The World Cup draw began with U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney selecting the balls of their own countries from bowls during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Carmelo Anthony tied the tough lessons he learned coming of age playing basketball on the playgrounds of Brooklyn and Baltimore to him becoming one of the sports’ purest scorers and most decorated players ever in a night of speeches full of tears, laughs and calls for community during the induction of quintet of players into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue of former coach Pat Riley on Feb. 22.

Shaquille O'Neal knows the impact of refurbishing basketball courts on communities.

He’s the most valuable player.

Obi Toppin scored 20 points, Andrew Nembhard added 17 and the resilient Indiana Pacers sent the NBA Finals to a winner-take-all Game 7 by rolling past the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 on Thursday night.

The Buss family’s decision to sell a controlling stake in the Los Angeles Lakers at a franchise valuation of $10 billion marks the end of nearly a half-century when one of the most valuable properties in the entire sports world was run by an eccentric father and his sometimes squabbling children.

The moment is clearly not too big for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson once clashed on the court in the 2001 NBA Finals, but now the basketball legends are joining forces to revive the Reebok brand they helped make iconic.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to make a whole slew of history in these NBA Finals.

Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner beamed as they carried the Indiana Pacers shiny, new Eastern Conference championship trophy into their postgame news conferences Saturday night.

Ernie Johnson could barely get the words out.

A Shaquille O’Neal docuseries about his time at Reebok’s basketball division and Mario Kart World on Nintendo’s Switch 2 are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

The Boston Celtics continued with their strategy of fouling Mitchell Robinson intentionally.

Gregg Popovich stepped down.

Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has agreed to become the general manager of the men’s basketball program at Sacramento State under new coach Mike Bibby.

Ja Morant got in trouble again for aiming an imaginary gun to celebrate 3-pointers, so he has gone to a different make-believe violent way to mark a long-distance shot.

Olivia Miles is transferring from Notre Dame to finish her college career at TCU.

Mike Bibby and Shaquille O'Neal will be mixing it up again, this time with Bibby coaching Shaq’s son at Sacramento State.

Stephen Curry has captured MVP honors at the All-Star Game in front of his home fans, in his arena.

Jimmie Johnson nearly got Shaquille O’Neal to victory lane at Daytona International Speedway — at least virtually.

The winning total last year: 211 points.

LeBron James sat out the All-Star Game, the first time he has been selected but did not participate in the league’s midseason showcase.

This will be an actual All-Star matchup.

There was a conversation that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James had with Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic during last year’s All-Star Game that went viral, since microphones picked up the exchange.

Jimmie Johnson has finally scaled back on his racing career to focus on ownership duties at his NASCAR team.

About a year ago at this time, Mac McClung thought his dunk contest days were done.

Red Auerbach once got ejected from an All-Star Game for arguing a call.

A person with knowledge of the decision said Sunday that Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will not play in next weekend’s All-Star Game because of a strained left calf.

LeBron James got drafted No. 1 again.

The Super Bowl isn’t just a game on Sunday.

The NBA All-Stars have been selected.

NBA coaches are obviously convinced: Victor Wembanyama is one of the league’s very best players.

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs accomplished a feat that had never been done before: Getting back to the NFL’s championship game following back-to-back Super Bowl wins.

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LeBron James is extending his All-Star records.

Victor Wembanyama scored 30 points in his first NBA game on his native French soil, Devin Vassell added 25 and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Indiana Pacers 140-110.

Pat Riley turns 80 in a couple of months.

Victor Wembanyama’s days as a 20-year-old in the NBA are over.

Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t want to talk about the latest record the Milwaukee Bucks star added to his collection Thursday night.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is the early leader in fan balloting for the NBA All-Star Game, and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers seems well on his way toward extending his record and getting picked for a 21st time.

Austin Reaves scored the winning layup with one second left after Stephen Curry tied it on a 31-foot 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining, LeBron James had 31 points and 10 assists playing in his NBA-record 19th Christmas Day game, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Golden State Warriors 115-113.

LeBron James made his Christmas debut in 2003.

The NBA’s All-Star Game is going to be an All-Star tournament this season, with the league announcing that it has finalized plans to use a different format for the upcoming midseason showcase in San Francisco.

Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers has heard and seen enough.

“Inside the NBA” will continue, even though even though games will no longer be airing on TNT at the end of this season.

“Inside the NBA” will appear on ESPN and ABC beginning next season as part of a settlement between Warner Bros.

Dwyane Wade is now the first Miami Heat player with a statue outside the team’s arena.

The Oregon football team's decision to exploit a loophole in the rules late in a win over Ohio State is hardly new.

Charles Barkley intends to remain with TNT Sports through the remainder of his contract.

Charles Barkley says that next season will be his last on TV, no matter what happens with the NBA’s media deals.

Getting the NBA’s next round of media rights deals completed is an extremely complex proposition, Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, especially because nobody can say with any certainty what the viewing landscape will look like in the future.

Jason Kidd won an NBA championship as a Dallas player in 2011.

Luka Doncic didn’t stay up all night to watch NBA Finals games as a kid.

Iowa star Caitlin Clark is close to passing the late Pete Maravich as the all-time scorer in NCAA basketball history.

Mac McClung has won his second straight NBA Slam Dunk Contest by grabbing the ball out of Shaquille O’Neal’s hands and leaping over him to draw five perfect scores on his final attempt.

A new honor is awaiting Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat: He’ll be an All-Star starter for the first time.

Victor Wembanyama’s first NBA All-Star experience will be hectic, just like everything else has seemed so far in his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs.

Shaquille O’Neal has become the first player to have his jersey number retired by the Orlando Magic.

Las Vegas will be flooded with so many pre-Super Bowl events that Shaquille O’Neal lowered the prices to his popular carnival-themed “Shaq’s Fun House.”.

San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama has experienced the wide spectrum of highs and lows during this first couple of weeks in the NBA.

NBA teams currently have about $4.8 billion in salary committed to players for this season, meaning the average per team is around $160 million.

LSU All-American Angel Reese has a new endorsement deal with a major shoe and athletic apparel company.

Lionel Messi has met his new fans at Inter Miami.

Carmelo Anthony, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in the NBA, announced his retirement on Monday.

The Denver Nuggets are rolling along behind their dynamic duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

Paolo Banchero became the frontrunner to win Rookie of the Year race from the very moment that he went No. 1 in last year’s draft.

A celebration of Black business success and opportunity is back for its third year.

The story of Lusia Harris only gets better: It’s now won an Oscar.

Michael Jordan gave way to LeBron James in the NBA of the 2000s, just as traditional forms of communication began to yield to the birth and growth of new media.

The NBA celebrated its diamond anniversary with a sparkling tribute to honor 75 years on the hardwood floor.

Karl-Anthony Towns gave big men everywhere something to shoot for.

Shaquille O’Neal has returned to the city where he helped the Los Angeles Lakers win three straight championships.

The NBA's five-game Christmas Day slate will be played as scheduled, but with many big names absent.

Basketball fans hoping to buy something from Bill Russell’s memorabilia collection should expect some big-name competition.

Gun violence is killing an increasing number of children and teenagers across America, leaving behind shattered dreams and devastated families.

Shaquille O’Neal’s children are bringing their hoop dreams to Houston.

Shaquille O'Neal's youngest son Shaqir has committed to play his college basketball at Texas Southern University.

NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal brought the element of generosity to a fan who wanted to pay off his engagement ring at a jewelry store, People reported.

Firefighters work at the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store in Atlanta on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Ron Harris)ATLANTA – A historic Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store in Atlanta owned by basketball star Shaquille O'Neal that dates back to the mid-1960s was engulfed in flames early Wednesday, heavily damaging the structure. In the meantime, our Ponce team members will continue to receive full pay while we identify and offer them roles at other area Krispy Kreme shops." The Midtown Krispy Kreme was one of the first locations established outside the company's main bases of operations in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee. After Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral in April 1968, the Krispy Kreme fed mourners by donating 150 dozen donuts to Atlanta churches.

(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)Fans looking for pregame entertainment before the Super Bowl will have another option this year. Shaquille O'Neal will be holding the virtual SHAQ Bowl on Feb. 7. It's one of the few events taking place in Tampa, Florida, since many parties that traditionally take place during Super Bowl week have been canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The SHAQ Bowl takes the place of Shaq's Fun House, which had been held the past two years in Atlanta and Miami. The SHAQ Bowl also has its own halftime show with Migos and DJ Diesel performing.