Category: Uncategorized

Rhenz Abando still weighing his next options after KBL run

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Rhenz Abando during an open training with the Jones Cup bound Strong Group Athletics team. -SGA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Rhenz Abando is still thinking about his next move after his run in the Korean Basketball League.

Abando, a member of the Strong Group Athletics squad that will compete in the upcoming William Jones Cup, revealed that he still doesn’t know his next move after his stint with the Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters (formerly Anyang KGC),

“So far, I’m just waiting and weighing my offers,” said Abando in Filipino during SGA’s training at Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong on Tuesday.

READ: Rhenz Abando leaves KBL club Anyang after 2 years

“[Those offers are from] other leagues. My status in Korea now is, I can’t go back because of the rules. They offered me a contract, but I didn’t sign with them so I can’t come back until after a year.”

The Letran product did not disclose the teams that have sent him offers.

With the PBA offseason in full effect, Abando was expectedly asked if one of his options was declaring for the Rookie Draft.

READ: Road to recovery gives Rhenz Abando time to decide what’s next

The former University of Santo Tomas swingman, however, quickly clarified that the PBA Draft isn’t in his options, but he is not completely shutting the door on playing in the PBA.

Just not anytime soon.

“The PBA, it’s just there. I don’t want to declare for the draft right away. Of course, I need to talk to some people and it wouldn’t be nice if I just apply for the draft all of a sudden.”

Right now, Abando is just glad to represent the country anew after having raised the flag in the 2023 Fiba World Cup.

Only this time, he’ll do it under SGA colors for the Jones Cup happening later this month.

“Now, I’m just thankful for coach Charles (Tiu) and Rajko (Toroman) because before all of this even began, they already prioritized getting us. One month before [official] practice, they were already messaging and prioritizing us.”



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During his rookie year with Anyang, Abando reached the top of the KBL right away, winning the 2023 season championship at the expense of the Seoul SK Knights.

RJ Abarrientos nursing hurt foot ahead of Jones Cup stint

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RJ Abarrientos during an open training with the Jones Cup bound Strong Group Athletics team. -SGA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—RJ Abarrientos may not quite be a hundred percent in Strong Group Athletics’ run in the upcoming William Jones Cup.

The Japan B.League Filipino import bared on Tuesday at Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong that he’s been in pain after a freak injury that occurred during one of his home workouts in preparation for the looming tournament.

“I worked out in front of our house. Long story short, I stepped on broken glass while I was training and I even thought I tore my achilles. It was kind of scary,” said Abarrientos.

“When I saw that it was just a deep cut, I went to the ER and I got the results right away, they put five stitches on my foot and I even thought I was out.”

READ: RJ Abarrientos seeks improvement after first B.League season

Thankfully though, Abarrientos wasn’t ruled out like he expected to be.

After undergoing some minimal procedures, the Shinshu Brave Warrior was given the green light to start training with the squad under coaches Charles Tiu and Rajko Toroman.

However, Abarrientos was still imping from time to time during Tuesday’s scrimmages.

READ: RJ Abarrientos carries no pressure from KBL to B.League

Fortunately for him, the SGA’s coaching staff is taking it step-by-step for him to be completely ready for the Jones Cup.

“That’s the word. They’re not rushing me. They just want me to get my rhythm back,” Abarrientos said.

Whether Abarrientos recovers completely before the tournament or not, SGA will have quite the reinforcements with collegiate guards Titing Manalili from Letran and Tony Ynot from College of St. Benilde.

And Abarrientos is confident that the young guns in the backcourt will be of big help come tournament time.



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“I think the coaches have plans for Ynot and Titing that’s why they took them. Me, I’m a fan of them. I already saw their skills in the NCAA.”

PVL to use different format in return of Reinforced Conference

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FILE–A shot of the crowd during the PVL All-Filipino Conference Finals between Creamline Cool Smashers and Choco Mucho Flying Titans. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The return of the PVL Reinforced Conference features a Pool Play format, dividing 12 teams into two groups as pro volleyball action unfurls on July 16 at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

With the import-laden tournament returning to action for the first time in two years, the PVL will be using a different format, using the serpentine method to separate the teams into two groups — based on their standings in the previous All-Filipino Conference with champion Creamline headlining Pool A, while runner-up Choco Mucho leading Pool B.

Creamline, which will be bolstered by American Erica Staunton, eyes to end a six-year Reinforced Conference title drought with the Khat Bell-led Chery Tiggo, PLDT with returning Russian import Elena Samoilenko, Galeries Tower with Brazilian Monique Helena, and Farm Fresh and Nxled, who have yet to unveil their respective imports.

READ: Cha Cruz-Behag returns to PVL as Petro Gazz assistant coach

Choco Mucho, which will miss Sisi Rondina and Cherry Nunag due to their Alas Pilipinas duties, parades Greek spiker Zoi Faki and newcomer Dindin Santiago-Manabat in Pool B with three-peat-seeking Petro Gazz, MJ Perez-led Cignal, Akari with Oly Okaro, Capital1 reinforced by Russian Marina Tushova, and ZUS Coffee bringing Japanese spiker Asaka Tamaru.

PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo bared that ZUS Coffee and Farm Fresh were supposed to end up in the same group due to their records but they transferred the Thunderbelles to Pool B to avoid having sister teams in one group.

The Highrisers, who will also pick No. 3 in the inaugural PVL Draft on Monday at Novotel, will tip things off on July 16, facing the new-look Chameleons at 2 p.m.

Bell marks her return in Manila with the Crossovers’ 4 p.m. match against the Foxies, while Creamline and PLDT cap the tripleheader at 6 p.m.

READ: Thea Gagate eager to help ZUS Coffee rise after winless campaign

The group phase will feature two stages, starting with a single round-robin format. In the second round, the top three teams from Pool A will face the bottom three from Pool B in Pool C, while the top three squads from Pool B will compete against the lower-ranked teams of Pool A in Pool D.

Following the preliminaries, teams will be ranked using the FIVB Classification System. The top eight squads will move on to the knockout quarterfinals. The winners advance to the knockout semifinals, qualifying for the Invitational Conference in September with two foreign clubs.

The finalists will clash in a winner-take-all gold medal game. The Reinforced Conference will feature three games on all preliminary game days, paving the way for the Invitational Conference set for September.



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Alas Pilipinas’ Jema Galanza won’t play libero in Challenger Cup

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Jema Galanza with fellow Alas Pilipinas players Cherry Nunag and Dell Palomata. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

SCHEDULE: Alas Pilipinas at FIVB Challenger Cup

MANILA, Philippines — After initially being listed as libero, Jema Galanza is back to her original position as an outside spiker in the FIVB Challenger Cup on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Two days before their knockout game against AVC Challenge Cup champion Vietnam, Alas Pilipinas coach Jorge Souza De Brito said that Galanza will no longer have to play as libero following a minor foot injury during their preparation.

“She is [doing] better and she’s ok. She will be a regular player,” De Brito told Inquirer Sports.

De Brito also bared that Dawn Macandili-Catindig will be the lone libero of Alas as Chery Tiggo’s Jen Nierva and Eya Laure didn’t train with the nationals. 

READ: Alas Pilipinas hit with reality check ahead of Challenger Cup

Alyssa Solomon, meanwhile, asked permission to skip the tournament as she needs more time to recover after leading National University’s title redemption tour in the UAAP Season 86 last May. She will likely join Alas for the SEA V.League in August.

“Solomon, as I mentioned, she is still in recovery. She requested more time since we contacted her. And the other guys did not attend,” said the Brazilian coach.

Alas battles Vietnam on Friday at 6:30 p.m., hoping to advance to the knockout semifinal on Saturday with only one of the eight participating countries — including Argentina, Belgium, Czech Republic, Kenya, Puerto Rico, and Sweden — qualifying for the Volleyball Nations League next year.

Facing a tough Southeast Asian rival, De Brito banks on Challenge Cup Best Setter Jia De Guzman and Best Opposite Spiker Angel Canino in leading the bronze medal team also composed of newcomer Bella Belen, Thea Gagate, Fifi Sharma, Sisi Rondina, Vanie Gandler, Faith Nisperos. Arah Panique, Julia Coronel, Dell Palomata, and Cherry Nunag.

READ: Alas Pilipinas women draw tough first FIVB assignment

Meanwhile, Sweden and Belgium clash in a knockout match to open the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup on Thursday at 5 p.m.

Sweden, the European Golden League champion, brings a formidable team led by league Most Valuable Player Isabelle Haak against European League bronze medalist  Belgium led by star outside hitter Britt Herbots and middle blocker Silke Van Avermaet.

Puerto Rico and Kenya collide at 3 p.m., hunting for the other semifinal berth also on Thursday.

Puerto Rico was among the first to qualify for the Challenger Cup, topping the North, Central America, and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation International League Final Four last year.



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Bound for Paris Olympics, Kenya boasts of the top-ranked women’s team in the African Volleyball Confederation led by captain and veteran middle blocker Trizah Atuka.

Bucks banking on long-term potential of young NBA draft picks

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Milwaukee Bucks 2024 draft picks AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith pose for a picture with head coach Doc Rivers and general manager Jon Horst at a news conference Tuesday, July 2, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

MILWAUKEE — If it wasn’t obvious enough already, the youth of the Milwaukee Bucks’ two NBA draft choices became apparent when second-round pick Tyler Smith discussed the origins of his love for bowling.

“I was in Vegas this year (and) there was really, like, nothing to do out there,” Smith said Tuesday during an introductory press conference for himself and first-round pick A.J. Johnson.

Bucks coach Doc Rivers’ stunned reply: “In Vegas?”

Smith explained that his status as a teenager didn’t give him much of an opportunity to sample the Las Vegas nightlife, so he and his friends often would spend their spare time at a bowling alley.

“Keep that mentality,” general manager Jon Horst responded.

READ: NBA: Bucks’ Patrick Beverley suspended four games without pay

The Bucks are banking on the likelihood that Johnson and Smith will have developed into key NBA performers by the time the two 19-year-olds have grown up.

Milwaukee appears to be in the latter stages of a championship window and can’t spend much in free agency due to salary-cap concerns. But rather than drafting players who spent a few years in college and could help right away, the Bucks took a chance on the long-term upside of Johnson and Smith.

“One of the things we liked about both of them is their work ethic and their drive,” Rivers said. “You can see, these two guys want to be great. They don’t want to just come in here and be potential players. They want to be players. Again, we just can’t wait to get to work.”

Johnson is a 6-foot-6 guard who initially committed to Texas in high school before bypassing college basketball and spending the last year in Australia’s National Basketball League, where he played just 7.7 minutes per game while competing with other pros.

Smith, a 6-11 forward, also went directly to the pros rather than playing in college and averaged 13.4 points for the NBA G League Ignite.

READ: NBA: Pacers oust Bucks for first playoff series victory in a decade

Whether either player will contribute much as a rookie remains uncertain.

“The main focus is really just working to a point where the coaches want to play us, like we can actually help the team win,” said Johnson, the 23rd overall pick in the draft. “So I guess we’re just trying to get to that as fast as possible, learn and get as good as we can possibly get, so we can get on the court as fast as possible and help the team win games.”

They’ll get the opportunity to work on a veteran-laden team with an experienced staff. Rivers’ core of assistants will include a couple of former head coaches in Darvin Ham (Los Angeles Lakers) and Dave Joerger (Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings).

Rivers said Johnson and Smith both possess a combination of skill and athleticism that should help them thrive.

“Now it’s our job to try to teach them the game, get them stronger, get them ready,” Rivers said. “But we have a head start. Both of them are excellent shooters. They just have skill to their game, and that’s what drew me to them.”

The Bucks need these picks to work out because they don’t have much draft capital in future seasons.

They currently don’t have any draft picks in 2025. They also traded their 2027 and 2029 first-round selections. Other teams have the right to swap first-round picks with them in 2026, 2028 and 2030.

That limits Milwaukee’s opportunities to boost its roster as the Bucks try to regroup after two straight first-round playoff exits.

The Bucks have surrounded 29-year-old, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo with plenty of older players: Damian Lillard (33), Khris Middleton (32), Brook Lopez (36), Bobby Portis (29) and Pat Connaughton (31). The back half of the roster is full of players who are 24 or younger.

“We’ve got six returning core guys that we know are ready now to compete at a high level and take us to where we want to go,” Horst said. “We’ve got three returning young vets that contributed last year and should take another jump this year in MarJon (Beauchamp), AJ (Green) and Andre (Jackson Jr.). Chris Livingston had a great first year with us. He’s working his (tail) off and he’s going to be ready to contribute also.



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“And now we’ve got Tyler and AJ pushing them. And we’ve got three spots on our roster right now in free agency that we’re going to go and figure out the best balance in how they fit the rest of that group.”

NBA: Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell agrees to a 3-year, $150.3M extension

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Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell reacts after a basket against the Boston Celtics during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell isn’t taking his talents anywhere. Not yet, anyway.

The five-time NBA All-Star guard has agreed to a three-year, $150.3 million contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Mitchell’s choice to commit to the Cavaliers had been expected for some time. Still, there was plenty of anxiety inside Cleveland’s fanbase, which cannot forget LeBron James leaving the franchise as a free agent in 2010 for Miami.

The 27-year-old Mitchell spent much of this past season saying he’s happy playing with Cleveland, which acquired him in a 2022 trade from Utah. The Cavs have made the playoffs in both seasons with Mitchell, one of the league’s best all-around guards.

He agreed to the extension in Los Angeles over the weekend, according to the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the NBA prohibits deals from being announced until its moratorium ends on Saturday. ESPN was first to report Mitchell’s agreement.

READ: NBA: Kenny Atkinson confident Cavaliers can take next step

The extension includes a $54 million player option for the 2027-28 season, the person said. Mitchell was under contract for one more season. Technically, Mitchell’s new deal means he can become a free agent in three years, raising the Cavs’ urgency to compete for a title.

The new deal also allows Mitchell to reach a 10-year criteria, making him eligible for a next extension worth $380 million.

Shortly after word of Mitchell’s extension emerged, he posted a video on social media from the film “The Wolf of Wall Street” in which actor Leonardo DiCaprio profanely announces to his colleagues, “I’m not leaving.”

Mitchell also went on Instagram to reiterate his commitment to Cleveland with a video of him driving and discussing his extension.

“All year I’ve been saying the same (stuff),” Mitchell said while driving. “I’m saying how much I like it every day. It’s like, ‘Oh, he going to do this. He going to do that.’ I don’t get it. I don’t understand it. I think it’s hilarious.

READ: NBA: Donovan Mitchell’s future bigger priority for Cavaliers

“It’s what it is, but I’m glad I got this (stuff) done, man. Glad I got this (stuff) done in Cleveland. Now to get focused. You know what I’m saying? Let’s get to it.”

Mitchell was in LA hosting his “Spida Elite” basketball camp for some of the nation’s top high school guards. He was visited by Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman and Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson, who was formally introduced by the team at a news conference on Monday.

Atkinson, who was Golden State’s top assistant the past three seasons, said he and Mitchell chatted mostly about family during their time together. Altman said Mitchell reaffirmed his commitment to the Cavs.

“We feel good about Donovan,” Altman said Monday. “He’s in a great space mentally. He’s healthy. Really enjoyed the fact that him and Kenny could sit down and talk about the future, talk about the team.

“He’s invested. He’s really invested in what we’re doing. Hopefully soon we’ll have more of a decisive answer on that for you, but he’s been great. He’s been super involved and super collaborative and very, very much pro-Cleveland.”

The Cavs’ bold move — they traded three unprotected first-round picks, forward Lauri Markkanen and guard Collin Sexton to Utah — to get Mitchell two years ago was a surprise.

It appeared he was on his way to play for his hometown New York Knicks before Cleveland swooped in. Mitchell’s arrival accelerated the Cavs’ rebuild, which began when James left as a free agent for the second time in 2018 for the Lakers.

Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds this past season, but he was limited to just 55 games because of a left knee injury. Mitchell was slowed by the injury in the playoffs and pushed through before sitting out Cleveland’s final two games in the Eastern Conference semifinals with a calf injury.

The Cavs were eliminated in five games by the eventual champion Boston Celtics and fired coach J.B. Bickerstaff a week later.

In two seasons with Cleveland, Mitchell has averaged 27.5 points, 5.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds. He scored a career-high 71 in his first season in a game against Chicago.

Atkinson understands his charge is to get the most out of Cleveland’s “Core 4” of players — Mitchell, guard Darius Garland, forward Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen. He also believes there’s another level to Mitchell’s game and wants to make him one of the league’s top five players.



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“Why not?” Atkinson said. “With the skill level and the athleticism and the human being, I don’t see why we can’t.”

Bahamas tops Finland in OQT opener, Slovenia falls to Croatia

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Bahamas’ guard #07 Buddy Hield drives the ball against Finland’s guard #34 Jacob Grandison during the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament basketball match between Finland and Bahamas in Valencia, on July 2, 2024. (Photo by JOSE JORDAN / AFP)

Buddy Hield and the Bahamas are a step closer to the Paris Olympics. Luka Doncic and Slovenia are now facing an uphill battle to get there.

Hield scored 24 points, Valdez Edgecombe Jr. added 20 and the Bahamas beat Finland 96-85 on Tuesday in the first game of the Olympic qualifying tournament at Valencia, Spain.

“We grinded it out. Grinded out a win today,” Hield said. “Staying together, figuring it out. Game of basketball is a game of runs. First half, we didn’t quite figure it out.”

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

The tournaments in Spain and Greece were two of four that started on Tuesday to determine the last four spots in the men’s basketball field for the Paris Olympics. Other tournaments are being held in Latvia and Puerto Rico, both of them also starting on Tuesday. Group play at all four sites continues through Thursday, with semifinal games Saturday and four games with Olympic berths on the line set for Sunday.

The Bahamas closed the game on a 44-21 run over the final 17 minutes, erasing what was a 12-point second-half deficit.

But for Slovenia, there was no comeback. At Piraeus, Greece, Croatia led by as many as 29 points and rolled to a 108-92 win. Doncic had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for Slovenia, while Croatia had a its own triple-double — 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists — from Dario Saric, along with 21 points from Goran Filipovic and 18 points in 19 minutes from Ivica Zubac.

Luka Doncic Slovenia vs Croatia Fiba OQT

Slovenia’s Luka Doncic reacts during the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament basketball match at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens on July 2, 2024. (Photo by Aris MESSINIS / AFP)

Croatia can qualify for the semifinals on Wednesday with a win over New Zealand. Slovenia must beat New Zealand on Thursday to have any chance of keeping its Olympic hopes alive.

“Croatia played great,” Doncic said. “They outplayed us. … I’ve got to play way better than this and we’ve got to play with way better energy.”

Doncic was dealing with injuries during the NBA Finals when Dallas lost to Boston, and he was clearly laboring at times on Tuesday as well. But he insisted he would keep going.

“It’s an honor for me to play for my country,” Doncic said. “A lot of times, there’s going to be injuries. But I just see a big honor for me to play for my country. We’re 2 million people and to represent my country, it means everything to me.”

READ: Doncic, Antetokounmpo shoot for last shot at Paris Olympics

Deandre Ayton scored 19 and Eric Gordon added 16 for the Bahamas, who can advance to the qualifier’s knockout round by beating Poland on Wednesday. It is an interesting mix for the Bahamas; three starters are NBA players, but the starting point guard is Lourawls Nairn — a former Michigan State player and now the associate head coach at Bowling Green.

“He’s a coaches’ dream and I think the players love playing with him,” Bahamas coach Chris DeMarco said. “He definitely belongs and he could be doing this for a living, but he pursued a different career.”

Mikael Jantunen and Edon Maxhuni each scored 20 for Finland, which faces Poland on Thursday.

Spain 104, Lebanon 59
At Valencia, host Spain rolled behind 17 points from Santi Aldama, 15 from Usman Garuba and 14 from Jaime Pradilla. Spain can wrap up a spot in the semifinals with a win over Angola on Wednesday.

Youssef Khayat scored 20 for Lebanon, which faces Angola on Thursday.

Brazil 81, Montenegro 72

At Riga, Latvia, Brazil trailed for most of the game but outscored Montenegro 29-16 in the fourth quarter to pull off the comeback.

Bruno Caboclo had 25 points and nine rebounds for Brazil, while Marcelinho Huertas added 17 points.

Nikola Vucevic led Montenegro with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Montenegro must beat Cameroon on Wednesday to keep hopes of reaching the semifinals alive. Brazil faces Cameroon on Thursday.

Latvia 83, Georgia 55

At Riga, host Latvia outscored Georgia 28-11 in the second quarter to take complete control and rolled to the opening win.

Arturs Strautins scored 18 points on 5-for-5 shooting to lead a balanced Latvian scoring attack, while Mareks Mejeris scored 11 (also shooting 5-for-5) and Rolands Smits finished with 10.

Sandro Mamukelashvili led Georgia with 14 points.

Latvia can clinch a semifinal spot by beating the Philippines on Wednesday. Georgia and the Philippines play on Thursday to close the group round.

Dominican Republic 90, Egypt 77

At Piraeus, Jean Montero scored 17 points, and the Dominican Republic used a 14-0 run spanning the end of the second quarter and start of the third quarter to pull away.

Chris Duarte scored 14 points, Victor Liz had 12 and Angel Nunez finished with 11 for the Dominican Republic.

Ahmed Metwaly led Egypt with 24 points.

The Dominican Republic can clinch a semifinal spot if it beats Greece on Wednesday. Egypt plays Greece on Thursday and must win to have any hope of advancing to the semifinals.

Italy 114, Bahrain 53

At San Juan, Puerto Rico, Danilo Gallinari and Nicolo Melli each scored 14 points and Italy finished with seven players in double figures.

Ahmed Haji scored 12 points to lead Bahrain, which gave up the game’s final 19 points.

Bahrain must beat Puerto Rico on Wednesday to have any shot at the semifinals. Italy plays Puerto Rico on Thursday.

Lithuania 96, Mexico 84

At San Juan, Lithuania opened the second half on a 27-7 run that carried it to an opening win.

Marius Grigonis led the way with 21 points for Lithuania, while Tadas Sedekerskis added 12. Domantas Sabonis finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Joshua Ibarra scored 18 for Mexico.



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Lithuania would reach Saturday’s semifinals with a win over Ivory Coast on Wednesday. Mexico plays Ivory Coast on Thursday, likely to decide another semifinal berth.

New-look Akari taps American import Oly Okaro

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Oly Okaro will be the Akari Chargers’ import for the upcoming PVL Reinforced Conference.–Photo from Akari

MANILA, Philippines — New-look Akari will be parading American import Oly Okaro in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference, which opens on July 16 at Philsports Arena.

The Chargers, who will be under a new coach in Taka Minowa, on Wednesday unveiled the 28-year-old opposite hitter as their reinforcement in the upcoming conference.

Akari will be banking on Okaro, who played in Greece for the last two seasons with Zaon Kifisias and ASP Thetis.

READ: PVL: Choco Mucho acquires Dindin Santiago-Manabat from Akari

The 6-foot-1 Okaro, who played for San Francisco University and Arizona State University in college, last saw action in Greece where she appeared in two seasons. She also had a stint in Finland.

Okaro will be teaming up with Akari newcomers Ivy Lacsina and Kamille Cal as well as returnees Dani Ravena and Cams Victoria, who were shipped from Nxled with Minowa.

Alas Pilipinas players Faith Nisperos and Fifi Sharma are unlikely to see action due to their commitments to the Philippine women’s volleyball team, leaving bigger shoes to fill in for mainstays Ced Domingo, Grethcel Soltones, Eli Soyud, and Michelle Cobb.

Akari holds the sixth overall pick in Monday’s inaugural PVL Rookie Draft at Novotel.

The Chargers debuted in the 2022 Reinforced Conference, placing eighth with PVL scoring record holder Prisilla Rivera. They haven’t reached the semifinals with back-to-back seventh-place finishes in the past two All-Filipino Conferences.

READ: PVL: Ricky Palou says reported Akari-Nxled trade ‘not allowed’

Akari, slated in Pool B with Choco Mucho, Petro Gazz, Cignal, and ZUS Coffee, starts its campaign against Capital1, which has Russian import Marina Tushova, on July 18 at Philsports Arena.

Meanwhile, Galeries, which has the No. 3 overall pick, will be banking on Brazilian import Monique Helena.



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Nine of the twelve PVL teams have already unveiled their imports with Cignal bringing back MJ Perez to Manila, Choco Mucho welcoming Greek Spiker Zoi Faki, ZUS Coffee signing Japanese Asaka Tamaru, Capital1 banking on Tushova, Creamline tapping  American spiker Erica Staunton, Chery Tiggo being reinforced by Khat Bell, and PLDT running it back with its previous Russian reinforcement Elena Samoilenko.

Defending champion Petro Gazz, Nxled, and Farm Fresh have yet to announce their reinforcements.

Doncic, Antetokounmpo shoot for last shot at Paris Olympics

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Slovenia’s Luka Doncic during the Fiba World Cup.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are about to get one last chance at reaching the Paris Olympics. Same goes for Domantas Sabonis and Nikola Vucevic. And Rudy Fernandez is about to get his shot at making history.

The last four spots in the 12-team Olympic men’s basketball field for the Paris Games start getting decided on Tuesday, with the beginning of winner-take-all qualifying tournaments in Spain, Latvia, Puerto Rico and Greece.

Each site is playing host to a six-team tournament that runs through July 7, and the four winners get the last four spots in the Olympic field.

READ: Latvia’s Porzingis to have surgery, out of OQT and Paris Olympics

“We are in the best possible place,” Antetokounmpo said when asked about getting to play qualifying games at home in Greece.

It’s likely that he and Doncic will go head-to-head at some point; Slovenia is in Greece for that qualifier. Meanwhile, in Spain, the perennial Olympic medal contenders aren’t just trying to get to Paris — there’s also a quest to make Fernandez, the Spanish great, the first six-time men’s basketball Olympian.

“We want to see that dream happen,” Spain coach Sergio Scariolo said.

The format has two groups of three teams at each tournament. For group play, which runs Tuesday through Thursday, each nation plays the other two teams in their group. The top two teams in each group — so four total from each site — advance to semifinals that will be held on Saturday. Championship games at all four sites are Sunday.

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

A look at the qualifiers:

Spain

Site: Valencia, Spain.

Group A: Lebanon, Angola, Spain.

Group B: Finland, Poland, Bahamas.

Outlook: Spain is at home and that’s a big edge, but the Bahamas believes it can surprise for three very good reasons — Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon, all of whom are on that nation’s roster for the qualifiers.

Latvia

Site: Riga, Latvia.

Group A: Georgia, Philippines, Latvia.

Group B: Brazil, Cameroon, Montenegro.

Outlook: The host Latvians didn’t get the easiest draw in the world, especially with the Philippines now coached by Tim Cone — a former Miami Heat summer league assistant with more than two dozen championships during his time in the Philippines. Montenegro’s hopes rest largely on Nikola Vucevic.

Greece

Site: Piraeus, Greece.

Group A: Slovenia, New Zealand, Croatia.

Group B: Egypt, Greece, Dominican Republic.

Outlook: The potential for a Greece-Slovenia final seems high, and that would be great theater — Doncic vs. Antetokounmpo for a spot in the Olympics. Doncic played through injuries in the NBA Finals for Dallas in its five-game loss to Boston, and the fact that he’s playing here shows how much the Olympic shot means to him.

Puerto Rico

Site: San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Group A: Mexico, Ivory Coast, Lithuania.

Group B: Italy, Puerto Rico, Bahrain.



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Outlook: Danilo Gallinari headlines the roster for a very experienced Italy team, one that has to face host Puerto Rico in the group stage but could still advance to the semifinals even with a loss. Lithuania seems to have the most experience in Group A, and it would be a surprise not to see that squad in the semifinals.

Ownership group of Boston Celtics putting team up for sale

On: By: admin


Majority owner Wyc Grousbeck of the Boston Celtics holds up the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after Boston’s 106-88 win against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 17, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Adam Glanzman/Getty Images/AFP

BOSTON — The ownership group that controls the NBA champion Boston Celtics says it intends to sell all its shares of the team.

In a statement released Monday, Boston Basketball Partners LLC said it intends to sell the majority of its shares in 2024 or early 2025. The balance of its shares would then close in 2028.

Wyc Grousbeck, whose family leads the ownership group, is expected to remain the team’s NBA governor until the sale is complete.

“The controlling family of the ownership group, after considerable thought and internal discussion, has decided to sell the team for estate and family planning considerations,” the statement said.

The Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals last month to capture the franchise’s 18th championship.

READ: NBA: Celtics’ Brad Stevens expects only roster tweaks in repeat bid

Boston Basketball Partners — led by venture capitalist Grousbeck, his father and investor H. Irving Grousbeck, along with venture capitalist Steve Pagliuca — purchased the Celtics for $360 million from the Gaston family in 2002. The Gastons had owned the team since 1983.

One of the NBA’s original and storied brands, the Celtics were valued at $4.7 billion last year by Forbes, placing them behind only the Golden State Warriors ($7.7 billion), New York Knicks ($6.6 billion) and Los Angeles Lakers ($6.4 billion).

The current ownership group was in charge when the Celtics won the NBA title in 2008.

READ: Boston salutes Celtics’ record 18th NBA championship with parade 

In an email to Celtics staff that was obtained by The Associated Press, Wyc Grousbeck wrote they are “committed to finding a worthy incoming ownership group who will guide the Celtics to more decades of success.”

He added: “There will be a thoughtful and thorough process to find a buyer that recognizes the importance of Celtic Pride on the court and in the community.”

Last year, the Phoenix Suns were purchased by mortgage firm owner Mat Ishbia for $4 billion. That was followed by the sale of the Milwaukee Bucks to Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam for $3.5 billion. Last November, Mark Cuban agreed to the sale of the majority of his Dallas Mavericks’ ownership shares to Miriam Adelson and son-in-law Patrick Dumont, who operates the Las Vegas Sands casino company, for $3.5 billion.



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