Rivals Five-Star: Live from Media Day

Yahoo4 hours ago

Hashtags

Sports

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Enzo Maresca says Chelsea training ‘impossible' in extreme heat ahead of Esperance match

New York Times

27 minutes ago

New York Times

Enzo Maresca says Chelsea training ‘impossible' in extreme heat ahead of Esperance match

Enzo Maresca admits it is 'impossible' for his Chelsea players to train properly in the extreme Philadelphia heat as they prepare for their final FIFA Club World Cup group match against Esperance de Tunis on Tuesday. Chelsea deployed huge industrial fans by the side of the pitch at their training base in Subaru Park on Monday and utilised cooling sprays to try to mitigate the effects of temperatures expected to peak at 37 degrees celsius (98.6 degrees fahrenheit) in Philadelphia ahead of the game, which is scheduled to kick off at 9pm local time. Advertisement An extreme heat warning has been issued with the public warned to avoid strenuous activities outside, but Chelsea have no choice but to push hard against Esperance after Friday's 3-1 defeat against Flamengo left their hopes of advancing from Group D in the balance. The Athletic reported this morning on the concerns of players, club executives and fans about conditions at the tournament with experts suggesting FIFA takes proactive moves to ensure safety. 'It's almost impossible to train, or to make a session because of the weather now,' Maresca said in his pre-match press conference. 'We are trying just to save energy for the game. This morning's session was very very very short, and it has just been about tomorrow's game plan and that's it, no more than that. Because as you can see it's not easy with these conditions, with this temperature, but we are going to try to do our best. 'I always try to avoid excuses, but I try to be honest: it's not about excuses, it's about reality. It is an excuse when it is not hot and we say that it is hot. That is an excuse. But if it's hot, it's hot. And it is difficult to work with this temperature. But we are here, we are trying to do our best and we are going to try to win again. This is the only thing that we can say and we can do.' Chelsea captain Reece James sat out Monday's open training session due to illness, and Maresca also explained why Nicolas Jackson was not involved as he prepares to serve a one-match suspension for being sent off against Flamengo. 'Nico was not in the session this morning because it's the day before the game,' Maresca said of Jackson. 'We just used the ones that we're going to prepare for the game (with) and because he's not in the game tomorrow, he was not with us. We used only the ones that are available for tomorrow.' (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Nuggets revamp front office by promoting Ben Tenzer, bring in Jonathan Wallace from Timberwolves

Associated Press

28 minutes ago

Associated Press

Nuggets revamp front office by promoting Ben Tenzer, bring in Jonathan Wallace from Timberwolves

DENVER (AP) — The Denver Nuggets revamped their front office Monday by promoting interim general manager Ben Tenzer to executive vice president of basketball operations and bringing in Minnesota's Jonathan Wallace to serve as the executive VP of basketball operations. The announcement was made by the team days before an NBA draft where the Nuggets don't have a first-round pick. Tenzer and Wallace will try to find creative ways to build depth around a nucleus that includes three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun. Tenzer was named interim GM in April when Josh Kroenke, the vice chairman Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, made a stunning move by firing the team's all-time winningest coach, Michael Malone, and general manager Calvin Booth with three games left in the regular season. Malone led the Nuggets to their lone NBA title in 2023. David Adelman stepped in as interim coach and landed the full-time gig last month after steering the team in the right direction. The Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games and then took the newly crowned NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a Game 7 in the second round before bowing out of the playoffs. 'Ben did a terrific job leading the organization as the interim general manager during a challenging stretch, and it was clear during that time that he had earned the respect of our players, coaches, staff and his peers,' Josh Kroenke said in a statement. 'In spending time with Jon, his leadership, quiet confidence and relationship-oriented mindset stood out and we are excited to bring such a fast-rising executive back home to Denver.' ESPN first reported the hiring of Tenzer and Wallace. Tenzer is entering his 17th season with the organization, the last four as the VP of basketball operations. He worked with Booth on all aspects of the game. He also was the GM of the Nuggets' G-League affiliate the Grand Rapids Gold for the last two seasons. Wallace rejoins the Nuggets after three seasons as the director of player personnel for the Timberwolves. In addition, he was the GM of Minnesota's G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves. Before his time in Minnesota, Wallace was a scouting coordinator for the Nuggets. He originally joined the organization as a basketball operations associate in 2019. 'We have the utmost confidence in both Ben and Jon,' owner E. Stanley Kroenke said in a statement. 'They have been integral parts of our team already, so we know their dedication and hard work first-hand and we're looking forward to their continued growth and the vision they have for this team.' ___ AP NBA:

'Sucked the air out of my lungs.' Grief, gratitude for Pacers fans after NBA Finals loss

Yahoo

33 minutes ago

Yahoo

'Sucked the air out of my lungs.' Grief, gratitude for Pacers fans after NBA Finals loss

If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. The Indiana Pacers lost 103-91 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, ending the team's hopes of returning home with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. The mood in downtown Indianapolis late on June 22 reflected that lost hope as thousands of Pacers fans walked out of Gainbridge Fieldhouse with their heads down or clenching fists in frustration. Advertisement 'When I saw Tyrese Haliburton fall to the ground, I knew in that moment," said Justin Bergstrom. "That sucked the air out of my lungs.' 'I had some hope return after we finished the second quarter strong, but then the third quarter happened, and I knew it was over.' Many fans shared their concerns for Haliburton, who left the game after suffering an Achilles injury in the first quarter. Others reflected on the bigger picture of the Pacers' unanticipated run to the brink of an NBA championship. 'We had a magical season, and it was thanks to this team. It made this city wake up, it was an amazing experience,' said Andrew Kurniawn. 'This was a legendary season, and I am proud of what this team did.' Advertisement Others, including fan Laurie Laine of Indianapolis, shared hope for a return to the finals next season. "This has been the best season I've witnessed as a fan," Laine said. Re-live the Pacers incredible postseason run with our commemorative book Pacers' NBA Finals run inspires Indiana basketball players For every Pacers comeback and game-winning or game-tying shot this postseason, Hudson Aldrich became increasingly inspired. When the Fall Creek Valley eighth-grader tries out for the Cathedral basketball team next year, he'll use each Pacers rally as motivation. 'The Pacers hit these game-winning shots and did not give up until the clock hit zero. It's inspiring to me to never give up until it's over. Always keep going and giving your team energy,' Aldrich said. 'Next year, if we're down or need time to get up, I'll let my teammates know that we can still play because we got the ball in our hands, and there's time on the clock.' Advertisement Despite the loss, Pacers fan Stedman Jones believes the team's first finals appearance since 2000 will encourage Aldrich's generation. 'The younger generation wasn't here to see what Reggie Miller did this 25 years ago,' Jones said. 'This Pacers run means a lot because the ones going through high school and AAU are up-and-coming basketball stars. They are seeing that it's possible to make it.' Maddox Sykes acknowledged that the Pacers gave Indiana 'some love and light.' While Mason Reynolds described the loss as a 'gut punch,' he thinks the Pacers playoff success united the city. 'This run was not expected. Everyone had us counted out in every series we played in,' Reynolds said. 'We came back and won big games. The camaraderie of this city, seeing everybody having a good time. It felt like we were on vacation this past month with the Pacers run.' Advertisement To Aldrich, the Pacers put the entire basketball landscape on notice. The Pacers are here and won't go away. 'It's crazy because I ain't never seen anything like this in Indy,' Aldrich said. 'The Pacers put us on the map, and seeing the whole town supporting them, it's cool. We've been called Naptown, but now we are Maptown." IndyStar reporter Ethan Hylton contributed. Get IndyStar's Pacers coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Pacers Update newsletter. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Pacers fans share in grief, gratitude after NBA Finals loss