Veteran first baseman Ryan Zimmerman is retiring from Major League Baseball after 17 years in the majors.

Zimmerman, who spent his entire career with the Washington Nationals, made the announcement on Tuesday via his agency CAA Baseball.

In a letter, Zimmerman thanked the Nationals organization, his coaches, teammates, fans, agents, and family for contributions they made to his successful career in MLB. He also added that he will continue calling Washington his home and looks forward to moving forward with various community programs he started in the city.

“So this is not a goodbye, but more of a ‘see you around,'” Zimmerman concluded the letter.

Zimmerman didn’t get a huge sendoff from the Washington Nationals, considering that the teams and players are currently in a standoff over the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement. However, the team did pay tribute to their first draft pick in franchise history on social media.

“Ryan always carried himself with class, honor, and respect and played the game for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back,” Mike Rizzo, the general manager of the Nationals, said in a statement. “I want to personally congratulate Ryan on a fantastic career and wish him and the entire Zimmerman family all the best in retirement.”

Ryan Zimmerman entered the MLB in 2005 as the Nationals’ fourth-round draft pick. He went on to play 1,799 games in the majors, helping the franchise win a World Series in 2019 and making two All-Star appearances. His career stats include a .277 batting average, 284 home runs, and 1,061 RBIs.

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Philadelphia 76ers’ president of basketball operations Daryl Morey finally got his wish. The 76ers managed to swap disgruntled All-Star guard Ben Simmons for the Brooklyn Nets’ superstar and 2018’s NBA MVP James Harden.

The deal was finalized just before the NBA’s trade deadline on Thursday. Besides Simmons, the 76ers are sending marksman Seth Curry, center Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks to Brooklyn as well. On the other hand, veteran guard Paul Millsap will arrive in Philly alongside Harden. 

The 76ers and the Nets are content with the deal. Philadelphia managed to get Simmons, who asked to be traded in the summer, out of town while receiving a superstar in return. For Brooklyn, the deal was about moving an unhappy player in Harden and getting young and better defensively while also acquiring valuable picks.

Ben Simmons didn’t play at all in 2021-22, first refusing to join the team and then citing mental health as the roadblock on his return to court. The 25-year-old, who has three All-Star appearances on his resume, averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists last season.

James Harden arrived in Brooklyn from the Houston Rockets in early 2021 and was supposed to be a part of the Nets’ three-headed monster alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But injuries and other issues prevented the trio from showing what they were capable of. In the meantime, Harden became unhappy with his role on the team and reportedly welcomed the opportunity to go to Philly with great enthusiasm.

In Philadelphia, Harden will reunite with Morey, who also traded for him in 2012 while he was general manager of the Rockets. While the two were together in Houston, the Rockets never missed out on the playoffs while reaching two Western Conference Finals.

Harden is averaging 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 10.2 assists in 2021-22. He is set to become a free agent in the summer if he declines his player option and would be eligible to sign a five-year contract worth $275 million.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars have hired Doug Pederson as their new head coach. The franchise confirmed the news via social media on Friday.

Pederson, who has a Super Bowl win on his resume as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, was the first candidate the Jags interviewed for the position after firing Urban Meyer midway through the 2021 NFL season. The franchise did their due diligence and looked into several more candidates, including Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and ex-Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, but circled back to Pederson.

“Doug Pederson four years ago won a Super Bowl as head coach of a franchise in pursuit of its first world championship,” Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a team-released statement. “I hope Doug can replicate that magic here in Jacksonville, but what is certain is his proven leadership and experience as a winning head coach in the National Football League. It’s exactly what our players deserve. Nothing less.”

Pederson, who previously worked as an offensive coordinator under Andy Reid, spent five years as Philly’s head coach. He compiled a 42–37–1 head-coaching record while leading the franchise to three postseason trips. The one in 2017 culminated with a Super Bowl win over the heavily-favored New England Patriots. The Eagles fired the 54-year-old after going 4-11-1 in 2020.

In Jacksonville, Pederson faces the challenging task of getting the Jags back on the winning path. Since their trip to AFC Championship in 2017, the Jaguars haven’t had a winning season and have a combined record of 15-50.

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It’s an end of an era. Legendary New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Tom Brady decided to hang up his cleats and retire from the NFL.

Brady’s retirement was widely expected as several media outlets reported the news on Saturday. However, Brady waited with the official announcement until Tuesday morning, when he posted a lengthy statement on Twitter and the rest of his social media.

Announcing the retirement, Brady said he “loved his NFL career” but feels now is the time to “focus my time and energy on other things that require his attention. He also thanked his family, the NFL fans, his coaches, teammates, and everyone else who contributed to his career.

Addressing the future, Brady said he would continue working on the companies he co-founded, including TB12 Sports, but admitted he still doesn’t have everything planned out.

“I am going to take it day by day,” he added. “I know for sure I want to spend a lot of time giving to others and trying to enrich other people’s lives, just as so many have done for me.”

Brady spent his first 20 years in the NFL with the Patriots, transforming the franchise into a football powerhouse. As the team’s quarterback, Brady led New England to nine Super Bowl appearances and six Vince Lombardi trophies.

In 2020, Brady left the Pats and signed with the Buccaneers. He further cemented his status as the “G.O.A.T.” (greatest of all time) in Tampa Bay, helping the franchise to win a Super Bowl in his first year. However, he fell short of repeating in the 2021 NFL season, as the Bucs were eliminated in the divisional round by Super Bowl-bound LA Rams.

With seven Super Bowl rings, Tom Brady retires as the most accomplished player in NFL history. The next on the list, Hall of Fame linebacker Charles Haley, has five while no other quarterback managed to get more than four. Brady was also named the NFL MVP three times and had 15 Pro Bowl nods in 22 years of his NFL career. In addition, he holds numerous NFL records, including most career QB wins (243), most career passing yards (84,520), and most career passing touchdowns (624).

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The Los Angeles Rams’ offseason trade for Matthew Stafford seems to be paying off. Stafford came in strong on Sunday night and led the Rams to a 30-27 win over reigning Super Bowl champs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with two passing touchdowns and one rushing TD. His 366 passing yards were the third-most in a single playoff game in the franchise’s history.

While the night finished victorious for the Rams and Stafford, it almost went the other way. Holding a 27-3 lead midway through the third quarter, the LA team became reckless and allowed Tom Brady to start one of his signature comebacks.

After a sluggish first part of the contest, Brady started connecting with his receivers, and the Bucs went on to score 24 unanswered points to tie the game, including three touchdowns and a field goal. Tampa Bay’s defense also played a crucial role, forcing three fumbles, including one in the red zone.

Following this scoring rampage by the Bucs, the Rams found themselves with the ball and 42 seconds to work with at their own 25 yards. However, this proved to be more than enough for Stafford, who arrived in LA from Detroit Lions in exchange for a package that included former first overall pick Jared Goff and two future first-rounders.

On the second play of the drive, Stafford found wideout Cooper Kupp for a 20-yard gain. The two connected once again on the next play, this time for a 44-yard gain. This set up a 30-yard field goal attempt that kicker Matt Gay converted as the time was running out to give his team a major win.

“It felt like that ball hung up for about 12 seconds,” said Rams head coach Sean McVay after the game. “But those guys did a great job. I thought Matthew Stafford was unbelievable throughout the whole day. Just his poise, his command, his demeanor, his decision-making.”

The Rams will now play the San Francisco 49ers, who upset the top-seeded Green Bay Packers, in the NFC Championship game next Sunday. The AFC Championship game will see the Super Bowl favorites Kansas City Chiefs playing the Cincinnati Bengals.

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On Friday, the Associated Press unveiled its NFL All-Pro Team for the 2021 NFL season. The team, voted by 50 members of a nationwide panel of media members, has five unanimous selections, including Indianapolis Colts’ standout running back Jonathan Taylor and Los Angeles Rams’ star wideout Cooper Kupp.

This season, Taylor has been a one-man offense for the Colts, establishing himself as an MVP candidate on the back of 1,811 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Kupp, on the other hand, had a historic season that saw him lead the league in catches (145), yards (1,947), and receiving TDs (16). In addition, he became just the fourth receiver in the Super Bowl era to do so.

Besides Taylor and Kupp, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, and Rams’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald also received votes from all 50 voters. Adams broke the Packers’ all-time record for receiving yards in a single season in 2021, while Watt tied Michael Strahan’s NFL single-season sack record. On the other hand, Donald once again confirmed his reputation as one of the league’s best defensive players.

Other noteworthy selections include the San Francisco 49ers’ left tackle Trent Williams and Dallas Cowboys’ linebacker Micah Parsons. Williams made his first All-Pro Team after 11 years in the NFL and nine Pro Bowl selections, while Parsons is the only rookie that got in this season.

Check out the entire 2021 NFL All-Pro Team below.

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Things have turned from bad to worse for the struggling Portland Trail Blazers. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Blazers superstar Damian Lillard is expected to undergo surgery that could sideline him between six and eight weeks.

Lillard aggravated an abdominal injury back in the summer while playing for Team USA and never fully recovered. The injury has been a lingering issue for the All-Star guard in the 2021-22 NBA season and caused his production to take a significant dip. After weighing his options, Lillard decided to have the procedure as he believes this will give him the best chance to return to the All-NBA form from last season.

Windhorst added in his report that the surgery date and timetable for Lillard’s return would be determined by the end of the week following further medical consultations.

If the reports turn out to be accurate, then we might not see Damian Lillard play again this season. The Trail Blazers are already in the lottery with a 16-24 record, and it’s hard to see them turning things around without Lillard. Once he returns, it will probably be too late for any postseason push, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Portland decides to shut down their best player and turn focus to 2022-23.

Lillard averaged 24.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per contest in 29 games he played this season. While these would be more than solid numbers, they are well below the bar Lillard set in recent years. He also struggled with efficiency, shooting career lows from the floor (40.2 percent) and beyond the arc (32.4 percent).

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After receiving a medical exemption for gaining entry to the Australian Open grand slam regardless of his COVID-19 vaccination status, Novak Djokovic will be required to provide acceptable proof that validates such medical grounds, the Australian home affairs minister Karen Andrews explained in a statement. This comes after the ATP world number one ATP announced his intention to participate in the tournament on social media.

Initially, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison explained that the decision to permit entry to Djokovic lay with the government of Victoria, the state where the Australian Open will be held. Andrews later elaborated, explaining that when Djokovic initially arrives at the airport, it will be the national government that determines whether he will be granted entry to the country.

“If an arriving individual is not vaccinated, they must provide acceptable proof that they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons to be able to access the same travel arrangement as fully vaccinated travelers,” Andrews confirmed.

With supporters and critics commenting on Djokovic’s situation, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley came out in defense of the reigning Australian Open champion, explaining that Djokovic underwent the full legitimate process for a vaccine exemption.

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Following new guidelines that were released by the Centers for Disease Control on Monday, the NFL and the NFL Players Association have decided to shorten the isolation time to five days for players who test positive for COVID-19. While the rule applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated players, it will only come into effect if the player is asymptomatic or proves to have reducing symptoms over the five-day period.

NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills explained during a press conference on Tuesday night that the decision to shorten the COVID isolation time has been backed up by the NFL’s data, which supports the CDC’s recent guidelines announcement.

Sills explained that it’s the CDC’s assessment that people are at a lower risk of spreading the virus five days after their initial positive test. That mirrors what they have been seeing and why they’re supportive and eager to implement this change.

Prior to the new agreement, the NFL required players to produce a negative test in order to exit isolation. This changed, however, after testing proved to be less useful against the omicron strain.

The post NFL, NFLPA Agree to Shortened COVID Isolation Period appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio had to undergo an MRI scan on his left knee on Wednesday. This comes after the 31-year-old incurred an injury during the Cavs’ 108-104 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

With under three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Rubio slipped as he attempted to swerve around Pelicans guard Devonte Graham. As he grounded his right foot, his left knee buckled, sending the Spaniard crashing to the floor. Rubio immediately grabbed at his left knee in pain following the fall, prompting teammates Kevin Love and Isaac Okoro to help him off the court for medical care.

After the Cavs’ narrow loss, coach J.B. Bickerstaff did not provide any specific details on Rubio’s fall, simply explaining that examinations of the injury were still underway.

Bickerstaff and the Cavs will be anxiously waiting to hear about the severity of Rubio’s injury, especially because of the major impact that he has had on the court prior to this hurdle. During the Pelicans game alone, Rubio scored 27 points while racking up 13 rebounds and 8 assists in just 37 minutes of play.

The post Ricky Rubio Set For MRI Following Knee Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Veteran first baseman Ryan Zimmerman is retiring from Major League Baseball after 17 years in the majors.

Zimmerman, who spent his entire career with the Washington Nationals, made the announcement on Tuesday via his agency CAA Baseball.

In a letter, Zimmerman thanked the Nationals organization, his coaches, teammates, fans, agents, and family for contributions they made to his successful career in MLB. He also added that he will continue calling Washington his home and looks forward to moving forward with various community programs he started in the city.

“So this is not a goodbye, but more of a ‘see you around,'” Zimmerman concluded the letter.

Zimmerman didn’t get a huge sendoff from the Washington Nationals, considering that the teams and players are currently in a standoff over the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement. However, the team did pay tribute to their first draft pick in franchise history on social media.

“Ryan always carried himself with class, honor, and respect and played the game for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back,” Mike Rizzo, the general manager of the Nationals, said in a statement. “I want to personally congratulate Ryan on a fantastic career and wish him and the entire Zimmerman family all the best in retirement.”

Ryan Zimmerman entered the MLB in 2005 as the Nationals’ fourth-round draft pick. He went on to play 1,799 games in the majors, helping the franchise win a World Series in 2019 and making two All-Star appearances. His career stats include a .277 batting average, 284 home runs, and 1,061 RBIs.

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Philadelphia 76ers’ president of basketball operations Daryl Morey finally got his wish. The 76ers managed to swap disgruntled All-Star guard Ben Simmons for the Brooklyn Nets’ superstar and 2018’s NBA MVP James Harden.

The deal was finalized just before the NBA’s trade deadline on Thursday. Besides Simmons, the 76ers are sending marksman Seth Curry, center Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks to Brooklyn as well. On the other hand, veteran guard Paul Millsap will arrive in Philly alongside Harden. 

The 76ers and the Nets are content with the deal. Philadelphia managed to get Simmons, who asked to be traded in the summer, out of town while receiving a superstar in return. For Brooklyn, the deal was about moving an unhappy player in Harden and getting young and better defensively while also acquiring valuable picks.

Ben Simmons didn’t play at all in 2021-22, first refusing to join the team and then citing mental health as the roadblock on his return to court. The 25-year-old, who has three All-Star appearances on his resume, averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists last season.

James Harden arrived in Brooklyn from the Houston Rockets in early 2021 and was supposed to be a part of the Nets’ three-headed monster alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But injuries and other issues prevented the trio from showing what they were capable of. In the meantime, Harden became unhappy with his role on the team and reportedly welcomed the opportunity to go to Philly with great enthusiasm.

In Philadelphia, Harden will reunite with Morey, who also traded for him in 2012 while he was general manager of the Rockets. While the two were together in Houston, the Rockets never missed out on the playoffs while reaching two Western Conference Finals.

Harden is averaging 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 10.2 assists in 2021-22. He is set to become a free agent in the summer if he declines his player option and would be eligible to sign a five-year contract worth $275 million.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars have hired Doug Pederson as their new head coach. The franchise confirmed the news via social media on Friday.

Pederson, who has a Super Bowl win on his resume as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, was the first candidate the Jags interviewed for the position after firing Urban Meyer midway through the 2021 NFL season. The franchise did their due diligence and looked into several more candidates, including Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and ex-Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, but circled back to Pederson.

“Doug Pederson four years ago won a Super Bowl as head coach of a franchise in pursuit of its first world championship,” Jaguars owner Shad Khan said in a team-released statement. “I hope Doug can replicate that magic here in Jacksonville, but what is certain is his proven leadership and experience as a winning head coach in the National Football League. It’s exactly what our players deserve. Nothing less.”

Pederson, who previously worked as an offensive coordinator under Andy Reid, spent five years as Philly’s head coach. He compiled a 42–37–1 head-coaching record while leading the franchise to three postseason trips. The one in 2017 culminated with a Super Bowl win over the heavily-favored New England Patriots. The Eagles fired the 54-year-old after going 4-11-1 in 2020.

In Jacksonville, Pederson faces the challenging task of getting the Jags back on the winning path. Since their trip to AFC Championship in 2017, the Jaguars haven’t had a winning season and have a combined record of 15-50.

The post Jacksonville Jaguars Hire Doug Pederson as Their New Head Coach appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It’s an end of an era. Legendary New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Tom Brady decided to hang up his cleats and retire from the NFL.

Brady’s retirement was widely expected as several media outlets reported the news on Saturday. However, Brady waited with the official announcement until Tuesday morning, when he posted a lengthy statement on Twitter and the rest of his social media.

Announcing the retirement, Brady said he “loved his NFL career” but feels now is the time to “focus my time and energy on other things that require his attention. He also thanked his family, the NFL fans, his coaches, teammates, and everyone else who contributed to his career.

Addressing the future, Brady said he would continue working on the companies he co-founded, including TB12 Sports, but admitted he still doesn’t have everything planned out.

“I am going to take it day by day,” he added. “I know for sure I want to spend a lot of time giving to others and trying to enrich other people’s lives, just as so many have done for me.”

Brady spent his first 20 years in the NFL with the Patriots, transforming the franchise into a football powerhouse. As the team’s quarterback, Brady led New England to nine Super Bowl appearances and six Vince Lombardi trophies.

In 2020, Brady left the Pats and signed with the Buccaneers. He further cemented his status as the “G.O.A.T.” (greatest of all time) in Tampa Bay, helping the franchise to win a Super Bowl in his first year. However, he fell short of repeating in the 2021 NFL season, as the Bucs were eliminated in the divisional round by Super Bowl-bound LA Rams.

With seven Super Bowl rings, Tom Brady retires as the most accomplished player in NFL history. The next on the list, Hall of Fame linebacker Charles Haley, has five while no other quarterback managed to get more than four. Brady was also named the NFL MVP three times and had 15 Pro Bowl nods in 22 years of his NFL career. In addition, he holds numerous NFL records, including most career QB wins (243), most career passing yards (84,520), and most career passing touchdowns (624).

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The Los Angeles Rams’ offseason trade for Matthew Stafford seems to be paying off. Stafford came in strong on Sunday night and led the Rams to a 30-27 win over reigning Super Bowl champs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with two passing touchdowns and one rushing TD. His 366 passing yards were the third-most in a single playoff game in the franchise’s history.

While the night finished victorious for the Rams and Stafford, it almost went the other way. Holding a 27-3 lead midway through the third quarter, the LA team became reckless and allowed Tom Brady to start one of his signature comebacks.

After a sluggish first part of the contest, Brady started connecting with his receivers, and the Bucs went on to score 24 unanswered points to tie the game, including three touchdowns and a field goal. Tampa Bay’s defense also played a crucial role, forcing three fumbles, including one in the red zone.

Following this scoring rampage by the Bucs, the Rams found themselves with the ball and 42 seconds to work with at their own 25 yards. However, this proved to be more than enough for Stafford, who arrived in LA from Detroit Lions in exchange for a package that included former first overall pick Jared Goff and two future first-rounders.

On the second play of the drive, Stafford found wideout Cooper Kupp for a 20-yard gain. The two connected once again on the next play, this time for a 44-yard gain. This set up a 30-yard field goal attempt that kicker Matt Gay converted as the time was running out to give his team a major win.

“It felt like that ball hung up for about 12 seconds,” said Rams head coach Sean McVay after the game. “But those guys did a great job. I thought Matthew Stafford was unbelievable throughout the whole day. Just his poise, his command, his demeanor, his decision-making.”

The Rams will now play the San Francisco 49ers, who upset the top-seeded Green Bay Packers, in the NFC Championship game next Sunday. The AFC Championship game will see the Super Bowl favorites Kansas City Chiefs playing the Cincinnati Bengals.

The post Rams Hold Off Tom Brady, Bucs’ Comeback Attempt appeared first on SportzBonanza.

On Friday, the Associated Press unveiled its NFL All-Pro Team for the 2021 NFL season. The team, voted by 50 members of a nationwide panel of media members, has five unanimous selections, including Indianapolis Colts’ standout running back Jonathan Taylor and Los Angeles Rams’ star wideout Cooper Kupp.

This season, Taylor has been a one-man offense for the Colts, establishing himself as an MVP candidate on the back of 1,811 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Kupp, on the other hand, had a historic season that saw him lead the league in catches (145), yards (1,947), and receiving TDs (16). In addition, he became just the fourth receiver in the Super Bowl era to do so.

Besides Taylor and Kupp, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, and Rams’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald also received votes from all 50 voters. Adams broke the Packers’ all-time record for receiving yards in a single season in 2021, while Watt tied Michael Strahan’s NFL single-season sack record. On the other hand, Donald once again confirmed his reputation as one of the league’s best defensive players.

Other noteworthy selections include the San Francisco 49ers’ left tackle Trent Williams and Dallas Cowboys’ linebacker Micah Parsons. Williams made his first All-Pro Team after 11 years in the NFL and nine Pro Bowl selections, while Parsons is the only rookie that got in this season.

Check out the entire 2021 NFL All-Pro Team below.

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Things have turned from bad to worse for the struggling Portland Trail Blazers. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Blazers superstar Damian Lillard is expected to undergo surgery that could sideline him between six and eight weeks.

Lillard aggravated an abdominal injury back in the summer while playing for Team USA and never fully recovered. The injury has been a lingering issue for the All-Star guard in the 2021-22 NBA season and caused his production to take a significant dip. After weighing his options, Lillard decided to have the procedure as he believes this will give him the best chance to return to the All-NBA form from last season.

Windhorst added in his report that the surgery date and timetable for Lillard’s return would be determined by the end of the week following further medical consultations.

If the reports turn out to be accurate, then we might not see Damian Lillard play again this season. The Trail Blazers are already in the lottery with a 16-24 record, and it’s hard to see them turning things around without Lillard. Once he returns, it will probably be too late for any postseason push, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Portland decides to shut down their best player and turn focus to 2022-23.

Lillard averaged 24.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per contest in 29 games he played this season. While these would be more than solid numbers, they are well below the bar Lillard set in recent years. He also struggled with efficiency, shooting career lows from the floor (40.2 percent) and beyond the arc (32.4 percent).

The post Blazers Superstar Damian Lillard Expected to Have Surgery appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After receiving a medical exemption for gaining entry to the Australian Open grand slam regardless of his COVID-19 vaccination status, Novak Djokovic will be required to provide acceptable proof that validates such medical grounds, the Australian home affairs minister Karen Andrews explained in a statement. This comes after the ATP world number one ATP announced his intention to participate in the tournament on social media.

Initially, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison explained that the decision to permit entry to Djokovic lay with the government of Victoria, the state where the Australian Open will be held. Andrews later elaborated, explaining that when Djokovic initially arrives at the airport, it will be the national government that determines whether he will be granted entry to the country.

“If an arriving individual is not vaccinated, they must provide acceptable proof that they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons to be able to access the same travel arrangement as fully vaccinated travelers,” Andrews confirmed.

With supporters and critics commenting on Djokovic’s situation, Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley came out in defense of the reigning Australian Open champion, explaining that Djokovic underwent the full legitimate process for a vaccine exemption.

The post Novak Djokovic Required to Prove Vaccine Exemption Ahead of Australian Open appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Following new guidelines that were released by the Centers for Disease Control on Monday, the NFL and the NFL Players Association have decided to shorten the isolation time to five days for players who test positive for COVID-19. While the rule applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated players, it will only come into effect if the player is asymptomatic or proves to have reducing symptoms over the five-day period.

NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills explained during a press conference on Tuesday night that the decision to shorten the COVID isolation time has been backed up by the NFL’s data, which supports the CDC’s recent guidelines announcement.

Sills explained that it’s the CDC’s assessment that people are at a lower risk of spreading the virus five days after their initial positive test. That mirrors what they have been seeing and why they’re supportive and eager to implement this change.

Prior to the new agreement, the NFL required players to produce a negative test in order to exit isolation. This changed, however, after testing proved to be less useful against the omicron strain.

The post NFL, NFLPA Agree to Shortened COVID Isolation Period appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio had to undergo an MRI scan on his left knee on Wednesday. This comes after the 31-year-old incurred an injury during the Cavs’ 108-104 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

With under three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Rubio slipped as he attempted to swerve around Pelicans guard Devonte Graham. As he grounded his right foot, his left knee buckled, sending the Spaniard crashing to the floor. Rubio immediately grabbed at his left knee in pain following the fall, prompting teammates Kevin Love and Isaac Okoro to help him off the court for medical care.

After the Cavs’ narrow loss, coach J.B. Bickerstaff did not provide any specific details on Rubio’s fall, simply explaining that examinations of the injury were still underway.

Bickerstaff and the Cavs will be anxiously waiting to hear about the severity of Rubio’s injury, especially because of the major impact that he has had on the court prior to this hurdle. During the Pelicans game alone, Rubio scored 27 points while racking up 13 rebounds and 8 assists in just 37 minutes of play.

The post Ricky Rubio Set For MRI Following Knee Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.