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So it’s no surprise the former Trail Blazers center doesn’t mind being the second option. And that reportedly is where he stands in a commitment to the Knicks in free agency: He will sign with New York unless DeAndre Jordan does, according to ESPN and Bleacher Report. Terms of the deal were not reported. MORE: 12 affordable free agents who can really help | NBA free agency tracker This isn’t an everyday occurance in free agency, but you have to respect Lopez knowing his place....

Lakers great Bryant, Spurs icon Duncan and Celtics favorite Garnett headline the group of potential inductees. Chris Bosh and Shawn Marion are also on the list of 50 people who were nominated. The finalists will be announced during the All-Star Weekend in Chicago in February, with the inductees unveiled in April. Regarded as arguably the Lakers’ greatest player, Bryant spent his entire 20-year career with the storied Los Angeles franchise....

The Lakers guard, who’s out after having surgery on a torn rotator cuff, will release the KOBE X on Feb. 7. The shoes are a representation of his 19-year career. There was a time when Bryant’s shoes were more modernized and a bit clunky to wear at times, but these are a sleek, low impact, smooth pair that show where he is in his career and life. MORE: The KOBE X | Watch Kobe learn his season is over | DeMarcus Cousins replaces Bryant...

One of his favorite places to visit is Asia, and on his current tour, he made a stop at a Chinese coffee shop where he was treated to latte art in the form of his personal brand logo. MORE: Kobe’s tour of Asia | Lakers “absolutely” can make playoffs | Hilarious Kobe Bryant impersonation A photo posted by Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) on Aug 4, 2015 at 6:40am PDT That’s the true mark of a superstar athlete: Travel thousands of miles away from home and receive a latte with spices ground into the shape of your personal logo without having to ask....

But only one player picked in 1996 remains as we embark on the 2014-15 season, and that player is Kobe Bryant, as Bleacher Report noted. Bryant became the lone representative when Nash was ruled out for the remainder of the Lakers’ season. There is still a chance Allen could sign with an NBA team this season, but he is not on an active roster at the moment. MORE: Bryant hasn’t considered leaving Lakers | Kobe turns back time on dunk | Kobe then and now...

In Dallas to face off against the Mavericks on Friday, Bryant was asked about Dirk Nowitzki’s choice to take less money so the team could sign Chandler Parsons. MORE: Taylor will not appeal suspension | Kings wear ugly sweaters | NBA cheerleaders Bryant’s salary makes up about a third of the Lakers total cap expenditure. He will be paid $23.5 million this year, and the Lakers’ total payroll is $76....

“They’re one in the same,” Bryant told CBS Sports. “Because they learn by observing how I approach it. They don’t want to see me approach it as an average player, or approach it as a player who’s 20 years in. They want to and need to see that focus and that intensity and that energy and that drive. That’s how they learn. They’ve told me that. They want to see that....

That certainly has not helped the Lakers’ win percentage, and it’s not doing much for their future either — developing their young talent is complicated when the offense is essentially standing around and watching Bryant do his thing, one last time. The shooting guard ranked third in NBA history in career points is shooting 29.6 percent from the field — and taking 17.9 shots a game. MORE: Kobe’s final season, in photos | 11 key road stops on the retirement tour...

‘City aren’t as good as Pep thinks’ The attacking midfielder, 23, watched on from the dugout as his side battled back to draw 1-1 with United in the Premier League on Sunday. That was the latest development in a campaign which has seen Barkley regularly criticised by Koeman and lose his place in the England squad. Speaking ahead of Saturday’s match at Watford, Koeman suggested it was Barkley’s performances, rather than his attitude, that were the main concern....

Everton were dominant in the first period and deserved their 1-0 lead at the break, after Idrissa Gueye scored his first goal for the club with a well-taken finish. Lukaku equals Everton scoring record But rock-bottom Sunderland were brighter after the interval and Koeman believes that was as much down to his side’s play as it was the visitors’ improvement. Koeman also accepted that Everton got lucky when a late Jermain Defoe effort came back off the crossbar, just a few moments before Romelu Lukaku wrapped things up, in the process joining Duncan Ferguson on 60 goals as the club’s joint top Premier League scorer....

Koeman tweeted the following image on Thursday morning to celebrate the start of December.

The seal, known as Kolohe by volunteers and members of the community, was admitted to The Marine Mammal Center’s Kailua-Kona center in mid October after being diagnosed with toxoplasmosis. This is a deadly disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which enters the environment via cat feces. Toxoplasmosis causes the vital organs to stop functioning properly, affecting the brain, heart, lungs, muscles and nervous system. Kolohe, also known as RW22, is at least the 15th Hawaiian monk seal to die from the disease since 2001....

The vitriol of comments like these has shocked America’s Korean community, leaving it braced for a backlash and scrambling to control the damage caused by distorted stereotypes. In South Korea—where government officials feared that the incident could further sour relations with Washington—the foreign ministry issued a statement saying that it hoped the tragedy would not provoke “racial prejudice or confrontation.” Inside the United States, social-network users set up online forums with names like “Don’t Hate Koreans Because of Cho Seung-Hui” and “Cho Seung-Hui Does NOT Represent Asians....

Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez? Click here to see the countdown of the 50 best players in the world in the 2016 Goal 50 In fact, the Arsenal center half concedes that his younger teammates at the Emirates Stadium probably view him as something of a ‘grandad’ figure. The France international cannot be considered to have reached veteran status at just 31 years of age, but there is a generational gap between him and some of his club colleagues....

Olivier Giroud’s late header secured a vital 1-0 victory for Arsene Wenger’s side against West Brom on Boxing Day, as Arsenal bounced back from two successive defeats. And although there seems to be little chance of catching the runaway league-leaders, who beat Bournemouth 3-0, Koscielny believes that Arsenal’s confidence will now flood back. “The confidence will come back when you win and the most important thing now is to continue to win games in a row so that hopefully we can get into the first position,” he told the club’s website....

In May, Sporting News deemed Kovalev a boxer to watch following Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao. Kovalev, a 32-year-old Russian, is undefeated in 27 fights with 24 of those wins by knockout. In his past two fights, he demolished Bernard Hopkins and stopped Jean Pascal in Montreal. Kovalev has been clamoring for a unification bout against WBC champion Adonis Stevenson and a win over Mohammedi can get the fight closer to happening....

According to the club’s media liaison officer Abdulrahman Mohammed among those released include dependable full back and Harambee Stars trialist Abdulatif ‘‘Achkobe’’ Omar and striker Anthony Kimani, whose contract with the club have expired. Abdulrahman disclosed that the criteria used to drop the players was based purely on merit. Bandari FC extend contracts for key players ‘‘We found no reason to renew the contract of the duo since we have recruited good players who can fill their positions and create a better impact to the team....

The Kariobangi Sharks striker will lead Kenya’s attackline alongside Gor Mahia forward, George ‘Blackbery’ Odhiambo. Odhiambo was picked by coach Paul Put ahead of Kepha Aswani of Nakumatt who will start on the bench alongside AFC Leopards youngster, Vincent Oburu and Isaac Kipyegon of Zoo Kericho. Posta Rangers’ goalkeeper, Patrick Matasi will start ahead of Gor Mahia’s Boniface Oluoch and AFC Leopards’ Gabriel Andika. Matasi will be protected by captain Musa Mohammed and Jockins Atudo in the center of the defence....

Reuters reported that the U.S. could impose sanctions for the Novichok poisoning of Navalny, who fell ill on a flight in Siberia in August 2020 and was arrested upon his arrival in Moscow in January following his recuperation in Berlin. Sources told the agency that the U.S. would act under the executive orders, one issued after Russia invaded Crimea, and the other issued in 2005 against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction....