The Buss family is selling its remaining 17.8% share in the Los Angeles Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger at a $12.5 million valuation, according to ESPN. “We have decided as a family to sell the remaining Buss Family Trust shares to the Bob Iger group as part of the ongoing transaction,” the Buss family said in a statement. “We love the Lakers, Laker fans and will continue to support Los Angeles; but it is time to use this opportunity to move on and exit gracefully while we still can.”

Kushner and Iger purchased control of the Lakers from Mark Walter last week in a shocking transaction. Walter, who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers, bought the team in 2025 at a $10 billion valuation. He is currently under federal investigation for potential financial fraud. The Buss family has had a stake in the Lakers for nearly five decades, with Dr. Jerry Buss becoming the team’s owner in May 1979. The team has won 11 NBA championships in that 47-year span.

When the Buss family originally sold the franchise to Walter last summer, Jeanie Buss was allowed to remain the team’s governor. Jeanie took over as governor after he father’s death in 2013. NBA rules allow for someone to be a team governor only if they own at least 15% of the team, which the Buss family trust retained despite selling majority control to Walter. When Walter became owner in 2025, the NBA said in a statement that Buss would remain governor for at least a five-year term.

Mere hours after the news broke that Kushner and Iger were buying the team, Iger gave an interview to The California Post in which he said that the plan was for Buss to remain governor, but that “if things change, they’ll change.” Now that the Buss family no longer owns the requisite 15% of the team necessary to retain governorship, either Iger or Kushner will presumably become the team’s governor and lead the team moving forward.

The Buss family trust requires four out of the six siblings to vote for a sale of the team. The initial sale of majority control from the Buss family to Walter was driven by Jeanie, according to a lengthy ESPN report in January. That sale allowed Jeanie to retain governorship of the team. However, younger siblings Joey and Jesse Buss, who had held prominent roles in basketball operations for the Lakers, were both fired afterward. Now, according to Yaron Weitzman, all five siblings besides Jeanie executed the tag-along clause in the family trust, stating that they wanted to sell the family’s shares. A 17.8% stake in a $12.5 billion sale would be worth $2.25 billion.

Three big questions after shocking Lakers sale: Dodger-fication on hold? What does this mean for a Vegas team?

Sam Quinn

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The Lakers under Walter had spent most of the past 14 months integrating with his other local professional sports franchise, the more recently successful Dodgers. Now, not only is Walter gone, but so is the Buss family, leaving Kushner and Iger to direct the team as they see fit. What exactly that means for the team’s basketball future is not clear, but it is the end of an era for the purple and gold.

There has been a late addition to the Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic card later this month after an unbeaten British heavyweight was added to the bill in an interesting showdown with a world-ranked contender.

Unbeaten sensation Itauma will meet Hrgovic at The O2 Arena in London on August 29, with the vacant IBF heavyweight title up for grabs for the winner.

Victory for Itauma would see him become the second youngest world heavyweight champion in history, but there are a number of other fighters in the banner division that are trying to earn fresh opportunities after Oleksandr Usyk vacated his unified world titles.

One of the men hoping to break into title contention is Guido Vianello, who is currently ranked 12 in the world with the IBF and 14 with the WBC, and holds a stoppage victory over recent Tyson Fury foe Arslanbek Makhmudov.

He will now feature on the Itauma vs. Hrgovic show, after it was announced that he will go up against unbeaten Welshman Moses Jolly, who holds a perfect 12-0 record, with 8 of those victories coming by knockout.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱: Undefeated British heavyweight contender is coming to the O2 🚨🏟️

Guido Vianello is set for a Jolly-𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙩-up in the capital 🔥#MosesHrgovic | Aug 29 | The O2, London | DAZN pic.twitter.com/SsRgSu5cy3

— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) August 17, 2026

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Vianello represents a big step up in competition for Jolly, but the 30-year-old will see it as a big chance to earn the upset against the Italian and announce himself to a much wider audience.

Other fights that already feature on the Itauma vs. Hrgovic event include a British and Commonwealth welterweight title fight between Constantin Ursu and Ben Vaughan, Sam Noakes going up against Denys Berinchyk, and Alous Youmbi taking on Mike Perez.

The position of pound-for-pound number one has become much more open during 2026, but James Toney offered a left-field selection when asked to name his pound-for-pound king, overlooking each of Naoya Inoue, Oleksandr Usyk and Shakur Stevenson.

As 2025 came to a close, fans were debating whether Terence Crawford becoming a three-division undisputed champion outweighed Oleksandr Usyk’s legendary title reigns at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.

However, Crawford’s retirement and then Usyk’s underwhelming display against Rico Verhoeven in May has blown the debate wide open, with many fans believing that Japanese sensation, Inoue, should take top spot.

Although, in an interview with About Boxing, James Toney selected fellow three-division world champion David Benavidez as his pick, before explaining why, for him, Shakur Stevenson is not in the running.

“I don’t know why [people think Shakur is pound-for-pound number one]. What has he done?

“Wrong era. If he did it [became a four-division world champion] in my era, then it would be very impressive but in this era? No it’s not. 

“It’s his fault because if he wants to be top dog, fight the best fighters out there. Don’t make excuses. I did it, Roy [Jones Jr.] did it, Marvin Hagler did it.

“If you want to talk bad, back it up, like I do, every time.”

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Benavidez halted Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez to claim the unified WBA and WBO cruiserweight world titles with a performance of the year candidate back in May. Next, it seems as though Benavidez will seek to add the WBC marble to his collection, with a fight against Interim champion, Michal Cieslak, currently being rumoured.

For the most part, Minnesota has been a healthy football team. Unfortunately, safety Jamal Adams stands out as the exception since he’s now done for the year.

The Vikings filled the open spot with a young player for the secondary.

Consider what the team’s official social media had to say: “The #Vikings have signed CB @brycephillipsbp and placed LB Jamal Adams on IR.” Obviously, nobody wants to see an injury but this is an instance of Minnesota responding to a minus one with a plus one. The focus now shifts toward what Phillips can do inside a purple jersey.

The Vikings Filled Open Roster Spot: CB Bryce Phillips

Think of the Vikings’ secondary as a singular whole rather than being divvied up into two different positions.

DC Brian Flores doesn’t appear overly concerned about position titles and the perceived limitations that accompany whatever is normal for those spots. A corner who can play free safety will get tasked with doing so; a safety who can play along the edge will do so. Move through the various positions and Coach Flores will consistently demonstrate a willingness to task his players with unusual responsibilities.

Rolling with Bryce Phillips to replace Jamal Adams makes sense within that broader consideration of the defensive backs. Losing a versatile safety hurts. Quite possibly, part of the adjustment means emphasizing a nickel package with three corners rather than three safeties. Beefing up the corner spot is part of that approach.

Bryce Phillips went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft despite tossing up a very promising 8.58 RAS. He played his ball for San Diego State. Once upon a time, Kevin O’Connell played quarterback for the same school. Kansas City scooped him on a three-year deal that saw a whopping $267,500 included as guaranteed money, per Over the Cap.

The Chiefs’ website considered the overall haul of UDFA talents by offering a quick blurb for each player. Consider the assessment of Bryce Phillips:

A two-year starter for the Aztecs, Phillips was on the field for at least 700 defensive snaps (and 350 coverage snaps) in each of the last two seasons. He recorded seven pass-breakups and two interceptions in that time.

Primarily a wide cornerback at San Diego State, the 5-foot-11, 202-pound Phillips began his career at Tennessee State, where he played for two seasons from 2022-23.

In all likelihood, the Vikings could only clear out roster room for a half dozen corners. Of those six possible spots, there are four certainties. All of Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and James Pierre are getting onto the final team. Next up is rookie Chuck Demmings, somebody who has picked up a lot of fans since getting drafted in the 5th Round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s looking like the CB4.

Next up is a collection of roster talent that’s trying to prove worthy of one of those final spots. Think Zemaiah Vaughn, Dwight McGlothern, and various others. Bryce Phillips needs to prove more promising than most of these guys to get onto the 53-man roster.

Moreover, there’s the safety talent to consider. Unless there’s a trade, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, and Jakobe Thomas are getting onto the team. Tavierre Thomas appears quite likely to, as well, since he demanded a pretty good contract. What about Kahlef Hailassie and Jacob Thomas? It’s a less obvious connection, but the safety talent makes the roster battle tougher for Phillips.

Bryce Phillips is listed by the Minnesota Vikings as being 6’0″ and 195 pounds. He’ll need to prove helpful on specials while demonstrating promise on defense. Do that and he’s got a chance to make the final team.

The Vikings will host the Ravens for joint practices in a couple days.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Indian players in action during Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026© X/Hockey India

India made a perfect start as the BWF World Championships returned to the country after 17 years, with all five home entries in action on Monday advancing to the second round at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

The opening day produced victories across men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and women’s doubles for the hosts, but it was 21-year-old Ayush Shetty who provided the defining moment.

The Asian Championships silver medallist stunned top seed and defending champion Shi Yuqi of China 21-14, 13-21, 21-19 in an hour and 13 minutes, overcoming a 0-3 head-to-head record against the world No. 1.

Former world champion P V Sindhu began her campaign with a comfortable straight-game win, while M R Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan progressed in men’s doubles after their Irish opponents retired. Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand and Kavipriya Selvam-Simran Singhi completed India’s unbeaten Day 1 in women’s doubles.

Shetty’s result was also historic for the tournament, with Shi becoming the first defending men’s singles world champion to exit in the opening round.

How did Ayush Shetty stun world No. 1 Shi Yuqi?

Shetty showed little sign of being overawed by either the occasion or his opponent in the opening game.

Playing from the more favourable side of the court, the Indian capitalised on a series of errors from Shi and built an 11-5 advantage at the interval. His attacking game, particularly his smashes, kept the Chinese player under pressure as Shetty took the first game 21-14.

The conditions played a greater role after the change of ends. Shi found more control in the second game and forced the Indian into errors to win 21-13 and take the contest into a decider.

Shetty responded by slowing the exchanges and choosing his attacking opportunities more carefully. He led 11-5 at the change of ends in the third game and then won seven points in succession during a spell that took him to a commanding 16-5 advantage.

Shi, however, produced a late recovery. Better control at the net and deceptive strokes disrupted Shetty’s rhythm, helping the top seed narrow the deficit to 18-15.

The Indian eventually earned five match points with a down-the-line smash. Shi saved the first four, increasing the pressure on the home favourite, before Shetty converted his fifth opportunity to complete the upset.

“I was telling myself to calm down. I was getting a bit nervous because he was really catching up. The momentum was with him and everything I did, he somehow managed to retrieve. So I think I was trying to calm down and, you know, be aggressive,” Shetty said.

Japan’s Yushi Tanaka produced the other notable men’s singles upset of the day, beating China’s 16th seed Weng Hong Yang 21-17, 21-14.

How did Sindhu begin her World Championships campaign?

Sindhu encountered few problems against Ireland’s Sophia Noble, winning 21-7, 21-11 to move into the second round.

The ninth-seeded Indian established control almost immediately, racing to an 8-0 lead in the opening game. Her command at the net helped her close out the game in just 12 minutes.

Noble provided greater resistance after the change of ends and attempted to stretch the rallies by pushing Sindhu deep towards the forehand side.

Sindhu nevertheless remained in control. With the score at 12-10, she won eight consecutive points to reach 20-10 before completing the victory shortly afterwards.

For Sindhu, the first-round match was also an opportunity to understand the conditions at the venue before tougher contests later in the competition.

“I think overall, playing for the first time, it was important for me to get used to the court conditions and see how it is. Today, I think that was the first thing for me that came into my mind. But I think I managed it well and the court conditions are pretty good,” Sindhu said.

She will face Canada’s Wen Yu Zhang in the second round.

How did India’s doubles teams perform on Day 1?

India’s first success of the day came through M R Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan in men’s doubles.

The pair won the opening game 21-16 against Ireland’s Scott Guildea and Paul Reynolds and were leading 6-4 in the second when their opponents retired.

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand followed with a convincing performance in women’s doubles. They defeated Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez 21-9, 21-13 without being seriously threatened.

Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi had to work considerably harder against Spain’s Nikol Carulla and Carmen Maria Jimenez.

The Indian pair trailed 17-20 in the opening game and faced three game points, but produced a five-point run to turn the game around and take it 22-20. They carried that momentum into the second game and won it 21-14 to complete India’s fifth victory of the day.

Which other leading players advanced?

Among the leading men’s singles contenders, fourth seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark defeated Azerbaijan’s Dicky Dwi Pangestu 21-19, 21-17.

Japan’s 10th seed Kodai Naraoka needed three games to get past Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen, winning 21-16, 7-21, 21-12.

In women’s singles, world No. 1 An Se Young of South Korea defeated Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova 21-14, 21-13.