When the P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy’s Elite 1 Caribbean Basketball Summer League (E1CBL) tips off at the National Indoor Arena in Kingston on Saturday, August 13, one of the more highly anticipated match-ups, will be the game between Team Horizon (Red) and Team Rivers (Blue) as it will feature the number-one draft pick Nicholai Brown against the talented Dave Black, who are both looking forward to the contest.
Brown believes his team will be ready and expect to win based on what he believes will be the foundation of Team Horizon’s success.
“Going into this league, just the basic things of basketball, playing defence,” he said.
“I am a good defensive player so I am expecting my team to play good defence because from good defence comes great offence. So I am expecting my teammates to play good defence and each player, whether we are playing zone or man so I am expecting good things from them.”
From a personal standpoint, Brown, Team Horizon’s co-captain, said he is eagerly anticipating going up against Black, who is co-captain of Team Rivers.
“The first match is going to be great. We are playing against Dave (Black). He is a great player. I have always wanted to play against him. I have seen what he can do over the week that I have been playing with him,” Brown said.
“I think all my teammates are looking forward to playing against Team Blue. They are as excited as I am. My teammates are all good competitors so it’s going to be a good game.”
Meanwhile, Black said Team Rivers plans to play exciting basketball that will entertain the fans.
“After the first practice, I think we have good chemistry going into Saturday’s game. We just want to get up and down the court fast and play some exciting basketball,” Black said.
“We have a lot of talent on our team and we just want to go out there and compete. We had our first practice yesterday (Wednesday) and this morning (Thursday) and our expectation is to win the tournament.
“I think we have one of the best teams. In our first game, we’ll be trying to get stops, trying to go on the break and playing exciting basketball not only for the coaches but also for the fans. We want everybody to have fun watching some great basketball.”
The Caribbean’s biggest basketball entertainment event of the season is being hosted in collaboration with the Jamaica Basketball Association.
The tournament starts at 5:00 pm with an opening ceremony, followed by competition between the four teams in the league - Elite 1 Rivers, Elite 1 Waves, Elite 1 Horizon, and Elite 1 Storm. Each team comprises top-tier professional players from Jamaica, Barbados, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ghana.
The National Arena in Kingston comes alive this Saturday, August 13th with the first games of P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy’s Elite 1 Caribbean Basketball Summer League (E1CBL)- the Caribbean’s biggest basketball entertainment event of the season, which is hosted in collaboration with the Jamaica Basketball Association.
The event starts at 5:00 PM with an opening ceremony, followed by heated competition among the four teams in the league; Elite 1 Rivers, Elite 1 Waves, Elite 1 Horizon, and Elite 1 Storm. Each team comprises of top-tier professional players from Jamaica, Barbados, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ghana.
Spectators will also be treated to entertaining half time shows headlined by some of Jamaica’s most popular artistes.
The exciting competition continues August 14 starting at 6:00 PM, and on August 17 at 4:00 PM. It will culminate with a celebrity game, third place playoff and the championship game on August 20th which will start at 4:00 PM.
CEO and Founder of P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy Wayne Dawkins, says the E1CBL is the consummate family event, and is inviting people to come out and witness basketball like they have never seen it before in Jamaica.
“We are going be bringing them a professional basketball atmosphere that a lot of people only see on TV. We will have high flying basketball players, dancers, music and entertainment topped off by an energetic crowd. It’s the ultimate family entertainment event,” he said.
Tickets for the event are available at Emkay Sports at 11 Oxford Terrace in Kingston, and cost $200 for students, $500 for bleachers, and $1000 for VIP. Persons can also reach out to the E1CBL via Instagram @e1caribbeanbasketballleague to purchase tickets.
The E1CBL is sponsored by the Jamaica Basketball Association, Elite 1 Recruiting Platform, Ribbiz, TurboStats, Global Pipeline Agency, KFC, Phoenix Health Complex and Vision Centre, Athletic Fusion, Suretime Medical, Habliborange, Herbs, Facey Pharmaceuticals, and Confectionery and Snacks Jamaica.
P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy was founded by Jamaican Canadian and former basketball player, Wayne Dawkins. For the past 25 years, P.H.A.S.E.1 Academy have been organizing and hosting basketball leagues and tournaments in Canada and the US and Africa. These events have contributed substantially to the growth of the youth sports industry.
P.H.A.S.E.1 Academies are located in Canada, Jamaica, the United States, and Africa. Our student-athletes have access to expert staff, elite training methods, top competition, and exposure to greater opportunities. Over the years, we have assisted in the development of more than 500 athletes in receiving scholarships to study and play post-secondary sports and move on to become professional athletes.
Sunshine Girl Romelda Aiken George is now a mom after giving birth to a daughter Gianna earlier this week. Gianna is the first child of the naturalized Australian and her husband Dan, who has three other children from a previous relationship.
She shared the news on social media early on Friday.
“Welcome to this crazy world our beautiful baby Gianna George. We’re so in love with you,” she posted on Instagram.
The post drew reactions from a number of former players including now retired Jamaican player Vangelee Williams, who posted “She’s adorable Diddy. Congratulations to you both.”
Australian player Nat Medhurst, herself a mother said, “A massive congratulations Diddy and Dan. Welcome to the world, Gianna. Lots of love to you all.”
England player Helen Housby was also among those who offered congratulatory messages to the new mom. “Congratulations guys. She’s gorgeous!”
Romelda and Dan, a former basketball player turned businessman, were married in September 2021 at the conclusion of the Suncorp Super Netball Season and have now started to build a family.
Aiken has been playing professional netball in Australia since 2008 when she was signed by the Queensland Firebirds and has won three titles with them. She became an Australian citizen in January 2020.
Tyson Fury has conducted another U-turn on his boxing future, announcing his retirement on social media just three days after appearing to confirm plans for a return to the ring.
On Tuesday, Fury revealed he had appointed a new trainer and urged Derek Chisora to accept an offer for a trilogy fight during a series of Instagram posts.
But on his 34th birthday, the WBC heavyweight champion announced plans to exit the sport.
"Massive thanks to everyone who had an input in my career over the years," he wrote on Instagram on Friday.
"After long, hard conversations I've finally decided to walk away and on my 34th birthday I say bon voyage."
Fury originally announced he would leave the sport following a sixth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in April, and has won 32 of his 33 professional bouts, registering one draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018.
Tyson Fury has conducted another U-turn on his boxing future, announcing his retirement on social media just two days after appearing to confirm plans for a return to the ring.
On Tuesday, Fury revealed he had appointed a new trainer and urged Derek Chisora to accept an offer for a trilogy fight during a series of Instagram posts.
But on his 34th birthday, the WBC heavyweight champion announced plans to exit the sport.
"Massive thanks to everyone who had an input in my career over the years," he wrote on Instagram on Friday.
"After long, hard conversations I've finally decided to walk away and on my 34th birthday I say bon voyage."
Fury originally announced he would leave the sport following a sixth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium in April, and has won 32 of his 33 professional bouts, registering one draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018.
The Philadelphia Phillies will be sweating on the availability of All-Star slugger Kyle Schwarber after he was forced out of Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Miami Marlins due to a mild right calf strain.
The 2021 and 2022 All-Star, who leads the National League (NL) with 34 home runs this season, was pulled out after earning a walk in the fifth inning having experienced tightness throughout the game.
The injury concern comes ahead of the Phillies' series against the NL East-leading New York Mets which begins on Friday.
"I probably won't play [on Friday]," Schwarber told reporters. "I will do as much work as possible and try to get back as quickly as possible.
"I want to be quick as I can but also don't want to do anything that's outrageous to hurt the team and be down an extended amount of time, too.
"It’s something I've been managing. It wasn't anything serious. Today it just got tighter and tighter and tighter, and I just felt like if there was a ball that fell on the field, I wouldn’t be able to serve."
The Phillies currently occupy the second NL Wild Card spot, having won 12 of their past 14 games.
Philadelphia holds a 62-49 record, behind the Atlanta Braves (66-46) in the NL Wild Card race, with the San Diego Padres (63-51) and the Milwaukee Brewers (60-50) next behind them.
Coco Gauff will reach the highest ranking of her career after the 18-year-old defeated world number six Aryna Sabalenka 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-4) in the third round of the Canadian Open on Thursday.
Gauff, who has never been ranked higher than her current spot of 11th, will overtake Emma Raducanu and likely Daria Kasatkina to move up to ninth when the next rankings are released after prevailing in an exceptionally tight match against her Belarussian opponent.
Incredibly, both Gauff and Sabalenka won exactly 131 points each, posting identical success rates on service points (77-of-131) and return points (54-of-131).
Gauff will be considered one of the favourites in the tournament after world number one Iga Swiatek was sensationally eliminated by Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia. Swiatek was sloppy, committing nine double faults to just one from her opponent.
Two-time grand slam winner Simona Halep defeated rising Swiss talent Jil Teichmann 6-2 7-5, utilising her dominant first serve to get the job done. Halep converted 82 per cent (32-of-39) of her accurate first serves into points, compared to just 59 per cent (29-of-49) for Teichmann.
World number seven Jessica Pegula had to save a match point on her way to a comeback 3-6 6-0 7-5 win against reigning Canadian Open champion Camila Giorgi, booking her quarter-final clash against Yulia Putintseva after the Kazakhstani beat Alison Riske 6-3 7-5.
Third seed Maria Sakkari went down 1-6 7-6 (11-9) 3-6 against 14th seed Karolina Pliskova, and the Czech will take on China's Qinweng Zheng after she eliminated Canada's last remaining contender Bianca Andreescu 7-5 5-7 6-2.
In the final match of the night, Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic was incredibly impressive against world number eight Garbine Muguruza, prevailing 6-1 6-3.
Framber Valdez threw seven shutout innings as the Houston Astros moved a half-game ahead of the New York Yankees in the race for top seed in the American League (AL) with a 7-3 win over the Texas Rangers.
Martin Maldonado and Alex Bregman both homered for the Astros as manager Dusty Baker returned to the dugout after missing five games due to COVID-19.
Valdez had eight strikeouts across seven innings, allowing only four singles and a walk, earning his third win.
The result improved the Astros to 72-41, sitting ahead of the slumping Yankees who did not play on Thursday and possess a 71-41 record.
"It was outstanding to be back, especially when you come back with the win and come back with Framber throwing the game that he threw," Baker said.
"He pitched an outstanding game. He's very serious about his work and was very composed."
Surging Orioles slip in Wild Card race
The in-form Baltimore Orioles missed a chance to surge into the AL Wild Card spots after going down 4-3 to the Boston Red Sox.
The O's were off to a 7-1 start in August and looked to preserve that with a three-run sixth-inning to square up the game, before Eric Hosmer's decisive go-ahead RBI double.
With the win, the Red Sox snap a four-game losing streak, while it leaves the O's at 58-53, behind the Tampa Bay Rays (58-52) for the third AL Wild Card spot.
Goldschmidt and Arenado fire but Cards beaten
The battle for top spot in the National League (NL) Central division rages on after the St Louis Cardinals were toppled 8-6 by the Colorado Rockies.
The Rockies piled on six runs in the seventh inning, headlined by back-to-back home runs from Brendan Rodgers and Ryan McMahon, while Paul Goldschmidt had three hits including his 27th home run of the season.
Nolan Arenado also homered for the Cards, who hold a 61-50 record, marginally ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers at 60-50 in the NL Central. The Cards have won eight of their past 10.
The Baltimore Ravens extended the NFL record for longest preseason winning streak with their 21st consecutive victory Thursday night, 23-10 over the visiting Tennessee Titans.
No team has ever been better in the preseason than the Ravens. What exactly that means in the grand scheme of things is open to debate.
Backup Tyler Huntley was 16-for-18 with a touchdown pass and Justin Tucker kicked three field goals for Baltimore, which last season eclipsed the Vince Lombardi-coached Green Bay Packers, who won 19 straight preseason games from 1959-1962. The Ravens last loss an exhibition game on September 3, 2015.
Baltimore’s streak is in no danger of being matched anytime soon, with the Buffalo Bills owning the second-longest active preseason winning streak at eight in a row.
With starter Ryan Tannehill getting the night off for the Titans, rookie quarterback Malik Willis played the entire first half and went 6-of-11 for 107 yards while rushing five times for 38 yards and a touchdown.
The third-round draft pick out of Liberty scored on seven-yard run early in the second quarter. After running towards the right side on a designed sprint-out concept, Willis felt pressure and spun away from danger, slipping between two defenders before reaching the end zone.
Australia's Nick Kyrgios has now won 15 of his past 16 matches after defeating compatriot Alex de Minaur 6-2 6-3 in the third round of the Canadian Open – with his only loss coming in the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic.
Fresh off his first singles title since 2019 when he won last week's Washington Open, Kyrgios collected his ninth consecutive victory in impressive fashion, showing no difficulty in navigating his first-ever matchup against his fellow countryman.
He won the first four games of the match, and snatched a break in the first game of the second set to book his quarter-final against Poland's Hubert Hurkacz.
Hurkacz, the eighth seed, had to come back from a set down to defeat Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 7-6 (7-3). He struggled with his serve early, with four double faults in the opening frame, but cleaned it up as the match went on, double-faulting only once in the last two sets.
England's top hope Cameron Norrie suffered a disappointing 6-3 6-4 defeat at the hands of world number nine Felix Auger-Aliassime, but Daniel Evans and Jack Draper made it through to fly the flag.
Evans pulled off an upset win to beat 10th seed Taylor Fritz 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 7-5, and 20-year-old Draper was up a set when 17th seed Gael Monfils retired with an injury at 6-2 0-2.
American Tommy Paul claimed another scalp with his 6-4 6-2 victory against 13th seed Marin Cilic, giving him back-to-back wins against top-15 opponents after emerging triumphant against Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round.
In the final match of the day, Pablo Carreno-Busta beat his third top-30 opponent of the week with a 6-2 6-4 result against Italy's Jannik Sinner, following strong successes against Matteo Berrettini and Holger Rune.
South Korea's Kim Si-woo and American J.J. Spaun are the co-leaders at eight under after one round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind.
Being the first round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the field is made up of the top-125 from this season's FedEx Cup standings, minus LIV Golf signees Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford, who failed to have their exclusions overturned by a judge earlier this week.
Spaun shot a bogey-free 62 with eight birdies, while Kim posted seven birdies, an eagle and a solitary bogey on the par-three fourth hole.
Speaking on the broadcast after his round, Spaun said he hopes his performance during the playoffs will book his place at The Masters next year.
"It will be nice to punch another ticket there and be able to plan it out and get down Sunday, maybe even Saturday the week before, take my time and enjoy all the little things that come along with that great tradition," he said. "Hopefully keep playing well this week and the next couple weeks, and I'll be there."
In outright third place is Sahith Theegala at seven under, while one further shot back tied for fourth are Austria's Sepp Straka, South Korea's Lee Kyoung-hoon, American J.T. Poston and the red-hot Tony Finau, fresh off back-to-back PGA Tour wins for the first time in his career. Finau has shot no worse than 68 from his past 10 rounds.
The logjam in a tie for eighth at five under includes England's Tyrrell Hatton, Australia's former world number one Jason Day, and Rickie Fowler, who barely squeezed into the final field. Last week's 20-year-old first-time winner Joo-hyung 'Tom' Kim highlights the group at four under, along with Adam Scott.
Many of the serious contenders are at three under, including Cam Smith, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and reigning FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay, and they are one stroke ahead of major winners Matt Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry at two under.
Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy shot even-par 70s, and the pair of Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris have plenty of work to do after finishing at one over.
Scheffler was responsible for arguably the round's most viral moment as he caught a side-eye from playing partner Smith when he walked right in front of the Australian while he was lining up a putt, with many speculating it was an intentional slight due to reports Smith has signed on with LIV Golf for next season.
James O'Connor will start at fly-half, while Rory Arnold and Lalakai Foketi have also been included in the Australia side to face Argentina in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.
O'Connor gets the nod to don the number 10 shirt in the absence of Quade Cooper, who suffered an Achilles injury in the 41-26 win over the Pumas last weekend.
Arnold has recovered from a calf injury and the lock will make his first Wallabies start of the year at Estadio Bicentenario.
Centre Lalakai Foketi has been handed a maiden start by Dave Rennie, partnering Len Ikitau, and prop Taniela Tupo is back in the team in San Juan after Allan Alaalatoa returned home for personal reasons.
Pone Fa'amausili is set to make his debut off the bench, while Irae Simone is also among the replacements.
Australia head coach Rennie said: "After a tough, physical game last week it's great to be able to call on the experience of guys like James and Rory and also see the team's excitement for La and Irae who get to wear the Wallaby gold again on Saturday.
"It's going to be a proud occasion for Pone and his family and it's a testament to him for the hard work and obstacles he's had to overcome to earn his first Test cap."
Australia team: Tom Wright, Jordan Petaia, Len Ikitau, Lalakai Foketi, Marika Koroibete, James O'Connor, Nic White; James Slipper (captain), Folau Fainga’a, Taniela Tupou, Rory Arnold, Darcy Swain, Jed Holloway, Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini.
Replacements: Lachlan Lonergan, Matt Gibbon, Pone Fa'amausili, Nick Frost, Pete Samu, Tate McDermott, Irae Simone, Reece Hodge.
Michigan State and Tom Izzo have agreed to a new five-year, $31 million contract, giving the Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach an annual raise of about $2 million.
The university announced the contract extension on Thursday, pending board approval.
"We greatly appreciate Coach Izzo's commitment to our outstanding university and his competitive drive to keep Spartan basketball as a national powerhouse," university president Samuel Stanley said in a statement.
The MSU Athletics account on Twitter announced Izzo’s new deal using the phrase "Spartan For Life."
"Twelve years ago, Tom Izzo said he would be a Spartan for Life, and today's announcement further demonstrates and renews this commitment," AD Alan Haller said in a statement. "We have worked collaboratively to come up with a contract which benefits the university, coach Izzo and his family."
A 2016 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Izzo is entering his 28th year at the helm of Spartan men’s basketball with a career record of 666-267.
Izzo has led Michigan State to eight Final Four appearances, including the 2000 national championship.
The Spartans have participated in NCAA Tournament in a Big Ten-record 24 straight seasons.
"Michigan State has been a home to me and my family for 40 years and I'm ecstatic to sign this contract," Izzo said in the statement.
The NBA has made the historic decision to retire the number six from all franchises' jerseys to honour the legacy of Boston Celtics icon Bill Russell, who passed away on July 31 at 88 years old.
It is the first time in history that a jersey number has been retired league-wide, and in addition, every jersey and every home court in the 2022-23 season will feature a clover-shaped logo bearing the number six.
Russell holds the record for winning the most NBA Championships, collecting 11 rings from 1957 to 1969 while winning five league MVP awards.
Across his career, Russell averaged 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds per game, and at nearly seven-feet tall while being a world-class high-jumper and sprinter, is considered arguably the sport's greatest ever defensive player.
Since 2009, the NBA Finals MVP award has been named after Russell.
While his competitive achievements place him amongst the greatest to ever lace up a pair of basketball shoes, his off-court legacy is just as significant, as he became one of the faces of the American civil rights movement.
Russell was regularly pictured with Martin Luther King Jr, Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the public faces of the campaign for civil rights in the United States, and in 2011, then-president Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments both on and off the court.
In a statement, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said: "Bill Russell's unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserves to be honoured in a unique and historic way.
"Permanently retiring his number six across every NBA team ensures that Bill's transcendent career will always be recognised."
In need of help on an offensive line that recently lost one projected starter due to injury, the New York Jets have reportedly agreed to a two-year contract with veteran tackle Duane Brown.
Brown, who earned a fifth career Pro Bowl nod last season with the Seattle Seahawks, can earn up to $22million over the duration of the deal, according to ESPN.
The Jets’ interest in the 14-year veteran increased after expected starting right tackle Mekhi Becton sustained a season-ending knee injury during Monday’s training camp practice. The 2020 first-round pick missed all but one game last season after dislocating his right kneecap in the team’s opener.
Brown, who turns 37 later this month, has been a more durable player over the course of his lengthy career, having played in every game in three of the past four seasons and missing just four over that span. His 203 career starts are the most of any active offensive lineman.
All of those starts have come at left tackle, where Brown could remain if the Jets opt to move starter George Fant back to the right side.
Fant, a team-mate of Brown with the Seahawks in 2018, began last season as the Jets’ right tackle before switching positions following Becton’s injury. The Jets decided to keep the six-year veteran at left tackle this offseason while moving Becton to the right side.
Brown broke into the NFL as a first-round pick of Houston in 2008 and earned first team All-Pro honours with the Texans in 2012. He spent nine-plus seasons in Houston before being traded to Seattle during the 2017 campaign following a contract dispute.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles announced Thursday that quarterback Tom Brady has temporarily left training camp to "deal with some personal things" and is expected to return following the team’s second preseason game on August 20th.
Bowles told reporters Brady's absence was planned prior to training camp and will not affect the seven-time Super Bowl champion's availability for Tampa Bay's season opener at Dallas on September 11th.
"This is something we talked about before training camp started," Bowles said. "We allotted this time because [Brady] wanted to get in and get chemistry with the guys and go through two weeks of training camp."
Brady, who turned 45 last week, is entering his 23rd NFL season after re-signing with the Buccaneers in March following a 40-day retirement after the 2021 campaign.
The legendary quarterback was not slated to play in Saturday's preseason opener against Miami or the Bucs' game at Tennessee the following week. Veteran Blaine Gabbert and 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask are expected to receive the majority of practice reps during Brady’s absence.
"Knowing he wasn’t going to play the first two games, he didn't want to take away reps from Blaine and Kyle, as well as [Ryan Griffin], as far as going into these next two games," Bowles said.
Bowles added that he wasn’t concerned about the missed practice time impacting Brady's preparation for the regular season, or any effects his departure may have on Tampa Bay's offence.
"Obviously, there's always going to be doubt, but I have a pretty high level of confidence, yes," he stated.
James White, a member of three Super Bowl champion teams with the New England Patriots, announced his retirement after eight NFL seasons Thursday.
White, who set a Super Bowl record with 14 receptions and scored the winning touchdown in New England’s memorable overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51, has been battling a hip injury that limited him to three games in 2021. The veteran running back has been on the physically unable to perform list during training camp.
The 30-year-old spent his entire career with New England after being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft.
"It has been an honour to represent my family, my teammates and the people of New England as a Patriot!," White wrote in an Instagram post.
"Thank you to [team owner] Mr. [Robert] Kraft, Coach [Bill] Belichick and the entire Patriots organisation for giving me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream. To be able to play my entire career with one franchise, in front of the best fans in the NFL, has been a tremendous blessing and honour.
"To say that Foxboro will always hold a place in my heart is an understatement. It's been the most significant chapter of my adulthood; my kids were born here; it’s the place we know best as adults and where I have grown and created my family."
White established himself as one of the NFL's top pass-catching running backs during his time in New England and further cemented himself in the franchise’s lore with his performance in the 2016 season title game. The Wisconsin product totalled 110 yards on 14 receptions and tied a Super Bowl record with three touchdowns to help the Patriots overcome a 28-3 deficit and defeat the Falcons 34-28 in the only Super Bowl decided in overtime.
White later set franchise season records for receptions (87) and receiving yards (751) for a running back in 2018, the season the Patriots capped with a win over the Los Angeles Rams for their sixth Super Bowl win under coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
The Patriots named White to their All-Dynasty Team in 2020 as well as their All-2010s team. He ends his career eighth in franchise history in receptions (381) while recording 3,278 receiving yards, 1,278 rushing yards and 36 total touchdowns in 95 career regular-season games.
"James defines the term consummate professional," Belichick said in a statement. "His dependability, consistency, unselfishness and performance under pressure are elite. Combining great intelligence, quickness and elusiveness, James was a perfect fit for our pass offence.
"While soft spoken, he brought exceptional leadership and competitive toughness to the team. He was a multi-year team captain and one of the most respected, best team players I have ever coached."
The Patriots re-signed White to a two-year, $5 million contract in March, though only $500,000 of that amount was guaranteed.
Beauden Barrett will drop to the bench for New Zealand's tussle with South Africa on Saturday, with Richie Mo'unga brought in at fly-half as one of four changes made by under-pressure All Blacks head coach Ian Foster.
New Zealand fell to a 26-10 defeat to the Springboks in their opening match of the Rugby Championship last weekend, recording three consecutive Test defeats for the first time since a run of five without victory in 1998.
Having also overseen a first home series defeat to Ireland, Foster has come under increasing scrutiny after the All Blacks slumped to an all-time low of fifth in the world rankings.
New Zealand have suffered five defeats in their past six Tests, but Foster vowed to fight on after the defeat to South Africa, and will rely on Mo'unga to provide creativity in Johannesburg.
Barrett was passed fit to play despite being involved in a heavy collision with Kurt-Lee Arendese in the Rugby Championship opener, but Foster has handed Mo'unga his first start of the year at number 10.
New Zealand's other changes come in the forward line, with Props Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax, as well as flanker Shannon Frizell, all introduced.
There has been speculation that a defeat at Ellis Park would end Foster's thee-year tenure, but he remains upbeat.
"Belief and confidence remain high in our group, which is working incredibly hard this week," Foster said.
"Playing at Ellis Park is always a special occasion for any All Black team, and this weekend will be no different. Adding to that, the Freedom Cup is on the line, which makes this a challenge that everyone is looking forward to."
Mo'unga insists New Zealand are shutting out criticism of their performances.
He said: "They [the supporters] care about our team and care about our results, but it's also fair of us to not care about what they think because we have a role to do, a role to play, and hearing that isn't going to help us at this moment.
"I'm at a stage now if you're not in our squad, I don't really care what you think, with all respect. We're trying our best, and we know it's not good enough for All Blacks standards."
New Zealand team: Jordie Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, David Havili, Caleb Clarke, Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith; Ethan de Groot, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Tyrel Lomax, Samuel Whitelock, Scott Barrett, Shanon Frizell, Sam Cane (captain), Ardie Savea.
Replacements: Codie Taylor, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Tupoi Vaa'I, Akira Ioane, Finlay Christie, Beuden Barrett, Quinn Tupaea.
Former North Queensland Cowboys coach Paul Green, who guided the club to a maiden NRL Premiership, has died suddenly aged 49.
The ex-halfback, who enjoyed a prolific playing career across five different clubs before hanging up his boots and moving into the coaching box, is reported to have been found in his home in Brisbane on Thursday.
Green, who also played for and coached Queensland in State of Origin, was a beloved figure in Townsville, where he led the Cowboys to their greatest heights during a six-and-a-half year spell between 2014 and 2020.
In just his sophomore season, he led them from a third-place regular season finish to a first league crown, defeating rivals Brisbane Broncos in the first all-Queensland Grand Final in a 17-16 thriller.
In addition, he guided them to the 2016 World Club Challenge crown against Leeds Rhinos, and was a two-time NRL Nines winner, in 2014 and 2020.
Green had been out of a position since resigning as Queensland boss last September following a lone series in charge of the Maroons, but had been tipped to return to the sport next year.
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