Latest news with #homecoming
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
NBA to play 6 games in Europe over next 3 years, starting in Berlin and London next season
It's the Wagner brothers' turn for a homecoming, courtesy of NBA schedule makers, while the Memphis Grizzlies will take a brief break from tradition to participate. The league announced that the Orlando Magic will play the Grizzlies in two games overseas next season, including one in Berlin, where brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner grew up and played professionally before coming to America. Additionally, Magic forward Travis da Silva is from Munich, and Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo previously coached Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany. Europe, get ready! ✈️🌍 The NBA will host SIX regular-season games in Europe over the next three years, with games to come in Berlin and London (2026), Manchester and Paris (2027) and Berlin and Paris (2028). 🗞️ — NBA (@NBA) July 30, 2025 The two teams will play at Berlin's Under Arena on Jan. 15 and then at London's famous O2 Arena on Jan. 18, which means the Grizzlies won't be able to host a game on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19 for just the third time since the team moved to Memphis in 2001. King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968, and each year the Grizzlies host an annual celebration in the civil rights icon's honor, which usually includes a basketball game. The Grizzlies didn't play on MLK Day last in 2017, but their news release Wednesday made clear they intend to host a game on the holiday in 2027. Advertisement 'We appreciate the opportunity to represent the NBA and to represent the city of Memphis and state of Tennessee on an international stage in Berlin and London,' Grizzlies president Jason Wexler said in the release. 'In order to undertake this rare opportunity to bring Memphis to an international audience, it will require the team to be away from home for MLK Day. However, we remain committed to supporting the Memphis community over the MLK Day holiday while the team is traveling, and we look forward to the Grizzlies once again anchoring the NBA's MLK Day schedule in 2027.' The NBA also said it would hold regular-season games in Manchester, England and Paris in 2027, and in Berlin and Paris in 2028. While the dates and teams for those future trips were not yet announced, last year the San Antonio Spurs and French sensation Victor Wembanyama played the Indiana Pacers twice in Paris, where Wemby is from, and it was a huge hit. This will be the first NBA regular-season game in Germany and the 10th in London. Franz Wagner competed at every level for Alba Berlin, a Euroleague club, including the pro team, up until he left for the University of Michigan in 2019 for two seasons. Mo's career followed a similar path, and both also star for the German national team. 'To have the Orlando Magic and the NBA play a regular-season game in our hometown of Berlin means everything to us,' the Wagner brothers said in a joint statement included in the NBA release. 'Growing up here, we dreamed of moments like this. It's a huge honor to represent Berlin and Germany and show how much the city and country love basketball. We hope we can inspire kids the way we were inspired watching games from afar.' One spicy tidbit — earlier this summer, the Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane to the Magic. As Memphis is in the West and the Magic are in the East, they only play twice. So there will be no Bane homecoming in Memphis this season. Advertisement The NBA's overseas schedule also represents commissioner Adam Silver's desire to start a European league with teams potentially in all four of the markets with games in the next few years, and continue to strengthen ties with Middle Eastern money interests — some of whom own other sports teams in Europe. Manchester City's multibillion-dollar soccer franchise is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, through the Abu Dhabi United Group out of the United Arab Emirates. The chairman of Manchester City is another Emirate, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, whose brother, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, runs the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism. The Al Mubarak family has expressed interest in NBA ownership, though sovereign wealth funds currently cannot own more than 20 percent of any NBA franchise. Allowing the Man City group to serve as de facto hosts for a game next season is a step toward Silver's goals.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Chris Paul glad to be back home in L.A. with his family and the Clippers
Before Chris Paul's voice echoed through the room, his reasons for returning home were staring at him. His three children, perched quietly next to their mom, Jada Crawley, watched as Paul talked about why he decided to return to the Clippers. Paul's mother sat in the second row of the news conference with a beaming smile. Chris Paul was back home. 'It was a no-brainer. The easiest decision in this is sitting right up here,' Paul said, gesturing to his family in the front three rows. 'Right here, it's my family.' When Paul was first introduced as a Clipper in December 2011, he spoke of measuring up against 'big brother' Chauncey Billups and soaring alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan — a core that would lob their way into Clippers lore. Paul's first message to L.A. were three constants — the allure of the city, the talent beside him and a title that still eluded them. On Monday, Paul traded the sharp lines of his 2011 debut suit and red silk tie for something looser — flowing black slacks, red Nike Air Jordan 1s and a flash of gold on his wrist. And 14 years after his L.A. premiere, he spoke of sharing the court with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. But this time, the Clippers star-studded lineup wasn't what lit his path home. 'If I'm really honest, I wanted to get back and play here by any means necessary,' Paul said. 'I didn't even care what the team looked like. I just wanted to be home, be here with the Clippers.' Gratitude washed over Paul's words — for his year in San Antonio, for Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, for Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and for a 21st season. But anchoring it all was his family. Paul is no longer thinking about playing in another city away from his family. The tearful send-offs are behind him. His mornings now begin with sunrise workouts with his son. He winds down in the evenings talking to his daughter. 'To tell you the truth, my wife and my kids probably [are] tired of me already,' Paul said, his wife laughing. 'Because ever since I got the news, every time we home, I'm just jumping around talking about, 'I'm home, I'm home, I'm home.'' As familiar as he is with the Clippers, Paul said his return still felt surreal — the No. 3 stitched onto a Clippers jersey, his name gleaming above the locker and a 'Welcome Back' message circling the halo board. What makes it even sweeter? A brand new stage. The last time Paul played for the Clippers, they played at Staples Center (now Arena). On Monday, he got an up-close look at the Intuit Dome. 'Walking around now, it's a total different feeling,' Paul said. 'Last time I walked through here, I was just sort of peeking because I didn't know if a guy on the current team was here and they [were] like, 'What the hell are you doing here?'' Paul noted the franchise's makeover — new colors, new logo — but one thing, he said, hadn't budged: the fans. One corner of Arena still lives staunchly in Paul's memory. Section 114 housed the pockets of Clippers die-hards he'd glance at after every dagger three or rim-rattling "Lob City" spectacle. Some fans, Paul said, even pledged loyalty in ink. Back then, some made a pact that if the Clippers scored 114 points in a game, they'd get a '114' tattoo. When the team delivered, so did they. 'The fans here are like none other,' Paul said. 'They are really fans of the game. … The team and everybody, they deserve good things and deserve to see this team win.' Read more: Chris Paul is a 'natural fit' for Clippers as reserve point guard Paul got a full dose of nostalgia a short time later when dozens of Clippers fans gave him a standing ovation, chanting, 'CP3!' He sank into his seat, shoulders folding inward as he clasped his hands — emotion creeping in as the cheers grew louder. 'This is crazy,' he said. So as Paul rose from the podium and thanked the media, his mother held her gaze, her smile still stitched in place. For eight years, she'd grown used to goodbyes. But this time, there would be no parting hug. 'This is one of those things I kind of manifested for a long time, sort of tried to speak it into existence,' Paul said. 'Because I love to hoop, I love to play this game, but I love my family more than any of it.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
How are England celebrating Euro 2025 triumph?
England's Women have a number of celebrations planned following their Euro 2025 triumph in Basel on Sunday their return to England from Switzerland on Monday afternoon, Sarina Wiegman's side are being hosted at a special reception at 10 Downing Prime Minister Angela Rayner and sports minister Stephanie Peacock are hosting the celebration event for the Tuesday, England's players are going on a homecoming celebration in London, starting at 12:10 parade starts with an open-top bus procession along The Mall. At 12:30, a live homecoming celebration even will be staged in front of the Queen Victoria Memorial at Buckingham ceremony is due to finish at around 13:00 homecoming ceremony will be broadcast live on the article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. What is Ask Me Anything? Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio. More questions answered... 'No plans' for bank holiday if England win EurosFrom ball girl to England hero - who is rising star Agyemang?Who are Premier League clubs playing in pre-season?How do football transfer requests work?
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Prospect Sam Shaw one step closer to becoming next Canadian-born Blue Jay
TORONTO — Somewhere in Victoria, British Columbia, there's a tiny plastic cup resting on a basement shelf. It's a mini red helmet, emblazoned with a fading Vancouver Canadians logo, that once held Sam Shaw's serving of ballpark ice cream. Shaw, 20, grew up attending Canadians games at Nat Bailey Stadium, the home of the Toronto Blue Jays' High-A affiliate. It's a short drive and two-hour ferry ride from his childhood home. His memories of The Nat are faded and patchwork — swinging in the kids' batting cage down the left-field line, watching rising prospects and scooping soft serve out of a mini helmet. But as Shaw slipped on a much bigger, much more real Canadians batting helmet for the first time last week, the memories flooded back. Advertisement The Jays promoted Shaw to Vancouver after the All-Star break. It's a homecoming of sorts for the lifelong West Coast fan of the Blue Jays, who selected him in the ninth round of the 2023 draft. It's also a hard-earned trial run — a promotion earned by burgeoning power and a test of what it could be like for a rare Canadian player on the country's only MLB team. 'There's going to be a kid like me that gets to watch me play for the first time, that dreams of being a hometown kid in Vancouver or on the Blue Jays,' Shaw said. 'That's kind of what helps me in the weight room, or helps me with whatever. It's like, this is my chance to show that.' Last year, while scuffling in the Florida Complex League for a second-straight season, Shaw said that Vancouver — let alone the big leagues — felt particularly distant. The 5-foot-10 utilityman entered the season as Toronto's 20th-ranked prospect, per The Athletic's Keith Law. He walked at a 16.7 percent clip last year, second best on his FCL team, but a lack of power limited his ceiling. 'I sucked,' Shaw said. Perhaps a harsh diagnosis, but it's a blunt honesty that lives in Shaw's every word. 'What I had last year was I made a lot of contact,' he said. 'I controlled the zone, I didn't swing and miss too much. But my damage, my power, was not very good.' On the field, Shaw's jersey is often drenched with the dirt of a stolen base or diving defensive play. But while discussing his search for power, the second baseman and outfielder sounds more like a data analyst or baseball blogger than a gritty ballplayer. For him, it's swing speed, comparable swing paths, barrel rates, exit velocities and contact quality. His favorite movie, naturally, is 'Moneyball.' 'It's going to sound like I'm overthinking it,' Shaw said. 'And maybe rightfully so. But there's a puzzle in the numbers that I do like to look at to try and figure out how to be better.' Advertisement That mindset made Shaw the perfect candidate to attend Driveline Baseball for an offseason boot camp. He spent a week at the data-driven player development lab in Washington state. They broke down his swing in a batting cage filled with flashing cameras and computer monitors, looking for imperfections and concocting a plan to improve his bat speed and power potential. Shaw ate more, hit the gym more and swung with a weighted bat. 'Sammy is pretty dynamic in the box,' Blue Jays director of player development Joe Sclafani said. 'So with that as a foundation, the recognizing pitches and the plate discipline being there, the next step was an ability to impact the ball.' Shaw entered spring training with harder swings and increased exit velocities, earning a spot with Low-A Dunedin to start the season. In 62 games, he hit seven homers and 10 doubles, posting an .801 OPS — all career-high marks in just half a season. Ahead of every home game, Shaw drove past the Dunedin library, turning into the TD Ballpark players' lot. Each day, pausing for the security fence to open, Shaw looked out at the barren patch of concrete he stood on as a kid. Waiting at that same gate on spring training trips with his family, Shaw hoped that exiting Blue Jays players would stop to sign an autograph after a spring game. Darwin Barney, Shaw recalls with a chuckle, snubbed him for an autograph. But he had better luck with Jason Grilli, J.A. Happ, Troy Tulowitzki and Russell Martin. Shaw sat in TD Ballpark's outfield seats one year, baking under Florida's spring sun. Young Blue Jays right fielder Jonathan Davis drifted back for a ball, snagging it with his glove before turning to the stands. As Davis launched the ball into the crowd, Shaw reached up and caught the souvenir. Now, as Shaw joins High-A Vancouver, Davis is the hitting coach. Advertisement There's an added element to being a Canadian player in the Blue Jays' organization. Shaw cheered on Martin as the hometown catcher for the ALCS runs in 2015 and 2016. He watched Jordan Romano lock down saves the last few years. He knows what fans expect — how much they latch on to that rare Canadian — because he was that fan. Shaw remains several years and many promotions away from Rogers Centre, but this bump to Vancouver, Shaw said, is a hopeful trial run. 'Any Canadian that plays in Canada, you're kind of the hometown guy, ' Shaw said. 'It's gonna be different.' But more than any added bat speed or uptick in power, Shaw's success this season comes from an ability to silence that noise and calm the pressure. Before games, he's a self-proclaimed nerd, poring over swing data and game plans. At first pitch, Shaw looks to his wrist, at the red beaded bracelet his mother, Stephanie, gave him before the season. On it reads a simple message: 'Have Fun' — a gentle reminder to leave the deep dives in the clubhouse. It's helped ease the weight of his dream, Shaw said, simplifying the eight months and 132-game schedule of a minor-league season back to the game he grew up playing in Victoria. In the batter's box, his mind is clear. Playing in front of friends, family and hungry Canadian baseball fans at Nat Bailey Stadium, Shaw knows that mindset will be all the more important. If, one day, Shaw becomes the next Canadian to suit up for the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, he hopes this Vancouver test will have prepared him. 'He's done a much better job of being where his feet are this year,' Sclafani said. 'Just a focus, locking in on what he needs to do day to day. But he's going to need to continue to do that up there. Because, of course, how cool is that, the prodigal son comes home.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's trip to Scotland highlights his complex relationship with his mother's homeland
U.S. President Donald Trump's trip to Scotland this week will be a homecoming of sorts, but he's likely to get a mixed reception. (AP Video: Kwiyeon Ha)
