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Olympics 2024: 100 days until Paris

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In 100 days, more than 10,000 athletes from 206 countries will float down the Seine on boats bearing their delegation’s colors to announce the start of the 30th edition of the Summer Olympics. The largest sporting event ever organized in France, the 2024 Paris Games feature the first opening ceremonies planned to take place outside of a stadium, the first surf contest to take place 10,000 miles from the host city — and the return of crowds.

But why wait until July to get into the five-ring spirit? There’s plenty of action to dive into over the next three months as the U.S. teams come into focus — starting with wrestling trials two days from now. Prepare for a spectacular summer of Olympic sports with our top-100 Paris primer. Allons-y! — Alyssa Roenigk

1. Who: 206 countries will be represented, and 10,500 athletes

2. What: There will be 32 sports and 45 total disciplines within them

3. When: July 26-Aug. 11, 2024

4. Where: Paris, in 15 different Olympic venues

5. Why: Citrus, Altius, Fortius — Communiter*

*The Olympics motto: “Faster, Higher, Strong — Together”

6. Estimated cost of the 2024 Summer Games: $10 billion. This is $3 billion less than the estimated $13 billion the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee reported was spent in 2021, after those Games were delayed for a year due to the pandemic.

7. Medal events contested this year: 329. This is the second most in a single Olympics, down 10 from the 2020 Tokyo Games, which had 339.

8. Medals the United States has won in the Summer and Winter Games: 2,985. This is the most of any country.

9. Consecutive Summer Games that Team USA has won the most medals of any country: 7. The last time the U.S. team did not earn the most medals was in the 1992 Summer Olympics, when the Unified Team of former Soviet Union republics won the most.

10. Miles the surfing venue of the 2024 Summer Games will be from Paris: 9,765. The sport will be contested in the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, at the famous surf break Teahupo’o. This is the farthest distance from a host city that an Olympic medal event has ever been contested.

11. Estimated number of in-person spectators who will watch the opening ceremonies: 300,000. For the first time in Summer Olympic history, barring any security threats, the opening ceremonies will not take place inside a stadium. Instead, they will be held on a 6-kilometer route on the Seine River.

12. Percentage of athletes participating who are women: 50. According to the IOC, the 2024 Games will be the first to have an equal number of men and women participants. In 1900, the first Games to include women, 2.2% of the athletes were women.

13. The percentage increase in athletes since the last time Paris hosted: 340. At the 1924 Olympics, 3,089 athletes competed. This year, 10,500 are estimated.

14. The number of times that Paris will have hosted the Summer Games: 3. This ties London for the most of any city. (Los Angeles will also have hosted three times when it hosts the 2028 Olympics.) Paris notably hosted the first Olympic Games held outside of Greece in 1900, and the last time the city hosted was exactly 100 years ago, in 1924.

15. The number of times France will have hosted either the Summer or Winter Games: 6. This is second most of any country, behind the United States with eight. — ESPN Stats & Information

16. Opening ceremonies: July 26

17. Closing ceremonies: Aug. 11

18. Artistic gymnastics: July 27-Aug. 5

19. Swimming: July 27-Aug. 4

20. Athletics (track & field): Aug. 1-Aug. 11

21. Basketball, men’s gold medal game: Aug. 10

22. Basketball, women’s gold medal game: Aug. 11

23. Soccer, men’s gold medal match: Aug. 9

24. Soccer, women’s gold medal match: Aug. 10

25. Golf, men’s final round: Aug. 4

26. Golf, women’s final round: Aug. 10

27. Tennis, women’s singles gold medal match: Aug. 3

28. Tennis, men’s singles gold medal match: Aug. 4

29. Beach volleyball, women’s gold medal match: Aug. 9

30. Beach volleyball, men’s gold medal match: Aug. 10

31. The most decorated gymnast of all time, Simone Biles, 27, aims to compete at her third Games this summer — and if she does, she could easily add to the seven Olympic medals she already has. After taking a break after Tokyo, Biles returned to the sport in 2023 in triumphant fashion, winning the all-around at the 2023 worlds. Biles is the Olympic favorite in the all-around, vault and floor, and she could lead the dominant U.S. team to another gold there as well.

32. Another GOAT likely to be in Paris, 27-year-old Katie Ledecky has 10 Olympic medals from her three previous Games, and has broken 16 world records in her career. Ledecky has dominated the longer distances for more than a decade and there’s a lot more history on the line for her in 2024 — more on that below.

33. With five Olympic gold medals in 2021 (and two from the previous Games), Caeleb Dressel, 27, drew comparisons to Michael Phelps in Tokyo — which he soundly dismissed. But Dressel has had a tough few years since then. He withdrew from the 2022 world championships citing health reasons, took a nine-month break from the sport, and wasn’t in top shape to qualify to the 2023 world championships. Now, he is showing signs that he may be back. On Thursday, he won the 100-meter freestyle at the last Tyr Pro Swim Series meet before Olympic trials, with his best time since the 2022 worlds.

34. Last March, Noah Lyles, 26, took gold in the 100, 200 and 4×100-meter relay at the 2023 world championships, becoming the first man since Usain Bolt in 2015 to complete what’s called “the sprint treble.” With six world gold medals in all, the 200-meter bronze medalist from Tokyo has eyes on Olympic gold in Paris.

35. Sha’Carri Richardson, 24, won the 100 meters at the 2021 Olympic trials, then was declared ineligible to compete at the Tokyo Games after testing positive for cannabis after that race. Two years later, she won the 100 meters at the 2023 worlds in a stacked field, cementing her status as the one to beat at the Olympics. If she does, she will become the first American woman to win since Gail Devers did it back-to-back in 1992 and 1996.

36. In 2021, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, 24, ran a world and Olympic record time of 51.46 to win gold in the 400-meter hurdles in Tokyo over teammate Dalilah Muhammad. McLaughlin-Levrone then broke her own world record twice more, at the 2022 USATF championships and again to earn the world title at the 2022 world championships. She also has world and Olympic golds with the 4×400 relay team from the 2020 Olympics and 2022 worlds.

37. Will collegiate superstar and No. 1 draft pick Caitlin Clark play for Team USA in Paris? That’s the million-dollar question. Clark, 22, was not included in the 3×3 training camp that will start Wednesday, but was invited to the 5-on-5 team training camp earlier this month. (She was unable to attend because Iowa was competing in the Final Four.) The Americans will be going for their eighth consecutive team gold medal, with a veteran-heavy squad, but it’s not unprecedented for a player to make the team straight out of college. (See Diana Taurasi in 2004, Candace Parker in 2008 and Breanna Stewart in 2016.)

38. One of few American athletes who has already qualified to the Paris team, 31-year-old Carissa Moore, was the first woman to win gold in surfing’s debut in Tokyo. The five-time World Surf League world champion has stepped away from the world tour, but looks to defend her Olympic title this summer before retiring from competitive surfing.

39. Twenty-year-old Coco Gauff was the first American tennis player to clinch her Olympic spot, and the world No. 3 will be a threat for gold in both singles and doubles. Gauff made her first Grand Slam final at the 2022 French Open, playing in the same venue at Roland Garros where Olympic tennis will be held. She qualified to the Tokyo Games at age 17, but had to withdraw five days beforehand when she tested positive for COVID.

40. While the Olympic roster won’t be named until late June, 2019 World Cup champion Rose Lavelle, 28, is deemed to be a lock for it. She scored three goals during the Americans’ run to the title in 2019, including one in the final. Though she has struggled with injury lately, she is considered one of the best technical players on the squad. The USWNT is looking to return to the top of the sport after a disappointing bronze medal in Tokyo and a shocking round of 16 upset at the 2023 World Cup. — Amy Van Deusen

41. Shilese Jones, 21, has helped lead the women’s gymnastics team to back-to-back world titles and she won silver in the all-around in 2022 and bronze last year. She is considered to be one of the best in the world on bars and has a chance to win multiple medals during what is expected to be her debut Olympic appearance.

42. Competing in his first world championships in October, 19-year-old Fred Richard lifted the men’s gymnastics team to a third-place finish and took home bronze in the all-around — becoming the first American man to win an all-around medal since 2010 and the youngest American man to ever win an individual medal.

43. A 2020 Olympian who finished in sixth place in the long jump final, Tara Davis-Woodhall has since become the 2023 world silver medalist in the event and claimed the indoor world title earlier this year. The 24-year-old has a joint YouTube channel with her husband, Paralympic track star Hunter Woodhall, that has 800,000 subscribers.

44. The three-time reigning world champion in the 110-meter hurdles, 26-year-old Grant Holloway has won just about every title possible — except Olympic gold. Holloway finished in second place at the Tokyo Games and has been a man on a mission ever since — breaking records, collecting new hardware and cementing his spot as a favorite in Paris.

45. Long believed to be one of the future superstars of the USWNT, a string of injuries forced Mallory (Pugh) Swanson, now 25, to be sidelined for the 2020 Games as well as the 2023 World Cup. But Swanson is back and healthy and she will look to help the American team earn its first gold medal since 2012.

46. Still a revered figure for college basketball fans 13 years after his decorated career at BYU came to an end, many might not realize that 35-year-old Jimmer Fredette started playing 3×3 in 2022. Since then, he has led the country to a FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup gold medal, a second-place finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and helped the American men clinch an Olympic berth in the sport for the first time.

47. The youngest member of the American team at the Tokyo Games as a 15-year-old, Katie Grimes, now 18, became the first person to qualify for the U.S. squad for the 2024 Olympics — in any sport — after winning bronze in the open-water 10K at the 2023 world championships. Grimes, who also earned silver in the 400-meter medley at the event for the second straight year and was the 2022 runner-up in the 1,500-meter freestyle, will look to also clinch her spot in the pool at the Olympic trials in June.

48. No stranger to breaking records, Carson Foster, 22, has competed in the past two Olympic trials, but he finally seems to be in a position to make the Olympic team this summer. Since missing out on Tokyo, Foster has become one of the best individual medley swimmers in the world, and his rivalry with Leon Marchand of France in both the 200-meter and 400-meter races could become one of the most-talked-about storylines in Paris.

49. After leading the American volleyball team to its first-ever gold medal in Tokyo, many believed that veteran Jordan Larson, who already owned two previous Olympic medals, would retire soon after. But she had other ideas. Now, the 37-year-old is trying to make one last Olympic team and help the United States become just the fourth country to win back-to-back golds in the event. If she does make the final roster, she will become the second-oldest indoor volleyball player in Olympic history.

50. Better known as “B-boy Victor,” top-ranked American break-dancer Victor Montalvo won the world championship title in September. Montalvo, 29, will now try to earn an Olympic medal in the sport’s first and perhaps only time as an Olympic sport, as it will not be included in 2028. — D’Arcy Maine

51. Wrestling trials, State College, Pennsylvania: April 19-20

52. Final triathlon selection event, Yokohama, Japan: May 11

53. French Open, last event of tennis qualifying, Paris: May 26-June 9

54. U.S. Open, last event of men’s golf qualifying, Pinehurst, North Carolina: June 13-16

55. Swimming trials, Indianapolis: June 15-23

56. Diving trials, Knoxville, Tennessee: June 17-23

57. KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, last event of women’s golf qualifying, Sammamish, Washington: June 20-23

58. Track and field trials, Eugene, Oregon: June 21-30

59. Gymnastics trials, Minneapolis: June 27-30

60. Final skateboarding qualifiers published via world rankings: June 24

61. Paralympics swimming, Minneapolis: June 27-29

62. Paralympics track & field: Miramar, Florida: July 18-20

63. In February, Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh ended Ledecky’s 13-year unbeaten streak in the 800-meter freestyle. Even wilder: The 17-year-old finished six seconds ahead of the American superstar. Ledecky is the three-time defending Olympic champ in the event, setting up an underwater battle to watch in Paris.

64. At the 2023 world championships in October, Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, 24, won her second world vault title and placed second on floor and in the all-around. Andrade is the reigning Olympic vault champ and will look to go back-to-back in Paris, too.

65. Can anyone beat Japanese gymnast Daiki Hashimoto in the all-around? That’s the question that hangs over Paris. The reigning Olympic and world all-around champion, Hashimoto, 22, will attempt to become only the fourth man in history to win back-to-back Olympic all-around titles.

66. British diver Tom Daley, who competed in his first Olympics at 14, won gold in Tokyo in his fourth — and then went viral for his poolside knitting. While in Tokyo, Daley fashioned an Olympic-themed sweater and even knitted a cute bag to hold his medal. Now 29, he’s hoping to make just as big (or small) of a splash in Paris.

67. Spurs rookie superstar Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, has said he will play for France in Paris. The 20-year-old, 7-foot-2 Parisian will be one of the most visible stars in the city this summer and plans to return to San Antonio with gold.

68. Japan’s Momiji Nishiya is the top-ranked women’s street skater in the world and won gold in the event at the 2023 X Games in Chiba, Japan. She also took bronze at X Games California in Ventura last summer. This summer, the 16-year-old leads a strong contingent of Japanese women skaters into Paris.

69. Local Tahitian surfer Vahine Fierro, 24, will represent France in Paris. Fierro secured her Olympic spot nearly a year ago and her local knowledge of the Teahupo’o break helps her be the gold medal favorite.

70. It’s almost comical to call a guy who spent 36 weeks as the No. 1 tennis player in the world someone to watch, but Paris will mark Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz‘s first Olympics. And he is one to watch. The two-time Grand Slam champion turns 21 in May and has said he would prize Olympic gold over winning his first French Open title this summer.

71. Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, once the “fastest woman in the world,” will compete in her final 100-meter race in Paris, as she announced she will retire after this Olympics, the fifth of her career. The 37-year-old three-time Olympic gold medalist said she wants to spend more time at home with her husband and 6-year-old son, Zion — after one more run at gold.

72. In 2022, reigning freestyle BMX world champion Kieran Reilly became the first rider to land a triple flair. Although he landed the trick on an indoor ramp and not in competition, video of his efforts set the internet on fire. Last year, the 22-year-old British favorite for Olympic gold also won the European Games and took silver in Park Best Trick at X Games California in Ventura. — Alyssa Roenigk

73. A centerpiece of hip-hop culture for decades, breaking (breakdancing) makes its Olympic debut in Paris with American stars like Victor Montalvo and Sunny Choi leading the way. There will be 16 competitors in both the men’s and women’s events, with breakers competing in head-to-head battles. — Sam Borden

74. Spins, grinds, barspins and tailwhips are among the tricks that riders attempt in BMX freestyle, and Britain’s Charlotte Worthington made history in Tokyo when she won gold after becoming the first woman to land a 360 degree backflip in competition. Even more impressive? She landed it after falling badly trying to pull it off on her first run.

75. As mentioned, the famous waves of the Teahupo’o surf break in the French territory of Polynesia will host the surfing competition in the sport’s sophomore Olympics — a decision that has spurred local opposition after construction plans were released that locals say may damage the coral reef.

76. There’s a good chance Japan will continue as a dominant force in skateboarding after winning three of four golds, and five of 12 medals overall, three years ago in Tokyo. But while most skaters specialize in one of the two disciplines — street or park — American Jagger Eaton is a unicorn in that he might qualify (and could even medal) in both.

77. In its Olympic debut in Tokyo, sport climbing had its three disciplines grouped into one all-around medal event — a controversial choice in the bouldering world, to say the least. In Paris, things will be different, as bouldering will combine with lead to be one event, while speed climbing will be on its own. That’s good for 18-year-old American Sam Watson, who will be trying to follow up winning the Pan Am Games with a strong Olympic showing.

78. The U.S. men’s team in 3×3 basketball features Jimmer Fredette as well as Canyon Barry, son of NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry. But for those hoops fans who also love public radio, the team’s true star might be Kareem Maddox: In order to focus full-time on the Olympics, he left a job as a producer of NPR’s beloved show “All Things Considered.” — Sam Borden

79. Because of a 2022 decision by artistic swimming’s governing body, nations competing in the team event in Paris can (but aren’t required to) include up to two men on their eight-person teams. Bill May, 45, is on the U.S. team, which qualified for the Games for the first time since 2008. “I’ve been waiting for 35 years [to be an Olympian], which is longer than a lot of my teammates have been alive,” May said. — Alyssa Roenigk

80-82. Karate, baseball and softball. All three were contested in Tokyo in 2021, but were dropped for Paris. Baseball and softball will be back in 2028.

83. “I want to see everything. I love meeting athletes and creating relationships with them, and it’s super fun being able to support them at the Games. Last time, we didn’t stay in the village, so staying in the village and interacting with people is something I’m really looking forward to. I want to see track, beach volleyball. I’m really interested in breakdancing.” — Suni Lee, gymnastics

84. “Race walking. At my first Olympics, I saw them and it’s just amazing. The technique that goes into that? It’s fascinating. I couldn’t do that, no way. Not at all.” — Jordan Larson, volleyball

85. “I love tennis, I love swimming, I love gymnastics. I’m down to get the job done [with soccer], but I love watching those sports, too. Hopefully I can see some of them.” — Crystal Dunn, soccer

86. “Diving. When I was at the Pan American Games, we saw a lot of diving on TV and it was awesome, so it would be great to see that in person.” — Kayla DiCello, gymnastics

87. “Gymnastics. Growing up, I mostly watched gymnastics at the Olympics, and figure skating. I used to do gymnastics when I was younger, and then I quit because I didn’t want to wear a leotard.” — Minna Stess, skateboarding

88. “I’m not going to get to experience much about Paris because our tournament goes through the whole Games. It’ll just be game, training, game, training, but I’m excited for my family to be there since they couldn’t come to Tokyo. But I’ll be cheering for my friends in wrestling, crew, basketball. I’ve been watching March Madness, I watched the WNBA draft and I’m excited to see how those women do.” — Ashleigh Johnson, water polo

89. “I’m excited for swimming but also breaking. I cannot wait to see what that’s all about. I’m 100 percent a fan of that.” — Keira D’Amato, track & field

90. “[My partner] Gerek and I are so aggressive when it comes to enjoying the Games — in Rio, we saw like 15 other events after we finished competing. In Paris, I want to see some of the newer events, like climbing and breaking, but I also think we might pick some based on the venues. There are so many cool venues — like some of the equestrian venues look amazing, so I think we’ll probably do that.” — Lee Kiefer, fencing

91. If Katie Ledecky makes the Olympic team as expected, she could become the most decorated U.S. women’s Olympian of all time. Entering with 10 total medals, if she wins three medals of any color she will pass swimmers Jenny Thompson, Natalie Coughlin and Dara Torres, who are tied for the most with 12. If Ledecky adds two gold medals to her current tally of seven, she will pass Thompson’s record of eight.

92. Ledecky also has a chance to pass former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina for the most gold medals by any female Olympian in history. Latynina won nine golds in her career, which spanned from 1956 to 1964.

93. Simone Biles is expected to make her third consecutive Olympic team, and if she does, she needs to earn only one medal to break the tie (at seven) that she currently holds with Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals earned by any U.S. gymnast.

94. If Biles, the 2016 Olympic all-around champion, wins the all-around title in Paris, she will become the sixth straight U.S. gymnast to win and the first gymnast ever to win two nonconsecutive all-around titles.

95. If Diana Taurasi is named to the U.S. women’s basketball squad and wins a gold medal, she will break the tie she holds with American teammate Sue Bird for the most golds of any basketball player, currently at five.

96. If Kevin Durant earns a gold medal with Team USA, he will break the tie of three gold medals that he currently holds with Carmelo Anthony, and have the most Olympic golds of any male basketball player.

97. Since NBA players began playing in the Olympics in 1992, Team USA has won gold in seven of eight Summer Games. But it will be pushed by the host nation of France, who finished runner-up to the U.S. at the 2020 Olympics. Only twice has the host nation ever won the gold medal in men’s basketball — and both times it was the U.S., in 1984 and 1996.

98. Of the five tennis players in the Open Era to win 20 or more Grand Slam titles (Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer), Djokovic has won the most majors (24) — and is the only one who has never won Olympic gold. He’ll likely have his chance in Paris at age 37.

99. If France’s Kylian Mbappe plays in the Olympics, he has the chance to join an exclusive club. Only 13 male players have ever won the FIFA World Cup and an Olympic gold medal, and only two have done it since World War II: Argentina’s Angel Di Maria and Lionel Messi. Both won 2008 Olympic gold and the 2022 World Cup.

100. The Jamaican women have dominated the 100 meters for the past four Olympics. If Elaine Thompson-Herah, the two-time defending gold medalist, wins a third gold, she will join fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt as the only athletes to win the 100 meters three times. But it could also be Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who joins that list. If she takes the title in Paris, she will earn her third gold, after winning the race in 2008 and 2012. — ESPN Stats & Information

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Is continuity enough to get the Bucks back into title contention?

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17 منٹ ago

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ستمبر 21, 2024

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A few days after the official start of NBA free agency this summer, Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers flew from his Los Angeles-area home to Miami for a recruiting visit. After the initial flurry of signings around the league were complete, Rivers was surprised to see a familiar face without a team — shooting guard Gary Trent Jr.

Trent had known Rivers since he was 6 years old thanks to his father, Gary Trent Sr., whose NBA career overlapped with Rivers’. Trent Jr. had been a productive player with the Toronto Raptors for three and a half seasons but failed to reach an extension or find a multiyear deal on the free agent market. Word was out that Trent could be seeking a one-year deal for the 2024-25 season, and Rivers jumped at the opportunity.

The Bucks were seeking a replacement in their starting lineup for guard Malik Beasley and saw a youthful energy in Trent, who could fit smoothly alongside Milwaukee’s superstar duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Signing Trent to a one-year deal served as the biggest offseason addition for a team that prioritized depth signings over bold moves. The Bucks also swapped out players such as Jae Crowder and Patrick Beverley, who saw their roles and production reduced during the postseason, for a new crew of veteran backups in Delon Wright and Taurean Prince.

After a year of change and turnover for the Bucks — in the past 12 months they swapped Jrue Holiday for Lillard, and hired and fired coach Adrian Griffin before turning to Rivers midway through the season — a quiet summer was welcome for a team that enters the 2024-25 season trying to balance the benefits of continuity with the urgency of its championship expectations.

“We have that stability,” Antetokounmpo said the day after the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers. “We’re not questioning and trying to figure out how it’s going to look moving forward.

“Now that you know, you just got to work.”

Bucks general manager Jon Horst was limited in his flexibility to change his roster this offseason. Milwaukee’s draft picks were depleted by the trade for Holiday in 2020 and for Lillard last year. Because of the restrictions of the new collective bargaining agreement, the Bucks did not have salary cap space and weren’t allowed to aggregate contracts, acquire a player via sign-and-trade or use the tax midlevel exception.

It left them with little options aside from adding players via the veterans minimum.

Besides, it had still been less than a year since Milwaukee swooped in for Lillard before training camp, sending a package to the Portland Trail Blazers that included Holiday — the starting point guard on the Bucks’ 2021 championship team — who was then sent to the eventual champion Boston Celtics. It was a bold move that paired an All-NBA guard in Lillard with a two-time MVP in Antetokounmpo, with each being the most accomplished teammate either player had ever played with.

Lillard’s arrival also paid off in another way, as Antetokounmpo committed to the Bucks by signing a three-year, $186 million max extension that begins this season.

Antetokounmpo inked his deal one day before the start of the season, but the Bucks’ positive momentum didn’t carry into the games.

Lillard was slow to adjust to a new environment and struggled to find on-court chemistry with Antetokounmpo. Griffin was fired 43 games into the season (with a 30-13 record) before the team turned to Rivers, who went 17-19. With Antetokounmpo missing the entire six-game series against the Pacers because of a strained left calf and Lillard limited by an Achilles injury, the Bucks crashed out in the first round of the playoffs for a second straight season.

When Rivers took over the team in February, he acknowledged how difficult it would be to turn a team around midseason. Now with a full offseason and training camp, he will have an opportunity to establish a style of play, including by adding role players who better fit his vision.

“Think about it: Giannis worked out all [last] summer not knowing he was going to have Dame,” Rivers said the day after last season’s playoff exit. “Dame worked out a little bit, not knowing he was going to have Giannis. Khris [Middleton], the same way. Now all three of them get to work out this summer knowing some of the things we’re going to do.

“The most important stuff is the sets and the stuff that you’re going to run, giving it to them long before camp starts. Because it’s easy for a star player to understand what he can do, it’s better when he understands how he can make everybody else better through those sets.”

The Bucks are betting on a full offseason and training camp to help build chemistry for Lillard and Antetokounmpo. Still, they were encouraged by the numbers with those two players on the floor last season: The team was plus-10.2 points per 100 possessions last season when their two stars shared the floor.

“I’m willing to put in work this summer. I think I have guys around me that they’re willing to do so,” Antetokounmpo said at the end of last season. “I saw how Dame was after the [playoffs]. I saw how Khris [Middleton] was after the game. … I know they’re going to put in the work.”

The question for Milwaukee is how the Bucks will compare to the rest of a stacked Eastern Conference.

Boston is coming off a historic season in which it won its league-leading 18th NBA championship. The Philadelphia 76ers just reloaded by adding superstar Paul George to play alongside Joel Embiid and emerging star Tyrese Maxey. The New York Knicks strengthened their core by adding Mikal Bridges. Emerging young teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and Pacers, are on the rise, having finished with playoff spots last season.

Meanwhile, the Bucks return one of the oldest rosters in the NBA with four of their projected starters over 30. Antetokounmpo, who has been injured during the last two postseasons, turns 30 this season. Lillard will be 35 in October. Middleton is 34 and coming off offseason surgery on both ankles. Center Brook Lopez is 36.

“I always like a team that wins to have a little bit of experience, which comes from being a little bit older, knowing how to play the game and have that corporate knowledge of the game,” Antetokounmpo said at the end of last season. “And a little bit of energy.”

The age of its roster and the pressure to maximize each season of Antetokounmpo’s prime — “With Giannis, you’re always on the clock,” Horst told ESPN at the start of last season — guided Milwaukee’s bold moves over the past year in pursuit of another title.

Now the Bucks are counting on an offseason defined by continuity, a few additions to their depth and some better health during the postseason to give them a chance at another championship.

“We’re getting older. We’re not getting any younger, but that doesn’t mean we cannot still perform at a high level,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s hard to say, ‘Yeah, we’re old and you have to make changes.’ Because these guys, they’re beasts.”

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Will Sauce Gardner’s quest to be the best CB be overshadowed by lack of interceptions?

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1 گھنٹہ ago

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ستمبر 21, 2024

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Sauce Gardner doesn’t do vacations. The New York Jets cornerback doesn’t believe in them. The idea of chilling at a five-star resort, sipping fruity libations on a white-sand beach, doesn’t appeal to him. First of all, he doesn’t drink alcohol. No sauce for Sauce. Secondly, he’s a homebody. The Jets’ trip to London in two weeks to face the Minnesota Vikings will be his first time out of the country. He said he hasn’t taken a true vacation since entering the NFL in 2022, offering an existential reason. “Me, personally, I just feel like you’re just trying to escape the lifestyle that you live,” Gardner said in a quiet moment at his locker. “We play football, and we should be training. So going on that long vacation is getting away from what you’re supposed to be.” Which explains why he reported to the Jets’ facility two weeks after last season ended to begin training, three months ahead of the official start to the offseason program. It’s why his new, sprawling home in New Jersey includes a recovery room, complete with a red-light therapy bed, sauna, cold tub, treadmill and stationary bike. From the time he was 4 years old, playing flag football in the Tiny Mites league in the Seven Mile section of Detroit, Gardner’s singular focus has been to play in the NFL and be the best cornerback there ever was. A lot of kids dream that dream, but his early-career trajectory aligns with his life plan, and he’s just 24. Gardner is the only cornerback since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970 to be named first-team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons. Only three defensive players have pulled that off: former New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor, Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons and Gardner, who said his individual goal this season is to be Defensive Player of the Year. Now if he could just get his hands on a pass or two, maybe that would silence critics who suggest the sauce isn’t as advertised. He will take a 26-game interception slump into Thursday night against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video). Big deal or nah? LONG BEFORE HE shadowed wide receivers, Gardner shadowed his big brother, Allante. Despite a six-year age difference, the two were inseparable growing up. Even though there was an open room in their house, they decided to share the same bedroom. Allante played football, so Sauce played football, following him into backyard games against the big kids. When Allante changed his uniform to No. 2, Sauce switched to No. 2. When Allante worked out with a trainer during his college offseasons — he was a running back/wide receiver at Saginaw Valley State and Lakeland University — Sauce tagged along. “He was always right next to me,” said Allante, who knew there was something special about Sauce when he learned at the age of 5 to ride a bike with no training or training wheels. Gardner was always fearless, according to Allante, who said his kid brother once broke his arm doing a backflip off a fence. He said they both acquired their work ethic from their mother, Alisa, a single mom who worked two jobs to support them. If one of them wanted to attend a football camp, she worked overtime to pay the fees. Gardner said one memory of living at the corner of Rowe Street and Seven Mile East made an impact. When he was 14, he saw a man fatally shot outside a liquor store. Out of fear, he didn’t tell anyone. “It just made me come to the realization that you can’t take anything for granted,” Gardner said. “Me just witnessing that, I was like, ‘Dang.’ I just had to make sure I was locked in on everything — football, school, all that — because I knew ultimately where I wanted to go.” Whatever direction Gardner goes, Allante is there with him — even if it’s not physically. Allante, who still lives in Detroit, is a vice president at Vayner Sports — the company that represents his brother. Sounding like an agent, but speaking as a blood relative, Allante believes Gardner has the potential to be “a once-in-a-lifetime player.” Cornerbacks are often evaluated based on their interception total. That calculus can’t be applied to Gardner, who has as many Pro Bowls on his résumé as career picks (two). In an ESPN survey of nearly 80 NFL coaches, scouts and executives, one unnamed personnel evaluator called Gardner “one of the most overrated players in the league.” The same survey ranked him the third-best corner, behind the Denver Broncos’ Pat Surtain II and the Cleveland Browns’ Denzel Ward. Former star Richard Sherman, a three-time All-Pro cornerback, believes Gardner has benefitted from geography. “Obviously, being in the New York market helps,” Sherman, a Prime Video analyst, said on a conference call with reporters. “It helped [Darrelle] Revis, it helps Sauce. … He’s incredibly worthy [of his accolades]. He has been named first-team All-Pro. It’s not because he hasn’t played well, but it definitely helps playing in that New York market and getting that focus on you and then playing well while you’ve got that focus.” For his money, Sherman said Surtain is the best all-around corner in the sport, adding, “If he was in a big market, if he was playing for the Dallas Cowboys, I don’t think there would be any debate because people would be watching him all the time.” WHEN TOLD OF Sherman’s comments, Gardner shrugged. He agreed to a certain extent, saying he does profit from playing in New York. But he said that it’s a double-edged sword: More eyes on you means more pressure. Even Sherman acknowledged, “New York can chew you up and spit you out the same way it can raise your game.” Gardner added, “A lot of times, there’s no in-between.” Gardner welcomes the scrutiny. Asked if he’s the best corner, he said simply, “I try to do it as if I’m the best.” Former cornerback Jason McCourty, who played 13 years, had initial questions about Gardner despite his lofty draft pedigree — fourth overall in 2022. Those questions didn’t last long. “Even coming in, I’m wondering how he’s going to do it, covering these guys man-to-man, coming from [the University of] Cincinnati — and he’s just been awesome,” said McCourty, now an ESPN analyst, in a phone interview. “To step into the NFL and to be able to cover some of the best wide receivers, to be an All-Pro and to hit the ground running is just completely elite.” But what about the lack of interceptions? McCourty said it shouldn’t be a barometer, that Gardner’s ability to neutralize wide receivers trumps his low interception total. Sherman believes the game has changed. Gone are the days, he said, when corners such as Deion Sanders and Champ Bailey made the Pro Football Hall of Fame with gaudy interception totals — 53 and 52, respectively. In 2023, Revis, the former Jets star, was elected on the first ballot with 29. “I do think interceptions are important, but I guess, in this day and age, [people] don’t because there’s just not a lot of guys getting them,” said Sherman, who made 37 in his career. While the interception total may not be eye-popping, Gardner is a pass-breakup machine. His career total of 33 is the third most among corners since he entered the league. If he’s getting close enough to defend passes, in theory, he should be catching some of them. He knows this; he doesn’t shy away from it. Asked his goals for 2024, he said, “Get more picks and keep grinding for that Defensive Player of the Year [award].” He wants at least four or five interceptions. Gardner spends time after practice on every-day drills, including catching balls from a Jugs machine. His coaches love his work ethic. As cornerbacks coach Tony Oden likes to say, “Just when you think you’ve arrived as a player … bad things start to happen.” Whenever coach Robert Saleh is asked about ways in which Gardner can improve, he usually responds: Intercept the ball more often. Oden, always pushing his protégé, said “there’s more meat on the bone.” Perhaps, but his career is off to a historic start. He has pitched a league-high six shutouts since 2022 — games in which he allowed zero receptions as the nearest defender with a minimum of 20 coverage snaps, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Gardner received the All-Pro nod with a zero-interception performance last season. For a corner, that hadn’t occurred since 2010, when Revis and Nnamdi Asomugha both did it. Uncommonly tall for a corner at 6-foot-3, with 33½-inch arms, Gardner makes it difficult for receivers to escape his clutches. His size and physicality allow him to jam bigger receivers at the line of scrimmage, according to McCourty. What really impresses McCourty is how Gardner can stick to smaller, quicker receivers at the top of their routes. These skills, he believes, could make him one of the best corners of this era. “When you have a longer guy, a taller guy that can run, it’s kind of tough for a receiver,” Tennessee Titans receiver Tyler Boyd said. “It’s tough to just run away from the guy, knowing how long and athletic he is. But don’t get me wrong, he’s beatable. Every DB in this league is beatable.” The Titans proved that Sunday, beating Gardner on a 40-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley. The coverage was tight, but quarterback Will Levis dropped the pass between Gardner and safety Chuck Clark. All told, Gardner allowed five catches for 97 yards when targeted, his most yards allowed as the nearest defender in his career, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. It was an uncharacteristic day for Gardner, who rarely surrenders chunk plays. Afterward, in the locker room, he was shaking his head. “I still don’t know how he caught that,” he said. IN THE SEASON-OPENING loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Gardner recognized a gadget play was coming. On a third-and-5 from the Jets’ 29, he alerted teammates to watch for a reverse. Linebacker C.J. Mosley heard him before the snap, adjusted and helped trap wide receiver Deebo Samuel in the backfield. Mosley credited Gardner, calling him one of the smartest players on defense. “He’s become a real student of the game,” Mosley said. “He’s a lot more vocal than he was as a rookie.” Gardner made the tackle and was credited with his first career sack because of Samuel’s intention to throw a pass. “He’s a film junkie,” Allante said. Allante said Gardner watches about an hour of game film every night in his home theater, learning opponents’ tendencies and critiquing his own performance. He described it as a singular focus, saying his brother possessed it at an early age. “He’s a different guy,” Allante said. “He don’t drink, he don’t smoke, he don’t party.” Outside of football, Gardner plays video games — he’s an accomplished gamer — and hones his golf swing in his home simulator. Golf is a new passion. He proudly declares that he broke 90 for the first time before training camp. Life is good for Gardner. Business is booming. The price for Gardner will increase in the coming years, perhaps next year, when he’s eligible for a contract extension. The ceiling on the cornerback market was raised recently, when Jalen Ramsey ($24.1 million per year) and Surtain ($24 million) signed extensions. With another good year, Gardner could leapfrog both to become the highest-paid corner. Gardner received a phone alert when Ramsey’s deal was completed, saying his first thought was: “Dang, Pat wasn’t even the highest-paid corner for a day.” He applauded the contracts, noting that corners finally are closing the gap with the highest-paid receivers, but said he’s not looking ahead to his potential blockbuster deal. Gardner’s job as a corner is to make those receivers seem invisible. He’s also had a knack for making quarterbacks shy away from him. In two games, he has been targeted only eight times as the nearest defender, having allowed five receptions for 97 yards. In the offseason, he asked the coaches to give him the added responsibility of covering the opponents’ No. 1 receiver. Philosophically, the Jets’ staff is opposed to doing that on an every-down basis, citing scheme and personnel considerations, but they’re giving him a taste of it. In the opener, Gardner traveled with Brandon Aiyuk for a handful of plays and allowed no catches. In Week 2, despite the long touchdown to Ridley, Gardner was given a huge responsibility with the game on the line. In the final minute, with the Titans in the red zone, down by a touchdown, Gardner shadowed DeAndre Hopkins on four straight pass plays. Levis avoided that matchup. The result: Three incomplete passes, a sack and a 24-17 victory for the Jets (1-1). “We have a special talent in No. 1,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said, “and Sauce can do some things that are so unique and special.” Gardner welcomes the challenge. He doesn’t mind playing on an island, the same way Revis did back in the day. Given his dislike for vacations, it might be the only island he enjoys.

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Revised schedule of Pakistan vs England Test series announced

Published

11 گھنٹے ago

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ستمبر 20, 2024

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Players from the Pakistan and England teams during a match. — AFP/File

KARACHI: Pakistan’s cricket board on Friday announced a revised schedule for a series it will hold against England next month, ending weeks of uncertainty including reports it could be moved abroad.

The first two Tests will be held back-to-back in Multan and the last in Rawalpindi, skipping Karachi where ongoing construction at the National Stadium has forced the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to tweak the schedule.

“The series will start in Multan with the first Test from October 7-11 and the second Test — originally scheduled for Karachi — has been shifted to Multan, as the stadium in Karachi is undergoing (a) major facelift for next year’s Champions Trophy,” said a statement from the PCB.

The second Test will start from October 15, while the third in Rawalpindi will be staged from October 24.

The England men’s cricket team will arrive in Multan on October 2 for their second tour of Pakistan in two years.

The announcement ended weeks of frustrating wait by the England and Wales Cricket Board who were seeking clarity on the schedule.

Moreover, there were media reports of shifting the series to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where Pakistan was forced to play its home matches from 2010 to 2019.

Revised schedule:

7-11 Oct – First Test, Multan

15-19 Oct – Second Test, Multan 2

4-28 Oct – Third Test, Rawalpindi

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ICC delegation satisfied over Champions Trophy 2025 preparations

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13 گھنٹے ago

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ستمبر 20, 2024

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The grand National Bank Stadium, previously known as National Stadium Karachi, pictured before a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match between Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans on March 13, 2020 in Karachi, Pakistan. — AFP

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the International Cricket Council (ICC) met Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and discussed arrangements made for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in the country next year. 

The ICC envoy expressed satisfaction in Karachi and Rawalpindi for the preparations ahead of the tournament. 

The delegation was also satisfied with the security arrangements and protocols in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. 

A detailed discussion on security arrangements for the tournament also took place in the meeting, said a press release.

The ICC delegation included ICC Senior Manager Events Sarah Edgar, Event Manager and Champions Trophy Event Lead Aun Muhammad Zaidi, General Manager Cricket ICC Wasim Khan, Security Manager David Musker and Broadcast consultant Mansoor Manj.

From the PCB, Director International Cricket Usman Wahla, Director Security Colonel (retired) Khalid Mehmood, and Head of Marketing Salman Mesud attended the meeting.

PCB Chairman Naqvi assured the ICC delegation of world-class arrangements for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

He further said that the upgradation work of the stadiums will be completed well before the tournament, and foolproof security arrangements will be made for all participating teams.

“Hosting the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan is an honour, and preparations are being finalised to match the grandeur of the tournament,” the cricketing body chairman stated.

Naqvi assured the ICC that all teams participating will enjoy playing in a peaceful and secure environment.

“After the upgradation, the stadiums will be equipped with international-standard facilities, enhancing the spectators’ experience,” Naqvi added regarding the work at the stadiums that will host the mega event next year.

“The Pakistani nation has a deep love for cricket and will support all teams during the mega event in February and March next year,” Naqvi concluded. 

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