Sports

5:03 AM ET Italy has requested that former AC Milan and Brazil striker Robinho serves a nine-year prison sentence for rape in his home country, local media reported, citing Brazil’s Foreign Relations Ministry. In a statement, the Brazilian ministry confirmed it has received such a request without naming the player. Robinho’s defense lawyer could not

9:43 AM GMT Professional Rugby Board (PRB) chair Malcolm Wall has apologised to Welsh players for the “stress and real discomfort” caused by their contract dispute stalemate as the threat of a strike looms over Saturday’s Six Nations clash with England. The build-up to the match has been overshadowed by tension between the PRB and

12:11 PM ET ESPN News Services Kevin Love plans to sign with the Miami Heat after clearing waivers, his agent, Jeff Schwartz, told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Love’s expectation is that he can play a sizable role in the Heat’s frontcourt rotation as they push into the Eastern Conference playoffs. Love also talked with the Philadelphia

Feb 18, 2023 Tim BontempsESPN SALT LAKE CITY — NBA commissioner Adam Silver pushed back on the notion that load management is a problem in today’s NBA, saying “I don’t buy into” the idea that players should simply just be playing more. “I hesitate to weigh in on an issue as to whether players are

Feb 18, 2023 Tim BontempsESPN SALT LAKE CITY — NBA commissioner Adam Silver and National Basketball Players Association executive director Tamika Tremaglio both insisted it is “absolutely a priority” for the two sides to come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement ahead of the March 31 mutual opt-out date of the current

1:04 PM ET Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Richard Petty might still reign as NASCAR’s King, but with Jimmie Johnson wresting control of Petty’s old race team, he is definitively not the boss. Petty essentially has been stripped of power inside his former eponymous race team that rapidly rebranded and has been rebuilt since

3:12 PM ET Lee Mason will no longer act as VAR in the Premier League after it was confirmed on Friday that he had left his post by mutual consent. Mason had been responsible for the failure to disallow Brentford‘s goal at Arsenal, with Christian Norgaard offside before creating the equaliser for Ivan Toney. –

7:57 PM ET Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Seven-time is officially back. Jimmie Johnson, making his return to stock car racing after a two-year dalliance in IndyCar, topped the first practice session for the Daytona 500 on Friday. The two-time Daytona 500 winner and seven-time Cup Series champion reached a top speed of 194.25

8:09 PM ET The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will enshrine a new class of legends in Springfield, Massachusetts, this summer. The full list of nominees from the North American and women’s committees were unveiled in December. Finalists for enshrinement were announced Friday ahead of NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, and the

1:20 PM ET Associated Press Manny Machado says he plans to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract with the San Diego Padres after this season. Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million deal with the Padres in February 2019, a deal that gives him the right to terminate the agreement after this season and become

2:52 PM ET Associated Press QUEBEC CITY — Ukraine Team Select’s dream run at the Quebec International Peewee Hockey Tournament came to an end Friday with a 2-1 loss to Vermont Flames Academy. After the game, a Ukrainian flag was displayed on the ice with the name of one of the players’ fathers who died

7:52 PM ET Tim BontempsESPN In the wake of a high-profile missed call that went against Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James last month, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said officials are “absolutely held accountable” and disciplined for making such errors. “We don’t publicize discipline for officials. We don’t think that will be appropriate,” Silver said

7:38 AM ET Associated Press A lawyer representing Kathryn Mayorga, the woman who said Cristiano Ronaldo raped her in Las Vegas in 2009, has been ordered to pay the footballer £277,966 ($335,000) as reimbursement for the legal fees he incurred from the lawsuit. “I find that Ronaldo would not have incurred a majority of the

11:16 AM ET BALTIMORE — Boxer Gervonta Davis pleaded guilty Thursday to four counts stemming from a hit-and-run crash in November 2020 that left four people injured, including a pregnant woman. Davis’ sentencing is May 5. Davis, 28, was scheduled to stand trial but waived that right Thursday. He did not speak after leaving the

11:16 AM GMT Players contracted to England’s women’s rugby team will be entitled to fully paid maternity leave for 26 weeks as part of a new policy announced by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) on Thursday. Players who are called up within 12 months of giving birth or adopting a

2:57 PM ET PHOENIX — The energy that Kevin Durant‘s arrival has brought to the Suns organization is palpable. As Durant, who was traded from the Brooklyn Nets last week in a blockbuster deal, continues to work out and get to know his new teammates, the respect that he has earned within the locker room

8:47 AM GMT England women’s rugby coach Simon Middleton, who is leaving his post after this year’s Six Nations, has said there needs to be “female influence” on the Red Roses coaching staff. Middleton has won five Six Nations titles with England but will leave his position as head coach after the conclusion of the

7:00 AM ET Devin Gordon STREAKING IS WRONG — let’s be clear about that up front. It’s boorish, infantile, and it always ends badly. That being said, sometimes a legend comes along who pulls off a marathon streak so improbable, so filled with performative flourishes and so in keeping with the whole sloshy drunken gestalt

12:42 PM ET PHOENIX — If Eric Bieniemy is departing the Kansas City Chiefs, he left them quite the parting gift. Their longtime offensive coordinator helped orchestrate an offense that in the second half of Super Bowl LVII saw the Chiefs score touchdowns on their first three possessions and fail to get one on the

8:27 PM ET Associated Press QUEBEC CITY — The boys’ hockey team of Ukrainian refugees extended its celebrated stay in Canada for a few more days, at least. Maksym Kukharenko scored a power-play goal and Matvii Kulish earned the shutout in the Ukrainian Selects’ 2-0 victory over the Team Romania Wolves in an elimination game