Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of the late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has died, according to his alma mater, La Salle University.

After months of planning, it’s time for the U.S. Olympic team — one that will go to the Paris Games later this month seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal — to take the floor.

Coco Gauff has moved into the fourth round at the French Open by beating Australian Open semifinalist Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 6-4.

Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers received some special footwear Saturday, courtesy of Kobe Bryant’s widow.

The Los Angeles Lakers say they’re planning to fix a handful of errors on the base of their recently unveiled statue of Kobe Bryant outside their arena.

The Los Angeles Lakers have unveiled a statue of Kobe Bryant, honoring their late superstar with a 19-foot bronze likeness outside their downtown arena.

R&B icon Usher has announced a new North American tour.

Luka Doncic and Devin Booker went on another NBA scoring spree on Friday night.

Luka Doncic scored a franchise-record 73 points, tied for the fourth-most in NBA history and surpassed only by Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant, to power the Mavericks to a 148-143 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Joel Embiid scored 70 in Philadelphia.

The mother of a 10-year-old child who was sentenced by a Mississippi judge to three months of probation and a book report for urinating in public has refused to sign his probation agreement and has asked for the charge against her son to be dismissed.

A 10-year-old Black child who urinated in a parking lot is being sentenced to three months’ probation.

James Harden scored 17 points in his first game of the season, but the Los Angeles Clippers fell too far behind with a rough start to the fourth quarter and the New York Knicks beat them 111-97.

Aaron Rodgers’ season ended after just four snaps.

Natalia Bryant threw out the first pitch before the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted the Atlanta Braves on a night honoring the Lakers franchise for which her father Kobe starred.

This week’s new entertainment releases include Olivia Rodrigo's much-anticipated sophomore album, LaKeith Stanfield starring in the eight-part horror fantasy series “The Changeling” and Disney's live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” starring Halle Bailey.

The Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue of Kobe Bryant outside their downtown arena on Feb. 8.

Kobe Brown thought he deserved to go higher in the NBA draft and he’s beginning to show why.

There’s Kobe, wearing the uniform of a team from Los Angeles.

Carmelo Anthony, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in the NBA, announced his retirement on Monday.

The Denver Nuggets are rolling along behind their dynamic duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

The Black College World Series played this week in Alabama hopes to spur pro careers amid declining numbers of U.S.-born Black players in the major leagues.

Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem is toward the end of what has been a 20-year NBA career.

The NBA will have an international player as its scoring champion for the second time.

The Los Angeles Lakers have retired Pau Gasol's No. 16 jersey.

The family of the late Kobe Bryant has agreed to settle legal issues surrounding photos of the body of the NBA star and others who were killed in a 2020 helicopter crash.

USA Basketball put together different rosters for all six World Cup qualifying windows, and coach Jim Boylen noticed the same two things with each of those groups.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is well on his way to catching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on more than the NBA’s career scoring list.

In a season where big numbers have become the norm, Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell put up the biggest numbers of all Monday night.

Donovan Mitchell set a Cleveland record with 71 points, most by an NBA player in 17 years, and the Cavaliers rallied from 21 down to beat the Chicago Bulls 145-134 in overtime.

LeBron James scored 26 points and Anthony Davis added 23 to help the Los Angeles Lakers to their first win of the season with a 121-110 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

LeBron James has just one player left to catch in his pursuit of the NBA's all-time scoring record.

A federal jury has found that Los Angeles County must pay Kobe Bryant’s widow $16 million for emotional distress caused by deputies and firefighters sharing photos of the bodies of the NBA star and his daughter taken at the site of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed them.

Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa testified she was only beginning to grieve the loss of her husband and their 13-year-old daughter in a helicopter crash when she was faced with the fresh horror of learning that deputies and firefighters had shared photos of their remains.

A documentary on the 2008 U.S. men’s basketball team known as the “Redeem Team,” with executive producers including LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, will premiere on Netflix this fall.

The Memphis Grizzlies are in line to be part of the NBA's Christmas showcase for the first time.

A lawyer for the widow of Kobe Bryant told jurors that a “culture of callousness” led Los Angeles County deputies and firefighters to share photos of the remains of Kobe Bryant and other victims of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the Lakers star, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven others.

A Los Angeles prosecutor says the killing of Nipsey Hussle was premeditated by a man charged with fatally shooting the Grammy Award-winning rapper outside his clothing store three years ago.

A person with knowledge of the decision says Darvin Ham has accepted an offer to be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

A jersey worn by Kobe Bryant in his rookie season, including two playoff games, will be sold at auction.

The Los Angeles Lakers have fired Frank Vogel.

The story of Lusia Harris only gets better: It’s now won an Oscar.

Antawn Jamison knows what it's like to play basketball with Michael Jordan in a pickup game while in college — and what it's like to go up against MJ in the NBA, too.

Michael Jordan gave way to LeBron James in the NBA of the 2000s, just as traditional forms of communication began to yield to the birth and growth of new media.

Kyrie Irving scored a career-high 60 points, most in the Nets’ NBA history, to lead Brooklyn to a 150-108 victory over the Orlando Magic.

The NBA celebrated its diamond anniversary with a sparkling tribute to honor 75 years on the hardwood floor.

LeBron James is getting the chance to live out his childhood All-Star dream.

Spike Lee will direct a multi-part documentary for ESPN on Colin Kaepernick that features extensive interviews with the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback and access to his personal archive.

Vanessa Bryant will be recognized as one of the leading women in sports at an event during Super Bowl week.

Lawyers for Los Angeles County failed in their bid to persuade a federal judge to end Vanessa Bryant’s lawsuit over gruesome photos of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant, her daughter Gianna and seven others.

The Dallas Mavericks have retired the No. 41 of franchise icon Dirk Nowitzki.

Michigan defensive back Dax Hill started in the Orange Bowl against third-ranked Georgia after his late arrival in Florida.

Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio has suffered a season-ending left knee injury.

Nic Claxton threw down a tiebreaking alley-oop over LeBron James with 40.7 seconds left, and James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets returned from a week-long COVID-19 hiatus to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 122-115.

The NBA’s Christmas message to its teams was a refrain it has been using for weeks: Get boosted.

The NBA's five-game Christmas Day slate will be played as scheduled, but with many big names absent.

Jayson Tatum scored 37 points and the Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles 130-108 in Lakers star LeBron James’ return.

The Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles will be renamed Crypto.

A judge has ruled that Kobe Bryant’s widow must turn over her therapy records to Los Angeles County in her lawsuit claiming she suffered emotional distress after first responders shared photos from the site of the helicopter crash that killed the basketball star and his teenage daughter.

A federal judge says Kobe Bryant’s widow won’t have to undergo psychiatric testing in her lawsuit over graphic photos of the helicopter crash that killed the basketball star, her 13-year-old daughter and seven others.

Coca-Cola has completed its acquisition of sports drink brand BodyArmor.

Kobe Bryant’s widow said she pleaded with the Los Angeles County sheriff to make sure no one takes photographs from the site of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the basketball star, and he reassured that the area had been secured.

Los Angeles County is seeking to compel psychiatric evaluations for Kobe Bryant’s widow and others to determine if they truly suffered emotional distress after first responders took and shared graphic photos from the site of the helicopter crash that killed the basketball star, his teenage daughter and seven others.

The Milwaukee Bucks are staying home for Christmas, which is becoming an annual perk for reigning NBA champions.

Russell Westbrook is realizing a childhood dream by coming home to play for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson is among the NFL players who took advantage of a rule change allowing more options for jersey numbers this year.

Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James have long wanted to be on the same team.

Major international basketball is back in the Tokyo area for the first time since a memorable world championship in 2006.

Jayson Tatum was 15 when he made his first USA Basketball national team.

Jason Kidd is coming back to Dallas again, this time to replace the coach he won a championship with as the point guard of the Mavericks 10 years ago.

Kobe Bryant’s widow has agreed to settle a lawsuit against the pilot and owners of the helicopter that crashed last year, killing the NBA star, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic was the runaway MVP this season, which made it a virtual certainty that he would also be an All-NBA first-team selection.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each scored 31 points — the second straight game they have both had over 30 points — and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Utah Jazz 118-104 in Game 4 Monday night to even their Western Conference second-round series at two games apiece.

The Phoenix Suns completed a four-game sweep of Denver to reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2010.

Nikola Jokic was revealed Tuesday as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for 2020-21, making him by far the lowest draft pick ever to win the award.

Devin Booker scored 22 of his 47 points in a phenomenal first quarter, and the Phoenix Suns won their first playoff series since 2010, eliminating the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers with a 113-100 victory in Game 6.

LeBron James has entered unchartered waters.

Anthony Davis had 34 points and 11 rebounds, LeBron James added 21 points and nine assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers celebrated their first home playoff game in more than eight years with a 109-95 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Kobe Bryant is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame now, along with contemporaries Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, headliners of a group of nine who got their delayed and long-awaited enshrinement on Saturday night, more than a year after being announced as the Hall’s Class of 2020.

Seth Curry scored 20 points, Joel Embiid had 13 points and 11 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers clinched the top seed for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference with a 122-97 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

Vanessa Bryant got a private tour to see some of the newly remodeled Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday, viewing the exhibit that will honor the life and legacy of her late husband before the rest of the world gets their first look.

Kobe.

Court documents say two Los Angeles County firefighters could be fired and a third suspended after some first responders took and shared graphic photos from the site of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his teenage daughter and seven others.

Michael Jordan will present Kobe Bryant for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next month.

FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2017, file photo, from left, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, wife Vanessa and daughter Natalia Diamante Bryant are seen before an NCAA college women's basketball game between Connecticut and UCLA, in Los Angeles. Vanessa Bryant says she is focused on finding the light in darkness in an emotional story in People magazine. She details how she attempts to push forward after her husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter Gigi died in a helicopter crash in early 2020. Vanessa Bryant said her devotion to her daughters Natalia, Bianka and Capri have been a saving grace. Vanessa Bryant said she wants to honor her husband and daughter’s legacy by creating opportunities for young female athletes.

FILE - In this Jan. 28, 2020, file photo, images of Kobe Bryant are displayed as fans enter Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse for an NBA basketball game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New Orleans Pelicans in Cleveland. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced Tuesday, March 2, 2021, that the 2021 induction ceremony will take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on October 30. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)CLEVELAND – The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced Tuesday that the 2021 induction ceremony will take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on October 30. President and CEO Greg Harris said the ceremony's move to the fall will likely stick, going forward, news outlets reported. Last year’s ceremony was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, and eventually replaced with an HBO special honoring the inductees.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)New Orleans forward Zion Williamson now can be called an NBA All-Star, and only three others in the game’s 70-year history have gotten there at a younger age. Phoenix’s Chris Paul is an All-Star for the 11th time, and Brooklyn’s James Harden is one for the ninth consecutive year. The rest of the reserves include Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic from the Eastern Conference, along with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George, Utah teammates Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and Portland’s Damian Lillard from the Western Conference. But this will be his first time in the All-Star Game itself.

(AP Photo/Jim Mone)The voters have spoken: They wanted LeBron James of the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers to be an All-Star captain, again. James and Durant were revealed Thursday as the leading fan votegetters in the Western and Eastern Conferences for the All-Star Game, meaning they’ll be captains for the matchup in Atlanta on March 7. James will start for the 17th time, extending his record, and Durant is an All-Star for the 11th time. James — the leading overall votegetter this year, with more than 5.9 million votes from fans — and Durant will then pick their teams, with the rosters for Team LeBron and Team Durant to be revealed March 4. The game has been criticized by some of the league’s top players, James included, who voiced concerns about having it during a pandemic.

For the G League Ignite, it was a beginning. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)For the G League Ignite, it was a beginning. “Can’t wait for the next game.”The 18 teams in the G League bubble will all play 15 games in the regular season. Not every NBA club sent its affiliate to the G League bubble, for a variety of reasons. “My understanding is they’re all just eager to play.”The G League did not crown a champion last season.

“Here is a case where a pilot who is well regarded apparently got into a very bad situation,” Sumwalt said. AdThere were 184 aircraft crashes between 2010-2019 involving spatial disorientation, including 20 fatal helicopter crashes, the NTSB said. Vanessa Bryant has sued Island Express Helicopters Inc., which operated the aircraft, and its owner, Island Express Holding Corp. She said Zobayan was not properly trained or supervised and should have aborted the flight. Island Express Helicopters Inc. denied responsibility and said the crash was “an act of God” that it could not control. Lawyers for Berge Zobayan and Island Express declined to comment on the NTSB findings.

(James Anderson/National Transportation Safety Board via AP, File)The federal investigation into the helicopter crash that killed former NBA star Kobe Bryant and eight others has put a renewed spotlight on a long-known danger of flying: Pilots who become disoriented when they can't see their surroundings. Investigators said Tuesday that pilot Ara Zobayan lost his bearings during the Jan. 26, 2020, flight when he flew fast into low clouds. In 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., who was not certified for instruments-only flight, likely crashed into the ocean off Massachusetts after being disoriented by haze that obscured the horizon, the safety board determined. Instrument flying is standard among airline and military pilots and used when conditions don't allow a pilot to fly by sight. Even pilots who don't expect to fly by instruments must receive some training in the skill.

The helicopter pilot entered an area of dense clouds and experienced spatial disorientation due to weather, according to investigators. Spatial disorientation is an aviator’s inability to determine angle, altitude or speed. AdNTSB accident data suggests that spatial disorientation may be a precursor to many general aviation accidents, particularly in night or limited visibility weather conditions. Instrument and VFR pilots are subject to spatial disorientation and optical illusions that may cause loss of aircraft control. It’s unsettling to think about, but the NTSB says all pilots at sometime or another will experience spatial disorientation.

Officials believe Zobayan may have also felt “continuation bias,” an unconscious tendency among pilots to stick with the original plan despite changing conditions. The crash led to widespread public mourning for the retired basketball star and several lawsuits, and prompted state and federal legislation. But NTSB investigator-in-charge Bill English said the system, which was not on the helicopter, would probably not have prevented the crash. Federal lawmakers have sponsored the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act to mandate the warning systems on all helicopters carrying six or more passengers. Island Express Helicopters Inc. denied responsibility and said the crash was “an act of God” that it could not control.

Federal safety officials are expected to vote Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, on what likely caused the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others to crash into a Southern California hillside last year, killing all aboard. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, file)LOS ANGELES – In the year since the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant crashed into a hillside on a foggy morning, killing all nine aboard, there’s been plenty of finger-pointing over the cause of the tragedy. AdFederal lawmakers have sponsored the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act to mandate the devices on all helicopters carrying six or more passengers. Zobayan’s brother said Kobe Bryant knew the risks of flying in a helicopter and his survivors aren’t entitled to damages from the pilot’s estate. Vanessa Bryant also sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, accusing deputies of sharing unauthorized photos of the crash site.

(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)Fans looking for pregame entertainment before the Super Bowl will have another option this year. Shaquille O'Neal will be holding the virtual SHAQ Bowl on Feb. 7. It's one of the few events taking place in Tampa, Florida, since many parties that traditionally take place during Super Bowl week have been canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The SHAQ Bowl takes the place of Shaq's Fun House, which had been held the past two years in Atlanta and Miami. The SHAQ Bowl also has its own halftime show with Migos and DJ Diesel performing.

James’ push of the 76ers big man got him hit with a flagrant 1 and Embiid cried foul. Harris swished a jumper with 3 seconds left, ending the Lakers’ 13-0 run and sending Philadelphia to a 107-106 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday night. The 76ers lead the East at 13-6 and the Lakers are 14-5 in the West. James hit Anthony Davis for the go-ahead basket with 11.2 seconds to go for a 106-105 lead and cap that run. YOU AGAINGreen and backup center Dwight Howard played key roles in the Lakers’ championship last season.

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers' Dylan Windler (9) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)CLEVELAND – Back home, LeBron James kept the Lakers perfect on the road. When James was short with a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter, the unidentified Cavs executive celebrated. It was only James' second trip back to Cleveland since he left the Cavs for the second time as a free agent after the 2018 season. “It's more of a somber-tone-type-of-day.”The Lakers are spending the night in Cleveland before flying to Philadelphia — Bryant's hometown — on Tuesday.

Harden and Durant each scored 20 points despite three relatively quiet quarters, and the Nets broke away with a big run in the fourth to beat the Miami Heat 98-85 on Monday night. Kyrie Irving added 16 points for the Nets, who completed a sweep of the Heat in two games that couldn't have been more different. “I think our defense held tight the whole game,” Durant said. Miami took a 45-41 edge into halftime, going just 4 for 19 on 3s but doubling the Nets' makes after they went 2 for 17. Nets: Durant missed his first six 3-point attempts before sinking one in the third quarter.

Not long after came a seismic jolt, the helicopter crash of Kobe Bryant in the fog-shrouded California hills that reverberated across sports and across continents. Deep into the year, a bookend to Bryant, Diego Maradona died from a heart attack in Argentina weeks after brain surgery, the waves of grief rippling across soccer. The losses, of course, came against a backdrop of a pandemic, its number of fatalities rolled out daily on TV screens. Niekro won 318 games and pitched until he was 48, his knuckleball dancing and mystifying batters across the decades. Kurt Thomas in 1978 became the first U.S. male gymnast to win a world title but lost an Olympic shot in 1980 because of the boycott.

FILE - In this Aug. 6, 2020, file photo, the Olympic rings for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 pass by on a barge by tugboats off the Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo. Tokyo Olympic officials said Thursday, Dec. 24, they have reached a basic agreement with all 68 domestic sponsors to extend their contracts into next year to support the postponed Games. Facing increasingly long odds, some mega-events — the Olympics, March Madness, the Boston Marathon and Wimbledon — pushed the starting line into 2021. … Continue to push (against) everything that’s the opposite of love.”If only for a moment, the pandemic receded into the background. “If we can continue to do that, all of us,” James concluded, “America would be a much better place.”