AP – Sports
August 11, 2026
LeBron James will play his first game with the 76ers against champion Knicks on NBA opening night
NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James will play his first game with Philadelphia 76ers on the NBA’s opening night against the defending champion New York Knicks. The Oct. 20 game at Madison Square Garden will be part of a tripleheader, when the Knicks raise a banner to celebrate their first championship since 1973 and James kicks off the final stop in his career. He will return to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Christmas, after Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs return to New York for an NBA Finals rematch to open a five-game schedule. The NBA unveiled those games Tuesday. The full schedule will be released Thursday.
Tarik Skubal struggles with control but bounces back and has ‘a ton of fun’ in Dodgers home debut
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Although Tarik Skubal didn’t meet his own high standards for execution in his first home start for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was proud that he fought to keep his team in a game it eventually managed to win after he left. Skubal still intends to be better than he was while allowing three runs on four hits over five innings in the Dodgers’ 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Skubal left trailing 3-2 in the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner’s decent, if unspectacular, first start in the home whites. His fastball command was decidedly lacking.
Red Sox score bizarre run on sacrifice fly without tagging up from 3rd base
TORONTO (AP) — Anthony Seigler scored from third base on a sacrifice fly by the Boston Red Sox — without ever tagging up. Needless to say, that left everyone in Toronto a little confused Monday night. Seigler scored a bizarre run for Boston in a 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays on a chaotic, inning-ending double play that resulted in a 17-minute delay as umpires sorted out the whole thing.
Kodai Senga gets 1st career save but Mets rookie gives away souvenir ball in comical scene
ATLANTA (AP) — After earning his first career save, New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga wanted the ball as a keepsake. But rookie teammate Carson Benge was unaware and tossed the memento into the Atlanta crowd. Recently shifted to a short-relief role, Senga closed out New York’s 8-5 victory over the Braves on Monday night. Mauricio Dubón flied out to Benge in right field for the final out, and he turned toward the stands looking to send a fan home with a souvenir. Senga, well aware of his achievement, held out his arms in disbelief with his mouth agape. In a funny scene, he raised both hands trying to grab Benge’s attention as Senga and Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez both called for the baseball in vain.
Sky’s Carrington says she never claimed that the Flagrant 2 foul on her was white privilege
DiJonai Carrington of the Chicago Sky says she never claimed that the assessment of a Flagrant 2 foul on her on Saturday in a game against Indiana was the result of white privilege. Carrington came from behind and hit the Fever’s Sophie Cunningham in the head and neck on a fast-break layup. The first-quarter play was reviewed and upgraded to a Flagrant 2. Carrington is Black and Cunningham is white. After Carrington was ejected, she posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media and tagged the Fever. Responding to a clip of former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho criticizing her reaction, Carrington posted on X that she “never once claimed that the assessment of the foul was white privilege.”
Cowboys and defensive star Quinnen Williams agree on $105.9 million extension
The Dallas Cowboys and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams have agreed on a $105.9 million, three-year extension going into his first full season with the team. The contract includes $101 million guaranteed and could keep Williams with the Cowboys through 2030 after they traded for him during the 2025 season. Dallas gave up one of the two first-round picks acquired in the shocking trade that sent star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers just a week before the opener last year. Williams gave one of the league’s worst defenses a boost last year before the Cowboys faded and missed the playoffs.
Hunter Henry ends limbo, signing a 2-year extension with Patriots through 2027
BOSTON (AP) — One of Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s favorite offensive targets isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Tight end Hunter Henry has signed a two-year extension to remain in New England through the 2027 season. ESPN and the NFL Network reported that the extended pact has a base value of $16 million with incentives that could push it up to $20 million. It ends a period of limbo for Henry, who was about to enter the final season of the previous three-year extension he signed in 2024.
Chiefs’ Eric Bieniemy returns to practice after wife’s shooting at their Virginia home
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has returned to the Kansas City Chiefs for his first practice since his wife was shot at their Virginia home. His 27-year-old son has been arrested in the shooting. Bieniemy was welcomed by fans as he joined the team at Missouri Western State University. His son faces three charges, but court appearances have delayed for a mental health evaluation. Bieniemy had been in touch with Chiefs coach Andy Reid during his absence. He previously left the Chiefs to call plays for the Commanders but returned after a stint with UCLA and the Bears to replace Matt Nagy, now the offensive coordinator of the Giants.
The pull of a home Olympics: Why US medalists are coming back for Los Angeles 2028
PHOENIX (AP) — American athletes are feeling the pull of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as the Games approach. Many are making comebacks, driven by the chance to compete at home. Track icon Allyson Felix and gold medal-winning gymnast Suni Lee are among those eyeing a return. The opportunity to perform on American soil is a major draw. The chance to succeed also offers lucrative opportunities that didn’t exist the last time the Summer Games were held in the United States in Atlanta 30 years ago. For some, the allure of becoming a legend in the U.S. is strong. However, the pressure and risks are high, as athletes like Simone Biles have shown.
UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC accuse FIFA of ‘deception’ and ‘breach of trust’ over World Cup plans
Soccer powerbrokers in Europe, North America and Asia believe FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s recent plan to sell an interest in the World Cup was a “fundamental breach of trust” with the institutions that the sport’s global governing body serves. In an “open letter to the football family” UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC also say that “when trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.” UEFA runs soccer in Europe, CONCACAF is the confederation for North, Central America and the Caribbean, and the AFC governs the sport in Asia.
