Kobe will be on Pau’s mind as he gets inducted into Hall of Fame
Kobe will be on Pau’s mind as he gets inducted into Hall of Fame
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1. Kobe will be on Pau’s mind as he gets inducted into Hall of Fame
Kobe Bryant's absence will make Pau Gasol's entry into the Hall of Fame bittersweet, writes The Sporting Tribune's Mark Medina.
As he saw his Lakers jersey hang above the rafters, Pau Gasol’s eyes watered up.
Tears filled Gasol’s eyes for reasons beyond becoming the 12th Lakers’ luminary to have his jersey retired. Gasol’s No. 16 jersey hung to the right of Kobe Bryant’s No. 24 and No. 8 jerseys nearly 13 years after the Lakers’ duo led the franchise to two consecutive NBA championships in three Finals appearances (2008-10). About 3 ½ years since Bryant, his nine-year-old daughter (Gianna) and seven others died in a helicopter crash, Gasol stood at center court unable to fully enjoy one of his biggest accomplishments.
“I miss him so much just like many of us do,” Gasol said to the Lakers fans both mourned Bryant’s loss and celebrated Gasol’s presence. “I love him. I wish he was here with Gigi. I really do. But I think he’d be proud. He was looking forward to this moment. I love you brother.”
2. Clippers’ Lue ready to help his country
Tyronn Lue is part of USA Basketball's coaching staff which will be competing in the FIBA Men's World Cup later this month, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp.
He may not have made it as a player, but Tyronn Lue is fine representing his country as a coach.
The head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers is part of Steve Kerr’s staff with USA Basketball which will play in the FIBA Men’s World Cup later this month in the Philippines. None of Lue’s Clippers are on the roster but there’s no lack of familiar faces for him.
“Oh yeah, I know all these guys,” he said with a smile prior to Monday’s USA Basketball Showcase vs. Puerto Rico at T-Mobile Arena. “I’m very excited to be part of this. Being in the room with all these great basketball minds. Seeing different plays, different drills and maybe applying it to what we do (with the Clippers). I expect to come out of this a better coach for having experienced this.”
3. Hawai’i men’s basketball embarks on tour of Japan
Hawai’i men’s basketball added some new faces to a large returning cast with expectations as the ‘Bows head to Japan for their second international tour under head coach Eran Ganot, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Paul Brecht.
Newest Rainbow Warrior men’s basketball signee Akira Jacobs is racking up the frequent flyer miles these days.
Less than 10 days after departing to join his UH teammates in the islands, Jacobs will head directly back to Japan; this time accompanied by his newest teammates for an 11-day international tour of the country that will see the ‘Bows play four scrimmages.
For the six-foot-eight freshman, it will be just another notch in the belt of a productive summer of hoops. He showed off impressive scoring flashes during the FIBA U19 World Cup in Hungary, averaging the fifth-most points per contest of all participants (17.0 ppg). He paced the squad with 20 points on 42 percent shooting from 3-point territory in Japan’s quarterfinal loss to Team USA.
“It was good to play against a lot of already Division I players. I think it was good preparation for college basketball,” Jacobs said of his World Cup experience. “The physicality, the speed, the athleticism… I think I’ll be able to implement that experience to on the court here.”
4. How Clarisse Le Bihan grew to thrive under the NWSL’s intensity
From France to the United States, Le Bihan overcome numerous challenges as she chased her American soccer dream, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Kamran Nia.
When Clarisse Le Bihan arrived in the United States to train with her new team, Angel City, in 2022, she was shocked by the intensity. Two days before games, her teammates were running hard and giving it their all on the field, an occurrence she never experienced in France. In France, such training sessions often focused on tactics or technical exercises. Sometimes they would be longer, but they still did not compare physically to what she experienced with Angel City.
“This shocked me the first time I came to training. It was two days before a game, and then people were running so fast and giving everything all the time. And I was like, ‘but you have a game in two days.’ In my head, I was like, ‘keep your energy,’” Le Bihan said.
In games, Le Bihan experienced a similar feeling. To her, it felt like everyone was physical, made intense runs, and a goal would be scored any time the ball was turned over. She compared it to the Premier League, which is widely regarded as one of the top leagues in men’s soccer.
5. US Open of Surfing delivers all the fun and all the action
The annual US Open of Surfing descended upon Southern California once again, with over 100,000 spectators in attendance, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Michael Silver.
Kaniela Stewart showcased his trademark style and flow, finessing his board through the Pacific Ocean all week. The 22-year-old Oahu, HI native confidently won the men’s final, defeating last year’s winner Taylor Jensen.
“It feels so good, being out here traveling the world doing contests. All the people getting to watch, I’m glad I give them something to do and stoked to enjoy the sun,” Steward told The Sporting Tribune.
How do you perfect your patent ‘Hang Ten’ style? “Just do it over and over pretty much, practice makes you better and never stop learning,” he shared.
It was also a family affair for longboard riders. Stewart’s cousin, 18-year-old Kelis Kaleopaa from Waikiki took top honors, winning the women’s final.
6. Bet Bash takes over Circa, Downtown Las Vegas and The D
The third annual Bet Bash, hosted by Gadoon “Spanky” Kyrollos, is taking place at the Circa Resort and Casino, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Will Despart.
A popular week for sports bettors has made its return to the desert. The third annual Bet Bash, hosted by Gadoon “Spanky” Kyrollos once again descended on Las Vegas this week to provide the country’s most dedicated sports bettors a place to convene.
Kyrollos is a host of the “Be Better Bettors” podcast and has received national media coverage for his exploits as a professional sports bettor. This is the third edition of his BetBash event, the first being held in Atlantic City in 2021. Kyrollos brought the operation to Circa Resort and Casino in Downtown Las Vegas in 2022 and the event returned to the bettor’s palace again this year. By all accounts there has been a massive boost in attendance in year three.
The event kicked off with a cocktail party at the Canada Bar on Tuesday and will continue through this coming Friday evening, with a closing party at Circa’s popular Legacy Club.
Wednesday’s itinerary featured a three-hour speed networking event for its roughly 900 attendees from 9 a.m. to noon. The nightcap was another soirée at the Canada Bar, concluding at 9 p.m.
7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports
Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:
8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today.
7:00 p.m. – Rockies at Dodgers – $20
7:00 p.m. – Mystics at Aces – $8
9. On the Air presented by The D Las Vegas
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today.
5:10 p.m. – Angels at Astros – Bally Sports West
6:40 p.m. – Padres at Diamondbacks – Bally Sports San Diego
7:00 p.m. – Rockies at Dodgers – SportsNet LA
7:00 p.m. – Mystics at Aces – Ion
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi is joined by Adrian Hernandez and Brandon Deutsch as they talk about ESPN getting into the gambling space with Penn.
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Bet in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.
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That’s it for today. Talk to you on Monday!