Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert assisted in a water rescue after a helicopter crash near the Florida city.
Gabbert and his brothers were riding jet skis nearby when they saw a helicopter with four passengers make an emergency water landing near the Davis Islands.
Tampa police said that the chopper had been on an aerial tour and was returning to Peter O. Knight Airport when it lost power, forcing the pilot to attempt a water landing.
No one was injured in the crash, although one passenger, 28-year-old Hunter Rapp, said that he was trapped underwater for nearly a minute.
"I vaguely remember seeing two yellow life jackets, so I was like, 'We've got to go check this out,'" Gabbert recalled to reporters Friday.
"They looked like they were in duress; we raced over there.
"The youngest kid had just come up and said he was pinned in there, and I asked if anyone else was trapped. Then I called 9-1-1 and tried to remain as calm as possible, but it all turned positive."
Gabbert credited the first responders on the scene for the rescue and their quick response.
"I was just in the right place, right time, I guess," Gabbert said.
"I got two on my jet ski and my brothers got one. The pilot was still in the water, and that's when [Tampa police] pulled up, and I dragged him a little towards the boat.
"It was a pretty crappy situation that turned good in the end."
Gabbert was drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars and is in his 12th professional season, his third backing up Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.
Oleksandr Usyk's promoter has revealed the Ukrainian's team are "on our way" to finalising a deal for a blockbuster heavyweight unification fight with Tyson Fury.
WBA-Super, IBF, WBO and IBO champion Usyk and Fury are expected to do battle early in 2023.
Bob Arum, who promotes WBC champion Fury, recently stated an agreement has been reached for the Brit to step into the ring with Usyk next year, with a date and a venue to be settled upon.
Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk does not envisage any stumbling blocks.
He told Sky Sports: "Probably yes [the contracts have been issued], but we have not received them yet,"
Krassyuk added: "Yes, we are on our way."
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman is relishing the prospect of seeing Fury and Usyk going toe-to-toe.
He told Sky Sports: "That's a fight that the WBC has promoted and has fought for since several years when [Deontay] Wilder was champion and [Anthony] Joshua was a champion.
"We put all the flexibility and possibility of the WBC to participate in doing so. Now if Usyk comes into place and Fury fights him that would be a tremendous happening for the world."
Maria Sakkari sealed victory for top-seeded Greece over Bulgaria in the United Cup with a straight sets win over Viktoriya Tomova.
Team-mates Stefanos Tsitsipas and Despina Papamichail had already won their matches on Thursday, and Sakkari's 6-3 6-2 triumph gave Greece an unassailable 3-0 lead.
Michail Pervolarakis was defeated by Dimitar Kuzmanov in the final singles match between the nations, but Tsitsipas and Sakkari teamed up to earn Greece a 6-4 6-4 success in the doubles encounter to end on a high.
World number 16 Matteo Berrettini helped Italy topple Brazil by overcoming Thiago Monteiro 6-4 7-6 (9-7).
That gave Italy a 2-1 lead, and Lucia Bronzetti finished the job by demolishing Laura Pigossi in straight sets, with Brazil powerless to overturn the deficit despite Berrettini and Camilla Rosatello's defeat in the doubles match.
US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe clinched a win for the United States over the Czech Republic after opponent Tomas Machac retired with an ankle injury with the score at 6-3 2-4.
Petra Kvitova had defeated Jessica Pegula 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 in the third singles match to give Czech Republic hope, but Tiafoe's win settled the contest before Pegula and Taylor Fritz joined up for success in the doubles.
Great Britain were 3-2 victors over Australia despite a pair of defeats on day two in Sydney.
Cameron Norrie's triumph over Nick Kyrgios' replacement Alex De Minaur on day one had helped Great Britain to a 2-0 lead over the hosts, and Harriet Dart prevailed over Maddison Inglis to wrap up the victory.
Dan Evans was then beaten 6-3 7-6 (7-3) by Jason Kubler before Dart and Jonny O'Mara fell to defeat in the doubles, but Great Britain's strong start saw them through.
France and Switzerland completed 5-0 sweeps of Argentina and Kazakhstan respectively, with Caroline Garcia winning both her singles and doubles matches in straight sets while Stan Wawrinka saw off Alexander Bublik 6-3 7-6 (7-3).
Nick Kyrgios accused Australia co-captain Lleyton Hewitt of throwing him "under the bus" following his decision to withdraw from the United Cup.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist, who has been struggling with an ankle injury, was due to line up alongside the likes of Alex De Minaur and Jason Kubler in the inaugural edition of the team event.
However, Kyrgios surprised team-mates with his decision to pull out of the event, with the 27-year-old switching his focus to achieving full fitness for next month's Australian Open.
Hewitt was unaware of Kyrgios' withdrawal until his public announcement and said he needs to improve his communication skills.
Kyrgios' withdrawal was followed by that of Ajla Tomljanovic, who pulled out of her match against Great Britain's Harriet Dart due to a knee injury.
Kyrgios responded to a Twitter post about the news, questioning whether co-captain Sam Stosur would respond the same way Hewitt did.
"Mmm I wonder if Stosur will throw her under the bus like our captain did for me... 'hard to prepare when you don't know what's going on'," Kyrgios wrote.
Australia suffered a 3-2 defeat to Great Britain in their Group D meeting, although they will have another chance to progress to the knockout stage when they face Spain next week.
New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau would not champion Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley's standout performances in Thursday's loss to the San Antonio Spurs, stressing his focus is on the whole team.
The duo posted 41 and 36 points respectively in their 122-115 defeat at AT&T Center, becoming the first pair of Knicks team-mates to score 35-plus points in the same game since 2008.
Their efforts, however, could not prevent a fifth consecutive loss for their team, whose eight-game win streak earlier this month is now firmly a thing of the past.
Thibodeau refused to be drawn on the standout efforts of his two players afterwards, instead reaffirming his immediate need is to figure out why his side have fallen out of form.
"I don't get wrapped up in the individual, I look at what the team does," he said. "That's the important thing, how you impact the team.
"We didn't play well. Numbers when you don't win don't mean anything to me. They hit us, and it was too little, too late at the end. We've got to figure it out."
With an 18-18 record following their difficult festive run, the Knicks will have a chance to resume a winning advantage when they face off with the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
Thibodeau will hope to drill his side through the basics again before then, suggesting his team posted enough points to win their match before mistakes cost them.
"We scored 115 points, that's enough," he added. "That puts you in a position to win.
"Everyone is capable of playing defense, everyone is capable of rebounding, everyone is capable of taking care of the ball. If we do those things as a team, we can beat anybody."
Dak Prescott was just glad to get the job done as the Dallas Cowboys kept alive their hopes of winning the NFC East division with a 27-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.
The Cowboys improved to a 12-4 record after capitalising on a series of penalties to lead from start to finish, leaving them hot on the trail of the 13-2 Philadelphia Eagles in their division.
Mike McCarthy's team must now defeat the Washington Commanders in the final game and hope the Eagles lose both of their remaining two to claim top spot.
Prescott threw both touchdown passes for Dalton Schultz, but also stretched his run to six games with an interception, giving up two in the second quarter as the Titans rallied to 10-6 at half-time with two Randy Bullock field goals.
"A win's a win, and we're going to take it and we're going to get better from the mistakes and make sure that we're improving," said Prescott.
"But a road win, short week, you've got to take them all. And style points and all that, that's for all of you who think games are won on paper."
Asked about the preparations required for the Cowboys' potentially pivotal clash with the Commanders, Prescott added: "Obviously get the rest we need, get our bodies back underneath us and then mentally understanding what's to come.
"Take a couple of days or two and get away from it, but know when we come back we've got to finish this season off on the right foot and we've got a long, long run ahead of us that we know we're capable of making."
Prescott completed 29 of 41 attempts for 282 yards with two TDs and two interceptions, tying Troy Aikman with 165 passing TDs for second most in franchise history.
While McCarthy recognised some shortcomings in the team's performance, much like Prescott he was just content to put another win on the board, particularly with a growing injury list.
"I'm in tune with the injuries and all the things that are going on," he said. "All the little stuff. Yeah, it wasn't clean. This was not a clean performance. We recognise that. I'm not disputing that at all.
"But I do know my football team. I know that they came out of a hard victory on Sunday and took a little longer to get their bodies back.
"That's what Thursday night football is. It's a tough challenge. But the most important thing is we answered the bell and we got it done."
Luka Doncic is "playing like an MVP", according to his team-mate Christian Wood, after a second successive triple-double inspired the Dallas Mavericks to a 129-114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday.
Doncic had scored a franchise-best and NBA season-high 60 points two days earlier as the Mavericks beat the New York Knicks 126-121.
And although he did not hit quite the same heights at the American Airlines Center, the 23-year-old was still the Mavs' inspiration.
He finished with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists, his eighth triple-double of the season, as the Slovenian guard helped the Mavs to a fifth straight win that improves them to 20-16.
Doncic shot 11-of-21 from the field against the Rockets, including four-of-nine from beyond the arc, making nine-of-12 free-throws, with his collective 95 points across the past two games an NBA record in consecutive triple-doubles.
Despite the obvious heroics of Doncic, there has been a particular focus on the collective for the Mavs – though Wood could not resist giving his colleague a little praise.
"We're just playing together," former Rockets forward Wood said.
"If you look at the last game [against the Knicks], we stayed together even though everybody probably thought we were going to lose.
"Today we stayed together, everybody was moving the ball and even the games before that we were piggy-backing off each other, playing off each other and it's really working out.
"Also, Luka's playing like an MVP."
Undoubtedly Doncic's brilliance proved telling once again against the Rockets, but Mavs coach Jason Kidd had previously demanded more support for their talisman.
Only three players scored 15 points or more in the defeat of the Knicks, but this time Doncic was one of five to do so, with Tim Hardaway Jr. (18), Wood (21), Spencer Dinwiddie (15) and Dwight Powell (19) all chipping in.
Understandably, Kidd was pleased by such a reaction.
"I did ask a couple of players that we needed to step up and not wait for Luka, and they responded," Kidd said.
"We talked about it before the game and they understand the time or the stress we put on Luka.
"So, we needed some guys to be able to get some easy baskets and take that stress off of him and they did that tonight."
A host of teams can start 2023 on a high note by clinching an NFL playoff place in an eagerly awaited Week 17.
There are also divisional titles to be won on New Year's Day, with Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers within touching distance of winning the NFC South ahead of a clash against the Carolina Panthers.
The Seattle Seahawks and the New York Jets lock horns scenting a spot in the postseason, while the Miami Dolphins could seal a playoff berth when they do battle with the New England Patriots.
Here Stats Perform used its data to preview the biggest games with plenty at stake at the beginning of a new year.
SUNDAY (all times EST)
Panthers (6-9) at Buccaneers (7-8) 1pm
The Buccaneers can clinch the NFC South title for a second straight season if they beat the Panthers, a feat they have never previously achieved.
After a 21-3 win in Week 7, the Panthers are going for the season sweep of the Buccaneers for the first time since 2017. That was also the last season they made the playoffs.
Tampa Bay beat the Arizona Cardinals 19-16 in their final game of 2022. The Buccaneers have scored 21 or fewer points in all seven of their wins this season.
Carolina overcame the Detroit Lions 37-23 in Week 16 behind 320 yards rushing and 250 yards passing. They were the first NFL team with 300 rush yards and 250 pass yards in a game since the San Francisco 49ers in Week 12, 2012.
Jets (7-8) at Seahawks (7-8) 4.05pm
The Seahawks have dominated the Jets in recent years, winning all four games against them since 2005 and conceding only 30 points in the process. That is just 7.5 points per game, which is the fewest allowed by any NFL team against a single opponent over that time.
Pete Carroll is in his 17th season as an NFL head coach and has never missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons. The Seattle boss is the only head coach in NFL history to coach at least 15 seasons in the league and never have consecutive seasons in which he did not lead his team to the playoffs.
DK Metcalf has had at least five receptions in eight straight games, tied with John L. Williams (1989-90) and Brian Blades (1995) for the longest streak in Seahawks franchise history.
The Jets are allowing 10.8 fewer points per game than they did last season (29.6 to 18.8), on pace to be the second-largest season-to-season improvement in the NFL in the past 40 years behind the 2000-01 Rams (29.4 to 17.1, -12.3).
Dolphins (8-7) @ Patriots (7-8) - 1pm
New England are due a win over the Dolphins, who have beaten them in four consecutive games - the last of which was a 20-7 success in Week 1.
Miami are the only team to beat the Patriots four times in a row since Bill Belichick took over as head coach of the Patriots in 2000. With a loss this week, Miami would join Tennessee as the only teams this season with a winning streak of at least five games and a losing streak of at least five games.
Tua Tagovailoa posted a career-high 12.4 yards per pass attempt in last week's loss to the Green Bay Packers. It was the highest yards-per-attempt in a loss by a starting Dolphins quarterback in team history. He misses out this week due to concussion, though, so Teddy Bridgewater steps in.
New England’s comeback bid fell short in a 22-18 loss to the Bengals last week. The Patriots have lost nine straight games when trailing after three quarters, with only the Panthers (41 straight losses) and Seahawks (13 straight) having longer active streaks.
MONDAY
Bills (12-3) @ Bengals (11-4) - 8.30pm
The Bills know they will get a first-round bye in the playoffs if they see off the Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs lose to the Denver Broncos. Following Cincinnati's win over the Bills in the 1988 AFC Championship Game, the Bills won 10 straight in this series. Since then, Cincinnati are 4-2 against Buffalo, with the most recent meeting resulting in a 21-17 Buffalo win in Week 3, 2019.
The Bills beat the Bears 35-13 in Chicago last week, extending their winning run to six games. Buffalo have scored at least 20 points in each of those wins – they have just two longer streaks of wins with 20+ points – a nine-game streak in 1964 and a seven-game streak in 1990.
The Bengals' road win over the Patriots extended their winning streak to seven games, one shy of tying the franchise record of eight – achieved in the first eight games of the 2015 season (also an eight-game streak spanning the 1970 and 1971 seasons).
Joe Burrow had 375 passing yards last week, his second-highest total of the season. It was his seventh career game with at least 350 passing yards, fourth most in the NFL since 2020 behind Tom Brady (13), Patrick Mahomes (12) and Josh Allen (9).
Elsewhere...
The Denver Broncos start life after Nathaniel Hackett with a tough trip to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in their first game since the head coach's firing. The Chiefs have won 14 straight games against the Broncos dating back to the 2015 season. Just five teams in NFL history have beaten another team 15 times in a row, with the last team to do so being the Patriots against the Bills from 2003 to 2010.
The Philadelphia Eagles host the New Orleans Saints knowing they can clinch the NFC East and the number one seed in their conference with a win.
The Eagles are 11-3 (.786) all-time at home against the Saints, which includes an active three-game winning streak. That is the Eagles' third-best home record against any opponent all-time (3-0 versus the Texans and 6-1 versus the Broncos).
A playoff place is in the New York Giants' sights as they prepare to take on the Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts have won four straight games against the Giants, with the most recent win coming in Week 16 of 2018 with a 28-27 home victory.
There appears to be no stopping the San Francisco 49ers, who can win a ninth game in a row when they take on the Las Vegas Raiders. The 49ers are the only NFL team in the Super Bowl era to win eight straight games in a single season while holding their opponents to fewer than 80 rushing yards in each victory.
The NBA has suspended 11 players from the scuffle during Wednesday's Detroit Pistons 121-101 win over the Orlando Magic.
The altercation occurred with 33.2 seconds left in the second quarter when Orlando's Moritz Wagner body checked Detroit guard Killian Hayes off the court and onto the Pistons bench.
The Pistons bench immediately stepped up to remonstrate with Wagner given their proximity before Hayes struck the Magic power forward in the back of the head with his forearm.
Wagner appeared to have been knocked out by the blow but was able to eventually walk away from the skirmish.
Hayes copped the longest suspension, a three-game ban without pay, while Wagner was banned for two games for an "unsportsmanlike act".
Eight Magic players - Cole Anthony, R.J. Hampton, Gary Harris, Kevon Harris, Admiral Schofield, Franz Wagner, Mo Bamba and Wendell Carter Jr. - all received one-game suspensions, having left their bench to join in the altercation. Pistons' shooting guard Hamidou Diallo also was banned for one game for pushing Wagner from behind as the altercation erupted.
Luka Doncic maintained his dynamite form with another triple-double as the Dallas Mavericks improved to 20-16 with a 129-114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday.
Doncic, who scored a franchise-best and season-high 60 points two nights earlier, recorded his eighth triple double of the season, finishing with 35 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists.
The Slovenian guard led the Mavs to their fifth straight win, notching up a second straight triple-double for the second time this season. Doncic's collective 95 points across the past two games is an NBA-record in consecutive triple-doubles.
Doncic shot 11-of-21 from the field, including four-of-nine from beyond the arc, making nine-of-12 free-throws.
Ex-Rockets forward Christian Wood offered good support with 21 points, including five-of-eight three-pointers, six rebounds and four blocks, along with Dwight Powell, who added a season-high 19 points with six rebounds and two blocks off the bench.
The Rockets, who are 10-25 and have lost seven of their past eight games, had few answers as they fell behind 65-51 at half-time with a Doncic 35-foot buzzer beater, with Jalen Green top scoring with 23 points.
Celtics avenge Clippers' blowout
The Boston Celtics avenged their heavy loss to the Los Angeles Clippers three weeks ago with a 116-110 victory led by 29 points each from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The NBA-best Celtics (26-10) had suffered their worst loss of the season at the hands of the Clippers earlier this month, losing 113-93, starting off a run where they lost five of six games.
Tatum had 11 rebounds to go with his 29 points, shooting 10-of-26 from the field, while Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points with eight rebounds for the Clippers.
Hield makes history in Pacers' win
Buddy Hield made history with the fastest three-pointer recorded since play-by-play began in 1996-97 as the Indiana Pacers downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 135-126.
Hield, who leads the league in three-pointers made this season, swished a shot just three seconds into the game. The Pacers made 19-of-31 from beyond the arc for the game, rallying from a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Tyrese Haliburton top scored with 29 points, including six-of-eight three-point shooting, while Hield made six triples in his 25 points. Donovan Mitchell had 28 points and six assists for the Cavs.
Dak Prescott threw two touchdown passes as the Dallas Cowboys kept alive their hopes of winning the NFC East division with a 27-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Thursday.
The Cowboys capitalised on a series of penalties to lead from start to finish and improve to a 12-4 record, behind the 13-2 Philadelphia Eagles in their division. Dallas need to win their final game against the Washington Commanders and hope the Eagles lose both of their remaining two to top the NFC East.
Prescott threw both TD passes for Dalton Schultz, although he also extended his run to six games with an interception, giving up two in the second quarter as the Titans rallied to 10-6 at half-time with two Randy Bullock field goals.
Ezekiel Elliott, who ran 37 yards on 19 carries, rushed in the game's opening touchdown in the first quarter, extending his run of TDs to nine straight games. CeeDee Lamb brought up 100 yards across 11 receptions.
The Titans slump to their sixth straight loss but remain in playoffs contention at 7-9, with victory next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars to determine the winner of the AFC South.
Titans QB Joshua Dobbs, making his first career start, made 20 of 39 passes for 232 yards with one touchdown, for Robert Woods, and one interception. Prescott completed 29 of 41 attempts for 282 yards with two TDs and two interceptions, tying Troy Aikman with 165 passing TDs for second most in franchise history.
Prescott found Schultz to make it 17-6 in the third quarter after a penalty on third-and-19 against Tre Avery for pass interference on Michael Gallup led to a 51-yard gain, with the Cowboys scoring on the next play. Monty Rice was penalised for roughing the passer on a second-and-10, leading to Schultz's second TD.
Los Angeles Chargers' four-time Pro Bowl selection Joey Bosa returned to practice on Thursday for the first time since groin surgery after Week 3.
The Chargers edge rusher, who suffered a groin tear in the Week 3 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars, has been designated to return from injured reserve, opening up a 21-day window for the playoffs-bound team to decide whether to activate him.
Bosa said after practice on Thursday that he is feeling the best he has in years, in a promising sign for the 9-6 Chargers.
"I'm feeling really good. It's kind of revitalising, honestly," Bosa told reporters. "This was something that really caused me a lot of pain and kind of stress throughout the last couple of years, and I've gotten to a point where I was used to it and I didn't understand how much was really wrong.
"Obviously, it sucks to miss all this time, but its honestly something that I really, really needed to get done."
The 27-year-old was optimistic about playing for the Chargers on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
"I kind of made it a point not to come back until I felt confident in myself and being able to perform in a game and not just go out there for three reps at practice and feel decent," Bosa said. "I'm feeling very good."
Bosa has been an impact pass rusher since entering the NFL as the third overall selection of the 2016 draft.
The seventh-year veteran led the Chargers with 10.5 sacks in 2021, the fourth time he’s reached double digits in that category for his career.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts participated in practice on Thursday for the first time since injuring his throwing shoulder almost a fortnight ago.
Hurts missed the Eagles' 40-34 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, having hurt his shoulder on December 18 against the Chicago Bears.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said on Wednesday he is hopeful Hurts will heal quick enough to be available to face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, when victory will clinch the NFC number one seed.
Hurts participated in individual drills on Thursday, throwing several short and intermediate passes.
The 24-year-old, who is a first-time Pro Bowl selection and MVP contender, was listed as a limited participant on the Eagles' official injury report.
"We'll continue to see how he progresses throughout the week," Sirianni said on Wednesday.
"Does he have a chance? Of course he does because his body just knows how to heal. He's a freak. We'll see what happens as the week progresses."
Hurts has thrown 22 touchdown passes with five interceptions this season, with a completion percentage of 67.3 per cent. He has also rushed for 747 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Gardner Minshew went 24-of-40 for 355 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions against the Cowboys in Hurts' absence.
Stefanos Tsitsipas opened his United Cup campaign with a comeback victory over Grigor Dimitrov in Perth.
ATP world number four Tsitsipas is one of the headline names in action at the event, which is acting as a warm-up tournament for the Australian Open.
After going a set down to his Bulgarian opponent in his first game of the inaugural tournament, Tsitsipas hit back with a strong second set before holding his nerve in a tense tie-break in the decider, securing a 4-6 6-2 7-6 (7-4) win.
Tsitsipas's team-mate Despina Papamichail continued Greece's strong start, also coming from a set down to beat Isabella Shinikova 3-6 6-4 6-1.
Great Britain opened with a pair of victories, Cameron Norrie and Katie Swan earning straight sets triumphs over their Australian counterparts in Sydney.
Norrie, who was initially set to play Nick Kyrgios prior to the Wimbledon finalist's withdrawal due to an ankle injury, eased to a 6-3 6-3 victory over Alex De Minaur, while Swan defeated Zoe Hives.
The United States are also taking a 100 per cent record into day two of the tournament, after Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys overcame Jiri Lehecka and Marie Bouzkova respectively, while France pair Arthur Rinderknech and Alize Cornet got off to winning starts against Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo and Maria Lourdes Carle.
In Brisbane, Swiss hope Belinda Bencic secured a 7-6 (7-0) triumph over Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan and Beatriz Haddad Maia, the Brazilian world number 15, dispatched Italy's Martina Trevisan 6-2 6-0.
Novak Djokovic is hoping for a positive crowd reception at the upcoming Australian Open after his deportation prior to the 2022 tournament.
Djokovic is a nine-time Australian Open winner and will be looking to etch his name on the trophy once again in the first grand slam of 2023.
The Serbian was banned from playing at the most recent edition after he was deported due to his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19, despite being initially granted a medical exemption.
As a result, Djokovic missed out on the opportunity to lift a record-extending 10th title, as long-time rival Rafael Nadal won the tournament in his absence.
There had been concerns over Djokovic's ability to play in Melbourne this time around, but a change in border entry rules means travellers are no longer required to provide evidence of their vaccination status.
The incident earlier in 2022 did not go down well with some sections of the Australian public, but Djokovic is hoping to receive a warm reception when he takes to the court in Adelaide and then Melbourne.
"I'm hoping everything is going to be positive," Djokovic said at a press conference. "Obviously it's not something I can predict.
"I'll do my best to play good tennis and bring good feelings and emotions to the crowd. This is what we do as professional athletes, we are also entertainers in a way. We try to make people feel good, have fun and go home and have good memories.
"Hopefully that's going to happen with me. I don't know how many matches I'll play but I'm hoping I can go all the way."
As well as the Australian Open, Djokovic's vaccination status also prevented him from competing at Flushing Meadows, and the memories of how he was treated still linger in Djokovic's mind.
The world number five explained: "Obviously what happened 12 months ago was not easy for me, for my family, team, anybody who is close to me. It's obviously disappointing to leave the country like that.
"You can't forget those events. It's one of these things that stays with you for I guess the rest of your life.
"It's something that I've never experienced before and hopefully never again. But it is a valuable life experience for me and something that as I said will stay there but I have to move on. Coming back to Australia speaks [to] how I feel about this country, how I feel about playing here."
Djokovic is drawing on his impressive record in Australia, as he prepares for the grand slam by taking part in the Adelaide International.
"It's great to be back in Australia," he added.
"It's a country where I've had tremendous success in my career, particularly in Melbourne. It's by far my most successful grand slam.
"The good memories and history I have on Australian soil gives me a lot of positive emotions and belief I can do it again and go far.
"I always have faith in myself and belief I can win every tournament I play in, with the career I've had I deserve to have that kind of mental approach."
Djokovic also confirmed he had split from physio Uli Badio after over five years of working together.
The 35-year-old will instead be using the services of Claudio Zimaglia, who most recently worked with Brandon Nakashima.
Kyrie Irving said stepping up in "winning time" is "all I really know" after he played a big part in the Brooklyn Nets' 108-107 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Irving scored 15 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter as the Nets extended their winning streak to 10 games at State Farm Arena on Wednesday.
The influential Irving also provided eight assists as Brooklyn recorded the longest run of victories in the NBA this season.
Irving said: "For me specifically, when the fourth quarter hits, it's winning time.
"That's all I really know. When I'm out there with that group to start the fourth, I know KD [Kevin Durant] is resting a little bit, so I just have to raise my aggression level and raise my efficiency up, and I'm grateful to have the trust of my team-mates and coaching staff.'"
Durant weighed in with 26 points and claimed a season-high 16 rebounds as the Nets continued their charge.
"I think the whole second half we were there for each other,'" Durant said. '"We made a couple of adjustments on a couple of guys and we were able to execute that.
"We were able to slow them down just a little bit."
Hawks coach Nate McMillan could not fault his players after they suffered back-to-back defeats to slip to 17-18.
"I saw fight from our guys tonight," McMillan said. "You can live with that. I thought from start to finish we stepped up and played.
"We didn't think about the guys that were out. The guys that were playing came out and played to win."
LeBron James is putting off retirement talk but the Los Angeles Lakers superstar says he will only be happy to continue playing while he is on a team capable of winning NBA titles.
James scored 27 points and claimed nine rebounds and six assists to lead the Lakers against his former team the Miami Heat on Wednesday, yet his efforts proved fruitless in a 112-98 defeat.
The Lakers have lost five of their last six games and are 13th in the Western Conference with a record of 14-21 for the season.
James, who turns 38 on Friday and is tied to the Lakers through to the end of the 2023-24 season, has seemingly been growing increasingly frustrated with the team's form, and that chagrin was evident again in his post-game media briefing.
When asked if he has paid any thought to his retirement plans, James told reporters: "I know as long as my mind stays in it, I can play at this level for a minute.
"Now, that's up to my mind. My body is going to be okay because if my mind is into it, I will make sure my body is taken care of and I'll continue to put in the work.
"I'm a winner and I want to win. And I want to win and give myself a chance to win and still compete for championships.
"That has always been my passion, that has always been my goal since I entered the league as an 18-year-old kid out of Akron, Ohio.
"And I know it takes steps to get there, but once you get there and know how to get there, playing basketball at this level just to be playing basketball is not in my DNA.
"It's not in my DNA anymore. So, we'll see what happens and see how fresh my mind stays.
"I think about how much longer I'm going to play the game. I think about that I don't want to finish my career playing at this level from a team aspect.
"I'll still be able to be compete for championships because I know what I can still bring to any ball club with the right pieces."
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham believes James is doing all he can to propel the team.
"He's a fierce, fierce competitor," Ham said of the four-time NBA champion, who leads the Lakers this season with 27.8 points per game.
"The team, we're having our ups and downs right now. We're on the wrong side of the win-loss column.
"So, he's not going to allow himself to be taken out of the mix. He does as great of a job as I've seen ever of making himself available and being able to produce physically at an extremely high level."
Kyrie Irving scored 15 fourth-quarter points to lift the Brooklyn Nets to their 10th straight win – the longest streak this NBA season – with a 108-107 victory over the short-handed Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Irving finished with 28 points, headlined by 15 in the final period, making five three-pointers with five rebounds and eight assists, as the Nets held on to their three-point three-quarter time lead.
Kevin Durant added 26 points with a season-high 16 rebounds and eight assists, with center Nic Claxton contributing 17 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six blocks.
The result means the Nets have achieved their longest win streak since 2005-06, moving closer to their franchise record of 14, from 2003-04 and 2005-06.
Brooklyn improved their record to 23-12, having won 14 of their past five games, closing the gap on the top two in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics (25-10) and the Milwaukee Bucks (22-12).
Irving led a 17-3 fourth-quarter run with eight consecutive points as the Nets pulled clear in the last before the Hawks rallied, only for Dejounte Murray to miss a 27-footer on the buzzer.
Murray finished with 24 points and John Collins added 21 for the Hawks, who were without Trae Young and Clint Capela with calf injuries as well as De'Andre Hunter (ankle).
Butler and Bam lead Heat past Lakers
The Miami Heat dominated on offense and defense, keeping the Los Angeles Lakers to their second lowest score of the season, in a 112-98 victory.
Jimmy Butler (27 points and six steals) and Bam Adebayo (23 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks) combined for 50 of the Heat's 112 points, as they improved to 18-17, with all five starters reaching double figures. Tyler Herro added 18 points, including three triples and nine assists.
LeBron James, playing against his former franchise, scored 27 points with nine rebounds and six assists and Russell Westbrook added 15 points on six-of-16 shooting.
DeRozan downs Giannis in OT
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a monster double-double with 45 points and 22 rebounds but could not prevent the Milwaukee Bucks losing 119-113 to the Chicago Bulls in overtime.
Demar DeRozan stuffed his stat sheet too, with 42 points on 15-of-25 shooting, with 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Zach LaVine added 24 points with four three-pointers.
DeRozan made a crucial steal from an Antetokounmpo's inbound with 11.1 seconds of regulation time remaining down 106-104, setting up Ayo Dosunmu's dunk to send it to OT.
Aaron Rodgers was held out of practice on Wednesday by the Green Bay Packers but says he is "feeling a lot better" ahead of Sunday's must-win game against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Packers quarterback has been banged up throughout this season, nursing a right thumb injury along with sore ribs, picking up a left knee issue in Sunday's 26-20 win over the Miami Dolphins.
That victory, the Packers' third straight win, kept their playoffs hopes alive with a 7-8 record in the NFC North, but losing to the division-leading Vikings will all but put an end to that, with Rodgers' availability likely to be pivotal.
"I got a lot of body weight on my knee," Rodgers told reporters about the injury sustained when defensive tackle Christian Wilkins fell on him.
"Had some extra flexion I haven't known for the last 20 years. So just been doing rehab the last few days and feeling a lot better."
Rodgers did play out Sunday's win but said fluid began to build on his knee during the flight home from Florida to Wisconsin.
The 39-year-old four-time MVP, who hoped to practice on Thursday, said these issues were part and parcel of the NFL.
"You're dealing with something throughout the year whether it's a major or minor, always got to do the body maintenance," Rodgers said.
"But it's a good opportunity for [backup QB Jordan Love] to practice and get his reps in, and it's a good opportunity for me to get some rest."
The Packers would be eliminated from playoffs contention if they lose to the Vikings, and one of the Detroit Lions (7-8) or the Washington Commanders (7-7-1) win their Week 17 games against the Chicago Bears and the Cleveland Browns respectively.
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