Pujols holding off career decision
James rejects the criticism of activist athletes by Zlatan
When will Albert Pujols retire?
It’s a question the 41-year-old Angels first baseman didn’t have an answer to on Saturday, saying in his first media availability of the spring that his “mind is not even there” entering his 21st MLB season.
“I think that decision will come at the end of the year,” he said, adding, “My mind is staying focused [on staying] healthy and help this ball club try to win this year.”
Pujols’ wife, Deidre, initially appeared to indicate in an Instagram post on Monday that this would be the last season for Pujols, a three-time MVP and 10-time All-Star. After the post set off a wave of speculation on the internet, she edited the wording to reflect that 2021 is the last season of Pujols’ contract with the Angels and that she was simply trying to send her husband “blessings” going into this season. She clarified that it was not an official retirement announcement.
Pujols said the original post was simply misinterpreted.
“It’s the same thing that she’s always done, sending me every year with a blessing,” Pujols said. “If she had just [originally] said, ‘the last year on my contract with the Angels,’ it would have been different. But I told her, ‘You don’t need to apologize. I know what you mean.’”
College football: Javon Williams Jr. and Romeir Elliott each had a pair of touchdown runs, and Southern Illinois beat top-ranked North Dakota State 38-14 on Saturday that ended the Bison’s 39-game winning streak. North Dakota State (2-1, 1-1 Missouri Valley), which has won three straight FCS championships, last lost on Nov. 4, 2017.
Golf: PGA champion Collin Morikawa made seven birdies in an eight-hole stretch Saturday and made it look as though no one could catch him. All it took was two bad holes to turn the Workday Open into a chase. Morikawa shot a 5-under 67 at the Concession Golf Club, a reasonable score except for what it could have been. When he drove to the front of the green on the 316-yard 12th hole and made an 8-foot birdie, he was at 17-under par and no one else was closer than five shots. He wound up leading by two shots over Brooks Koepka, who got his mistakes out the way early and shot 70, and Billy Horschel. who had a 69 . ... Nelly Korda surged into the lead Saturday in the Gainbridge LPGA with a 4-under 68 that left her in position to make it consecutive wins for the Korda family to start the season. Korda, whose older sister Jessica won the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions last month to start the new LPGA Tour season, dropped only one shot on a breezy day at Lake Nona to lead by one over Patty Tavatanakit.
NHL: Juuso Valimakiscored four minutes into the game as a three-goal first period staked the Flames to a 6-3 victory over the Senators. Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm had the other early goals for the Flames, who ended the Senators’ threegame win streak. Sean Monahan, Andrew Mangiapane and Matthew Tkachuk also scored for Calgary . ... Mattias Ekholm scored a pair of second-period goals to lead the Predators to a 2-1 victory over the Blue Jackets on Saturday. Juuse Saros made 29 saves for Nashville, a winner of three of the last four games. Saros earned his first victory since Jan. 27.
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James responded to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s criticism of his political activism with a promise that he will never just shut up and dribble.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar also pointed out that Ibrahimovic clearly didn’t feel the same way about spotlighting social injustices when the soccer great called out racism in his native Sweden just three years ago.
The AC Milan striker and former LA Galaxy star criticized James and other socially conscious athletes Thursday in an interview with Discovery Plus. Ibrahimovic called it “a mistake” for James and other athletes to get involved in political causes, saying they should “just do what you do best, because it doesn’t look good.”
James responded forcefully to Ibrahimovic’s stance after the Lakers’ 102-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
“I would never shut up about things that are wrong,” said James, who had 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.
“I preach about my people and I preach about equality, social injustice, racism, systematic voter suppression, things that go on in our community,” James added. “I know what’s going on still, because I have a group of 300-plus kids at my school that’s going through the same thing, and they need a voice, and I’m their voice. I’ll use my platform to continue to shed light on everything that’s going on around this country and around the world. There’s no way I would ever just stick to sports, because I understand how powerful this platform and my voice is.”
James funds the I Promise School in his native Akron, Ohio. The third-leading scorer in NBA history also backs numerous initiatives pursuing social justice, voting rights and other progressive causes.
James also made it clear he was aware of comments made in 2018 by Ibrahimovic, the Swedish-born son of a Bosnian father and a Croatian mother.
“He’s the guy who said in Sweden, he was talking about the same things, because his last name wasn’t a (traditional Swedish) last name, he felt like there was some racism going on when he was out on the pitch,” James said. “I speak from a very educated mind. I’m kind of the wrong guy to actually go at, because I do my homework.”
Indeed, Ibrahimovic told Canal Plus that
“undercover racism” caused the Swedish media and public to treat him with less respect and reverence: “This exists, I am 100% sure, because I am not Andersson or Svensson. If I would be that, trust me, they would defend me even if I would rob a bank.”
James and Ibrahimovic overlapped in Los Angeles for about 16 months from the summer of 2018 until November 2019, when Ibrahimovic went back to Europe. While Zlatan was unable to carry the Galaxy to an MLS Cup title despite playing exceptionally during two largely frustrating seasons, LeBron already won the Lakers’ 17th NBA title in his second season with the club.
They also share remarkable similarities as two astonishing athletes who have remained among the world’s best players deep into their 30s. The 36-year-old James is still one of the best all-around players in modern basketball, while the 39-year-old Ibrahimovic remains among Serie A’s scoring leaders with 14 goals in just 13 league games for Milan. Dennis Schroder, the Lakers’ German point guard, gave his support to James and confirmed the obvious truth that Ibrahimovic’s attitude is decidedly not shared by many European athletes.
“Every athlete can use our platform and try to make change in this world,” Schroder said. “Zlatan, he’s a little different. Unique player, unique character.”