CNN – Sports

By George Ramsay, CNN When Dane Jackson turned around and looked back at the tower of frothing water above him, he could scarcely believe what he had just experienced. The American has taken his trademark pink kayak to some of the most remote waterfalls in the world, but few, he says, compared to the Santo

By Thomas Schlachter, CNN Expectations were low for the Philadelphia 76ers without MVP candidate Joel Embiid but, led by James Harden, the Sixers secured a huge 119-115 win against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal clash. There have always been question marks surrounding Harden’s performances in the playoffs. Critics

By Thomas Schlachter, CNN The Akron General Medical Center, Ohio — the birthplace of the modern NBA‘s greatest matchup and where our story starts. On December 30, 1984, LeBron James was born in that very hospital and, in a script that only the basketball gods could have written, just four years later so was Stephen

By Matt Foster, CNN After retiring from professional football in the NFL earlier this year, JJ Watt is turning his hand to soccer as he and his wife Kealia announced their investment in English club Burnley FC on Monday. In a statement released by the club, JJ Watt said: “When you invest in a club

By Jack Bantock, CNN Despite Tiger Woods’ best efforts to dispel the idea, wins are incredibly hard to come by on the PGA Tour. So when they do arrive, the celebrations can be emphatic: Tony Finau does things a little differently. Hours after clinching the Mexico Open title with a three-shot win over world No.

By George Ramsay, CNN Two stoppage-time goals, including a dramatic winner from substitute Diogo Jota, saw Liverpool’s 4-3 victory against Tottenham Hotspur come to a frenetic conclusion — so much so that manager Jürgen Klopp injured himself while celebrating. Richarlison’s late header, which followed goals from Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, appeared to have secured

By Ben Morse, CNN There have been plenty of games in which Steph Curry’s basketball greatness has been evident. Sunday was another one. Curry scored a playoff career-high 50 points in Golden State’s 120-100 Game 7 victory against the Sacramento Kings, securing a 4-3 best-of-seven NBA playoff series win for the Warriors. He set the

By Issy Ronald and Jacob Lev, CNN “Mr. Irrelevant” — the playful name given to the final player selected each year in the NFL Draft — suddenly became relevant last year when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy went 5-0 in the regular season and led his team to the NFC Championship game. So there

By Jacob Lev, CNN The President’s Trophy curse will continue for at least another year as the Boston Bruins fell to the Florida Panthers 4-3 Sunday in an electric Game 7 of the first round of the NHL playoffs. The Panthers got out to a quick start, going up 2-0. The high-powered Bruins came storming

By Aimee Lewis, CNN The final day of the World Chess Championship was always going to be a nervy affair, but few could have predicted just how tense the battle would be. After the classical section of the tournament ended 7-7 after 14 games, the championship between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren went to tiebreaks.

By Issy Ronald, CNN Sergio Perez took a clinical victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, completing a perfect weekend in which he also won the sprint race while his teammate Max Verstappen finished in second. Red Bull’s dominance already this season has been so comprehensive that it seems any fight for the world championship will

By Aimee Lewis, CNN It has been quite the weekend for Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva. On Saturday she celebrated her 16th birthday and also continued her remarkable progress at the Madrid Open. Andreeva, ranked world No. 194 and a wildcard for the tournament, beat world No. 19 Magda Linette 6-3 6-3 on the clay in

By Jacob Lev and Aimee Lewis, CNN When the Toronto Maple Leafs last won a playoff series, George W. Bush was the US President, Lance Armstrong was winning Tour de France titles and The Facebook had just been launched. A lot has happened since 2004, and it has been quite the wait for the Maple

By Issy Ronald, CNN Back in 2007, in the months before Lamine Yamal was born, the first iPhone was released and Lionel Messi was already announcing himself as one of the greatest footballing talents ever. Fast forward to 2023 and smartphones have taken over the world, Messi has won the World Cup and it was

By Issy Ronald, CNN When England’s women first played at Twickenham in 2003, the crowd was scattered about the vast stadium, almost imperceptible in the pictures taken that day. Twenty years later, in the latest historic occasion for women’s rugby, a world record crowd of 58,498 supporters watched England win the Women’s Six Nations by

By Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN The Vesuvius national park authority in Naples, Italy, has announced it will be closing access to the live volcano on Saturday, ahead of Napoli’s potential title-winning game on Sunday. Should Lazio drop points against Inter Milan in an earlier kickoff on Sunday, the Italian side could win its first Italian

By Aimee Lewis, CNN The World Chess Championship has reached a thrilling finale, with the title set to be decided Sunday by tiebreaks. World No.2 Ian Nepomniachtchi and China’s Ding Liren were 6½-6½ going into Game 14 of the best-of-14 game series. A point for either player in the final classic game Saturday would have

By Matt Foster, CNN Most people’s idea of fun wouldn’t involve running for hours on end through brutal, undulating terrain — but ultra-marathon sensation Courtney Dauwalter is no ordinary person. While an ultra-marathon is technically defined as any race longer than 26.2 miles, Dauwalter’s exploits tend to take place at distances far greater than that,

By Issy Ronald, CNN Just when it seemed as if the playoff series between the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins couldn’t contain any more drama, it delivered a pulsating Game 6, complete with a spectacular between-the-legs goal, four goals in seven minutes and a shock 7-5 victory for the Panthers. By the second period it

By Aimee Lewis, CNN Hollywood great Jack Nicholson watched the LA Lakers put on a dominant display against the Memphis Grizzlies Friday in Game 6 of the first-round series. Cameras captured the longtime Lakers fan embracing and chatting to LeBron James before the game in a moment widely shared on social media. According to ESPN,

By Ben Morse, CNN We’ve seen it before. Those cutaways during the NFL Draft to hopefuls waiting for their names to be picked as other players are chosen ahead of them. Expressions range from confusion and disbelief to awkwardness and anger. Some eventually iconic names have had to run the NFL Draft greenroom gauntlet in

By Ben Morse, CNN Barcelona reached its third straight Women’s Champions League final with a 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Thursday, ensuring the Spanish club advanced 2-1 on aggregate. Caroline Graham Hansen — who scored the only goal in the first leg — once again struck midway through the second half to give the Spanish

By Aimee Lewis, CNN “It’s an underdog story,” says Gene Warman, an Ohio native sitting in a bar with his son in a city neither had heard of this time last year. “It’s a wonderful thing.” Warman and his 22-year-old son Andrew are on a four-day trip from the US to watch their new-found love,

By Jacob Lev and Thomas Schlachter, CNN On an evening dedicated to selecting the best new talent to play in the NFL, it turned out to be a player drafted in 2018 who made all the headlines on Draft Night. The NFL’s 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens agreed in principle to a

By Matias Grez, CNN Any Time, Any Place — just not in Atlanta on Thursday. Boston star Jayson Tatum apologized to Janet Jackson after the Celtics’ 128-120 Game 6 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Jackson had been scheduled to perform a concert at the Hawks’ State Farm Arena on Thursday, but — in a turn

By Matt Foster, CNN USA Boxing, the national governing body for the sport in the country, terminated its membership of the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA) on Wednesday as a result of the organization’s failure to address issues which saw the IBA’s International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognition suspended in 2019. USA Boxing, which had been

By Ben Morse and Jill Martin, CNN Brittney Griner said during a news conference on Thursday that she’ll “never go overseas again” to play basketball, unless it’s for the Olympics after being detained in Russia. The two-time Olympic gold-medalist spent nearly 300 days in Russian custody following her detention in February 2022 and was sentenced

By Matias Grez, CNN Four years ago, on a warm Spanish summer’s evening in Madrid, Tottenham Hostpur was just 90 minutes away from reaching the pinnacle of European football. Win or lose against Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final, Spurs could be excited about the future of their club. In the Premier League, then

By Thomas Schlachter, CNN The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-99 to hang on to their NBA playoff dreams and force Game 6. When the Lakers took a 3-1 series lead, it looked like it was game over for this young Grizzlies team. Head coach Taylor Jenkins had questioned the maturity levels of

By Ben Church, CNN Ukrainian soccer player Taras Stepanenko still remembers the intense fear he felt as he heard the sound of gunfire and explosions during the initial days of Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine. The 33-year-old was hiding in a basement in Kyiv with his family as Russian troops approached the city. “You’re

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Ime Udoka addressed the “poor decision” that led to his departure from the Boston Celtics as he was announced as the Houston Rockets’ new head coach Wednesday. In September, Boston suspended Udoka for the entire 2022/23 season for violating team policies, following an investigation into his conduct by an independent law

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl XLV champion Aaron Rodgers was introduced Wednesday as the New York Jets‘ newest signal-caller. “This is a surreal day for me after spending 18 years in the same city,” the Jets quarterback told reporters. “I’m here because I believe in this team. I believe in

By Ben Morse, CNN Like spring, the NFL Draft signals a season of hope and joy renewed. This season’s edition is no different, with the teams at the top of the order hoping their selections will breathe fresh life into their organization. The Carolina Panthers showed their ambition by trading up to acquire the first

By Thomas Schlachter, CNN Manchester City landed a key blow in the English Premier League title race after the defending champion secured a 4-1 win against current leader Arsenal. The game encapsulated the differences between the two sides and showed where they are in their respective evolution. The home side took control of the game

By Sammy Mncwabe, CNN Poland’s state-owned airline LOT refused to board Russian tennis player Vitalia Diatchenko in line with restrictions introduced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the carrier said in a statement to CNN on Wednesday without naming her. Diatchenko was denied boarding a LOT flight departing from Cairo on Monday as she was traveling

By Matias Grez, CNN Trae Young’s clutch three-pointer secured a shock 119-117 win for the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 to cut the Boston Celtics’ first-round series lead to 3-2 and take the match-up back to Atlanta. Few people expected the Hawks to stave off elimination on Tuesday — including, it would seem, organizers at

By Ben Morse, CNN They couldn’t, could they? Days after Wrexham’s promotion from the National League for the first time in 15 years, the club’s Hollywood owners are making an audacious attempt to complete a signing fit for a movie script. The target of their efforts? Oh, just arguably the greatest Welsh footballer of all

By Jill Martin, CNN US long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall has been stripped of her recent national indoor title and hit with a one-month suspension after a positive test for cannabis, the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Tuesday. USADA said Davis-Woodhall tested positive for THC, a chemical found in cannabis, marijuana and hashish. Her positive test

By Ben Morse, CNN Heading into the NFL Draft, there’s always one prospect coming out of college who everyone becomes infatuated with, despite not being the finished article. Sometimes, it’s down to physical traits shown at the Combine; sometimes, it’s down to their personality; or sometimes, it’s down to their display at their particular pro

By Wayne Sterling, CNN New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas called the deal to acquire four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers “historic” for the franchise. Douglas spoke Tuesday on how the trade — which has not yet been finalized as the two teams work out the details — came together.

By Kevin Dotson, CNN Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero was awarded the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy as he was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year on Tuesday The top overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Banchero played and started in 72 games this season with the Magic, averaging a team-high 20 points, 6.9 rebounds

By Matias Grez, CNN Real Madrid’s hopes of catching Barcelona at the top of La Liga were all but extinguished on Tuesday as Los Blancos suffered a shock 4-2 defeat to Girona. Valentín Castellanos had the match of his life, scoring all four goals in the victory to become the first player in more than

By Tim Lister and Olga Voitovych, CNN A little part of Ukraine is reborn in southern Brazil. Just over a year ago, Ukrainian soccer team FC Mariupol disappeared, as the city it represented was pummeled by Russian artillery and bombers. On March 19, 2022, the team was due to welcome FC Kollos to the Volodymyr

By Matias Grez, CNN It’s becoming quite the season for goalkeepers in Chile. Just weeks after Leandro Requena scored what could be the longest range goal in history, Deportes Temuco goalkeeper Yerko Urra also got himself on the scoresheet. With his team trailing 1-0 at home to San Marcos de Arica in the 97th minute,

By George Ramsay, CNN The Tampa Bay Rays made MLB history Monday after opening their season with a 14th-straight win at home. An 8-3 victory against the reigning World Series champions, the Houston Astros, saw the Rays pass the 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers for the longest home winning streak to start the season in the

By Thomas Schlachter, CNN The stars were out in Hollywood as LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers to a thrilling 117-111 overtime win against the Memphis Grizzlies to give the purple and gold a 3-1 first round playoff series lead. Playing in his 20th year in the NBA, James became the oldest player in

By Homero De la Fuente, CNN The Houston Rockets have reached an agreement with Ime Udoka to become the franchise’s next head coach, according to multiple reports, including ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania, citing league sources. In September, the former Boston Celtics head coach was suspended for the entire season by the

By Matias Grez, CNN Jimmy Butler took his ‘Playoff Jimmy’ moniker to new heights on Monday as he scored a franchise playoff record 56 points to lead the Miami Heat to a stunning comeback win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter, the Heat roared back — led by the

By Matias Grez, CNN Winning the Treble is an achievement reserved only for football’s most dominant teams. It takes an elite level of skill, determination and concentration — and no shortage of luck — to claim the domestic league title, main continental tournament and primary domestic cup competition in the same season. Such is the

By Kevin Dotson, CNN The Green Bay Packers and New York Jets have agreed to trade longtime Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the Big Apple, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters Monday. Gutekunst said the trade has not yet been finalized as the two sides work out the details, but he expects the trade

By Ben Church, CNN When the referee blew the full-time whistle confirming Wrexham’s promotion from the National League for the first time in 15 years, the club’s Hollywood owners could scarcely believe it. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who had promised to transform the club after their takeover in 2021, looked temporarily winded and almost

By Jack Bantock, CNN Lilia Vu triumphed at the Chevron Championship on Sunday, besting American compatriot Angel Yin in a playoff to seal the first major of her career in The Woodlands, Texas. Vu had begun the final round four shots adrift of co-leader Yin but rallied with five birdies — including two to close

By Thomas Schlachter and Homero De la Fuente, CNN They say good things come to those who wait, and Drew Maggi has been waiting a long time for his major league call-up. The third baseman for the Altoona Curve — the Pittsburgh Pirates’ AAA affiliate — was drafted by the Pirates in the 15th round

By Matias Grez, CNN The Golden State Warriors narrowly beat the Sacramento Kings in a playoff thriller, winning 126-125 to level the first round series at 2-2. Former Warrior Harrison Barnes, who played a key role in Golden State’s 2015 title run, missed a game-winning buzzer beater that would have given Sacramento a commanding series

By Patrick Sung, CNN FC Barcelona scraped by Atlético Madrid 1-0 at the Camp Nou to extend its lead at the top of La Liga over eternal rival Real Madrid to 11 points. Ferrán Torres’ goal in the 44th minute made the difference, ensuring Atlético continued its 17-year winless drought — with 8 draws and

By Patrick Sung, CNN It’s said that sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you — ironically, the Memphis Grizzlies can now all too familiarly relate. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and center Anthony Davis had strong performances to help lead LA to a big 111-101 win over the Grizzlies in

By Issy Ronald, CNN Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis landed a vicious body shot to knock out Ryan Garcia in the seventh round of their non-title catchweight fight and settle one of boxing’s fiercest rivalries. It didn’t seem like the knockout blow when it landed. Garcia continued for a moment as if it was like all the

By Aimee Lewis and Matt Foster, CNN Wrexham fans will likely be singing into the night, serenading their famous owners in the process, because the wait for promotion is finally over. On a raucous evening at the Racecourse, and with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney — the actors who have transformed the club since their

By Ben Church, CNN Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah says this year’s London Marathon will be his last as the iconic event braces itself for potential protests. The long distance running legend told reporters Thursday that, while he plans to continue competing after Sunday’s race, he likely won’t be racing over the marathon distance again.

By George Ramsay, CNN World No. 1 Iga Świątek enjoyed a winning return from injury as she defeated China’s Zheng Qinwen 6-1 6-4 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany. The Polish star had been away from the tour for more than a month after sustaining a rib injury at Indian Wells in

By Matias Grez, CNN Rafael Nadal admits he doesn’t know if he will recover from injury in time to defend his title at the French Open. The 22-time grand slam champion said in a video posted on social media that his recovery process is taking longer than anticipated, forcing him to pull out of tournaments

By Matt Foster, CNN The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) announced their intention to launch a joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup on Wednesday. The announcement came the same day as global governing body FIFA’s deadline to submit expressions of interest to host the competition. The

By Thomas Schlachter and Homero De la Fuente, CNN New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer was ejected against the Los Angeles Dodgers before the bottom of the fourth inning after umpires inspected his hands and gloves for use of an illegal substance, ruling that the ace’s hand was too sticky. MLB home-plate umpire Dan Bellino

By Jack Bantock, CNN Tiger Woods has completed “successful” surgery on his ankle following his withdrawal from The Masters earlier this month, the 47-year-old announced Wednesday. The 15-time major winner made the cut at Augusta National despite admitting to “constant” pain, only to pull out of the major before the resumption of the rain-delayed third

By Ben Church, CNN Manchester City took another step towards winning its first Champions League trophy after cruising to a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich on Wednesday to secure a 4-1 aggregate win in the quarterfinals. City has now reached the semifinal stage in each of the last three seasons and will play tournament specialist

By Don Riddell and Jack Bantock, CNN In 2013, a 14-year-old Alex Fitzpatrick caddied his older brother Matt to victory at the US Amateur Championship in Brookline, a win that secured the champion an exemption for the following year’s US Open. The rest is history: Matt Fizpatrick would return to the same site in 2022

By Homero De la Fuente, CNN Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Oakland Athletics have signed a binding purchase agreement for land near the Las Vegas Strip, where the team plans to construct a Major League ballpark, according to reports from the Las Vegas Review-Journal and The Athletic, citing Athletics team president Dave Kaval. “For a while,

By Thomas Schlachter, CNN “We’re all in — 100%,” US billionaire businessman Todd Boehly told Chelsea fans upon his arrival at the club in May 2022. Fast forward almost a year, it is safe to say that the American has stuck to his word — though at some cost. The 49-year-old said his consortium would

By Homero De la Fuente and Paradise Afshar, CNN Two former New Mexico State University (NMSU) men’s basketball players filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against former head coach Greg Heiar, three former NMSU players, assistant head coach Dominique Taylor and the NMSU Board of Regents, citing alleged hazing and sexual assault incidents within the team.

By Ben Morse, CNN The Memphis Grizzlies have become known for their unflappable confidence in the face of superstar opposition — and Wednesday night was no different. Game 2 of the best-of-seven NBA playoff series between the Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers was already a chippy affair, but tempers were ratcheted up to another

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said Wednesday he considered walking away from football “for a time” after suffering multiple concussions last season. “I considered it for a time, having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kind of conversations, but it will be hard