Curtis Blair, for the 1st time, is among the 12 referees set to work the NBA Finals

June 3, 2026

SAN ANTONIO — Curtis Blair spent all day Friday checking his email. And Saturday. And Sunday. The list of referees that were selected to work the NBA Finals was about to be revealed by the league, and the waiting was brutal. "Every two minutes, I'd check," Blair said. Friday, nothing. Saturday, nothing. Sunday was mostly gone and Blair was driving home from a weekend visit to his parents' home in Virginia. As he pulled into his driveway, he realized that he had missed a phone call. The caller was Albert Sanders Jr., the executive vice president and head of referee operations for ...

Pepi hung up on US coach last time, now watched his dad’s tears of joy after making World Cup team

June 3, 2026

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — Ricardo Pepi thought back to how much had changed in four years. He hung up the phone when then-U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter called him in November 2022 with the decision to leave Pepi off the World Cup roster. Flash forward to this May 22. Pepi was a passenger in a car ...

Rayan Cherki’s magical skills could be just what France needs in tight games at the World Cup

June 3, 2026

PARIS — If matches get tight for France at the World Cup and a defense is particularly hard for the star-studded attack to breach, Rayan Cherki is a dream player to bring on. The 22-year-old enjoyed a brilliant first season with Manchester City, lighting up the Premier League with his ...

Ghana coach Queiroz explains World Cup selection of Partey while player awaits trial

June 3, 2026

CARDIFF, Wales (AP) — Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz has explained why he picked Thomas Partey in his World Cup squad while the former Arsenal midfielder is awaiting a trial in London on multiple charges of rape. Queiroz cited a presumption of innocence for Partey — who now plays in Spain for Villarreal and has pleaded not guilty — criticized the quick judgements of modern social media and spoke philosophically in comments late Monday ahead of a warmup game in Wales. "Let events run its normal course, let the river flow and one day when the river meets the ocean we will find the ...

Injured Canada captain Alphonso Davies rejoins team but it’s not clear when he’ll play

June 3, 2026

Alphonso Davies has joined the Canadian national team as it prepares for the World Cup, although he's not quite ready to play. The left back injured a hamstring last month while playing for Bayern Munich in 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain that knocked the German club out the Champions League semifinals. On Monday, Davies was on the sideline when Canada beat Uzbekistan 2-0 in a rainy World Cup tuneup in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. The Canadian captain ran laps on the field before the game. "It feels nice to get back on the pitch and do some running. I'm happy to be home, ...

Fact focus: Special teams could determine the Vegas-Carolina Stanley Cup Final

June 2, 2026

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes looks even in a lot of ways, with very little margin for error. Vegas has won 12 of 16 games in the playoffs, including a sweep of Colorado in the West final, while Carolina has taken 12 of 13. ...