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The Knicks president said Monday morning that head coach Mike Woodson and his staff have been fired. The dismissal comes shortly after the Knicks completed a 37-45 season that began with their belief they were a serious contender. Instead, they started poorly, making Woodson's job security practically a season-long distraction. A late surge wasn't good enough for a postseason spot or another year for Woodson. Jackson has won an NBA-record 11 championships as a coach....

On Tuesday, the Knicks reportedly agreed to trade center Nerlens Noel, guard Alec Burks, two future second-round picks and $6 million to the Pistons. It is unclear what the Knicks will get in return. What is clear, though, is that the deal, plus a separate trade the Knicks made with the Pistons and Hornets on draft night, will leave the Knicks with roughly $30 million in cap space ahead of Thursday’s start of the free agency period....

A lawsuit filed in late March in Delaware by the shareholders accuses the Knicks owner of spending too much time with his blues band and not enough time in the front office, according to Pitchfork.com. According to the lawsuit, Dolan, 63, spends far more time touring and recording as the frontman and guitarist for his band JD & the Straight Shot. “In 2017, for example, the band performed 50 times in six countries and 41 U....

The team announced Sunday afternoon it waived forward Mindaugus Kuzminskas, who had lost his place in Jeff Hornacek’s rotation. The Knicks needed to open a roster spot for Joakim Noah, who will return for Monday’s game against the Cavs after serving a suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy. “The respect this franchise has for Mindaugas cannot be overstated,” Knicks general manager Scott Perry said in a statement. “His professionalism and work ethic were greatly appreciated by his teammates, coaches and the entire staff....

Visiting fans don’t mess around on the cheap when they come to town, either. They come fully loaded with pockets full of cash ready to take their NASCAR party experience to a new plateau. Last season, the Las Vegas NASCAR weekend generated $144 million in non-gaming revenue to the city. As for actual gaming, they do plenty of that also. The bulk of the action comes on table games and slots, but more action is written for the Vegas Cup race than for any other on the season....

When Kobe returned to action in April, he executed a reversal as stunning as any of his dunks. He ignored open shots to pass to teammates, cut down on his mad, solo dashes to the hoop and gave the supersensitive O’Neal the respect the big man deserved. With Kobe back as the faithful sidekick, the Lakers went on a tear, one that threatens to make a shambles of the playoffs....

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said that Paul would have been a perfect fit if he had joined the team in 2011 when the NBA blocked the point guard’s trade west. MORE: Iverson, Shaq highlight 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame inductees “When we played together in every All-Star Game, we never f— around,” Bryant said via ESPN. “It was like, ‘Listen, the guys have their fun, but now let’s do what we do....

Before Friday’s Lakers-Celtics game at TD Garden, Kobe Bryant was asked what Rajon Rondo can expect to go through in the coming years, as the team he helped lead twice to the Finals has been dismantled and begins rebuilding in earnest. Bryant went through much the same thing after the Lakers traded Shaquille O’Neal in 2005, falling into a rut before finally trading for Pau Gasol in 2008. MORE: Kobe’s return pushed back...

Ware, speaking in an ESPN Conversation, said the coolest thing he experienced since suffering a broken leg was having Bryant reach out to him. And in their conversations, Ware revealed, the bet was hatched (via ProBasketballTalk). Here was the deal: whichever player came back first would have the other attend his game. Well, at this point, we know that Ware won the bet. Although Bryant hates to lose at anything, he made a good gesture that will go a long way with Ware....

“I think they can win it all again [La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey], they have a different style to other clubs,” Bryant said in an interview with Barcelona’s website. MORE: Kobe’s career in photos | What makes Messi so brilliant? “You could compare them with us [the Lakers] when we won with our offensive triangle, a style of play which brought us success under Phil Jackson as coach — or with the Spurs with the fast movement of the ball and exploiting the space....

The 24-year-old, real name Bill Kahan Kapri, took to social media to share photographs of himself fully decked out in Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) merchandise. The apparel also featured a navy blue MAGA hat which appeared to be signed by Trump. Also taking the opportunity to promote his recent single “Feelin Peachy”, Kapri wrote: “#HappyBirthdayTrump #HappyBirthdayKodak #GeminiGang #FeelinPeachy Out Now.” June-born Kapri seemingly referenced his shared astrological sign with the businessman by using the “Gemini Gang” hashtag....

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Lukaku hinted that Everton’s lack of ambition could lead to his exit and Koeman was unhappy with the Belgian’s decision to go public with concerns about Everton’s transfer policy. Ibrahimovic refuses to rule out Napoli move But the Dutchman said Lukaku, who is the joint-top scorer in the Premier League with 19 goals this season, will remain available for selection for Saturday’s Premier League game against Hull City at Goodison Park despite the ongoing speculation over his future....

That, in a sense, was North Korea six years ago. Kim Il Sung had died, leaving his communist country in the hands of his pasty-faced son, 53-year-old Kim Jong Il. Until recently, North Korean “watchers” in South Korea and abroad portrayed the younger Kim as a man weak for wine, women and Army toys. Analysts opined that he would ruin North Korea and get toppled in a coup. Seoul spent years trying to discredit Kim....

By our count, the egg tosser is at a 1-1 count after two tosses. The first was a strike, right down the middle. The second, a little high and outside. Source: Deadspin

NxGn: 50 best U19 footballers Didier Deschamps’ men were playing an international friendly with Germany on 13 November 2015 when a terrorist tried to attack the Stade de France with a bomb strapped to his body. That evening, Paris was hit by a string of attacks that killed 130 victims and left scores more injured. The attack on Westminster, during which Khalid Masood killed three people and left 40 more injured brought back bad memories for all of the France players, but Arsenal defender Koscielny is confident that Londoners have the mental fortitude to resist any threat....

The 52-year-old, who signed a two-year contract on Tuesday, has been tasked to win every competition that the club will participate in his maiden season. “You know why you are here. Kotoko is for trophies,” Lugarusic told his players at the club’s Adako Jachie training ground. “You are to win league and other cups and you will have your bonuses as you win. We are not here for fun because Kotoko is to win titles....

In a battle of the league’s two newest franchises, the older kids — the Golden Knights — won 4-3. While Seattle came out with some jump and got an early chance by Jordan Eberle that rang off the pipe and a power-play opportunity, it was Vegas that cashed in early. The Golden Knights scored two goals in the opening seven minutes — one by Max Pacioretty and one by Jonathan Marchessault — before adding a third less than seven minutes into the middle frame....

The Cubs’ 28-year-old third baseman won’t be hitting free agency after the 2020 season, but rather after 2021. Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Bryant will lose his grievance after a four-year wait to get his service time situation figured out. MORE: Spring training reporting dates for all 30 MLB teams Here’s what you need to know about Bryant’s situation with the Cubs: Kris Bryant grievance After his 2015 Rookie of the Year season, the star third baseman filed a grievance, claiming that the Cubs manipulated his service time, keeping him from amassing a year of service time in his rookie year....

Vincenzo Nibali of Italy, having made sure that his main rivals couldn’t claw back any time, finished smoothly in the trailing pack to keep the overall leader’s yellow jersey. After two days in the Alps, Sunday’s stage offered some relief over a flat 222 kilometers (138 miles) from Tallard, southeast France’s parachuting capital, toward the city of Nimes — known for its Roman arena and bullfighting. Kristoff, a Katusha rider who also won Stage 12, lifted a fist after leading the sprinters who surged ahead of the two breakaways — Swiss champion Martin Elmiger and Jack Bauer of New Zealand — who had led the stage virtually since the starter’s gun....