POINTS Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini announces his playing retirement from LAFC at 39
LOS ANGELES — Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini has retired from professional soccer after a 22-year career.
The 39-year-old Chiellini’s decision was announced Tuesday by Los Angeles FC, his club for the past 1 1/2 seasons following 17 years at Juventus. Chiellini also announced his decision on social media, calling his career “the most beautiful and intense journey of my life.”
Chiellini won nine consecutive Serie A titles at Juventus and was named the Italian league’s top defender three times. His club won five Italian Cups and five Italian Super Cups during his tenure at the Turin powerhouse.
Chiellini then played a major role at LAFC, which won the MLS Cup title and Supporters’ Shield in 2022 before reaching the MLS Cup championship game again last weekend, falling to Columbus 2-1. LAFC also reached the CONCACAF Champions League final this year.
“Giorgio is the best defender of his generation and an even better person,” LAFC general manager John Thorrington said. “Giorgio exceeded the incredibly high expectations we had for him both on and off the field. His leadership, professionalism, and character will leave a lasting legacy at LAFC, and we trust that our relationship with Giorgio will continue.”
Chiellini’s retirement was widely expected, even though he remained an effective starting defender at LAFC. He is thought to be considering a new career in coaching or management.
In his social media post, Chiellini wrote that “it is time to start new chapters, face new challenges and write further important and exciting pages of life.”
Chiellini also made 117 appearances for Italy, including two World Cup appearances. He was named the tournament’s top defender when the Azzurri won the European Championship in 2021.
Born in Pisa, Chiellini started his career with Livorno before Juventus signed him in 2004. He spent his first Serie A season on loan at Fiorentina before joining Juventus’ back line in 2005 and remaining there until the summer of 2022. Rams cut kicker Mason Crosby after Lucas Havrisik’s strong game at Baltimore; long snapper injured
THOUSAND OAKS — The Los Angeles Rams have cut veteran kicker Mason
Crosby from their practice squad after incumbent Lucas Havrisik had a strong game at Baltimore.
The Rams also placed rookie long snapper Alex Ward on injured reserve Tuesday and signed veteran long snapper Carson Tinker.
Crosby signed with Los Angeles last week, returning to the NFL after his 16-year career in Green Bay ended last winter. Crosby appeared to be the imminent replacement for Havrisik, who had missed two field-goal attempts and an extra point in the past two games.
Havrisik then made three field goals without a miss in the rain at Baltimore last weekend, including a 51-yarder. Coach Sean McVay elected to stick with Havrisik, who debuted with Los Angeles in Week 8 after the team cut Brett Maher.
Ward is on injured reserve after incurring a stinger in the Rams’ overtime loss to the Ravens.
Tinker has appeared in 95 NFL games over seven seasons with three teams in the past decade, most recently snapping for Seattle last season.
The Rams (6-7) are in the NFC playoff hunt as they prepare to host Washington (4-9) on Sunday.
Zaidi: Giants made comparable offer to $700M deal Shohei Ohtani received from rival Dodgers
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants made three offers to Shohei Ohtani, including a final proposal that president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi called “very comparable if not identical” to the record $700 million, 10-year contract the Japanese two-way star agreed to with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ohtani spent two hours with the Giants for a ballpark meeting with Zaidi, Greg Johnson, former catcher Buster Posey and new manager Bob Melvin on Dec. 2. Zaidi said San Francisco increased its offers to meet Ohtani’s requests.
“The proposal that was made was very comparable if not identical to what he wound up agreeing to,” Zaidi said during a conference call Tuesday.
But when the Giants got the sense Ohtani seemed to want to stay in Southern California, Zaidi said there was a realization it might be a hard agreement to make happen despite the proposed financial commitment. Also, San Francisco’s executives hadn’t heard anything a couple of days after their latest offer and were waiting into last weekend to find out Ohtani’s choice.
When asked to specify whether the Giants’ proposal was nearly equivalent to what Los Angeles offered, Zaidi noted, “Structure and total compensation, yes.”
South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee gets $113 million, 6-year deal Giants, AP source says
South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $113 million, six-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the agreement had not been announced. Lee, a South Korean MVP and the son of a former MVP, can terminate the deal after four years and $72 million to become a free agent again.
San Francisco reached the agreement after failing to sign two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who reached a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 25-year-old Lee was posted by South Korea’s Kiwoom Heroes on Dec. 4, and if he stays for the entire contract, the Giants would owe the Heroes an $18,825,000 posting fee. If he opts out, the posting fee would be reduced to $12,675,000.
San Francisco also would owe an additional fee of 15% for any earned bonuses or escalators.
Lee hit .318 with six homers and 48 RBIs in 86 games this year, a season cut short when he broke his left ankle during a game against the Lotte Giants on July 22. Lee batted .349 in 2022, when he set career bests of 23 homers and 113 RBIs in 142 games. He was voted rookie of the year in 2017 and MVP in 2022.
He hit .429 with two doubles and five RBIs for South Korea in this year’s World Baseball Classic, where South Korea failed to advance from its firstround group. He batted .241 with three
doubles, one homer and three RBIs in the 2021 Olympics, where South Korea lost to the United States in the semifinals and to the Dominican Republic for the bronze medal.
Lee has a .340 career average with 65 homers and 515 RBIs for the Heroes, who were renamed from Nexen to Kiwoon for the 2019 season.
His father, Jong Beom Lee, was MVP in 1994 and played in Japan for the Central League’s Chunichi Dragons from 1998 to 2001.
Michael Jordan headlines inaugural class for Chicago Bulls’ Ring of Honor
CHICAGO — Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman are the headliners for the inaugural class for the Chicago Bulls’ Ring of Honor.
The Bulls unveiled their plans for the Ring of Honor on Tuesday. The first class includes 13 men and the 1995-96 team, which went 72-10 and won the NBA title. The franchise plans to honor the group with a couple of events in January.
The inaugural class also includes Phil Jackson, Jerry Krause, Artis Gilmore, Jerry Sloan, Toni Kukoc, Bob Love, Chet Walker, Johnny “Red” Kerr, Tex Winter and Dick Klein. Jackson coached the 1995-96 team, which had Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Kukoc, with Krause leading the front office and Winter serving as an assistant coach.
“The Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor will be a first-of-its-kind celebration honoring many of the legends who have helped shape our organization over the past 57 years,” Bulls President Michael Reinsdorf said in a release. “They have deep connections to our fans and community and represent a spirit of competition, hard work, and toughness.”
The Ring of Honor festivities include a private gala at the United Center on Jan. 11 and a halftime presentation during a Jan. 12 game against Golden State. Warriors coach Steve Kerr also played on the 1995-96 Bulls team.
The franchise plans to add to its Ring of Honor every two years, so the next class will be inducted in 2026. The criteria for inclusion for players includes spending at least three seasons with the team and being retired from basketball for at least three years.