Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and star point guard Stephen Curry have both backed Klay Thompson to respond from his "mini slump".
Thompson produced his worst shooting percentage of the season in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, making four-of-19 from the field as the Warriors won 107-88 over the Boston Celtics.
The five-time NBA All-Star shooting guard managed only 11 points in Sunday's win, including one-of-18 from three-point range.
Thompson scored a decisive 32 points in Game 6 of the Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks but has only scored more than 15 points twice in his past seven games.
"I think he’s just pressing a little bit," Kerr told reporters ahead of Wednesday's Game 3 in Boston.
"He wants so badly to do well. He's taking some bad ones. I’m not particularly concerned about it.
"This isn't the first time it's happened. Klay has a way of responding to mini slumps."
Curry helped pick up the slack in Game 2, hitting five triples on his way to 29 points to level the series.
The two-time MVP also backed the 32-year-old shooting guard to find a way back to his best.
"History has shown that there's no predictor to when he can just take it to another level," Curry said.
"He’s always just found a way, especially in the playoffs, to make an impact that’s loud.
"The best you can probably say is keep shooting, as that’s the only way to get yourself out of some rough patches."
Thompson was buoyed by his Game 6 display against the Mavs, where he landed eight three-pointers at 50 per cent from beyond the arc.
"I’ll probably just YouTube Game 6, because there was some very high pressurised situations I was in and I ended up shooting the ball well," Thompson said about how he would manage his shooting issues.
"When you can do it when your back is against the wall, you know you can do it at any given moment. It's just about keeping mentally strong."
The New York Yankees' power-hitters flexed their muscles in Tuesday's 10-4 away win against the Minnesota Twins, with three towering home runs.
Nervous Yankees fans only needed to wait until the second batter of the game to jump out to a lead, with a lead-off single to D.J. LeMahieu setting up a 431-foot, two-run bomb from Aaron Judge.
A 431-foot blast would normally be the biggest hit of the game, but it was not even the biggest hit from the top of the first inning, as Giancarlo Stanton stepped up and launched his solo home run 445 feet to make it 3-0.
Max Kepler's sacrifice-fly in the bottom of the first frame and an RBI double from Jorge Polanco in the third pegged the score back to 3-2, before each side grabbed a run each in the fourth and fifth innings the have the Yankees leading 5-4 after Polanco drove in his second run of the day with a solo home run.
From that point on it was all Yankees, scoring the last five runs of the game, including a 410-foot, three-run homer to Anthony Rizzo to give his side some breathing room in the seventh inning.
It was a rare rough start on the mound for Yankees pitcher Jameson Taillon, giving up four earned runs from nine hits in four innings, but their bullpen was excellent down the stretch, giving up just three hits and no walks the rest of the way.
With the bat, it was Stanton's 12th home run, tying him for 15th in the league, while Rizzo sits in a tie for fifth after hitting his 14th of the season.
Judge, however, is in a class of his own, hitting his league-leading 22nd homer, five ahead of second-placed Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros with 17.
The win moves the Yankees' league-best record to 40-15, three games clear of cross-town rivals the New York Mets (38-19).
The Rays walk-off in extra innings
Taylor Walls was the hero in the Tampa Bay Rays' 4-2 home win against the St Louis Cardinals, ending the game with a three-run, walk-off home run.
In an excellent display of starting pitching, neither team was able to score in the first six innings as Cardinals starter Dakota Hudson pitched seven frames for one run and six strikeouts, while Rays starter Jeffrey Springs pitched six scoreless innings, giving up six hits and two walks.
The Rays manufactured a run in the seventh, before the Cardinals tied it at 1-1 in the eighth to force extra innings.
St Louis was able to score one run in the top of the 10th, but Walls made sure the game would not see an 11th as he drove in the runners on first and second base by hooking a home run straight into the foul-pole at right-field to end the game.
Phillies take Hader deep
Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader was not able to finish the job against the Philadelphia Phillies, blowing his save opportunity to gift the visitors a 3-2 win.
In his first 19 appearances of the season, Hader had not allowed opposing teams to score a single run, but he blew his first save on Tuesday after entering the final inning with a 2-1 lead.
Hader gave up a lead-off home run to Alec Bohm, tying the game, before pinch-hitter Matt Vierling repeated the feat to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead. It is also the first game this season that Hader has conceded multiple hits.
Phillies closer Corey Knebel made tough work of the save – issuing three walks – but he was able to get out of the jam with bases loaded.
Veteran Tampa Bay Lightning center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare pointed to the return of urgency as his side levelled the NHL Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Finals after a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday.
The Lightning, chase their third straight Stanley Cup, went down 2-0 in the Conference Finals after the Rangers claimed 6-2 and 3-2 wins in the opening two games at Madison Square Garden.
But Tuesday’s Game 4 win followed Sunday’s 3-2 victory at Amalie Arena, hauling the Lightning back into contention.
"I think the urgency," Bellemare said post-game. "We were not happy about the way we played [in the first two games].
"We’re a team that understand when we’re not good and the coaches have been helping us to be better. I think the last two games have been much better for us."
Bellemare refused to point to the Lightning’s lengthy break between series, having swept the Florida Panthers 4-0 in the second round.
"I don’t want to use that as an excuse for the way we played," Bellemare said.
"I don’t think we were engaged enough. Yes, we were off for nine days, but at the end of the day it’s the Conference Finals.
"This is behind us. It’s 2-2 in the series, so that’s good."
Patrick Maroon had fired in a rebound to earn Tampa Bay an early lead, before Nikita Kucherov found space in the middle from Ondrej Palat’s pass to double their advantage in the second period. The goal was Kucherov’s 21st point this postseason.
Steven Stamkos netted his seventh goal of the playoffs, scoring 4:56 into the third period to make it 3-0, before Artemi Panarin pulled one back with a power play goal, only for Palat to fire into an empty net to close out the win.
The victory was Tampa Bay’s sixth in a row at home in the postseason.
"Obviously it’s a little bit easier in front of our fans," Bellemare said. "We’ve got their energy the whole game and we feed on it.
On the Lightning, Bellemare added: "The locker room is really special. It’s the same from the weakest link all the way to the top of the organisation.
"Everyone is thinking the same and pushing in the same direction. It’s really easy to play here."
It appears Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf has taken notice of the mega-deals handed out to some of the NFL’s top pass-catchers this offseason – and he believes it is his turn.
Metcalf did not attend the Seahawks’ first day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The absence was unexcused, meaning Metcalf is subject to a fine of $14,775 for skipping the first day, as well as additional fines of $29,550 and $44,325 if he misses the second and third days this week, potentially totalling over $93,000.
Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Metcalf has been actively seeking an extension this offseason, although contract talks have clearly not been progressing in a fashion that satisfies Metcalf and his management. The big-play receiver is recovering from surgery on a foot injury he played through for most of last season.
Metcalf’s decision comes after Seattle general manager John Schneider expressed dismay at how the wide receiver market had skyrocketed because of massive contracts signed by Tyreek Hill with the Miami Dolphins (four years, $120m) and Davante Adams with the Las Vegas Raiders (five years, $141m).
This led to speculation that Metcalf could be traded, but while the team did reportedly receive calls on the star wideout, the Seahawks told teams they weren’t interested in parting ways with the 24-year-old.
Metcalf has 216 receptions for 3170 yards and 29 touchdowns in three seasons with the Seahawks since he was selected 32nd overall in the 2019 draft out of Mississippi. His 29 TDs are tied for fifth in the NFL since the start of the 2019 season.
Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg will make his much-anticipated return to the rotation Thursday to face the Miami Marlins.
Strasburg, 33, has been considered a superstar prospect since before he arrived in the majors, earning number one overall selection in the 2009 MLB Draft and fulfilling the promise of his talent.
In 2019 the three-time All-Star reached the pinnacle, being named World Series MVP as he guided the Nationals to their first ever championship in the midst of an injury-ravaged career.
Manager Dave Martinez told reporters that Strasburg would be activated from the injured list before Tuesday’s series opener in Miami, and implied he would not be on a pitch or innings count.
"I'm not going to put any limitations on him," Martinez said. "We'll see how far we can take him.
"We'll keep a close eye on him, but this is one of the reasons why we wanted him to go through what he did and to make sure that he's fully ready."
As part of his journey back from injury, he made three rehabilitation starts in the minor leagues, throwing 13 2/3 innings and striking out 13 batters.
Strasburg last pitched in the majors just over a year ago on June 1, 2021. Last summer, he underwent surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome – the compression of nerves between the collarbone and first rib that leads to shoulder and neck pain, along with numbness of the fingers.
His 2020 campaign was also cut short due to season-ending surgery, that time for neuritis in his throwing hand.
Now in his 13th season, Strasburg has made just seven starts since leading the Nationals to their 2019 crown, for which he was rewarded with a seven-year, $245million contract extension that runs through 2026.
Twice a top-five finisher in Cy Young Award voting, Strasburg returns to a last-place Washington team that is in desperate need of a spark. The Nationals entered play on Tuesday with a 21-35 record, and their rotation has posted an MLB-worst 5.88 ERA this season.
Joe Maddon was fired as manager of the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday with the team having endured 12 consecutive losses, tied for their longest run of futility in a single season.
The Angels tabbed third-base coach Phil Nevin to serve as interim manager for the remainder of the 2022 season.
The 12-game skid has tarnished a fast start to the season for Los Angeles, after opening their campaign 21-11 to sit atop the American League West last month. The slide is tied for the longest in a single season for the Angels, who also dropped 12 straight from September 19-October 2, 1988.
Maddon, who was informed of the decision Tuesday morning by general manager Perry Minasian, was in his third season with the organisation. He compiled a 130-148 record with the Angels after he enjoyed successful managerial stints with the Tampa Bay Rays (2004-14) and Chicago Cubs (2015-19).
Maddon guided the Cubs to their first World Series championship in 108 years in 2016, and is a three-time winner of Manager of the Year (2008, 2011 and 2015).
Speaking to reporters after being informed of the decision, Maddon made it clear he did not agree with the decision.
"You always rely on people in charge to read the tea leaves properly – this time, they did not," he said. "You didn’t even have to ask me. You can ask any of the players or coaches. They’re the ones who really know.
"Perry was in a tough spot. I understand that. Let me just put it this way. I would rely on the sentiments of the coaches and the players."
Maddon faced the weight of high expectations, with the Angels running a franchise-record $186 million payroll this season. Although they have a star-laden roster – including a pair of MVP candidates in Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout – they are short on depth, and have dealt with injures to third baseman Anthony Rendon and right fielder Taylor Ward.
The Angels have had six consecutive losing seasons, and last won a playoff game in 2009.
Andy Murray made a winning start to his ATP grass-court season after a straight-sets victory over Christopher O'Connell at the Stuttgart Open.
The three-time Grand Slam champion, who reached the Surbiton Open semi-finals last week, recovered from a slow start before wrapping up a commanding 6-4 6-3 victory in Stuttgart.
Having missed the French Open to focus his efforts on Wimbledon, Murray lost the opening three games of his clash with the Australian qualifier.
However, the former world number one responded in style, breaking his opponent four times on the way to setting up a last-16 clash with Alexander Bublik.
Bublik, the seventh seed, hit 19 aces and won 36 out of 42 points on his first serve as he overcame Denis Kudla 7-6 (7-3) 7-5.
Nick Kyrgios recorded an impressive 18 aces in his 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 win over Jiri Lehecka, but eighth seed Ugo Humbert was ousted 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 by compatriot Arthur Rinderknech.
Meanwhile, Botic van de Zandschulp and Tommy Paul were among the seeds to fall at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships.
Sixth seed Van de Zandschulp went down 4-6 6-2 6-1 against Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori, and seventh seed Paul was beaten 6-7 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-2) by American compatriot Brandon Nakashima.
But there were no such problems for Karen Khachanov. The world number 23 won 28 out of 30 points on his first serve as he downed Alejandro Tabilo 6-3 6-3.
Alexander Zverev is determined to "come back stronger than ever" after undergoing ankle surgery on Tuesday.
Zverev tore all three lateral ligaments in his right ankle during the second set of his French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal last week.
The German is set to miss Wimbledon after his hopes of winning a first grand slam at Roland Garros came to a painful end.
Zverev is ready to knuckle down with his rehabilitation after going under the knife in his homeland.
Along with a picture of himself in his hospital bed giving the thumbs up, he posted on Instagram: "We all have our own journey in life. This is part of mine.
"Next week I'll reach a career-high ranking of number two in the world, but this morning I had to undergo surgery. After further examination in Germany, we received confirmation that all three of the lateral ligaments in my right ankle were torn.
"To return to competition as quickly as possible, to ensure all the ligaments heal properly, and to reclaim full stability in my ankle, surgery was the best choice. My rehab starts now and I'll do everything to come back stronger than ever!
"I am continuing to receive so many messages and would like to thank everyone once again for supporting me during such a difficult time."
Nadal went on to beat Casper Ruud in the final in Paris on Sunday to claim a record-extending 14th French Open title, taking his astonishing tally of grand slam triumphs to 22.
Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich said Darius Leonard was scheduled to have back surgery on Tuesday, but the All-Pro linebacker is expected to be ready for the season opener.
Leonard also underwent an ankle operation in June after making 122 tackles in 2021 and being named to the All-Pro Team for the third time while earning his third Pro Bowl selection.
The 2018 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year is expected to miss the beginning of training camp next month.
"Not sure on the timetable now, but in my mind as long as he’s ready for the regular season, I'm not concerned," Reich said.
Since being drafted by Indianapolis with the fourth pick of the second round (36th overall) in 2018, Leonard is second in the NFL with 538 tackles and tied for second in the league with 17 forced fumbles.
Leonard’s 11 interceptions since the beginning of the 2018 season are the most by any linebacker in the NFL.
Emma Raducanu has "no idea" if she will be fit for Wimbledon after retiring from her first-round match against Viktorija Golubic at the Nottingham Open on Tuesday.
Second seed Raducanu conceded the match after 36 minutes having sustained an injury to her left side while down a break at 4-3 in the opening set.
The 19-year-old is scheduled to appear at Birmingham next week before heading to Wimbledon, where she reached the fourth round last year.
US Open champion Raducanu, who made her WTA Tour debut in Nottingham last year, is unsure if she will recover in time to feature at the All England Club.
"I think I pulled something, I am not really sure what exactly happened," Raducanu said.
"I have just come off court, an absolute freak injury. I don't know what I could have done more about it. That is it.
"I have no idea [about Wimbledon]. It could have just seized up and gone into spasm and then it is really bad for a few days. I have no idea. I cannot diagnose myself. I will get it checked out."
Raducanu was the only seed to exit the tournament, with top seed Maria Sakkari overcoming Camila Osorio 6-2 6-3 to advance to a second-round meeting with Rebecca Marino.
Beatriz Haddad Maia came from a set down to beat Wang Qiang 5-7 6-4 6-3, while Ajla Tomljanovic and Camila Giorgi had comfortable victories against Wang Xinyu and Sonay Kartal respectively.
Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the second round of the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships by defeating Kateryna Baindl 6-4 6-1.
Fifth seed Liudmila Samsonova, meanwhile, succumbed to a 6-3 6-4 loss to Ann Li in an hour and 22 minutes.
There would have been further casualties among the seeds had Tamara Zidansek, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Elise Mertens not fought from a set down to win their opening matches.
The minimum age ice skaters must be to compete in senior events has been raised from 15 to 17 for the sake of protecting the "physical and mental health" of competitors.
The International Skating Union (ISU) announced the change on Tuesday, almost four months after the sport was in the spotlight for the wrong reasons during the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Russian Kamila Valieva, aged 15 at the time, was provisionally banned during the Games after it came to light that she had tested positive for banned heart medication trimetazidine last December.
That revelation came just before the Russian Olympic Committee were due to be awarded a gold medal for the team event in which she had competed.
Valieva was cleared to go for individual gold, but slipped from first place to miss out on a medal after making a string of mistakes in her decisive final routine.
Rather than consoling a distraught Valieva, her coach, Eteri Tutberidze, instead asked her "why did you stop fighting?" in reference to an initial error on her opening triple axel.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach says it was "chilling" to see the way Valieva was treated by her coach.
The ISU has now revealed competitors skaters must be 16 to enter senior events from the 2023-24 season and 17 as of the following season.
Despite some growing pains in his second NFL season, Jalen Hurts helped the Philadelphia Eagles reach the playoffs in his first year as a full-time starter in 2021.
The team is hoping he will take a big step forward entering his third pro season, and so far, coach Nick Sirianni has been impressed with his progress.
"I'm noticing a big difference," he told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio. "What I see is a crisper ball. The accuracy I've been very pleased with. You can just see him taking strides every single day with his accuracy because of the fundamentals he has with his feet and his upper body."
Hurts' focus since Philadelphia’s 2021 season ended with a 31-15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round has been on his footwork and his throwing mechanics with an emphasis on his timing.
A major advantage for the 23-year-old quarterback this offseason is that he is working with the same offensive system from 2021 – the first time since high school he has used the same playbook in successive seasons.
"That's been very pivotal going into the offseason ... just being decisive out there on the field, knowing pretty much where I'm going to go with the ball based off the look that they give me," Hurts said. "There's a natural maturation there, as I've always talked about."
Hurts led all quarterbacks in rushing yards with 784 and rushing touchdowns with 10 in 2021, but was not one of the more dangerous passing QBs.
He ranked 15th in yards per attempt (7.28), 22nd in passer rating (87.2), 26th in completion percentage (61.3) and was tied with three other QBs for 23rd in TD passes (16). In the golden age of passing, he had just two 300-yard passing games while Philadelphia averaged 200.2 passing yards per game – eighth lowest in the NFL and fewest by a playoff team.
"We want that to come up," Sirianni said in reference to the passing ranking.
The offseason addition of A.J. Brown should help with the Eagles’ passing attack. Brown led the Tennessee Titans last season with 63 catches for 869 yards and five receiving touchdowns and will team with DeVonta Smith, who led Philadelphia with 64 receptions for 916 yards and five TD receptions as a rookie in 2021.
"It's my job to just go out there and play point guard," Hurts said. "Distribute the ball, get the playmakers the ball, and my plays will come."
Tiger Woods will not play at the U.S. Open this month but plans to be at St Andrews for The Open in July.
The 15-time major champion withdrew from the US PGA Championship last month after shooting a nine-over 79 in his third round.
Woods was playing in only his second tournament since suffering serious leg injuries in a car crash in February 2021.
The 46-year-old had made a sensational comeback at The Masters in April, defying the odds to make the cut at Augusta before finishing 47th.
Woods stated ahead of the US PGA Championship at Southern Hills that he felt "a lot stronger" than he did after making an unlikely Masters comeback, but struggled on moving day in the second major of the year.
The legendary American on Tuesday confirmed he will not feature in the U.S. Open, which starts at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts on June 16.
However, he is aiming to tee off in the JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor in County Limerick on July 4-5 and play in the last major of the year in Scotland, which gets under way on July 14.
He tweeted: "I previously informed the USGA that I will not be competing in the @usopengolf as my body needs more time to get stronger for major championship golf.
"I do hope and plan to be ready to play in Ireland at @JPProAm and at @TheOpen next month. I'm excited to get back out there soon!"
Woods outlined his plans amid a storm in the golfing world, with his compatriots Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson having resigned from the PGA Tour to play in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.
Greg Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf, this week told the Washington Post that Woods had turned down a "mind-blowingly enormous" offer to play in the controversial breakaway series.
The new era of Duke basketball continues with the formation of a new front office position to help players enhance their marketing skills in the new college sports world created by NIL (name, image and likeness).
First-year Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer announced on Tuesday that Rachel Baker is the program's first general manager – a position she will use to assist players in capitalising on strategic partnerships.
"The state of college basketball is growing and changing at an exponential rate," Scheyer said. "Rachel is a one-of-a-kind talent with unique experience that will provide our players and their families with an unparalleled resource and partner as we navigate new frontiers of college basketball together.
"Through her work in the NBA and at Nike, she brings nearly a decade of expertise in the business of basketball to our staff, as well as her gifts in relationship and community building, leadership development, and experiential marketing. We can't wait to see all she brings to our program in this newly created position."
A former lacrosse player at La Salle and the daughter of a collegiate basketball coach, Baker spent eight years at Nike and one year in the NBA league office before joining Duke. At Nike, she led their Elite Youth Basketball League, developing partnerships and managing strategic initiatives. During her year with the NBA, Baker directed the marketing and rebranding of the WNBA.
"I could not be more excited to join Jon Scheyer and the entire Duke Basketball family," said Baker. "We're in the middle of such a transformative moment – not only for Duke, but for the college basketball landscape – and the chance to be part of it is the opportunity of a lifetime.
"Duke Basketball has remained rooted in honoring our storied history while writing the future of the game. I am humbled and honored to join this tradition and can't wait to get started."
Baker is the latest major change for the Drake program following the retirement of coach Mike Krzyzewski after he had led the team to five NCAA Tournament championships since his hiring in 1980.
Scheyer, the 34-year-old former Blue Devils star, had been on Coach K’s staff since 2014 and took over for the Hall of Fame coach following his planned retirement in April.
Baker, who graduated from La Salle in 2012 and holds an executive education certificate in business of entertainment, media and sport from Harvard University, is the daughter of Rod Baker, who coached Tufts from 1983-88 and Cal-Irvine from 1991-97.
Community club rugby league returned to Jamaica for the first time in over two years with the playing of the Rugby League Jamaica Summer 9s at the Cedar Grove Academy on Saturday.
Nine community teams participated, and Washington Blvd Bulls came out winners with a hard fought 8-6 win over West Kingston Hyenas in the final.
The tournament saw two new teams make their rugby league debut, Portmore Rugby League Club and Young Crocs Academy.
Young Crocs made it all the way to the main draw semi-finals before losing to the Hyenas 1-24, meanwhile, Portmore did themselves proud by advancing to the consolidation semi-finals before losing to Duhaney Park 16-18.
The other teams in the tournament were Liguanea Dragons who lost 8-20 in the consolidation semi-finals and St. Bess Sledgehammers who lost 6-16 in the main draw semi-finals to the Bulls.
In the consolidation bracket final Duhaney Park Redsharks edged the Jamaica Defence Force Warriors 18-14
Director of Rugby Romeo Monteith commented on the restart of domestic club rugby league.
"The rugby league family is overjoyed to return to community play, this game means a lot for the physical and mental wellbeing of so many and it is good to be back playing," Monteith said.
"It was a great turnout of community teams, match officials and fans and we hope to build on this momentum as we look to launch our National Club Championship on June 6," he added.
Deebo Samuel is expected to attend the San Francisco 49ers' mandatory minicamp amid a contract saga that has overshadowed their offseason.
Samuel requested a trade from the 49ers back in April and was reportedly refusing to engage with San Francisco in discussions over a long-term extension.
The All-Pro wide receiver was said to be dissatisfied with his role in the 49er offense, which relied on him heavily as both a receiver and a running back in 2021 as San Francisco reached the NFC Championship Game.
However, the Niners stood firm in refusing to trade Samuel, reportedly rejecting offers for the 2019 second-round pick during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Kyle Shanahan said during a media conference that none of the offers were "even remotely close" to what the Niners would consider the right price for Samuel.
Samuel did not attend the Niners' organised team activities, which are voluntary, but multiple reports said Samuel will avoid any fines for skipping minicamp, which begins on Tuesday, by returning to San Francisco's facility.
He and Shanahan were each in attendance, although sat in different areas of the arena, at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sunday for the Golden State Warriors' NBA Finals clash with the Boston Celtics.
And Samuel's decision to attend minicamp could be seen as a positive step in contract negotiations, with the Niners understandably keen to hold on to him beyond the 2022 season, which marks the final year of his rookie deal.
In addition to making 77 catches for 1,405 yards and six touchdowns – averaging a league-leading 18.2 yards per reception – in 2021, Samuel also carried the ball 59 times for 365 yards and eight touchdowns, breaking Eric Metcalf's record (six) for most rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver in a single season, set in 1989.
Samuel labelled himself a 'wide back' when asked to define his position, and he registered 27 rushing attempts in the playoffs, scoring a rushing touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys and converting a key third down on the ground in the fourth quarter of the win over the Green Bay Packers, before the Niners' Super Bowl hopes were ended by the Los Angeles Rams.
The Niners made moves to potentially placate Samuel's apparent frustration with his role in the draft, selecting running back Tyrion Davis-Price and a wide receiver with the speed to do damage out of the backfield, Danny Gray, in the third round.
General manager John Lynch last week said Samuel would be a part of the Niners this season, and the odds of him being proven right now look to have improved.
Talor Gooch has claimed criticism of LIV Golf stars for sportswashing is not fair, explaining: "I'm not that smart... golf is hard enough."
Gooch has been named as one of 12 team captains for the new Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.
The two-time PGA Tour winner will captain Torque GC, with bigger names like Phil Mickelson – leading Hy Flyers GC – and Dustin Johnson – of 4 Aces GC – among his opponents.
All of those to abandon the PGA Tour for the new project have come in for scrutiny given the source of the huge financial backing the breakaway league has.
LIV Golf is being funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), linking the series to a country with a hugely concerning human rights record.
As with other PIF acquisitions, such as Premier League club Newcastle United, LIV Golf has been highlighted as an example of sportswashing for the Saudi regime.
But this suggestion was put to Gooch on Tuesday, as he faced the media at the event's launch.
"I don't think that's fair," he said. "Also, I'm a golfer. I'm not that smart. I try to hit a golf ball into a small hole. Golf is hard enough.
"I try to worry about golf, and I'm excited about this week."
Gooch has earned $9million over his entire PGA Tour career; a single win at one of these events would fetch almost half of that at $4m. Even the player in last place at each regular season tournament will receive $120,000.
Emma Raducanu lasted only seven games of her first-round match at the Nottingham Open, where she made her WTA Tour debut a year ago.
US Open champion Raducanu was back in Nottingham as she prepares for a second Wimbledon campaign.
The 19-year-old made a name for herself with a run to the fourth round at her home grand slam in 2021, before she sensationally triumphed at Flushing Meadows.
Having seemingly established herself as the next superstar of women's tennis, Raducanu has since not found life quite so straightforward.
"It has been a really tricky 12 months, to be honest," Raducanu told the BBC on Tuesday before her match against Viktorija Golubic. "It hasn't always been easy."
And this was anything but easy for the second seed, who required treatment on an apparent side injury as soon as after the third game.
Raducanu and Golubic had traded breaks before that medical timeout, and the Briton then quickly broke again.
But she continued to encounter problems and dropped serve twice – either side of further medical treatment – before finally retiring 4-3 down.
Raducanu is scheduled to play the Birmingham Classic next week but will first now have to consider her fitness just 20 days out from the start of Wimbledon.
All-time greats often aren't truly appreciated until after they have called time on their career.
Following speculation he could hang up the cleats in the wake of the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl LVI triumph, Aaron Donald has ensured the NFL world will have more time to marvel at his remarkable talents.
It was revealed on Monday that the Rams had restructured Donald's contract to guarantee him $95m over the next three seasons.
No years were added to Donald's deal, but the added guaranteed money will make the seven-time All-Pro defensive tackle the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Eye-watering money, but the Rams won't have felt the need to look even twice at a contract that arguably represents the NFL's most expensive bargain.
Donald's outsized impact
Simply put, no non-quarterback has done more to impact the game than Donald since he entered the league.
Drafted 13th overall in 2014, Donald has amassed 98 sacks in his pro career, the most of any player in that time, with Chandler Jones his nearest challenger on 90.
Looking at tackles for loss, none of his contemporaries come close to matching Donald's production. He has racked up 150 tackles behind the line of scrimmage since 2014, 36 more than the second-placed player on that list, Cameron Jordan.
It is a similarly absurd gap between Donald and Jordan in terms of overall quarterback pressures.
Donald has racked up an astonishing 735 pressures since entering the NFL. Jordan (544) is the only other defender even above 500.
The title of most disruptive defender in the league is one Donald has monopolised, and he has done so despite the substantial energy opposing offenses have put into slowing him down.
Dominating double teams
Last season, no pass rusher was the subject of more double teams than Donald, who earned the attention of two pass protectors 182 times.
Next on the list was DeForest Buckner (164) and the margin would likely have been greater if not for Donald's versatility, which allowed him to play 11 per cent of his snaps on the edge where double teams are less prevalent. Buckner played only 3.21 per cent of his snaps on the edge.
Despite the rate at which he was doubled, Donald still recorded a stunt-adjusted pass rush win rate of 63.83 per cent. Only one other pass rusher with at least 100 one on one pass-rush snaps, Myles Garrett (53.56), posted a win rate above 50 per cent.
Doubled 95 times as a run defender, no player (min. 100 one on one run defense snaps) had a better double-team adjusted run disruption rate than Donald's 58.29 per cent. Lowering the threshold to 50 one on ones, Donald was still fourth in 2021.
The numbers don't always tell the entire story, but in Donald's unique case they are enough to encapsulate his value. He is a true unicorn who can impact the game at any point regardless of situation.
"It's not great news; it's phenomenal, outstanding, any nice adjective that you can place around it," Rams head coach Sean McVay told SiriusXM of Donald's restructure.
"It's a big deal, and he's earned it. And he truly is one of one, in my opinion. This means so much to me, to our organisation."
And Donald saved his best for the moments that meant most to the Rams last season.
Shining on the brightest stage
From the Wild Card Round rout of the Arizona Cardinals through to the nerve-jangling win over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl defeat of the Cincinnati Bengals, there was a clear theme that defined the Rams' surge to the Lombardi Trophy, one of their defensive front overwhelming opponents to tilt matters in Los Angeles' favour.
It was Donald who unsurprisingly led the charge, ably supported by Von Miller, whom the Rams will face when they raise their Super Bowl banner against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of the 2022 season, and Leonard Floyd.
Donald ended the postseason with 29 pressures while Miller recorded 27 and Floyd 22.
The depth of pass-rushing talent at the Rams' disposal prevented Niners quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and Bengals star signal-caller Joe Burrow from knocking off the Rams in contests that went down to the wire.
It was fitting that the final say went to Donald, who ended the Bengals' hopes of sending the Super Bowl to overtime with a game-tying field goal by knifing past left guard Quinton Spain with his devastating hand speed and using his flexibility to flatten his angle to Burrow, flinging him to the turf as the quarterback's hurried desperation fourth-down heave fell incomplete.
A jubilant Donald pointed to his ring finger in celebration. He now has that Super Bowl ring secured, along with a contract that properly reflects his importance to the reigning champions.
Donald isn't the straw that stirs the drink for the Rams, he is the chief ingredient in a cocktail of premium talent that has propelled the Rams to the NFL mountain top.
Sure, the trade for Matthew Stafford provided the critical final seasoning for Los Angeles, but the mix doesn't work without Donald's ability to blow up the best-laid plans of their opponents.
Those foes had hoped talk of Donald's retirement would remove the headache of game-planning to try to stop him.
However, the Rams have put such hopes to bed and made sure offensive coordinators across the league will have sleepless nights for a few more years when preparing to face an all-time great who will continue to provide value for money for Los Angeles even at his new exorbitant price tag.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
