Max Verstappen wants to seal the Formula One drivers' title in style with "a perfect weekend" at the Japanese Grand Prix, and he says Red Bull need that.
The reigning champion trailed in seventh last week in Singapore after what he described as "a very messy weekend" and "a prime example of how you don't want a weekend to go".
He had previously won five straight races and recorded 11 victories in 2022, but Verstappen struggled on a soaked Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Still, his lead over second-placed Charles Leclerc in the championship is a commanding 104 points, and that means Verstappen has an opportunity to wrap up the title with four races to spare. Only Michael Schumacher in 2002 (six races to spare) and Nigel Mansell in 1995 (five) have been crowned champion sooner in a season.
Verstappen said Red Bull's close relationship with engine builder Honda, a Japanese firm, would make winning the title this weekend "a little bit extra special".
The Japan race was scrubbed from last year's calendar because of the COVID-19 situation, which Verstappen said was "a shame".
"So that's why we're really looking forward to being back here and then we'll see what happens. We need a perfect weekend, that's for sure," said the 25-year-old.
"It would be very nice if it happens here, but if it doesn't happen here, I will be even more in favour the next race."
Verstappen's second consecutive title is practically a formality at this stage, and if he wins and posts the fastest lap this weekend then he is assured of being champion.
Twelve F1 champions have been crowned after results in the Japanese Grand Prix, with Sebastian Vettel in 2011 the most recent driver to clinch the title at Suzuka.
Verstappen is trying to brush off the importance of the race, saying on Formula1.com: "It doesn't really change anything; you want to have a good weekend and try to maximise everything you can, and of course I need a perfect weekend to be able to clinch the title here but, to be honest, I'm not really thinking about it too much."
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Transylvania Open with a wrist injury, compounding a miserable 2022 for the British number one.
The teenager became an overnight star on the WTA Tour last year when she won the US Open women's singles title in her first appearance at Flushing Meadows.
However, her attempts to follow up that success have been hamstrung by a succession of niggles, with Raducanu currently down at 67th in the world rankings.
Her withdrawal from next week's event in Romania – the country from which her father hails – is just the latest injury problem, with Raducanu having been forced to quit during the semi-finals of last month's Korea Open with a glute problem.
This followed a first-round retirement at the Nottingham Open before Wimbledon, though Raducanu ultimately recovered to reach the second round of the grass-court major.
A first-round exit at the Ostrava Open this week, followed by the latest setback, means Raducanu's season appears effectively over, with the 19-year-old likely to set her focus on regaining full fitness ahead of 2023.
Three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell admitted his preseason debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers was "definitely weird" following his blockbuster offseason trade from the Utah Jazz.
Mitchell left the Jazz after five seasons in Salt Lake City, opting against a move to the New York Knicks to join an exciting Cavs line-up where he will play in the backcourt alongside Darius Garland.
The Cavs also boast All-Star Jarrett Allen and 2021-22 Rookie of the Year runner-up Evan Mobley along with veteran Kevin Love, offering hope of their first playoffs campaign since 2017-18.
Mitchell played 19 minutes, scoring 16 points on six-for-nine shooting, including three three-pointers along with five assists, in the Cavs' 113-112 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in his first outing for his new franchise.
"Today, I just kind of sat there and had one of those moments where you sit there and look out and see everything, and it's like, 'Wow. It's really here'," Mitchell said.
"Then once you get on the court, basketball is basketball. But all the little things, it's definitely weird. A little different. But I'm excited. It's going the way I thought it would, in a good way.
"It just didn't feel real… it still didn't hit me yet."
Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was pleased with Mitchell's initial cohesion alongside All-Star point guard Garland.
"I thought it was pretty seamless," Bickerstaff said. "The way they played together, the way the ball moved, everybody got involved.
"As long as we play in the same style we want to play, where it isn't just based on one guy, but based on the team, I think it's going to work out well for us."
The Cavs finished last season with a 44-38 record, missing the playoffs after losing in the Play-In Tournament to the Atlanta Hawks in the number eight seed game.
LeBron James insists he is serious about wanting to own an NBA franchise based in Las Vegas, serving a reminder of his ambitions to league commissioner Adam Silver.
The four-time NBA champion scored 23 points in 17 minutes on Wednesday as the Los Angeles Lakers lost a pre-season road game with the Phoenix Suns in Vegas, at the city's T-Mobile Arena.
James is no stranger to sports club ownership, with stakes in Premier League outfit Liverpool and MLB team Boston Red Sox.
But with his career on the basketball court entering its twilight phase, the 37-year-old doubled down on his desire to own a franchise in Nevada, one of the few states in the American southwest not home to a club.
"I would love to bring a team here at some point," he said, before calling out Silver personally. "That would be amazing. I know Adam is in Abu Dhabi right now, I believe.
"But he probably sees every single interview and transcript that comes through from NBA players. So, I want the team here, Adam. Thank you."
James' hopes are unlikely to materialise in the short term, given he remains under contract with the Lakers through 2025, and must be retired to own a league franchise.
Silver previously also poured cold water on immediate expansion during the NBA Finals, but did praise both Vegas and Seattle as future sites if the league chooses to grow.
"We are not discussing that at this time," Silver said at the time. "As I said before, at some point, this league invariably will expand, but it's not at this moment that we are discussing it.
"We were in Seattle. I'm sorry we are no longer there. Las Vegas has shown itself to be a great sports market as well."
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow admits there have been games where he has suffered sudden memory loss, adding his voice to the discussion around concussions in the NFL.
The NFL's concussion process has been a hot topic over the past fortnight, following worrying incidents involving Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa had been cleared of concussion despite appearing shaky on his feet after a heavy hit against the Buffalo Bills a fortnight ago and played out the game, but he was floored by another hefty blow five days later against the Bengals.
That saw him carried off, taken immediately to hospital and diagnosed with concussion. He was ruled out of the Week 5 game against the New York Jets.
The Tagovailoa situation has led to questions about the rigour and accuracy of the league's concussion protocols, while the independent neurologist who cleared the quarterback has since been dismissed.
Burrow, who led the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI last season, revealed his jarring experiences with becoming suddenly forgetful after taking a hit in the NFL.
"I've had some [games] where I don't remember the second half, or I don't remember the entire game, or I know that I got a little dizzy at one point but nothing long-lasting," Burrow told The Colin Cowherd Podcast.
"I've been hit and forgot the rest of the game before. That's happened a couple of times. But I've never had one where I have headaches for like a week and I have symptoms of concussion after the game."
Burrow, who was Tagovailoa's opposing QB when he was carried off on a stretcher last week, added that the risk of concussion was inherent in the game.
"It's scary," Burrow said. "Everybody knows the profession that we do – it's a dangerous game – that's always a possibility. But then when it happens, you kind of collectively hold your breath.
"You can make all the rules you want to make the game as safe as you possibly can, but there's an inherent risk and danger with the game of football.
"You're going to have head injuries. You're going to tear your ACL. You're going to break your arm. That's the game that we play. That's the life that we live. And we get paid handsomely for it.
"I think going into every game, we know what we're getting ourselves into."
In London on Sunday, New Orleans Saints kicker Wil Lutz smashed home a 60-yard field goal against the Minnesota Vikings.
With the last kick of the game, he struck from 61 yards for what would have been a game-tying kick, but the effort bounced back off the post and the crossbar, a double doink.
It presented the latest evidence of the growing importance kickers have for NFL teams, with their field goal range extending significantly and making it harder for the defense to keep the opposition off the scoreboard.
"I don't remember this many kickers in the league having that kind of range," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said after the game.
"There are a lot of guys in our league now that can swing it and hit from 60+ yards. It definitely is a factor, how you manage those end-of-game situations, how you're going to use your timeouts, use different defensive or offensive calls based upon field position knowing that the 42 or 44-yard line is in field goal range.
"We have got to be aggressive, maybe try to push them out of that range, which is crazy to say when that kick is happening on their side of the 50."
In NFL history, there have been 27 successful field goal attempts from 60 or more yards – six of which have in the last three seasons (since 2020), while 11 have come in the past six seasons (since 2017).
That includes the NFL record of 66 yards set in Week 3 of the 2021 season by Justin Tucker for the Baltimore Ravens against the Detroit Lions, surpassing the previous record of 64 yards set in 2013 by Matt Prater.
While attempts of 60 yards or more may still be a rare occurrence, the effectiveness of kickers from 50 or more yards has grown. In a single season, 11 players have been successful with eight or more field goals from beyond 50 yards – five of which have been since 2020.
In 2022, Chris Boswell (Pittsburgh Steelers), Graham Gano (New York Giants), Brett Maher (Dallas Cowboys) have made four from 50+ already.
While touchdowns remain the premium currency for NFL offenses, kickers can decide tight contests – which have been a trend in 2022, with 50 of 64 games featuring teams separated by just one score in the fourth quarter.
Having a kicker who is prolific from distance can ease the pressure on a misfiring offense, helping to keep them in the game, and could result in more aggressive plays on defense in an attempt to secure a turnover before points can be scored.
Defenses, though, will likely remain largely happy to see offenses settle for the lottery of such long field goals, as Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson explained.
"At the end of the day if they want to kick a 60 yarder, however far it is, be my guest. That's not a good percentage of a kick," he said.
Could the view of Peterson and defenses change? Perhaps if a few more long-range doinks go the way of the kicker.
LeBron James scored 23 points in the first half and Donovan Mitchell made his Cleveland Cavaliers debut to highlight Wednesday's NBA preseason action.
Against the Phoenix Suns, James shot eight-of-11 from the field, including three-of-six from deep, adding four assists, three rebounds, a steal and no turnovers in his 17 minutes, helping the Los Angeles Lakers to a 69-62 halftime lead.
They would end up losing 119-115 as James would sit out the entire second half while fringe rotation players got a chance for some extended run, with Kendrick Nunn scoring 21 points on eight-of-13 shooting as he prepares for a significant role for the Lakers this season.
Devin Booker scored 22 points on seven-of-20 shooting, and Chris Paul posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists.
Meanwhile, Mitchell was impressive in his first action in a Cavaliers uniform, scoring 16 points on six-of-nine shooting before also sitting out the second half of his side's 113-112 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 22 points on nine-of-11 shooting, while Joel Embiid had 12 points, six rebounds and three assists in his 18 minutes.
Baker Mayfield has taken the blame for the Carolina Panthers' 1-3 start to the season amid calls for a change at quarterback, but insists he is the man to lead them out of their jam.
Mayfield threw two interceptions in Sunday's 26-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, finishing with a season-low passer rating of 61.9.
Under Mayfield's leadership, the Panthers have managed a league-low 262.3 yards per game this season, as well as recording the NFL's third-least passing yards per contest.
Mayfield, who joined the Panthers from the Cleveland Browns in the offseason, and incumbent Sam Darnold had a prolonged battle to be the side's starting quarterback in the preseason, with the 2018 NFL Draft top overall pick eventually given the nod by head coach Matt Rhule.
Rhule insisted that a change at quarterback was "not right to speak on" after Sunday's game before backing Mayfield in midweek amid mounting criticism.
Mayfield said the criticism was "completely fair" but was bullish he could get the Panthers back on track, starting with Sunday's clash against the San Francisco 49ers, who boast the NFL's best defense.
"I pride myself on being a guy that elevates the guys around him and being able to lead at an extremely high level,'' Mayfield told reporters on Wednesday.
"Obviously, that has not happened yet. I'm working really hard on that and it starts with me just doing my job the very best I can and going from there. Yeah, I take a lot of blame for that and I consistently will.
"I've been here before. I'm pretty comfortable in this position, so I have experience at being able to bounce back, being able to handle things the right way and to lead. For me, we'll be just fine."
Mayfield got testy with one reporter who asked about the batted passes on Wednesday, retorting twice: "If you have a drill for me, let me know."
The Panthers' QB's 2022 completion percentage is a career-low 54.7 per cent, but Rhule labelled him as "elitely resilient".
"You don't go from unrecruited out of college to Heisman Trophy to first pick of the draft without having tremendous self-confidence," Rhule said. "Baker, he's been through a lot already as a player. I have no concerns about his resilience.''
Mayfield's likely replacement would be Darnold, who is yet to come back off injured reserve after suffering an ankle sprain in Carolina's preseason. Darnold started at quarterback 11 times for the Panthers last season, going 4-7 after joining in a trade from the New York Jets.
Victor Wembanyama's agent Bouna Ndiaye says the French super prospect has no interest in shutting his season down early to protect his stock ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Wembanyama, who turns 19 in January, stands at seven-foot-four and after being billed as the best basketball prospect since high school LeBron James back in 2003, he put on a show in Tuesday's showcase exhibition game.
Playing for French team Metropolitans 92 against fellow elite prospect Scoot Henderson and his G-League Ignite side in his first game in the United States, Wembanyama scored 37 points on 11-of-20 shooting, hitting seven-of-11 from long range while blocking five shots.
Almost a lock to go first overall in the draft, the only thing that could get in his way is injuries. It is not uncommon for elite prospects to get 'shut down' in their draft seasons once they have proved their value to protect their bodies, but Ndiaye said that is not something being considered in this case.
"NBA people are telling me to shut him down, and we are not going to shut him down," he told ESPN.
"If we came with that kind of talk to [Wembanyama], he will look at us and say, 'What are you talking about?'.
"He'll never agree to that. He wants to compete and get better. With Victor, it's basketball first and everything else second."
Metropolitans 92 kick off their LNB Pro A season – the top men's league in France – this Sunday.
Hours after finishing the 2022 season with a 65-97 record, the Kansas City Royals fired manager Mike Matheny and pitching coach Cal Eldred on Wednesday, announcing the move on Twitter.
The Royals had picked up Matheny’s 2023 option during spring training but reversed course after a last-place finish in the American League Central.
Matheny managed the Royals for three seasons, finishing with a record of 165-218 (.431 winning percentage). Only the Baltimore Orioles (.416) and Texas Rangers (.389) have had worse records in the AL over that span.
Kansas City are now tasked with rebuilding its entire leadership structure after firing longtime president of baseball operations Dayton Moore last month.
The Royals have not had a winning season since their 2015 World Series championship.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is confident the time zone change for Sunday's game against the New York Giants in London will not impact his side's performance.
Packers head coach Matt LeFleur opted to do the bulk of their preparation in Green Bay before flying to London on Thursday evening, with a Friday morning local time arrival.
LaFleur said the game "feels like a Thursday night game" for the coaches in terms of preparation turnaround, but Rodgers laughed that off from a player's perspective.
"Listen, coaches are creatures of habit, even more than players," Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday.
"Anytime there's a minute adjustment to the schedule, it throws them all out of whack, so I wouldn't read too much into that.
"Obviously the time we're leaving might put a little stress on the schedule, but that's way down at the bottom of the concerns… We'll be ready to go."
Rodgers had no complaints about the decision to travel late in the week, although he admitted he would have liked to take in London for a cultural experience.
"We're all excited," he said. "I think the reason I said I wanted to go over early was just to experience a little bit of that culture, to be able to get out and see some sights and interact with fans, go to a pub and have a Guinness or whatever the local brew is.
"That's what we all want to do, those of us that want to go over early."
The four-time NFL MVP said he had his own techniques to deal with jetlag, preferring to keep them secret for a "competitive advantage", but offered some insight into the coming days.
"You knock yourself out," he laughed. "You've got to stay up as late as you can Friday and then it starts to fall into place. But there's no excuses, we'll be trying to sleep on the way out.
"We'll go through the process on Friday, trying to sleep Friday night, hoping for a bit more rest Saturday, have a normal day, get some sleep but both teams are dealing with the same issues."
The Packers have won three straight games to hold a 3-1 record and sit second in the NFC North, while the Giants are also 3-1.
Rodgers has made 89 of 129 attempts with a completion rate of 69 per cent for six touchdowns with three interceptions across four games this season.
This will be the first of the 32 NFL games held in London to feature both teams with winning records.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is not interested in the widespread negative reaction to the franchise's handling of young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, saying "everything's reactionary anyway".
Tagovailoa has been at the centre of the NFL news cycle the past couple weeks after suffering an ugly concussion in his side's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
It followed an incident the previous week when Tagovailoa was visibly struggling to stand after appearing to hit his head on the ground against the Buffalo Bills, before being cleared to return and lead the Dolphins to the win.
The decision to allow Tagovailoa to return to the Bills game was met with stern criticism by concussion experts who believed he was incorrectly evaluated, which was further supported by the firing of that particular independent neurotrauma consultant on the basis that he made mistakes in clearing the 24-year-old.
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was vocal about his disappointment in the situation, saying "I've been coaching for 40 years in college and the NFL – I've never seen anything like it before". Meanwhile, legendary New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick shared that he has often withheld players who have been cleared by medical tests for their own safety.
When asked on Wednesday how he felt about the growing chorus of NFL voices speaking out against the Dolphins' handling of the situation, McDaniel was mainly dismissive, saying he does not waste his time reading or listening to football media.
"Everything's reactionary anyway," he said. "So if people want to [give their opinion], whatever.
"If I'm spending time thinking about that, let's say Monday night for five seconds – that's five seconds that I'm not thinking about all the other things that relate to the team and the upcoming game.
"I fully have way too much respect for the game, for everyone involved, for everybody that's counting on me that, I mean, I'm actually the anti-T.O. [Terrell Owens].
"You know [the Owens quote] 'talk good about me, talk bad about me, just talk about me' – I'd be cool if no one talked about anything. That's how I've been operating my whole career.
"But [I'm] fully expecting that they're going to have all sorts of opinions because that's the nature of the beast, that's what happens when you watch it and are fan of it for your entire life. You see it happen over and over, and nothing I guess in that avenue would really surprise me."
McDaniel maintains that there was no way to know Tagovailoa may have suffered an initial concussion against the Bills after numerous discussions with the team's medical personnel.
"[Tagovailoa and I are] talking about high-level football conversations about progressions and defenses and recalling stuff from two weeks previous," he said. "And then him having to reiterate a 15-word play call.
"All things, absolutely no signs. There was no medical indication, from all resources, that there was anything regarding the head.
"Beyond an eyeball test, which I know for a fact you guys would not be very comfortable if I was just relying on that – I mean, it's the reason why we have tests.
"He did not have a head injury. So guys hit their heads all the time, and that's why I was adamant [that] he was evaluated for having a head injury, and he did not have one."
The Los Angeles Angels may have missed the 2022 playoffs, but interim manager Phil Nevin has been hired by the franchise permanently.
The Angels announced a one-year contract for Nevin prior to Wednesday's season-ending 3-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics.
Nevin had started the season as third-base coach and took over on an interim basis in June after Joe Maddon was fired amid a franchise-record 14-game losing streak.
The 51-year-old was officially hired after meeting with general manager Perry Minasian on Tuesday.
"It certainly means a lot," Nevin said. "It wasn't exactly how I envisioned these things happening, but I know I've been given a heck of an opportunity with some special people that I've created relationships with now for the last six, seven months."
Nevin enjoyed a 46-60 record after taking over from Maddon, who had led the Angels to a 27-29 start to the 2022 season.
"I had a lot of great experiences the last four months, or really the entire season," Nevin said. "A lot of times when you're given this opportunity for the first time, you’re walking into a place where they're rebuilding or expectations are low for a while.
"But we have some of the best players in the world. And I know we’re going to have a good support group around them. I know the common narrative is 'if we're healthy we can do this'. We have a lot of talented guys in that room and on our staff."
Nevin earned praise from Angels star pair Mike Trout, who hit his 40th home run of the 2022 season against the A's, and Shohei Ohtani.
"It's been great. The guys in this clubhouse trust and rely on him," Trout said. "Nev knows the game. He's worked hard to get here, and it means a lot to him."
Ohtani added via a translator: "I felt like he was kind of thrown into the situation. I felt like he did as well as he could, got us as many wins as possible. I felt like players were with him and gave him all their best."
The Los Angeles Dodgers are heading into the playoffs on the right foot after a convincing 6-1 home win against the Colorado Rockies in their regular season finale on Wednesday.
With the win, the Dodgers finished the season 111-51, setting a new franchise record as they totaled the fourth-most wins in MLB history and the most by a National League (NL) team since 1906.
The NL record is held by the Chicago Cubs from 1906 with 116 wins. The Dodgers' 111-win season is the equal fourth best in MLB history.
It was a stylish final outing for Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, who gave up one run from one hit and one walk in his five innings, striking out nine batters.
At the plate, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman did all he could in his last-gasp attempt to win the National League batting title, going three-for-four with a home run to raise his batting average to .325 – finishing .001 behind the New York Mets' Jeff McNeil (.326).
Fellow All-Star Trea Turner also hit a home run for the Dodgers as he went two-for-four with three RBIs, and center-fielder Cody Bellinger collected a deep-ball of his own as five of the Dodgers' six runs scored via home runs.
The Dodgers will play the winner of the Wild Card game between the Mets and the San Diego Padres in the NLDS.
Arraez wins the AL batting title
Luis Arraez risked losing the American League (AL) batting title by suiting up in the Minnesota Twins' 10-1 win against the Chicago White Sox.
Arraez came into the day with the lead at .315, with his only threat, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees at .311 and not playing on the final day.
But fittingly, Arraez did not record an out, collecting two walks and a double before being pulled.
Incredibly, it is the third-best batting average from Arraez's four years in the league, posting a .334 in 2019 before going .321 on a small sample size in 2020. His 'down' year in 2021 was still a very strong .294.
Ohtani, Trout end the season in fitting fashion
As has been the story of their time with the Los Angeles Angels, both Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout were excellent, but could not stop their team from losing 3-2 against the Oakland Athletics.
Ohtani only gave up one run from one hit and one walk in his five innings on the mound, lowering his ERA for the season to a magnificent 2.33. It is the sixth-lowest ERA in the league, while he is also 11th in home runs hit with 34.
He went one-for-four with a single at the plate, while Trout hit his 40th home run of the season to finish tied for third in the majors. No other player in the top 15 has played fewer than 130 games, while Trout played 119.
In a feel-good story, after announcing his retirement, Oakland's Stephen Vogt hit a home run with his last ever swing on a day where his children were allowed to do his introduction over the PA system at the start of the game.
Draymond Green may face disciplinary action from the Golden State Warriors after a "physical altercation" with Jordan Poole at team practice, according to reports.
The Athletic's Shams Charania claims that Green and Poole needed to be separated after a heated interaction escalated during practice on Wednesday.
The players reportedly came chest to chest and pushed and shoved one another, before Green escalated the altercation.
The incident, which occurred on the second day of Golden State's training camp, forced the Warriors to stop practice and exit for the locker room to defuse the situation.
Four-time All-Star Green, who had 7.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game last season, is known for his physical approach to the game.
The Warriors are preparing for their title defence in 2022-23, after beating the Boston Celtics 4-2 in last season's NBA Finals.
Poole enjoyed a breakout season in Golden State's triumphant 2021-22 campaign, averaging a career-best 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists, and is in line for a big contract extension.
It is safe to say 2021-22 was a season to forget for the Los Angeles Lakers.
A record of 33-49 meant failure to even reach the play-in tournament, unthinkable at the start of the campaign.
The Lakers finished 11th in the Western Conference, and only managed a measly three wins from 13 against Pacific Division opponents.
They actually won five of their first eight games, but by the end of the season they had reached peak crisis-mode.
Heading into their final 10 games, the Lakers knew they needed to win several to get into the playoffs, before proceeding to lose eight in a row, with two consolation victories saving a minimal amount of face.
It was quite the failure, and yet LeBron James did not seem to think twice about signing a new two-year, $97.1million contract extension that includes a player option for 2024-25.
Before the new season gets underway, Stats Perform has taken a look at the Lakers' prospects to try and determine if there is cause for optimism, or if James could be left to carry the load on his own once again.
Can LeBron get Lakers out of a jam?
The man has four NBA championships, four Finals MVPs, four NBA MVPs, 17 All-Star selections and three All-Star MVPs to his name, but this could be his biggest challenge to date.
Basketball is clearly a team sport, but as James knows all too well, it's not unusual for one player to play so well that he can carry a team to success almost single-handedly.
That did not happen last season, despite his best efforts, which goes to show just how poorly the rest of the team performed.
James scored 1,695 points in just 56 games at an average of 30.3 points per game, his best regular season return since 2005-06, and only Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers averaged more (30.6).
He also reached a notable landmark in March, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 10,000 assists and 10,000 rebounds in a career.
Of course, one of the issues was that he only managed to play 56 games, and as James turns 38 in December, is he likely to be more involved this year?
Even if he is, his impressive numbers last season achieved little in terms of the team's outcome, so will he get more help this time round? Perhaps, if the new coach can make an impact.
Can Ham sandwich Westbrook into his team?
The dismissal of Frank Vogel was about the most predictable thing that happened at the end of last season.
Just as you thought the Lakers were pulling out of danger, the wheels would fall off again, which was a recurring theme throughout the campaign, with Vogel unable to maintain any consistency.
His replacement, Darvin Ham, comes highly rated and with a quiet confidence he can step up having impressed as assistant at the Milwaukee Bucks.
One of his first jobs will be to form a unit out of his key players, in particular finding a way to get James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook on the court together as often as possible.
While not perfect, the Lakers did win 11 of their 21 games last season when all three featured, but had losing records when only two, one or none of them played, including defeat all five games where only Westbrook played of the three.
Westbrook actually recorded his worst scoring season since 2009-10, failing to average over 20 points per game for the first time since then (18.5).
His rebound and assist numbers were also well down on those he produced at the Washington Wizards in 2020-21, with average rebounds falling from 11.5 to 7.4, and assists from 11.7 to 7.1.
He was, at least, available though, making 78 appearances, while James played 56 times, and Davis just 40.
AD's lack of availability could potentially the biggest issue, as he also only managed 36 outings in 2020-21, meaning he has played less basketball in the last two years than Westbrook did last season.
However, he is – for the time being – fit now, and after the Lakers' opening preseason encounter with the Sacramento Kings on Monday, Ham said of the trio: "They allowed themselves to help one another… we have a three-series that involves all three of them, a half-court play call, and I think they're gonna thrive."
There have been persistent rumours the Lakers will trade Westbrook, but Ham is seemingly working towards life with the 33-year-old, also saying on Monday: "I have a plan for him. That plan included him when they gave me the job."
Keeping them fit is one thing, albeit mostly out of Ham's hands, but if he can find a way of getting the most out of them when they are available to him, and can coax the Wizards form out of Westbrook, that could be the support James so badly needs.
A new face and a familiar one
The consensus was that the Lakers needed fresh blood, rather than relying on older players to rediscover their magic.
So naturally, they brought in 34-year-old Patrick Beverley and re-signed nine-year NBA veteran Dennis Schroder.
In fairness, there does appear to be method in the two acquisitions. Beverley was crucial for the Minnesota Timberwolves as they returned to the playoffs last season, averaging 9.2 points in his 54 games, as well as 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 34.3 per cent of his three-pointers.
Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka also pointed to his "toughness" and "competitive spirit", possibly suggesting Beverley has been signed as much to inspire his team-mates as much as what he can do with the ball in hand.
Schroder was an interesting pick-up given the German shooting guard's struggles in the playoff exit to the Phoenix Suns in 2020-21, before leaving for the Boston Celtics.
Overall though, he had a good record of 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 61 games that season, and rumours are that James played a key role in getting him back to LA.
Just make the playoffs and go from there
There are definitely things to work with for Ham, but it is also far from a simple job.
While he was pleased with the showing from his main men against the Kings, he will have been alarmed to see the drop-off once he made changes in the second half.
Leading by five points at half-time, the Lakers went on to lose by 30 at the Crypto.com Arena.
They tip off with the hardest possible job of stopping Stephen Curry and the defending champion Golden State Warriors on October 18, but an NBA season is a marathon and not a sprint.
The Lakers do not need to be perfect, but Ham has the regular season to find the right formula and as a minimum, reach the playoffs.
Then just see where James can take them in the situation he has so often thrived in, assuming he gets more help this time.
Iga Swiatek is through to the quarter-finals of the Ostrava Open after Ajla Tomljanovic retired hurt in their second-round match on Wednesday.
The world number one had won the first set 7-5, but her Australian opponent was forced to concede at 2-2 in the second.
Swiatek is now the female player with the most wins in a single year (58) in the last five seasons. Former world number one Ash Barty recorded 57 victories in 2019.
The second seed in Ostrava is out after Paula Badosa was beaten 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 by Petra Kvitova in front of a delighted Czech crowd, while Elena Rybakina is also through to the last eight after coming from behind to win against Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 7-5.
Wednesday's two other matches saw more success for Czech participants as Karolina Muchova beat seventh seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-4 6-4, while Barbora Krejcikova defeated Shelby Rogers 6-2 6-2.
There was less Czech joy at the Jasmin Open in Tunisia, where Katerina Siniakova was beaten 7-5 6-2 by Claire Liu.
Elsewhere, number three seed Alize Cornet eased past Harriet Dart 6-3 6-4, Elise Mertens came from behind to beat Despina Papamichail and Diane Parry went through against French compatriot Lucrezia Stefanini after the latter retired hurt in the second set.
Tom Brady did not take part in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice on Wednesday as the 45-year-old quarterback deals with nagging injuries to his right shoulder and finger.
Brady acknowledged he played through some shoulder soreness during the Buccaneers' 41-31 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday when speaking on his weekly radio show on SiriusXM. The seven-time Super Bowl champion appeared to be in a bit of discomfort after taking a hit on a second-quarter sack that resulted in a fumble the Chiefs recovered.
"My shoulder's doing OK," Brady said on Monday’s Let's Go! broadcast. "You know, just some bumps and bruises, and I kind of took a hit there on it. Got some treatment [Monday].
"This week will be very similar to a lot of the other ones, just getting on the mend, getting back to practice and trying to improve and be ready to go for next week."
Brady was listed on last week's injury report with the finger issue, which is considered minor and did not prevent him from practising in full. The three-time NFL MVP threw for a season-high 385 yards and three touchdowns while completing 39 of 52 passes against Kansas City.
NFL.com reported in September that the Buccaneers were planning on having Brady take Wednesday practices off throughout the season in an effort to reduce wear and tear on his body during his 23rd NFL campaign.
Brady is still expected to make his 323rd career regular-season start when the Buccaneers host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Myles Garrett returned to practice with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, nine days after the star pass rusher sustained multiple injuries in a single-car accident.
It was the first day he was back on the field since September 26, when the 26-year-old lost control of his Porsche while speeding, veered off the road and flipped it over.
The two-time All-Pro suffered a sprained shoulder, strained biceps, cuts, bruises and a broken eye blood vessel in the accident, forcing him to miss last Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
''Good to have Myles even in the walkthrough, just having his presence and having him in the meetings,'' Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said before practice.
''He's a big part of what we do, so good to have him back out there. I haven't seen him practice yet. He's worked out, obviously off to the side. But I get to watch practice today and get a good feel for where he is.''
Stefanski said the team will monitor his progress throughout the week before deciding if he can suit up for Sunday's home game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
While Garrett was back practicing, fellow All-Pro defensive end Jadeveon Clowney remained sidelined.
Clowney has missed the last two games with an ankle sprain, and without their two formidable defensive ends in Week 4, the Browns were gashed for 202 yards rushing after allowing an average of 83.7 yards on the ground in their first three games combined.
Stefanski remains hopeful Clowney will be able to practice later in the week.
"I think they are both on two different progressions, and we'll treat them as such," Stefanski said. "See how Myles looks today and then obviously just kind of wait and see with Jadeveon.
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