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.
Dustin Johnson has resigned from the PGA Tour in order to play in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.
The two-time major winner is one of the biggest names to sign up for the new league, and his loss represents a significant blow to the PGA Tour, of which he had been a member since 2007.
Johnson's decision to turn his back on the PGA Tour means he will be unable to complete in the Ryder Cup.
"It's too early to speak on what the consequences will be, but as of right now, I resigned my membership from PGA Tour, I'm going to play here for now, that's the plan," he told reporters.
"But what the consequence are going to be, I obviously can't comment on how the Tour is going to handle it.
"The majors, again I can't answer for the majors, but hopefully they'll allow us to play. Obviously I'm exempt for the majors, so I plan on playing there unless I hear otherwise."
Adding on the Ryder Cup, he said: "The Ryder Cup is unbelievable and has meant a lot to me, but ultimately I decided this was best for me and my family.
"All things are subject to change, and hopefully at some point it will change and I will get a chance to do that again."
"One of one" Aaron Donald has earned his record-breaking contract with the Los Angeles Rams, says coach Sean McVay.
A restructuring of Donald's deal in LA will see him guaranteed $95million over the next three years, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
However, for the defending Super Bowl champion Rams, it is a price worth paying.
Donald is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and played a vital role in the Super Bowl LVI win over the Cincinnati Bengals last year.
Given the uncertainty that followed that victory, with Donald hinting at a possible retirement, McVay is simply delighted to be getting his best defender back.
"It's not great news; it's phenomenal, outstanding, any nice adjective that you can place around it," McVay told SiriusXM.
"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.
"I think the respect that he's garnered around this league from guys that have done it at such a high level, what he's accomplished through his eight years is unparalleled.
"And so [we] wanted to be able to find a solution to get him taken care of and have him continue to lead the way for our team, for our defense.
"We had a feeling it was trending in the right direction when he was at our wedding on Saturday night. A lot of good things have happened the last couple days for me."
As well as earning an unprecedented salary, Donald now has the freedom to retire in 2024 without any financial consequences.
First, though, the 31-year-old is "locked back in to go get us another ring", as he said in a video released by the team.
And that pursuit would be aided by the Rams also bringing back Odell Beckham – another attendee at the McVays' wedding, even if Sean claimed he "crashed" the event.
"He was a baller," McVay said of a receiver who signed for the Rams last November but was out of contract after tearing his ACL against the Bengals.
"We want to try to be able to get him back. I would love to work with him every single day."
The Boston Bruins have taken the "extremely difficult decision" to fire coach Bruce Cassidy despite reaching the playoffs in each of his six seasons.
Cassidy was appointed as coach in February 2017 – initially on an interim basis – having served as assistant since the start of the 2016-17 season. He had previously led the AHL Providence Bruins.
The Bruins made the former Washington Capitals coach their permanent hire in April of that year, and Boston made the playoffs.
The team had been missing from the postseason in the previous two seasons but would go on to be regulars with Cassidy behind the bench.
He took the Bruins all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019, only to lose to the St. Louis Blues.
Despite the Bruins continuing to make the playoffs, that was as close as Cassidy would come to adding a seventh championship, this year losing in the first round to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Cassidy leaves Boston having overseen 399 regular season games, the fifth-most in team history. With a record of 245-108-46, he is tied third for most Bruins wins.
General manager Don Sweeney explained his dismissal, saying in a statement: "Today I informed Bruce Cassidy that I was making a change.
"After 14 years working with Bruce, this was an extremely difficult decision.
"I want to thank and acknowledge Bruce for all his work and success with the Bruins organisation. His record for the Bruins is impressive, and we are appreciative of Bruce both professionally and personally.
"After taking some time to fully digest everything, I felt that the direction of our team for both this season and beyond would benefit from a new voice."
The Los Angeles Angels tied their longest single-season losing streak in franchise history, going down 1-0 at home to the Boston Red Sox on Monday.
Michael Wacha pitched for his first shutout in five years, extending the Angels' losing streak to 12 games, matching the run to end the 1988 season.
Wacha pitched the full nine innings for only the second time in his career, giving up only three hits and striking out six over 105 pitches.
In a thin silver lining to a rather sizeable cloud for the Angels, Mike Trout went one-of-two off Wacha to end a hitless streak of 26 at-bats, the longest in the 30-year-old's career.
The Red Sox confirmed a fifth consecutive victory, moving past .500 ball at 28-27, but they remain fourth in the American League East.
Escobar and Carrasco lead Mets to series-opening win
The New York Mets kicked off a three-game series with a victory over fellow National League contenders in the San Diego Padres, winning 11-5.
After splitting the four-game series in their high-profile National League matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets scored a combined seven runs in the opening and closing innings to pick up the win on Monday.
Eduardo Escobar went four-of-five at the plate, including a home run and six RBIs, while Carlos Carrasco pitched seven innings, striking out 10 and giving up five hits over 105 pitches.
Mariners beat AL West leaders
In Monday's divisional ball, the Seattle Mariners defeated the AL West-leading Houston Astros in a heated contest.
Mariners manager Scott Servais was ejected after the benches cleared when Astros reliever Hector Neris zipped a pitch into the back of Ty France.
Rookie center-fielder Julio Rodriguez hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning, while Cal Raleigh added four RBIs in the win.
Artturi Lehkonen helped the Colorado Avalanche secure a series sweep over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, scoring in overtime for a 6-5 win.
Lehkonen ultimately secured the 4-0 Western Conference finals win for the Avalanche in fortunate circumstances, left with a simple finish after his elevated stick helped the puck elude Oilers goaltender Mike Smith.
With a tightly contested game heading to OT, Cale Makar's shot from the face-off was picked up by Lehkonen with what was argued to be a high stick. The puck deflected off Smith and left the 26-year-old with a simple finish to win the game and series and following a review, the goal was allowed.
Despite the fortune that came with the eventual winning goal, the Finnish winger cited his team's ability to fight back a 3-1 deficit in the third period as equally important.
"Cale took the shot and I've got to say, it landed straight on my blade and I basically had an empty net in front of me," Lehkonen told TNT post-game.
"It was a great comeback win, for sure. We were talking during the second intermission that we just had to find our game and we could pull through this."
Mikko Rantanen stunningly put the Avalanche ahead with 5:14 remaining in regulation, in what was a four-goal period for the Western Conference's first seed.
After the Oilers let a 3-1 lead slip with their season on the line, Leon Draisatl and Connor McDavid combined to equalise, capitalising on Danell Nurse's defensive play to spring them into transition.
Advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2001, the Avalanche will now face the winner of the series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers.
Darvin Ham insisted Russell Westbrook is one of the best players the NBA has ever seen upon his announcement as Los Angeles Lakers head coach on Monday.
The nine-time All-Star and former MVP had a patchy first season in the purple and gold despite averages of 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists.
The 33-year-old was widely regarded as the cause behind the Lakers finishing with a 33-49 record which saw them finish 11th in the Western Conference, even missing the Play-In Tournament.
Asked about fitting Westbrook with LeBron James and Anthony Davis during his introduction as the Lakers coach, Ham took the opportunity to defend the embattled point guard.
"Don't get it messed up," he said. "Russ is one of the best players our league has ever seen, and there's still a ton left in that tank. I don't know why people tend to try to write him off.
"I'm going to approach him like I do every player I've ever encountered. We're going to talk about our running habits, with the ball, without the ball. And again, the team, the rhythm of the team and trying to establish a rhythm with LeBron, Russ, AD.
"And again, share the load defensively and offensively. Defensively is where you're going to see us make our biggest leaps and bounds. We have to commit to the defensive side of the ball or we don't have a chance to do anything. Our offence won't even matter if we don't get stops."
After an eight-year playing career in the NBA, Ham got his first coaching job in the league working as an assistant at the Lakers, as a part of Mike Brown's staff in 2012-13.
After that season, the 48-year-old spent the following years on Mike Budenholzer's staff with the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks, winning the NBA title in 2021.
"The fact that I got my start as a coach here, this place will always be special for me," Ham said. "It's like a homecoming for me, in all seriousness."
"As sad as it is for me to be leaving coach Bud, sometimes you got to walk that walk on your own. We went from colleagues, to friends, to brothers while all the while making history."
Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald is not going anywhere and he is getting a $40million raise to continue haunting the nightmares of opposing quarterbacks.
After some reports had surfaced that the three-time Defensive Player of the Year was considering retirement, NFL.com reported Monday that the Rams have restructured Donald's contract to guarantee him $95m over the next three seasons.
While no years were added to Donald's deal, the added guaranteed money will make the seven-time All-Pro the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.
One of the most disruptive defenders ever, Donald now turns his focus towards helping the Rams repeat as Super Bowl champions.
Donald, 31, had 3.5 sacks last postseason, including two in Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals, helping to lead the Rams to their first title since the 1999 season.
Drafted by the Rams 13th overall in 2014, Donald is the centerpiece of a "win-now" roster filled with high-priced veterans, such as quarterback Matthew Stafford, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and receiver Cooper Kupp.
Donald's 98 career sacks rank sixth among active players and are tied for the fourth most all-time in the first eight seasons of a player's career.
Tereza Martincova got off to a winning start at the Nottingham Open, where there were three British winners on home soil on Monday.
World number 60 Martincova recorded a 7-6 (7-1) 7-5 triumph over France's Oceane Dodin to ease into the second round in Nottingham.
Heather Watson, ranked 102nd in the world, had no problems as she eased past Katie Volynets 6-4 6-2, and fellow Briton Hannah Dart followed suit by defeating Donna Vekic 6-4 6-3.
Jodie Burrage completed the first-round sweep for British women, downing Lin Zhu 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.
At the Rosmalen Grass Court Championship, top seed Aryna Sabalenka was due to face Kateryna Baindl but bad weather curtailed the day's play early.
Earlier on, Anna Kalinskaya edged out Suzan Lamens 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in the first round, while Catherine McNally, Storm Sanders, Olivia Gadecki and Jamie Loeb were all triumphant in qualifying.
Lorenzo Sonego eased into the second round of the Stuttgart Open on Monday, while Hugo Gaston enjoyed first-round success at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships.
Sixth seed Sonego was the headline act on Monday in Stuttgart and made light work of Benoit Paire to win 7-5 6-2.
The Italian will next face Jan-Lennard Struff after the German edged out world number 53 Marcos Giron 7-5 5-7 7-6 (10-8).
"It's my first time here, it's my first tournament on grass and I'm really happy [with] this match," Sonego said after defeating Paire.
"It's never easy to pass from clay to grass, but I enjoy it because if I serve good it is easier for me."
Struff's compatriot Oscar Otte was another first-round winner with straight-sets victory over Daniel Altmaier, while Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi breezed past Feliciano Lopez.
In Rosmalen, poor weather wreaked havoc with the schedule but France's Gaston had little trouble against South Korean Kwon Soon-woo, winning 6-2 6-1 to reach the last 16, and Andreas Seppi battled past Gijs Brouwer in the second round of qualifying.
Seppi will be hoping to make it to the main draw, where world number two Daniil Medvedev is the top seed, with Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz also competing.
Phil Mickelson has confirmed he will play in the first event of the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series, but he still intends to feature at the upcoming majors this year.
Dustin Johnson headlined the entrant list for the opening event at Centurion Club near London, which starts on Thursday, but Mickelson was an initial surprise omission from the entry list for the Saudi Arabia-funded competition.
Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen and Lee Westwood are also among the high-profile names set to feature at the three-day event that will have 12 teams and 48 players.
Mickelson was met with widespread condemnation after criticising the PGA Tour earlier this year, for which he apologised and vowed to take a step back from the game – even missing the defence of his US PGA Championship last month.
His comments on LIV Golf were also met with significant backlash after he said Saudi Arabia has "a horrible record on human rights", but added he was willing to commit to the league as it was "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates".
But Mickelson, who once again reiterated his apologies for his earlier comments, announced on Monday that he will indeed play at the inaugural LIV Golf event.
"I am ready to come back to play the game I love but after 32 years this new path is a fresh start, one that is exciting for me at this stage of my career and is clearly transformative, not just for myself, but ideally for the game and my peers," the American said in a statement.
"I also love the progressive format and think it will be exciting for fans. Just as importantly, it will provide balance, allowing me to focus on a healthier approach to life on and off the course.
"I am incredibly grateful for what this game and the PGA Tour has given me. I would like to think that I have given back as well but now I am excited about this new opportunity."
Mickelson opted to not defend his PGA Championship this year amid the furore, but the 51-year-old plans to return to compete at the majors alongside his LIV Golf involvement.
"I am thrilled to begin with LIV Golf and I appreciate everyone involved. I also intend to play the majors," he added.
"I fully realise and respect some may disagree with this decision and have strong opinions and I emphasise with that. I have a renewed spirit and excitement for the game.
"I am incredibly grateful for the support of my fans, partners, and peers and I hope in time, those sentiments, relationships and support continue."
Greg Norman, chief executive and commissioner of LIV Golf, added in a statement reported by Sky Sports: "Phil Mickelson is unequivocally one of the greatest golfers of this generation.
"His contributions to the sport and connection to fans around the globe cannot be overstated and we are grateful to have him.
"He strengthens an exciting field for London where we're proud to launch a new era for golf."
Rafael Nadal says it is "crazy" for people to even consider him completing the calendar Grand Slam after triumphing at the Australian Open and French Open.
The Spaniard returned from his long battle with a foot injury to claim the first major of the year in Melbourne, moving clear of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for the most grand slam titles in men's history.
Nadal added a record-extending 22nd major to his collection as he lifted a 14th French Open title on Sunday with a straight-sets victory over Casper Ruud.
The 36-year-old was given a couple of injections before every match and will undergo radio frequency injections in a bid to ensure he can go in search of a third major title of the year at the All England Club.
Nadal remains unsure whether he would undergo a major operation to prolong his career, but hopes to be able to be in London when Wimbledon starts on June 27.
Success on the grass courts of Wimbledon would be a third major of the year before the US Open starts at the end of August, but Nadal insists he cannot look that far ahead on his quest for all four grand slams.
"It's crazy to think about completing the Grand Slam after Australia and Roland Garros," he told
"I don't even consider it. More than winning the Grand Slam, I would sign up just to be able to play all four tournaments.
"It's crazy. To win all four, it seems crazy to me because it is something that nobody has done since Rod Laver.
"The one who came closest was Novak last year. It's crazy to think about it."
While Nadal remains in contention for the calendar Slam, he continues to battle through a foot injury that has plagued him throughout his career.
But the prospect of retirement does not concern Nadal, who is prepared for life after tennis given the amount of times he has thought injury would curtail his playing days.
"I imagine just as I have experienced it many times in my career that I have had to be out of competition for months due to injuries," he added.
"I have always been happy outside of tennis. It is not something that makes me lose sleep or have any fear of my life after tennis.
"I have and have always had many things that make me happy beyond tennis."
Emma Raducanu will not rush a decision on the appointment of her next permanent coach, as she seeks a fourth mentor in the space of a year.
The reigning US Open champion is on the hunt for a successor to Torben Beltz after parting ways in April following a five-month tenure together.
The 19-year-old is set to start her grass-court preparations at the Nottingham Open this week, a year after she made her WTA debut at the same event.
But the world number 11 says she will not be hasty in making a call on who will take over as her next coach.
"I want to take my time with this decision," Raducanu said. "Nothing has changed.
"I still have the same people, good people, around me. I don't want to rush into anything.
"Personally, I think I know what I'm doing. I'm trusting what I'm doing and the work I'm doing.
"I'm still 19 and I've already won a grand slam so I can take my time and put things in place because I know my motivation isn't any less."
When Raducanu made her WTA debut at Nottingham a year ago, Nigel Sears was the teenager's coach, before Andrew Richardson succeeded him after Wimbledon.
The latter was not renewed following success in New York, however, with Beltz brought on board in November.
After a whirlwind first season on the tour, Raducanu admits she is merely trying to enjoy her progress, adding: "I'm quite proud of what I've achieved in the past 12 months
"I'm not being so hard on myself, I'm really enjoying my time right now and also just really believing in the work I'm doing.
"I don't think anyone would say, 'I wish I didn't wish a grand slam at 18' because that is what I set out to do when I started playing tennis - and I did that.
"For that to happen very soon definitely comes with a lot of challenges but managing, learning and growing through the adversities that I have faced – I would much rather have that, learn from those experiences and keep building and progressing."
After a half-century of coaching, Romeo Crennel announced his retirement on Monday.
"Football has been my entire life and it's been a dream come true to coach for 50 years," the 74-year-old Crennel said. "There are so many friends to thank who have helped me and supported me throughout my career.
"I especially want to thank the fans and owners of the New York Giants, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans for allowing me to contribute to the game that I have loved so much for so long.
"I'll miss everything about coaching and teaching, but the thing I'll miss the most is being around the guys every day. My goal was to put every player and coach in the best position to succeed and I consider every guy I coached or worked with a part of my family."
After a decade of coaching in college, Crennel broke into the NFL in 1981 as a special teams coach with the Giants. He later coached the Giants’ defensive line under Hall of Famer Bill Parcells, and then followed Parcells to the Patriots and Jets to coach their D-lines.
He served as the Browns defensive coordinator for one season in 2000 before taking the same job with the Patriots, where he won three Super Bowls in a four-year span.
His success in New England led to his first head coaching job with the Browns in 2005, but he was unable to replicate those achievements in Cleveland, going 24-40 in four years.
He later joined the Chiefs as their defensive coordinator before serving as their interim head coach for three games in 2011 and eventually earned the full-time job the following year. He went 2-14 in his lone season as head coach in Kansas City in 2012 before being fired.
For the past eight years, Crennel worked in various positions for the Texans, serving as the defensive coordinator, assistant head coach, interim head coach and senior advisor for football performance.
As interim head coach for 12 games in 2020 following the firing of Bill O’Brien, the then-73-year-old Crennel became the oldest person in NFL history to serve as head coach in a game.
Crennel went 4-8 in those 12 games, leaving him with a 32-63 career record. Among the 142 coaches to serve as head coach in at least 75 games, Crennel's .337 career winning percentage is the fourth lowest.
Despite a lack of success as a head coach, Crennel is considered one of the most accomplished assistants in NFL history, helping guide 17 teams to the playoffs with six conference crowns and five Super Bowl championships.
"After 50 seasons, Romeo retires as one of the most respected figures in NFL history," Texans chair and CEO Cal McNair said. "His incredible resume and contributions to the game of football will be difficult to duplicate. Romeo poured everything he had into his players and led his teams with hard work, diligence and integrity."
Wayne Gretzky is once again part of hockey history.
The last jersey the NHL’s all-time leading scorer wore with the Edmonton Oilers in 1988 was sold for $1.452million on Sunday to set a record for the highest ever paid for a hockey jersey.
Gretzky wore the jersey on May 26, 1988, when the Oilers completed a sweep of the Boston Bruins to win their fourth Stanley Cup championship in five seasons.
That matchup occurred two days after Game 4 was called off with the score tied 3-3 in the second period due to the electricity going out at the Boston Garden.
The game was restarted and Gretzky had a goal and two assists in Edmonton's 6-3 victory. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for the second time in his career.
Less than three months later, Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, ending a nine-season run with the Oilers that saw "The Great One" win the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's regular-season MVP eight years in a row from 1980-87.
Sunday's sale broke the mark of $1.275m that was paid for the 1972 Summit Series jersey worn by Paul Henderson when he scored the winning goal in the final minute of Canada's eighth and final game against the Soviet Union.
Henderson's goal clinched the series for Canada with a 4-3-1 record, and in 2017 was named the greatest moment in the nation's sports history by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Quin Snyder’s decision on Sunday to abruptly step down as coach of the Utah Jazz took much of the NBA world by surprise.
Especially the franchise's star player.
Donovan Mitchell was reportedly "surprised and disappointed" by Snyder's decision to step away after eight seasons in Utah, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and has been left "unsettled, unnerved and wondering what it means for the franchise’s future."
The 55-year-old Snyder had led the Jazz to six straight playoff berths, three Northwest Division crowns and the NBA's best record in the 2020-21 season, but the team had not been able to advance past the Western Conference semi-finals.
''Love Quin. I love Quin. Love Quin,'' Mitchell said after the Jazz were ousted in the first round by the Dallas Mavericks in April. ''He's a guy that gave me an opportunity when I first got here and trusted in me, believed in me. He's a guy that I think has had so much talked about and he's been headstrong, he's been steady with it throughout the year.''
Mitchell has been the face of the franchise since his 2017-18 rookie season, earning a third-straight All-Star Game appearance this past season while finishing ninth in the league in scoring at 25.9 points per game.
The 25-year-old signed a five-year maximum contract extension with the Jazz in 2020, and considered his positive relationship with Snyder a significant reason he opted to stay in Salt Lake City.
Mitchell, who is owed $67.5million for the next two seasons, followed by a $37m player option, reportedly respects Snyder's decision for stepping down but is left wondering how the franchise will respond to such a sudden and significant change in leadership.
Snyder is the second-winningest coach in franchise history behind Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan, and since he took over in Utah in 2014-15, only Steve Kerr, Doc Rivers, Mike Budenholzer and Gregg Popovich compiled more wins than Snyder's 372.
American cycling great Greg LeMond has been diagnosed with leukaemia.
LeMond, a two-time world champion and three-time Tour de France winner, retired from cycling in 1994.
The 60-year-old is also the only American to claim the Tour de France after Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis were stripped of their wins over banned substances.
LeMond revealed in a statement on his website on Monday that he is receiving treatment for chronic myelogenous leukaemia.
"Fortunately, it is a type of cancer that is treatable, and it is a type of leukaemia that is not life-threatening or debilitating," he wrote.
"I had been experiencing a few weeks of fatigue which prompted me to go in for a check-up which included some blood work.
"Following a series of tests and a bone marrow biopsy, which was completed last week, I received my formal diagnosis last Friday.
"No one ever wants to hear the word 'cancer' but, admittedly, there is great relief, now, to know why I was feeling poorly. My doctors and I have decided on a treatment which will begin this week.
"I should be feeling better in a few weeks and for the near future, my daily schedule will be altered only a little and I have been told that in a few months, I should be in remission."
LeMond assured "the long-term prognosis is very favourable" and hopes to return to France to watch the Tour next year.
"I had hoped to be in France in July for the Tour, but we are, now, working on an alternate plan so I can follow the Tour and engage with friends and teammates from our offices and farm in Tennessee," he added.
"I will look forward to returning to the Tour next summer! I will keep everyone updated about my health and treatments in the months ahead but for now, I believe I couldn't be in better hands.
"I am excited about our plans ahead and I look forward to updating you all along the way."
Eddie Jones has included five new faces in a 35-man England training camp ahead of the tour of Australia next month.
Charlie Atkinson, Biyi Alo, Freddie Clarke, Sam Jeffries and Patrick Schickerling have been called up for the first time.
Wing Jonny May is back in the fold after recovering from a knee injury, while Luke Cowan-Dickie (knee) and Anthony Watson (calf) will also be in camp undertaking rehabilitation work.
Players who will feature in Premiership semi-finals this weekend will not report for international duty.
England face the Barbarians at Twickenham a week on Saturday before a three-match series against the Wallabies, starting in Perth on July 2.
Red Rose head coach Jones said: "With a number of players unavailable because of the Premiership semi-finals, we've got the opportunity to call up some new players.
"It's a great opportunity to learn about them and see what potential they have to play a part in the Australia tour.
"We look forward to continuing the good work from our last camp in developing this team on and off the pitch."
England training squad:
Forwards: Biyi Alo, Alfie Barbeary, Jamie Blamire, Callum Chick, Freddie Clarke, Tom Curry, Trevor Davison, Charlie Ewels, Will Goodrick-Clarke, Jonny Hill, Ted Hill, Sam Jeffries, George McGuigan, Tom Pearson, Bevan Rodd, Patrick Schickerling, Jack Singleton, Will Stuart, Sam Underhill, Jack Willis.
Backs: Henry Arundell, Charlie Atkinson, Mark Atkinson, Orlando Bailey, Joe Cokanasiga, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Will Joseph, Jonny May, Jack Nowell, Paolo Odogwu, Max Ojomoh, Tom Parton, Adam Radwan, Harry Randall, Dan Robson.
The Boston Celtics were left to wonder what might have been after a poor third quarter saw them lose Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, levelling the series at 1-1.
An underwhelming first half performance saw the Celtics trail by only two points, and after their incredible fourth quarter showing in Game 1, the hope for Boston was they could finish strongly again and take a commanding 2-0 lead.
However, after finding themselves trailing by 23 points by the time the final quarter arrived, they had left themselves far too much to do.
Celtics coach Ime Udoka blamed the amount of turnovers, saying after the 107-88 defeat at Chase Center: "That's been an ongoing theme in the playoffs so far. We've turned over the ball. Take teams out of scoring against us in the half court, give them some baskets.
"But it was more of the same in that third quarter. We had 11 for 18 points in that first half and gave up five or six more in that quarter. Kind of blew it open, and that hampered our offense, as well."
Jayson Tatum - who top-scored for the Celtics with 28 points, though ended the game with a minus-36, which is the worst plus-minus of the 24-year-old's career - agreed with Udoka on turnovers, but also pointed to the general sloppiness at the start of the third-quarter that saw the Warriors pull away.
"I think tonight, turnovers, and I think sometimes letting our offense affect how we defend, kind of was a little stagnant in the third quarter," Tatum said.
"I feel like it translated on the defensive end, and they got going and hitting shots and things like that."
Boston have now been outscored by at least 14 points on four occasions in the third quarter during this year's playoffs, and guard Derrick White also expressed his frustration at the increasing trend of losing the game just after half-time.
"Yeah, it's definitely frustrating," he said. "I mean, we've talked about it pretty much the whole postseason. It's easy to talk about, but we've got to go out there and change something.
"That was a big quarter for them and really a quarter that put us away."
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