BASKETBALL
Al Attles dies at 87
Al Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador, has died. He was 87. The Warriors announced on Wednesday that Attles had died in his East Bay home on Tuesday surrounded by family. Nicknamed “The Destroyer” for his physical style of play, the Warriors were his love and his only team after they selected him in the fifth round of the 1960 draft. It marks the longest stint with a single franchise for one person in league history. Attles, one of the first black head coaches in the NBA, was witness to some of the greatest games in different eras. He played in Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on March 2, 1962. Attles made all eight of his field-goal tries for 17 points. He also coached Hall of Famer Rick Barry the day he scored 64 against Portland on March 26, 1974.
SOCCER
Gundogan likely to return
Manchester City and Ilkay Gundogan look set to be reunited. The former Germany midfielder was pictured at the airport on Wednesday and was reportedly catching a flight from Barcelona, Spain, to Manchester, England, to wrap up his return to City on a one-year deal, with the option of another 12 months. Neither City nor Barcelona have commented publicly on any deal for the 33-year-old Gundogan. Gundogan left City after the 2022-2023 season, during which he was captain of the team that won the English Premier League-FA Cup-UEFA Champions League treble. He spent seven years at the English club, but decided to move to Barcelona for a new challenge, and was one of former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez’s favorite players during his sole season with the Catalan club. However, Barcelona’s delicate economic situation appears to have forced the new coach, Hansi Flick, to part ways with the veteran playmaker. Gundogan retired from German national team this week.
BASEBALL
Joey Votto retires
Former NL MVP and six-time All-Star Joey Votto announced his retirement from baseball in a short video posted to social media on Wednesday. The Toronto-born Votto signed a minor league contract with his hometown team in March and, following a lengthy layoff because of an ankle injury, had been playing at Triple-A Buffalo. He went 6 for 42 with one homer and four RBIs in 15 games, striking out 22 times. The 40-year-old first baseman became a free agent last fall following the end of a US$251.5 million, 12-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds, his only team over 17 major league seasons.
SOCCER
Dortmund fans to protest
Borussia Dortmund supporters are planning to start the Bundesliga season with major protests against the club’s sponsorship deal with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall. “We won’t allow ourselves be hitched to your wagon,” the supporter association Sudtribune Dortmund said in a statement on behalf of more than 90 Dortmund fan groups on Wednesday. “We firmly reject the idea that management and its committees at BVB have agreed to use Borussia Dortmund’s appeal to improve the public image of an arms company and throw their own values overboard in the process.”
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
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