02182026 SPORTS

SPORTS

Giants suffer 36-29 loss to Timberwolves

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@tribunemedia.net

DAY two of the historic Hugh Campbell Basketball Tournament concluded last night at the A.F. Adderley Gymnasium with four games on the schedule, including a statement win by Anatol Rodgers over St. John’s College.

C.I. Gibson 74, Patrick J. Bethel 34

C.I. Gibson controlled this matchup from the opening quarter and rolled to a 74-34 win over Marsh Harbour’s Patrick J. Bethel.

C.I. led 13-3 after the first and 33-16 at halftime before breaking the game open with a 25-point third quarter.

Darius Hanna led C.I. Gibson with 19 points, hitting five three-pointers.

Melvens Simeon added 12 points, while Joeward Wright finished with eight.

Chancly Baptiste led Patrick J. Bethel with 16 points.

Tysen Stuart added nine in the loss.

C.I. Gibson forced 31 turnovers and outscored Bethel 44-14 in the paint.

ISBET 47, Jordan Prince Williams 46

ISBET edged out Jordan Prince Williams 47-46 in the tightest game of the night. The game featured 14 lead changes and seven ties.

ISBET led 25-22 at the half before Jordan Prince Williams took a 38-36 edge into the fourth quarter.

ISBET closed late to secure the one-point win.

Jahred Coakley and Joshua Burrows both led ISBET with 14 points.

Alijah Pierre led Jordan Prince Williams with 11 points. Antoinne Stubbs and Ephrime Hepburn each added eight.

Westminster 33, R.M. Bailey 31 Westminster held off R.M. Bailey 33-31 in a defensive battle. The teams were tied 11-11 after the

Hugh Campbell Day 2 ends with statement win by Anatol Rodgers

first quarter, and Westminster carried a 19-16 lead into halftime.

Rasheed Brennen and Jaheim Armbrister scored 10 points each for Westminster.

William Ingraham-Ward led R.M. Bailey with 12 points.

Westminster won the rebounding battle 30-20 and outscored Bailey 14-2 in fast break points.

Anatol Rodgers 36, St. John’s College 29 In the final game of the night, Anatol Rodgers defeated St. John’s College 36-29. Anatol led 12-4 after the first quarter and 21-7 at halftime, setting the tone early.

St. John’s made a push in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 29-17 entering the fourth, but could not close the gap.

Idnacio Fowler led Anatol Rodgers with 12 points, shooting 6-of-11 from the field. Israel White added eight points, while Jathyn Jones finished with six.

Timothy Ferguson led St. John’s with 11 points. Anatol outscored St. John’s 30-16 in the paint and held the Giants to 29 per cent shooting from the field.

“It was a scrappy win but you know, every game, we’re gonna execute, as we plan to. Want to thank God for getting our first victory, it feels really really good,” said Anatol Rodgers head coach Denykco Bowles.

“We’re gonna go back to the drawing board and continue the momentum,” said Bowles.

Coach likes The Bahamas’ chances in FIBA World Cup qualifier against JA

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

COACH Moses Johnson likes the chances of Team Bahamas heading into next week's window of the FIBA World Cup Qualifier against Jamaica. After losing its first two games in Group B last year, The Bahamas will head to Kingston, Jamaica, to face the undefeated 2-0 host country on Thursday, February 26, at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

The Bahamas Basketball Federation released the list of players expected to participate in the game. They are a group of professional players, led by former National Basketball Association centre Kai Jones, who is currently playing in Europe.

Jones will be joined by Franco Miller Jr, Garvin

Clarke Jr, Jacob Hanna, Godfrey Rolle III, Radshad Davis, Travis Munnings, Kentwan Smith, Sammy Hunter, Isaiah Mobley, Tavario Miller, David Nesbitt and Kadeem Coleby.

Johnson, the first vice president of the federation, will be assisted by Mitch Thompson, Addison Walters and Alex Stephenson. The management team consists of Henry Park, Rodney Wilson and John Nutt.

Going into next week's match against Jamaica, Johnson said he's confident that Team Bahamas will do very well.

"The federation is excited about the opportunity to compete to try to bring things even," said Johnson about the team's win-loss record. "We faced a tough ranked team in Canada in the first two games.

"But we're looking to evening the tide in this

series of games against Jamaica and Puerto Rico. That would bode well for us as Jamaica will play Canada and The Bahamas. So we look forward to giving them two losses."

Next week's double header is pivotal for Team Bahamas as they must split or win both in order to stand a chance of advancing to the second round to go to the World Cup.

"So we're excited about this opportunity and we're so appreciative of our partners and supporters as well as our national team players from the NBA, who would have assisted in making this possible.

"So we’re looking forward to an exciting time and we look to bring back two Ws in this window," Johnson summed up.

Team Bahamas opened the window with a pair of losses to Canada (111-75)

on November 28 and 94-88 on December 1. Following Thursday's game against Jamaica, Team Bahamas will travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to play Puerto Rico on Sunday, March 1. Team Bahamas will then host Jamaica at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on Friday, July 3 and Puerto Rico on Monday, July 6, to conclude the first round.

The team is playing without its top players, including Deandre Ayton, Chavano 'Buddy' Hield, Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe and Eric Gordon, who are all committed to playing for their NBA teams as the league returns to competition following the All-Star Classic over the weekend. Edgecombe, the third pick in the 2025 draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, emerged as the most valuable player of the Rising Stars game.

Bahamas Roadmasters excel at Publix Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon Weekend

TWO members of The Bahamas Roadmasters Running Club earned awards in their respective age category at the Publix Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon (26.2 miles) and Half Marathon (13.1 miles), held this past Sunday. In the marathon, Yunelis "Leilei" Lightbourn won her age category. She clocked an average pace of 7:56 minutes per mile.

Lightbourn is making a strong comeback to distance running after being sidelined for nine months with an injury.

Her next goal is to run the Berlin Marathon in September to complete her fourth race of the Abbott World Marathon Majors series.

In the A1A half marathon event, Michael Cunningham ran an average pace of 8:02 minutes per mile

to secure the second place award in his age category.

Coming up this year for Cunningham are his last two prestigious marathons, the Salan South Africa Marathon and the Sydney Marathon in Australiacompletion of which will make him an Abbott World Marathon Major "eight-star hall of famer".

To achieve this coveted recognition, one must have already qualified for the Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Medal by completing the Boston, New York, Chicago, London, Tokyo, and Berlin marathons.

"The strong winds were challenging during most of the course,” said the distance runners.

However, they were determined to complete the race while maintaining a comfortable running

pace. Their goal was to run a personal best (PB), however, the strong head-winds made it difficult to achieve the PB.

Presently, both runners are categorised as elite runners in their respective age category, according to established charts - Michael in the half marathon, and Leilie in the marathon.

Other Bahamas Roadmasters club members who received the finishers medal for successfully completing the half marathon course were Anthony Longley, Shavaughn Blades, Marva Russell-Minns, Melony Zonicle and Natasha Major.

The weekend of events included a 5K kids friendly race on Saturday, and the 6K, Half Marathon and Marathon races on Sunday, together drawing more than 9,000 runners from around the world.

Inaugural Edron Knowles Home Run Derby all set for this Friday

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

TWENTY of the top long ball hitters from the New Providence Softball Association and the Bahamas Government Departmental Softball Association will participate in the inaugural Edron 'Ed' Knowles Home Run Derby.

The event, organised by the National Sports Authority and sponsored by Asure Win and G-Ball, is scheduled to take place on Friday in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sports Complex. Gates open at 6pm and the competition is expected to commence at 7:30pm. Following the presentation of awards, a live rake-n-scrape band will be performing.

Martin 'Pork' Burrows, the chairman of the Home Run Derby, noted that each player will pay an entry fee of $25 and will be eligible for a jersey as they honour Knowles, who wore No.16.

During the first round, the 20 batters will have 10 swings, the second will come down to seven outs, the third round has five and the fourth round will be the final three, who will play for the purse that includes $500 and five cases of beers for first place, $300 and three cases for second and $200 and two cases for third.

Burrows, who worked directly with the 34-yearold Knowles at the NSA before he was killed on Saturday, August 19, 2023, noted that the former softball player made significant contributions to the NSA, particularly through his dedicated service at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium.

NSA general manager Moses Johnson thanked Knowles' mother Kathleen Minnis and her family for affording them the opportunity to work with Knowles, who provided an infectious smile with a lot of energy on the job.

"I think this is a great way to keep his memory alive," Johnson stressed. "This is a charitable event, so we're asking everybody to come out and support the event." The event got the approval of the Bahamas Softball Federation, whose president Marvin 'Tougie' Wood, indicated that he will be participating and

According to Burrows, Knowles' commitment, professionalism and passion for sports left an indelible mark on the organisation and the broader sporting community.

was presented with his No.2 jersey by Burrows. Wood also noted that the BSF will provide a floating trophy to the champion.

Knowles' sister Harriet Hart said their family is very appreciative of the NSA and the softball community taking the opportunity to remember their brother, who was always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need.

"We say thank you for showing up and playing the role. NSA, you have done well," his sister, accompanied by his mother, said. "We are here for whatever you are doing in his honour."

Hart noted that in memory of their brother,

Local Sports Calendar

SOFTBALL

ED KNOWLES

CLASSIC

THE National Sports Authority will keep the memory of the late Edron

‘Ed’ Knowles alive by hosting a Home Run Hitting Showcase at 6pm on Friday, February 20 in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The event will comprise of the top 20 home run hitters with the winner carting off $500 in cash prime and five cases of beers. Second place will take home $300 in cash and three cases of beers and third place will receive $200 and two cases of beers. The entry fee is $5.

TRACK

NPA TRACK CLASSIC

THE Noble Preparatory Academy Spartans’ third annual Track and Field Classic is scheduled for Saturday at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.

The event will begin at 10am and will feature competition on the track and the field in all age groups from under-7 to open. The registration deadline is Tuesday. The contact is info@npabahamas.com

SANDS ON

TALKSPORTS

BAHAMIAN legend

Mike Sands, president of the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC), will be the special guest of TalkSports, a radio show that covers the Caribbean.

Sands will speak on the show on Saturday, February 21, at noon and will be live on

media as he addresses NACAC, the governing body for track and field in the region.

CYCLING KING OF THE HILL THE New Province Cycling Association has announced that its King of the Hill 2026 will take place on Sunday, February 22, at Fort Charlotte Hill, starting at 8am.

It’s the association’s first race for the year and challenges the competitors to get ready to conquer the hill. Forms are available at the Cycles Bike Store, or call 432-5568 or email president Barron ‘Turbo’ Musgrove at bammus1967@ gmail.com.

“Only the toughest riders will rise to the top,” according to the association. “Test your endurance. Dominate the climb. Claim the crown. Will you be the king?”

ATLANTIS COLLEGIATE BASEBALL

ATLANTIS will be branching out its athletic programme by introducing its Collegiate Baseball Series at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium from February 27 to March 1. The series will be played between Indiana State Sycamores and the Penn State Nittany Lions, two National Collegiate Athletic Association Division One programmes. Tickets are currently on sale and will be 50% off for local residents using the code 242baseball at AtlantsBaseball.com.

Kids 12-and-under will be admitted free.

TRACK RED-LINE FIELD AND RELAY

CARNIVAL

THE Red-Line Athlet-

ics Track Club, coming off its successful hosting of the Sonja Knowles Track Classic, will now prepare for their third annual Field Events and Relay Carnival at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The Carnival is scheduled for February 28 from 10am to 6pm with the long jump, triple jump, pole vault, discus, javelin and shot put and on March 1 from 1-6pm with the 4 x 100, 4 x 200, 4 x 400, 4 x 800 metres and both the sprint and distance medley relays. The event is open to competitors from the under-7 to the open divisions.

BBSF FAMILY

FUN

RUN/WALK

THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold its Family Fun Run/Walk Race on Saturday, February 28, beginning at 6am at the Bahamas Baptist College, Jean Street. The walk will leave Jean Street and head north to Bernard Road, turn onto Bernard Road and head west to Soldier Road, turn onto Soldier Road and head south to Prince Charles Drive, turn left onto Prince Charles Drive and head east to Jean Street, turn onto Jean Street and back to the Bahamas Baptist College.

they have a "feed the 500" in the Bain and Grants Town community on April 4 as they honour his legacy.

As one of the sponsors, Anthony "AC' Coakley, representing Asure Win, said when they were approached by Burrows, they couldn't hesitate to give him a positive response.

He noted that they will be on hand to provide their usual support and will have a number of prizes and surprises that will be given out during the night. The entry fee is $5.

Food and drinks will also be on sale and the proceeds will go to his family that includes his son, Edron Knowles Jr, who is now playing baseball.

The run will leave Jean Street and head south to Prince Charles Drive, turn left onto Prince Charles Drive and head east to Fox Hill Road, turn left onto Fox Hill Road and head south to Berard Road, turn onto Bernard Road and head west on Bernard Road and to Jean Street, turn left onto Jean Street and back to the Bahamas Baptist College.

The categories in both events are the under15, under-20, under-40, under-60, 60-and-over and 70-and-over for men and ladies. There will also be a category for Pastors/Ministers combined. The cost is $10 per person.

Trophies will be presented to the overall winners and medals distributed to the first three finishers in each category. There will also be a trophy for the church or organisation that brings the most participants. A free health screening will take place as well as there will be a special appearance by fitness guru Natasha ‘Downtown’ Brown and souse will also be on sale at a cost of $10 each.

GOLF SCHOOL

CHAMPIONSHIP

THE Bahamas Golf Federation will hold its School Golf Championships March 2-6 at the Nine-Hole Driving Range at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The registration starts at 8am and the fee is $15 per golfer. Interested persons can log onto www.

bahamasgolffederation.com for more information.

TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP THE Bahamas Triathlon Association, which postponed its National Championships on February 1 due to the inclement weather, will host its new date on Sunday, March 15 at Jaws Beach, starting at 7am. The competition will have the Olympic competition including a 1.5 kilometre swim, 40K bike ride and 10k run, a sprint (750m swim, 20K bike

the Western Esplanade and end at the Legends Walk of Fame outside of the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. All groups/organisations are urged to contact Special Olympics Bahamas at 356-2433 to register to participate.

The ‘6-7’ craze is going strong at NBA and college basketball games

By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer

NORMAN, Oklahoma (AP) — LaMelo Ball has never been more popular, and it's not because Charlotte's 6-foot-7 star has the Hornets fighting for a playoff spot. The hype is largely about his height. And Charlotte is trying to take advantage. Dictionary.com named the term “6-7” its word of the year for 2025, and the global “6-7” craze is still going strong at pro and college basketball games. Young fans, players and coaches eagerly track when teams near 67 points, and

pandemonium ensues when their team hits the mark.

The Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans are among NBA teams that feature “6-7” cams during timeouts at some games. Seth Bennett, the Hornets’ chief marketing officer, said Charlotte’s marketing and game presentation teams started discussing a possible “6-7” cam to capitalise on the trend and Ball’s involvement in it. “For us as a franchise, we always want to listen to our fans, and sometimes you listen to observing what they’re into, their trends and likes, and it’s a way for us to connect to that

and hopefully have them connect to us in a fun way when they’re experiencing it here,” Bennett said.

The Hornets’ cam is mostly limited to kids days and weekend games so it doesn’t get old. Michael Robinson, who attended a game between the Hornets and 76ers with his 6-yearold son, Abel, said it’s nonstop at home.

Abel said he learned about it from his friends and on YouTube.

“It’s just cool,” Abel said. “It’s fun.”

The ‘6-7’ originator can't believe its reach

The origins of the “6-7” boom are Skrilla's 2024

song “Doot Doot (6-7).”

Skrilla leaked the song without much expectation, but it exploded on TikTok last year with basketball players, including Ball and prep standout Taylen Kinney, driving its popularity.

No one is quite sure what 6-7 means, and Skrilla kept it that way when asked for a definition.

“Everybody created their own meaning,” he told The Associated Press. “The teachers created their own meaning. The football teams created their own, the basketball (players). ‘6-7’ is global. It’s bigger than me now. So ‘6-7.’ Shout out to ‘6-7.’”

The nonsensical meme has its own hand gesture, too — flip your palms up, and alternate lifting your arms. Charlotte forward Miles Bridges made the gesture several weeks ago after hitting a 3-pointer against the Indiana Pacers.

Bridges also is 6-foot-7.

“I think that’s the team’s way of having a little fun with LaMelo anytime that they can kind of incorporate that in just to tease him a little bit, and he’s a great sport about it as well,” Bennett said.

‘6-7’ is big on basketball courts everywhere

Fans have been on 67-point watch at games across the country. It seemed to bubble up first at women's college games, including at Oklahoma. Now, fans there hold up signs handed out by the school.

On December 22, the Sooners led North Carolina Central 64-29 in the closing seconds of the first half. When Aaliyah Chavez drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer, fans went wild.

Oklahoma centre Raegan Beers said the team enjoyed giving the fans that moment.

“That’s why I love this game (with the kids),” she said. “I know a lot of us love this game here, just to have that energy in the building, and obviously lean into what’s trending at the moment, which is 6-7, whatever that means. And so it was so much fun to have that moment and just let the kids enjoy it.”

Daniel Durbin, director of Southern California’s Annenberg Institute of

Sports, Media and Society, attended USC’s women’s basketball game against Rutgers on February 1 and witnessed the phenomenon first hand.

He noted that the DJ even announced the possibility. The Trojans missed two free throws at 66, building the anticipation. When Yakiya Milton made a free throw that pushed the score to 67, the crowd erupted into what Durbin called the loudest cheer of the game.

Durbin said it falls under the long history of arbitrary sports traditions fans have created to feel more connected to the action.

“Think of all the superstitions fans have during games, rituals that they enact to ‘help’ the team win,” he said.

“As fans walk across the street to USC football games, most of them kick the base of a certain lamppost. Why? It makes them part of the game. They are enacting a meaningless ritual many USC fans perform for ‘luck.’”

Adults are doing it, too

Even the coaches are in on it. On Maryland’s annual Field Trip Day game, Terrapins coach Brenda Frese wore a jersey with the number 67 on it before tipoff. LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey did the hand gesture while on the big screen during a win over Morgan State, drawing an eruption from the home

crowd and laughter from her players.

Mulkey said her grandson got upset with her after a game because LSU skipped 67 points and went straight to 68.

TCU's women beat Baylor 83-67 on February 12, and Olivia Miles scored 40 points and Marta Suarez scored 27 — a combined 67. With the two at his side in the postgame media session, Horned Frogs coach Mark Campbell got sucked in.

“For a duo, I've never been a part of a duo that scored 67 points in one game,” he said.

As Miles did the hand gesture and Suarez laughed, Campbell pointed at Miles and said, “That's crazy. ‘6-7,’” as he added the hand gesture.

The trend has impacted the game on the court at times, too. After Maryland took a 64-18 lead against Central Connecticut State in December, the Terps attempted five straight 3-pointers before Yarden Garzon finally made one to give Maryland exactly 67 points.

The craze is perplexing to parents, but Bennett said the Hornets have embraced it to bring joy to young people.

“Overall, it’s been positive,” he said. “No way to make a negative out of something that’s just really nothing attached to it, just fun.”

Anthony Edwards claims MVP award

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer

INGLEWOOD, California (AP) — Anthony Edwards has said it boldly and confidently for years. He intends to be the best basketball player in the world.

The Minnesota Timberwolves guard got to beat the World on Sunday, thanks to the NBA AllStar Game's intriguing new format — and then he also beat a team of his fellow Americans to cap an MVP performance.

Edwards led his “Stars” team past a “Stripes” squad featuring LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard 47-21 to win the final in this mini-tournament comprising the entertaining main event of All-Star weekend at the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome.

The NBA’s fourth AllStar format in four years matched two teams of Americans against a team representing everywhere else, hoping to stoke nationalistic passion from players and fans during an Olympic year.

Along with the late-game theatrics, the event generally appeared to be played at a higher level of competitiveness than most All-Star Games in recent years, suggesting the league might have finally cracked the code on the long-standing question of how to make this midseason showcase more entertaining.

Edwards forced overtime with a clutch 3-pointer before Scottie Barnes hit a game-ending, overtime 3-pointer for his team in the opening mini-game against the World.

De'Aaron Fox hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the second game for the slightly older Stripes over the slightly younger Stars. Leonard then thrilled his home crowd with a 31-point barrage for the Stripes in the final round-robin game, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left.

The Stripes appeared to be gassed in the finale, but Edwards and his teammates didn't let up.

When asked to identify his most satisfying moment Sunday, Edwards replied: “Probably beating the World team.”

The results were solid, with three exciting minigames in the round-robin tournament all going down to the buzzer before the blowout finale. “I like this format,” Edwards said. “I think it makes us compete because it’s only 12 minutes, and the three different teams separate the guys. I think it was really good.”

Why?

“Because they say they’re the best players in the world,” he replied. “So beating them is the best feeling in the world.”

Already a four-time AllStar at 24 years old, the six-year NBA veteran has been on the world stage before, winning an Olympic gold medal two years ago in Paris. He has also led the Wolves to the Western Conference finals in two straight seasons.

Edwards claimed his first All-Star MVP trophy — an award named for Kobe Bryant — with that tying 3-pointer to cap a 13-point effort in the first game, an 11-point performance in the second, and eight points in the anticlimactic final.

All-Star LeBron

The Inglewood crowd included former President Barack Obama, who received a standing ovation pregame — and even motivated Edwards’ performance.

“He’s my favourite person in the world,” Edwards said. “We were kicking it (Saturday). Me and him had a great time. I told him I was going to put on a show for him.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver thanked the All-Stars for playing hard when he presented the championship trophy to the Stars.

Victor Wembanyama effectively challenged his fellow All-Stars to take this game seriously, and they largely appeared to do it.

Despite going 0-2, Wembanyama led the World team in scoring in both games with 14 points in the opener and 19 in the third game. “It felt good to be out there with greats, new and old, and even international guys, too,” Kevin Durant said.

“Hopefully we just build upon this and the weekend becomes more and more competitive.”

The World team was loaded with talent, but went 0-2 after NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic both sat out the second game, likely to preserve the health of two superstars who have struggled with injury in the past month. Giannis Antetokounmpo also didn't suit up at all.

First game

Barnes' 3-pointer in overtime pushed the Stars past the World 37-36.

Edwards forced OT on a 3-pointer with 13.3 seconds left in regulation, and he hit a 14-footer to begin the first-to-five-points overtime period. Wembanyama made a 3-pointer, but Raptors star Barnes ended it by draining his only shot of the game.

Second game Donovan Mitchell took a pass under the net from James and kicked it out to Fox on the perimeter for the winner. Jaylen Brown led

the Stripes with 11 points, and James scored eight to begin his record 21st AllStar appearance. A few hours beforehand, James said the game’s presence in the Los Angeles area meant “nothing, because this is not our building. This is a road game.”

Indeed, the Clippers fans in Intuit Dome booed James and Doncic whenever they touched the ball.

Third game Leonard utterly dominated even before his clutch 3-pointer to cap the Stripes’ 48-45 victory.

Leonard thrilled his home crowd with a dynamic effort, going 11 of 13 and 6 of 7 from beyond the arc. The seven-time All-Star made his first seven shots with five 3-pointers amid raucous cheers from the extra-steep supporters’ section called The Wall behind one basket at this futuristic 18-month-old arena.

James put the Stripes ahead with 31 seconds left on a putback dunk, but Wembanyama hit two free throws to tie it before Leonard called game. Jokic and Doncic didn't play, leaving the World with just seven players.

Up next The All-Star weekend stays out West in February 2027 when Phoenix hosts for the fourth time.

says he still doesn’t know whether his 23rd NBA season will be his last

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer

INGLEWOOD, California (AP) — LeBron James still hasn't decided whether his unprecedented 23rd NBA season will be his last.

“When I know, you guys will know,” James told reporters Sunday after arriving at Intuit Dome to play in his 21st All-Star Game. “I don’t know. I have no idea. I just want to live. That’s all.”

The 41-year-old James again confirmed he is not on a farewell tour this season with the Los Angeles Lakers, even though he teared up during a tribute to his career in Cleveland last month. He has also spoken repeatedly about the importance of savouring moments of the season with his teammates, including his 21-year-old son, Bronny.

And while he deftly parried this All-Star Game round of questions about his future with the same basic answer he has given for months, James expressed gratitude for another chance to make memories with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant on the All-Star stage.

The veteran superstars were slated to play together on the “Stripes” team of American All-Stars before Curry's knee injury sidelined him, but Curry is still attending the game.

“It’s always an honour to see those guys,” James said. “We've had such an unbelievable journey throughout our individual careers and then intersecting at certain points in our careers — matchups in the regular season, Finals appearances, postseason appearances, then Olympics two summers ago. When it comes to me, Steph and KD, we’ll be interlocked for the rest of our careers, for sure.”

As to the length of that career, James repeated his regular declarations that he hasn't made a decision and he is focused on the final 28 games of the regular season with the Lakers, who are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race despite major injury problems.

James could be a free agent this summer, but he claims he's not thinking beyond the tasks before the Lakers.

“It has nothing to do with that,” James said. “Same motivation, same mind factor. We’ve got past the marathon, and now the sprint is about to start.”

James has spoken in the past about his desire to

become an NBA owner after his playing career, and the league could soon be exploring expansion. James has noticed, but his next career isn't his focus.

“There’s a lot of things that I have on the table that I could tap into if I want to, (ownership) being one of them,” James said.

“There’s other ventures as well that I’ll continue to explore, and then see what will engage me and motivate me post-career. Right now, I’m still locked in on what’s going in right now with our season, and that’s where my mind is.”

James spoke to reporters before Sunday’s game because the league has allowed him to skip All-Star Saturday activities in recent years.

James said Thursday that he planned to spend his extra time off at home recovering from a season in which he has already missed 18 games due to various health concerns, including sciatica that sidelined him for the Lakers’ first 14 games.

Yet he still headed into this break Thursday by becoming the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double.

The four-time NBA champion with the longest career in league history is still performing at an All-Star level alongside fellow All-Star Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, yet the Lakers’ dynamic trio has played only 10 games together this season because of injuries to all three players.

“It’s too hard to really say what we’re capable of,” James said.

“I know that when we’ve played some of our best basketball of the season, we’ve looked very good. On the other side, when we’ve been terrible, we’ve looked disgusting.

“So, I think the most important (thing) is if we can get healthy, how many minutes we can be on the floor, how much chemistry we can build with this sprint starting.”

James has missed too many games to qualify for his 22nd inclusion on the All-NBA teams.

But he was still chosen for another All-Star Game after missing last year's game in San Francisco, ending his 20-year streak of appearances.

More than two decades after he started for the Eastern Conference in his All-Star debut, he returns to play in a game that has been transformed

into a round-robin tournament between two teams of American players and a powerhouse team representing the rest of the

world. Like Kawhi Leonard and several other All-Stars, James prefers the classics.

“East-West is definitely a tradition,” James said.

“It’s been really good. Obviously, I like the East and West format. They’re trying something. We’ll see what happens. I mean,

it’s like the U.S. versus the World? The World is gigantic over the U.S. I’m just

Australia crashes out of T20 World Cup

PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka

(AP) — Australia, the 2021 champion, crashed out of cricket's T20 World Cup yesterday after Zimbabwe's Group B game against Ireland was abandoned because of rain without a ball being bowled.

But the no-result in Pallekele meant Zimbabwe qualified for the second stage of the tournament for the first time.

Seven teams have now qualified for the second round. Zimbabwe will be in Group 1 along with defending champion India, West Indies and South Africa. Sri Lanka is in Group 2 with England, New Zealand and Pakistan or USA.

Earlier, Canada batter Yuvraj Samra’s exhilarating century proved in vain as New Zealand advanced to

Zimbabwe and New Zealand advance to Super 8s

the Super 8s with an eightwicket win in Chennai. New Zealand’s resounding victory knocked 2024 semi-finalist Afghanistan out of the tournament.

Later, Scotland will take on Nepal in Mumbai in their final Group C game. Both sides have already been eliminated.

Dream come true for Samra Samra’s 110 off 65 balls, which included six sixes and 11 fours, had earlier guided Canada to 173-4 after captain Dilpreet Bajwa won the toss and elected to bat.

The 19-year-old Samra, who caught the eye last year when he smashed a 15-ball half century against

Bahamas, became the first batter from an associate nation to score a hundred at the T20 World Cup.

“I manifested this moment ever since we qualified for the World Cup. Every single day I dreamed about scoring a hundred on this stage,” he said. “To do it here, in my first appearance (in Chennai), and as the youngest player in this World Cup – it’s truly a dream come true.”

Bajwa made 36 off 39 balls and together with Samra put on 116 for the first wicket.

New Zealand struggled to stem the flow of runs and felt the absence of captain Mitchell Santner, who

was ruled out of the game due to a “dodgy burger” on Monday night, and fast bowler Lockie Ferguson. Ferguson is on paternity leave but is expected to re-join the team for the Super 8s. Samra was dropped, but not before he had raised his century off 58 deliveries, when the ball burst through the hands of James Neesham at long-off. His belligerent knock ended in the final over when Phillips caught him at deep backward square leg at the second attempt.

In reply, Glenn Phillips (76 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (59 not out) led New Zealand to 176-2 in 15.1 overs on a perfect

batting wicket as the Black Caps claimed their third win in Group D. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert fell inside four balls in the power play before Phillips and Ravindra shared an electrifying 146-run partnership in just 12 overs.

Nepal ends campaign with win Nepal registered its third win in T20 World Cups as it beat Scotland by seven wickets in Mumbai. It was the final game for both sides, who had already been eliminated from Group C.

Dipendra Singh Airee scored 50 not out off 23 balls with three sixes and four fours as Nepal finished with 171-3, crossing the

victory line with four balls to spare. Opener Kushal Bhurtel scored 43 off 35 balls with four sixes.

Earlier, medium pacer Sompal Kami picked 3-25 as Scotland made 170-7. Opener Michael Jones scored 71 off 45 balls to set up the game.

It was the third highest successful run-chase for an associate nation in tournament history and a first win for Nepal in 12 years at the T20 World Cup. It had earlier beaten Hong Kong and Afghanistan in 2014, but went winless in 2024.

Scotland finished third in Group C with one win in four games.

Champions League:

PSG avoids scare,

Vinicius Junior says he was racially insulted in Real Madrid victory

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer

DESIRE

Doue came off the bench to rescue Paris

Saint-Germain just when its Champions League title defence looked to be unravelling in Monaco.

Vinicius Junior scored a brilliant solo goal to give Real Madrid the advantage in its playoff against Benfica yesterday — then complained of being racially insulted by an opponent in angry scenes in Lisbon.

The match was halted for nearly 10 minutes, with Vinicius sitting alone in the dugout at Estadio da Luiz, before play resumed without any players being sent off as a result of his accusations. Madrid won 1-0.

PSG also has a one-goal lead after its first leg against Monaco following a 3-2 win at Stade Louis-II.

But trailing 2-0 after 18 minutes the defending

after scoring the opening goal during a Champions League playoff soccer match against SL Benfica and in Lisbon, Portugal, yesterday.

champion was in danger of suffering a major upset. That was until Doue came on as a first-half

Borussia Dortmund beat Atalanta 2-0.

Juventus on the brink Galatasaray pushed Juventus to the brink of elimination in a wild 5-2 comeback win in Istanbul yesterday.

(AP Photos/ Pedro Rocha)

substitute and turned the game on its head with two goals to inspire victory for PSG.

Trailing 2-1 at halftime in the playoff match at RAMS Park, the Turkish giant powered back after the break.

Noa Lang scored two of Galatasaray's four second-half goals to stun two-time European

champion Juve. Galatasaray takes a three-goal lead into the second leg in Turin next week with the chance to advance to the round of 16 for the first time since 2014.

Juventus responded well to going a goal down through Gabriel Sara after 15 minutes, with Teun Koopmeiners equalising a minute later and adding another before halftime. But Galatasaray took control in the second half half. Lang levelled four

THE WEATHER REPORT

minutes after the restart, scoring from close range. Davinson Sanchez gave the home team the lead on the hour and Juventus' challenge was made all the more difficult when Juan Cabal was sent off 22 minutes after coming on as a halftime substitute. Lang got his second when capitalising on sloppy play from Juventus' defence in its own box and Sacha Boey drove in from the angle in the 86th.

Marlo Pinder strikes show jumping gold in Martinique

THIRTEEN-year-old

equestrian athlete Marlo Pinder turned in a golden performance at the Grand Caraïbe show jumping competition in Le François, Martinique, last weekend.

Pinder, who won an individual bronze medal in the Grand Caraïbe competition last November in Suriname, went to Martinique determined to improve that performance and she did, riding borrowed horse Cazanova to victory to win the gold medal in the Elite category.

After having a disappointing rail down at Fence 3, the pair sat in 7th place after the first day of competition, 11 points behind the leader Jonathan Filardo of Barbados.

However, on day two, Pinder rode a flawless clear first round and then another clear round in the jump off, clocking the winning time of 41.79 seconds.

Combined with her scores from day one, Pinder’s top placing on day two of the competition was enough to earn her overall champion honours and the gold medal in the Elite division.

In the end, Barbados’ Filardo had to settle for the bronze, with silver going to Sebastien De Virginy of Martinique.

Pinder was one of three riders representing The Bahamas at the competition.

Under the guidance of team coach Raishun Burch, she and her teammates Alana Pyfrom and Kelsey Pyfrom made a strong showing overall, finishing just off the podium in fourth place in the team competition.

The two-day competition featured 75 riders

from seven countries (The Bahamas, Barbados, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, and Suriname).

The visiting country teams competed on horses lent for the competition by riders from stables across the island of Martinique. Pinder’s success marks The Bahamas’ first gold medal in the Grand Caraibe Tour, which is comprised of a series of show jumping competitions in Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, and Suriname.

The next competition in the Tour will take place in May, on the island of Guadeloupe.