Ball brothers begin careers in Lithuania
The brothers of Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball landed in Lithuania to start their career at a local basketball club. LiAngelo, 19, and LaMelo, 16, signed professional one-year deals with BC Prienai last month. They are expected to make their debut Tuesday when BC Prienai hosts Tsmoki-Minsk.
Jon Gruden says he had a good talk with Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis about returning to the organization for a second stint as coach and believes there is a “good chance” it will happen . ... The Raiders came one step closer to securing the land the team needs for its new headquarters and practice facility near Las Vegas. Officials in suburban Henderson approved a resolution that allows the city to move forward with a direct sale of 55 acres to the Raiders for more than $6-million — half the appraised value . ... Buffalo running back LeSean McCoy is listed as day to day for Sunday’s wild-card game at Jacksonville, coach Sean McDermott said . ... The Chicago Bears said they interviewed defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for their head coaching job . ... Washington State defensive tackle Hercules Mata'afa, Stanford tight end Dalton Schultz and Oregon State running back Ryan Nall are among Pac-12 players who announced they are entering the NFL draft early. Other notables include Oklahoma offensive tackle Orlando Brown, Auburn tailback Kamryn Pettway, Florida tight end Ryan Izzo and Tennessee defensive back Rashaan Gaulden.
Kei Nishikori, who has reached No. 4 in the men’s world tennis rankings but has been sidelined by a wrist injury since August, accepted a wild-card berth into the Oracle Challenger Series event Jan. 20-28 at Newport Beach Tennis Club. Nishikori, a 2014 U.S. Open finalist, is No. 22 in the world.
— Helene Elliott
The fledgling Los Angeles Football Club acquired veteran Benny Feilhaber from Sporting Kansas City, answering the expansion team’s need for an experienced midfielder. LAFC sent $400,000 in allocation money to Kansas City in exchange for Feilhaber, a seven– year MLS veteran who spent the last five seasons in Kansas City. He also played in Germany, England and Denmark as well as with the U.S. national team, making three appearances in the 2010 World Cup.
— Kevin Baxter
Fans have chosen the captains for the All-Star three-on-three tournament that will take place Jan. 28 in Tampa, Fla. They are Tampa Bay forward Steven Stamkos, Washington winger Alex Ovechkin, Nashville defenseman P.K. Subban and Edmonton center Connor McDavid.