Sports

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Every big leaguer thinks their team has a chance when they arrive to spring training. The old “hope springs eternal” cliché is, after all, more apropos to Major League Baseball than perhaps any other professional sport. It’s been a few years, though, since the

ATLANTA (AP) — Jonas Hayes, who as interim coach led Xavier to its first NIT championship in 64 years, has been hired as Georgia State’s coach. Hayes, an Atlanta native and University of Georgia alumnus, replaces Rob Lanier, who left Georgia State to lead SMU’s program. Hayes was an assistant coach at Xavier before being

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer LeBron James ends weeks of speculation over his future by announcing his decision on an ESPN special that he has decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and his home state of Ohio after seven years to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh at the Miami Heat seeking his first

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer MIAMI (AP) — The NBA suspends the season “until further notice” after Rudy Goebert of the Utah Jazz tests positive for the coronavirus. The move comes hours after the majority of the league’s owners were leaning toward playing games without fans in arenas. The league says in a statement

By BRIAN MAHONEY and TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writers LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — NBA players walk out on playoff games inside the league’s bubble against the coronavirus pandemic upset over racial injustice and the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. That city’s NBA team, the Bucks, started

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI AP Basketball Writer Four-time scoring champ Kevin Durant decides to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder and join the Golden State Warriors. His decision to join the Splash Brothers and a team that just set the NBA record with 73 wins last season sent tremors through the league. Players and executives throughout the

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins postponed their season opener against the Seattle Mariners by a day until Friday because of expected bad weather. The forecast for Thursday at Target Field called for a mix of rain and snow. Joe Ryan, a 25-year-old right-hander, is scheduled to be the first rookie to start for the

NEW YORK (AP) — The season-opening game between the Boston Red Sox and Yankees in New York was postponed by a day until Friday because of weather. All-day rain was forecast for Thursday in New York. Gerrit Cole of the Yankees and Nathan Eovaldi of the Red Sox had been the scheduled starting pitchers. Meeting

By The Associated Press Timeline of the National Basketball Association during the 2010s to the NBA’s 75th season. The timeline includes milestone moments in the league’s history and key moments off the court as the NBA celebrates its 75th season.

By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — A person with direct knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that Buffalo Bills receiver Stefon Diggs agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $96 million. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the contract has not yet been signed in

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins are delaying their season opener until Friday due to expected bad weather. The Twins were due to open at Target Field on Thursday against the Seattle Mariners, but the forecast calls for a rain-snow mix and cold conditions. Friday had been a planned off day. The rescheduled opener is

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Atlético Madrid isn’t making any excuses for the overly defensive style it used in the first leg against Manchester City in the quarterfinals of the Championship League on Tuesday. Coach Diego Simeone and his players were actually proudly defending it. Atlético held back from the start

SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — Southampton great Matt Le Tissier has left his ambassadorial role at the Premier League club following criticism of his social media post. He appeared to support a conspiracy theory that the media lied about the killings of civilians in Ukraine apparently committed by Russian forces. Le Tissier is a former England

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored the controversial “Hand of God” goal against England in the 1986 World Cup is for sale for the first time. Auctioneer Sotheby’s said Wednesday that the jersey could fetch more than 4 million pounds ($5.2 million) in an