sport

Major League Baseball says it has no concerns about Dodgers and Rams head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache working with players.

ElAttrache was questioned by MLB on June 12 following a detailed report by the New York Times that the renowned surgeon and sports medicine expert supported the therapeutic use of performance-enhancing drugs by UFC star Conor McGregor.

“MLB took our responsibility to conduct due diligence in this matter seriously. We interviewed Dr. Neal ElAttrache last week, covering multiple topics, and he answered our questions thoroughly,” MLB said in a statement obtained by The Times Tuesday night.

“Based on our interview, the review of relevant records, Dr. ElAttrache’s long history of support for and cooperation with the Joint Drug Program and the fact that no Therapeutic Use Exemption requests of this nature have been submitted by Dr. ElAttrache or anyone else, we do not have any concerns regarding Dr. ElAttrache’s treatment of MLB players, or his adherence to the Joint Drug Programs and related rules.

“We consider this matter closed.”

ElAttrache performed surgery on McGregor in July 2021, inserting a rod, plates and screws into his left leg after the fighter broke his tibia and fibula during a mixed martial arts bout against Dustin Poirier in Las Vegas.

McGregor’s recovery was lengthy and arduous. ElAttrache told the New York Times that while he did not prescribe steroids for McGregor, he referred him to a specialist who did. Furthermore, ElAttrache wrote a letter supporting McGregor’s request for a therapeutic use exemption from UFC drug policies.

“I felt it would be appropriate to consult other physicians with expertise in bone healing/bone metabolism,” ElAttrache told the New York Times via text. “I recommended the consultations but not the course of treatment.”

ElAttrache said he told McGregor to check with UFC drug testers about prescriptions the consultant gave him. “I purposely wasn’t involved with his evaluation by the consultant nor with prescribing medication,” ElAttrache said.

The exemption request was denied by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, the drug testing organization the UFC used at the time, triggering a split between the two organizations. McGregor withdrew from the UFC anti-doping program shortly thereafter and no longer was required to undergo testing for banned substances.

The report prompted MLB to talk with ElAttrache about his approach to treating players.

ElAttrache, operating primarily out of the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles, has performed elbow or shoulder surgeries on prominent Dodgers past and present, including Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin and Walker Buehler as well as former Rams stars Cooper Kupp and Cam Akers.

Among the hundreds of surgeries performed over three decades by ElAttrache, his patients include the four 2024 MLB most valuable player and Cy Young Award winners — Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal. ElAttrache’s patients include 18 of 29 players who won the MVP or Cy Young awards over the past 10 years.

“I have spoken with MLB and I am very comfortable with the process that the league and I will complete to assure the public that I have followed every rule and regulation in my medical treatment of athletes without exception,” ElAttrache said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times earlier this month. “My record is completely clean, including in this case.”

Times staff writers Steve Henson, Bill Shaikin, Sam Farmer and Gary Klein contributed to this report.

Managers and coaching staff are allowed to discuss tactics with their players while the breaks are taking place.

Infantino said: “The main reason [for the breaks] is the heat, but we also have to understand that in a competition like the World Cup, played over 39 days, with teams potentially playing eight matches in those 39 days, having a moment to rest is extremely important.

“What matters even more to us is ensuring that all teams, in every match, are playing under the same conditions.

“And it’s very difficult to accept that a coach might have the opportunity to influence a match by making adjustments simply because it is hotter, while in another match, where the temperature is slightly lower, the same coach does not have the same opportunity.

“We want to ensure equal conditions for everyone and that’s why these breaks are implemented in every match.”

Experts have told BBC Sport an average 30-second World Cup advertising slot on Fox Sports costs between $200,000 (£152,000) and $300,000 (£227,000), rising to $750,000 (£567,000) during USA matches and the final stages.

That means advertising during hydration breaks is likely to generate more than $250m (£189m) in the USA alone.

Croatia are third in Group L, with England and Ghana on four points each, heading into the last round of matches.

Half-time substitute Ante Budimir scored in the 54th minute as Croatia eliminated Panama from World Cup contention with a tightly fought 1-0 victory at Toronto Stadium.

The Group L clash on Tuesday saw 34-year-old Budimir score his first World Cup goal and fifth in a competitive fixture for his country.

Croatia remain third in the group with three points heading into the final match day, but they can guarantee a top-two finish with a victory over Ghana in their final match on Saturday in Philadelphia.

Panama are still seeking their first point, five matches into their World Cup history, having also lost 1-0 to Ghana in their 2026 opener in Toronto last week.

However, despite playing the first two matches without injured talisman Adalberto Carrasquilla, Los Canaleros have a goal difference six better than at this stage in their first World Cup appearance in 2018.

Budimir put Croatia in front on what was easily their best attack of the match to that point on Tuesday.

Josip Stanisic combined with Marco Pasalic to get down the right, and then struck a well-weighted cross to the top of the 6-yard box.

Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera dived to try and intercept the service but couldn’t reach it, and Budimir showed up at the back post to guide in a composed finish into an open goal.

With that, the match erupted for about 15 minutes.

Three minutes after the goal, Croatia captain Luka Modric played Pasalic in alone on goal from his own half. Mosquera sized up Pasalic and charged from his line at the right time to smother the initial attempt, and Pasalic fired wide from a poor angle on the rebound.

Panama responded to force Dominik Livakovic into three stops inside of a minute. The third was probably the best, as Livakovic leapt to deny Carlos Harvey’s header from a corner lofted to the back post.

The second-half hydration break followed that sequence, and perhaps disrupted Panama’s momentum, with Livakovic unthreatened in the final stages.

The Central Americans will now look to play spoilers against England in their finale on Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Earlier on Tuesday, England and Ghana settled for a 0-0 draw, with both having four points.

NEW YORK — With their highest draft pick since 2009, the Clippers selected Illinois guard Keaton Wagler fifth overall at the NBA draft on Tuesday at Barclays Center.

The 6-foot-6 guard was selected Big Ten freshman of the year after averaging 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. 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.

Wagler smiled in relief as he walked across the room, a welcome change after a nervy first 40 minutes of the draft. Wagler anxiously bounced his legs after Silver announced to the crowd that the Washington Wizards had five minutes to make the first selection. Cameras were poised at every side of AJ Dybantsa’s table, where the Brigham Young forward sat with his elbows resting on his knees and head bowed.

The No. 1 pick crossed himself when Silver read his name aloud.

The leading scorer in college basketball last year led an NBA draft class that is regarded as one of the deepest in a generation. Dybantsa was in a heated race against Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer to be the top pick as all three are projected to make immediate impacts at the professional level.

Peterson of Kansas went second to the Utah Jazz while the Memphis Grizzlies picked Boozer third. Chicago selected North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson fourth, completing an elite quartet of players at the top of the draft.

After the top four picks, the draft was considered wide open with a logjam of talented guards. The Clippers, who added former All-Star Darius Garland last year in a midseason trade, had options for a trade at the coveted No. 5 spot.

Wagler can team immediately with Garland to make a dynamic, young backcourt for a franchise hoping to win its first playoff series since 2021. The Clippers have never picked fifth overall and Wagler is the team’s highest selection since taking Blake Griffin first overall in 2009.

The Clippers also have the sixth (36th overall) and 22nd (52nd overall) picks of the second round, which begins Wednesday at 5 p.m. PDT.

MINNEAPOLIS — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is planning for right fielder Kyle Tucker to be out for the rest of the series against the Minnesota Twins, after he left Monday’s game with low back spasms.

Roberts hopes to write Tucker into the lineup Friday, when the Dodgers open a three-game series in San Diego, after three days off, plus most of the game Monday.

“Hopefully he [can take] advantage of this, obviously to get right, but also kind of a mental reset,” Roberts said. “Hopefully the four days will suffice.”

Tucker, who said he felt a little better Tuesday but still sore, especially when rotating, is “pretty confident” that he’ll be able to avoid the injured list. And if he can take swings on Wednesday, he’ll probably be on track for that Friday return.

“But if he doesn’t, then we’ll have probably a tougher decision on Friday,” Roberts said.

Tucker, who has a .707 on-base-plus-slugging-percentage this season, has had a slow offensive start to his Dodgers’ tenure. He wasn’t ready to make any declarations about the potential benefits of time off to reset.

“Maybe,” he said. “We’ll see after I get back. We’ll see how that goes.”

The news on catcher Dalton Rushing, who exited Monday’s game to rule out a concussion, was more straightforward.

Rushing hadn’t yet gone through the second round of concussion testing needed to clear him to play when Roberts addressed the media Tuesday afternoon. But Rushing had told Roberts he was ready to play.

“That doesn’t carry too much weight until I hear from the medical staff,” Roberts said. “But it is good to know that he said he’s good to go. My hope is that he’ll be available off the bench in some capacity.”

As a downpour hammered the tarped field early Tuesday evening, it was unclear when exactly the Dodgers would be playing. But despite plenty of rain in the forecast Tuesday evening, the teams and Major League Baseball identified a window for the game.

The Twins announced an estimated 5:05 p.m. PDT first pitch, representing a 25-minute rain delay.

England fans were left frustrated as their side were held to a goalless draw against Ghana, but were Thomas Tuchel’s side fortunate not to have a penalty given against them?

The incident in question happened late in Tuesday’s game as Prince Adu charged into the box before Ezri Konsa came across and appeared to bring down the midfielder.

No spot-kick was given – to the relief of England supporters, with replays showing Konsa had caught Adu on the knee and made no contact with the ball.

The BBC pundits watching the game were largely in agreement that Konsa and England were fortunate not to have been punished.

“I think that’s a penalty,” former Three Lions and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney said on BBC One.

“Konsa takes a huge risk. His feet are off the floor when he comes flying in and he gets the man, not the ball.

“That could easily have been given in my view.”

Fellow former England international and ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards added: “England were chasing the game, they were trying to score the goal but you still need that protection behind you.

“On another day, that could have been a penalty.”

Australia made it four wins from four at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup after easing to a 113-run victory against Pakistan at Headingley, with the six-time winners on the verge of the semi-finals with one group match remaining.

READ MORE: Australia thrash Pakistan to edge closer to semis

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FIFA president Gianni Infantino will be ‘enjoying the final’ with Trump and present the trophy together on July 19.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed plans to include United States President Donald Trump in the trophy presentation ceremony at the World Cup final.

“We will be together with the president, enjoying the final, and handing the trophy to the winner – of course, together,” Infantino said during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday morning.

Asked to clarify that he and Trump would present the trophy together at the match on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Infantino added: “Of course. We are together all the time.”

Trump notably participated in the ceremony at last year’s Club World Cup final, when Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 at the same venue.

He remained on stage as Chelsea lifted the trophy. Later, the trophy was spotted in the Oval Office, with Chelsea reportedly having received a replica version.

According to The Athletic, citing FIFA sources, Infantino has been aiming to attend as many matches as possible at the tournament.

So far, that has been up to two a day. Trump has yet to attend any matches in this year’s World Cup.

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.

U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese waves to the crowd after beating Paraguay during a World Cup match at SoFi Stadium on June 12.

(Kelvin Kuo/Los Angeles Times)

He lost that game but his performance was good enough to make him the starter in the Gold Cup, where he was even better. A little over a year ago he was just a faint blip on coach Mauricio Pochettino’s radar. Now he has a World Cup shutout and with another clean sheet Thursday, he’ll join Matt Turner as the only American keepers to post back-to-back shutouts in a World Cup in 96 years.

“I dreamt of this opportunity. But you never know if it’s going to come,” Freese said. “I learned the ones that work hard without the promise of reward are the ones that usually succeed.”

Turner, who gave up just a goal in the group stage in Qatar four years ago, is Freese’s backup in this tournament. And he’s just the most recent U.S. keeper to stand out in a World Cup. In 2014, Tim Howard set a tournament record with 16 saves in a knockout-stage loss to Belgium and 12 years before that Brad Friedel made six stops in a 2-0 win over Mexico to send the U.S. to the quarterfinals for the only time.

“To have my name next to theirs as the next guy up is an incredible honor, and it’s something I’ve dreamed of,” Freese said. “The bar is set high and I’m going to strive to reach that bar and raise it even higher.”

Freese, 27, took an unusual route to that bar. The son of a neurosurgeon who earned a doctorate from MIT and the grandson of scientists who immigrated from Germany after World War II, Freese grew up in a household where academics were more important than athletics. So while he joined the Philadelphia Union academy as a teen, he craved the demands of school and left soon afterward to enroll at Harvard.

“When you’re a professional athlete at age 18, 19 sometimes it can be difficult to keep a routine, keep a regimen that keeps you focused and keeps you hungry,” Freese said. “For me, taking classes was something that occupied my time, occupied my mind and gave a very natural release off the field.

“I think at that age it was necessary.”

After two seasons at Harvard, he returned to Philadelphia to sign with the MLS team while continuing to take classes online, once writing a paper on penalty-kick analytics. In 2022, he graduated from Harvard with a degree in economics.

The soccer part wasn’t going nearly as well. Playing behind Andre Blake, a three-time MLS keeper of the year, Freese rarely saw the field in Philadelphia. But a trade to New York City FC in the winter of 2023 gave him a second chance and likely saved his career.

He made the most of it, earning the starting job in his second season, when he finished third in the league in saves, and getting his first call-up to a national team training camp in January 2025.

Six months later he was the team’s starter in goal.

The late-blooming Freese’s journey was unusual in another way too since he traveled to the World Cup from MLS. In the five World Cups between 1998 and 2014, the U.S. started Friedel, Kasey Keller and Howard — three English Premier League keepers — in goal. A dozen years later, the Athletic reports, there are no American goalkeepers in the top five European club leagues and the three goalies on this summer’s roster all play in MLS.

U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese clears the ball as Australia’s Mohamed Toure closes in during a World Cup match in Seattle on June 19.

(Maddy Grassy / Ap Photo/maddy Grassy)

However as a guy with a Harvard diploma on his resume, Freese knows enough to know that getting to a World Cup isn’t about where you came from or even how long it took you to get there. All that matters is that you made it. And now that he’s there, his job isn’t to stand out, but to blend in.

“Being a goalkeeper is recognizing that it’s not always about you. And I’m comfortable with that,” he said. “The less action I have in a game means the better that we’re playing, and the more likely we are going to win.

“So I’m typically more focused on that and preventing any shots rather than just being only ready to save them.”

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — World Cup tickets are expensive. Flights to North America are expensive. Hotel rooms in many places are expensive.

Then there’s the price of beer.

There are some fun — and yes, sometimes pricey — food and drink offerings at the venues playing host to the World Cup. A $75 caviar-topped tray of tater tots and a $40 empanada weighing in at 5 pounds for the daring or for sharing in Miami. Ribeye tacos for $8 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Something called a Twinkie cheeseburger that has nothing to do with dessert for $22 in Los Angeles.

Prices, in many cases, aren’t all that different from what U.S. fans would experience on NFL Sundays or college football Saturdays. But some international fans aren’t used to such pricing and are calling foul, especially over beer prices that can top $20.

“It’s unfair. It’s not right. It’s wrong,” said Thomas Schüller, an engineer from Germany in Toronto to watch his national team play over the weekend, as he held a beer that cost him 24.25 Canadian dollars (about $17). “It’s three times the cost of what I pay in my country.”

But is that stopping him?

“Well, no,” Schüller acknowledged.

Beer prices become a mild pint of discord

There is clearly some sticker shock among international visitors to this World Cup, especially when it comes to the concession prices. In Europe, it’s not uncommon for beers to be perhaps around 4 or 5 euros (about $5-6).

There’s also no shortage of intrigue on the menu at the concession stands at stadiums across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“Never seen anything like it,” said Janine Arbetter, a fan from Austria, as she waited for a hot dog, chips and soda combo in Miami last week. The pre-tip price: $19.35, which included a discount for using Visa. “It’s a lot of food for a little snack.”

Some Argentina fans happily showed off their $34 lobster rolls from a match in Kansas City on social media, but in Toronto, the brisket sandwich with chips and a bottle of soda for nearly 40 Canadian dollars ($28) had some online commenters lamenting it as “robbery.”

“It’s OK, more or less, for the World Cup,” German fan Daniel Feldmann said of the food prices while watching a match in Vancouver last week.

Concession offerings vary from stadium to stadium

FIFA, the sport’s governing body and the tournament organizer, has very specific rules on just about everything related to the World Cup — and there are guidelines that concessionaires have to follow as well. But prices can vary by market, as do the food and drink offerings. And that means the experience in one city might look, or taste, nothing like what’s offered in another.

The “Fancy AF Tots” for $75 at Miami Stadium aren’t really tots at all — it’s three deep-fried hash brown patties, with caviar, creme fraiche and chives. (For those who just want the caviar, it’ll be $70.) Southern California’s Twinkie cheeseburger is in fact a burger topped with a Texas Twinkie — a bacon-wrapped jalapeño stuffed with brisket and cream cheese.

But there’s also a slew of choices specific to a local market; for example, Vancouver offers short rib poutine along with a maple bacon smokie (smoked sausage topped with bacon onion jam that features Canadian maple syrup).

And in Miami, the signature offerings include pan con lechon (a Cuban-style sandwich with pork, infused with citrus mojo sauce and served on a toasted full Cuban loaf) and Empanada Mundial (the five-pound, handmade, chicken-and-cheese-stuffed dish named after the World Cup).

Both Vancouver and Miami have Sodexo Live as a food and beverage provider, and the typical game-day menus in both stadiums were revised a bit to accommodate a soccer crowd.

“We want it to feel like Miami when you’re here,” said Zach Williams, Sodexo Live’s vice president of operations at Miami Stadium. “Everything we do around the Miami Stadium, we want to make sure everybody understands that when they come here, they’re getting a Miami experience.”

Atlanta Stadium keeps prices low

In Mexico City, a beer could cost a day’s pay — literally. The daily minimum wage in Mexico City is just 315.04 pesos (roughly $18). Some beers at Mexico City Stadium were selling for between 299 and 310 pesos — about twice as much as fans would ordinarily pay in the same stadium when the World Cup isn’t in town.

But in Atlanta, where Falcons owner and stadium operator Arthur Blank promised the low concession prices he’s championed for many years would hold for the World Cup, pizza slices were $3, 32-ounce sodas were $4, a cheeseburger was $5, chicken tenders with fries were $6 and beers could be had for as little as $8.

Jonathan Arango, a 33-year-old from Greenville, S.C., was at a match in Atlanta with his wife, daughter and father.

“In total for what we got — three orders of tacos, a slice of pizza, two waters and a Coke — we spent like $50,” Arango said. “Compared to what we’ve paid at other events … it’s nice after you paid a lot for a ticket.”

And Schüller pointed out that even though the tournament does come around every four years, it still feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“The entire football world is having fun,” Schüller said, “so cheers to that.”

Reynolds writes for the Associated Press.

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!

Julius Randle is headed back to New York, although he will be playing in a different borough this time around.

The Brooklyn Nets acquired the 12-year veteran after he spent the past two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, multiple media outlets reported Monday night.

As part of the three-team deal, Minnesota will send Randle and the 28th pick in Tuesday’s draft to Brooklyn in exchange for the Nets’ No. 33 overall pick. In addition, Brooklyn will send veteran center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls. The Timberwolves will receive Mo Gueye from Chicago but are expected to waive the third-year forward.

For Minnesota, the trade creates a $33 million trade exception as well as financial flexibility to seek free agents to play alongside superstar Anthony Edwards. Later on Monday, the Timberwolves came to terms with guard Ayo Dosunmu on a five-year, $112 million deal to remain with the team after being acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline.

Randle goes from a team that won 49 games in each of the last two seasons and three playoff series during that stretch to one that won just 20 games last year and a combined 78 over the last three seasons.

The Nets, who haven’t had a representative in the All-Star Game since Kevin Durant in 2022, will continue rebuilding with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 draft to go with the first-rounder they received from Minnesota.

The Lakers drafted Randle at No. 7 overall in 2014, with his first two NBA seasons coinciding with the final two of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. After becoming a free agent in 2018, Randle played one season with the New Orleans Pelicans before becoming a three-time All-Star during five seasons with the New York Knicks.

In October 2024, Randle went to Minnesota as part of the deal that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. Towns was a key member of the Knicks team that defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals and celebrated with a championship parade in Lower Manhattan last week.

During the 2025 postseason, Randle shook his reputation for fading in the playoffs, crediting his perseverance to a mentality instilled in him many years earlier by Bryant.

“I had a great mentor in Kobe that didn’t necessarily let me pout or get down on myself,” Randle said after scoring a career playoff high of 31 points during a conference semifinal game against Golden State. “His thing was always, ‘All right, what’s next? How can you get better? How can you improve?’ So I always just kind of took that mentality with me.”

While Randle hasn’t publicly commented on the trade, his wife Kendra posted a video to her Instagram Story of 9-year-old son Kyden, the oldest of their three children, stating that he’s “so excited” and “so happy” to be returning to New York.

“@brooklynnets fans he really wanted to make this,” Kendra Randle wrote as a caption to the video.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Women’s T20 World Cup, Group 2, Bristol

Ireland 130-5 (20 overs): Lewis 59, Tector 28*; de Silva 1-12

Sri Lanka 131-4 (15.3 overs): Athapaththu 106*, Dulani 20; Prendergast 1-22

Sri Lanka won by nine wickets

Scorecard. Tables.

Chamari Athapaththu hit a superb unbeaten 106 as Sri Lanka eased to a nine-wicket win over Ireland to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

Ireland were reduced to 18-3 in a sun-drenched Bristol before skipper Gaby Lewis (59) and Leah Paul (20) put on a 66-run partnership to help their side to a total of 130-5.

Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu raced to her best World Cup score, and the highest so far in the tournament, from just 61 balls, as victory was secured on 134-1 and with 4.3 overs to spare.

The Lions, who move up to four points, need to beat Scotland on Friday and hope results elsewhere go their way to secure a top-two spot in Group 2 and a place in the semi-finals.

Ireland have now lost all 21 of their World Cup games and the bottom side finish their campaign against West Indies on Saturday.

Head coach Brendon McCullum said he remains “good friends” with England captain Ben Stokes and the pair have “no idea” why rumours of a rift have emerged.

The pair reunited on Tuesday for England’s crucial deciding Test against New Zealand after Stokes missed the second following an incident in a London nightclub.

Both McCullum and Stokes had previously denied their relationship was strained during the 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, and McCullum has faced questions about their partnership during Stokes’ absence.

At Trent Bridge, two days before the third Test against New Zealand, McCullum revealed the pair spoke face-to-face on Tuesday morning.

“I said: ‘Do you know where this has come from, the conversations around our relationship over the last six months?'” explained McCullum.

“He said: ‘No, I have no idea.’ I said to him: ‘As far I’m concerned, I consider you a good friend.'”

Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson were made unavailable for England’s heavy defeat in the second Test during an investigation into a breach of the team’s midnight curfew following victory in the first Test at Lord’s.

They were present when a member of England security staff was struck by a Saracens rugby player.

Both have been cleared to rejoin the England team for the third Test, with Stokes returning as captain.

After England made five changes to their team for the second Test, Stokes and Atkinson are two of four changes for the third, as the home side move back towards the XI that won the first Test.

Spinner Shoaib Bashir and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who has been on paternity leave, also come back in. Ollie Robinson was man of the match at Lord’s but missed The Oval encounter with a knee problem. Robinson is fit, yet misses out as Jofra Archer keeps his place.

James Rew, Jordan Cox, Matthew Fisher and Sonny Baker are the four players omitted.

Two days before the second Test at The Oval, McCullum gave a sombre media conference, when he repeatedly spoke of his “worry” and “concern” for Stokes.

However, Durham’s county head coach Ryan Campbell later said Stokes was in “good spirits” and the county’s chief executive Tim Bostock said he was “bemused” by McCullum’s comments.

England XI for third Test v New Zealand: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

Three different England players were on target in the Three Lions’ 4-2 win over Croatia in their World Cup opener on Wednesday.

In total 15 players have scored for England across the past four men’s World Cups. Can you name them all?

After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.

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.

Wales have named hooker Dewi Lake as captain for their summer internationals ahead of fit-again flanker Jac Morgan.

Lake led the side for eight Tests in the 2025 autumn series and 2026 Six Nations while Morgan was injured.

The British and Irish Lions flanker captained Wales in the first game of the Steve Tandy era against Argentina but dislocated his left shoulder when scoring a try.

The Gloucester-bound Ospreys have both been named in the squad for the summer internationals, which start against the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on Saturday.

Lake will be skipper after recovering from a shoulder injury that required an operation after the Six Nations.

Anderson, who played 55 times in all competitions for Newcastle United, made his debut in an FA Cup defeat against Arsenal in January 2021 before joining Bristol Rovers on loan a year later.

It was here that he completed a vital part of his education – while also figuring in what might still be the most remarkable match of his career.

Former Republic of Ireland international Glenn Whelan was player coach at Bristol Rovers, and vividly remembering the impact the confident “but never arrogant” Anderson made in the west country.

He told BBC Sport: “He just came into the building and showed his potential straight away. Nothing seemed to faze him. You could see straight away this boy was different.

“As the coach, there were certain scenarios in training when I tried to put him under a little pressure. Some kids would be a little bit more reserved and fall back. Elliot was right on the front foot. He took the bull by the horns.”

And the date 5 February 2022 was one of significance in Anderson’s development, as recalled by Whelan: “We were away to Sutton United. They were doing well and were a proper men’s team with a lot of grit. Some of the coaching team were a little wary of throwing him in against them.

“We were losing at half-time and I basically said ‘we need to get this lad on because he’s a game-changer.’ He came on and made an impact. He won a penalty and we drew. I think he played pretty much every minute after that.”

Anderson’s attitude and determination stood out as he excelled at Bristol Rovers – ending in a dramatic climax to the season.

“He just had a confidence about him to show everyone how good he was,” says Whelan. “It was not arrogance. He’d obviously had a great upbringing from his family and he had that Geordie in him.

“He played off the left wing, but if the ball wasn’t coming to him he would go and look for it. He didn’t care who was marking him. He could take the ball under pressure and make things happen.

“Elliot loved training. He wanted to learn, do the extras. He had the attitude to stay behind and get better. We could tell straight away he was going to be a top player.”

And Anderson left Bristol Rovers after one of the greatest days in their history, when they clinched promotion to League One on the final day of the season.

The Pirates started the day needing to better the result of third-placed Northampton or win by five goals more than their rivals – they won 7-0, Anderson getting the final goal with five minutes remaining to help Rovers move into the top three for the first time all season.

Anderson made his triumphant farewell chaired off by jubilant Bristol Rovers supporters.

Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez has extended his contract with Ducati until 2028.

The 33-year-old Spaniard joined the team in 2024 and last year won his seventh title – his first since 2019.

“I continue to compete because I love this sport and I want to achieve even more ambitious goals. I’m convinced this is the right place to do it,” said Marquez.

He heads into this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix trailing championship leader Marco Bezzecchi by 40 points after the start of his season was hampered by injury.

Marquez secured his 100th career victory across all classes with a commanding win in the Hungarian Grand Prix this month, less than a month after shoulder and foot surgery.

He followed it up with victory in Sunday’s Czech Grand Prix.

“I’m super happy with this new agreement with the Ducati Lenovo Team and to continue being part of this family,” Marquez said.

“With this renewal, they have once again reaffirmed this commitment, respecting my times and giving me the peace of mind I needed to make the right decision.”