Gasol, Nowitzki, Parker, Pop among Hoop Hall finalists
Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich are all one step closer to basketball immortality.
The three international greats — Gasol, Nowitzki and Parker — were among the list of Class of 2023 finalists unveiled Friday by the Basketball Hall of Fame, putting them on the doorstep of enshrinement this summer. Also on that list: Popovich, the winningest coach in NBA history with the San Antonio Spurs, and Dwyane Wade, part of three championship teams with the Miami Heat.
“It's really about the journey,” Gasol said. “These type of recognitions, which are an amazing honor, they come along when you do things very, very well for a long time and when you love what you do. I'm just privileged to have played the game for so long, at a high level, with amazing people who taught me so much.”
Also making the finalist cut were four selections from the Women's Committee — 1990 national player of the year, Olympic champion and world champion Jennifer Azzi; six-time WNBA AllStar and WNBA championship-winning coach Becky Hammon; and longtime coaches Gary Blair and Marian Washington.
Golf HOMA FEELING AT HOME AND LEADS AT RIVIERA AS TIGER MAKES CUT >>
Max Homa in the lead at his hometown PGA Tour event used to give him chills. Now he's playing so well it almost feels normal.
Homa, a winner last month down the coast at Torrey Pines, ran off three birdies around the turn at Riviera and tossed in a few big par saves for a 3-under 68, giving him a one-shot lead over Jon Rahm, Keith Mitchell and Lee Hodges at the Genesis Invitational.
Tiger Woods will be part of the weekend, even with a sloppy finish and more attention over a juvenile prank than a putter that went cold. Woods finished with three bogeys over his last four holes for a 74.
JUDGE RULES PGA TOUR CAN DEPOSE SAUDI BACKERS OF LIV GOLF >>
A federal judge has ruled the head of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the financial backer of LIV Golf, must sit for depositions and produce documents in LIV Golf's antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour.
Lawyers for the Public Investment Fund and its governor, Yasir al-Rumayyan, had sought to quash subpoenas claiming sovereign immunity.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen ruled late Thursday that PIF's involvement falls under the commercial activity exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act.
NFL QB DEREK CARR MEETING WITH JETS THIS WEEKEND >>
Free agent quarterback Derek Carr is meeting with the New York Jets this weekend, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The 31-year-old Carr, who spent his first nine NFL seasons with the Raiders, was released by Las Vegas after he declined to waive the no-trade clause in his contract. Las Vegas needed to trade or release him by Wednesday or $40.4 million of his contract over the next two years would have become fully guaranteed.