The NBA launched seven basketball academies worldwide in 2016 in an effort to globalize the game. On Friday, 25 student-athletes scrimmaged at Mandalay Bay Convention Center before the G League Winter Showcase. Among the top players was Timothy Ighoefe, a 6-foot-11 center signed to play college basketball at Georgetown. UNLV freshman forward Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua graduated from an NBA Academy.
Clark senior forward Ian Alexander was awarded a full scholarship Monday, but not for basketball. Alexander is going to study bio-medical engineering at Northwestern, thanks in part to a non-profit organization called QuestBridge that aims to send low income students to high academic universities. Alexander, a straight-A student, discovered QuestBridge while recovering from a torn ACL he sustained in the Region Championship game against Bishop Gorman. Through QuestBridge, he spent the summer studying the business of sport at Penn. He was cleared to return to the court in August, and made his season debut for the Chargers basketball team on Saturday.
MGM Resorts International signed a sports betting sponsorship agreement with the NBA in July It was the first professional sports league to have official ties with a legal sports betting house. The deal came just two months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a law prohibiting sports betting in most states. In October, MGM became the first gaming company to sign a sports betting partnership with the NHL. In November, MGM became the first gaming company to sign a sports betting partnership with the MLB. Financial terms of Tuesday’s deal and earlier partnerships have not been announced.
Aces rookie forward A’ja Wilson is an all-star. Aces fifth-year guard Kayla McBride is an all-star, too. Wilson is enjoying one of the best rookie seasons in WNBA history, averaging 19.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. McBride is having a career year, averaging 19.1 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting, including 40.7 percent from 3-point range.
The lowest PSL charges — $3,900 — are for seats at the highest level of the stadium near midfield. The highest-priced reserve-seating PSLs — $15,000 — are for seats closest to the field level at the four corners, between the end zone and the 10-yard lines. PSLs for end-zone seats range from $7,500 to $8,500 each. The team began selling PSLs for about 8,000 club seats and other premium seating between March and May with prices ranging from $20,000 to $75,000 each. Personal seat licenses, or PSLs, went on sale Tuesday in reserved-seating areas for season-ticket holders and fans with appointments. Appointments to purchase PSLs in the reserved sections will occur through Aug. 13 before being opened to the public.
Danica Patrick to Host 2018 ESPYs The NASCAR driver will be the first woman to host the annual sports
award show. Danica Patrick Danica Patrick Patrick, who has been on the NASCAR circuit since 2010, is set to retire from racing after Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. The ESPYs will take place on July 18 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Michael Vick Named Offensive Coordinator of New Football League Team The ex-Falcons’ quarterback was named to the position by Brad Childress, head coach of the Atlanta’s Alliance of American Football team. “I’ve always had a passion for teaching, a passion for coaching. When Brad called me about this opportunity, I felt like it was obviously something I couldn’t pass up.” Michael Vick Vick retired from the NFL in 2017 and coached very briefly as an intern with the Kansas City Chiefs last summer. The Virginia Tech product played for the Atlanta Falcons from 2001-08. Atlanta’s team will play their games at Georgia State Stadium and the new 10-week regular season starts in Feb. 2019.
Desiree Linden, Yuki Kawauchi win 2018 Boston Marathon Linden became the first American woman to win the marathon in 33 years, finishing with a time of 2:39:54. Kawauchi becomes the first Japanese man to win the Boston Marathon since 1987, posting a winning time of 2:15:54. Last year’s winners, Geoffrey Kirui and
Edna Kiplagat, finished in 2nd and
8th respectively. This year’s race was run in a torrential downpour and 30-degree temperatures. It is the coldest marathon since 2009, which combined with the rain, made the running conditions look absolutely miserable.
Several months ago, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority set out to market the city as the sports capital of the world. With the addition of the Golden Knights and the Raiders, LVCVA saw the perfect opportunity to do so. The Knights’ success and current Stanley Cup playoff run has resulted in a marketing marriage with Las Vegas that has been far more successful than anyone could have imagined. This season, the Knights have managed to unite the community and made hockey fans around the country take notice. “The Knights, in my mind, really put the exclamation point that we’re the sports capital of the world, not only what they’ve done on the ice in this historic season but how they brought the community together.” Lisa Motley, director of sports marketing and special events for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Professional sports have been a staple for Las Vegas for decades with championship boxing matches, PGA golf tour events and the National Finals Rodeo. But big-league teams kept their distance from Nevada, due to lingering fears of sports betting somehow influencing games. “Las Vegas stands for something much more extensive and expansive now than what it once did” David Carter, executive director of the University of Southern California’s Marshall Sports Business Institute
Twitter to Host Final Four ‘Watch Parties’ With Live Analysis The social media site will also be hosting Watch Parties for the National Championship Game on Monday. Twitter describes them as a “live social-viewing experience,” comprised of analyst commentary, reactions and highlights. The Final Four Watch Parties will stream live on Twitter starting Saturday, March 31, at 6 p.m. ET to coincide with the first game of the evening — Michigan vs. Loyola Chicago. Following the first game of the night, two, No. 1 seeds battle as Kansas takes on Villanova. TBS is broadcasting Saturday’s semifinals and the April 2 National Championship.
