Forward Cristo Fernandez, the actor who portrayed Dani Rojas on the Apple TV series "Ted Lasso" has signed with El Paso Locomotive FC of the USL Championship to play soccer professionally. Terms of the deal announced Tuesday, which still must be approved by the second-tier league and soccer federation, were not disclosed. Fernandez earned the deal after a two-month trial with the team, appearing in a preseason match against New Mexico United. He played soccer at the youth level before an injury at the age of 15 led him to acting. "No matter where life has taken me, the dream of competing professionally never truly left my heart," Fernandez said. "Im incredibly grateful to El Paso Locomotive FC the club, coaches, staff, and especially my teammates for opening the doors and giving me the opportunity to compete from day one." Locomotive coach Junior Gonzalez said Fernandez is a great addition, giving them another attacking threat while bringing passion and leadership to the locker room. The USL Championship acts as the second tier of the American soccer pyramid, sitting directly below MLS. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya said that he has learnt a lot by watch Virat Kohli - both as a teammate and as an opponent.

Collins announced his diagnosis of stage 4 glioblastoma in December

As the final buzzer sounded and the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder, the organization enters the summer with questions and plenty of them.Will LeBron James return or will he seek greener pastures?What about Austin Reaves and his pending free agency?Will the franchise embrace the presence of Luka Doni and tailor a roster around him, loaded with pieces that actually fit, instead of pushing more on-ball players toward him?That last question, in particular, is one that should be heavily prioritized.Neither James nor Reaves has the same importance or influence as Doni, meaning building around the Slovenian is an outright necessity.Doni, who averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists this season, is under contract for at least two more years his age-27 and age-28 seasons and its crucial the Lakers capitalize on his physical prime.Let's get into their summer.2025-26 finishRecord: 53-29, fourth in Western Conference. Swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.Highlight of the seasonDoni's 60-point game against the Miami Heat on March 19. He shot 18-of-30 from the floor and hit nine 3s. It was fun, it was loose, and the Lakers played with a level of joy not often seen this season.Players signed for next seasonLuka DoniJarred VanderbiltJake LaRaviaDalton KnechtAdou TheiroKey free agentsLeBron James (UFA)Austin Reaves (player option)Rui Hachimura (UFA)Luke Kennard (UFA)Projected salary$74,280,568Draft pickNo. 25Draft focus: Shooting. If the Lakers are to build around Doni, which they should, it's essential they add floor-spacing elements to optimize his game.Roster-building toolsPending cap holds and whether they re-sign Reaves and James, the Lakers should have ample cap space to go out and make quality role-player signings. That is, of course, unless they wish to function as an over-the-cap team, which they can in order to secure the Non-Tax MLE.Needs and goalsAs is the theme today, it's all about Doni, and the optimization of building a sustainable product around him. That means shooting, that means a higher emphasis on two-way production, and a general need for depth. L.A. needs athletic length, defenders, finishers and shooters to make the most of Donis gifts. It isnt a difficult formula and the blueprint was laid out when Doni carried the Mavs to the Finals in 2024. But this is after all the Lakers, who couldnt competently surround LeBron with the right pieces.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns acknowledged that the front office needs to reexamine how it evaluates players after several free agent signings have spent the year on the IL.

Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league, has died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of a brain tumour, his family announced Tuesday.

Former NBA and Nets player Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in league history, has died at the age of 47.

The Grizzlies confirmed his passing in an emotional statement in which Clarke was described as an 'outstanding' member of the Memphis community.

Jason Collins, the NBAs first openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league, has died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of a brain tumor, his family announced Tuesday.Collins spent 13 years as a player in the league for six different franchises. He revealed in 2013 that he was gay, an announcement that came toward the end of his playing career.Collins had been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma, which has an extremely low survival rate. He was 47.Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar," Collins' family said in a statement released through the NBA. "We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.Just last week, Collins received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit. He was too ill to attend and his twin brother, former NBA player Jarron Collins, accepted for him.I told my brother this before I came here: Hes the bravest, strongest man Ive ever known, Jarron Collins said while accepting that award.Jason Collins averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in his career. He helped the New Jersey Nets reach two NBA Finals and in his best season averaged 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds for them in 2004-05.Jason Collins impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.On behalf of the NBA, I send my heartfelt condolences to Jasons husband, Brunson, and his family, friends and colleagues across our leagues.Jason Collins revealed his sexuality in a first-person account for Sports Illustrated in April 2013. He was a free agent at the time, said he wanted to keep playing, and went on to play in 22 games with Brooklyn the following season.If I had my way, someone else would have already done this, he wrote at that time. Nobody has, which is why Im raising my hand.His decision was widely lauded, with star players such as Kobe Bryant quickly speaking out in support of Collins. There was even support from the White House and then-former President Bill Clinton whose daughter, Chelsea, went to Stanford with Collins. At Stanford, Collins was roommates with someone who was part of another American political dynasty, that being Joe Kennedy III, who spent eight years in Congress representing Massachusetts.Collins, in the piece for Sports Illustrated, wrote that he realized he needed to go public about his sexuality when Kennedy walked in Bostons gay pride parade in 2012 but Collins couldnt do the same.Until then, Collins kept his feelings about gay rights close to the vest. He wore jersey No. 98 for the majority of his final three playing stints with Boston, Washington and Brooklyn a nod to the year that Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming, was killed. He also wore 46 in one game for the Nets, since it was the only jersey the team had available when he signed.Collins made nearly 61% of his shots in his career at Stanford, which remains a school record. He was an honorable mention selection for The Associated Press' All-America team in 2001, a few months before the Houston Rockets took him with the 18th pick in that year's NBA draft.Its a sad day for all of us associated with Stanford basketball when we lose one of the programs greats," former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery said. We all have great memories of Jason and the kind of person he was. Its hard to separate Jarron and Jason because they thought so alike, but even though he was an identical twin, Jason was unique in his own way. The impact he had on Stanford was immense, as he could match up against anyone in the country because he was big, smart, strong and skilled, all while being a very bright and nice person.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Jason Collins, the NBAs first openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league, has died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of a brain tumor, his family announced Tuesday.Collins spent 13 years as a player in the league for six different franchises. He revealed in 2013 that he was gay, an announcement that came toward the end of his playing career.Collins had been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma, which has an extremely low survival rate. He was 47.Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar," Collins' family said in a statement released through the NBA. "We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.Just last week, Collins received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit. He was too ill to attend and his twin brother, former NBA player Jarron Collins, accepted for him.I told my brother this before I came here: Hes the bravest, strongest man Ive ever known, Jarron Collins said while accepting that award.Jason Collins averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in his career. He helped the New Jersey Nets reach two NBA Finals and in his best season averaged 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds for them in 2004-05.Jason Collins impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.On behalf of the NBA, I send my heartfelt condolences to Jasons husband, Brunson, and his family, friends and colleagues across our leagues.Jason Collins revealed his sexuality in a first-person account for Sports Illustrated in April 2013. He was a free agent at the time, said he wanted to keep playing, and went on to play in 22 games with Brooklyn the following season.If I had my way, someone else would have already done this, he wrote at that time. Nobody has, which is why Im raising my hand.His decision was widely lauded, with star players such as Kobe Bryant quickly speaking out in support of Collins. There was even support from the White House and then-former President Bill Clinton whose daughter, Chelsea, went to Stanford with Collins. At Stanford, Collins was roommates with someone who was part of another American political dynasty, that being Joe Kennedy III, who spent eight years in Congress representing Massachusetts.Collins, in the piece for Sports Illustrated, wrote that he realized he needed to go public about his sexuality when Kennedy walked in Bostons gay pride parade in 2012 but Collins couldnt do the same.Until then, Collins kept his feelings about gay rights close to the vest. He wore jersey No. 98 for the majority of his final three playing stints with Boston, Washington and Brooklyn a nod to the year that Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming, was killed. He also wore 46 in one game for the Nets, since it was the only jersey the team had available when he signed.Collins made nearly 61% of his shots in his career at Stanford, which remains a school record. He was an honorable mention selection for The Associated Press' All-America team in 2001, a few months before the Houston Rockets took him with the 18th pick in that year's NBA draft.Its a sad day for all of us associated with Stanford basketball when we lose one of the programs greats," former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery said. We all have great memories of Jason and the kind of person he was. Its hard to separate Jarron and Jason because they thought so alike, but even though he was an identical twin, Jason was unique in his own way. The impact he had on Stanford was immense, as he could match up against anyone in the country because he was big, smart, strong and skilled, all while being a very bright and nice person.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba