The Philadelphia 76ers have officially confirmed the signing of LeBron James, signaling a monumental shift for the franchise.

The announcement was underscored by a striking image: James’ blue No. 23 jersey, complete with a crown resting on the shelf above it – a clear nod to his iconic “King” nickname – hanging prominently in a locker.

The 76ers also posted a message on X that read: “A city fit for a king. Welcome to Philly, @KingJames.”

The two-year deal, valued at the veteran’s minimum of $8 million, was finalized on Monday, officially making the four-time NBA MVP a Sixer. This move follows James’ revelation on social media last Friday that he had strongly considered retirement, calling his decision to join Philadelphia his “last decision.”

“There is no doubt LeBron is one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball and there are no words to measure the impact he’ll have on this organization,” stated team president Mike Gansey.

James, the NBA’s career scoring leader, expressed his enthusiasm for the new chapter.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” he said. His dedication was evident even before the official announcement, with James posting workout videos on his Instagram story Monday morning, captioned: “It’s that time again. 4:12 AM. Let’s get it.”

The four-time NBA champion had previously indicated he was “done” after his 23rd NBA season, his last with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, he reversed course to join a Sixers team already boasting All-Star starters Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown. Despite this talent, the franchise has not won an NBA championship since 1983, nor advanced past the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs since 2001.

James, who will turn 42 in December, appears ready to tackle the challenge of transforming the Sixers into champions, much as he did when he ended Cleveland’s 56-year championship drought by leading the Cavaliers to the title in 2016.

Team owner Josh Harris echoed this sentiment, saying, “I cannot wait to see LeBron alongside Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and our talented roster as we work to deliver a championship for Philly.” Last season, the Sixers finished 45-37, ultimately being swept in the second round by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks.

James’ resume is unparalleled in NBA history, featuring 22 All-Star selections, 21 All-NBA honors, four MVP awards, four NBA Finals MVP titles, and three All-Star Game MVP awards, in addition to being a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

He averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game last season, with career averages of 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists across more than 1,600 games. His career has seen him win titles with Miami (two), Cleveland (one), and the Lakers (one), making him the first player in NBA history to be named an NBA Finals MVP with three different franchises.

The move also marks a reunion for James with Mike Gansey, who was appointed Sixers president in late May. Gansey, who joined the Cavaliers in 2011 and served as their general manager since 2022, shares a history with James dating back more than two decades as Ohio basketball stars. Gansey was runner-up to James for Ohio’s Mr. Basketball award in 2001.

“I have had the pleasure of knowing LeBron since high school and have seen the high-level impact he’s produced at every stop of his basketball journey,” Gansey remarked. “He is a consummate professional, the ultimate competitor and a tireless worker. But he is also an incredible person with natural leadership traits, a family man, and someone who possesses unwavering commitment to community and those around him.”

Tyson Fury has revealed his exact thoughts when Anthony Joshua was nearly beaten by Kristian Prenga on Saturday.

Joshua was going up against Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in his warm-up bout before looking to move towards his long-awaited showdown with Fury later in the year.

‘The Gypsy King’ had held up his end of the bargain by claiming an uneventful seventh round retirement win over Mariusz Wach 24 hours earlier in Thailand, with it believed that Joshua’s outing against Prenga would be just as straightforward.

It nearly didn’t transpire that way though, as ‘AJ’ was dramatically knocked down twice in the opening round of the contest, before he recovered and heavily dropped his rival in the second round to earn the knockout win and prevent a huge upset from taking place.

Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh posted highlights of the fight on his Instagram account, where Fury has commented and seemingly expressed his concern that the battle with Joshua almost didn’t come to fruition.

“Wow, wtf 🤬”

More detailed comments from Fury are expected in the coming days, as he will likely double down on past claims that his rival doesn’t have a good chin. Despite the scare, the pair of British heavyweights will now turn their attention fully to one another, with the pair expected to finally meet in November.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee for fans that it will take place in the United Kingdom, with Madison Square Garden in New York believed to be the current frontrunner to stage the contest between the two British former world heavyweight champions.

Not everyone is looking forward to the bout following this weekend’s action, with one top trainer claiming that Joshua is ‘shot to bits’ after the performance against Prenga.

Darts sensation Luke Littler is set to front a new Netflix series, Beat Luke Littler, which will see amateur players challenge the world number one.

The live event offers a substantial £501,000 prize to any of the 20 chosen participants who can defeat the 19-year-old prodigy.

Aspiring contenders can enter open regional heats, scheduled to take place in London and Manchester this September.

Littler himself launched the call for participants through a video message, where he was seen addressing social media comments from individuals confident in their ability to beat him.

Looking at the camera, he says: “Reckon you could beat me in a game of darts? Let’s go.”

The show will air on Friday, 30 October, live on Netflix.

Those looking to take part can visit beatlukelittler.com for more information on how to apply.

Littler began playing darts when he was just 18 months old and reached the PDC World Championship final at age 16, losing to Luke Humphries.

His breakout year came in 2024 when he won the Premier League and Grand Slam of Darts.

He became the youngest world number one at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship in January 2025 at just 17 years old.

On Sunday evening, Littler bulldozed his way to a second consecutive Betfred World Matchplay title as he crushed Gerwyn Price 18-9 in Blackpool.

The 19-year-old averaged 111.53 in the final, setting an average for the tournament as a whole of 111.04 to break Phil Taylor’s record of 106.31.

Littler also broke his own competition record for 180s as he hit 12 in the final to reach 66 for the week. Littler became only the third man to successfully defend the Matchplay final after Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, who did it most recently in 2016.

It keeps Littler on course for a clean sweep of trophies in 2026, having already won the World Championship, UK Open, Premier League and the Masters, while he will defend the Grand Slam, Grand Prix and Players Championship Finals.

When his MBE was announced in June 2025, Littler said: “This is an amazing and unexpected honour but one which I am very grateful for.

“To receive a recognition like this is something I had never thought would be possible and it is a proud moment.

“It’s unbelievable what I’ve done for my sport. I’m happy, my family is happy and I can’t wait to receive it.”

The Buffalo Bills do not need new uniforms. Since ditching the panels of their early-2000s kits, they’ve remained one of the NFL’s best dressed teams. Between the red, white and blue colors and the clean stripes on the sleeve and down each leg, Josh Allen has played some incredible football and looked good doing so.

That left a difficult encore for the franchise’s designers. They needed an alternate kit, leaning in to the eight teams that unveiled special NFL Rivalry uniforms last year. It’s not only a way to sell more replicas, but a chance for the team to represent Buffalo in a new way that calls back to the traditions of the grand city on Lake Erie. They settled on “Nickel City” as a theme — an ode to the blue collar workers across western New York.

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That’s great, but when you’re starting at a point close to perfection, there’s a lot more that can go wrong than go right. The Bills put this on full display Monday when they released their alternate uniform. It, uh, sure does look like a bunch of nickels in jersey form!

The distinguished racing chapter of top jumper Stern Idol is scheduled to conclude following his next start in the Crisp Steeplechase next Sunday.

Stern Idol will aim for a fourth victory in the Crisp Steeplechase (4200m) prior to his retirement.

Ciaron Maher offered glowing commendations for the nine-year-old, suggesting he might be the most accomplished jumper to have passed through his stable in over 20 years of training.

“Bashboy won three Nationals, which is hard to do at a handicap level, but this horse is quicker, (and) is quite possibly the best jumper I’ve ever had, but it’s hard to quantify eras,” Maher commented.

“There was also Al Garhood and Regina Coeli (both Grand Annual Steeplechase winners), they were rippers and Regina Coeli has produced a horse called Melek, who is by St Jean, and I did have quite a few enquiries after he won his maiden here on debut.”

Originally destined for the Melbourne Cup after being bred in Ireland, Stern Idol had his initial races in France before being brought to Australia to join Maher’s stable with a jumps career in mind.

Stern Idol has compiled a record of 18 wins from 43 starts, earning close to $1.1 million in prize money.

Maher stated that retirement was approaching for the gelding, whom he described as the largest horse to have been in his stable, due to the limited number of suitable races available.

He acknowledged the sadness associated with Stern Idol’s retirement, considering how infrequently the horse has raced throughout his career.

“He doesn’t race that much,” Maher remarked.

“A lot of jumpers have half-a-dozen runs before they get to a hurdle race. He has one 3000-metre run on the flat every prep and he’s very competitive.

“He ran the other day on the flat because we missed a run (at Hamilton).

“There’s no reason why he couldn’t race on, but there’s only a couple of races a year that he can run in.

“He won the Brierly Steeplechase this year with 75 (kilos), so he’s going to get more next year, the Grand Annual is too far, so there’s only the set-weight races he can run in, and the Crisp is the next one which he will run in.

“He’s just a beautiful horse. He’s lived at Ballarat his whole life, they know him, they love him, they understand him very well, but he’s a little bit quirky.

“He’s got a lot of sass for a big steeplechaser. He wears earmuffs, he gets around always on the job, and you wouldn’t know he’s a nine-year-old.

“He’s just a cracking horse.”

Get the latest insights on the upcoming Crisp Steeplechase and explore betting markets for the race.

Wrexham are closing in on the signing of Crystal Palace defender Danny Imray.

The versatile full-back – who can also operate at right wing-back – had loan spells with Blackpool and West Bromwich Albion last season.

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He is now expected to seal a move to north Wales and become the Red Dragons’ first signing of the summer.

Imray, 23, featured in Crystal Palace’s 3-0 friendly defeat by his former club Bromley on Saturday but is expected to be left out for their pre-season Como Cup schedule in Italy.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has been determined to bolster his wing-back options following Issa Kabore‘s return to parent club Manchester City after his loan spell at the Stok Cae Ras last term.

Imray is yet to make a senior appearance for Palace, although he has gained plenty of experience at first-team level elsewhere.

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Imray was immediately loaned back to Chelmsford City after securing a permanent switch to Selhurst Park in 2021.

He made 43 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals, during a season-long loan spell with Bromley in 2024-25.

Imray then spent the opening half of the 2025-26 campaign on loan at League One side Blackpool before joining Championship West Brom in January.

He featured 17 times in all competitions for the Baggies, including in a 2-2 draw with Wrexham at The Hawthorns in April.

Having made 13 first-team signings last summer on the back of securing automatic promotion from League One, Parkinson will not be making wholesale changes to his squad before the 2026-27 campaign.

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However, a goalkeeper, a centre-back, a central midfielder and a forward are all potential additions alongside Imray.

India’s Gyaneshwari Yadav continued the country’s impressive run in weightlifting as she bagged India’s fourth medal in weightlifting and fifth overall after winning the silver medal in the women’s 53kg weightlifting event on Sunday.

The Chhattisgarh lifter joined Rishikanta Singh Chanambam (men’s 60kg) and Muthupandi Raja (men’s 65kg) in winning weightlifting silver in Glasgow.

Gyaneshwari started strongly as she recorded a successful 88kg lift in the snatch in her third attempt to break the Commonwealth Games record temporarily before the eventual gold medallist, Nigeria’s Onome Omolola, broke it two attempts later with her 93kg lift.

Similarly, Gyaneshwari broke the clean and jerk record with her 111kg lift in her third attempt, but Omolola broke it soon after with her 113kg lift to successfully defend her Commonwealth Games gold medal.

Canada’s Rebeka Groulx walked away with the bronze medal.

Who is Gyaneshwari Yadav?

Born in 2003, Gyaneshwari Yadav hails from Bhodiya village in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh. She is among India’s brightest young weightlifting talents and has steadily risen through the ranks with consistent performances on both the domestic and international circuits.

An Assistant Sub-Inspector with the Chhattisgarh Police, Gyaneshwari has balanced her sporting career with public service while establishing herself as one of India’s leading lifters in the lighter weight categories.

She was honoured with the Gundadhur Samman, Chhattisgarh’s highest sporting honour, in 2025 after an impressive run on the international stage, including a fifth-place finish at the 2024 World Weightlifting Championships in Bahrain.

Rise through the ranks

Gyaneshwari first came into the national spotlight through a string of medal-winning performances at domestic championships before earning regular opportunities with the Indian team.

Her rise accelerated following the International Weightlifting Federation’s restructuring of weight categories, with the Chhattisgarh lifter adapting quickly to the women’s 53kg division.

She impressed at national selection trials and consistently improved her totals on the international circuit. Ahead of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, she was ranked No. 1 among eligible Commonwealth lifters in the women’s 53kg category based on qualification totals, making her one of India’s strongest medal hopes.

Breakthrough on the international stage

The biggest breakthrough of Gyaneshwari’s career came at the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Gandhinagar.

Competing before a home crowd, she lifted 88kg in the snatch and 106kg in the clean and jerk for a personal-best total of 194kg. The performance earned her silver in the snatch and bronze overall in the women’s 53kg category.

Her 88kg snatch also set a new Indian national record, while she finished just one kilogram behind Vietnam’s Nguyen Hoai Huong in the race for the overall silver medal.

The Asian Championships performance established Gyaneshwari among the continent’s top lifters and confirmed her credentials as one of India’s brightest medal prospects heading into the Commonwealth Games.

A rising star for India

Gyaneshwari’s progress over the past three years has been remarkable.

From representing India at the 2024 World Championships to standing on the podium at the Asian Championships and now winning a Commonwealth Games silver medal, she has consistently improved against elite international competition.

Her ability to produce her best lifts on the biggest stages has made her one of India’s most dependable weightlifters in the lighter categories and strengthened her credentials ahead of the next Olympic cycle.

What’s next for Gyaneshwari Yadav?

Winning a Commonwealth Games silver is another significant milestone in Gyaneshwari’s career, but the 23-year-old has even bigger targets ahead.

She is expected to spearhead India’s campaign in the women’s 53kg category at future World Weightlifting Championships, Asian Championships and the qualification events leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

With an Indian national record, medals at the Asian Championships and now a Commonwealth Games silver already to her name, Gyaneshwari has established herself as one of India’s most promising weightlifters. If her upward trajectory continues, she could become one of India’s leading medal hopes on the world stage over the next two years.

India’s medal count rises to five

Gyaneshwari Yadav’s silver medal in the women’s 53kg event took India’s medal tally to five at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. The Indian contingent now has one gold, three silver and one bronze, with weightlifting accounting for four of the country’s five medals so far.

India’s medal winners at CWG 2026 so far: