The 41-year-old died on Sunday morning, when the helicopter he was traveling in along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and another eight people crashed in Calabasas, California. Last month, Bryant had headlined the list of candidates for the the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2020 along with Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. Having retired in 2016, Bryant would have first been eligible for induction in the Hall of Fame this year, after the Hall of Fame changed the waiting period from four years to three in December 2017—it had originally been five years up until two years prior....

City failed to add to Danilo’s first-half screamer at Turf Moor and were pegged back by Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s goal in the 82nd minute. Prior to the equaliser, Sterling had passed up two fine chances to score, the second a baffling miss from barely a yard, which Pep Guardiola responded to by swiftly hooking the England international. Sterling has scored 19 goals in what has generally been a superlative season thus far, and Kompany’s first response when asked about the attacker’s misses was to offer a booming laugh....

Arsenal’s top teenage sensations Having powered Leicester City’s fairytale title win last season, Kante looks set to lift the Premier League trophy again this season with Chelsea. The diminutive midfielder has enjoyed a stunning season, helping Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 system flourish with a catalogue of all-action displays. And, though Arsenal boast the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in their ranks, Koscielny believes his France colleague is the division’s premier performer....

League organizers KPL and SportPesa are yet to agree on which match, between Hull City and Ulinzi Stars should Gor Mahia honor on Sunday, May 13. Gor Mahia are set to play Ulinzi Stars in a league match on Sunday at Afraha Stadium, the same day they are set to host Hull City in a promotional match at Kasarani Stadium. KPL Chief Operations and Logistics Officer Frank Okoth say they are yet to decide whether to postpone Ulinzi Stars match....

Get the latest PL odds The 32-year-old defender, who started every match as the U.S. won the 2015 Women’s World Cup, was left off the squad that defeated Sweden and Norway last month. U.S. regulars Tobin Heath (back), Ashlyn Harris (quad) and Rose Lavelle (hamstring) were omitted because of injury. The roster features three uncapped players: Boston Breakers goalkeeper Abby Smith, NC Courage defender Taylor Smith and Boston Breakers midfielder Margaret Purce....

The ring was valued at $2 million when he gave it to Kardashian, but sold at a Christie's auction for $749,000, according to the New York Daily News. Despite the price difference, Humphries' lawyer, Lee Hutton, alleges that Humphries "is not losing money on the ring," because it was valued to be worth between $300,000 and $500,000 prior to the auction. Besides, it's not about the money anyway, really. "I think he moved on long before the ring was even put into the auction," Hutton said....

The National Park Service rejected the state’s application due to safety concerns and objections from local Native American tribes. Noem’s suit claims that the decision was “arbitrary and capricious” and violated the powers granted to the agency in the Constitution. Noem added that the White House did not respond to several requests to host a fireworks show at the tourist attraction. “Mount Rushmore is the very best place to celebrate America’s birthday and all that makes our country special,” Noem said in a statement....

Kroenke, who sits on the board at Arsenal and is son of 73-year-old owner Stan, joined chief executive Vinai Venkatesham at the fans forum to answer questions on the failed European Super League proposals. The American came under fierce criticism from supporters during the 30-minute conference call, with some saying they were embarrassed by the club’s actions and others labelleling the decision to join the Super League as a disgrace....

Mourinho wrong to scapegoat Shaw and Smalling The Germany international has been a regular for the Champions League holder under Zinedine Zidane, playing all 90 minutes of Madrid’s last 11 games across all competitions. But the former Bayern Munich player may not feature again in 2016 after tests carried out in his homeland revealed a fracture at the base of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. Kroos – who signed a new six-year deal last month – suffered the injury during Madrid’s 3-0 LaLiga win over Leganes on Sunday....

Disagreements over oil policy, security, and regional governance are threatening to splinter the shaky alliance between Kurdish and Shiite parties in Baghdad. Kurdish officials accuse Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government of stalling a referendum to resolve the status of the disputed city of Kirkuk, and of withholding funding for the region’s military. Sunni and Shiite politicians, meanwhile, are furious over oil-exploration deals inked between the Kurdish government and international companies....

South Africa is definitely ready to party. And since Nelson Mandela’s election buried white rule, kwaito (kWHY-toh) has become the soundtrack of liberation: the energetic, unrelenting voice of black township youth, expressing a new optimism and, at the same time, a slow-simmering frustration. “It’s music that rose out of the excitement of the 1994 elections,” says Maria McCloy, 24, editor of the online urban-culture magazine Rage. “Kwaito’s the dominant cultural movement among young people right now....

It turned into his worst nightmare. Busch, who entered the race third in the Chase standings, was involved in two wrecks Sunday at Kansas. The second one was potentially catastrophic, possibly ruining his championship hopes. MORE: Harvick wins | Kansas results | Danica crashes out early Busch spun after contact with Juan Pablo Montoya on Lap 187, but suffered no significant damage to his car and returned to the track....

A fan tweeted at Rudolph on Wednesday, writing, “You probably already heard this, but looks like someone sold your gloves from the Saints playoff game on eBay already. Hope they didn’t deceive you for a quick buck.” Rudolph responded by saying the person who received the gloves from him did so by lying about their intentions. Rudolph says a media member asked for the gloves and told him they’d be selling them for a charity benefit....

Murray in early February deleted, or hid, all of the Cardinals-related posts that were featured on his Instagram. He left just two posts up after the “scrubbing” and unfollowed the team account. But as you can see below, or by heading over to Murray’s account, the images are back up. The scrubbing led to rumors of tension between the quarterback and the Cardinals. Murray reportedly was “embarrassed” by Arizona’s early playoff exit, while sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen that Murray is “self-centered, immature and someone who points fingers....

According to Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher, Irving isn’t only trying to lure superstar Kevin Durant to the Nets, he’s also recruiting big man DeAndre Jordan. “Irving, meanwhile, also recently purchased a new home in South Orange, New Jersey, but league sources say he is pressing Durant to join him with the Nets and is trying to recruit Jordan as well,” Bucher wrote Monday. Brooklyn has room to sign two max players this offseason — which in this scenario would be Irving and Durant....

According to The Athletic, which cited unidentified league sources, the six-time All-Star will not opt into his $21.3 million deal for next season and will instead become a free agent. He will be eligible to sign a new contract either with Boston or another team. The report adds that the Celtics were expecting this move ahead of his option date. Irving’s future with the Celtics has become highly speculated after the guard’s second season in Boston, and there have been rumors that Irving could land with the Nets, Lakers or Knicks in free agency....

At Friday’s media day, the former Cavs and Celtics guard discussed a number of topics, including his free-agency decision and relationship with new teammate and longtime friend Kevin Durant. Both Irving and Durant signed four-year deals with Brooklyn this past offseason, aligning the All-Stars’ careers through the rest of their primes. MORE: Steve Kerr explains why he wasn’t surprised Durant left Warriors for Nets However, Irving will be the clear No....

Now, with Irving in position to once again enter unrestricted free agency if he declines his player option, could he follow the same script? On Monday morning, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Irving and the Nets are at an “impasse” that could “clear the way for [Irving] to consider the open marketplace.” Charania’s bombshell dropped just three days before the 2022 NBA Draft and nine days before the deadline on that $36....

Republicans and some Democrats have repeatedly criticized Biden’s response to the influx of largely Central American migrants who have been crossing the U.S.-Mexican border since the start of his administration in January. In March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents encountered more than 172,000 migrants crossing the border—the highest monthly number in over 20 years. Although the number appears to have plateaued in April, according to preliminary data, apprehensions remain elevated....