Shohei Ohtani says he never bet on sports, interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole money, told lies
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani said Monday he never bet on sports or knowingly paid any gambling debts accumulated by his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.
Instead, the Los Angeles Dodgers star claims his close friend lied to him for years and stole millions from the two-time MVP.
Ohtani gave his version of events during a news conference at Dodger Stadium, five days after Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well over $1 million.
“I am very saddened and shocked someone whom I trusted has done this,” the Japanese star said while sitting next to Will Ireton, the team’s manager of performance operations, who translated.
“Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has been telling lies,” Ohtani said. “I never bet on sports or have willfully sent money to the bookmaker.”
Ohtani spoke for nearly 12 minutes in a small room packed with dozens of reporters, describing several ways in which Mizuhara deceived him. Wearing a Dodgers cap and sweatshirt, Ohtani read quickly in Japanese from a document and did not take questions.
Ohtani, 29, still attempted to answer the most important question by repeatedly emphasizing he was never knowingly involved in gambling. He provided no details on how Mizuhara might have been able to steal his money to pay gambling debts.
“I never bet on baseball or any other sports or never have asked somebody to do it on my behalf, and I have never gone through a bookmaker to bet on sports and was never asked to assist betting payment for anyone else,” Ohtani said.
Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels in December to sign a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers. Ohtani and Mizuhara had been daily companions from Ohtani joining the Angels in 2018 until last week, when Mizuhara’s gambling became public.
Ohtani hasn’t addressed the Dodgers in a group since Mizuhara’s firing, but he had explained himself to several Dodgers individually, manager Dave Roberts said. Veterans Kiké Hernández and Joe Kelly attended Ohtani’s news conference to emphasize the players’ support of their new teammate.
“I think Shohei was very honest in his take of what happened,” Roberts said. “I know that for me, the organization, we support him. I got a lot of questions answered as far as what he knew, what he didn’t know, and I’m looking forward to kind of just moving forward, letting the authorities take care of it, and just focus on baseball. I was proud of him to sit up here and give his take on things.”
The IRS has confirmed that Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles field office.
Mizuhara told ESPN on March 19 that Ohtani paid his gambling debts at the interpreter’s request, saying the bets were on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football. MLB rules prohibit players and team employees from wagering — even legally — on baseball, and also ban betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers.
ESPN said Mizuhara changed his story the following day, claiming Ohtani had no knowledge of the gambling debts and had not transferred any money to bookmakers.
“All of this has been a complete lie,” Ohtani said. “Ippei obviously basically didn’t tell me about the media inquiry. So Ippei has been telling everyone around that he has been communicating with me on this account to the media and my team, and that hasn’t been true.”
Ohtani said he first became aware of Mizuhara’s gambling problem during a team meeting after last Wednesday’s season-opening victory over San Diego in Seoul, South Korea.
Ohtani said the meeting was a shock — and because Mizuhara was speaking to the team in English, Ohtani struggled to understand everything that was being said.
“Just prior to the meeting, I was told by Ippei, ‘Hey, let’s talk one to one in the hotel after the meeting,’” Ohtani said. “So up until that team meeting, I didn’t know that Ippei had a gambling addiction and was in debt. Obviously I never agreed to pay for the debt or make payments to the bookmaker, and finally when we went back to the hotel, that was when I found out that he had a massive debt, and it was revealed to me during that meeting that Ippei admitted that he was sending money using my account to the bookmaker. At that moment, it was an absurd thing that was happening and I contacted my representatives at that point.”
Ohtani spoke before the Dodgers lost 6-0 to the Angels in an exhibition game at Chavez Ravine.
Roberts said Ohtani also will play at his former home stadium Tuesday when the Dodgers play their final exhibition in Anaheim. Their next regular-season game is Thursday against St. Louis.
Ohtani grounded out twice and walked while batting second as the Dodgers’ designated hitter. The slugger got a loud ovation from the Los Angeles crowd each time he came to the plate against Reid Detmers, who pitched alongside Ohtani in the Angels’ rotation for the past two seasons.
Detmers sent Ohtani reeling backwards with a Ball 4 fastball that accidentally came close to hitting the star.
Ohtani smiled and looked slightly shaken as he took first base — an appropriate cap to an uncomfortable day at the ballpark.
“To summarize how I am feeling right now, I am just beyond shocked,” Ohtani said. “It is really hard to verbalize how I am feeling at this point. The season is going to start, so I am going to let my lawyers handle matters from here on out. I am completely assisting in all investigations that are taking place right now.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Patty Mills once beat the Heat in the NBA Finals. He's looking to make amends in Miami now
MIAMI (AP) — Patty Mills still remembers being upset when Miami beat San Antonio in the 2013 NBA Finals. And he knows Heat fans probably haven’t forgiven him for his role in the Spurs topping the Heat the following season in the title-series rematch.
Mills is hoping to win those fans over now.
The newest member of the Heat was with the team in Dallas on Thursday for his first game in a Miami uniform, after being signed one day earlier to a deal for the remainder of the season. At 35, he believes he can still bring plenty to a contender — which is why he wanted to be in Miami, and he already sees parallels between Heat culture and the way the Spurs operated during his nine years in San Antonio.
“I think where I’m at in my career and what I’ve already been able to accomplish, being a part of a culture like this, a winning environment, one goal in mind and understanding that the different aspects of people playing their part, playing their role to be able to achieve the goal, that’s definitely the backbone for me and what I’ve come from and what my values are,” Mills said. “I think there’s a lot of values there that realign with what the culture is here.”
Mills had a 14-point third quarter for the Spurs in Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals, going 4-for-4 on 3-pointers in a 4-minute span of that period and that burst pretty much ensured that the title series wouldn’t go past that night in San Antonio. The Spurs clinched the title with a 104-87 win, the last game that LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade would play together as Heat teammates.
Mills played mostly sparingly in 19 games with Atlanta off the bench this season before getting waived on Feb. 29, in time to preserve his postseason eligibility with another team. The Heat will become the fifth NBA team that Mills has played for, along with San Antonio, Portland, Brooklyn and the Hawks.
“I just think he’s another really good fit for a lot of different reasons,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before Miami’s game in Dallas on Thursday. “Stylistically, the way he plays, the way he competes. Offensively he can create space, and his catch-and-shoot game, dribble-hand-off game is something we already have in our system. And then his professionalism, his leadership, all of those things are added values to what we have going.
“And also, I’m tired of being on the other side of him being a Heat killer,” Spoelstra added. “Getting him to join us, that’s a really good thing. I have deep respect for him.”
Mills has tons of big-game experience — 95 NBA playoff games, two trips to the NBA Finals (both with the Spurs, both against Miami), four trips to the conference finals and he’s a four-time Olympian for Australia. Mills plans to be with the Boomers for a fifth Olympic appearance this summer at the Paris Games.
“You look at it for the next few months, you know what’s on the table in terms of goals to accomplish,” Mills said. “I’m super excited about putting all the eggs in one basket over here. I’m expecting there to be a huge, huge few months coming up — starting here with the Heat and then off to Paris with the Boomers.”
The Heat valued his experience and needed some more depth at point guard after Josh Richardson — who dislocated a shoulder in a game against Boston last month — opted to have surgery this week that ended any chance of him returning before next season. Miami agreed to the deal with Mills on Tuesday, the same day it was announced Richardson would have his season-ending procedure on Wednesday.
“It’s a shame,” Spoelstra said. “Some of these things happen. You can’t control it. He has a great spirit going into it, the surgery went really well. We’re looking forward to rehabbing him and getting him ready for next year.”
The Heat created roster space for Mills by waiving injured guard Dru Smith, who is rehabbing after an ACL injury. Spoelstra indicated that the Heat still have Smith in their future plans by saying the team will “still be able to help him with his rehab.”
P.A.S.A. Inaugural Basketball Tournament Unites South Florida Fil-AM Community
The Philippine American Sports Association recently concluded its highly anticipated inaugural basketball tournament from February 17th to February 19th, marking a significant milestone for the South Florida Filipino-American community. Unlike traditional basketball tournaments, PASA’s event stood out for its unique blend of sportsmanship, cultural celebration, and community cohesion.
From dedicated volunteers to esteemed guests, the tournament boasted a lineup of notable personalities. Special guest Luisa Yu, renowned for her remarkable feat of visiting all 193 countries, graced the event, garnering attention from global media outlets such as Good Morning America, NPR, and Business Insider.
The hosting duties were expertly handled by MCs T.A.G. (Truth Around Greatness), a platinum engineer and Grammy judge, and Elisha Libres, a cum laude graduate in Special Education and a beauty pageant titleholder. Their engaging presence added flair to the tournament, complemented by a stellar performance by T.A.G., who electrified the audience with his rendition of “Top Floor.”
The musical ambiance continued with Jeremy Alejandre’s stirring rendition of the Philippine national anthem on the keyboard, followed by guitarist Ed’s soulful tribute to the United States anthem, showcasing the diverse talents within the community.
At the helm of PASA was Sheenly Moreno, a dedicated volunteer from NANAY, who assumed the role of commissioner with a vision of unity and leadership among the Fil-Am youth in South Florida. Moreno emphasized the tournament’s significance in promoting continuity, respect, and trust within the community.
Among the tournament highlights were the participation of J1 and J2 teachers, who expressed gratitude for the sense of belonging the event provided, bridging the gap between their homeland and their adopted home.
The pinnacle of the tournament was the thrilling showdown between the 50/50 team and the favored IFREN. Team 50/50 culminating in a hard-fought victory for the end. Adrian Sosa, a standout player from the championship team, underscored basketball’s role in fostering camaraderie and personal growth within the community.
Sosa’s sentiments echo the sentiments of many, highlighting basketball’s power to unite, inspire, and uplift the South Florida Philippine-American enclave. As the inaugural PASA tournament draws to a close, it leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship, camaraderie, and cultural pride, setting the stage for future generations to carry the torch of community excellence forward.
In the senior division, one of the most thrilling matchups unfolded between Quality Seafood and Squadrito. During the crucial moments of the fourth quarter, Quality Seafood held a slim two-point lead until JP Delaion, a C-suite executive of Astor Health, stepped up with two clutch foul line jump shots to tie the game and ultimately secure the victory for Squadrito.
Quality Seafood faced off against Lutong Pinoy, showcasing their determination and basketball intelligence to overcome their opponents’ size advantage in the paint and secure a hard-fought win.
In the open division, the matchup between 50/50 and IFREN was a highlight from the start, drawing the attention of even those teams not competing for the championship. Spectators were treated to a display of high-quality basketball, making it a game worth watching for all.
How Asian American and Pacific Islander athletes in the NFL express their cultural pride
One might think rookie Nikko Remigio would be fielding all kinds of questions on making it to the Super Bowl in his first pro season. But leading up to Sunday’s game in Las Vegas, his family in the Philippines have asked more about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.
Why haven’t they asked for anything, not even Kansas City Chiefs merch? The 24-year-old wide receiver’s new level of visibility already feels like a prize.
“One of the big things not only for me — but I know for my dad and his sisters, and my grandma and grandpa — is just people being able to pronounce our last name the right way,” said Remigio (pronounced ruh-me-HEE’-oh). Representation, he said, is more valuable than money or any material objects.
Remigio has been on his team’s reserve/injured list since August and makes a much-anticipated return to the field this weekend.
Historically, Asian Americans have been stereotyped as more brains than brawn or treated as foreigners in U.S. sports. But for nearly a century, they have had a presence on the NFL field. And for decades, football has been a mainstay in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities — yielding a fair share of star athletes.
Many current and former athletes of AAPI heritage agreed that such misconceptions have mostly faded. Increasingly, major athletes have been able to amplify their culture on a public stage and be embraced.
The League sent a similar message earlier this week in Las Vegas when the NFL and the Las Vegas Super Bowl LVIII Host Committee recruited over 15 Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander organizations, including The Asian American Foundation, to put on an inaugural Lunar New Year Night Market for media. Four high school football players from the Hawaii town decimated by a deadly wildfire in August will be part of the Super Bowl coin toss.
Manumalo Muasau, a New York Giants linebacker for two seasons starting in 2012, was among those at the Night Market. The 33-year-old now serves as a mental performance consultant for the Tennessee Titans and for private clients. He grew up admiring Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, a fellow Samoan American who had long locks like him. Now, he happily watches young pros like Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa honoring his Polynesian heritage in a way players before him were likely unable to.
“When they’re walking into the locker room and all the media’s there…for Tua, he’s in the Samoan community and the cultural attire is an ie faitaga,” Muasau said, referring to a formal, rectangular cloth worn like a kilt or wraparound skirt. “So he’s displaying his culture during that pre-game game day fit.”
Most of his life, Muasau went by his middle name Jake because he thought it sounded more “American” and was easier for people to say. But in 2017, he decided to embrace his full name.
“That’s an experience that many of our AAPI communities can also relate to,” Muasau said. “My first couple of years in graduate school, when I was learning to really reintegrate my Samoan identity, part of that transition for me was introducing myself as my first name.”
Growing up Asian and Black American or “Blasian” in Orange County, California, Remigio didn’t feel a sense of belonging. His neighbors and classmates were mostly white; He was called racial slurs and often questioned about his hair and skin color. As an adult, he understands that that behavior isn’t about him.
“They’re probably dealing with more difficulties than they’re putting off, which is why they’re acting that way,” Remigio said. “Just people in general who act like that, I don’t really give them my time of day.”
The relationship between AAPI people and a lot of Western sports dates back to colonialism in Hawaii, the Philippines and other parts of Asia, said Constancio Arnaldo Jr., an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Historically, in U.S. sports, Asian American men have been treated as outsiders and their masculinity questioned.
“Asian Americans have always in many ways used sports as a form of American belonging, as a form of identity,” Arnaldo said. “When we think about race, it’s very much along Black and white lines. Asian Americans are always kind of troubling and in this liminal space of a black-white binary, even in sports.”
Arnaldo, who co-edited the book “Asian American Sporting Cultures,” said it makes business sense for the NFL to try to appeal to Asian American spectators. Football has long been a source of pride across Polynesian communities including Samoans to Tongans.
“The NBA and Major League Baseball, they actually have dedicated Filipino heritage nights,” Arnaldo said.
With expanded representation though, anti-Asian racism still lingers. In 2021, former player and assistant coach Eugene Chung said he was told in an interview for a coaching job that Asian Americans were “not the right minority ” to lead the NFL, even though the league’s policy recognizes them as a marginalized group. The Korean American, who was only the third Asian pro athlete at the start of his career in the ’90s, accused the NFL of brushing him off.
In the NFL’s next season, there will be nine coaches of color, the most in the league’s history. But none of them are Asian or Pacific Islander. (Six are Black, one is biracial, one is Mexican American and one is of Lebanese descent.)
According to the 2023 racial and gender report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics In Sport, two-thirds of all NFL players (66.7%) are minorities, 53.5% of whom are Black. Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders are only 1.8% of players, a slight increase from 1.5% in 2022. Asian players only represented 0.1%.
There are at least two dozen NFL players of Asian or Pacific Islander descent, according to AMAZN HQ, an online hub curating news on Asians and Asian Americans in sports. Among them is Atlanta Falcons placekicker and South Korea-born Younghoe Koo and Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum, who, like Remigio, is both Black and Filipino. The two men were teammates at California in Berkeley.
When it comes to cultural pride, Bynum has worn his heart — and a Philippines flag decal — on his sleeve. He has called his home country “the best place in the world.” Fans were rooting for his wife when she finally obtained a visa in November to travel to the U.S. from the Philippines. On Instagram he posted a video of himself bringing homemade chicken adobo, lumpia and other Filipino foods to his teammates’ homes. Bynum also started a charity for disaster relief in the Southeast Asian island country. Remigio wants to emulate Bynum’s actions off the field and also destigmatize the sport.
He has encouraged other Filipinos and Asians to sign up their children for football if they’re interested.
“I definitely think with more presence in the sport and posting more success from AAPI individuals in the sport, like we’ll definitely have a trickle-down effect to getting more AAPI players.”
Erik Spoelstra's path from the Miami Heat video room to a contract like none other
MIAMI (AP) — Erik Spoelstra was hosting a clinic in the Philippines, his mother’s homeland, this past summer while the Miami Heat coach was there as an assistant with USA Basketball for the World Cup. A few dozen kids finished the workout, then got to ask him whatever they wanted.
One asked about his longevity with the Heat. Over the next few minutes, Spoelstra talked about friendships, loyalty and how fortunate he is that the Heat — the team he’s been with for almost 30 years — value stability.
The latest reminder of all that came Tuesday with Miami signing Spoelstra to a history-making deal spanning eight years and worth roughly $120 million, the biggest contract in terms of total salary ever given to an NBA coach and one that illustrates how vital the Heat believe he is to the operation.
“Pat Riley is a legend in the game,” Spoelstra told those kids in Manila, speaking of his longtime boss and the Heat president. “And he believes in loyalty. I probably would have been fired a few times with another organization. So, I’m very grateful for that. We’ve tried to build a culture of family and a culture where we trust each other, where we’re sacrificing for each other and where we’re serving each other.”
The formula obviously works. Spoelstra guided Heat teams to the playoffs in 12 of his first 15 seasons as coach, getting to the NBA Finals six times — including last season — and winning championships in 2012 and 2013 with teams led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
“In this business, you also just want to work with great people that are well-intentioned,” Spoelstra said Wednesday. “There’s going to be ups and downs in this business. We enjoy the process of trying to do special things. But we enjoy being around each other. And we’ve had some tough times and tough years and that’s when we’ve really rallied around each other the most. I grew up in the NBA business so I understand how unique that is. And that’s why I feel a great responsibility to be a caretaker for this culture, now and moving forward.”
Only San Antonio and Boston have won more regular-season games than Miami since Spoelstra took over for Riley in 2008, and no team in that span has won more playoff games. Spoelstra is 19th all-time in regular-season victories (725 entering Wednesday) and fifth in playoff victories (109, not counting a play-in tournament game win last season as well). He’ll be an assistant on Steve Kerr’s USA Basketball staff that will try to win Olympic gold in Paris this summer and is widely expected to be a top candidate when it’s time for the Americans to pick a head coach for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“Worth Every Single Cent of that contract!!!” James tweeted on Tuesday.
Wade offered a similar sentiment: “Spo!!!!!!!!! Earned!” he wrote, with eight moneybag emojis in there as well.
Spoelstra’s contract was ending after this season, which isn’t a good sign in most places. But in Miami, that doesn’t mean anything. Contracts for coaches and executives within the organization are hardly ever announced; it’s just assumed that everybody stays put year after year.
The names atop the staff directory have barely changed since 1995, and in some cases since the team’s inception in 1988. Micky Arison is managing general partner, son Nick Arison is CEO, Riley is president, Andy Elisburg is general manager, Adam Simon is assistant general manager. Elisburg has been there since the first season, along with broadcasters Eric Reid and José Pañeda, team ambassador (and former assistant coach and broadcaster) Tony Fiorentino, chief financial officer Sammy Schulman and vice president of marketing Jeff Craney.
Spoelstra — whose father, Jon Spoelstra, was an NBA executive with Portland, Denver and New Jersey — was a standout high school guard in Oregon, then played at the University of Portland, where he was the West Coast Conference’s freshman of the year. After college, he spent two years playing professionally in Germany, before the Heat called with their offer to work at the lowest rung of the organization.
He was 24 then. He’s 53 now, his well-chronicled path starting in the video room (Riley didn’t know his name at first) to scout to assistant coach to head coach to champion and, surely, a Hall of Famer one day. Jon Spoelstra told his son long ago to not leave the Heat, and the eight-year deal is just another sign of Miami’s stability.
“He’s precise in what he wants and how he’s going to go about doing it,” said Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley, who has known Spoelstra for decades and worked with him in recent years with USA Basketball. “The way in which he develops guys, the chemistry that he creates in that culture over there, is at a high level. And the thing that has stood out to me the most is that the stability that he has with that organization, and the support and the trust that he has from top to bottom — and not just with the players. I think that goes such a long way.”
Spoelstra starts each day with some quiet meditation, then ends each day by jotting a few notes in a gratitude journal. There’s much to be grateful for, he’s found, and much of it goes back to the loyalty that is part of the Heat organizational fabric.
Not bad for a guy who, in his own words, didn’t know much of anything when he got that video room job in 1995.
“If you talk about stability, every franchise in pro sports throws those kinds of terms — stability and family, consistency, continuity — everybody throws that out there,” Spoelstra said. “But very few actually execute it.”
Firefighters battling large fire at the home of Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Firefighters were battling a fire at the home of Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill on Wednesday afternoon.
The house, which is located in Southwest Ranches in South Florida, was shown on local station WSVN 7 News with a large amount of smoke coming out of the roof as firefighters doused it with water.
Hill was at Dolphins practice Wednesday as Miami prepares for its regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.
A Dolphins spokesperson said Hill is aware of the fire and has left practice. His family is out of the house and safe.
Florida Atlantic has highest ranking ever in AP Top 25. Purdue remains No. 1
Florida Atlantic’s run to the Final Four last season was viewed as a nice story, a small program making a surprise run before sliding back into anonymity.
The Owls are showing this season that that was no fluke.
Coming off a double-overtime win over No. 4 Arizona, FAU moved up seven places to No. 7 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll released Monday. It’s the Owls’ highest ranking as a program after being No. 10 in the preseason poll.
“We wanted to play it in the worst way for a lot of reasons,” FAU coach Dusty May said before the 96-95 win over Arizona on Saturday. “National television. Our guys wanted to be challenged. They love the challenge. And we felt our program was at a point where we needed these games to elevate even more than a Final Four run.”
Purdue maintained its top ranking for the second straight week, receiving 46 first-place votes from a 60-person media panel after blowing out Jacksonville. No. 2 Kansas had five first-place votes and No. 3 Houston received nine. Arizona and UConn rounded out the top five.
Florida Atlantic made massive waves last season, earning the program’s first ranking in the AP Top 25 during the regular season before making a magical run in the NCAA Tournament. The Owls just missed a shot at the national championship game when San Diego State’s Lamont Butler beat them with a buzzer-beating jumper.
Florida Atlantic (10-2) returned nearly everyone from that team and has shown another deep run could be coming.
The Owls suffered an unexpected slipup with an early home loss to Bryant and lost to then-No. 20 Illinois by seven at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 5. FAU won the ESPN Events Invitational by knocking off then-No. 12 Texas A&M in the semifinals and Virginia Tech in the title game.
The Owls showed plenty of grit in Las Vegas on Saturday, going toe to toe with Arizona in one of the best games of the season so far.
Johnell Davis scored 35 points and FAU dodged Caleb Love’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer to win its fifth game over a ranked opponent over the past two seasons. The Owls had been 1-19 against AP Top 25 teams before last season.
RISING AND FALLING
FAU had the biggest jump of the week within the poll and No. 16 Duke climbed five places after beating No. 17 Baylor 78-70. No. 19 Memphis moved up four places following wins over Virginia and Vanderbilt.
No. 22 Creighton had the biggest drop of the week, falling 10 places after losing to Villanova in overtime. No. 12 Oklahoma fell five places after losing by 12 to No. 9 North Carolina.
IN AND OUT
No. 25 Providence moved into the poll for the first time since hitting No. 20 last Feb. 27 after beating No. 10 Marquette and Butler last week.
Virginia’s return to the AP Top 25 proved to be short lived. The Cavaliers dropped out this week from No. 22 after the loss to Memphis.
CONFERENCE WATCH
The Big 12 again had the most ranked teams with six and the Big East had four. The ACC, Big Ten and SEC each had three.
The American Athletic Conference had two ranked teams while the Pac-12, West Coast, Mountain West and Sun Belt conferences had one each.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scores 31, Spoelstra moves to 9-0 on Christmas as Heat top 76ers 119-113
MIAMI (AP) — The first thing Miami rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. did when the schedule was released this summer was check to see when the Heat play in his hometown of Los Angeles.
The second thing was seeing if they played on Christmas.
“I was excited,” Jaquez said.
And it showed. Jaquez scored 31 points and got his first double-double, Bam Adebayo finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds and the Heat held on to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-113 on Monday night.
“Great to get a win, career night, Christmas,” Jaquez said. “I grew up watching these games and to be able to play and have a career night, I just go back to all the hard work, late nights in the gym, preparing for moments like this.”
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra improved to 9-0 on Christmas, the best record in NBA history for head coaches on the holiday.
“It’s an incredible honor and you don’t ever want to take it for granted,” Spoelstra said of playing on the holiday. “It really does mean something. You’re viewed as a contending team, typically, if you’re playing on Christmas.”
Reigning MVP and two-time defending scoring champion Joel Embiid missed the game for Philadelphia because of an ankle sprain.
Tobias Harris scored 27 points for the 76ers, and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 25. Mo Bamba scored 18, De’Anthony Melton had 15 and Tyrese Maxey — who shot 4 for 20 from the floor — finished with 12.
“They made him work,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said of Maxey’s night. “I do think that he got to some pretty good places and just kind of had one of those nights. … Just one of those tough nights for him.”
Tyler Herro scored 22 points, Duncan Robinson added 16 and Kyle Lowry had 12 for the Heat in what became his first Christmas win. Jaquez also grabbed 10 rebounds for Miami, which held a 56-36 edge on the boards.
The Heat were again without Jimmy Butler (calf strain) and also ruled out Josh Richardson (back discomfort) and Haywood Highsmith (non-COVID illness) — then lost starting forward Caleb Martin in the first half to an ankle sprain.
It was 86-86 after three quarters, the sort of score that suggests it had been close for much of the way to that point.
That was not the case.
Philadelphia started hot, then Miami opened a huge lead — helped by Philly missing 14 straight shots in what became a 21-1 Heat first-half run — and the 76ers then not even needing a full quarter to erase what eventually was a 21-point Heat edge in the third.
But Jaquez and Adebayo each had 10 points in the fourth, and the Heat escaped.
Only six rookies in NBA history — Wilt Chamberlain (45), Walt Bellamy (35), LeBron James (34), Bill Cartwright (33), Patrick Ewing (32) and Oscar Robertson (32) — scored more on Christmas than Jaquez did Monday. Even Michael Jordan only managed 30 in his first Christmas game, which came in his third season with Chicago.
“He was tough,” Nurse said of Jaquez. “He made a lot of big buckets, when they needed buckets.”
Shohei Ohtani is the AP Male Athlete of the Year for the 2nd time in 3 years
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Before Shohei Ohtani stepped into the bright lights of Hollywood and signed the most lucrative contract in professional sports history, baseball’s two-way superstar put together yet another season of unparalleled brilliance from Tokyo to Anaheim.
What can this singular talent possibly do next? The Los Angeles Dodgers are eagerly paying $700 million to see for themselves.
But what Ohtani already did in 2023 — both for the Los Angeles Angels and for Japan’s team in the World Baseball Classic — is the reason he was selected as The Associated Press’ Male Athlete of the Year for the second time in three years.
“Shohei is arguably the most talented player who’s ever played this game,” said Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, after signing Ohtani to a 10-year contract last week.
Ohtani edged Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi and tennis great Novak Djokovic for the AP honor in voting by a panel of sports media professionals.
Ohtani received 20 of 87 votes, while Messi and Djokovic got 16 apiece. Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets’ NBA Finals MVP, got 12 votes.
After winning his first AP Male Athlete of the Year award in 2021, Ohtani has joined an impressive list of two-time winners of the honor, which was first handed out in 1931.
Multiple-time winners include Don Budge, Byron Nelson, Carl Lewis, Joe Montana, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps and four-time honorees Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong. Four-time winner LeBron James is another generational superstar who chose Los Angeles as a free agent, while two-time honoree Sandy Koufax remains one of the greatest players to wear Dodger Blue.
Ohtani has upended decades of conventional wisdom during his six years in the majors, even surpassing most achievements of Babe Ruth while playing in an infinitely more difficult era. Most new frontiers in sports are crossed incrementally and gradually, but Ohtani has toppled barriers that stood for a century with peerless skills, confidence and hard work.
Ohtani unanimously won the AL MVP award in 2021, and he repeated the feat in 2023 after finishing second in 2022 to Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, last year’s AP Male Athlete of the Year.
This year began with Ohtani’s dazzling MVP performance for Japan’s championship team in the World Baseball Classic — complete with a clinching strikeout of Angels teammate Mike Trout. He then turned in his third consecutive spectacular season both on the mound and at the plate in Anaheim despite an early end after he injured his pitching elbow in August.
Ohtani led the AL with 44 homers, 78 extra-base hits, 325 total bases and a 1.066 OPS as the Halos’ designated hitter. He also held hitters to an AL-best .184 batting average while ranking second in the league with 11.39 strikeouts per nine innings and third with a 3.14 ERA at the time of his injury.
“There’s nobody like him, and there’s nothing that you would say he can’t do,” former Angels manager Phil Nevin said late in the season. “Anything is possible with Sho. I don’t know who else you could say that about in baseball history.”
Ohtani left Japan in late 2017 to pursue his dreams at his sport’s highest level, and his exploits are followed in microscopic detail by his fans in his homeland. When he got his first chance to play for Japan in the World Baseball Classic last spring, Ohtani seized the moment with both hands.
Ohtani was outstanding in Japan’s games in Tokyo and Miami, batting .435 with four doubles and a homer despite getting walked 10 times. He also pitched 9 2/3 innings, racking up 11 strikeouts with a 1.86 ERA.
The championship game ended in storybook fashion with Ohtani striking out Trout, the three-time AL MVP and Ohtani’s longtime Angels teammate, for the final out in Japan’s victory over the U.S.
Ohtani then turned in another outstanding, unique season with the Angels before he hurt his elbow and eventually had a second surgery that will almost certainly prevent him from pitching in 2024, just as he missed nearly all of 2019 and 2020 as a pitcher.
His injury history did nothing to suppress his free-agent value, partly because Ohtani can remain one of the majors’ best hitters while he waits to see if his pitching elbow will heal again.
“One of the many things we’ve come to appreciate over the years about Shohei is watching him never take a pitch off, no matter the score of the game,” Friedman said. “I’ve seen him in games where his team is up big or down big, grinding each pitch late in an at-bat — hustling, doing everything he can to leg out an infield hit late in a game.”
While Ohtani has redefined what’s possible in modern baseball, he accomplished another unprecedented feat by signing his record-setting contract. The deep-pocketed Dodgers eagerly invested in the 29-year-old Ohtani’s next decade while knowing his worldwide fame generates revenue no other baseball player can touch.
“I’m still in the pinch-me phase, to be honest,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Can’t believe we’re going to have the opportunity to have him wear a Dodger uniform. One of the most talented players ever to put on a baseball uniform is now a Dodger.”
Ohtani did nearly everything except win with the Angels, who haven’t had a winning season since 2015. When he hit free agency this winter, he eventually chose the nearby club that has had only two losing seasons in the 21st century, none since 2010.
The Dodgers won the aggressive competition for Ohtani’s services by offering that gargantuan — and structurally creative — contract, but also a supportive environment on the West Coast, supremely talented teammates and the resources to get more — along with a winning culture around a team that has made 11 consecutive playoff appearances.
“I can’t wait to join the Dodgers,” Ohtani said through his translator, Ippei Mizuhara. “They share the same passion as me. They have a vision and history all about winning. I share the same values.”
Shohei Ohtani agrees to record $700 million, 10-year contract with Dodgers
NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani has set a financial record to go along with his singular on-field performance, getting $700 million to make a 30-mile move up Interstate 5 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His agent, Nez Balelo, issued a midafternoon news release Saturday announcing the 10-year contract, ending months of speculation that began even before Ohtani became a free agent on Nov. 2. In recent days, media and fans had tracked private plane movements and alleged sightings like detectives in attempts to discern the intentions of the two-time AL MVP with the Angels.
“This is a unique, historic contract for a unique, historic player,” Balelo said. “He is excited to begin this partnership, and he structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success.”
Ohtani’s total was 64% higher than baseball’s previous record, a $426.5 million, 12-year deal for Angels outfielder Mike Trout that began in 2019.
His $70 million average salary is 62% above the previous high of $43,333,333, shared by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander with deals they struck with the New York Mets. Ohtani’s average salary nearly doubles the roughly $42.3 million he earned with the Angels. It also exceeds the entire payrolls of Baltimore and Oakland this year.
His agreement includes unprecedented deferred money that will lower the amount it counts toward the Dodgers’ luxury tax payroll, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the details were not announced.
“He structured his contract to reflect a true commitment from both sides to long-term success,” Balelo said. “Shohei and I want to thank all the organizations that reached out to us for their interest and respect, especially the wonderful people we got to know even better as this process unfolded.”
This is perhaps the largest contract in sports history, topping highs believed to be set by soccer stars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé.
There was no immediate comment by the Dodgers. Ohtani has not spoken with reporters since Aug. 9.
“I apologize for taking so long to come to a decision,” Ohtani said in an English-language statement on Instagram. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved with the Angels organization and the fans who have supported me over the past six years, as well as to everyone involved with each team that was part of this negotiation process.”
“And to all Dodgers fans, I pledge to always do what’s best for the team and always continue to give it my all to be the best version of myself,” he continued. “Until the last day of my playing career, I want to continue to strive forward not only for the Dodgers but for the baseball world.”
Ohtani joins a lineup that also includes 2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts and 2020 NL MVP Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers won the NL West this year for the 10th time in 11 seasons before they were swept by Arizona in the Division Series in October.
Los Angeles begins the 2024 season in Seoul, South Korea, against San Diego on March 20-21.
Ohtani’s decision came six years and one day after he first agreed to his deal with Angels.
Ohtani has redefined modern baseball since he chose the Angels as his first major league team. Nobody has come close to matching his achievements at the plate and on the mound, becoming one of the majors’ elite players in both roles when healthy. Along the way, he has become one of the most marketable athletes in the world, a force when it comes to ticket sales, TV ratings and sponsorship revenue.
He was a unanimous AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 — he finished second in 2022 — winning this year despite injuring his elbow in late August and an oblique muscle in early September.
Ahead of his 30th birthday on July 5, he has a .274 average with 171 homers, 437 RBIs and 86 stolen bases along with a 39-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and 608 strikeouts in 481 2/3 innings. Ohtani has 34.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), per Baseball Reference.
The Halos are a perennial also-ran, both in the AL standings and in the Los Angeles market, but they won Ohtani’s services in late 2017 partly by promising him the freedom to train and to play however he wanted. Ohtani immediately dazzled the entire sport in 2018, batting .285 with 22 homers and 61 RBIs as a designated hitter and going 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts.
Ohtani won the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2018 despite making just one pitching appearance after early June due to an injured elbow ligament that required Tommy John surgery following the season. Ohtani made just two mound appearances in the next two years while continuing to play as the Angels’ DH.
When his arm was finally healthy in 2021, Ohtani put together a season for the ages.
He won the AL MVP award with 46 homers and 100 RBIs at the plate while going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA on the mound. He improved as a pitcher in 2022, going 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP while still driving in 95 runs at the plate, but finished behind Aaron Judge in the MVP voting after the Yankees star hit an AL record 62 homers.
After winning the MVP award in the World Baseball Classic last March while leading Japan to victory — he struck out Trout to end the tournament — Ohtani maintained his two-way magnificence this year, hitting 44 homers with a career-high 1.066 OPS while going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA before tearing his elbow ligament again on Aug. 23. He didn’t hit after Sept. 3 because of the strained right oblique.
Along with his elbow injuries, Ohtani’s transcendent success has come with another significant damper: He has never made the playoffs or even played on a winning team in the majors. Owner Arte Moreno’s Angels haven’t won more than 80 games or finished higher than third in the AL West during his tenure alongside Trout, a three-time AL MVP, and a perennially disappointing cast of supporting players.
Ohtani earned $42,269,259 in his six seasons with the Angels. After receiving a signing bonus of $2,315,000 with his initial deal, he had salaries of $545,000, $650,000, $259,259 (in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season), $3 million, $5.5 million and $30 million.
Johnell Davis scores 24 points to lead No. 13 Florida Atlantic over Charleston 90-74
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Johnell Davis scored 24, and Vladislav Goldin added 17 points and 12 rebounds to propel No. 13 Florida Atlantic to a 90-74 victory over Charleston in the finale of the Field of 68 Tipoff.
Coming off a performance without a field goal against Liberty in the Tipoff opener, Davis took over the Owls’ offense in the final 12 minutes. Davis, a junior, also grabbed 10 rebounds.
“This was the fastest he looked in a long time,” FAU coach Dusty May said. “His first step was dynamic.”
Reyne Smith led the Cougars (4-4) with 14 points.
Back-to-back Davis buckets gave the Owls (7-1) their first lead of the second half, 56-55. The Owls never looked back.
A physical game inside a charged Eleanor Baldwin Arena saw tempers flare several times. At one point, May and Charleston coach Pat Kelsey needed to be separated by referees.
“I guess there was miscommunication during the game and something was said and I couldn’t hear, and then it just it escalated from there,” May said, adding, “You know, they’re a fiery program. They’re scrappy. They’re tough. That’s why they are good. They fight tooth and nail and we fight tooth and nail as well, so it’s two competitive programs.”
Hard feelings didn’t linger.
“When competitors are out there competing, stuff happens from time to time,” Kelsey said. “We shook hands after the game.”
Goldin spent the final 11:40 of the first half on the bench after picking up his second foul. With the Owls primary big man sitting, Charleston outscored FAU 31-21 to take a 46-40 lead at the half.
“There’s no secret that at the top of the scouting reports of every team we play is getting Vlad in foul trouble,” May said.
The victory is the first for FAU against Charleston in 10 games.
Next up for FAU is a return to Madison Square Garden, where the Owls won the East regional last season as a No. 9 seed and earned their trip to the Final Four.
“I’m really excited to go back to a place where we have such fond memories — to stay in the same hotel and play in the same arena is a cool deal,” May said, “But this is a new team that’s extremely honored to play in this event with Coach Valvano — Jimmy V’s — legacy, playing in MSG on ESPN in a doubleheader with such historic programs is once again a complement to the guys we have in our program.”
BIG PICTURE
Charleston: Guard Reyne Smith left the game with 14:46 remaining and did not return after sinking a running one-hander along the baseline, then appearing to land on an FAU defender’s foot. … Ante Brzovic came off the bench for a team-high nine rebounds.
Florida Atlantic: Starting point guard Nick Boyd missed his fifth consecutive game with what is being called a leg injury. The Owls are hopeful he’ll return for Tuesday’s game. … With Goldin in foul trouble, Giancarlo Rosado gave FAU a huge first-half boost with 14 points.
Butler scores 32, Heat beat Hornets 111-105 to remain unbeaten in NBA In-Season Tournament play
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored a season-high 32 points, Bam Adebayo had 21 points and 11 rebounds and the Miami Heat remained unbeaten in NBA In-Season Tournament play with a 111-105 victory over the short-handed Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.
Duncan Robinson added 18 points for Miami, which has scored 113.8 points per game during its six-game win streak. The Heat averaged 102.4 while stumbling to a 1-4 start this season.
No wonder Butler offered a simple explanation for the Heat’s turnaround.
“We’ve been scoring more points,” Butler said.
Miami is 2-0 in group play; the Hornets are 1-1.
The Heat finished off a 4-0 road trip that included wins against San Antonio, Atlanta and Memphis. But they still have a big challenge ahead. Miami returns home Thursday night, then heads back on the road for another five games.
“We talked at the start of this trip that this month would be an opportunity for us to be able to galvanize around a tough schedule and see if we can become better,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It’s always harrowing on the road, but we have found different ways to win.”
P.J. Washington had 32 points and six of Charlotte’s season-high 15 3-pointers in the loss. LaMelo Ball added 28 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.
The Hornets jumped out to a 32-24 lead after a strong first quarter from Washington, who connected on all four 3s, and for a while it looked like it might be their night.
But Miami took advantage of Charlotte’s thin depth in the second quarter and built a 57-48 lead at the break after Butler banked in an off-balance buzzer-beater from halfcourt in traffic to close out the half.
When the Heat needed a basket, Butler or Adebayo had the answer — if not by making jumpers then by finding open teammates cutting to the basket.
Still, Charlotte would rally to cut the lead to 95-90 with eight minutes left after Ball lobbed a pass to Nick Richards for a one-handed dunk and Washington hit a transition 3.
But Butler, who finished 10 of 14 from the field, hit a key fallaway jumper to beat the shot clock with 1:11 left to put the Heat up by seven and essentially seal the win.
The Heat won despite shooting 25.8% (8 of 31) from beyond the arc compared to Charlotte’s 46.9% (15 of 32).
Jaime Jaquez Jr. had a big game off the bench for Miami with 17 points and five rebounds, while playing 32 minutes. He said he feels an extra motivation from teammates to play well in the tournament.
“I think it starting register as the season goes on and what we’re playing for,” Jaquez said. “We’ve got $500,000 on the line, so let’s try to win that prize money.”
The Hornets played without six players due to injury, including starters Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier and top draft pick Brandon Miller and Cody Martin. That meant Theo Maledon and JT Thor were forced into starting roles.
Miles Bridges also remained out, serving the final game of his 10-game league-imposed suspension.
At times the Hornets looked out of sync with seldom-used reserves on the court, which coach Steve Clifford called unacceptable.
“Obviously you’ve got guys in there that don’t play a lot, but they get their reps and they should know what we’re doing,” Clifford said. “We blew two sets in the last three-and-a-half, four minutes there. They’ve all had enough reps so they should know where they’re going.”
Banchero hits turnaround jumper with 1 second left as Magic beat Bulls 96-94
CHICAGO (AP) — Paolo Banchero took four dribbles as he backed into the lane and didn’t bother to look at the rim before lifting off for a fadeaway jumper. Moments later, teammates mobbed him.
Banchero scored with one second remaining, and the Orlando Magic beat the Chicago Bulls 96-94 on Wednesday night.
The Magic held Chicago to 33 points in the lowest scoring first half in the NBA this season and led by 19 in the third quarter. But the Bulls tied it when Zach LaVine buried a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the game.
Banchero, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, then took the inbounds pass on the left side following a timeout and backed into the paint with Alex Caruso guarding him. He turned toward the middle and watched as his 7-footer hit the front and back of the rim before falling through the net. That gave Orlando a wild win after losing three of four.
“When Zach hit the last 3, we all just looked at the clock, saw how much time was left and knew that we were gonna be able to get a good look,” said Banchero, who led Orlando with 17 points. “Coach drew it up for me to get it in the post. When we went out there, I thought Patrick Williams was gonna be on me, but it was Caruso, so I wanted to attack the rim if I got the ball. I tried to back him in as far as I could and got a turnaround off.”
Caruso seemed to think Banchero traveled. But he also gave him credit for making a difficult shot.
“Without saying too much, we’ll look at the (last) two-minute report and see what happened with the foot movement down for Paolo,” Caruso said. “But overall, I tried to make it tough on him. He made a tough shot.”
Goga Bitadze had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Magic. Cole Anthony scored 16. Franz Wagner added 13 points, and the Magic came away with the win despite shooting 39% and making just 8 of 28 3-pointers.
LaVine scored 19 for the Bulls, who were without DeMar DeRozan, who missed the game for personal reasons.
Nikola Vucevic had 17 points and nine rebounds. Caruso scored 16 after missing two games with a toe injury, and Andre Drummond grabbed 14 rebounds. But the Bulls — like the Magic — struggled from beyond the arc, making 9 of 33 3s.
BULLS RALLY
The Magic led by 19 late in the third, only to have Chicago pull within nine — 73-64 — on a buzzer-beating 3 by Caruso.
Vucevic cut it to 87-82 when he scored on a hook with three minutes remaining. Banchero then drove for a layup and answered a basket by Caruso with a 3 to make it 92-84 with just over two minutes left.
Caruso hit two free throws with 57 seconds remaining to pull Chicago within 92-88.
Banchero made 1 of 2 free throws, but the Bulls weren’t finished. LaVine cut it to 93-91 when he nailed a 3 with 17 seconds remaining.
Orlando’s Anthony Black had a chance to make it a two-possession game when he got fouled with 14 seconds remaining but missed the second of two free throws.
Caruso got the rebound and LaVine buried a 3 following a timeout to tie it at 94 with 7.5 seconds left.
“I loved our guys’ resolve at the end, understanding that we’ve been in these scenarios before and it’s why we do the two-minute drills,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Did it go perfectly? No. But that’s what the will of this team is. They’ll find a way. That was a big-time, big-time poise play by Paolo to get in there and finish the play at the end of the game.”
The Philippines rules Asian Games basketball again, ending 62-year title drought
Celebrations erupted online and offline in Manila as the Philippines finally regained the Asian Games basketball crown, 62 years after last winning the hoops gold it in the continental games.
American-born Justin Brownlee led the Philippines’ beloved Gilas team to a 70-60 victory over Jordan, contributing 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, at the finals game held at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China.
Angelo Kouame and Chris Newsome, added 14 and 13 points respectively for the Philippines.
Completing the Gilas squad were multiple PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Kevin Alas, Marcio Lassiter, Calvin Oftana. CJ Perez, Chris Ross, Scottie Thompson, and Arvin Tolentino.
The Jordanians managed to take the lead only in the early minutes of the third quarter, only to be cut down again by the Philippines.
Former Brooklyn Nets starter Rondae Hollis-Jefferson top-scored for Jordan with a game-high 24 points, but his efforts were in vain in the face of a committed Philippine team.
Jordan defeated the Philippines in the early group-stage of the Asiad tournament.
The Olympics website reported: “It didn’t matter that the game was low on quality, or that it was one of the lowest-scoring Asian Games finals ever. All that mattered was that the Philippine anthem would sound out over the arena, and gold medals placed around the Gilas players’ necks.”
The Gilas team’s golden performance at the Asiad proved a marked contrast to its disappointing record at the FIBA World Cup at home courts in Manila under coach Chot Reyes.
Filipinos were expectedly singing praises for new coach Tim Cone, a veteran in the professional Philippine Basketball Association league, for the triumph in China.
The Philippines used to dominate basketball in the continent, winning the Asian Games gold four times in a row starting in 1951 at the first Asiad in New Delhi, in 1954 in Manila, in 1958 in Tokyo, and in 1962 in Jakarta.
Forming Asia’s first professional basketball league in the 1970s, the Philippines has since managed to land a solitary Asiad finals appearance in the 1998 when the team won a bronze medal. Beating China on home court
To make the victory sweeter, the Philippines got its finals ticket by defeating host China with a buzzer beater in their semi-finals game.
At the finals game between the Philippines and Jordan, media outlets were reporting that the home crowds of Chinese were cheering for Jordan, perhaps reflecting tensions both on court and in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.
The Chinese team managed to save whatever was left of its dignity by outclassing Taiwan, 101-73, to capture the Asiad basketball bronze medal.
Apart from Taiwan, other also-rans for the Asiad 2023 basketball medals were Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan.
Throughout Asiad history since 1951, China has won the crown eight times, the Philippines five, South Korea four, and Israel two.
The 2023 games proved to be the most successful for the Philippines in three decades, ranking 17th over all among all participating countries.
Apart from the Gilas hoop team, other gold medal winners were EJ Obiena in men’s pole vault, Meggie Ochoa in ju-jitsu ne-waza 48 kg, and Annie Ramirez in u-jitsu ne-waza 57 kg.
Obiena, now a leading challenger to world champion Armand Duplantis, took the gold after clearing 5.90 meters, 25 cm ahead of his nearest challengers. China’s favorite son Huang Bokai had to settle for the silver.
Arnel Mandal and Eumir Marcial each won a bronze in wushu and boxing.
Filipinos also won 12 bronze medals in taekwondo, weighlifting, sepak takraw, wushu, tennis, cycling, karate and ju-jitsu.
The 2023 games proved to be the most successful for the Philippines in three decades, ranking 17th over all among all participating countries.
Apart from the Gilas hoop team, other gold medal winners were EJ Obiena in men’s pole vault, Meggie Ochoa in ju-jitsu ne-waza 48 kg, and Annie Ramirez in u-jitsu ne-waza 57 kg. Obiena, now a leading challenger to world champion Armand Duplantis, took the gold after clearing 5.90 meters, 25 cm ahead of his nearest challengers. China’s favorite son Huang Bokai had to settle for the silver.Arnel Mandal and Eumir Marcial each won a bronze in wushu and boxing. Filipinos also won 12 bronze medals in taekwondo, weighlifting, sepak takraw, wushu, tennis, cycling, karate and ju-jitsu.
Journalist Tonyo Cruz