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Wembanyama mania is on the NBA horizon

By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press Victor Wembanyama’s first basket on a recent Sunday night game looked so easy. He deflected a pass, ran it down, dribbled twice and dunked the ball with his left hand. And 15,000 people — about four or five times the size of the usual crowd at his home games — roared. He’s called a generational talent, though really, there’s never been one in France quite like Wembanyama. The 7-foot-3, 19-year-old, soon-to-be No. 1 pick in the NBA draft is on his farewell tour of his homeland, playing his final pro games there before he comes to ...

Oh, brother: Steelers lean on family

By Bill Contz For the Mirror If you haven’t noticed the Steelers’ recent penchant for overpromoting the “family-first” concept regarding their roster, then you either don’t follow pro football closely or have been completely mesmerized by the Pirates’ best start in 31 years. After last week’s NFL draft, it’s clear the organization is hell bent on inundating their squad with as many sets of siblings as possible. Last week the Steelers used their fourth-round pick on Nick Herbig, a talented outside linebacker from Wisconsin and reunited him with older brother Nate, ...

Stench of death hanging over this year’s Kentucky Derby

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press They’ll come by the tens of thousands for the party of the year, adorned in the gaudiest of hats and sipping on mint juleps, witnesses to the most thrilling two minutes in sports. Hopefully, they won’t ignore the stench of death that hangs over the Kentucky Derby and its magnificent athletes. Four horses perished in the past week at Churchill Downs, again raising troubling questions about the sport of kings ahead of the 149th run for the roses on Saturday. If this can happen at the world’s most famous track, with the eyes of the world ...

In Vegas, A’s will play with house money

By Jim Caltagirone For the Mirror Identifying the American city which offers the most attractive options for spectator sports is like conducting a national home search based on the probability of avoiding natural disasters. Absolute certainty is purely subjective. For the record, a graphic published in a national magazine several years ago identified the Southwest as the region most frequently spared from tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, floods and earthquakes. By signing a binding purchase agreement for 49 acres just off the Las Vegas strip, the Oakland A’s have crowned ...

Team USA doesn’t need LIV help

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press Players who signed up for Saudi riches of LIV Golf knew there would be a cost. It wasn’t the majors. Top players are still eligible. But it should cost them a chance to play for the U.S. team in the Ryder Cup. For starters, the American team is strong enough it doesn’t need them. LIV players face long odds to earn one of six automatic spots. To be worthy of a captain’s pick? U.S. skipper Zach Johnson says his qualifiers will have a big say. It should be hard to consider a player who turned his back on his tour. Signing up for Saudi riches ...

MLB expansion dominoes are falling

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press The Oakland Athletics will be packing their bags for Las Vegas, a long-expected move that will affect baseball’s fandom far beyond those two cities. MLB is now a significant step closer to expansion, which will bring two more long-overdue franchises into the big leagues while also necessitating the creation of eight new minor-league teams around the country. When the Athletics tidy up the multi-billion-dollar details in Sin City, where they’re expected to reside by the 2027 season if not sooner, a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays will ...