The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics both entered Saturday's highly anticipated matchup in second place in their respective conferences.
The Lakers have surged in the weeks since the team acquired Luka Doncic. But Boston outlasted Los Angeles on Saturday and ultimately celebrated a 111-101 victory. An injury forced LeBron James to exit the game in the fourth quarter.
While James did not provide a timetable for his return to the court, he did attempt to ease concerns about the severity of the injury.
"Not much concern," James said. "Obviously, I’m day-to-day. I’ll look at it each day and see if it gets better, and take the proper measures to see what I need to do moving forward."
ESPN reported that a strained groin could sideline James for up to two weeks.
James did not return to the court after a timeout with 6:44 minutes remaining after he contested a layup by Jaylen Brown. The 21-time NBA All-Star was seen walking gingerly to the huddle and then barely moved before making his way to the locker room with trainers.
James finished the game with 22 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.
He said his initial thoughts went to his first season in Los Angeles in 2018, when he suffered a groin injury during a Christmas Day game against the Golden State Warriors. He missed the next 17 games and the injury bothered him for most of the remainder of the season.
"I've been there before and I know what type of injury we're dealing with," James noted. He appears to be confident that his latest injury is not as serious as the 2018 one.
He also said he thought about former teammate Anthony Davis, who incurred his current groin injury in his first game with the Dallas Mavericks following his trade for Doncic.
"That's crazy. But I thought about AD," James said.
Doncic just wants James to give the injury the rest it needs. "Obviously, he's got to take his time," Doncic said. "Those injuries, I won't say are the worse, but they're tough to deal with."
The Lakers' loss to the Celtics ended Los Angeles' eight-game win streak. The defeat also briefly dropped them to third place in the Western Conference standings. But, L.A. moved back into second place after the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon.
The New York Yankees organization feels the exact same about Gerrit Cole as the fan base does.
"[I’m] prepared for the worst," general manager Brian Cashman told the New York Post and Newsday on Sunday.
Cole experienced discomfort in his throwing elbow after his second spring training start, a brutal outing against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, and serious concern has swirled around the team’s ace since then.
"Obviously not what you want, but it’s ultimately part of our journey here in 2025."
Another key piece of the roster, Giancarlo Stanton, is also dealing with elbow injuries, as he’s trying to avoid season-ending surgery on his "severe" tennis elbow in both arms.
There’s currently no timeline for the 2024 postseason star, who noted that adjustments he made to his bat last season could be the cause of the tendinitis in both elbows.
As for Cole, the obvious worst-case scenario when it involves a throwing elbow for a pitcher is a UCL injury, which usually leads to Tommy John surgery – a procedure that renders a player out for the year.
That would be a crushing blow to the Yankees considering what Cole means to the team in terms of their hopeful World Series revenge tour in 2025.
Cole also dealt with an elbow injury in 2024 that shut him down for a bit in the spring before he returned to the bump in the regular season. Cashman added that Cole’s concern, which he acknowledged on Saturday, isn’t something new because of how it was handled last season.
"I was with him in Tampa. I think last year, [it was] very emotional [for Cole] because it was a whole new experience," Cashman explained. "This year now, not as emotional because he’s walked this line already. And so, I think he is mentally more prepared to deal with it because he’s already dealt with that once before. So, and that’s even the worst-case scenario. Just generally, we are all in a better position to handle something if we’ve had some experience handling it in the past.
"He’s already had a lot of conversations. A lot of engagement with the doctors and lived through this last year."
Cole, though, wasn’t shut down for the entire season. So, while Cashman says the worst-case scenario is prepared for, who knows what happens if and when that becomes reality.
Cashman added it would be "difficult" to make possible moves at this point in the year to counteract these big injuries, which includes 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil suffering a high-grade lat strain that has him shut down until at least June.
In turn, Marcus Stroman is expected to fill in for Gil, while Will Warren and Carlos "Cookie" Carrasco figure to be potential replacements if Cole is unable to go in any capacity.
The 34-year-old Cole is coming off a 2024 campaign that saw him pitch to a 3.41 ERA over 17 starts – one year after leading the league with a 2.63 ERA and 209 innings over 33 starts to win his first Cy Young Award.
But when the MLB postseason began, Cole was crucial in helping the Yankees reach the World Series, tossing 29.0 innings over five starts with a 2.17 ERA, 22 strikeouts to 10 walks and only seven earned runs allowed.
A tough injury blow occurred in New York Mets spring training, as starting catcher Francisco Alvarez will not be with the team on Opening Day and then some.
Manager Carlos Mendoza revealed to reporters on Sunday that the 23-year-old catcher will undergo surgery to repair a broken left hamate bone (hand), which will force him to miss six to eight weeks.
Alvarez, once the team’s top prospect in the minors, is someone with high expectations heading into the 2025 season, but it isn’t starting the way he and the organization would like.
"It’s always tough when one of your guys goes down like that," Mendoza said about Alvarez. "But again, you’ve got to keep going. Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. Everybody deals with injuries. We’ll get him back."
Mendoza added the surgery, which was required after injuring the hamate bone during live at-bats on Saturday, will occur on Monday.
The hamate bone is an interesting injury for baseball players because it can cause a dip in power at the plate, something that Alvarez is gifted with. The Mets wanted to see more than 11 homers from him in 2024 after mashing 25 in 2023, but he’s proven he can send it a long way when he barrels it up.
Whether this injury will diminish that power remains to be seen.
Alvarez is also a very good defensive catcher, possessing a rocket for an arm and good framing skills. Obviously, the left hand being his catching hand, strong rehab will be needed to make sure he can sustain high velocities coming in with each pitch.
In the meantime, Mendoza and the Mets will have to lean on Alvarez’s backup, Luis Torrens, a veteran considered a defense-first man behind the dish.
Torrens was with the Mets in 2024 after being traded from the Seattle Mariners to Queens. He hit .229/.292/.373 with a .665 OPS with just three homers and 15 RBI over 47 games.
This isn’t the first big blow to the Mets’ roster before Opening Day, as starting pitching has taken a hit.
Sean Manaea, whose solid 2024 campaign led to a three-year deal to re-sign with the Mets, strained an oblique and won’t be ready for the beginning of the regular season.
Also, Frankie Montas, a free agent signee expected to provide good depth in the rotation, strained his right lat, and is out six to eight weeks as well. That injury occurred on Feb. 17.
Finally, Nick Madrigal, the utilityman the Mets brought in to provide versatility for Mendoza’s lineups, will miss the entire 2025 season after dislocating and fracturing his left shoulder.
This is certainly not the injury news the Mets wanted to see, but they can certainly weather the storm after doing so in 2024. Their battle in the second half led to a magical postseason berth and run that ended in the NLCS at the hands of the eventual World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
But New York, of course, won the historic bidding war for Juan Soto’s services this offseason, inking him to a 15-year, $765 million deal, which is an MLB record.
Soto was added to a lineup that consists of star shortstop Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Mark Viento and Pete Alonso, who eventually re-signed with New York.
Former NFL star running back and Tennessee State head football coach Eddie George is switching area codes. George has agreed to become the next coach of the Bowling Green Falcons, according to multiple reports.
Sources told ESPN that the university is expected to officially announce George's arrival on Sunday afternoon. George's decision comes shortly after reports surfaced saying the school extended an offer to the four-time Pro Bowler.
Bowling Green conducted an interview with George on Friday, per ESPN.
Prior to coaching, George rose to football stardom during his stellar stint at Ohio State. He rushed for 3,768 yards during his time with the Buckeyes, and won the 1995 Heisman Trophy.
Tennessee State experienced success under George. The Tigers punched their ticket to the FCS playoffs this past season, which marked the program's first playoff berth since 2013.
Scot Loeffler created the head coaching opening at Bowling Green when he departed to take the quarterbacks coach job with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The reigning Super Bowl champions needed to fill their quarterbacks coach vacancy after Doug Nussmeier followed Kellen Moore to the New Orleans Saints. Nussmeier will serve as the offensive coordinator in New Orleans during the 2025 season under head coach Moore.
George spent the majority of his professional football career with the Titans, before closing out his time in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys. He has 10,441 career rushing yards and remains the Titans' all-time rushing leader.
George's tenure at TSU is in line with a trend of NFL greats taking on head coaching jobs at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), before making the leap to a school that competes at the FBS level.
Deion Sanders was named the head coach at Jackson State in 2020. He left after the 2022 season in favor of the head coaching job at Colorado.
Meanwhile, former Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick was recently named the next head coach at Norfolk State and DeSean Jackson will coach the Delaware State football team this upcoming season.
The Kansas City Chiefs gave quite the generous early birthday present to young linebacker Nick Bolton on Sunday.
Bolton, who turns 25 on Monday, has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $45 million deal, which includes $30 million fully guaranteed at signing, to remain with the franchise, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Bolton was set for free agency after his rookie contract was up following his four seasons with the Chiefs. But Kansas City, recognizing how vital the middle linebacker is to their defensive success, didn’t let him touch the market.
This is a trend Kansas City has had this offseason following their tough loss in Super Bowl LIX to the Philadelphia Eagles. They’ve retained necessary talent on their roster that were set for free agency, with guard Trey Smith also being hit with the franchise tag to keep him in place on the offensive line.
The Chiefs also brought wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown back on a one-year pact.
Speaking of the Eagles, their stud linebacker, Zach Baun, was also signed to a lucrative long-term extension to make sure he wasn’t a free agent. In turn, the top middle linebackers expected to be on the market are now staying with their respective franchises.
It only makes sense the Chiefs found Bolton a priority before the legal tampering period begins on Monday.
Bolton, a second-round pick out of Missouri in the 2021 NFL Draft, has been a defensive staple in Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme, totaling 458 combined tackles and five sacks through 57 career regular-season games thus far.
Last season, Bolton had 106 combined tackles, three sacks, six passes defended, one forced fumble, one interception and 11 tackles for loss.
And just two seasons ago – he played only eight games in 2023 due to injury – Bolton had a whopping 180 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, two interceptions and three passes defended over 17 games.
That season also marked his first Super Bowl victory, where he had a game-changing play when he strip-sacked Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and ran back the fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Then, during the Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl run, Bolton led the team with 40 combined tackles, ultimately leading up to the win over the San Francisco 49ers in overtime to defend the title.
Only four years into the NFL, Bolton has made his mark as one of the best young linebackers in the game, having the ability to rush the passer, stop the run, and get sideline to sideline to make tackles – a vital asset for any good defense in the modern game.
With this contract, the Chiefs will have Bolton under contract through the 2027 season.
The tension between six-time Pro Bowler Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns has been eased. ESPN reported that Garrett and the Browns have reached an agreement on a contract extension that ties him to Cleveland for the foreseeable future.
The deal includes just over $123 million in guaranteed money and will pay Garrett an average annual salary of $40 million, per the report. Those figures represent the most money ever paid to a non-quarterback in NFL history. The Browns did not confirm the financial terms of the deal. The franchise did, however, announce the contract extension was for four years.
If Garrett plays through the entire contract extension, he would wear a Browns uniform through the 2030 season. Sources told ESPN that a no-trade clause was written into the new contract.
The agreement comes just two days after reports surfaced saying that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam had rejected a request to meet with Garrett about his trade demand.
Last month, Garrett informed the Browns of his desire to be traded to another team. Garrett then asked to meet with Haslam. Instead of sitting down with Garrett, he was re-directed to Browns general manager Andrew Barry, per Cleveland.com.
In a statement announcing his trade request, Garrett said he preferred to land with a contender next season. "The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl," he said.
Garrett later doubled down on those sentiments and concluded they were not "aligned" with the direction of the franchise.
"I have a lot of love for Cleveland, but it's always for me been about [competing] for championships, winning those big games and winning Lombardis," Garrett told NFL Network in February. "We haven't had the opportunity to do that. That's all I'm asking for."
The Browns finished last season with a 3-14 record.
The Browns' brass was adamant that they would not trade the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Head coach Kevin Stefanski previously said Garrett is "part of the present. He's part of the future."
Kevin Keatts' eight-year run as the head coach of the N.C. State men's basketball team has come to an abrupt end. On Sunday, the university announced its decision to part ways with Keatts.
The move comes less than a year after Keatts coached the Wolfpack to the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and the Final Four. N.C. State ended the 2024-25 regular season with a 12-19 record.
Athletic director Boo Corrigan released a statement thanking Keatts for his "contributions" and also acknowledged last year's deep run in the NCAA tournament.
"I want to thank Coach Keatts for his contributions to N.C. State and for always representing the university with class," the statement from Corrigan read. "He will always have a treasured place in Wolfpack history for the accomplishments of his 2023-24 squad and I appreciate the passion he brought to this role. We wish him and his family the best in the future."
Keatts described the past eight years as "a dream come true."
"As we enter this new era of college sports, I wholeheartedly believe that I am leaving the program in better position to succeed than when I started – and that the basketball program will continue to thrive when supported to the level necessary to compete," Keatts wrote in a social media post on Sunday.
Keatts went 151-113 at N.C. State, including 69-84 in ACC play. His teams earned three NCAA Tournament bids, the last coming when the Wolfpack followed a five-games-in-five-days ride to their first ACC Tournament title since 1987 with a just-as-unexpected run to the program’s first Final Four since the late Jim Valvano led the "Cardiac Pack" to the 1983 NCAA title.
But he couldn’t sustain that momentum as this season turned into a crashout, with the Wolfpack’s retooling through the transfer portal – which had worked well enough to get N.C. State to back-to-back NCAA bids – proving to be a major miss. N.C. State went just 5-15 in league play.
The firing comes after Keatts faced multiple challenges in his tenure, starting with stabilizing a wobbly program on the court and then working for years amid the shadow of a federal corruption investigation into the sport that was tied to predecessor Mark Gottfried's tenure.
That case hovered for years before the program was placed on a year of probation in December 2021.
He arrived in 2017 from UNC Wilmington promising that "Kevin Keatts is a winner" in his introductory news conference. In many ways, he matched that, particularly after the program had bottomed out in Gottfried’s final two seasons after four straight NCAA bids.
Keatts started with a 21-win season that included taking down highly ranked Duke, UNC and Arizona teams before reaching the NCAAs.
The Bowling Green Falcons appear to be turning to an NFL legend to fill its head coaching vacancy. According to ESPN, the school has extended an offer to Eddie George.
The former Tennessee Titans running back still spends Saturdays in the fall at Nissan Stadium – the same building where he routinely scored touchdowns during his standout NFL career. George is currently the Tennessee State Tigers head football coach and the school shares the stadium with the Titans.
George was interviewed by Bowling Green earlier this week and appears to have a genuine interest in the opportunity, per the report.
George rose to football stardom during his stellar stint at Ohio State, which culminated with him winning the 1995 Heisman Trophy. He rushed for 3,768 yards during his time with the Buckeyes.
Tennessee State has experienced success under George. The Tigers punched their ticket to the FCS playoffs this past season, which marked the program's first playoff berth since 2013.
Scot Loeffler created the head coaching opening at Bowling Green when he departed to take the quarterbacks coach job with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The reigning Super Bowl champions needed to fill their quarterbacks coach vacancy after Doug Nussmeier followed Kellen Moore to the New Orleans Saints. Nussmeier will serve as the offensive coordinator in New Orleans during the 2025 season under head coach Moore.
George spent the majority of his professional football career with the Titans, before closing out his time in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys. He has 10,441 career rushing yards and remains the Titans' all-time rushing leader.
George's tenure at TSU is in line with a trend of NFL greats taking on head coaching jobs at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Deion Sanders was named the head coach at Jackson State in 2020. He currently coaches at Colorado. Michael Vick was recently named the next head coach at Norfolk State and DeSean Jackson will coach the Delaware State football team this upcoming season.
Just over two months ago, MLB star Juan Soto signed a historic contract. A couple of weeks ago, he joined the New York Mets in Florida for spring training.
The 15-year, $765 million deal he signed was the most lucrative contract in professional sports history.
In mid-February, Soto still seemed to be processing the life-changing contact.
"I'm still thinking about it and everything. It's unbelievable," he said at the time. "I'm really happy for that. I'm really happy to know where I'm going to be for the next 15 years."
"The Mets didn’t offer the most money," Soto said, speaking in Spanish. "Some teams offered more."
Soto later said the Mets' culture was one of the reasons he decided to leave the Bronx in favor of Queens.
SNY reported "multiple teams, including Boston, had a willingness to exceed the high offer if they knew Soto would agree."
Soto will wear his coveted No. 22 jersey with the Mets. Third baseman Brett Baty wore that number the past three seasons. But Soto gave him a brand new SUV during spring training to convince the infielder to switch to No. 7.
"No, you didn’t," Baty said as he smiled and walked outside the team’s spring training complex to see Soto near a Chevrolet Tahoe that had "Thanks for #22" scrawled on the back window.
Baty, the 12th overall pick by the Mets in the 2019 draft, was still driving the same 2016 Toyota 4Runner he had in high school.
"I really appreciate the number," Soto told him. "It’s the first one I ever wore."
Former President Joe Biden posted on X Saturday to celebrate International Women's Day, and many Americans called out his administration's record of enabling transgender athletes to compete in women's sports.
"Like so many of you, I'm celebrating the incredible women in my life today. International Women's Day is a time to recognize the achievements of women and girls everywhere and recommit our efforts to advance dignity, opportunity, and equality for all. When women and girls succeed, communities, economies, and democracies succeed," Biden wrote.
During Biden's presidency, he signed an executive order that allowed trans athletes to compete in women's and girls sports, attempted to rewrite Title IX to allow it and even tried to punish states for taking their own steps to combat the issue.
Since Biden left office, Democrats in Congress and state governments have done plenty to combat Republican attempts to address the issue.
There was a wave of criticism against his celebratory post Saturday.
Critics included U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, who posted a screenshot of the House of Representatives' vote on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which 203 Democrats voted against. The bill was then filibustered in the Senate when 45 Democrats voted against it.
XX-XY Athletics, the sportswear brand dedicated to promoting the activism of protecting female athletes from trans inclusion, lambasted Biden for "eroding" women's rights.
Other Americans shared their own thoughts.
"They don't succeed when men take over their spaces," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Is that why you humiliated our women by putting men in women’s sports? Asking for my Sisters and Daughters ? Or do you even know you did it?"
"Hey Joe. What is a woman? Is your way to celebrate it by letting men into women’s sports? Taking away the identity of actual women?" another user wrote.
Biden's record of allowing trans athletes to compete in women's and girls sports became one of the Democratic Party's biggest vulnerabilities in the 2024 election.
On the first day of his presidency in January 2021, Biden signed an executive order on "Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation."
The order included a section that said, "Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports."
In March 2023, Democrats advocated for a transgender bill of rights, proposing a resolution "recognizing that it is the duty of the Federal Government to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights." The resolution specifically called for federal law to ensure that biological men can "participate in sports on teams and in programs that best align with their gender identity; [and] use school facilities that best align with their gender identity."
In April 2023, Biden's Department of Education proposed a rule change that would have punished schools for preventing trans athletes from competing in women's sports.
The proposition was titled "Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance: Sex-Related Eligibility Criteria for Male and Female Athletic Teams."
The rule would have outlawed individual states from banning participation in single-sex sports by gender identity rather than just sex. There are 23 states in the U.S. that have legislation in place to restrict trans athletes from competing as females in public school sports.
In April 2024, Biden issued a sweeping Title IX rewrite that issued a ban on "sex" discrimination in schools based on gender identity, sexual orientation and "pregnancy or related conditions." The rule took effect Aug. 1, and, for the first time, the law stated that discrimination based on sex includes conduct related to a person’s gender identity.
It led to more than two dozen attorneys general suing over the rule, arguing it would conflict with some of their state laws that block transgender students from participating in women’s sports.
The Supreme Court struck down an emergency request by Biden to enforce the rewrite in states that defied the rewrite in August.
When the election came around in Novemeber, Biden's record on the issue may have backfired on his party because it lost the White House, Senate and House of Representatives.
A national exit poll conducted by the Concerned Women for America legislative action committee found that 70% of moderate voters saw the issue of "Donald Trump’s opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls' and women’s sports and of transgender boys and men using girls' and women’s bathrooms" as important to them.
Additionally, 6% said it was the most important issue of all, while 44% said it was "very important."
After President Donald Trump returned to office, he signed an executive order banning trans athletes in women's and girls sports Feb. 5. However, many Democrat-led states have refused to comply with the order despite most Democrats being opposed to it.
A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found that the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said that biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports.
Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said that transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.
WNBA player Angel Reese ignited a social media firestorm after claiming players are prepared to sit out games to demand higher salaries during her podcast Friday.
Reese and fellow WNBA player DiJonai Carrington addressed the next WNBA collective bargaining agreement.
"I've got to get in the meetings because I'm hearing like, 'If y'all don't give us what we want, we sitting out,'" Reese said.
Reese has griped about her financial situation in the past.
"The WNBA don't pay my bills at all. I don't even think it pays one of my bills. Literally," Reese said.
Reese's comments incited heated debate on social media about a WNBA player strike resulting in higher salaries. The WNBA has never turned a profit in its existence and has been subsidized by the NBA.
Reese got in on the discussion when she called out conservative influencer AKA on X for a post that Reese said falsely claimed she demanded to be paid as much as NBA players.
"I never said anything about the NBA. We are prepared to stay at the negotiating table for as long as it takes," Reese said.
Reese signed a four-year, $324,383 rookie contract ahead of her first WNBA season in 2024. She made under $75,000 in her first year and will make less than that in 2025.
In October, Reese admitted she couldn't afford to pay her bills based on that salary in an Instagram live video.
"I’m living beyond my means. Hating pays them bills, baby. I just hope you know the WNBA don’t pay my bills at all," she said. "I don’t even think that pays one of my bills. Literally, I’m trying to think of my rent for where I stay at. Let me do the math real quick. I don’t even know my (WNBA) salary, $74,000?"
Reese said she is paying $8,000 for rent.
"Babe, if y’all thought… That WNBA check don’t pay a thing," she added. "Did that even pay my car note? … I wouldn’t even be able to eat a sandwich with that. I wouldn’t even be able to eat. I wouldn’t be able to live."
The WNBA players union opted out of its current collective bargaining agreement in October, two years before its expiration.
The current CBA will still cover the 2025 season, so the two sides have a year to negotiate a new agreement.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy will not be charged after his arrest Friday, the Williamson County District Attorney told the Austin American-Statesman Saturday.
Worthy was arrested in Texas Friday for an alleged assault, according to online jail records.
Records indicated an assault on a family or household member in which the alleged victim's breathing was restricted. Under Texas law, the charge is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
However, District Attorney Shawn Dick said after speaking with multiple witnesses, Williamson County authorities will not press charges.
"After further investigation by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and further discussion with a third-party witness, Mr. Worthy and his attorneys, this case is being declined at this time pending completion of the investigation by the Williamson County Sheriff's Office," Dick said in an email, according to the outlet.
"Mr. Worthy and his lawyers are fully cooperating with this investigation.
"We will continue to evaluate the case. As is our practice with all declines, should you develop additional information indicative of probable cause in this case, our office will consider that information and may present the case at that time to a Williamson County Grand Jury."
Shortly after news of the arrest surfaced, attorneys Chip Lewis and Sam Bassett issued a statement on Worthy’s behalf in which they claimed his innocence.
"We are aware of the allegation that led to Mr. Worthy’s arrest," the statement, obtained by The Associated Press, said. "We are working with law enforcement in Williamson County to ensure they have the benefit of the totality of circumstances that led to this allegation."
The lawyers argued the "complainant" refused to leave Worthy's home despite numerous requests. Worthy's representatives also claimed the alleged victim attempted to extort the NFL star and described the allegation made against their client as "baseless."
"The complainant was asked multiple times over the last two weeks to vacate Mr. Worthy’s residence upon discovery of her infidelity, which a private investigator has video evidence of. She has refused to vacate the residence and made a number of extortive efforts prior to resorting to this baseless allegation against Mr. Worthy."
According to the statement, Worthy's property was damaged, and he was subjected to bodily harm. The Chiefs receiver also informed authorities he was not in favor of pressing charges, according to the statement.
The outlet reported that Worthy was still in a Williamson County jail as of 6:50 p.m. ET, and it could take a few hours before he is released.
Worthy finished his rookie NFL season with 638 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He also scored three rushing touchdowns. The 21-year-old scored two touchdowns during the Chiefs' 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in last month's Super Bowl.
Ahead of getting drafted in the first round last year, he set the NFL Scouting Combine record with a 4.21 40-yard dash.
Fox News' Paulina Dedaj and Chantz Martin contributed to this report.
Geno Smith will reportedly switch from a Seahawks uniform to the Raiders silver and black next season.
On Friday, multiple reports surfaced saying Seattle agreed to trade the 34-year-old quarterback to Las Vegas.
The Raiders sent a third-round pick in next month's NFL Draft to the Seahawks in exchange for Smith, ESPN reported.
The transaction would end Smith's six-year run with the Seahawks. He was the primary starter for three of those seasons and earned Pro Bowl honors twice.
Smith took to social media shortly after he discovered his name was linked to the blockbuster trade reports.
"God is the GREATEST!! Excited to get to work and WIN. The time is NOW," Smith wrote on X.
Smith threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns with 15 interceptions last season and will be the clear favorite to be the starter when Las Vegas opens its season, even if the club selects a quarterback in next month’s draft.
Because the Raiders hold the sixth pick, it is unlikely the team will be in a position to select Miami standout Cam Ward or former Colorado star Shedeur Sanders.
The Raiders also could decide to take a quarterback later in the draft, such as Jalen Milroe. Or they could pass on a quarterback altogether and go with a quarterback room that includes Smith and Aidan O’Connell.
The Raiders finished 4-13 last season, which led to the departures of coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco. Pete Carroll, who coached Smith in Seattle, was named the Raiders' new head coach in January.
Trading for Smith is the latest in a series of notable moves the Raiders have made this offseason. Earlier this week, defensive end Maxx Crosby landed the richest contract for a non-quarterback in league history.
He received a three-year extension worth $106.5 million, with $91.5 million guaranteed, to keep him in Las Vegas through the 2029 season.
WNBA players Angel Reese and DiJonai Carrington vented about criticism directed at them by the league's newer fans during an episode of Reese's podcast, "Unapologetically Angel," Friday.
Both players have been the subject of harsh comments by fans after controversial interactions with phenom Caitlin Clark.
Reese has faced criticism for her interactions with Clark dating back to the 2023 NCAA women's basketball championship game, when Reese pointed to her finger mockingly after leading LSU to the title over Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes.
In 2024, Reese and some of her Chicago Sky teammates committed a series of controversial fouls on Clark in four WNBA meetings.
"It's hard, especially as two black women are unapologetic, we're going to pop our s--- and say what we have to say. And I stand on what we said. I feel like it's really hard," Reese said on Friday's show about the criticism she receives.
Carrington faced intense backlash after giving Clark a black eye with her fingernail in a playoff meeting between Clark's Indiana Fever and Carrington's previous team, the Connecticut Sun, in September. Carrington also previously spoke out against Clark and her fan base.
"They be real loose at the mouth," Carrington said of her critics. "I know they think it's trolls, but it's not just trolls. It be people that we see in real life."
But for Reese and Carrington, some of the comments that bother them most are those regarding their appearance.
"I hate when people say that, 'Oh she’s too worried about her makeup and her hair and her lashes and her nails and her outfits,'" Reese said.
Carrington said she isn't as bothered when people say she pays too much attention to her appearance, but she did say she "hates" when people question why she has blonde hair.
"I hate when people talk about that, like, 'Why do you have blonde hair?’" Carrington said. "I got black eyebrows. I got black arm hair, black leg hair … and I don't care. I'm still a natural blonde."
Reese then claimed that while players like her and Carrington are criticized for putting too much effort into looking feminine, some WNBA players are also criticized for looking too masculine.
"They complain and say that WNBA players are too manly, not feminine enough. We don't dress cute enough. They don't want to watch a bunch of little boys running around the court. Now, we're too much," Reese said.
"'I'm not watching that WNBA. Masculine, long shorts, they're wearing braids. They all like each other. They all date each other.' That's not true," Reese said, laughing at the fact Carrington is dating fellow WNBA player NaLyssa Smith.
"I don't be getting it, like d--- I can't put a little lip gloss on?" Reese added.
Despite these complaints, Reese may have indirectly implied her feelings about Clark's appearance. At one point during the interview, Reese listed the WNBA's "baddies," which is urban slang for a person who is confident, stylish and attractive.
"They knew who the baddies were, you [Carrington], me, Cameron [Brink], Kia [Nurse]," Reese said.
Reese left Clark off that list.
However, at no point in the episode did either Carrington or Reese address Clark in any way.
The NCAA tournament is right around the corner, but madness in March has already begun.
No. 7 Alabama defeated top-ranked Auburn, 93-91, on the road with an overtime buzzer-beater Saturday in a regular-season finale.
Mark Sears drove toward the paint and hit a floater as the clock expired to give the Crimson Tide a huge victory. Sears had just nine points, but he scored the most important two.
Dick Vitale was on the call and delivered his patented "Are you serious?" Vitale returned to the broadcast booth this season after battling cancer.
It was sweet revenge for Bama, who lost to the Tigers, 94-85, on their home court last month.
The contest was a nail-biter the whole way, with no lead exceeding double digits. The largest lead of the afternoon was an eight-point advantage the Crimson Tide held with roughly 10 minutes to go, but it was quickly erased.
Johni Broome hit a three for Auburn with 15 seconds left in overtime to tie the game at 91, but Sears made the best of getting the ball last. Broome finished with a game-high 34 points.
After losing just two of their first 29 games, the Tigers have lost two straight. They dropped a game on the road to Texas A&M earlier this week.
The two teams could see each other deep in next week's SEC Tournament.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are approaching a year and a half of dating, and HBO's Bill Maher is shocked at how long it's lasted.
During Friday's episode of "Real Time With Bill Maher," the comedian took a dig at the couple's relationship and its duration, citing Swift's history of brief flings.
"This world is so upside down now. It took [President] Trump three weeks to break up with Ukraine and Mexico and Canada," the comedian said, while dissing the commander in chief’s diplomatic policies.
Prior to her relationship with Kelce, Swift dated fellow singer Matty Healy for just a month, from May to June 2023. In 2016, Swift dated actor Tom Hiddleston for about five months, from May until September.
Swift dated music star Harry Styles from November 2012 to January 2013. She had just gotten out of a relationship with Conor Kennedy, grandson of former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, that lasted from July 2012 to October of that year.
In 2010, Swift dated famed actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who is nine years older than her, for just over two months, from October until December.
Earlier that year, she broke off a relationship with musician John Mayer, which lasted from December 2009 until February 2010. The same month Swift began her relationship with Mayer, she ended her relationship with actor Taylor Lautner, which began just two months earlier.
Swift's first publicized relationship with fellow pop star Joe Jonas lasted from July 2008 to October of that year.
However, Swift has had one long-term relationship, with British actor Joe Alwyn, which lasted nearly six years, from May 2017 until April 2023. She also had another relationship that lasted over a year with singer Calvin Harris, from March 2015 to May 2016.
Swift's relationship with Kelce is the second longest of her highly-publicized love life. Their relationship is believed to have started in July 2023.
The relationship between Swift and Kelce became the biggest story in sports in the fall of 2023 when she first started showing up at Kansas City Chiefs games, often demanding the attention of broadcasts and fan discussion on social media.
It attracted new viewers — particularly young women — to the Chiefs and NFL.
However, the constant Swift publicity has also annoyed some longtime NFL fans.
At the Super Bowl in New Orleans last month, Swift was booed by fans when she was shown on the jumbotron.
Despite the booing and Kelce being 35 years old, the tight end says Swift has been encouraging him to continue his playing career with the Chiefs.
"She’s fully encouraging me to enjoy playing this game," the 10-time Pro Bowler told "The Stephen A. Smith Show," adding Swift loves going to Arrowhead Stadium for games.
"I got all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams."
Dunne has not competed since Jan. 24 against Arkansas, but she could return for NCAAs next month. A typical recovery time for the kneecap injury is at least three months, but it could also take up to half a year.
The Cleveland Clinic defines an avulsion fracture as an injury when "a small piece of bone attached to a tendon or ligament gets pulled away from the main part of the bone."
Friday marked No. 2-ranked LSU's final home meet of the season, a 198.575-197.175 victory over No. 10 Georgia.
A soccer game in Spain involving the popular team Barcelona FC was postponed after a member of the team's medical staff died, the club announced.
Just around 15 minutes before a Saturday home game against Osasuna at Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium was set to begin, fans were informed it would be postponed due to the death of doctor Carles Miñarro Garcia.
Barcelona said it was "deeply saddened to announce the passing of first-team doctor Carles Miñarro Garcia this evening," in a statement. The club also extended "heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time."
Karl-Anthony Towns missed a game this week, and it was initially revealed he missed the game for "personal reasons."
After rumors circulated, it turned out a close friend of Towns' girlfriend, Jordyn Woods, died of breast cancer.
Towns returned to the team two days later after funeral services, but Draymond Green apparently had heard a different story about why Towns was absent.
The Knicks were hosting the Golden State Warriors, who include Jimmy Butler, Towns' former teammate.
Green said he had heard Towns did not want to go up against Butler.
"Some would say he didn’t play because Jimmy was in the building. I don’t known," Green said on his podcast. "They say KAT didn’t play because Jimmy came into town. You know him and Jimmy had the infamous practice in Minnesota."
Towns played against Butler earlier this year, when Butler was with the Miami Heat, and dropped 44 points.
Towns said it was "one of those moments where I had to be there for my family." Green was not aware of that until after the Warriors’ 121-119 victory over Brooklyn Thursday.
"That’s unfortunate, I’m sorry to hear that. That sucks," Green said. "But my comments that I made were what I heard was this. That’s what I heard. So I do send my well wishes to him and his family."
"But," he added, "the ‘Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis’ must go on."
Towns struggled in his return to the lineup, going 3-for-13 from the floor in Los Angeles with just 12 points. He's averaging double that this season.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy was arrested in Texas Friday for an alleged assault, online jail records showed.
Worthy, a first-round pick in last year's NFL Draft, was booked by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office on an assault charge. Williamson County includes parts of Austin, where Worthy rose to stardom during his time with the Texas Longhorns.
The charges allege Worthy assaulted a family or household member, restricting the alleged victim's breathing. Under Texas law, restricting someone's breathing means "intentionally, knowingly or recklessly impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of the person by applying pressure to the person’s throat or neck or by blocking the person’s nose or mouth."
The charge is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Jail records showed Worthy had not yet posted bond by Saturday morning. The records did not have any details of the arrest.
Shortly after news of the arrest surfaced, attorneys Chip Lewis and Sam Bassett issued a statement on Worthy’s behalf.
"We are aware of the allegation that led to Mr. Worthy’s arrest," the statement, obtained by The Associated Press, said. "We are working with law enforcement in Williamson County to ensure they have the benefit of the totality of circumstances that led to this allegation."
The lawyers argued the "complainant" refused to leave Worthy's home despite numerous requests. Worthy's representatives also claimed the alleged victim attempted to extort the NFL star and described the allegation made against their client as "baseless."
"The complainant was asked multiple times over the last two weeks to vacate Mr. Worthy’s residence upon discovery of her infidelity, which a private investigator has video evidence of. She has refused to vacate the residence and made a number of extortive efforts prior to resorting to this baseless allegation against Mr. Worthy."
According to the statement, Worthy's property was damaged and he sustained bodily harm. The Chiefs' receiver also informed authorities he was not in favor of pressing charges, according to the statement.
"The complainant further destroyed a room in the residence, scratched Mr. Worthy’s face and ripped out parts of his hair, which there is photographic evidence of. Mr. Worthy told law enforcement at the time of the incident that he did not want to press charges against the complainant.
"We will continue to cooperate with Williamson County authorities as we have full faith their thorough investigation will support Mr. Worthy’s innocence."
The Chiefs also sent a statement to Fox New Digital, saying, "We are aware and gathering information."
Worthy finished his rookie NFL season with 638 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He also scored three rushing touchdowns. The 21-year-old scored two touchdowns during the Chiefs' 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in last month's Super Bowl.
Fox News' Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
