James named AP’s Athlete of Decade
He played in eight straight Finals, became an NBA champion and delivered on another title promise for his native Ohio. No NBA player won more games or more MVP awards over the past 10 years. He started a school. He married his high school sweetheart.
“That’s all?” LeBron James asked, feigning disbelief.
James is the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Decade, adding his name to a list that includes Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky and Arnold Palmer. He was a runaway winner in a vote of AP member sports editors and AP beat writers; Tom Brady of the New England Patriots was second.
“You add another 10 years of learning and adversity, pitfalls, good, great, bad, and any smart person who wants to grow will learn from all those experiences,” James, who turns 35 Monday, told the AP. “A decade ago, I just turned 25. I’m about to be 35 and I’m just in a better (place) in my life and have a better understanding of what I want to get out of life.”
Soccer: Liverpool extended its unbeaten home run in the Premier League to 50 games with a 10 win against Wolverhampton in a match in which two video replays went in the league leader’s favor.
Jurgen Klopp’s side is 13 points clear of secondplace Leicester and 14 ahead of defending champion Manchester City, having played one fewer game than each rival.
Sadio Mane’s goal in the 42nd minute was allowed after VAR ruled out a handball from passer Adam Lallana, and a Wolves equalizer from Pedro Neto in firsthalf injury time was not allowed because VAR revealed there was a fractional offside. It is the second time in Liverpool’s history it has gone 50 league games at home unbeaten in the top division, having achieved a run of 63 games between 1978 and 1980.
Skiing: Mikaela Shiffrin maintained her unbeaten streak in slalom with her third win of the season and matched Lindsey Vonn’s record for most women’s World Cup victories in a single discipline. Shiffrin earned her 43rd career slalom win by dominating in Lienz, Austria, posting the fastest times in both runs to beat Slovakian Petra Vlhova by 0.61 of a second. Vonn had 43 downhill wins when she retired after the world championships in February.