LeBron returns to Lakers with relief for son Bronny
LeBron James is dedicating his 21st NBA season to his son, and Bronny James' encouraging recovery from sudden cardiac arrest is foremost in his mind while the top scorer in NBA history gets back to work this week.
“Nothing else matters besides my family,” James said.
But LeBron is also thinking about adding another championship to his collection, and he believes the Los Angeles Lakers have the talent to grab it.
Bronny James is progressing in his rehabilitation from cardiac arrest in hopes of playing for the University of Southern California this season, James said Monday when the Lakers held their annual media day ahead of training camp.
James was clearly encouraged by the progress made by his 18-yearold son, who went into cardiac arrest during a workout at the Galen Center in late July.
“Bronny is doing extremely well,” James said. “He has begun his rehab process to get back on the floor this season with his teammates at USC. (With) the successful surgery that he had, he's on the up-and-up. It's definitely a whirlwind, a lot of emotions for our family this summer. But the best thing we have is each other.”
LeBron praised USC's training staff and coaches for saving Bronny's life with their quick responses after Bronny was stricken. Bronny is attending classes at USC and spending time with his teammates while he gets back to full strength.
LeBron said the health scare was frightening for the family, but ultimately made them stronger.
“We stuck by each other,” James said. “We gave Bronny strength throughout the whole process. We're happy to see where he is today, and we look forward to seeing what his future still has in store for him.”
WNBA BRADY APPROVED AS PART-OWNER OF ACES >>
The WNBA's owners officially approved retired quarterback Tom Brady's bid to purchase a stake in the Las Vegas Aces.
Brady and the Aces announced March 23 he purchased a minority share in the club, but no specific information was provided.
League approval appeared to be a formality because WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert issued a statement praising the acquisition.
Las Vegas hopes to repeat its league championship when the Aces open a best-of-five series Sunday against the New York Liberty.
Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis
is the Aces' majority owner.
Brady, who won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, attended an Aces game on May 31, 2022, and later sent Las Vegas star Kelsey Plum a jersey and other gifts.
“I am very excited to be part of the Las Vegas Aces organization,” Brady said in a statement when the original announcement was made. “My love for women's sports began at a young age when I would tag along to all my older sisters' games. They were by far the best athletes in our house! We celebrated their accomplishments together as a family, and they remain a great inspiration to me.”
BOSTON UNANIMOUS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR >>
Aliyah Boston had an incredible first season and was honored by the league as the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
The No. 1 pick in the draft started every game for Indiana averaging 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks. She shot 57.8% from the field and became the first rookie to lead the league in that stat.
The South Carolina graduate was a unanimous choice by the 60-person national media panel, becoming the fifth rookie to be chosen on every ballot and first since A'ja Wilson did it in 2018.
Tennis ALCARAZ, MEDVEDEV ADVANCE AT CHINA OPEN >>
Second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz eased to his 12th semifinal appearance of the season with a 6-4, 6-2 win over seventh-seeded Casper Ruud at the China Open.
The top-seeded Spaniard recovered from falling a break behind in the first set before he overpowered Ruud with 30 winners and four breaks of serve to advance.
Alcaraz will meet sixth-seeded Jannik Sinner in today's semifinals after the Italian downed Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
Third-ranked Daniil Medvedev overcame a second-set stumble to beat Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
On the women's side, secondranked Iga Swiatek advanced to the second round with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Swiatek will next face Varvara Gracheva.
Third-ranked Coco Gauff defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5, 6-3. The U.S. Open winner plays Croatian Petra Martic next.
Motorsports
NO APPEAL ON HARVICK'S DQ >> Stewart-Haas Racing said it will not appeal Kevin Harvick's disqualification at Talladega despite claims from the crew chief that cheating did not cause their loose windshield.
Harvick became the first driver disqualified at Talladega Superspeedway since 1972.
Harvick lost to Ryan Blaney at Talladega on Sunday in a drag race to the finish line. The margin of victory was 0.012 seconds and Harvick was credited with a second-place finish in the final superspeedway race ahead of his retirement at the end of the season.
Some two hours after the race, NASCAR disqualified Harvick, saying the windshield fasteners on the No. 4 Ford were not secure in postrace inspection.
The disqualification dropped Harvick from second to 38th — his first last-place finish of the season — and stripped him of all stage points earned Sunday.
Stewart-Haas Racing crew chief Rodney Childers, in a since-deleted social media post, chalked the loose windshield up to rough racing conditions for 500 miles and not cheating.
Soccer RONALDO GETS FIRST ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GOAL >>
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first goal in the Asian Champions League in Al-Nassr's 3-1 win over Istiklol to shift attention back to soccer after an earlier match between Sepahan of Iran and Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad was controversially canceled.
The Saudi club did not take to the field at Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium in Isfahan because of busts of Gen. Qassem Soleimani — who commanded Iran's elite Quds Force before he was killed in a U.S. drone strike in neighboring Iraq in January 2020 — and other political banners, Saudi Arabia's Al Ekhbariya TV reported.
Soleimani was seen as playing a key role in arming, training and leading armed groups across the region, including fighters from the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has been at war with the Iranaligned rebels in Yemen since 2015.