Lakers game postponed
The NBA postponed the Los Angeles Lakers’ next game against the Clippers on Tuesday night after the deaths of retired superstar Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash. The game will be rescheduled later. Bryant’s helicopter crashed Sunday, and the Lakers learned about it while flying home from an East Coast road trip. LeBron James and several other players appeared to be visibly affected by the news when they got off the plane.
The Lakers organization hasn’t made a public statement about Bryant’s death, choosing to mourn in private. The 16-time NBA champion franchise made grief counselors available to employees Monday after the loss of Bryant, who spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Lakers.
Dwight Howard is the only current Lakers player who played with Bryant, but the players all knew him.
NFL
Andrew Berry is coming back to the Cleveland Browns. This time as the boss.
Berry, who left Cleveland’s front office last year to work in Philadelphia, agreed Monday to become the Browns’ new general manager and executive vice president, a person familiar with the decision said. Berry will get a five-year deal, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not made the hiring official.
Berry will be just the second black GM currently working in the NFL. Miami’s Chris Grier had been the league’s only minority GM.
The 32-year-old Berry re-emerged as the favorite to become Cleveland’s new GM on Friday, when Vikings assistant general manager George Paton removed his name from consideration.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Reigning national champion LSU is bringing back Bo Pelini as defensive coordinator, the position he held when the Tigers won a national championship in the 2007 season.
Pelini, whose hiring was announced by coach Ed Orgeron, replaces Dave Aranda, who left the Tigers to take over as Baylor’s head coach after LSU’s victory over Clemson in the College Football Playoff final in New Orleans earlier this month.
During Pelini’s three years as LSU defensive coordinator under then-coach Les Miles from 200507, the Tigers ranked third nationally on defense all three years.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
The Atlantic Coast Conference has fined Notre Dame $20,000 and publicly reprimanded Fighting Irish basketball coach Mike Brey for his comments about officiating after Saturday’s one-point loss at Florida State.
The league announced the penalties, saying Brey’s comments “were in direct violation” of the league’s sportsmanship policy that states that public criticism of officiating “is not in the best interest of intercollegiate athletics.”
Brey referenced several issues after the 85-84 loss to the Seminoles, including a technical foul called on the Irish bench with 2:31 left. He also mentioned game official John Gaffney by name as he left the news conference in Tallahassee.
“We’re treated by the officials like we haven’t brought football as a full member (to the league), but yet we get a full share of the ACC Network TV, are you kidding me?” Brey said, a reference to Notre Dame’s independence in football even as it remains a member of all other league sports.
Michigan guard suspended: Michigan point guard Zavier Simpson has been suspended for an unspecified violation of team policies and will miss Tuesday night’s game at Nebraska.
Simpson, a senior, averages a team-high 33.8 minutes, along with 12.8 points. He also leads the nation with 8.3 assists per game.
BASEBALL
The Pittsburgh Pirates sent the two-time Gold Glove outfielder Starling Marte to the Arizona Diamondbacks for prospects Liover Peguero and pitcher Brennan Malone.
The 31-year-old Marte is coming off a stellar 2019 in which he hit .295 and set career-highs with 23 home runs and 81 RBI. He has an $11.5 million salary this year.