Two-time NBA All-Star Gus Williams, who led the Seattle SuperSonics to the franchise’s only NBA championship, has died. He was 71. 

Williams’ death comes nearly five years after he suffered a debilitating stroke. According to The Seattle Times, his cause of death was not immediately known, but he was living in a care facility in Baltimore at the time of his death. 

Longtime sports writer Peter Vecsey reported Thursday that Williams’ brother said the former basketball player’s body "simply broke down" over the last few days. He also confirmed that the funeral will be held in Mount Vernon, New York – Williams’ hometown. 

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Williams was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the 1975 NBA Draft. He would go on to earn NBA All-Rookie Team honors that year and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting that season. 

He played two seasons with the Warriors before signing in 1977 with the Sonics, where he would quickly make a name for himself as one of the most dynamic guards of his time. 

The former USC standout led the Sonics to their only championship title in 1979 when he averaged a team-high of 26.7 points during the playoffs. 

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A two-time NBA All-Star, Williams famously sat out the 1980 season because of a contract dispute, but he returned the following season to finish fifth in MVP voting and win NBA Comeback Player of the Year. 

The NBA community mourned the loss of Williams on social media following the news of his death. 

Williams retired from playing basketball in 1987 after one season with the Atlanta Hawks. His jersey was retired by the Sonics in 2004. 

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The Premier League champions hope to bring in Italy’s Andrea Cambiaso

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Fury announced his career was over after his recent defeat by Oleksandr Usyk but has made U-turns before.

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Mike Tomlin's voice in Pittsburgh might be a little stale.

Darnold helped lead Minnesota to a 14-3 record this year and a playoff berth.

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard has been outspoken about his faith and belief in God during his collegiate career.

On Wednesday, Leonard told reporters before the national championship game against Ohio State that he believes that the open faith players have on each team is the reason why they are competing for college football’s top prize.

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"I truly think things happen for a reason. Not only us, but Ohio State as well. I think we’re the two main teams to just publicly display our faith the most," he said, via Sports Michiana. "I don’t know if this is some divine teaching, you know, who put us here. 

"I truly believe that Jesus was looking over both our shoulders throughout the who season and put these two teams on a pedestal for a reason."

Leonard has been open about his faith, especially in the College Football Playoff.

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He was asked about what changed in the second half in their win over Penn State in the semifinals.

"Shoot, I just started trusting in the Lord. I looked up and said, ‘Jesus, whatever your will is for my life, I trust it 100%.’ This offense and this team trusts in Jesus and his plan for this season," he said, via The Deseret.

He also thanked God after the Fighting Irish’s win over Georgia.

"First and foremost, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without him, I wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t be here as a whole group," he said.

Notre Dame will play Ohio State for the title on Monday night.

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Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney and Eva Longoria are among the investors in a North American group that has acquired Colombian top division side La Equidad.

Ruben Amorim’s side need better performances as they look to improve their league position

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Bob Uecker, the legendary voice of the Brewers who died Thursday at the age of 90, was battling a previously undisclosed illness.

The NFL and USAA announced on Thursday that Aaron Jones, George Kittle and Morgan Fox have been named the finalists for the Salute to Service Award.

The award was first given out in 2012 as part of the NFL's and USAA's commitment to recognize and honor the military and veteran community.

"Our three finalists for the 2024 Salute to Service Award are all deserving of recognition for their long-standing and unwavering commitment to honoring the military community," said retired Maj. Gen. John Richardson, USAA senior vice president and head of military affairs. "We commend Aaron Jones, George Kittle and Morgan Fox for continually using their platforms as NFL players to advance and enrich the lives of our military service members and their families, putting service to others above themselves."

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The running back Jones, who had a career resurgence with the Minnesota Vikings, grew up in a military household; his father, Alvin, served 29 years in the Army, while his mother, Vurgess, served for 27. Jones' older brother, Xavier, serves in the Air Force.

Jones and his twin brother Alvin Jr., founded the A&A All the Way Foundation in 2020 to support the youth of military families.

Kittle, the San Francisco 49ers tight end, hosts military members for every Niners home game, and he and his family created an app to offer free mental health services for veterans. Kittle has donated over $250,000 to military nonprofits and further highlighted military organizations through My Cause My Cleats.

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Fox, the L.A. Chargers' defensive end, also grew up in a military community, and donated 100 tickets to veterans. He has hosted members of the Wounded Warrior Project at Chargers practices.

New England Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona, who played college football at Navy, was named the winner of the Salute to Service Award last year.

The winner will be announced at NFL Honors on Feb. 6, the same night as the MVP, Offensive and Defensive Players and Rookies, and Coach of the Year will be crowned.

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The 2015 champion progressed to the semi-finals with a 6-2 win over Neil Robertson anyway

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The Paley Museum is bringing the feel of the Big Game to Manhattan later this month. The museum is rolling out a pair of new exhibits based around the Super Bowl, featuring iconic items from some of the Big Game’s biggest moments and celebrating some of the iconic names to play in the Super Bowl. ...

The big game goes down in the Big Easy on Sunday, Feb. 16.

State Farm often runs commercials during NFL games, but the insurance company won't have an ad presence during Super Bowl 2025 in the wake of the fires that have devastated the Los Angeles area.

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American tennis pro Danielle Collins isn’t making any new friends in Australia this week, and she’s fine with that. 

Collins, a finalist in the 2022 Australian Open, advanced to the third round of this year’s Grand Slam after defeating Australia’s own Destanee Aiava on Tuesday, but her victory was met with a harsh reaction by the home crowd. 

After dealing with the crowd’s boos for most of the match, Collins blew kisses to fans and egged them on as soon as she won match point. 

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"It was a tough crowd and I just figured if I’m going to be out here, I better take home that bigger paycheck," Collins said after the match in an on-court interview.  "So yeah, thanks for the paycheck Australia." 

"It’s a pretty amazing feeling as an athlete because the people that dislike you or hate you pay your bills," she continued. "So that’s a really rewarding feeling to be out here, and it just feels like a really great day." 

Collins defeated Aiava 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2 across a nearly 2 1/2 hour match. 

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During her post game presser with the media, Collins doubled down on her reaction to the crowd, adding that the "energy" of fans motivates her – regardless of who they cheer for. 

"One of the greatest things about being a professional athlete is the people that don’t like you and the people that hate you, they actually pay your bills. It’s kind of a cool concept… I just remind myself every day when I have that kind of stuff, they’re paying my bills. Every person that’s bought a ticket to come out here and heckle me or do what they do, it’s all going toward the Danielle Collins’ fund." 

Collins quipped that she likes to take "five-star vacations" with her friends, and that her earnings from the Australian Open will go toward their next trip. 

"We like boats – we like big boats. We like yachts. We’ll post about it and let you guys know how it goes."

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Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid continues to climb up the ranks in Oilers history. 

McDavid had two goals and an assist in the Oilers 5-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday, passing Jarri Kurri for second all-time in points in Edmonton history with 1,044 points. 

The Oilers all-time points leader is Wayne Gretzky, who put up a mind-boggling 1,669 points in nine seasons with the team. 

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McDavid has spent his entire 10-year career with the Oilers and will likely need to spend the next five or six years with the team and continue to produce the way he has to pass Gretzky.

After two first period power-play goals by the Wild, McDavid collected the puck in center ice after a turnover and started a passing play that led to Zach Hyman scoring and cut the Wild lead to 2-1. Almost immediately after Hyman scored, the Oilers went on the power play, and McDavid scored on a slick pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, tying the game at 2-2 to end the first period. 

Wild forward Ryan Hartman put Minnesota back on top 3-2 at the beginning of the second period after a quick goal off a face-off. The Oilers responded once again, as Nugent-Hopkins tipped in defenseman Ty Emberson’s shot to tie the game 3-3.

The Oilers took the lead in the third period when Vasily Podkolzin’s pass deflected off a Wild defenseman's skate and into the net just 1:28 into the period to put Edmonton up 4-3.

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Then McDavid, as he normally does, made some magic happen. 

On a 2-on-1 entry into the offensive zone, McDavid nimbly handled the kick around the sliding defenseman and then fired a sharp-angle shot from tight and roofed it. McDavid’s second goal not only sealed the game, putting the Oilers up 5-3, but was the point that moved him into second all-time in Oilers franchise history. 

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch talked after the game about McDavid’s accomplishment. 

"Quite a remarkable feat. For him to go up the scoring list as quickly as he has, and within an organization that has had so many significant players. I’ve seen so many remarkable things from him. He’s a tremendous player and great teammate. I said I wouldn’t be surprised anymore just because he surprises you so often over these years, but it’s a nice feat for him and the guys are very proud of him," Knoblauch said. 

The Oilers have now won seven of their last eight games with their comeback win over the Wild, and McDavid’s sensational play is a big reason why.

The star center has 19 goals and 43 assists in 41 games played this season, and has continued to be a driving force behind the Oilers' success.

The Oilers are 28-13-3, are second in the Pacific division and in a playoff spot.

Their next game is a heavyweight tilt against the Colorado Avalanche on the road on Thursday, at 9:30 p.m. ET. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin has been suspended by the NBA for one game without pay due to "inappropriate contact and verbally abusing a game official" during Tuesday's game against the Cavaliers.