Stacey King, a three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, who later spent two decades working as a studio host and color commentator on the team’s television broadcast, has died at 59, the team announced Sunday. 

No cause of death was given. 

“Stacey King was a cherished member of the Bulls family and one of the truly unique personalities in our organization’s history,” Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “His connection to Chicago, the Bulls and our fans spanned more than three decades — first as a player and later as the unmistakable voice that helped bring Bulls basketball into the homes of generations of fans. We will miss him deeply and remember the joy, energy, humor, candor, and passion he brought to our organization, our broadcasts, and our fans every day. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”

An Oklahoma native, the 6-foot-11 King played college basketball at the University of Oklahoma from 1985-89. He helped the Sooners reach the NCAA national championship game in 1988, when they lost to Danny Manning and Kansas, and was named the Big 8 Player of the Year, a consensus First Team All-American and the Sporting News Player of the Year in 1989. As a senior, he averaged 26 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game on 52.3% shooting. 

The Bulls selected King with the No. 6 overall pick in the 1989 Draft, and he joined a team that was coming off a loss to the Bad Boys Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. King appeared in all 82 games as a rookie, and was named to the 1990 All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 8.9 points and 4.7 rebounds off the bench. 

While King never lived up to the hype from his stellar college career or became a full-time starter with the Bulls, he was a part of their rotation throughout their first three-peat from 1991-93. 

King’s most memorable moment with the franchise, which foreshadowed his broadcasting prowess, came after Michael Jordan scored a career-high 69 points during a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in King’s rookie season. “I’ll always remember this as the night that Michael Jordan and I combined to score 70 points,” King joked at the time. 

At the trade deadline in 1994, during Jordan’s first retirement, the Bulls traded King to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Luc Longley and a second-round pick. King stayed with the Timberwolves until 1995, then played one season with the Miami Heat before appearing in a handful of games with the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks during the 1996-97 season. 

“If I would’ve gotten drafted by, say, the Clippers, I probably would’ve been an All-Star, scored a lot of points and never won anything,” King told ESPN in 2011. “And I probably would’ve been frustrated because I love to win more than anything.”

After his NBA days, King played overseas in Turkey and Argentina, and also had a brief stint with the Sioux Falls Skyforce — now the G League affiliate of the Miami Heat — who were then a part of the Continental Basketball Association. King later coached the Rockford Lightning — another CBA team — and the Skyforce before joining the broadcast ranks in 2006.

King was initially a studio analyst before becoming a color commentator. He worked alongside former Bulls legend Johnny “Red” Kerr, Tom Dore, Neil Funk and Adam Amin. King’s good nature and humor made him a fan favorite in Chicago and earned him accolades across the NBA. 

“Basically, in a nutshell, I kind of say things a fan would say on the couch watching the Bulls game,” King told ESPN. “There’s a lot of energy, a lot of fun and some spontaneity trying to capture the moment. There have been a lot of great moments this year; it really has been a lot of fun for me. When you’ve got a good team playing great basketball, it makes your job a lot easier.

“All my stuff is instinctive. I don’t write it down and say, ‘Let me say that.’ It’s fun and the fans get a kick out of it, but I take my job seriously as an analyst. That’s what I do before anything.”

Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa etched his name in the history books as he became the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title with a final-round victory over Germany’s Vincent Keymer here, capping off a brilliant campaign in style.

Praggnanandhaa, who began the final day in third place with 15 points, delivered when it mattered the most, securing a classical win worth three full points to finish on 18 points and clinch one of the most coveted trophies in elite chess.

In doing so, the 20-year-old Chennai player achieved a feat that had eluded even Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand and reigning world champion D Gukesh among others, since the tournament’s inception in 2013.

Competing in Norway Chess for only the second time, Praggnanandhaa endured a slow start in the elite six-player field before gathering momentum in the second half of the event to secure four wins on the trot.

His campaign was highlighted by a remarkable achievement — defeating seven-time Norway Chess champion and World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen twice in classical chess — a rare accomplishment that underlined his determination to bounce back from the disappointment of an underwhelming Candidates Tournament in Paphos earlier this year.

As reigning world champion Gukesh fell out of contention in the closing stages, Praggnanandhaa ensured that India’s challenge remained alive, ultimately carrying it all the way to the title.

The result was made possible after American Grandmaster Wesley So, who led the standings with 15.5 points heading into the final round, was held to a draw in his classical game against Alireza Firouzja, sending their contest into an Armageddon tie-break.

That outcome opened the door for Praggnanandhaa, who knew that a classical victory over Keymer would propel him to the top of the standings and secure a landmark title.

Although Wesley So went on to win the Armageddon tie-break, the victory was worth only 1.5 points, taking his tally to 17 points — one short of Praggnanandhaa’s winning total of 18.

Alireza, who had also entered the final round with title hopes, finished third with 15.5 points.

Meanwhile, Gukesh’s disappointing campaign continued as his third appearance in the tournament ended without the breakthrough he had hoped for in a year when he is set to defend his world title against challenger Javokhir Sindarov.

In the final round, Carlsen, playing with the white pieces, defeated the 20-year-old Indian in a classical game to collect three full points. However, the victory was not enough to propel the Norwegian great into title contention, as he finished fifth in the standings with 13 points.

Alexander Zverev finally secured his maiden Grand Slam title with a dramatic five-set victory over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the French Open final on Sunday. The second seed became the first German man to win a major tournament since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 win after four hours and 16 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier. It was Zverev’s fourth Grand Slam final and second at Roland Garros after some heartbreaking near misses in his career.

Cobolli, the 10th seed, was bidding to become the first Italian man to win the French Open in 50 years.

The 24-year-old had never even played a Slam semi-final before, let alone a final, after his last-four opponent Matteo Arnaldi withdrew from the tournament through illness.

Both players appeared to struggle with nerves at various points in the match, especially Cobolli during an error-strewn first set.

But Zverev’s greater experience showed in a deciding set that was far tenser than the scoreline suggested, as he managed to get over the line.

The 29-year-old was handed a golden opportunity to break his Grand Slam duck by the injury-enforced absence of reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz and surprise early exits for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.

The world number three was not always in control, making 54 unforced errors, but did enough to finally shed the tag of being one of the best players to have never won a major.

Zverev had previously also lost in six Slam quarter-finals and seven semi-finals, alongside his three final defeats.

The most agonising miss of all was his first major final when he blew a two-set lead and failed to serve for the championship against Dominic Thiem at the 2020 US Open.

The now-retired Thiem was watching on from the stands at Roland Garros as Zverev belatedly put the memories of that match to bed six years later.

Cobolli made a nervy start and appeared to be struggling to deal with the occasion as the first set quickly got away from him in 39 minutes, making 16 unforced errors.

He managed to settle into the match with three successive holds of serve in the second set and then made his move out of nowhere to break in the seventh game.

Zverev had been completely untroubled on serve previously, but produced a scrappy game featuring two double-faults and a wild forehand on break point before turning to gesticulate angrily towards his coaching staff.

Cobolli started to grow in confidence and served out the set to breathe life into the final.

A higher-quality third set disappeared from Cobolli’s grasp in the 10th game, though, as from 30-0 up, he lost four points in a row, including a poor forehand that flew well wide on set point.

The world number 14, who will climb into the top 10 for the first time next week, hit straight back with a break in the opening game of the fourth set.

He could not pull away in the set, though, as both players ended up being broken twice, including Cobolli when he served for it at 5-4.

But the Italian rallied himself to push it into a tie-break, which he took to force a decider with a blistering forehand winner on his second set point.

Following a delay before the start of the final act after Cobolli left the court, Zverev struck first blood with a break in the first game.

Cobolli’s hopes were finally all but extinguished when he missed a break-back point and then dropped serve again to slip 3-0 down.

Zverev staved off three more break points in the fourth game and eased to victory from there, falling to the clay in celebration after Cobolli shanked an overhead on his second match point.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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The past few days have produced an interesting debate in Nigerian football. Almost back-to-back, two of the biggest clubs in the country, Rangers International and Rivers United, announced sanctions against individuals they accused of making damaging comments and publications about their clubs.

Rangers International declared that social media influencer Amaechi Foundation would no longer be allowed into the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, while Rivers United announced an indefinite ban on Prince Worlu of Prince CJ Sports World from all club activities and matches.

The actions have generated mixed reactions across the football community.

Let me state clearly from the beginning: this is not about supporting the comments, actions, or publications of the individuals involved. If they have made false claims, defamed anyone, or crossed legal boundaries, there are proper channels for addressing those issues.

My concern is different.

Should a football club have the power to stop a fan or critic from attending matches simply because of comments made on social media?

For me, that is where the real issue lies.

Nigerian football already struggles with attendance. Many league venues have thousands of empty seats every weekend. Clubs spend money trying to attract supporters to stadiums, yet attendance figures remain low compared to what is seen in many football countries.

At such a time, introducing a culture of banning fans over criticism could create a dangerous precedent.

Today it is one social media influencer.

Tomorrow it could be another supporter who questioned a transfer decision.

Next week it could be a fan unhappy with team selection.

Where does it stop?

If every club begins monitoring social media comments and banning people they dislike, we may end up pushing more supporters away from our stadiums rather than bringing them closer to the game.

From my review of the statements released by both clubs, there was no allegation of violence, stadium disorder, physical threats, or actions that endangered public safety.

The complaints mainly relate to publications, videos, criticism, and comments.

Those are issues that can be addressed through civil processes if the clubs believe reputations have been damaged. The police and the courts already exist to handle matters such as defamation, libel, blackmail, and other related offences.

That is why I believe the issue should not rest solely in the hands of football clubs.

If a supporter’s conduct genuinely warrants a football-related ban, then the proper process should involve the relevant State Football Association and ultimately the Nigeria Football Federation. Such a process would provide a neutral platform where both sides can present their cases before a decision is made.

Justice is always stronger when it is seen to be fair and independent.

What worries me even more is the precedent being created.

Rangers International, the reigning league champions, made the first announcement. Shortly afterwards, Rivers United followed with a similar decision.

These are not just ordinary clubs. They are among the biggest and most influential football institutions in Nigeria today. When leading clubs take certain actions, others often follow.

That is why this matter deserves serious attention.

Football has always been a game built on passion and expression.

Across Europe, supporters regularly challenge club owners, executives, and even managers. Fans of Manchester United have repeatedly staged protests against the Glazer family. Supporters of Arsenal spent years displaying banners demanding change under former owner Stan Kroenke. At Valencia, fans have organised demonstrations against Peter Lim. Even at some of the world’s biggest clubs, criticism is part of football culture.

The important point is that disagreement does not automatically make someone an enemy of the club.

In fact, many critics are passionate supporters who simply want their teams to improve.

Of course, criticism should be responsible. False accusations should not be encouraged. Personal attacks should not be celebrated.

But neither should football become a space where only praise is permitted.

A healthy football culture allows room for debate, disagreement, and accountability.

This is why I believe the Nigeria Football Federation should step into the matter before this becomes a common practice across the country.

The NFF has a responsibility to protect not only clubs but also the integrity of the game and the rights of supporters.

If this precedent is allowed to stand unchallenged, we may soon find ourselves in a situation where clubs routinely lock out fans for social media comments, online criticism, or unpopular opinions.

That would not strengthen Nigerian football.

It would weaken it.

Our league needs more supporters, not fewer.

It needs fuller stadiums, not emptier ones.

And above all, it needs a system where justice is delivered through proper football and legal channels rather than through decisions that may appear one-sided.

Football belongs to everyone. The clubs, the players, the administrators, the media, and most importantly, the fans.

Any action that risks driving supporters away from the game should be approached with great caution.

Manchester United summer signing receives Brazil World Cup call-up originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Going into the preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Brazil faced a few questions for its squad, with the health of national treasure Neymar being one of them. While that question mark still remains as he has yet to appear in either of Brazil’s pre-World Cup friendlies, they were hit with another question on Saturday night, when Wesley suffered an injury against Egypt.

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The fullback was taken off the pitch with what would later be reported as a thigh injury by Reuters.

Ancelotti looks towards Serie A for a call-up

Manchester United are in the market for midfield recruits and they’ve been urged to go after PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery

Manchester United have been urged to consider PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery as their next midfield signing this summer.

The Redhave made bolstering their midfield ranks a priority and are closing in on a deal for Ederson. An agreement has been struck with Atalanta but the Old Trafford bosses are hoping to add more than one player.

Zaire-Emery, still only 20 but closing in on 200 first-team appearances, has just won a second Champions League winners’ medal with the Parisians. They have a very settled midfield however which has made it difficult to land game time.

Vitinha, Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz have proved a sensational midfield trio and, should Zaire-Emery want to seek pastures new, United and Michael Carrick have been cited as an ideal destination, especially as the PSG star and United’s new coach played the same position.

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United have been monitoring a number of Premier League midfielders – including Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton and Sandro Tonali – but they could yet look abroad for another signing in that area.

World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf said: “I think that would be a great signing for Manchester United, but he will need players around him to succeed.

“I’m very fond of Michael Carrick and the job he did for Manchester United, and he was playing in the position of Zaire-Emery. So I’m pretty sure he would give him great advice to improve. It could be a great move for him. Zaire-Emery is a warrior. He’s going to sacrifice himself for the team he plays for. That’s for sure. Will he be ready? I’m not sure yet.

“He had a strange season. He finished it well, but he struggled for the first six months. That’s why he didn’t play most games. Maybe because he was wondering if he should stay or not.”

United have already seen Casemiro leave Old Trafford with the club opting against renewing his contract. The Brazilian had hit form under Carrick but age was against him and he’s been allowed to move on.

Manuel Ugarte is another midfielder the club are willing to listen to offers for, which would further their need to bolster their options. Kobbie Mainoo enjoyed a resurgence under Carrick and has re-established himself in the first-team.

NEW DELHI: The stage was set for a memorable century for Rishabh Pant, but the India wicketkeeper-batter chose to throw away the opportunity. Pant, who was removed as India’s vice-captain ahead of the series with the role being handed to KL Rahul, fell for 81 off 121 balls when he miscued an attacking stroke and was caught at mid-off off Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi.

A dismissal that drew criticism from all corners, former India wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim said Pant looked in complete control for most of his innings and was surprised to see him depart in that fashion.

Karim also believed Pant’s dismissal on Day 2 of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mullanpur was more a result of fatigue and dehydration than poor shot selection, after the left-hander’s impressive innings ended on 81.

“I was expecting a big knock from Rishabh Pant because he seemed to be in control, despite that outside edge for which no review was taken,” Karim told Jio Hotstar.

The former national selector felt Pant’s physical condition in the extreme heat may have contributed to the dismissal.

“However, I felt that an over before his dismissal, he was beginning to lose energy. He didn’t seem to have too much gas left in the tank. He required some treatment from the physio, and I think he was getting dehydrated. So perhaps it was a lapse in concentration more than anything else,” he added.

“Rarely do you see Rishabh Pant go for a big shot when both long-on and long-off are stationed on the boundary. He was simply trying to accelerate but didn’t get the right ball to play that shot,” he said.

“Because, whenever he decides to go big, he is usually very decisive with his footwork and the deliveries he chooses to attack,” he added.

Pant’s innings played a key role in India’s commanding first-innings total of 564/8 declared, helping the hosts tighten their grip on the match despite falling 19 runs short of what would have been his seventh Test century.

By Michael Smith

Fifa is offering assurances to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani that fans may bring water into World Cup stadiums — within certain rules.

Mamdani raised concerns Thursday about reports that Fifa had banned fans from bringing bottles of water to World Cup matches, demanding answers from Fifa. 

On Friday, one of Fifa’s top executives, World Cup 2026 Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi, paused during a tour of his tournament operations center in Miami to try to provide some answers. He turned his attention to three water bottles that had been pre-positioned on a desk to his left, television cameras rolling.

“First, what we meant to do when we changed the policy was to avoid these type of containers into a stadium, you know, which can be really dangerous if they’re thrown,” said Schirgi, holding up one metal and one hard plastic reusable bottle. “But, if you show up to the stadium with this,” he said, grasping a filled, 500 ml disposable bottle of water. “You will be allowed to bring this in.”

He said up to 20-ounce sealed bottles of water would be allowed at all matches in US and Canadian stadiums once the World Cup begins in a week. There are still some legal issues to deal with in Mexico before such a policy can be implemented, he said, without going into details.

The confusion came out of a revised version of Fifa’s 35-page Stadium Code of Conduct, which states that reusable water bottles would not be allowed in stadiums because they can be thrown by fans. Previous rules allowed fans to bring empty reusable plastic bottles to matches.

In New York, Mamdani, a notorious soccer fan (his favorite team is Arsenal), reacted quickly to the water rule change, saying he would check into it with Fifa, The Athletic reported.

“We don’t want anyone to be skimping on water because of the cost of the water at the stadium that otherwise they would be drinking,” Mamdani said in a video interview. “We want to make it easy,” he said, pausing to take a sip from a glass of water, “to drink some water.”

Worries about how the high heat of the North American summer in cities like Miami will impact players led Fifa to mandate water breaks during games. The global union professional football players union — FIFPRO — recommends postponing play if temperature levels climb too high. Fifa also said it’s taking precautions like providing drinks, cold towels and shade to meet teams’ needs on match days.

Schirgi said those concerns also include taking steps to protect fans from high heat. 

“You know, the health and safety of our spectators is our foremost objective,” he said.