Legendary San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich won’t return to the team’s bench. Popovich will continue serving as the franchise’s president of basketball operations while interim head coach Mitch Johnson will get the job on a permanent basis.

Popovich suffered a mild stroke in November and stepped down from coaching as he focused on recovering. He initially intended to return for 2025-26 but later decided to prioritize his health instead of committing to the grueling task of coaching in the NBA.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said in a statement released by the team. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff, and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach, and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

Gregg Popovich initially joined the Spurs in 1988 as an assistant and served in the role until 1992. He returned to the franchise as a general manager in 1994 and named himself as the Spurs’ head coach in 1996 after he fired Bob Hill.

Since taking over as Spurs head coach, Popovich became the winningest coach in NBA history with 1,422 career wins. He led San Antonio to five NBA titles and was named NBA’s Coach of the Year three times. Popovich also won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the head coach of Team USA.

Mitch Johnson joined the Spurs’ organization in 2016 as an assistant with G League affiliate Austin Spurs. He quickly rose through the ranks and became one of Popovich’s most trusted assistants. Johnson led the Spurs to a 31-45 record during his interim stint.

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Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, finally heard his name being called at the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders was drafted in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns took Sanders with the 144th overall pick, which they acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

Sanders was expected to be a first-round pick, being rated as the second-best quarterback prospect in this year’s draft after the University of Miami’s Cam Ward. However, Sanders experienced an unexpected slide, with Ward, who was selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans, and four other quarterbacks being selected before him.

Reportedly, the reason why Sanders waited so long was that the teams had questions about his arm strength, athleticism, and ability to adjust to the NFL after playing in a simple offense during his time at Colorado. Additionally, he had several bad interviews, and some franchises believed he would be a distraction considering his celebrity status and outspoken father.

Despite being in need of a quarterback, Cleveland passed on the opportunity to draft Sanders multiple times and even selected signal-caller Dillon Gabriel in the third round. But with Sanders still available in the fifth round, the Browns finally decided to roll the dice.

“We felt like it wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks, but we do believe in the best player available, we do believe in positional value. We didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round,” said Brown’s general manager Andrew Berry.

Sanders led Colorado to a 9-4 record in 2024, throwing for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He was honored as Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and had his No. 2 with the Buffaloes retired.

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Rory McIlroy was agonizingly close to winning the Masters one too many times before, but just couldn’t get across the finish line. That was until Sunday, when he finally got the elusive green jacket, winning the 2025 edition of the famed tournament and completing a career Grand Slam.

In the final round, McIlroy appeared to be headed to another heartbreak. He had a lead of three shots from the third round before seeing it melt away after he shot a 73, one over par. Meanwhile, Justin Rose managed to make up significant ground and tie him after finishing the round with 66, six under par.

Rose missed a birdie putt on the first playoff hole, while McIlroy made his to cap off an emotional win.

The win at the 2025 Masters was McIlroy’s fifth major championship and first since 2014. It also made him just the sixth player in the Modern Era to complete a Grand Slam, having previously won the U.S. Open in 2011, PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, and The Open Championship in 2014.

“This is my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time,” McIlroy said after the tournament. “I think the last 10 years coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that, yeah, I’m sort of wondering what we’re all going to talk about going into next year’s Masters.”

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The San Diego Padres opted to lock their All-Star outfielder Jackson Merrill to a contract extension sooner rather than later. The franchise announced that Merrill inked a nine-year deal that ties him to San Diego through at least the 2034 MLB season.

The Padres confirmed the agreement, which also comes with a club option for 2035, on their social media without revealing the financial terms.

According to reports, Merrill’s extension, which kicks off in 2026, has a base value of $135 million. He can also earn more money through various incentives with the contract maxing out at $204 million.

This is far less than analysts predicted for Merrill based on his performance in the majors so far, but he appears to be content.

“An opportunity to sign with the San Diego Padres is enough for me. But I also feel like there comes a line where you know your worth, you know your value,” Merrill said ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians. “Listen, I know there are contracts out there that are beyond absurd, there’s super amounts of money. But having a relationship with a real human being and a real team like I have here, you can’t beat that.”

Merrill, who was selected 27th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, receives the extension following an outstanding rookie season in 2024. He batted .292 with 24 home runs, 90 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases to earn an All-Star nod and finish second place in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Merrill also started strong in 2025, having a .400 batting average with one homer and six RBIs through the first six games of the campaign.

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The Golden State Warriors boosted their bench on Saturday, signing veteran forward Kevin Knox to a deal for the remainder of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Knox, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, already had two 10-day contract stints with the Warriors this season. He played in seven games and averaged 4.0 points and 1.6 rebounds.

Adding Knox ensured that the Warriors met the required threshold of 14 standard NBA contracts. They previously had 13 players under contract after sending Andres Wiggins and Kyle Anderson in a trade that landed them Jimmy Butler.

Knox was part of the Warriors’ team for the 2024 NBA Summer League but was waived prior to start of the season. He later joined their G League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors and delivered impressive performances, averaging 21.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 28 games.

Despite showing promise at the start of his NBA career, Kevin Knox has so far failed to live up to his status as a lottery pick. He became a journeyman in the past several years, suiting up for the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trail Blazers while also having a stint with the Rip City Remix. It remains to be seen whether his time with the Warriors will help him resurrect his career and become a mainstay in the league.

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Star defensive end Myles Garrett is staying with the Cleveland Browns after all. The two sides have agreed to a record extension that will make Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league’s history.

The Browns announced Garrett signed a four-year extension but didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement. Multiple reports say that the deal is worth $160 million, giving Garrett an annual salary of $40 million, and comes with $123.5 million in guaranteed money and a no-trade clause.

Garrett handed in a trade request earlier this year, saying that he wanted to join a team that would compete for a Super Bowl. At the time, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year indicated that a new contract offer wouldn’t change his stance.

However, the Browns remained adamant that they had no intention of trading Garrett and rejected advances from other teams. Instead, they focused on presenting Garrett with their vision for the future of the franchise and handed him a contract offer that, it turned out, he couldn’t refuse.

Myles Garrett established himself as one of the best defensive players in the NFL since the Browns selected him first overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. He made six Pro Bowls and earned four First-team All-Pro selections while racking up 102.5 sacks.

However, Garrett only made the playoffs twice with the Browns and had to endure several disappointing seasons including the last one, in which Cleveland went 3-14.

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The Los Angeles Rams didn’t have to wait long to hear from teams after placing their quarterback Matthew Stafford on the market. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders have shown interest in trading for Stafford in recent days.

The Rams recently allowed Stafford and his agent to explore his market value after the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension. Stafford is reportedly looking for at least $50 million annually while the LA team is hesitant to go that far.

Multiple teams have reached out to Stafford and his representatives to gauge his interest in joining them with the Giants and Raiders being among the most aggressive suitors. Both teams are reportedly ready to match Stafford’s demands in terms of a new contract.

Stafford, who signed a four-year, $160 million extension ahead of the 2022 season, was in a similar situation last offseason but managed to come to a temporary solution with the team. The Rams reworked his contract to give him a $5 million salary bump for 2024 but lowered his 2025 salary from $32 million to $27 million in the process.

Stafford, who helped the Rams win a Super Bowl ring in 2021, completed 65.8% of his passes last season while throwing for 3,762 passing yards, his lowest during a campaign in which he played at least 11 games. He also added 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

It remains to be seen whether the Rams end up moving on from Stafford. The team is expected to ask at least a first-round pick to part ways with him.

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The Miami Dolphins are moving on from Pro Bowl running back Raheem Mostert. The Dolphins announced on Friday that they have released Mostert while also parting ways with tight end Durham Smythe and cornerback Kendall Fuller.

The moves will bring the Dolphins some breathing space against the salary cap. By moving from these three players, the franchise is expected to save close to $14 million.

Mostert joined the Dolphins ahead of the 2022 season and immediately put up his best season as a pro by rushing for 891 yards and three touchdowns. He followed that up with a Pro Bowl campaign in 2023, in which he had 1,012 yards on the ground and league-leading 18 touchdowns.

However, Mostert’s production took a sharp decline last season. Injuries and inconsistency caused him to lose his starting job and he ended up only rushing for 278 yards and two touchdowns.

“Very thankful for his time with the Miami Dolphins, and this gives them a chance to get younger and gives him a chance to pursue a ring elsewhere,” Mostert’s agent Brett Tessler said in a statement.

By moving on from Mostert, the Dolphins will enter the 2025 season with De’Von Achane and second-year player Jaylen Wright as their leading backs. Achane had 1,499 yards and 12 touchdowns from scrimmage last season while Wright contributed with 249 rushing yards in a backup role.

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The Dallas Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving and Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young will be part of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game after all. Irving and Young, the two most notable omissions from the initially announced All-Star roster, received call-ups from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as injury replacements on Monday.

Irving will replace his new Mavs’ teammate Anthony Davis, who is out due to abductor strain. This will be Irving’s ninth All-Star appearance and first since 2023.

Irving, who will be joining Team Shaq, is averaging 24.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 2024-25.

Young, who is putting up 23.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and an NBA-best 11.4 assists per game, will replace Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo on Team Chuck. Young will make his fourth All-Star appearance this upcoming weekend.

The 2025 NBA All-Star game will take place in San Francisco at Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center. It will feature a new format in the league’s attempt to make the game more appealing to the fans and its players.

Inside the NBA hosts Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith each drafted a team of eight players. Their teams will be joined by a fourth team comprised of Rising Stars winners in a mini-tournament. The tournament will feature two semifinals and a finals game with each game requiring the winning team to reach or surpass 40 points. 

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Manchester United’s star striker Marcus Rashford is reportedly finalizing a deal to join Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season.

According to soccer insider Fabrizio Romano, the negotiations between the two clubs are in final stages and there is optimism that the deal will be wrapped up soon. Villa agreed to cover a substantial portion of Rashford’s £300,000 per week ($370,000) salary while also securing an option to make the transfer permanent in the summer.

Despite once being considered the future of Manchester United, Marcus Rashford has found himself at the exit door due to poor form and problematic behavior off the field. The club’s new head coach Ruben Amorim initially removed Rashford from his lineup in early December due to poor training performances and kept him out ever since while the player said he’s “ready for a new challenge” in a recent interview.

Rashford, who has seven goals in all competitions this season, was reportedly keen to join La Liga giants Barcelona but the move didn’t materialize due to the Spanish club’s dire financial situation. Bundesliga’s Borussia Dortmund was also interested but was unwilling to cover Rashford’s large salary.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, recently received a substantial financial injection after selling striker Jhon Durán to Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr for $80 million and jumped on the opportunity to add an impactful player.

Rashford went through Manchester United’s youth academy, which he joined as a seven-year-old, and made his professional debut in 2016. Since then, he played 426 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 138 goals and adding 63 assists, while winning two FA Cups and UEFA Europa League in 2016-17.

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Legendary San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich won’t return to the team’s bench. Popovich will continue serving as the franchise’s president of basketball operations while interim head coach Mitch Johnson will get the job on a permanent basis.

Popovich suffered a mild stroke in November and stepped down from coaching as he focused on recovering. He initially intended to return for 2025-26 but later decided to prioritize his health instead of committing to the grueling task of coaching in the NBA.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said in a statement released by the team. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff, and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach, and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

Gregg Popovich initially joined the Spurs in 1988 as an assistant and served in the role until 1992. He returned to the franchise as a general manager in 1994 and named himself as the Spurs’ head coach in 1996 after he fired Bob Hill.

Since taking over as Spurs head coach, Popovich became the winningest coach in NBA history with 1,422 career wins. He led San Antonio to five NBA titles and was named NBA’s Coach of the Year three times. Popovich also won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the head coach of Team USA.

Mitch Johnson joined the Spurs’ organization in 2016 as an assistant with G League affiliate Austin Spurs. He quickly rose through the ranks and became one of Popovich’s most trusted assistants. Johnson led the Spurs to a 31-45 record during his interim stint.

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Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, finally heard his name being called at the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders was drafted in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns took Sanders with the 144th overall pick, which they acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

Sanders was expected to be a first-round pick, being rated as the second-best quarterback prospect in this year’s draft after the University of Miami’s Cam Ward. However, Sanders experienced an unexpected slide, with Ward, who was selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans, and four other quarterbacks being selected before him.

Reportedly, the reason why Sanders waited so long was that the teams had questions about his arm strength, athleticism, and ability to adjust to the NFL after playing in a simple offense during his time at Colorado. Additionally, he had several bad interviews, and some franchises believed he would be a distraction considering his celebrity status and outspoken father.

Despite being in need of a quarterback, Cleveland passed on the opportunity to draft Sanders multiple times and even selected signal-caller Dillon Gabriel in the third round. But with Sanders still available in the fifth round, the Browns finally decided to roll the dice.

“We felt like it wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks, but we do believe in the best player available, we do believe in positional value. We didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round,” said Brown’s general manager Andrew Berry.

Sanders led Colorado to a 9-4 record in 2024, throwing for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He was honored as Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and had his No. 2 with the Buffaloes retired.

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Rory McIlroy was agonizingly close to winning the Masters one too many times before, but just couldn’t get across the finish line. That was until Sunday, when he finally got the elusive green jacket, winning the 2025 edition of the famed tournament and completing a career Grand Slam.

In the final round, McIlroy appeared to be headed to another heartbreak. He had a lead of three shots from the third round before seeing it melt away after he shot a 73, one over par. Meanwhile, Justin Rose managed to make up significant ground and tie him after finishing the round with 66, six under par.

Rose missed a birdie putt on the first playoff hole, while McIlroy made his to cap off an emotional win.

The win at the 2025 Masters was McIlroy’s fifth major championship and first since 2014. It also made him just the sixth player in the Modern Era to complete a Grand Slam, having previously won the U.S. Open in 2011, PGA Championship in 2012 and 2014, and The Open Championship in 2014.

“This is my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time,” McIlroy said after the tournament. “I think the last 10 years coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders and trying to achieve that, yeah, I’m sort of wondering what we’re all going to talk about going into next year’s Masters.”

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The San Diego Padres opted to lock their All-Star outfielder Jackson Merrill to a contract extension sooner rather than later. The franchise announced that Merrill inked a nine-year deal that ties him to San Diego through at least the 2034 MLB season.

The Padres confirmed the agreement, which also comes with a club option for 2035, on their social media without revealing the financial terms.

According to reports, Merrill’s extension, which kicks off in 2026, has a base value of $135 million. He can also earn more money through various incentives with the contract maxing out at $204 million.

This is far less than analysts predicted for Merrill based on his performance in the majors so far, but he appears to be content.

“An opportunity to sign with the San Diego Padres is enough for me. But I also feel like there comes a line where you know your worth, you know your value,” Merrill said ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians. “Listen, I know there are contracts out there that are beyond absurd, there’s super amounts of money. But having a relationship with a real human being and a real team like I have here, you can’t beat that.”

Merrill, who was selected 27th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, receives the extension following an outstanding rookie season in 2024. He batted .292 with 24 home runs, 90 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases to earn an All-Star nod and finish second place in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Merrill also started strong in 2025, having a .400 batting average with one homer and six RBIs through the first six games of the campaign.

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The Golden State Warriors boosted their bench on Saturday, signing veteran forward Kevin Knox to a deal for the remainder of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Knox, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, already had two 10-day contract stints with the Warriors this season. He played in seven games and averaged 4.0 points and 1.6 rebounds.

Adding Knox ensured that the Warriors met the required threshold of 14 standard NBA contracts. They previously had 13 players under contract after sending Andres Wiggins and Kyle Anderson in a trade that landed them Jimmy Butler.

Knox was part of the Warriors’ team for the 2024 NBA Summer League but was waived prior to start of the season. He later joined their G League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors and delivered impressive performances, averaging 21.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 28 games.

Despite showing promise at the start of his NBA career, Kevin Knox has so far failed to live up to his status as a lottery pick. He became a journeyman in the past several years, suiting up for the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trail Blazers while also having a stint with the Rip City Remix. It remains to be seen whether his time with the Warriors will help him resurrect his career and become a mainstay in the league.

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Star defensive end Myles Garrett is staying with the Cleveland Browns after all. The two sides have agreed to a record extension that will make Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league’s history.

The Browns announced Garrett signed a four-year extension but didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement. Multiple reports say that the deal is worth $160 million, giving Garrett an annual salary of $40 million, and comes with $123.5 million in guaranteed money and a no-trade clause.

Garrett handed in a trade request earlier this year, saying that he wanted to join a team that would compete for a Super Bowl. At the time, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year indicated that a new contract offer wouldn’t change his stance.

However, the Browns remained adamant that they had no intention of trading Garrett and rejected advances from other teams. Instead, they focused on presenting Garrett with their vision for the future of the franchise and handed him a contract offer that, it turned out, he couldn’t refuse.

Myles Garrett established himself as one of the best defensive players in the NFL since the Browns selected him first overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. He made six Pro Bowls and earned four First-team All-Pro selections while racking up 102.5 sacks.

However, Garrett only made the playoffs twice with the Browns and had to endure several disappointing seasons including the last one, in which Cleveland went 3-14.

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The Los Angeles Rams didn’t have to wait long to hear from teams after placing their quarterback Matthew Stafford on the market. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders have shown interest in trading for Stafford in recent days.

The Rams recently allowed Stafford and his agent to explore his market value after the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension. Stafford is reportedly looking for at least $50 million annually while the LA team is hesitant to go that far.

Multiple teams have reached out to Stafford and his representatives to gauge his interest in joining them with the Giants and Raiders being among the most aggressive suitors. Both teams are reportedly ready to match Stafford’s demands in terms of a new contract.

Stafford, who signed a four-year, $160 million extension ahead of the 2022 season, was in a similar situation last offseason but managed to come to a temporary solution with the team. The Rams reworked his contract to give him a $5 million salary bump for 2024 but lowered his 2025 salary from $32 million to $27 million in the process.

Stafford, who helped the Rams win a Super Bowl ring in 2021, completed 65.8% of his passes last season while throwing for 3,762 passing yards, his lowest during a campaign in which he played at least 11 games. He also added 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

It remains to be seen whether the Rams end up moving on from Stafford. The team is expected to ask at least a first-round pick to part ways with him.

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The Miami Dolphins are moving on from Pro Bowl running back Raheem Mostert. The Dolphins announced on Friday that they have released Mostert while also parting ways with tight end Durham Smythe and cornerback Kendall Fuller.

The moves will bring the Dolphins some breathing space against the salary cap. By moving from these three players, the franchise is expected to save close to $14 million.

Mostert joined the Dolphins ahead of the 2022 season and immediately put up his best season as a pro by rushing for 891 yards and three touchdowns. He followed that up with a Pro Bowl campaign in 2023, in which he had 1,012 yards on the ground and league-leading 18 touchdowns.

However, Mostert’s production took a sharp decline last season. Injuries and inconsistency caused him to lose his starting job and he ended up only rushing for 278 yards and two touchdowns.

“Very thankful for his time with the Miami Dolphins, and this gives them a chance to get younger and gives him a chance to pursue a ring elsewhere,” Mostert’s agent Brett Tessler said in a statement.

By moving on from Mostert, the Dolphins will enter the 2025 season with De’Von Achane and second-year player Jaylen Wright as their leading backs. Achane had 1,499 yards and 12 touchdowns from scrimmage last season while Wright contributed with 249 rushing yards in a backup role.

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The Dallas Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving and Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young will be part of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game after all. Irving and Young, the two most notable omissions from the initially announced All-Star roster, received call-ups from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as injury replacements on Monday.

Irving will replace his new Mavs’ teammate Anthony Davis, who is out due to abductor strain. This will be Irving’s ninth All-Star appearance and first since 2023.

Irving, who will be joining Team Shaq, is averaging 24.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 2024-25.

Young, who is putting up 23.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and an NBA-best 11.4 assists per game, will replace Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo on Team Chuck. Young will make his fourth All-Star appearance this upcoming weekend.

The 2025 NBA All-Star game will take place in San Francisco at Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center. It will feature a new format in the league’s attempt to make the game more appealing to the fans and its players.

Inside the NBA hosts Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith each drafted a team of eight players. Their teams will be joined by a fourth team comprised of Rising Stars winners in a mini-tournament. The tournament will feature two semifinals and a finals game with each game requiring the winning team to reach or surpass 40 points. 

The post Kyrie Irving and Trae Young Called Up for 2025 All-Star Game as Injury Replacements appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Manchester United’s star striker Marcus Rashford is reportedly finalizing a deal to join Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season.

According to soccer insider Fabrizio Romano, the negotiations between the two clubs are in final stages and there is optimism that the deal will be wrapped up soon. Villa agreed to cover a substantial portion of Rashford’s £300,000 per week ($370,000) salary while also securing an option to make the transfer permanent in the summer.

Despite once being considered the future of Manchester United, Marcus Rashford has found himself at the exit door due to poor form and problematic behavior off the field. The club’s new head coach Ruben Amorim initially removed Rashford from his lineup in early December due to poor training performances and kept him out ever since while the player said he’s “ready for a new challenge” in a recent interview.

Rashford, who has seven goals in all competitions this season, was reportedly keen to join La Liga giants Barcelona but the move didn’t materialize due to the Spanish club’s dire financial situation. Bundesliga’s Borussia Dortmund was also interested but was unwilling to cover Rashford’s large salary.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, recently received a substantial financial injection after selling striker Jhon Durán to Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr for $80 million and jumped on the opportunity to add an impactful player.

Rashford went through Manchester United’s youth academy, which he joined as a seven-year-old, and made his professional debut in 2016. Since then, he played 426 games for the club in all competitions, scoring 138 goals and adding 63 assists, while winning two FA Cups and UEFA Europa League in 2016-17.

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