PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers' public address announcer ended a brief retirement over the summer in large part to get behind the mic and do what he did for the first time ahead of the team's annual scrimmage. Matt Cord introduced LeBron James in the Sixers' starting lineup. "At 6-9, from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s, No. 23, LeBron James! James!' Close to 10,000 fans who plunked down $10 a ticket on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) to essentially witness a glorified practice at the Sixers’ home arena went wild for James' debut. No, James didn't wear No. 23. He historically wore No. 6 over his career in practice gear but with that number retired in Philadelphia because of Julius Erving, James went with No. 9. No, the dunks and 3s and assists didn't count in any official capacity. And no, James wasn't even introduced last. That honor remained reserved for Joel Embiid. What the new 41-year-old on the block did do was give — along with Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe — a sneak preview that maybe, just maybe, the long underperforming Sixers might finally rise to the moment this season and meet their championship expectations. “It was a great first step in a direction we're trying to go,” James said. “It was great to hear some cheers from our fans.” Sixers fans that crammed aisles and stairways trying to catch a first glimpse or a snapshot of James were shooed back to their seats. Vendors hawked James merchandise outside the arena and told fans they could own the first pieces of his merchandise. Sixers fans that inched near the court screamed and outright begged James to stop and turnaround and pose for pictures. They also crammed into team stores buying No. 23 jerseys. The Sixers started the scrimmage early with what they hope is a familiar sight: Maxey in transition hit James for an alley-oop dunk. James hung and swung on the rim for a few seconds. James made a nifty behind-the-back pass to Edgecombe (who missed a corner 3) and even squared up and buried a long 3 from about Caitlin Clark range.

LONDON — Casey Jarvis on Saturday moved a step closer to winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship after building a two-stroke lead heading into the final round. Jarvis’s round of seven-under par on the Old Course at St Andrews maintained his fine form at the links event. The tournament is played over three courses — Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews — with the latter also hosting the last round on Sunday. Jarvis, who held a one-shot advantage overnight, opened with a superb eagle on his approach from 103 yards before picking up three birdies ahead of the turn despite the windy conditions. Two more on the back nine, at three and five, saw him sign for a 65, to sit at 18 under, ahead of Englishman Matthew Jordan and Poland’s Adrian Meronk, who shot the joint-best round of the day with a nine-under 63 at Kingsbarns. “I just felt like I was in control of my game today,” said Jarvis, who is aiming to seal a third DP World Tour win this season. “Every golfer dreams of taking a lead, playing the Old Course on Sunday. I got goosebumps right now just standing here. “I just can’t wait for tomorrow. Even if I don’t win, to be taking the lead, I am just going to enjoy it as much as I can.” Chasing his first DP World Tour win in his 183rd tournament, Jordan carded a bogey-free 66 during his third round at Kingsbarns. Belgian Thomas Detry is at 15-under after his seven-under at St Andrews, while Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen, who made a nine-under 63 at Kingsbarns, is four shots off the lead.

The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya close on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on a fortnight of competition featuring some record-breaking performances. Among the best performers were the two athletes named Asian Games MVPs: 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi and Thai track and field sprinter Boonson Puripol. Yu, who won all three of her individual events with ease, said “I’m no prodigy” after being named the women’s MVP on Sunday. The schoolgirl, who looks poised to take the Los Angeles 2028...

What was meant to be a few glorious moments could spark policy reform in South Korea after post-match comments from a couple of gold-medal-winning footballers triggered heated debate. South Korea beat hosts Japan 1-0 at the Toyota Stadium to win their fourth straight – and seventh overall – men’s football title at the Asian Games, leading to 20 of the 23-strong squad earning exemptions from military service. While the exemption was not an exclusive perk for the country’s footballers but for all...

The Philippines may still be the country to beat in the competitive Mobile Legends: Bang Bang scene.

Far Eastern University claimed another win against a UAAP Season 88 finalist, this time defeating University of the Philippines, 90-79, Sunday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

MANILA, Philippines -- Far Eastern University defeated University of the Philippines, 90-79, for the first time in seven years to roll to its third straight win in the UAAP Season 89 men's basketball tournament at the PhilSports Arena Sunday. Kirby Mongcopa poured 24 points, nine rebounds, and three assists to lead the Tamaraws, who last defeated the Fighting Maroons in the second round of Season 82 back in 2019. Jorick Bautista aided Mongcopa with 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, as FEU improved to 3-1 for a share of the standings lead with Ateneo de Manila. UP suffered its second straight loss to fall to 2-2 for a four-way tie with National University, University of Santo Tomas, and De La Salle from fourth to seventh places.

UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament FEU def. UP, (90-79) Kirby Mongcopa Player of the game #UAAPSeason89

The 20th Asian Games closed on Sunday after a rocky fortnight lit up by youthful brilliance in the sporting arenas but tempered by logistical dysfunction and subdued public interest.

BEIJING — Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka was bundled out in the third round of the China Open in straight sets by the Czech Republic's Nikola Bartunkova on Sunday. The No. 34-ranked Bartunkova defeated the four-time Grand Slam champion 6-4, 6-3 in just over an hour and a half leaving the tournament without its two top seeds in the first week. Newly-crowned world No. 1 Elena Rybakina was ousted from the tournament on Saturday and will now be joined by Sabalenka in exiting WTA-1000 event in Beijing early. Sabalenka, who was denied a three-peat at the US Open last month by Rybakina, squandered five break points in the first set as her historic struggles in Beijing continued. The 28-year-old Belorussian has never progressed past the quarterfinals at the event. “First of all, I focused on myself, to be calm,” Bartunkova said. “And Aryna, she’s great, she’s a legend, she’s a Grand Slam champion. So, yeah, I’m really happy that I won the match... I’m not a girl who celebrates too much.” Bartunkova will next play 24-year-old Sinja Kraus of Austria, who earlier defeated Dayana Yastremska 6-1, 6-4. Fifth-ranked Mirra Andreeva eased into the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Polina Kudermetova. This year's French Open winner fired six aces and took five of her seven break point opportunities to overwhelm her Uzbek opponent in just in 68 minutes. In the men’s tournament, Hubert Hurkacz beat Karen Khachanov 7-6 (2) 6-2 to make the final four. Later Sunday, top seed and U.S. Open champion Alexander Zverev plays his quarterfinal match against Novak Djokovic.

History was made for Philippine taekwondo as Jeus Yape captured gold in the inaugural mixed individual virtual event on Friday, giving the country its first-ever Asian Games title in the sport.

Eager to get back on the win column, defending champions De La Salle University trampled on University of the East, 112-87, Sunday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

NAGOYA — The Asian Games in Japan will close later Sunday after a fortnight of record-smashing displays from young stars, but marred by mix-ups, patchy crowds and accusations of mismanagement. More than 17,000 athletes and officials, a bigger number than the Olympics, descended on Nagoya and Aichi prefecture for the continent's premier sporting spectacular. Chinese swimming sensation Yu Zidi, just 13, stole the show in the pool with three gold medals, all in Games-record times. She looks set to be a major medal threat at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The schoolgirl was named a Games MVP on Sunday to cap an extraordinary showing that saw her scorch to gold in the 200m butterfly and do the 200m-400m individual medley double. But for that all that, the shy teenager said: "I don't think I am what people describe as a prodigy." Also in the pool, Japanese swimmer Shin Ohashi, himself only 17, smashed the men's 200m breaststroke world record to delight the home crowd. In athletics, where rain tumbled down over several days, Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson did the 100m-200m double and was named men's MVP. "This time there were a lot of global athletes at this event, so the MVP gives me a lot of confidence that I can make the podium in LA," the 20-year-old said. 'Failure grade' With the hours ticking down to the closing ceremony, when Japan will hand over the baton to Doha, top officials were on the defensive. Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain Al-Musallam said "numbers are facts," pointing to 50 world records broken at the Games since they opened on September 19. "The athletes cannot perform if they don't sleep good, the athletes cannot perform if they don't have good transportation," he said. This 20th edition of the Games, which were first contested in 1951, did not have a traditional athletes' village in a bid to save money. Instead, participants were housed in wooden temporary units, on a cruise ship and in hotels. Organizers said this was a template for future multi-sports events. But it came with issues, with some teams complaining the units were too cramped and the beds too short. More than that, the ballooning numbers of athletes and officials meant there were not enough beds for everyone. One Thai Olympic official told AFP it was "like musical chairs." The sport, including a blockbuster cricket final won by India against arch-rivals Pakistan, did sometimes shine through. North Korean weightlifter Ri Song Gum, a 140cm (4ft 7in) pocket powerhouse, set three new world marks in one day for gold. But problems kept coming too, including organizers playing North Korea's national anthem for the South Korean hockey team. There were athletes' buses that did not turn up when they should, or did not arrive at all. Two teams were sent to the wrong venue, delaying a volleyball match. "If I were to give them a grade, it would be an F," Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, said. Games organizers were on the back foot as well over attendances, with the opening ceremony taking place in front of thousands of empty seats. At the women's football semi-final between hosts Japan and South Korea there were 998 spectators in a 50,000 stadium. Boy history-maker Japanese Olympic Committee president Seiko Hashimoto admitted that "there were many problems," but said the country wants to host more international events in future. She said bad weather had turned some spectators off, but was eager to point out that some sports were well attended. About 30,000 saw South Korea beat Japan 1-0 to clinch men's football gold, although the occasion was tarnished somewhat when the South Korean flag failed to go up in the victory ceremony. The hosts finished with 83 golds, a distant second in the medals table behind China with 169. Japan's tally included gold for Yuki Kurihara, who won an eSports competition aged 11, believed to make him the youngest Games champion in history. Several sports with ambitions of making the Olympics made their debut, including padel, MMA and virtual taekwondo.

UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament La Salle def. UE (112-87) Mason Amos  Player of the game #UAAPSeason89

MANILA, Philippines --- De La Salle blasted University of the East, 112-87, at the PhilSports Arena Sunday to snap its 2-game skid in the UAAP Season 89 men's basketball tournament. The Green Archers pulled away from the Red Warriors in the second frame, flipping a 38-28 lead with a 13-2 run capped by a Mason Amos jumper to seize a 21-point, 51-30 lead with 3:22 left in the first half. Taking control for the rest o the way, La Salle improved to 2-2 for a 3-way with NU and UST from fifth to seventh places as of posting time. UE dropped to 0-5 and suffered its 25th straight loss dating back to Season 87 including that playoff for no. 4 defeat against Adamson.

SALT LAKE CITY — Natalia Silva unanimously outpointed Wang Cong to claim the vacant UFC women’s flyweight championship Saturday night at UFC 332. Silva (21-5-1) extended her winning streak to 15 bouts after largely dominating Wang (10-2) over five rounds. “This is incredible for me,” Silva said. “I have worked hard for this moment and now I am the new (champion) and I am so so so happy.” Silva went from challenger to favorite in the title bout after Valentina Shevchenko vacated the title nearly a month ago because of back and shoulder injuries. She proved far more aggressive than Wang early, using her speed, fluid movement, and strong legs to create an advantage. Silva knocked Wang to the canvas midway through the second round with a sharp head kick. She kept Wang on her heels with her quick striking ability through the next two rounds and connected on other roundhouse kicks. Wang fought back in the final round, but Silva landed enough blows to stay in control and had winning scores of 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 from the judges. “I think if she had stepped on the gas a little earlier, it would have been a completely different fight,” UFC President Dana White said. Payton Talbott earned a victory via TKO over Delveson Figueiredo with 2:51 left in the first round of the bantamweight bout billed as the co-main event. Talbott (12-1) dominated Figueiredo (25-8-1) from the start of the fight. He put him on the canvas early with a right-handed strike and then delivered an elbow along the fence that sent Figueiredo reeling. Talbott pressed his advantage, raining down blows and forcing his opponent to cover up until he forced a TKO. “Definitely thought he was going to be more durable,” Talbott said. It marked a successful return to the octagon for the Nevada fighter after going 10 months between bouts. Talbott said he wished the latest bout had not ended so quickly. “I wanted to just feel that war,” Talbott said. “I’m really happy to get the finish because it’s been a while since I got that finish. Deep down, that’s who I am. I chase finishes. But, yeah, I definitely wanted it to come a little bit later in the fight.” Roman Kopylov defeated Ateba Gautier by TKO with 3:12 remaining in the first round of the middleweight bout that served as the first of three main card fights leading into the co-main event. Kopylov swarmed Gautier with several clean strikes before finally dropping him to the canvas with a left-handed blow. He earned his second UFC victory of the year while handing Gautier his second career defeat. UFC newcomer Roberto Soldic debuted with a unanimous decision victory, scoring 29-28, 29-27, 29-27 over Khaos Williams in the welterweight bout. The fight lasted all three rounds, but Soldic dominated his opponent throughout with timely blows and bottled him up on the canvas at the end of each of the first two rounds. Esteban Ribovics edged King Green by TKO with 52 seconds to go in the first round of the lightweight bout. Ribovics dropped Green to the canvas three times with well-timed strikes, overwhelming him after the third fall. White reported a gate of $2.7 million for the event with 16,492 fans in attendance.

BEIJING — No. 1-ranked Elena Rybakina was ousted from the China Open by No. 118 Alina Charaeva of Armenia in the second round on Saturday. Charaeva held her head in her hands in disbelief after winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. "I was just trying to stay really hard mentally and keep believing that at some point I could turn it around again to my side. And I guess I just never stopped believing,” said Charaeva, only the ninth woman outside the top 100 to beat a No. 1. Rybakina had seven double faults and dropped her serve five times, the last time to fall behind 4-2 in the third set. New US Open champion Rybakina became only the second woman to lose her first match as world No. 1. Naomi Osaka was the other, in 2019. “There was a lot going on after the US Open victory. I didn't get a lot of chances to sleep and recover," Rybakina said. “Congratulations to Alina. She played a very good match.” Coco Gauff, who lost to Rybakina in the US Open semifinals, won her first match since then against Camila Osorio 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2. In the men's tournament, top seed and US Open champion Alexander Zverev beat wild card Shang Juncheng 6-0, 6-3 to set up a quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic. Third-seeded Daniil Medvedev advanced by beating Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-3. In a second-round match, Alex de Minaur beat Quentin Halys 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said on Sunday that a near 20% jump in revenue, strong viewership figures and a slew of world records proved the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games were a success, despite logistical problems plaguing the multi-sport showpiece.

The Philippines has struck four gold, nine silver, and 16 bronze medals throughout the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, and in the process, put together its biggest haul in six decades.

BEIJING — Aryna Sabalenka was swatted aside in straight sets by 34th-ranked Nikola Bartunkova in the third round of the China Open on Sunday, leaving the event without its top two seeds. Czech player Bartunkova, 20, sent down four aces to beat the former world number one 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 35 minutes. "I focused on myself, to be calm," Bartunkova said. "She's a legend... so I'm really happy that I won the match," she said of the four-time Grand Slam champion. Bartunkova next faces Austria's Sinja Kraus in the round of 16. Second-seeded Sabalenka squandered five chances to break serve in the sixth game of the first set, with Bartunkova strong on defence and firing deep. The 28-year-old from Belarus threw on a cap for the eighth game of the first set as the women switched between playing in the shade and the sun, but it did not turn the tide in her favour. A frustrated Sabalenka tossed her racquet at a break down in the fourth game of the second set, and lost on the first match point when she returned into the net. Top seed Elena Rybakina -- who weeks earlier replaced Sabalenka as World No. 1 -- was ousted by Alina Charaeva in the second round on Saturday. Top seed Alexander Zverev was scheduled to play Novak Djokovic later on Sunday in the quarterfinals of the men's 500-level event also taking place. The 39-year-old Serbian great enters the match with an extraordinary unbeaten streak in Beijing, but Zverev -- last month's US Open champion -- is in the running for the top men's ranking. AFP

I was not at all surprised that Alex Eala lost to Tatiana Prozorova at Singapore, and to Wang Xiyu at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan. I simply applied “Murphy’s Law” that states: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." And it did. Twice. While Eala was basking in the limelight and made to carry a big weight of the game on her shoulders at the WTA loved it, Prozorova was getting ready to upset her. And the Russian’s preparation may have included studying the numerous reels of Eala’s best plays, studying how she can beat the Filipina. For her part, Eala may have had no time to study Prozorova, or maybe somebody in her camp must have thought that since the Russian was ranked below the top 100 in the WTA rankings, Prozorova could be treated as a “gift” opponent. And the same scenario can apply when Eala faced Wang in Japan. Eala’s events to endear the fans also may have robbed her of precious time to get focused and put in more work in the gym and practice. Then there’s Eala’s need to compete in doubles events, just like in the 2026 Asian Games. Prozorova also fell victim to the need to compete in doubles, sustaining an injury that saw her exit Singapore for good. And the truth is - the tennis players ranked below the top 20 have more time to study the top 20 players. On the other hand, the top 20 players do not have time to identify the possible threats below the top 20 who can emerge as spoilers, like Prozorova. Eala herself was a spoiler before she made waves at Miami 2025, having been ranked at No. 140 in the WTA listing at that time. Now, Eala has entered the “danger” zone, where she now becomes a “target” of aspiring players below the top 20 or 100.  The top 10 players are also more aware of Eala’s prowess. Eala now has to face top 10 players more often, which is more challenging compared to facing unheralded opposition. That won’t be easy if you look at the records of Coco Gauff, Mira Andreeva, Linda Noskoiva, and Iva Jovic against top 10 players. Gauff has a 38-42 record against top 10 players, and holds a commanding 6-0 record against Andreeva. However, Gauff’s record against Swiatek is 5-11. Noskova’s record against the top 10 is 14-23, and is 1-6 against Swiatek and 0-3 against Elena Rybakina, the current No. 1. Andreeva is 11-14 against the top 10, while Eala is 9-4, and holds a 2-1 record against Swiatek, 2-0 versus Elina Svitolina, and 1-0 over Rybakina. Meanwhile, Jovic is 2-9 against the top 10. So, what can we expect from Eala from here? My answer: A more unpredictable path to reach the top 10, and that includes wins against top 20 and unheralded opponents, and losses against the top 20 and unheralded rivals. Also expect a higher level of burnout that also happens to the best, such as Swiatek whose fans at one point asked for more respect for her in the past months after the Polish sustained high-profile losses. The same should go for Eala. She still deserves respect. Because the truth is, Eala has faced higher level of competition this year, which is more taxing. And the sad fact is the lower-tier players always have the chance to beat top-tier players because the former have more time to rest and have time to study the moves of the top 20 players. Hence, let us rally behind Eala to keep swinging that racket, the same way Andreeva, Gauff, Noskova, and Jovic do. In fact, the five of them are already in the “danger zone.” But has Gauff slowed down because she is 5-11 against Swiatek? No.  Did Andreeva consider lying low because Gauff beat her six times? No.  Noskova bravely faced the top 10 even if that meant losing more matches to them. And will she buckle down? Not at all. And do you think Jovic is going to give up because she is 2-9 against the top 10? Definitely not. How about Eala? She will surely keep on fighting. Gauff, Andreeva, Noskova, Jovic, and our very own Eala demonstrate they have the fighting spirit that comes with entering the danger zone. They all deserve our respect.

The Detroit Pistons officially announced the contract extension involving All-NBA center Jalen Duren on Saturday.

PORTO, Portugal — Portugal playmaker Bruno Fernandes said Cristiano Ronaldo remains the country's greatest footballing icon despite walking out on the squad this week after finding out he would not start a match. The 41-year-old superstar said Wednesday he had left the team after coach Jorge Jesus said Ronaldo would not start against Denmark in the Nations League, a match Portugal won 4-2 without him. Former Real Madrid and Manchester United attacker Ronaldo's future with the national team, for whom he is the leading goalscorer and most capped player, is in doubt after his walk out. "Regarding Cristiano, I had a conversation with him, and what I told him, and what I repeat here, is this -- the most important thing is that, regardless of what happens, Cristiano Ronaldo will never cease to be the greatest symbol of our national team, of our football, and of the country, for what he has done not only in Portugal but throughout the world," Fernandes told reporters Saturday. Manchester United midfielder Fernandes called for unity after a tumultuous few days in which Portugal fans' opinions have been split over Ronaldo's decision. "He has a reserved place not only among the best of all time, but also in the hearts of all Portuguese people, and the most important thing is that we stop dividing things," said Fernandes. "There are no divisions in the national team, it is one and will remain so, despite any noise that may come from outside... "We are outside of this controversy, but what I ask is that the country does not divide itself, does not make choices, that it respects all sides, but, at the same time, Cris is and will be the biggest icon of our national team, he deserves everyone's respect, regardless of who likes him more or (who likes him) less." Portugal beat Norway and Denmark away from home without Ronaldo starting and face Norway again on Sunday. Coach Jesus said Ronaldo was a "symbol of Portugal" and said there would be time to speak about him after Sunday's game in Porto. "I'm going to focus on the team, on the opponent which is Norway, one of the five best teams in Europe. That's the problem right now," said the 72-year-old coach.

Three-times Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina crashed out of the China Open with a shock 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat by unseeded Alina Charaeva in the second round on Saturday, marking a disappointing start to her reign as world number one.

PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers' public address announcer ended a brief retirement over the summer in large part to get behind the mic and do what he did for the first time ahead of the team's annual scrimmage. Matt Cord introduced LeBron James in the Sixers' starting lineup. "At 6-9, from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s, No. 23, LeBron James! James!' Close to 10,000 fans who plunked down $10 a ticket on Saturday to essentially witness a glorified practice at the Sixers’ home arena went wild for James' debut. No, James didn't wear No. 23. He historically wore No. 6 over his career in practice gear but with that number retired in Philadelphia because of Julius Erving, James went with No. 9. No, the dunks and 3s and assists didn't count in any official capacity. And no, James wasn't even introduced last. That honor remained reserved for Joel Embiid. What the new 41-year-old on the block did do was give — along with Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe — a sneak preview that maybe, just maybe, the long underperforming Sixers might finally rise to the moment this season and meet their championship expectations. “It was a great first step in a direction we're trying to go,” James said. “It was great to hear some cheers from our fans.” Sixers fans that crammed aisles and stairways trying to catch a first glimpse or a snapshot of James were shooed back to their seats. Vendors hawked James merchandise outside the arena and told fans they could own the first pieces of his merchandise. Sixers fans that inched near the court screamed and outright begged James to stop and turnaround and pose for pictures. They also crammed into team stores buying No. 23 jerseys. The Sixers started the scrimmage early with what they hope is a familiar sight: Maxey in transition hit James for an alley-oop dunk. James hung and swung on the rim for a few seconds. James made a nifty behind-the-back pass to Edgecombe (who missed a corner 3) and even squared up and buried a long 3 from about Caitlin Clark range. James did it all — he even bounced Maxey's baby daughter, Marvel, on his knee for a moment on the bench. No word yet on James' hourly babysitting rate. Not a bad first week in Philadelphia for the NBA’s career scoring leader. “Everybody's been super welcoming,” James said. “I've been able to implement some things with my voice and just my command of how I play the game and my experience playing the game. I'm still getting more and more comfortable off the floor, with travel and without my family and things of that nature. That's going to be a little bit of a challenge, but everything's been good so far. Great first week." The Sixers traditionally hold the scrimmage in Delaware on the home court of their G League team. The Sixers donated 5,000 tickets to local community groups and Sixers Youth Foundation grantee partners and more than $80,000 was raised for the Sixers Youth Foundation. The $10 tickets were a deal. They are hovering around $1,000 a ticket for the 100 level on the secondary market for the Sixers' Oct. 22 home opener against Cleveland. James was expected to play Monday in the first of four preseason games and mark the start of his record 24th NBA season. “It’d be good to get out there with some of our guys to just get a rhythm," James said. “At the same time, also not overdo it. We're putting a lot into our practices right now. We're fine-tuning what we want to do once the game comes. I think there will be opportunities once we get out there in the preseason." Philadelphia opens the season Oct. 20 in New York against the NBA champion Knicks. James and the rest of the Sixers were encouraged that the oft-injured Embiid has been a full participant in camp and seems to be in leaner, lighter shape. Embiid pulled off a driving left-handed dunk in the scrimmage and later joked; it was “probably the last dunk of my career.” Jerseys flew off the racks, Sixers flew through the air, and excitement swirled around the team and for all that James brings to the city. “They've welcomed me with open arms,” James said, “and I'm getting more and more comfortable every day.”

TAEKWONDO gold medalist Jeus Gabriel Derick Yape has been named the flag bearer for Team Philippines during the parade of athletes at the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games closing ceremony on Sunday. Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino praised the selection ahead of the event scheduled for 5 p.m. (Manila time) at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium. “He’s deserving of that honor,” Tolentino said on Saturday. “It will be a recognition not only for Jeus but also for taekwondo, which finally won its first Asian Games gold medal since 1994, when the sport became a medal event in the games.” Yape secured the top spot in mixed virtual taekwondo—an open-gender event combining combat sports with virtual reality and motion-tracking technology—on Friday. His victory highlighted a record 1-3-1 gold-silver-bronze haul for the Filipino jins. He also earned a bronze medal in men’s individual poomsae. Joining Yape in the closing ceremony are fellow taekwondo medalists Juliana Mykhail Candelaria, Tachiana Keizha Mangin, and Kurt Barbosa, alongside boxing silver medalist Carlo Paalam. Paris Olympics boxing bronze medalist Aira Villegas and world junior weightlifting champion Albert Ian de los Santos previously served as the country’s flag-bearers during the opening ceremony on September 19. Meanwhile, the future is bright for Alas Pilipinas women’s beach volleyball after collegiate players Khy Progella and Sofiah Pagara brought the Philippines to the Asian Games podium for the first time. Progella and Pagara turned heartbreak into history, rallying from a semifinal loss to capture a historic Asian Games bronze medal—they fought back to stun China’s Cao Shuting and Dong Jie, 13-21, 23-21, 15-13, on Friday at Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court. Alas Pilipinas beach volley coach, Brazilian Joao Luciano Kioday, relished the rise of Philippine beach volleyball, with the pair from University of Santo Tomas proving that the program is in good hands after giving the country its best Asian Games finish in beach volleyball since the sport was introduced at the 1994 Hiroshima Games. “I think results are always a reference, right? So I think we’ve improved a lot with the beach volleyball that we deserve a spot on the mix, right? I know Philippine is a country very passionate for the indoor volleyball,” Kioday said.  “A lot of things going on about the indoor volleyball that I think they deserve it what they have it. But don’t forget beach volleyball also deserve it,” Kioday added. “This is for the PSC, POC, PNVF. So we do have a lot of possibilities. I always told them when I have a chance,” he said. “The potential we can have it, so I think this is the time we take the flow and use this medal in a good way, not just for one team, but for the whole program.”

ALEXANDRIA Luz Enriquez spearheaded the Philippine fight in the 20th Asian Games jiu jitsu competitions, taking a silver medal in the women’s -63kg on the final day of the continental meet in Japan on Saturday. With world champions Annie Ramirez and Kimberly Custodio suffering early exits, Enriquez rose as the gold medal contender for the Filipinos by reaching the final. Unfortunately, Enriquez bowed to Orapa Senatham of Thailand in a tightly-contested bout at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall Mat 2. Despite a 0 scorecard, the Thai won over the Filipino as she scored an advantage for a near-pass or near-sweep. Senatham almost held Enriquez down, but she rolled over and scrambled out before getting a point. In jiu-jitsu, a player must hold their opponent down for at least three seconds to earn a point from the judges. Enriquez started her campaign with wins over Palestinian Dania Obaid and Kazakh Marian Zhuravleva in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively. The 27-year-old then defeated Mongolian Narakhishig Baasanjargal in the semifinals to enter the gold medal round. A gold medalist at the Asian Beach Games, Enriquez increased the Philippine jiujitsu team’s medal haul this Asian Games to two after Kaila Napolis’ bronze on Friday. Napolis defeated Mongolian Tsagaanbileg Altangerel, 2-0, in the women’s 52kg division battle for third place. Meanwhile, another Filipino bet Andea Lois Lao finished just outside the podium after a 0-2 loss to Baasanjargal. Other Philippine jiujitsu artists Vito Luis Luzuriaga and David Miranda suffered early exits on Saturday, falling to Mongolian counterparts. Luzuriaga yielded to Altangerel Bayarkhuu in the men’s 85kg round of 32, while Miranda bowed to Batbayar Batsukh also in the round of 32 in the same weight division.

DESPITE the exodus of Filipino cage talents who now play overseas in Japan and South Korea, PBA commissioner Willie Marcial remains optimistic that the pro league’s next rookie draft in Jan. 2027 will welcome a fresh influx of talents from the collegiate ranks. Marcial said the pro league will be holding the annual PBA Rookie Draft on Jan. 17, 2027. “I’ve heard from many of our basketball friends that the coming draft will be talent heavy, especially those coming from the UAAP and the NCAA since the tournaments are already done by December,” Marcial told The Manila Times in Filipino. Even players from the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League are expected to join the draft, which could bring in young blood for Asia’s first professional league. Geo Chiu, who helped the Abra Weavers win the 2025 MPBL championship, in fact, emerged as the top pick in last year’s rookie draft. The talent depth could potentially attract former Ateneo big man Kymani Ladi, recent Asian Games Gilas 3x3 player Nic Cabanero, former Adamson forward Cedrick Manzano, Forth Padrigao, along with Fil-Americans DJ Fenner and Remy Martin, who recently played for Strong Group in the Williams Jones Cup. While the pro league has significantly lost major Filipino basketball talents, as some have opt to sign and play in the Japan B. League and Korean Basketball League, Marcial welcomed the competition from overseas. The league chieftain also maintained that the PBA remains unique, in that, it continues to provide a solid path for players who used to play overseas to continue their careers in the Philippines. “(Playing overseas) It has been there to provide livelihood for the players. That’s fine with us in the PBA. And they (Japanese and Korean pro leagues) are not threats,” he said. “We also know some of them will still come back and play in the PBA.”

ALEX Eala is quickly turning the page after her gold-medal bid fell short at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, shifting her full attention to her upcoming return to the WTA Tour. The Filipina netter must swiftly move past her disappointing campaign as she prepares to compete in the Wuhan Open in China from Oct. 12 to 18, followed immediately by the Ningbo Open, also in China, from October 19 to 25. “I’m going to Wuhan and continue the Tour,” Eala said after her impressive run was halted in the semifinals. Eala suffered a tough 6-3, 3-6, 2-6 defeat against China’s Wang Xiyu, settling for the bronze medal. Despite the setback, she expressed deep gratitude to those who supported her, emphasizing that she gave her absolute all on the court against her Chinese opponent. Reflecting on her stint, Eala remains positive about the experience, highlighting the valuable lessons learned and the specific areas of her game she plans to refine moving forward. “Happy that I was able to have this experience,” she shared. The exit was particularly heartbreaking as Eala entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and highest-ranked player, making her a strong favorite for the championship. Furthermore, she opted to skip the WTA 1000 Beijing Open—a mandatory WTA event—putting her at risk of penalties. However, Eala has no regrets about her decision, holding her head high over the privilege of representing the Philippines in a prestigious event held only once every four years.  With her national duty complete, her sights are now set entirely on her upcoming professional schedule on the WTA Tour.