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Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is bringing in a big-name defense attorney following his arrest for alleged illegal gambling. Billups reportedly hired attorney Marc Mukasey, who has represented President Donald Trump and worked with Rudy Giuliani, to represent the coach in the federal investigation, according to The Athletic. 

Mukasey specializes in white-collar defense and has represented many high-profile clients, including Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who was acquitted of murder in 2019, Trump’s real-estate company and his charity. Mukasey is the son of former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey. Both Marc and Michael Mukasey worked as advisers on Giuliani’s presidential campaign in 2007, per The Athletic. March also worked at Giuliani’s law firm. 

Mukasey also has ties to another NBA investigation, as he has represented Joe Sanberg, the co-founder of Aspiration, the company at the center of the NBA investigation into whether the Los Angeles Clippers gave star Kawhi Leonard impermissible benefits to sign with the team.

Billups was arrested as part of a federal investigation Oct. 23 and was previously represented by attorney Chris Heywood, who released a statement that same day saying Billups would fight the charges. 

Billups was accused of being part of a rigged, illegal poker game. Billups was dubbed a “face card” at those games, meaning he was there to legitimize the game and attract prominent clientele. Billups was reportedly aware the game was rigged. The FBI claimed operators involved in the game — which allegedly included members of the Mafia — used an X-ray table, rigged shuffling machines and other methods to cheat other players out of money. 

Billups was one of 30-plus individuals arrested by the FBI on Oct. 23. He wasn’t the only one with ties to the NBA. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones were also arrested last Thursday. 

Shortly after those arrests, both Billups and Rozier were placed on immediate leave by the NBA. Jones is not currently an active player or coach in the league and was not included in the NBA’s statement. 

Neither Billups nor Rozier will reportedly be paid while on leave. The NBPA announced Wednesday that while it agrees “upholding the integrity of the game is of the utmost importance” it would fight the NBA’s decision to withhold Rozier’s pay while his legal situation is still active. 

Billups is set to be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York on Nov. 24, per The Athletic.

Trolling has become an acceptable form of flattery in sports during the social media age, and now it has crept into the religious world.

But apparently that’s what happens when the pope is from one of the most storied sports cities in America. Pope Leo XIV is a Chicago native and a sports fan, with the White Sox ranking No. 1 on his list. On Tuesday, Pope Leo was visited at the Vatican by Mar Awa III, who presented Leo with a custom Cubs Jersey.

Awa, also a Chicago native, is the head of the Assyrian Church of the East and “mistakenly” gave Leo the Cubs jersey as a gift during his visit to Vatican City. It’s more likely that Awa caught wind of Leo’s public interaction a couple of weeks ago, when some yelled out, “Go Cubs!”, to which the pope responded, “Han perdido! They lost!” Awa’s master trolling is even more effective, given how big a White Sox fan Pope Leo is.

The Cubs had a good 2025 season, winning 92 games and finishing second in the NL Central. However, at the time of this Pope Leo interaction with this fan, the Cubs had recently been eliminated in five games by the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.

Formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV grew up a baseball fan on the south side of Chicago, rooting for his White Sox. However, Leo’s father was a St. Louis Cardinals fan and his mother a Cubs fan, residing on the north side of the city.

In 2005, Leo was in attendance to watch his White Sox win their first World Series since 1917. 

The sale of the majority interest in the Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter has been unanimously approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors, the league announced Thursday.

“Mark Walter has a long association with our leagues, having served as a minority owner of the Lakers and as the principal owner of the WNBA’s Sparks for more than a decade,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. 

“As Mark assumes his role as majority owner of the Lakers, I have no doubt that he will be a committed steward of the team and a great addition to our league given his many successful ventures in business and sports.“I also want to thank and congratulate Jeanie Buss and the Buss family for 46 years of transformational leadership and service. While this historic transaction transfers the Buss family’s majority interest in the Lakers, I am thrilled that Jeanie will remain the team’s Governor and an active and engaged member of our league.”

Walter, the CEO and chairman of TWG Global, is also the primary owner and chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he owns stakes in Chelsea in the English Premier League, an F1 team and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, among other things. He held a minority stake of 26% in the Lakers prior to this transaction.

The deal has a valuation of approximately $10 billion, which makes it the largest sale of a professional sports franchise in the world. Todd Boehly, a business partner of Walter’s and co-owner of the Dodgers and English soccer team Chelsea, will be a limited partner in the Lakers.

[Get more Lakers news: Los Angeles team feed]

The Buss family reportedly will keep a minority share of about 15% for at least some time. Jeanie Buss, who has been the team’s governor since 2013, will continue in that role for at least the next five years.

Jerry Buss first purchased the Lakers in 1979 for $67.5 million in a deal that also included the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and The Forum in Inglewood, California. The franchise passed down to his children after he died in 2013. The Buss family owned about two-thirds of the Lakers prior to this sale.

Walter and Boehly first joined the Lakers’ ownership group in 2021. According to a CNBC report earlier this year, the Lakers were valued at about $7 billion, which made them the third-most valuable NBA team behind only the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors.

The Boston Celtics were the last NBA team to be sold when they struck a deal with a group led by Bill Chisholm earlier this year. The group purchased the Celtics for $6.05 billion, which set an NBA record. Controlling ownership of both the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks were sold in recent years, too.

The Lakers have shined under the Buss family’s leadership and become one of the premier franchises in all of sports. They’ve won 11 NBA titles under the Buss family, most recently in 2020, including a rare three-peat from 2000-02 with head coach Phil Jackson and stars Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Most recently, the team stunned the NBA world with its trade to acquire Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić in February.

Walter had the right of first refusal to purchase the Buss family’s 66% share after he bought Phil Anschutz’s stake of 26% in 2021.

Lakers Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson, who has played, coached and served as president under the Buss family — and is part of the Dodgers ownership group with Walter — congratulated both sides on the agreement after news broke in June.

While Jeanie is still set to control the Lakers, the Buss family selling the franchise marks the end of an era for the team that has led the NBA in a number of ways for decades.

It’s only Day 10 of the NBA season, but there is much to unpack. Biggest early surprises? Concerning starts? Under-the-radar developments? And the betting scandal a week later? Our writers weigh in.

What’s been the most pleasant surprise of the season so far?

Dan Titus: The undefeated Sixers are turning heads early. Tyrese Maxey’s MVP-level start — leading the league in scoring — and rookie VJ Edgecombe’s Rookie of the Year buzz have sparked Philly’s 4-0 surge. Paul George and Jared McCain have yet to debut, and Joel Embiid remains on a minutes restriction, yet the supporting cast keeps delivering. Suddenly, the Sixers look like a real threat in the East.

[High Score is a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring. Create or join a league]

Morten Stig Jensen:The Spurs going 4-0 and having the No. 1 defense without De’Aaron Fox and Jeremy Sochan is a pleasant surprise, even if they have yet to meet a top-tier team that can truly challenge them. That type of convincing start underlines their frankly ridiculous collective potential and cements Victor Wembanyama as a clear-cut superstar and, perhaps, a pending MVP this very season.

Kelly Iko: This year’s rookie class isn’t just the Cooper Flagg show. Edgecombe hitting the ground running has been awesome — the 76ers are nine points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor. Cedric Coward (+47!!) has been sensational in his two-way role in Memphis, Dylan Harper (+12.7) has provided value in San Antonio, Tre Johnson and Kon Kneuppel have seen their collegiate sharpshooting carry over to the pros, and the rest of the pack is contributing.

Dan Devine: The Miami Heat offense. After three straight bottom-10 finishes, Erik Spoelstra and Co. spent their summer getting under the hood of a unit in need of a tune-up. What Spo settled on recalls the Chip Kelly-Oregon-inspired approach that revolutionized the Big Three Heat: spread it out and go fast.

They’re prioritizing a more free-flowing, slash-and-relocate-heavy attack predicated on off-ball movement and getting defenders a step behind the play. The early returns have been eye-opening: a dramatically increased rate of shot attempts at the rim and wide-open 3s, stellar starts for damn near everyone (particular shouts to Davion Michell, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and new arrival Norman Powell) and a top-five offense. Whether that’ll continue once defenses get a longer look at it — and when pick-and-roll-loving All-Star guard Tyler Herro returns from injury — remains to be seen. So far, though? Pretty damn good.

Ben Rohrbach: The Bulls are undefeated (4-0) and tied for the Eastern Conference lead, owners of the NBA’s fifth-best net rating (+8.7) through the season’s first week. They are playing fast (seventh in pace) and efficiently (ninth in effective field-goal percentage). Their third-rated defense is also benefiting from some poor shooting, as opponents are making a league-worst 25.9% of their 3-point attempts against them. But they have not yet seen Coby White in uniform. All in all, the Bulls are far exceeding expectations, even if we expect them to fall back to Earth.

Which team’s start to the season is the most concerning?

Jensen: The Magic. Orlando starting the year 1-4, in what was supposed to be a significantly weaker Eastern Conference, right on the heels of pretty substantial upgrades over the summer, is a bit of a problem. The offense has remained so-so, and the defense has somehow slipped to the point of being mediocre. It’s early and there’s time to right the ship, but this team just seems to constantly struggle putting together a strong offense.

Titus: The Pelicans. A new front office under Joe Dumars was supposed to steady things, but a 0-4 start with the league’s worst offensive rating and a bottom-five defense is alarming. With an unprotected 2026 first-round pick owed to Atlanta, New Orleans is running out of excuses — and time. Sound the alarm — it’s officially panic mode.

Devine: I agree that it’s the Pelicans. In the interest of spreading the misery, though: the Raptors, who have lost four straight. The starting lineup of Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl — a quintet to whom they’ve committed north of $700 million — has been outscored by 23 points in 52 minutes and frequently looks like it has either no idea how to execute the defensive scheme that Darko Rajaković has dialed up, or no interest in doing it. Toronto has given up more points per possession than any team besides Brooklyn, which is to say, it’s been the worst defense in the actual NBA.

The Raptors traded draft picks and forked over money hand-over-fist — this team is over the first apron! — in pursuit of a postseason berth, and right now, they look pretty feckless. 

Rohrbach: It has to be the Magic, who are firmly among the weaker teams in a watered-down Eastern Conference, battling early with winless and one-win teams in Brooklyn, Indiana, Toronto and Washington. Their 109.4 points per 100 possessions through the season’s first week has them ranked in the bottom 10 on offense for the umpteenth consecutive year, and the defense, which was supposed to be their calling card, is not any better. It takes time for new pieces to jell, but we expected the Magic to be among the East’s heavyweights from the jump.

Iko: The Suns. I know expectations were considerably lower than most, but Phoenix’s 1-4 start, specifically how it closed Wednesday night’s 114-113 loss to Memphis, is a cause for concern. The Suns are anemic on both ends of the floor — 25th on offense, 26th on defense — and cough up the ball a ton (25th in turnover percentage). Maybe Jalen Green’s debut, which appears imminent, helps lessen Devin Booker’s load. But the optics are in the mud. New head coach Jordan Ott has his work cut out for him.

What under-the-radar development deserves more attention?

Rohrbach: Quietly, or noisily, a pair of contenders, the Rockets and Timberwolves, are in real need of help at the point guard position. Given Fred VanVleet’s injury, we expected the Rockets to struggle there, but Reed Sheppard has not been an answer, and the solution may not be on the roster. In Minnesota, a 38-year-old Mike Conley looks his age. Meanwhile, the defending champion Thunder have developed Ajay Mitchell into one of the league’s best backup point guards. Would they trade him to a rival for the right price?

Devine: You’re to be forgiven if you haven’t paid close attention to the Jazz this season, but they’re playing huge — 7-foot Walker Kessler, 7-foot Lauri Markkanen and 6-11 Kyle Filipowski in the starting lineup — and … kind of kicking ass?

Will Hardy has found smart ways to leverage Markkanen’s knockdown shooting and dangerous off-ball movement, Kessler’s ever-present lob threat as a roll man or ducking in from the dunker spot, and Filipowski’s fill-in-the-gaps playmaking. They’re combining for gigantic pick-and-rolls, developing chemistry in the high-low game and generally taking opponents by surprise with their sheer combination of size and skill. The Jazz are 2-2 with the NBA’s No. 4 offense, and the big fellas have been the biggest reason for what’s been a surprisingly impressive start in Salt Lake City.

Iko: How Davion Mitchell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. have stepped up in Tyler Herro’s absence. Mitchell is assisting on a whopping 42% of his teammates’ buckets (100th percentile), has a mind-numbing 5.53 assist-to-turnover ratio and is leading the charge for the fastest team in the NBA. Jaquez is translating more usage and minutes to a career-high 18.8 points per game, Miami is a +61 (how?) in his minutes, and he is quietly building a case for Most Improved. Erik Spoelstra’s random motion offense is working, and Mitchell and Jaquez are at its epicenter.

Titus: Kyshawn George is quietly building a case for Most Improved Player in just his second NBA season. Playing for the low-profile Wizards keeps him under the radar, but he’s been their best player by far — averaging 20.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5 assists and 2.8 stocks per game with stellar 67% true shooting (9% above league average). George is the real deal.

Jensen: Tre Jones, man. The Bulls’ 6-1 scrappy point guard has been preposterously good to start the season, acting as Chicago’s secondary, and often primary, playmaking initiator. His point-of-attack defense for someone his size is underrated, and he has played an enormous role in Chicago’s strong start to the season. He’s not going to draw headlines, nor will he make an All-Star team, but Jones looks like an absolute rock for this team, which was drastically needed after the Tale of Two Seasons from Josh Giddey last year.

What’s your take on the NBA’s betting scandal a week later?

Iko: The exciting start to the season has been fun to watch, but it’s impossible to ignore this huge cloud hanging over Adam Silver and the league office. It’s still odd how Terry Rozier was previously cleared by the NBA only to be brought back in by the FBI — and Silver’s approach to the proceedings hasn’t appeared to be as aggressive as I expected. We can only assume and hope that the real work is being done behind the scenes, but given this has become such a front-facing issue, more transparency would be appreciated.

Jensen: The integrity of the game does matter, and if players cross a certain line, there should be no going back, which the league underlined via its actions by banning Jontay Porter. That said, there’s no putting the genie back in the bottle on this one, and the NBA must realize its desire for additional income, courtesy of the betting market, will come with consequences. If the league went into this believing all would be fine, then it went into this naively.

Devine: Take it away, Chief Gunderson:

Titus: What’s most troubling isn’t just the scandal itself — it’s the NBA’s response. Commissioner Silver’s measured tone feels more defensive than decisive and the integrity of the league can’t afford gray areas. Gambling isn’t going anywhere, but the NBA needs to prove it’s policing itself before the feds do it for them.

Rohrbach: Ever since gambling was legalized, and since the NBA partnered with the industry, it seemed inevitable that something like this would happen, and it seems inevitable that something like this will happen again. The question is whether this scandal will be a deterrent to potential future misconduct. It should be, but should and will are two different things when the financial incentives are so compelling, and the opportunity remains for systems to be exploited. The league would be wise to address tanking and load management to further any deterrence.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Thursday following his actions during the team’s 144-117 loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday.

The league fined Ball for “making an obscene gesture on the playing court” during the contest. 

The gesture, which resulted in Ball receiving a technical foul, occurred with 4:02 left in the game. With the Hornets trailing 126-105, Ball was called for an offensive charge while trying to drive the lane. Shortly after the call was made, Ball briefly flipped off the ref.

While it was tough to tell exactly what happened in the moment, replays confirmed Ball extended his middle finger in the direction of the official after the call. He was assessed a technical foul for his actions.

It’s not the first time Ball has faced a fine from the league. In 2024, the NBA fined Ball $100,000 after he used an anti-gay slur during an on-court interview following a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. 

In his sixth NBA season, Ball is off to the best start of his career. The 24-year-old is averaging a career-high 26.3 points, 9.5 assists and 8.3 rebounds in his first four games. 

The Hornets are looking to bounce back after a miserable 2024-25 season in which the team won just 19 games. Ball played in just 47 games last year due to ankle and wrist issues. After playing through pain for weeks, Ball had surgery to correct both issues in March. While there’s still a lot of season to go, the early returns from those procedures have been positive.

Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw will never pitch at Dodger Stadium again. With the World Series heading to Toronto for Games 6 and (if needed) 7, Kershaw took part in his final home game Wednesday.

The Dodgers lost that contest 6-1, thanks to Toronto Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage’s dominant start and the Dodgers’ continued offensive struggles. But while the result of the game was disappointing, it wasn’t enough to stop Kershaw from enjoying one final moment at Dodger Stadium.

As he left the field Wednesday, Kershaw acknowledged the home fans one more time, waving to the crowd as he exited the ballpark.

After the game, when all the fans were gone, Kershaw, the Dodgers’ grounds crew and a small party of those close to the pitcher took a couple more moments on the field. Fittingly, most of the commotion took place on or around the pitcher’s mound, where Kershaw built his Hall of Fame legacy.

Kershaw did not make an appearance in his final game at Dodger Stadium. After Dodgers starter Blake Snell allowed five runs over 6 2/3 innings, the Dodgers opted to go with three other relievers to finish the game.

Kershaw has appeared in one game in the World Series so far. He recorded just one out, though it proved to be one of the biggest of Game 3. During the Dodgers’ 18-inning win, Kershaw was called on to get his team out of a bases-loaded jam in the 12th inning.

[Get more Dodgers news: Los Angeles team feed]

It took eight pitches, but he got the job done. Kershaw induced a groundout from Nathan Lukes to end the inning and keep the game tied. Six innings later, the Dodgers won on a walk-off home run from Freddie Freeman. That moment might never have come without Kershaw’s clutch relief appearance. 

While that was a fitting final appearance for the Dodgers’ legend, his last game at Dodger Stadium ended without much fanfare. There was no major celebration for the lefty, just a wave and a private moment on the field with those close to him. 

It was a quiet goodbye, one that doesn’t do justice to the numbers Kershaw put up at Dodger Stadium over his career. In 18 seasons, all with the Dodgers, he posted a 2.26 ERA over 1,479 2/3 innings at home. 

It was perhaps fitting, considering the way Kershaw opted to retire. There was no pomp or circumstance during his final season in the majors. Instead, the 37-year-old announced in September that this year would be his last. No farewell tour or gifts from opposing teams were necessary. 

While his time at Dodger Stadium has ended, Kershaw’s career isn’t over just yet. The team has two potential games left before Kershaw calls it a career. 

That gives Kershaw two more possible chances to add to his Hall of Fame career.

The Washington Nationals have found their new manager, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Blake Butera, a 33-year-old who has worked in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization, is finalizing a deal to take over the Nationals’ job.

According to ESPN, Butera will be the youngest MLB manager since Frank Quilici was promoted midseason by the Minnesota Twins in 1972.

Butera served in numerous roles with the Rays, from player to coach to manager to minor-league field coordinator, before he took over as senior director of player development in October 2023.

[Get more Nationals news: Washington team feed]

As far as managing experience, Butera led the New York-Penn League’s Hudson Valley Renegades for two seasons before guiding Low-A Charleston to a league title in two seasons with the Riverdogs. He compiled a 258-144 record, and his teams finished in first place four times.

In July, the Nationals fired general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez. Bench coach Miguel Cairo served as interim manager for the remainder of the season. Cairo was informed last week that he was out of the mix for the manager’s job, and several coaches were told they will not return unless the next manager decides to retain them.

Paul Toboni, 35, was hired last month as the franchise’s new president of baseball operations.

Butera and Toboni have plenty of work ahead of them. While the Nationals have stars in outfielder James Wood, starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore and shortstop CJ Abrams, they do not have one of the league’s top prospect pools. They did add to it in July by selecting high school shortstop Eli Willits No. 1 overall in the 2025 MLB Draft.

The Nationals have not made the postseason since they won the World Series in 2019. They’ve finished last in the NL East in four of the past six seasons and have lost at least 91 games every year since 2021.