In a week, the Minnesota Vikings — like the NFL’s other 31 teams — will need to go from 90 players down to 53. That basic reality didn’t stop GM Nolan Teasley from doing a bit of shuffling.
The latest update out of Minnesota involved news that the Vikings fired a pair of players. Alongside those moves was the decision to bring two new guys to town. Check out the word from the team: “The #Vikings have signed DL Jonathan Harris and TE Matt Lauter. CB Tyreek Chappell and DL Taki Taimani have been waived-injured.”
The Vikings Fired a Pair Before Hiring a Pair
For a little while, Taki Taimani has seen his roster spot in peril.
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Originally, the DT got added as an undrafted player following the 2024 NFL Draft. He made the team as a rookie, playing modestly. In 2025, Taimani hung around but mostly as a practice squad player. Seeing Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange added made life pretty difficult for the young DT with size.
Setting Taimani free is bad news for him. The upside, though, is that he has an early jump on the roster craziness that’s going to get set off later this week once all teams start setting talent free.
Aug 17, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end Treyton Welch (82) runs the ball as Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Taki Taimani (94) tackles him during the third quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports.
To function as a one-for-one replacement for Taki Taimani, the Vikings have brought Jonathan Harris to town.
He’ll be familiar to some since he’s both an NFL veteran and former Viking. At 6’5″ and 295 pounds, Mr. Harris is more of a 3T/5T whereas Taimani is a 1T. In a general sense, think the difference between Kevin Williams (3T) and Pat Williams (1T).
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Moving on from Tyreek Chappell isn’t much of a surprise, either.
Right now, the talk of the town in Minnesota’s secondary is Jacob Thomas. He’s a safety instead of a corner, but that may not matter too much. Minnesota won’t have too many open slots in that secondary for unproven talent.
All of Byron Murphy, James Pierre, Isaiah Rodgers, Chuck Demmings, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, and Jakobe Thomas are assured or close to assured of a roster spot. That’s eight slots filled for what will be somewhere around ten-to-twelve openings.
Guys such as Jacob Thomas, Dwight McGlothern, Zemaiah Vaughn, Tavierre Thomas, and Kahlef Hailassie (among others) have all looked more promising than Chappell. He, too, will get a jump within one of the NFL’s craziest times for subtracting and adding talent.
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Dec 1, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus (44) and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) and linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill (54) react after Minnesota Vikings cornerback Shaquill Griffin (1) made an interception late during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
What’s a touch surprising is that Minnesota opted for a tight end instead of somebody else for the secondary. Are the Vikings searching for something specific at TE?
The position’s top two slots are filled by T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver. Rookie fullback Max Bredeson is going to get tossed into the mix at the position due to his versatility. There’s then Ben Yurosek alongside Gavin Bartholomew as the most likely options to earn the TE3 job but Bryson Nesbit and Marshall Lang are standing in their way.
Can Matt Lauter add value at a tight end position that’s sneaky competitive? He’s a 2026 UDFA who has already done some work with the Raiders and Titans.
Last week, the Vikings made a move to bring a new o-lineman to town. So, too, did the edge rusher spot get some tweaking in the move for Kenny Dyson, somebody who made an early impression by snagging a sack against the Ravens.
Aug 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Caleb Banks (95) tackles Baltimore Ravens running back Jonathan Ward (35) during the first half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Next up for the Vikings is a preseason game against the Broncos. Afterwards, the cuts will be plentiful as Minnesota shrinks from 91 players to 53.
It was arguably a career-best performance, in fact, that saw Stevenson become a four-division world champion and cement himself as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound stars.
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Since announcing his landmark promotional deal, though, the American has seemingly progressed no closer to securing an opponent for later this year.
One would suspect that he is planning on fighting once more in 2026, yet there has been no mention of a date or location for his next outing.
In terms of an opponent for 2027, however, the WBO super-lightweight champion could be tempted by a unification match with WBC counterpart Dalton Smith.
The Sheffield man claimed his world title with a fifth-round finish over Subriel Matias in January, but must now make a mandatory defence against former champion Alberto Puello.
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Should he emerge victorious on October 24, then Smith has told talkSPORT that he would be eager to face Stevenson next year.
“All respect to Shakur. I’ve known him [since] the amateurs … He’s always praised me, always given me respect, and I’ll always do that for him.
“He’s one hell of a fighter but, if we can get a fight made, of course I’m grabbing it with both hands. I’ve got the big belief that I’m going to beat him.
“That’s a fight, for me, that rolls back the Ricky Hatton-[Floyd] Mayweather days. You want that big American name so, for me, getting that over here [the UK] or in [Las] Vegas would be a dream come true.”
While Stevenson still holds the WBO title, it remains to be seen whether he will defend the belt or even continue to campaign at 140lbs.
Liv Morgan sent a three-word message after attacking a male WWE star. Morgan is the reigning Women’s World Champion and is a member of The Judgment Day on RAW.
The promotion shared footage today of the champion hitting Kevin Owens with an Oblivion at a live event. Dominik Mysterio followed it up with a 619 for a near fall after his Judgment Day stablemate connected with the move. The company also asked an interesting question in the captions of the Instagram post.
Thanks for the submission!
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“Is this couple goals? 🤨”
Morgan responded to the post with a three-word message, and you can check out her message in the image below.
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“U know it 🫶🔪,” she wrote.
Morgan responded to the promotion’s post on social media today. (Source: WWE on Instagram)
Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio have been in a storyline relationship since SummerSlam 2024. Mysterio used to be in a romance storyline with Rhea Ripley, but betrayed The Eradicator in favor of Morgan at the PLE two years ago.
Rhea Ripley won the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42 but is currently out of action due to a major injury. Becky Lynch and Stephanie Vaquer both recently returned on RAW and are chasing after Morgan’s Women’s World Championship.
Popular WWE star comments on working with Liv Morgan
Dominik Mysterio recently shared what it was like working with Liv Morgan in WWE.
In an interview with Paper Magazine, Dirty Dom noted that he enjoyed working with Morgan and hoped that they remained a storyline couple for the rest of their careers.
“Man, she’s the absolute best. She brings out the best in everybody because she’s always just so positive, very encouraging, honestly, just a joy to be around, and absolutely blessed to be able to work with her. I started off with Rhea Ripley, went on to Liv Morgan. Two of the best of the best. Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about Liv, and I hope that we stay together. We work for a reason. There’s lots of gold around the Judgment Day, and it’s thanks to her,” said Dominik Mysterio.
DOMINIK MYSTERIO CELEBRATING WITH LIV MORGAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RING AFTER SHE BECOMES THE NEW WOMENS WORLD TITLE 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 #WrestleMania
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It will be fascinating to see how long Morgan can hang onto the Women’s World Championship moving forward on RAW.
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India’s hopes of reaching the semifinals of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 ended with a 3-5 defeat against Argentina (Image: IANS)
India’s hopes of reaching the semifinals of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 came to an end on Monday after a 5-3 defeat against Argentina in their final Pool E match at the Wagener Hockey Stadium.India head coach Craig Fulton admitted that his team’s slow start and inability to handle the pressure of a must-win game proved costly as Argentina took control early and held on despite a late Indian fightback.“It was a difficult day today. We didn’t want to end like that. We started poorly, but the second quarter was much better. The third quarter wasn’t good, but then we scored three goals in the last quarter and could have scored the fourth one too from a corner,” Fulton told PTI after the defeat.“Overall, it was a really strange game. We played at a high level in tournament, but in the big games we have to do better,” he added.Fulton also acknowledged that the qualification permutations surrounding India’s semifinal hopes affected the team’s performance.“There were a lot of permutations going into this game that got the better of us. In the last 10 minutes, we played better hockey. That was a little too late,” he said.
Argentina make India pay for slow start
India’s problems began almost immediately as Argentina scored just 41 seconds into the contest. Joaquin Toscani found the net from a tight angle to give Argentina an early lead. The world No. 7 side doubled its advantage in the 16th minute when Nicolas della Torre converted a penalty corner.India responded through Sukhjeet Singh, who pulled one back in the 10th minute with a field goal after a well-worked move involving Abhishek. India had spells of possession in the second quarter but struggled to make the most of their opportunities in the final third. Neither side managed to score in the second quarter, leaving Argentina 2-1 ahead at half-time.
Argentina pull away in third quarter
India needed a strong second-half response but instead found themselves further behind. Three minutes into the third quarter, Tomas Domene capitalised on a midfield dispossession to make it 3-1. India earned several penalty corners as they searched for a way back, but captain Harmanpreet Singh could not find a breakthrough.Argentina then received a penalty stroke just before the end of the quarter after an Indian defensive error. Domene made no mistake from the spot, completing his second goal of the match and putting Argentina 4-1 ahead. The deficit became even steeper in the fourth quarter when Lucas Toscani scored in the 53rd minute to make it 5-1.India finally found their attacking rhythm late in the match. Sukhjeet Singh scored his second goal in the 58th minute with a clever deflection before Hardik Singh converted a penalty stroke two minutes later to reduce the deficit to 5-3.India then earned another penalty corner in the dying seconds, but Argentina goalkeeper Tomas Santiago made the crucial save as the final hooter sounded. With their semifinal campaign over, India will now turn their attention to the classification playoff, where they will face co-hosts Belgium in the seventh-place match on Friday, August 28. India finished at the bottom of Pool E without a point, having also suffered a 3-1 defeat against the Netherlands.For Fulton, however, the immediate focus will be on addressing India’s struggles in high-pressure encounters.“We played at a high level in tournament, but in the big games we have to do better,” the coach said, summing up a disappointing end to India’s World Cup campaign.
It has been a trying few years for the 2019 U.S. Open champion, who underwent brain surgery in 2023 to remove a tumor and has been battling PTSD in the years since the operation. During an interview with Golf Channel in March, Woodland unburdened himself as he detailed how difficult it has been for him to compete on the PGA Tour while dealing with PTSD. Woodland said that going public with his diagnosis felt like lifting “1,000 pounds off his back.” Two weeks later, he won the Texas Children’s Houston Open to lift his first trophy since that Father’s Day in 2019 at Pebble Beach.
“Anybody that is struggling with something, I hope they see me and don’t give up,” a choked-up Woodland said moments after his final putt dropped in Houston.
“It’s just another day, right, that I’ve got to keep healing. Today was a good day. But I’m going to keep fighting. I’ve got a big fight ahead of me and I’m going to keep going, but I’m proud of myself right now.”
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Sunday at the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club was another day for Woodland to be proud of how far he has come, and of the fight and determination he has shown to chase his dreams despite the daily battle he fights with PTSD.
Woodland entered the PGA Tour’s second FedEx Cup Playoff event on the outside of the top 30 looking in. Woodland hasn’t made it to East Lake since 2019 and needed a good week in St. Louis to snap that drought. He opened with rounds of 64 and 65 to jump into contention, but an even-par 70 on Saturday put him behind 54-hole leader Wyndham Clark heading into the final round. While Woodland hoped for a Sunday charge to catch Clark, what he really eyed was a final round where he could calm his nerves and play well enough to finish inside the top 30 and punch his ticket to East Lake.
Clark stumbled early on Sunday, and Woodland found himself one shot off the lead on the 9th hole. Then, he cold-topped his drive into the water and wound up making a double-bogey 6, which dropped him down the leaderboard. While Clark, Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay battled for the trophy on the back nine with Clark eventually winning, Woodland focused on staying calm and in the moment and checking off another milestone in his comeback. He made eight straight pars to begin the back nine and then lost his drive on 18 well to the left. He sent his approach over the back of the green and then chipped to 10 feet. Woodland settled over the 10-foot par putt, knowing a make would extend his season for one more week. He rolled it right in the heart, and as his ball disappeared, Woodland gave a small fist pump, exhaled and looked to the sky as tears welled in his eyes.
“I don’t really have words right now,” an emotional Woodland told CBS’ Amanda Balionis on Sunday after jumping to No. 18 in the FedEx Cup standings. “It took a lot out there. I learned a lot from yesterday. Yesterday there was a lot of noise, a lot of energy, drones. I tried to block it all out and I just couldn’t do it. Today I tried to embrace it, tried to enjoy it. I’ve had a really good year. Through all of the hardships that I had, I’m proud of where I’m at and I just tried to enjoy it today.
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“I’m really proud of myself.”
Woodland praised the St. Louis crowd for the energy they brought all week, but noted that the amplified atmosphere was difficult for him to navigate.
“Every time we’ve been here these fans have been absolutely amazing,” Woodland said. “But it was just a lot going on yesterday. There were drones over my head, and with where I’m at right now, when I hear that stuff, I got to back away and make sure that’s not a threat, and that’s a tough situation. I tried to block it out, and today I knew I couldn’t do that again. Today I tried to embrace it, tried to be proud of myself, tried to enjoy it. And I did a lot better job of that today.”
Woodland now has one win, six top-10s and eight top-25s on the season. He missed four of his first six cuts to start the year, but the interview with Golf Channel at the Players helped turn the tide. Next came the win in Houston, which was proof that Woodland could still chase his dreams while dealing with his new reality. The fact that he’s still playing this week in Atlanta says even more.
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“I’m going to say it’s impressive from where I’ve been, for sure,” Woodland said. “There’s definitely weeks out here where I didn’t even think I would be here this week. To get to next week, I haven’t done it in six years, with everything I battled this year, I’m super proud of myself, I can tell you that.”
Asked what was going through his head when his closing par putt rolled into the center of the cup, Woodland offered a big smile, that of a man who fights a daily battle and does so because he refuses to give up on his dreams.
“That it’s over with,” Woodland said.
It was. But it will start again on Thursday in Atlanta. That’s another challenge Woodland will be ready to embrace.
Robert Sanchez: An early kicking error gifted Fulham a corner. He should have saved King’s equaliser at his near post, while his initial save for Fulham‘s second was parried into a dangerous area, allowing Garcia to score. 3
Josh Acheampong: The 20-year-old produced a fine double clearance and block in the 27th minute and looked solid throughout. 6
Maxence Lacroix: Remarkably involved in both of Chelsea‘s first two goals, with his headed clearance leading to the opener and his run down the right and cut-back setting up Rogers. 7
Levi Colwill: An early mistake left him fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after a foul on Bobb. He was also partly at fault for Fulham‘s second goal after failing to clear a deep cross. 5
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Malo Gusto: The wing-back was a surprise selection amid Chelsea‘s injury problems, but his passing lacked conviction at times. 5
Romeo Lavia: Booked early on after a late challenge on Bassey. He grew into the game, however, going close from a corner and moving the ball well through midfield. 5
Reece James: Saw a miscued effort saved in the first half but gradually grew into the game and helped Chelsea gain control. 6
Jorrel Hato: Operating in an unfamiliar wing-back role, the defender produced a promising early dribble and adapted well. 6
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Cole Palmer: Simply the best player on the pitch. Palmer was creative, physically impressive and produced several superb dribbles before scoring an excellent third goal. He looks refreshed after the summer break. 9
Morgan Rogers: An outstanding debut. Pressed aggressively, had a shot blocked, played in Joao Pedro and then capped his display by scoring Chelsea‘s second with a far-post finish. 8
Joao Pedro: Opened the scoring after 31 seconds with a deft finish over Leno. He also exploited Fulham‘s high defensive line intelligently to set up Palmer’s goal. 8
Subs:
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Enzo Fernandez (on 65, Lavia): The Argentine was booed by the home fans on every touch of the ball and might not have featured had Moises Caicedo been fit. Still, Fernandez moved the ball around the pitch and fought for possession. 6
Pep Chavarria (on 65, Hato): It was a back-to-the-wall job for the wing-back but he did little of note on his brief debut cameo. 5
UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin says he is “not interested” in replacing Gianni Infantino but warned the under-fire FIFA president must quit or face a leadership challenge.
But Ceferin ruled himself out of a bid to take Infantino’s place, the 58-year-old Slovenian on Monday telling The Rest is Politics podcast: “I’m not interested because of two reasons.
“One reason is that I love UEFA and I love working here, and I think that at a certain point … it’s time to also enjoy life a bit.
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“And the second point is, my credibility is much, much higher if I’m not interested in the position.”
Ceferin has been vocal in his criticism since Infantino revealed his controversial plans to seek private investment in a company to run FIFA tournaments.
He now believes Infantino’s previously impregnable position is under threat, with Ceferin forecasting the Swiss will have to stand down or face a leadership challenge if he seeks re-election at the next FIFA Congress, in Morocco in March.
Infantino, a former UEFA secretary general, had the broad backing of European nations when he succeeded Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016.
But Ceferin, who revealed he has not spoken to Infantino since the start of the controversy, insisted the current situation was very different.
“There are two options,” he said.
“One option is that he (Infantino) realises that he doesn’t have the support, and that’s not only a political support of the ones who vote, but the political support of the football community, the political support of fans, the political support of the players, former players, coaches.
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“And the second option, that he goes to the elections in March, but in that case I think he will have a candidate against him. I don’t know yet who.”
CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and AFC boss Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa are considered two of the most likely challengers for Infantino’s position.
But one piece of gear that has remained consistent over the years is Clark’s glove. The six-time PGA Tour winner has worn the FootJoy Pure Touch Limited glove for every victory, the first of which was in 2023 at the Wells Fargo Championship.
“I am really particular with my glove,” Clark said of the Pure Touch in 2024. “I like it to fit tight and have that consistency. I know with FootJoy that every time I open the packet and put a fresh glove on, that it will feel the exact same as the previous one I was wearing.”
Clark is not alone in his love for this particular FootJoy model, as a number of other top players like Cameron Young, Justin Thomas and Matt Fitzpatrick also opt for the Pure Touch.
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What is it about this glove that makes it so beloved? Buyer reviews online cite the super-soft feel, excellent grip and superior fit, thanks to a targeted elastic, which is strategically placed to mold to your hand, producing a precise and consistent fit every time.
This 100 percent Cabretta leather glove is designed for serious players who prioritize fit and feel. Compared to FootJoy’s other popular glove, the StaSof, the Pure Touch offers more moisture management but sacrifices a bit of durability. You can identify the best glove for your game with FootJoy’s handy online tool here.
Check out the FootJoy Pure Touch Limited glove in detail below, and click the link to order yours now.
FootJoy Men’s Pure Touch Glove Experience Pure Feel Experience Pure Feel. Pure Touch® Limited golf gloves are the standard in product leadership, innovation excellence and outstanding performance for the serious player. Shop golfing gloves at FJ – the #1 glove in golf. Product Details LIMITED Due to the exclusive leather specifications and strict manufacturing process, the PureTouch glove will be available in a limited number of shops. EXCEPTIONALLY SOFT Exclusive select Cabretta leather offers a supple feel achieved through utilizing proprietary leather preparation techniques. TAILORED FIT A targeted elastic is strategically placed to deliver a precision fit.
One of those men was Billy Joe Saunders, who Canelo defeated by eighth round retirement back in May 2021 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
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Saunders hasn’t competed since that date, but over five years on he has now hinted at making a return, and it seems that the current level of competition is one of the things motivating him to lace up the gloves once again.
Speaking to Talksport, Saunders explained how he believes he is still more than capable enough to defeat his rivals, even if he doesn’t fully get back to 100%.
“There is something inside me where I don’t want to retire on a loss. I’ll be very honest, I think if I’m 70% of the fighter going back to what I was, boxing ability, IQ, movement, everything else, I don’t see anything around at the minute that I look at and would worry about, but you don’t really know that until the bell goes ding.”
Saunders is a two-weight world champion, having held both the WBO middleweight and WBO super-middleweight titles, but at 36-years-old, he will likely have to make a decision soon on whether or not he does indeed plan on stepping through the ropes again.
It didn’t take long for Cristiano Ronaldo to return to his goalscoring ways with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo on Friday made his first appearance for Al-Nassr since the 2026 FIFA World Cup and scored in the 83rd minute, just 22 minutes after coming on as a substitute. Ronaldo skillfully shielded the ball upon receiving a pass from Ayman Yahya from the right wing and scored with his left foot.
This marks Ronaldo’s first goal of the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League campaign and his 977th career goal. Al-Nassr opened the Saudi Pro League season with a 3-0 win over Al Fateh on Saturday, August 15th and currently sit at the top of the table. Al-Nassr won the Saudi Pro League last season, ending Ronaldo’s five-year stretch without a major club trophy.
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Ronaldo is expected to retire at the end of the season, stating last week that this was “probably my last year of football.” Ronaldo’s contract with Al-Nassr expires June 2027.
Gilas Pilipinas’ Kai Sotto during a Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers 2025 game against Hong Kong at Mall of Asia Arena. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–Kai Sotto is raring to help Gilas Pilipinas get back on track in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers in his return to national team duties after almost two years.
Gilas got a big boost after Sotto showed up in the early phase of preparation for the crucial home games this weekend against Jordan and Iran at Mall of Asia Arena.
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The 7-foot-3 is expected to play a prominent role in Gilas’ bid to improve its 2-4 record, currently sitting out of the top four spots in Group E, and there’s an urgency to win most, if not all games of the second round.
“It’s a huge pressure for us,” Sotto said during Monday’s press conference arranged by the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas at Mall of Asia Arena.
“But that’s the pressure that we need. Since the start of practice, we’ve been improving. And as long as we help each other and we trust each other, we’ll get what we want.”
Sotto last played for Gilas in November 2024 at the Asia Cup Qualifiers, and his presence was sorely missed since.
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Coach Tim Cone was initially lukewarm with the prospect of Sotto joining, given that he has spent most of the offseason playing pickup games in his hometown of Las Piñas, getting married to actress Rere Madrid, and awaiting the birth of his first child.
There were also reports that Sotto continues to pursue his NBA dream, this time by way of playing in the US NCAA.
“It wasn’t until two or three days before we started [practicing] that we got confirmation that Kai was going to join us,” Cone said. “We’ve always been in conversations with him and his group. So we were surprised as everybody else.
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“But it was like, we were jumping for joy that he decided to join us,” he added.
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