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Lewis Hamilton wins British Grand Prix to end 3-year drought

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Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton celebrates with the trophy on the podium after winning the Formula One British Grand Prix at the Silverstone motor racing circuit in Silverstone, central England, on July 7, 2024. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP)

Lewis Hamilton claimed an emotional and long-awaited record 104th career victory on Sunday when he resisted Max Verstappen to triumph in vintage fashion at the British Grand Prix for a record ninth time.

The seven-time champion, who will turn 40 in January, cracked with emotion and was in tears as he spoke on Mercedes team radio on his victory lap, having finished 1.465 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s series leader and three-time champion.

In a roller-coaster race of changing weather and track conditions, Lando Norris came home third ahead of his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg with Lance Stroll finishing seventh for Aston Martin.

READ: F1: ‘Good to be back,’ says Lewis Hamilton after podium return

Hamilton, who had not won since the 2021 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, delivered a masterclass in tyre and race management to secure his 150th podium finish for Mercedes.

“I’ve been waiting for this,” shouted Briton Hamilton after crossing the line in his Mercedes to claim a ninth victory at Silverstone, breaking a tie with Michael Schumacher for most wins at one track.

“I can’t stop crying,” said Hamilton. “I think, since 2021, every day getting up, trying to fight, and to train, and to put my mind to the task and work as hard as I can with this amazing team.”

Hamilton is leaving Mercedes for Ferrari after this season.

“This is my last British GP with this team. I wanted to win so much for them. I love them so much. All the hard work they’ve been putting in.”

READ: ‘One of my worst races,’ says Lewis Hamilton after missing podium

Verstappen overtook Norris in the closing laps.

“We just didn’t have the pace today,” said Verstappen. “I was slowly dropping back when it mattered at the beginning. It really wasn’t looking great at one point, but we made the right calls.”

Norris had lost the lead after a misjudged pit stop.

“First of all, congrats to Lewis,” Norris said. “That crucial decision at the end, he just did a better job, so hats off to him and Mercedes, they deserve it. It was tough. It was fun battling these guys and these tricky conditions, risking a lot, on a knife-edge.”

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was eighth in the second Aston Martin, ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda of RB.

READ: F1: Lewis Hamilton says struggling Mercedes has found ‘North Star’

On a day of clouds and intermittent sunshine in central England a crowd of more than 120,000 witnessed three Britons starting their home race at the front of the grid for the first time since 1962.

George Russell started on pole and made a clean start with Hamilton moving in tight behind him to provide protection from Verstappen who had quickly passed Norris.

Russell settled and by lap six led by 1.6 seconds with Hamilton 1.4 seconds ahead of Verstappen and the two McLarens.

By lap 14, rain began to sweep across the old wartime airfield as Norris passed Verstappen to regain third. As the rain intensified, the McLarens came alive and Piastri passed Verstappen on lap 17.

‘The sun’s coming out’

Hamilton then overtook Russell for the lead as both Mercedes slithered in the rain. Norris, revelling in the conditions, passed Russell for second on lap 19 and then powered past Hamilton while Piastri made it a McLaren 1-2, on lap 21.

As the first shower relented, Verstappen was five seconds adrift in fifth.

By lap 28, Norris led Hamilton who was trying to preserve his tyres while hanging on to the rapid McLaren.



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Russell’s race ended on lap 34 when he was called in to pit and retire the car with a hydraulic problem.

With 15 to go, Hamilton reported that “the sun’s coming out” before on lap 39 he, Verstappen and Piastri pitted together. Norris pitted a lap later losing the lead to Hamilton who measured his final stint to perfection, ending 56 winless races to a tumultuous home reception.

Hamilton wept as he fell into the arms of his father as the home crowd roared.

Raducanu ‘stands by decision’ ending Murray’s Wimbledon career

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Britain’s Emma Raducanu reacts during her match against New Zealand’s Lulu Sun during their women’s singles fourth round tennis match on the seventh day of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 7, 2024. Sun won the match 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)

Emma Raducanu defended her controversial decision which ended Andy Murray’s Wimbledon career by withdrawing from their mixed doubles match on the eve of her fourth round singles defeat against Lulu Sun.

Raducanu was scheduled to play with former Wimbledon champion Murray on Saturday, but opted to pull out of the tie due to a stiff wrist.

The 2021 US Open champion wanted to avoid aggravating the problem prior to Sunday’s 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 loss to New Zealand qualifier Sun on Centre Court.

READ: End of an era as Andy Murray withdraws from Wimbledon singles

But the move provoked criticism as it shattered Murray’s hopes of one last appearance at the All England Club.

The two-time Wimbledon champion was unable to play the men’s singles as he was not fully recovered from surgery on spinal cyst, while he lost in the first round of the men’s doubles alongside brother Jamie.

Murray was said to be disappointed by Raducanu’s withdrawal, while the former world number one’s mother Judy described the move as “astonishing” on X, although she later claimed she was being sarcastic and understood the 21-year-old’s decision.

Asked if she regretted the move that ruined Murray’s Wimbledon farewell, Raducanu said: “Yesterday morning I just woke up with stiffness. I have to prioritise myself, my singles and my body.

“Of course, I didn’t want to take his last match away from him. But at the end of the day I think a lot of the players in a similar situation would have done the same thing, prioritising their body.

“I stand by the decision. Yeah, obviously it was a tough decision, though.”

Murray is now set to play for the last time in his career at the Paris Olympics, which start in later in July.

‘Put myself first’

“People are entitled to their opinions. Of course, there was a bit of a cloud around the decision,” she said.

“I think in this sport especially, as an individual, you have to make your own calls and prioritise yourself. Especially with my history, I just had to put myself first.

“Obviously disappointed because it’s his last match. But, yeah, what a champion. I think that hopefully he’ll play in the Olympics and have another farewell there.”

READ: Emma Raducanu confident she can return to top

Responding to Murray’s mother, Raducanu added: “I haven’t seen her reaction, so I don’t know. Was she sarcastic? I’m sure she didn’t mean it.”

Raducanu had come into Wimbledon in good form after a dismal period since her fairytale triumph as an 18-year-old at the US Open.

But she still needed a wildcard to enter the singles after falling out of the top 100, making it hard for her to imagine the eventual schedule conflict between the singles and mixed doubles.

“I think going into the tournament, I wasn’t expecting to make fourth round. So for me it was a no-brainer. I would have loved to have played with him,” she said.

“He didn’t ask me, If you’re still in the singles, are you going to play? That was never a question to be answered.”

Ironically, Raducanu was troubled by other injuries in her loss to Sun, as back and ankle problems played a role in her last 16 exit.

Despite the frustrating end to her Wimbledon run, Raducanu has finally rediscovered her passion for the sport.

“Honestly, it just makes me more determined. I think I really put myself first in the last few weeks. Tennis is the only thing that is really occupying my time, my mind. It’s all I want to do really,” she said.



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“I think that desire and fire is back. I just want to keep building on that.”

Novak Djokovic ready for Wimbledon ‘fireworks’

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Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts as he plays against Australia’s Alexei Popyrin during their men’s singles tennis match on the sixth day of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2024. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE

Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic has his sights set on reaching a seventh successive Wimbledon quarterfinal on Monday.

Diminutive giant-killer Yulia Putintseva will target another upset against former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, while lucky loser Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard aims to make more Wimbledon history.

AFP Sport looks at three fourth-round matches to watch on the eighth day of action at the All England Club:

READ: Djokovic battles to save legacy of Wimbledon’s golden generation

Djokovic on song in title charge

Novak Djokovic has hit all the right notes in the opening rounds of his bid for Wimbledon history, but the Serb can’t afford an off-key moment in his tricky last 16 test against “spectacular” Holger Rune.

Chasing a record-equalling eighth title at the All England Club and 25th Grand Slam crown, Djokovic beat Australia’s Alexei Popyrin 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) on Saturday to reach the Wimbledon fourth round for the 16th time.

Still sporting a knee support on his right leg following surgery in June, Djokovic also showed the more playful side of his polarising personality after he subdued the gritty Popyrin.

The Serb, who last won Wimbledon in 2022, mimed playing a violin as he stood on Centre Court in a gesture apparently aimed at his daughter, who has recently started playing the instrument.

READ: Djokovic to play at Paris Olympics, says Serbia

Djokovic will have to stay on song against Rune after the Danish 15th seed mounted an impressive third-round comeback, prevailing over Frenchman Quentin Halys in five sets having trailed by two.

“He looks to me a player that is ready for big things. He’s a spectacular player, no doubt. He’s a very tricky opponent,” Djokovic said.

“When it comes to competing, obviously we both have that fire. I’m sure on Monday we’ll see a lot of fireworks on the court.”

Putintseva set for Ostapenko battle

After ousting world number one Iga Swiatek in the third round, Yulia Putintseva is steeled for another potentially explosive clash when she faces Jelena Ostapenko for a place in the last eight.

The world number 35 fought back to stun Swiatek 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 and end the Polish star’s 21-match winning streak on Saturday.

Putintseva’s victory continued a superb grass-court season for the 29-year-old who won the Birmingham Classic last month.

The Russia-born Kazakhstani has reached the quarter-finals of the French Open and US Open, but had never been beyond the second round at Wimbledon.

“Last year I won no matches on grass. I mean, entering a tournament like Wimbledon, when you have five consecutive wins on grass, it’s pretty good. You feel this surface much better,” Putintseva said.

Putintseva will face the equally emotional Ostapenko next after the Latvian 13th seed’s 6-1, 6-3 win over Bernarda Pera.

Ostapenko won the French Open in 2017 and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals a year later, but has struggled to hit those heights since then.

Aces high for Mpetshi Perricard

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard thought his Wimbledon campaign was over two weeks ago, but the big-serving Frenchman is now within touching distance of the quarter-finals.

Mpetshi Perricard, who stands a towering 2.03m (6ft 8ins) lost in the final round of qualifying to Maxime Janvier last Thursday.

But the 20-year-old was reprieved when he got the call to replace injured Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the main draw.

Capitalizing on his unexpected opportunity, Mpetshi Perricard defeated Emil Ruusuvuori 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-/5), 6-4 on Saturday to become the first lucky loser to make the Wimbledon last 16 since Dick Norman in 1995.

Fuelled by his mammoth serve — which has produced 105 aces so far in the tournament — Mpetshi Perricard faces Italian 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti as he aims to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.

That would be the perfect birthday present for the rising star, who turns 21 on Monday.



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“I’m very proud of myself. How far can I go? I don’t know. I’m just focused on the next one,” he said.

Giannis, Greece make Paris Olympics as Spain, Brazil also qualify

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Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, reacts as one of his children holds a sign after his team qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics eliminating Croatia, following a FIBA Olympic Qualifying basketball final, at the Peace and Friendship stadium, at Athens’ port city of Piraeus, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Giannis Antetokounmpo steered Greece to an Olympic berth on Sunday as he overcame a slow start to score 23 points in an 80-69 qualifying tournament victory over Croatia in Piraeus.

The game was one of four finals on Sunday to determine the last qualifiers for the Paris men’s basketball tournament.

In Riga, Brazil beat hosts Latvia 94-69. In Valencia, Spain edged the Bahamas 86-78.

READ: Fiba OQT: Giannis, Greece beat Doncic-led Slovenia to reach final

In the Olympic tournament in Lille, Greece and Spain will play in Group A with Australia and Canada. Brazil will line up in Group B with France, Germany and Japan.

The final place in the Olympics went to qualifier hosts Puerto Rico, who upset Lithuania 79-68 in San Juan.

Puerto Rico advanced into Olympic Group C with the United States, South Sudan and Serbia.

Before the qualifying tournament started, Antetokounmpo had not played competitively since injuring a calf on April 9 playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.

He returned for the tournament opener in Piraeus on July 2 and, even though he was rested for Greece’s second game, ended up collecting the tournament most valuable player award.

READ: Tim Cone on Gilas’ Fiba OQT: Now we know we can compete

On Sunday, Croatia, with 7-foot-1 Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac at the heart of their defense, packed the paint to deny Antetokounmpo.

Croatia led by as many as four points in the first quarter. As Antetokounmpo began to penetrate and Greece went 12-of-32 on three-point attempts, the hosts took control. Antetokounmpo finished as the top scorer and also grabbed eight rebounds to ensure his first Olympic appearance.

‘One step at a time’

“It’s incredible. I don’t think the scenario could have been better. Being in your house, with people that support you. It’s an incredible feeling,” Antetokounmpo said. “Since I was a kid I always wanted to play the Olympic Games.”

“I don’t want to get ahead and be talking about medals,” he said at the press conference. “The last time we went to the Olympic Games was 2008. One step at a time.”

Zubac had 19 points and 13 rebounds for Croatia.

In Riga, Brazil hit eight out of eight three-point attempts as they took a 34-11 lead at the end of the first quarter and then cruised to victory.

Forwards Leo Meindl and Bruno Caboclo each scored 21 points.

Caboclo, who plays for Red Star in Serbia, was voted tournament MVP.

“I’m so excited, I’m so happy. These are the best plans I could imagine,” he said looking ahead to the Games.

In Valencia, Spain took the lead for the first time against Bahamas midway through the second quarter and nursed their advantage the rest of the way.

Guard Lorenzo Brown top scored for Spain with 19. He was matched by NBA guard Buddy Hield for Bahamas.

Rudy Fernandez scored nine points for Spain to book a record sixth trip to the Olympics at the age of 39. He is tied with six other men and four women on five Olympic basketball tournaments.



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At Puerto Rico, New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds while guard Tremont Waters, who played 45 NBA games from 2019-2022, added 18 points to spark the hosts to victory.

Rokas Jokubaitis led Lithuania with 16 points while Sacramento Kings star center Domantas Sabonis had 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Draft finally takes place; salary cap resolution to follow

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Thea Gagate–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

The first-ever PVL Rookie Draft happens Monday night at Novotel Hotel in Cubao, and the league can finally check off the first of two activities it wants to implement that would hopefully instill—and keep—parity across the field beginning with the upcoming Reinforced Conference.

Ex-La Salle standout and Alas Pilipinas middle blocking ace Thea Gagate looms as the No. 1 overall pick by ZUS Coffee, and unlike in the past when direct recruiting was allowed, the next 46 players in the pool will also go through the process of being drafted.

Unresolved salary cap

The second item in the PVL’s parity agenda remains to be unresolved at the moment, with the league and its team owners yet to come up with individual and team salary caps, something which is expected to be ironed out after the Draft.

“The good thing that I could see in the long-term is it brings out more excitement in the games. I hope that’s what the drafting does,” PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo told the Inquirer with a mix of Filipino on Sunday.

The PVL and the teams have agreed, however, on putting a cap on rookies, with the first five picks to be given a maximum of P150,000 on their first year. A uniform players contract (UPC), will also be asked of all teams for all its players, all of them to be submitted to the Games and Amusements Board and the Office of the Commissioner.

Other rules

Other than the UPC, the league has already discussed with the teams discipline regulations, team commitment agreements and code of ethics as early as December last year as the PVL looks to shift the calendar and start a new season in October and finish by September 2025.

League president Ricky Palou will soon propose a P50-million salary cap per year for each team.

“After the Draft ceremony, we’ll be sending out a survey to each team because based on the previous surveys, I think P50M [a year] is more or less okay,” Malonzo said. “It’s not too high, but it’s not too low also. It’s not an exorbitant amount for a yearlong program.”

The Draft proceedings will run until all of the 12 teams stop picking from the pool. INQ



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Nimes camp set up for six PH para bets to train, taper off

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The Philippine contingent for the Paralympic Games in Paris starting Aug. 28 will have a considerable period to get acclimatized as they set up camp in Nimes, France, two weeks before the opening ceremonies.

The 10-day stay at a sports facility in the southern French city serves not only as their tapering period but the opportunity to shake off the jet lag due to a long flight from Manila.

Delegation officials will also make sure that all six bets that will see action in swimming, athletics, archery and taekwondo will be properly fed and would not need to make adjustments to their eating habits.

“I was told that rice is available in Asian stores, so we will cook our meals,’’ said swimming coach Tony Ong. “This is very important, because we need to make sure our athletes eat there properly.’’

Rice is not popular in French cuisine which is made up mostly of baguettes and croissants as sources of carbohydrates.

Para swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Angel Otom will leave for Nimes on Aug. 11 and enter the Paralympic Village in Paris on Aug. 21 along with thrower Cendy Asusano, wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan, taekwondo’s Allain Ganapin and archer Agustina Bantiloc.

Originally, a monthlong training camp for the para athletes was initially discussed, but they instead preferred to do a shorter camp for tapering—the practice of reducing exercise in the days just before an important competition. INQ



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Newsome’s great Meralco play spills over to Gilas in Riga

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Chris Newsome–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

PBA Philippine Cup champion Meralco could not be any prouder of the way Chris Newsome performed for Gilas Pilipinas in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

And the Bolts can only look forward to how Newsome will carry himself when he resumes club duties in the next month for the season-opening Governors’ Cup, granting he does re-sign with Meralco.

“We are very proud of New,” coach Luigi Trillo told the Inquirer after Newsome and Gilas’ Cinderella run came to an end with a semifinal loss to Brazil in the Latvia side of the Paris Olympics qualifier.

Newsome came into the OQT on a high after his baseline jumper in Game 6 of the Philippine Cup Finals propelled Meralco to its first-ever PBA championship at the expense of San Miguel Beer and Gilas teammates June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez.

The PBA Press Corps Finals MVP averaged 9.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals in three games in the OQT, where Gilas defeated host Latvia to eventually seal a semis berth despite a narrow loss to Georgia.

In two matches of group play, Newsome posted 10 points and four rebounds against Latvia and 13 points, four rebounds and six assists opposite Georgia.

He had five points, two rebounds, one assist and three steals in the semis against Brazil, but Gilas sputtered with just six points in the third quarter which contributed heavily to the 71-60 loss that crushed the Philippines’ bid for a first Olympic berth since 1972.

“He is a very big part of why our Gilas team did well,” said Trillo, who pointed out that Newsome “really is a leader.

“He is the vocal leader to all the players there. That guy is selfless, knows how to play the right way and is character all around,” said Trillo as the team and Newsome will finalize details of a new pact when he returns.

Gold in Asiad

Newsome belongs to a batch of players that can negotiate with other teams freely, but Al Panlilio, the former Meralco PBA board representative and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president who was with the team in Riga, said “I hope he does,” when the Inquirer asked if their prized guard will stay.

Newsome’s run of form began late last year when he played a key part for coach Tim Cone in Gilas’ successful conquest of the Hangzhou Asian Games gold medal.

That carried over to the PBA as Newsome was able to perhaps display his best season since being drafted by Meralco in 2015.



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And with a championship and a good OQT run for club and country, Newsome is having a great year. INQ

Fiba OQT stint signals return of PH as a serious global force

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The Filipinos certainly made heads turn in Latvia. — PHOTOS FROM FIBA.COM

Gilas Pilipinas may have lost its all-important match against Brazil in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia on Saturday, but the National Five, however, can now boast of something Philippine basketball wasn’t able to speak of for decades.

After a masterful conquest of world No. 6 Latvia on its home turf and a pair of plucky stands against the Georgian and Brazilian national sides backstopped by NBA-caliber talent, Gilas Pilipinas—years written off as a doormat on the global stage—proved that it belongs.

“It’s, kinda like a ‘now we know’ moment—[that] ‘Now, we know we can compete,’” national coach Tim Cone said on Saturday night, shortly after the 71-60 loss to the world No. 12 Cariocas who dashed Gilas’ dreams of returning to the Olympic Games in Paris.

Cone—like the millions following Gilas’ bid at home—would’ve wanted his crew to keep writing their improbable surprise story in Riga. But the Nationals had very few answers for the physical play of the enemy who also rediscovered their offensive groove just when the Filipinos lost theirs.

“They played us with a real physical brand of basketball,” he said of the South American powerhouse that advanced to face the Latvians in the finale on Sunday night.

“We were making tough shots in the first half and they were missing a lot of open shots. We knew that if we didn’t turn that around, it was going to get difficult for us in the second half,” Cone went on. “And we continued to [take] tough shots and they weren’t going in anymore. And then they started hitting open shots.

“I think we just kind of panicked a little bit. We started doing a lot of one-on-one, we weren’t moving the ball like we normally do. We just didn’t bring our best.”

Leaving a mark

The botched campaign will sting for a while for Gilas, but there is no denying the inevitable mark left by the squad led by Justin Brownlee, June Mar Fajardo, Dwight Ramos, and Chris Newsome.

“Of course, we want to get to the Olympics. It was the ultimate goal,” Newsome said. “But again, this is another stepping stone for us as a program to try to improve and continue to get better. You know, there’s a lot of positives that you can take away from this trip, from this tournament.”

“[I’m] definitely not happy,” said Brownlee. “[I’m] grateful for the opportunity, though. It’s been an honor to come here, to this country, and be able to showcase Filipino basketball and I want to thank Latvia for that.”

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio, who was with the contingent throughout the tournament, was among those ecstatic to see how Cone’s intrepid charges fared in its first two outings. Expectedly, he was just as devastated to see the run end on Saturday.

But Panlilio, who knows a thing or two about fighting through adversity having conquered cancer himself, knows that Gilas’ latest setback could very well be a fortuitous setup for a comeback.

“Like in anything—like in life and the corporate world—you learn from adversity and hopefully come out stronger and better moving forward,” he told the Inquirer.

“We understood the goal and set our sights on it—making the Paris Olympics if we can. [The] longer term is to compete in the Fiba Asia Cup, come out as the top team, qualify for the World Cup in 2027, and be the best Asian team that also qualifies us to [the Los Angeles] Olympics.



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“It’s a long-term plan we have embarked on. But each tournament is a building block to the next,” he added. INQ

LeBron James says gold is all that matters at Paris Olympics

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LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers responds to a question from a reporter during training camp for the United States men’s basketball team Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus)

LAS VEGAS — He first played on the U.S. Olympic team as a 19-year-old. He did it again in his 20s, twice. And now, a few months from turning 40, he’s back for one more run.

LeBron James didn’t need another Olympic experience to complete some missing box on his resume or add to a legacy that was secured long, long ago. He decided to play this summer for one simple reason — because he wants to.

Taking his first steps toward becoming the first U.S. men’s basketball player to compete at the Olympics in three different decades, James hit the floor Saturday with the team that the Americans are sending to the Paris Games later this month. Training camp opened in Las Vegas, the start of a 5 1/2-week quest where the only acceptable ending will be the U.S. winning gold for a fifth consecutive time.

READ: NBA: LeBron James agrees to 2-year extension with Lakers

“I’m still playing a high level,” James, a three-time Olympic medalist — two golds and one bronze — said Saturday after the first workout. “I still love the game of basketball. And Team USA has done well by me, so I felt like it was important for this summer to be able to go out there and play with the rest of the guys.”

The first practice came on a day of another first for the James family; the workout in Las Vegas was simultaneous to the Los Angeles Lakers’ first game in the California Classic summer league — the pro debut of Bronny James, the son of the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.

It would have been very easy for James to ask for Day 1 off, to go see his son’s debut. It was never a consideration. He took the floor shortly after the buses rolled in, slapping hands with teammates, throwing down dunks and reconnecting with two of his former coaches — Erik Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue, both of whom won NBA titles with James on their squads.

“I was blown away by how hard he practices,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said. “I went to Ty and Spo, and I said, ‘Is this normal?’ And they said, ‘Every day, every day.’ And then I said to Spo, ‘What about way back when you got him?’ And Spo said, ‘Every day, every drill, every walkthrough.’”

Kerr has coached against James in four NBA Finals, all of which featured Golden State guard Stephen Curry — who plays for Kerr with the Warriors and is making his Olympic debut this summer.

And it’s fair to say that teaming up was part of what intrigued James and Curry when it was time to decide whether to play in Paris or not.

READ: LeBron, Steph Curry ‘excited’ to join forces for Paris Olympics

“I’ve talked to both of them about this idea of being together after going against one another with such high stakes over the years,” Kerr said. “They obviously fit really well together. The idea of Steph playing off the ball, and LeBron pushing it in transition, that’s pretty intriguing. Obviously, Steph will play on the ball as well. And LeBron has become such a good shooter, but they’re both so good at so many different areas of the game. I think they’re really excited to compete together for the first time”

James was part of the U.S. teams that won bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2006 world championships (now called the World Cup) in Japan. And ever since then, the Americans have gone unbeaten when James is wearing USA across his chest in international play.

Starting with the bronze medal game in Japan 18 years ago, the U.S. has played 36 games — 10 at the FIBA Americas tournament in 2007, then four exhibitions before and eight games at the 2008 Beijing Games, then five more exhibitions and eight games at the 2012 London Games — with James in uniform. The record: 36-0. He hopes it’s 47-0 when this summer’s run ends.

“I’m here to have a good summer,” James said.

Even after not playing in Rio de Janeiro or Tokyo, James will be participating in his fourth Olympics — tying the record for the most by any U.S. men’s player. Only Carmelo Anthony has played in four Olympics for the U.S. men to this point; Kevin Durant will play in his fourth this summer as well.

That’s a nice side note, but not the thing James is thinking about these days.



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“Our only goal,” he said, “is to win a gold medal.”

Looking lot like dad, Bronny James makes NBA Summer League debut

On: By: admin


Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James dribbles during the first half of an NBA summer league basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in San Francisco, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

SAN FRANCISCO — Once that second-quarter layup went in and he finally had his first NBA points after a trio of misses, Bronny James could exhale and everything began to slow down.

He hardly expects to be perfect at this early stage of his professional career, and every touch and possession will provide an opportunity for growth and learning.

He sure felt the love and support Saturday, even playing in the Bay Area ruled by Stephen Curry and the Warriors.

“The atmosphere, it was more than I expected,” a grinning James said. “It’s a big game for me, but I didn’t know the people of Golden State would come and rep for me, so that was pretty nice to see.”

READ: NBA: Bronny James says he can handle playing with dad, Lakers

Oversized headphones on his ears and dressed in full Lakers gold as he geared up for his NBA Summer League debut Saturday, the rookie looked so much like his famous father, LeBron, it caused some at Chase Center to do a double-take.

Down to their familiar mannerisms, facial expressions and the way they run or shuffle back on defense. Bronny James took his place in the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers and his professional career was formally underway, with plenty of scouts in the building to witness it as he wore jersey No. 9 — not to be confused with his dad’s former 6 uniform he sported before switching to 23.

“Every first game that I step on the next level there’s always some butterflies in my stomach, but as soon as the ball tips and we go a couple times down it all goes away and I’m just playing basketball,” he said. “It’s always going to be there but get through it.”

The younger James wound up 2 for 9 for four points, missing all three of his 3s, with a pair of assists, two rebounds and a steal in just under 22 minutes of court time — 21:43 to be exact — as the Lakers lost 108-94 to the Sacramento Kings.

James missed his initial two shots while playing nearly six minutes in his first action — grabbing a defensive rebound 1 minute, 20 seconds into the game then missing a 21-foot jump shot moments later. He came up short on a 26-foot 3-point try at the 4:23 mark of the opening quarter before getting a breather.

READ: NBA: Bronny James ready for pressure after ‘surreal’ Lakers move

There were cheers and a warm ovation when James returned to the court at the 8:17 mark of the second quarter. He was initially whistled for his first career foul on a 3-point attempt by Sacramento’s Xavier Sneed on the right wing with 7:23 remaining, and James argued briefly before the play went to replay review and was overturned. James missed a 3 off the front rim from the top of the arc at 7:04.

Then, at last, James scored his first NBA points on a driving layup 5:51 before halftime.

“Moments like that can slow the game down for you especially because I wasn’t as productive as I wanted to beforehand,” he said. “… I couldn’t get the 3-ball to fall, but all the reps it’s going to come more smooth.”

James missed a pair of free throws at the 4:43 mark of the third period in his first trip to the line.

At one point during his warmup routine, the 6-foot-2 guard stood with hands on hips in a resemblant position to one of his father. And during the game, the son leaned over by the baseline 3-point corner, gripping his knees while waiting for the offensive possession to begin.

READ: Bronny James, LeBron’s son, picked by Lakers in NBA Draft

The younger James was drafted by the Lakers with the 55th overall selection in the second round out of the University of Southern California.

He will get another chance to play Sunday, when the Lakers face the Warriors, again at the Chase Center. Coach Dane Johnson plans to give James plenty of chances to acclimate and gain valuable experience in the coming days and weeks.

“Hopefully he’ll play all the games, we’ll see how it goes,” Johnson said. “We’re going to try to integrate him and get him as many reps as we can. He needs more experience playing.”

Johnson applauded James’ keen court awareness, noting, “we all know he has good instincts already, so finding the consistency within those he’ll build as we keep going forward in the summer league and throughout the coming season. His instincts are there, we’ve just got to keep building habits.”

If all goes as planned, the 19-year-old James and his dad would become the first father-son pair to play in the NBA at the same time — and on the same team no less.

READ: Bronny James grateful as NBA dream in reach after health scare

“What he does in the California Classic and Summer League, it doesn’t matter if he plays well and it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t play well,” LeBron James said at USA Basketball’s training camp in Las Vegas. “I just want him to continue to grow, practices, film sessions, his individual workouts. You can’t take anything as far as stat wise from the California Classic and Summer League and bring it once the season starts. The only thing that matters is him getting better and stacking days.”

Bronny is NBA career scoring leader LeBron’s oldest son. He survived cardiac arrest last July 24 during an informal team workout at USC and it was later determined he had a congenital heart defect. The younger James signed a four-year contract that will pay him $7.9 million.



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He will remind himself along the way to stay aggressive and “believe in myself knowing I can make plays for myself and my teammates.”

“Looking at my mistakes and looking at the things I did right is really good for me,” James said. “But also just game by game growing that comfort in my playing my game, I feel like that’s a big part of why I come out here and get those reps in.”