie the score.

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Shohei Ohtani out of Dodgers’ lineup vs. Orioles for birth of his second child

Shaikin: Why MLB’s Pride Night cap condemnation isn’t the anti-Christian crackdown conservatives claim

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels blow 11-4 lead and lose

Pinch-hitter Jonah Heim launched a tying homer with two outs in the ninth and the Athletics surrendered 11 straight runs before rallying from seven down to defeat the Angels 12-11 in 10 innings Friday night.

Zack Gelof started the comeback with an RBI single in the sixth, and the A’s got two-run homers from Jacob Wilson in the seventh, Max Muncy in the eighth and Heim in the ninth to tie it 11-11.

Nick Kurtz walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th to force home the winning run. It was the largest comeback win for the A’s (38-38) this season.

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Angels box score

MLB standings

Wyndham Clark sets record at U.S. Open

The USGA set up a different golf course at Shinnecock Hills to keep it playable in strong wind. And when the wind subsided late Thursday afternoon, Wyndham Clark looked like he was playing in a different U.S. Open.

Clark seized on a more gentle course — slightly calmer and still soft with receptive greens — by pulling away late to reach six-under-par through 16 holes.

He left in darkness with a four-shot lead over seven players, one of them Oklahoma junior Ryder Cowan, another the surprisingly resurgent Dustin Johnson.

Rory McIlroy thought he had made a fine effort with a 69 in gusts that topped 30 mph in the middle of the day, when the scoring average was well above 74. The afternoon started tough until the wind kept subsiding, and players began taking aim at flags. The afternoon wave was playing at least a stroke easier than the early starters who faced relentless wind.

“Everything was kind of clicking,” said Clark, who came into the U.S. Open playing as well as anyone. “We were definitely fortunate with the wind laying down. Overall a good round.”

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U.S. Open leaderboard

This day in sports history

1908 — Colin wins the Tidal Stakes at Sheepshead Bay and retires undefeated after 15 starts. No major American racehorse approaches this record until 1988, when Personal Ensign retires with a perfect 13-for-13 career.

1936 — Jesse Owens sets a 100-meter record of 10.2 seconds at a meet in Chicago.

1940 — Joe Louis stops Arturo Godoy in the eighth round at Yankee Stadium to retain the world heavyweight title.

1960 — Floyd Patterson knocks out Ingemar Johansson in the fifth round in New York to become the first boxer to regain the world heavyweight title.

1966 — Billy Casper beats Arnold Palmer by four strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open.

1967 — Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, is convicted of violating the United States Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. Clay is sentenced to five years in prison and fined $10,000, the maximum penalty for the offense. Ali remains free while his conviction is on appeal.

1968 — The Night of Speed. In a span of 2½ hours, the world record of 10 seconds for the 100 meters is broken by three men and tied by seven others at the AAU Track and Field Championships in Sacramento. Jim Hines wins the first semifinal in a tight finish with Ronny Ray Smith, becoming the first man to break the 10-second barrier. Both runners are credited with a time of 9.9 seconds. Charlie Greene wins the second semifinal and then ties Hines’ 9.9 record in the final.

1976 — UEFA European Championship Final, Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia: Czechoslovakia upsets West Germany, 5-3 on penalties following 2-2 draw.

1980 — Roberto Duran wins a 15-round decision over Sugar Ray Leonard at Olympic Stadium in Montreal to win the WBC welterweight crown.

1982 — Tom Watson wins the U.S. Open by two strokes over Jack Nicklaus.

1984 — Jockey Pat Day equals a thoroughbred racing record for an eight-race card when he wins seven races at Churchill Downs. Day’s only loss is in the fourth race.

1993 — Lee Janzen holes a 30-foot chip for birdie on No. 16 and adds birdies on the par-5 closing holes for a two-stroke victory over Payne Stewart in the U.S. Open. Janzen ties Jack Nicklaus’ record 272 total and Lee Trevino’s four straight rounds in the 60′s.

1993 — John Paxson hits a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left as the Chicago Bulls win their third consecutive NBA title with a 99-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the finals.

1994 — Ernie Els of South Africa becomes the first foreign winner of the U.S. Open since 1981, beating Loren Roberts on the second sudden-death hole.

2004 — Retief Goosen captures his second U.S. Open in four years. In the toughest final round at the U.S. Open in 22 years, Goosen closes with a 1-over 71 for a two-shot victory made possible when Phil Mickelson three-putts from 5 feet on the 17th.

2006 — Dwyane Wade caps his magnificent playoffs with 36 points and 10 rebounds to lead Miami past the Dallas Mavericks 95-92 as the Heat roar back from a two-game deficit to win the NBA finals in six games.

2013 — LeBron James has 37 points and 12 rebounds, and the Miami Heat repeat as champions with a 95-88 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

2017 — Tiger Woods checks into a clinic to manage his pain medication and sleep disorder, following his arrest for driving under the influence.

2018 — Christiano Ronaldo scores a goal against Morocco to become the all-time leading European goalscorer (85) in international compitition.

2019 — Duke power forward Zion Williamson is the first player chosen in the 2019 NBA Draft.

2020 — Tiz the Law, ridden by Manuel Franco, wins the 152nd Belmont Stakes becoming the first New York-bred horse to win the event since 1882.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1912 — The New York Giants outslugged the Boston Braves 21-12 with the teams scoring a total of 17 runs in the ninth inning. The Giants scored seven runs to take a 21-2 lead and the Braves scored 10 runs in the ninth.

1932 — Philadelphia’s Doc Cramer hit six singles in six at-bats and Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx and Mule Haas each drove in four runs in the Athletics’ 18-11 win over the Chicago White Sox. Haas hit a grand slam in the sixth inning to put the A’s up 12-6.

1956 — Mickey Mantle hit two home runs into the right centerfield bleachers at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium. Mantle hit both blasts off Billy Hoeft in the 7-4 win. He became the first player to reach the bleachers since they were were built in the late 1930s.

1973 — San Francisco’s Bobby Bonds broke Lou Brock’s National League record for leadoff home runs. Bonds’ 22nd career leadoff home run came off Don Gullett in a 7-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

1973 — Chicago’s Cy Acosta becomes the first American League pitcher to bat since the designated hitter rule went into effect. Acosta strikes out in the eighth inning and gets the win in the White Sox’ 8-3 win over the Angels.

1980 — Freddie Patek, one of baseball’s smallest players at 5-foot-5, hit three home runs and a double to lead the Angels in a 20-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park.

1992 — Kelly Saunders became the second woman to serve as a public address announcer at a major league game when she filled in for Rex Barney in Baltimore.

1994 — The Detroit Tigers’ string of 25 straight games hitting a home run ended in a 7-1 loss to Cleveland. The streak matched the major league mark set by the 1941 New York Yankees.

2004 — Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 500th home run of his career, off Matt Morris, to help the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0.

2007 — Sammy Sosa hit his 600th home run, making him the fifth player to reach the milestone. Sosa, playing for the Texas Rangers after a year out of baseball, hit a solo homer off Jason Marquis. It came in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs, the team he played for from 1992-2004.

2009 — Two games ended on wild pitches in extra innings. Nate Schierholtz scored the winning run for San Francisco on a wild pitch by Jason Jennings with two out in the 11th inning and the Giants beat the Texas Rangers 2-1. Earlier, the Chicago Cubs beat Cleveland 6-5 in 13 innings when Andres Blanco came home on Kerry Wood’s gaffe.

2011 — The Florida Marlins named Jack McKeon interim manager. The 80-year-old McKeon became the second-oldest manager in major league history. Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics in a suit, tie and straw hat until 1950, when he was 87.

2015 — Max Scherzer pitched a no-hitter, losing his perfect game with two out in the ninth inning when he hit a batter in the Washington Nationals’ 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Scherzer dominated in retiring the first 26 batters and was one strike from throwing the 22nd perfect game in major league history since 1900. Pinch-hitter Jose Tabata fouled off a pair of 2-2 pitches before Scherzer clipped him on the elbow with a breaking ball. Scherzer then retired Josh Harrison on a deep fly to left.

2016 — Colorado beat Miami 5-3 where eight solo homers accounted for all the runs in the game and set a major league record. Mark Reynolds hit two homers and Trevor Story, Nick Hundley and Charlie Blackmon also went deep for the Rockies. Marcell Ozuna homered twice and Giancarlo Stanton hit one for the Marlins. The previous MLB mark was five. The eight home runs were also the most in a game at Marlins Park since it opened in 2012. Five of the game’s first 13 batters connected.

2017 — Umpire Joe West worked his 5,000th major league game. West was behind the plate for a matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The 64-year-old, nicknamed “Cowboy,” is the third umpire to work at least 5,000 games, joining Hall of Famer Bill Klem (5,375) and Bruce Froemming (5,163). West made his major league debut as a 23-year-old on Sept. 14, 1976, at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium in a game between the Braves and Houston Astros. He joined the NL staff full time in 1978. His 40 seasons umpiring in the majors are the most by any umpire.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.